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[HOMILY 16.] But Peter, going out at dawn and standing at the usual place for discoursing, saw a large crowd gathered. And just as he was about to speak, one of his deacons came in, saying: "Simon, having come from Antioch, having learned just last evening that you promised to give a discourse on monarchy, is ready with Athenodorus the Epicurean to come against you as you are speaking, in order to publicly contradict all the arguments spoken by you in any way on behalf of monarchy." As the deacon was saying these things, behold, Simon himself entered with Athenodorus and some other companions, and before Peter could say anything, he himself spoke first and said: "I learned that you promised Faustus yesterday to demonstrate today, making your argument in order and beginning from the Lord of all himself, that he alone must be called God, and that others should neither be called nor considered so, and that whoever does contrary to this is to be punished eternally. But above all, I am truly astounded at your folly, that you hoped to convert to your will a wise man, and an old one at that. But you will not succeed in your designs, all the more so with me being present and refuting your false arguments; for perhaps, if I were not present, the wise old man would have been deceived, being unacquainted with the books publicly accredited among the Jews. And for now I will set aside many arguments, so that I may more quickly make a refutation of your promise. Therefore, in the presence of us who know the Scriptures, begin to say what you promised. But if, fearing refutation, you wish to omit your promise in our presence, even so, the proof is sufficient that you are lying, because you did not dare to speak in the presence of those who know the Scriptures. And now why do I wait for you to speak, when I have the greatest witness of your promise, the old man standing by?" And having said these things, he looked at the father and said: "Tell me, most honorable of all men, did not this man promise you to show today that there is one God and one must not call or consider anyone else God, and that he who does contrary to this, as one sinning the greatest sins, is to be punished eternally? Or will you not answer me?" And the father said: "You would rightly have demanded the testimony from me, Simon, if Peter had first denied it; but now I will not be ashamed to say what must be said. I think you wish to dispute while inflamed with anger, which it is unfitting both for you to do and for us to listen to such things, because it is to relate a fight and not to be profited toward the truth. And now, knowing from Greek learning how seekers ought to act, I will remind you. Let each of you set forth his own doctrine, and let the arguments be addressed to each other. But if Peter alone sets forth his own opinion, while you keep silent about yours, it is possible for some argument spoken by you to assail his opinion, and for both of you to be defeated by the argument without appearing to be defeated; rather, he who set forth his opinion, while he who did not, although equally defeated, will not be manifestly so, but may even be thought to have won." And Simon answered: "I will do as you say, but I am discouraged that perhaps, being already prejudiced by his arguments, you will not be a truth-loving judge." And the father answered: "Do not compel me to agree with you without judgment,"

