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does he foreknow future events? Therefore, it is said as part of the divine economy, "he considered," that is, "he repented," and "I will go down and see." And indeed, "he tested Abraham," and "the Lord smelled," and whatever is of this sort, have been said condescendingly on account of our weakness, since he in no way desires sacrifices, he implies through the prophet David, saying, "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?" Whence he who was begotten of him before the ages and in the last days was born of the virgin for our salvation, as if interpreting these and similar things for the ignorant, that God the Father foreknows all things, said, "for our heavenly Father knows that you need all these things, before you ask him." And to those thinking that he does not see all things he asserted, "Pray in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you in the open." And to those supposing him not to be good he rebuked, saying, "If you then, 1.368 being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him?" And to those thinking he desires sacrifices he proclaimed, "God wants mercy and not sacrifices." And to those supposing him to be evil, exhorting, he cried, "Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is also." But because of those being deceived that many gods exist, he said, "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent," and, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth." And indeed, to the scribe who asked which is the first of all the commandments, he answered, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one Lord.""

But Simon, realizing that Peter was confining him with the scriptures to the discourse about God, not wanting an examination to take place, withdrew with much shame and defeat. For the accursed one was very experienced in diabolical workings, but inexperienced in spiritual teachings. For he was so practiced in the magics and methods of Satan as was almost no one else of those before him who were renowned for diabolical devices and villainies. For he made statues walk, when rolled into fire he was not burned, he flew into the air, he made loaves from stones, he became a dragon, he was changed into gold, and was transformed into snakes and other animals, he became two-faced, he opened locked and bolted doors, he broke iron bonds, at banquets he presented phantoms 1.369 of all sorts of forms, he made the vessels in the house move automatically for service with the carriers not being seen, he arranged for many shadows to go before him, which he said were the souls of the dead. And when many tried to expose him as a sorcerer and deceiver, reconciling them to himself, then on the pretext of a banquet he sacrificed an ox and feasted them, and variously subjected them to incurable diseases and demons. And he wrought very many other things, with the demons working under him. And so once, being sought by Caesar as a deceiver, he ran away, having put his own form upon Faustus, a disciple of Peter. And this one, having returned to Peter, was persecuted by everyone because of the unholy appearance he wore. But Peter, looking at him and seeing him grieving and weeping, said, "By Simon, O Faustus, the magician, the alteration of your form has come about; for being sought by Caesar, he was afraid and fled, putting his own form on you, so that with you being arrested and killed he might cause us great grief and affliction. But God, having freed you from the form of the people-deceiver and enemy of the truth, Simon, will quickly grant you your former and own form." Which indeed happened along with the word, with all of us watching. These things indeed and other such things Clement has written, as I said, were said and done in Syria. But in Rome, after they were cast out from the presence of Nero, as

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προγινώσκει τὰ ἐσόμενα; ὥστε οὖν οἰκονομικῶς εἴρηται τὸ ἐνεθυμήθη, τουτέστι μετεμελήθη, καὶ τὸ καταβὰς ὄψομαι. καὶ μέν γε τὸ ἐπείραζε τὸν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ ὠσφράνθη κύριος, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, συγκαταβατικῶς διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθένειαν λέλεκται, ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε θυσιῶν οὐκ ὀρέγε ται, διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ∆αβὶδ ὑπεμφαίνει λέγων «μὴ φάγωμαι κρέα ταύρων, ἢ αἷμα τράγων πίωμαι.» ὅθεν ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων γεννηθεὶς καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἐκ τῆς παρθένου διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν τεχθεὶς ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ὥσπερ διερμη νεύων τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ πάντα προγινώσκει, ἔλεγεν «οἶδε γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων ἁπάντων, πρὶν αὐτὸν αἰτῆσαι ὑμᾶς.» καὶ τοῖς νομίζουσιν ὅτι μὴ πάντα βλέπει ἔφασκε «προσεύχεσθε ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ, καὶ ὁ πα τὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει ἐν τῷ φανερῷ.» καὶ τοῖς οἰομένοις αὐτὸν μὴ ἀγαθὸν εἶναι ἐπέπληττε λέγων «εἰ οὖν 1.368 ὑμεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν;» καὶ τοῖς δοκοῦσιν αὐτὸν θυσιῶν ὀρέγεσθαι διη γόρευσεν «ὁ θεὸς ἔλεος θέλει καὶ οὐ θυσίας.» καὶ τοῖς ὑπολαμβάνουσι κακὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι παραινῶν ἐβόα «γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες ὡς καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος.» διὰ δὲ τοὺς ἀπατωμένους πολ λοὺς θεοὺς ὑπάρχειν ἔφη «ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεόν, καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν,» καὶ «ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι πάτερ κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς.» καὶ μέντοι πρὸς τὸν ἐπερωτήσαντα γραμματέα ποία ἐστὶ πρώτη πασῶν ἐντολῶν, ἀπε κρίθη «ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ, κύριος ὁ θεός σου κύριος εἷς ἐστί.»"

