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of the avenger. But I say to you that I judged all those present worthy to know the father who is in secret. Therefore, when I reveal him to them publicly, you, through envy, are angry with me who wants to benefit them. And Peter said: Since you have spoken thus to please the crowds present, I will speak not to please, but truthfully. Tell me, how do you know that all those present are worthy, when not even one agreed with you as you were revealing it? For their directing their praise against you toward me is not of those agreeing with you, but with me, to whom they also gave praise for having spoken correctly. But since God, being just, judges each person's mind, which you say is true, he would not have wished this to be given to those on the right hand through the left, by which reasoning he who receives something from a thief is himself also liable. Therefore, for this reason he did not wish them to receive what was brought by you, but through the son appointed for revealing. For to whom is it reasonable to reveal the father, other than to the son alone, because he knows who is worthy of such a revelation? Thus it is not possible to teach or be taught this, but for it to be revealed by an ineffable hand to the one worthy to know this. And Simon said: It contributes much to the victory of the one fighting to use his own weapons. For what one loves he can also genuinely vindicate, and what is genuinely vindicated has no ordinary strength. Therefore, from now on I will set forth what I truly think. I say there is a certain power in secret, unknown to all, and even to the creator (as Jesus himself has said, not understanding what he uttered; for sometimes out of much speaking one hits upon the truth, not knowing what he says). And I speak also concerning this which he has said: “No one knew the father.” And Peter: Do not profess to know his things any longer. And Simon: I do not profess to believe his things, but I am discussing with you the things he happened upon. And Peter: So that I may not give you a pretext for escape, I will debate with you as you wish; but I call all to witness that you do not even believe the argument which you have now stated. For I know what you think. And so that you may not think I am lying, I will hint at your own things, so that you may know that you are debating with one who knows. We, O Simon, do not say that two angels were sent from the great power, and also from the one called mistress, the one to create the world, and the other to establish the law—nor that each one, coming upon the things which he had made as if he himself were the master, himself announced it—nor he who stands who will stand in opposition. Learn how you disbelieve even this hypothesis. The power which you say is in secret is full of ignorance; for it did not foreknow the ignorance of the angels sent by it. And Simon, as Peter was saying these things, becoming greatly angered, cut him off as he was speaking, saying: Why are you talking nonsense, you bold and most rash of all men, artlessly revealing secret things before ignorant crowds? And Peter: Why do you envy the present listeners being benefited? And Simon: Do you not then confess that such knowledge is a benefit? And Peter: I confess; for falsehood, when it is known, benefits one by reason of ignorance not to fall into it. And Simon: It seems to me that you are not able to speak to the things I have proposed to you. But I say that even your teacher says that there is a certain father in secret.