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[OΜIΛIA IϚ.] Ὄρθρου δὲ ἐξιὼν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ἐπιστὰς ἐπὶ τὸν συνήθη τοῦ δια- λέγεσθαι τόπον ὄχλον πολὺν συνεστῶτα εἶδεν. καὶ ἅμα τῷ μέλλειν διαλέγε- σθαι αὐτὸν εἰσῄει τις τῶν αὐτοῦ διακόνων λέγων· Σίμων ἀπὸ Ἀντιοχείας ἐληλυθώς, ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἑσπέρας μαθὼν ὑποσχόμενόν σε τὸν περὶ μοναρχίας ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, ἕτοιμός ἐστιν μετὰ Ἀθηνοδώρου τοῦ Ἐπικουρείου δια- λεγομένῳ σοι ἐπελθεῖν πρὸς τὸ ἀντιλέγειν δημοσίᾳ πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ ὁπώσποτε ὑπὲρ μοναρχίας λεγομένοις λόγοις. ταῦτα τοῦ διακόνου λέ- γοντος, ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς εἰσῄει Σίμων μετὰ Ἀθηνοδώρου καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν ἑταίρων καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τι τὸν Πέτρον φθέγξασθαι αὐτὸς προλαβὼν ἔφη· Ἔμαθον ὡς ὑπέσχου ἐχθὲς τῷ Φαύστῳ εἰς τὴν σήμερον δεῖξαι, τῇ τάξει τὸν λόγον ποιούμενος καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀρχόμενος τοῦ τῶν ὅλων δεσπό- του, ὅτι αὐτὸν μόνον δεῖ λέγειν θεόν, ἄλλους δὲ μήτε λέγειν μήτε νο- μίζειν, ὅτι ὁ παρὰ τοῦτο ποιῶν αἰωνίως κολασθῆναι ἔχει. πρὸ πάντων δὲ ἀληθῶς καταπέπληγμαί σου τὴν ἀπόνοιαν ὅτι ἤλπισας εἰς τὴν σὴν βού- λησιν μεταπεῖσαι ἄνδρα σοφὸν καὶ ταῦτα πρεσβύτην. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπιτεύξει τῶν σῶν βουλευμάτων, ταύτῃ μᾶλλον παρόντος ἐμοῦ καὶ τοὺς ψευδεῖς σου διελέγχοντος λόγους· ἴσως γὰρ ἐμοῦ μὴ παρόντος ἠπατήθη ἂν ὁ σοφὸς γέρων, ἰδιώτης ὢν τῶν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις δημοσίᾳ πεπιστωμένων βίβλων. καὶ τὸ νῦν τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπερθήσομαι λόγους, ἵνα τῆς ὑπο- σχέσεώς σου τάχιον τὸν ἔλεγχον ποιήσωμαι. διὸ ἐφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τῶν τὰς γραφὰς εἰδότων ὃ ὑπέσχου λέγειν ἄρξαι. εἰ δὲ τὸν ἔλεγχον αἰδού- μενος ἐφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν παραλιπεῖν θέλεις, αὐτάρκης καὶ οὕτως ἡ ἀπόδειξις ὅτι ψεύδῃ, καθότι ἐπὶ τῶν τὰς γραφὰς εἰδότων εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἐτόλμησας. καὶ νῦν δὲ τί σε ἀναμένω λέγειν, μέγιστον ἔχων μάρ- τυρα τῆς ὑποσχέσεώς σου τὸν παρεστῶτα γέροντα; καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐμβλέψας τῷ πατρὶ ἔφη· Eἰπέ μοι, ἀνδρῶν πάντων τιμιώτατε, οὐχὶ οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ ὑπέσχετό σοι δεῖξαι σήμερον ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν θεὸς καὶ οὐ χρὴ ἕτερόν τινα λέγειν ἢ νομίζειν θεόν, ὁ δὲ παρὰ ταῦτα ποιῶν ὡς τὰ μέγιστα ἁμαρτάνων αἰωνίως κολασθῆναι ἔχει; ἢ γὰρ οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ μοι; καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἔφη· Καλῶς ἂν τὴν μαρτυρίαν παρ' ἐμοῦ ἀπῄτεις, Σί- μων, εἰ πρότερον ἠρνεῖτο ὁ Πέτρος· νῦν δὲ οὐκ αἰδεσθήσομαι λέγειν ἃ δεῖ λέγειν. οἶμαί σε ὀργῇ πεπρησμένον διαλεχθῆναι θέλειν, ὅπερ ἀνοί- κειόν σοί τε ποιεῖν καὶ ἡμῖν τοιούτων ἐπακούειν, ὅτι μάχην ἐστὶν ἱστορῆ- σαι καὶ οὐ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ὠφελεῖσθαι. καὶ νῦν ἐξ Ἑλληνικῆς παιδείας ὡς χρὴ τοὺς ζητοῦντας ποιεῖν εἰδὼς ὑπομνήσω. ἑκάτερος ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ δόγμα ἐκθέσθω, καὶ εἰς ἕτερον οἱ λόγοι γενέσθωσαν. ἐὰν δὲ Πέτρος μόνος ἐκθῆται τὸ ἑαυτοῦ φρόνημα, σὺ δὲ τὸ σὸν σιωπᾷς, ἐνδέχεταί τινα λόγον ὑπὸ σοῦ ·ηθέντα θλίβειν τὸ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ σὸν φρόνημα καὶ ἀμφοτέρους ὑμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου ἡττηθέντας μὴ φαίνεσθαι ἡττημένους, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐκθέμενον τὸ φρόνημα, τὸν δὲ μὴ ἐκθέμενον ὁμοίως ἡττημένον μὴ πρόδηλον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ νενικηκέναι νομίζεσθαι. καὶ ὁ Σίμων ἀπεκρίνατο· Ποιήσω ὡς λέγεις, ἀθυμῶ δὲ μήπως ἤδη προειλημμένος αὐτοῦ τοῖς λόγοις οὐ φιλαλήθης ἔσῃ κριτής. καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἀπεκρίνατο· Μή με βιάζου ἀκρίτως συνθέσθαι σοι,