Ὁ δὲ Σίμων συνιδὼν ὅτι ὁ Πέτρος αὐτὸν συνάγει ταῖς γρα φαῖς εἰς τὸν περὶ θεοῦ λόγον, ἐξετασμὸν γενέσθαι μὴ θελήσας ἀνεχώρησε μετὰ πολλῆς αἰσχύνης καὶ ἥττης. ἦν γὰρ ὁ ἐξάγιστος πολύπειρος μὲν ἐν ταῖς διαβολικαῖς ἐνεργείαις, ἄπειρος δὲ ἐν ταῖς πνευματικαῖς διδασκαλίαις. καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἐξησκημένος ἦν ἐν ταῖς μαγείαις καὶ μεθοδείαις τοῦ Σατᾶν ὡς οὐκ ἄλλος τις τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ σχεδὸν περὶ ταῖς διαβολικαῖς ἐπινοίαις καὶ κακουργίαις διαβεβοημένων. ἀνδριάντας γὰρ ἐποίει περιπατεῖν, εἰς πῦρ κυ λιόμενος οὐκ ἐκαίετο, εἰς ἀέρα ἵπτατο, ἐκ λίθων ἄρτους ἐποίει, δράκων ἐγίνετο, εἰς χρυσὸν μετεβάλλετο, καὶ εἰς ὄφεις καὶ ἕτερα ζῷα μετεμορφοῦτο, διπρόσωπος ἐγίνετο, θύρας κεκλεισμένας καὶ μεμοχλευμένας ἤνοιγε, σιδηρᾶ δεσμὰ διέλυεν, ἐν δείπνοις εἴδωλα 1.369 παντοδαπῶν ἰδεῶν παρίστα, τὰ ἐν οἰκίᾳ σκεύη αὐτομάτως φέρε σθαι πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν ἐποίει τῶν φερόντων οὐχ ὁρωμένων, σκιὰς πολλὰς προηγεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ παρεσκεύαζεν, ἅσπερ ψυχὰς τῶν τεθνεώτων ἔφασκεν εἶναι. πολλῶν δὲ γόητα καὶ πλάνον αὐτὸν ἐλέγχειν πειρωμένων, διαλλάξας πρὸς ἑαυτόν, ἔπειτα προφάσει εὐωχίας βοῦν θύσας καὶ ἑστιάσας αὐτοὺς διαφόρως δυσιάτοις νό σοις καὶ δαίμοσιν ὑπέβαλε. καὶ ἄλλα πλεῖστα εἰργάσατο καθυπ ουργούντων αὐτῷ τῶν δαιμόνων. καὶ γοῦν ποτὲ ζητούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Καίσαρος ὡς πλάνος ἀπέδρα, τὴν μορφὴν αὑτοῦ περιθεὶς Φαύστῳ μαθητῇ Πέτρου. καὶ οὗτος ἐπανελθὼν πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον ἐδιώκετο ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὴν ἀνόσιον ἰδέαν ἣν περιέκειτο. ἐμβλέ ψας δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ ἰδὼν λυπούμενον καὶ δακρύοντα, ἔφη "ὑπὸ Σίμωνος, ὦ Φαῦστε, τοῦ μάγου ἡ παραλλαγὴ τῆς μορφῆς σου γέγονε· ζητούμενος γὰρ ὑπὸ Καίσαρος φοβηθεὶς ἔφυγε, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σοι μορφὴν περιθείς, ἵνα σοῦ συσχεθέντος καὶ ἀναιρεθέντος λύπην μεγάλην καὶ θλῖψιν ἡμῖν προξενήσῃ. ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς τῆς τοῦ λαοπλάνου καὶ ἐχθροῦ τῆς ἀληθείας Σίμωνος ἀπαλλάξας σε μορφῆς τὴν προτέραν καὶ ἰδίαν σοι παρέξει τάχιον." ὅπερ δὴ καὶ σὺν τῷ λόγῳ γέγονε, πάντων ἡμῶν θεωρούντων. ταῦτα μέντοι καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα γεγράφηκεν, ὡς ἔφην, Κλήμης λεχθῆναι καὶ πραχθῆναι ἐν Συρίᾳ. Ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ, μετὰ τὸ ἐκβληθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώ που Νέρωνος, ὡς