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τοῦ ἐκδικοῦντος. πλὴν φημί σοι ὅτι ἐγὼ τοὺς παρεστῶτας πάντας ἀξίους ἔκρινα γνῶναι τὸν ἐν ἀπορρήτοις πατέρα. διὸ δημοσίᾳ μου αὐτοῖς ἀπο- καλύπτοντος σὺ αὐτοῖς διὰ φθόνον ἐμοὶ τῷ εὐεργετεῖν αὐτοὺς θέλοντι χαλεπαίνεις. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἔφη· Ἐπειδὴ ἀρεσκόντως τοῖς παροῦσιν ὄχλοις οὕτως ἔφης, ἐγὼ ἐρῶ οὐκ ἀρεσκόντως, ἀλλὰ ἀληθῶς. λέγε μοι, πῶς ἀξίους ἐπίστασαι τοὺς παρεστῶτας πάντας, ὅπου σοι ἐκφαίνοντι οὐδὲ εἷς συνέθετο; τὸ γὰρ ἐμοὶ ποιήσασθαι κατὰ σοῦ τὸν ἔπαινον οὐκ ἔστιν συνκαταθεμένων σοί, ἀλλὰ ἐμοί, ᾧ καὶ τὸν ἔπαινον ὡς ὀρθῶς εἰρηκότι ἀπένειμαν. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὁ θεὸς δίκαιος ὢν βραβεύει τὸν ἑκάστου νοῦν, ὃ φὴς ἀληθὲς εἶναι, οὐκ ἂν ἐβουλήθη διὰ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς τοῖς δεξιοῖς τοῦτο δο- θῆναι, ᾧ λόγῳ ὁ παρὰ κλέπτου τι λαβὼν καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπεύθυνός ἐστιν. ὥστε τούτου ἕνεκεν τὸ ὑπὸ σοῦ φερόμενον οὐκ ἠθέλησεν αὐτοὺς λαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ εἰς τὸ ἀποκαλύπτειν ὡρισμένου υἱοῦ. τίνι γὰρ εὔλογόν ἐστιν ἀποκαλύπτειν τὸν πατέρα ἢ υἱῷ μόνῳ διὰ τὸ εἰδέναι τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπο- καλύψεως τὸν ἄξιον; οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν τοῦτο διδάξαι ἢ διδαχθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἀφράστῳ χειρὶ ἀποκαλυφθῆναι τῷ τοῦτο εἰδέναι ἀξίῳ. Καὶ ὁ Σίμων ἔφη· Πολὺ συμβάλλεται πρὸς νίκην τῷ πολεμοῦντι τὸ ἰδίοις χρήσασθαι ὅπλοις. ὃ γὰρ φιλεῖ τις καὶ γνησίως ἐκδικεῖν δύναται, γνησίως δὲ ἐκδικούμενον οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἰσχὺν ἔχει. διὸ τοῦ λοιποῦ ὅπερ ὄντως φρονῶ ἐκθήσομαι. φημί τινα δύναμιν ἐν ἀπορρήτοις εἶναι ἄγνωστον πᾶσι, καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ δημιουργῷ (ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἴρηκεν, οὐκ ἐπιστάμενος ὃ ἐφθέγξατο· ἐκ πολυλαλίας γὰρ ἐνίοτε εὐστοχεῖ τις πρὸς τὸ ἀληθές, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὃ λέγει). λέγω δὲ καὶ περὶ τούτου οὗ εἴρηκεν· «Oὐδεὶς ἔγνω τὸν πατέραή. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Σὺ τὰ ἐκείνου εἰδέναι μηκέτι ἐπαγγέλ- λου. καὶ ὁ Σίμων· Τὰ ἐκείνου οὐκ ἐπαγγέλλομαι πιστεύειν, εἰς δὲ τὰ ἐπι- τευχθέντα αὐτῷ διαλέγομαί σοι. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἵνα μή σοι δῶ πρόφασιν εἰς φυγήν, ζητήσω σοι ὡς θέλεις· πλὴν μαρτύρομαι πάντας ὅτι οὐδὲ ὃν νῦν ἔφης λόγον, οὐ πιστεύεις. οἶδα γὰρ ἃ φρονεῖς. καὶ ἵνα μή με δόξῃς ψεύδεσθαι, αἰνίξομαί σοι τὰ σά, ἵνα εἰδῇς ὅτι πρὸς εἰδότα διαλέγῃ. ἡμεῖς, ὦ Σίμων, ἐκ τῆς μεγάλης δυνάμεως, ἔτι τε καὶ τῆς κυρίας λεγο- μένης, οὐ λέγομεν δύο ἀπεστάλθαι ἀγγέλους, τὸν μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ κτίσαι κόσ- μον, τὸν δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ θέσθαι τὸν νόμον-οὐδὲ ὅτι ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος, ἐλθὼν ἐφ' οἷς ἐποίησεν ὡς αὐτὸς ὢν αὐθέντης, αὐτὸς ἤγγειλεν-οὐδὲ ὁ ἑστὼς στησόμενος ἀντικείμενος. μάθε πῶς ἀπιστεῖς καὶ τὴν ὑπό- θεσιν ταύτην. ἣν φὴς δύναμιν ἐν ἀπορρήτοις εἶναι, ἀγνοίας γέμει· τὴν γὰρ ἀγνωμοσύνην τῶν ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἀποσταλέντων ἀγγέλων οὐ προ- εγίνωσκεν. καὶ ὁ Σίμων τοῦ Πέτρου ταῦτα λέγοντος μεγάλως ὀργισθεὶς ἐπέκοψεν λέγοντα εἰπών· Τί φλυαρεῖς, τολμηρὲ καὶ πάντων προπετέστατε, ἐπ' ὄχλων ἀμαθῶν ἐκφαίνων ἀτέχνως τὰ ἀπόρρητα; καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Τί φθονεῖς εὐεργετεῖσθαι τοὺς παρόντας ἀκροατάς; καὶ ὁ Σίμων· Oὐκοῦν ὁμο- λογεῖς τὴν τοιαύτην ἐπίγνωσιν εὐεργεσίαν εἶναι; καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Ὁμολογῶ· τὸ γὰρ ψεῦδος γνωσθὲν εὐεργετεῖ ἀγνοίας αἰτίᾳ μὴ περιπεσεῖν αὐτῷ. καὶ ὁ Σίμων· Φαίνῃ μοι μὴ δυνάμενος εἰπεῖν εἰς ἃ προέτεινά σοι. λέγω δὲ ὅτι καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλός σου ἐν ἀπορρήτοις τινὰ λέγει εἶναι πατέρα.