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to show them the cause of their error: "For this reason you are in error, not knowing the truths of the scriptures, for which cause you are ignorant also of the power of God." Wherefore, it is necessary for every person who wishes to be saved to become, as the Teacher said, a judge of the books written for temptation. For thus he said: "Become approved money-changers." And there is need of money-changers, because the counterfeit coins are mixed in with the genuine ones. When Peter said these things, Simon, pretending to be astonished at what was said about the scriptures, said as if terrified: "Far be it from me and those who love me to listen to your words. And until I knew that you thought these things about the scriptures, I endured it and engaged in discussion, but now I withdraw. Indeed, I should have withdrawn at the beginning, because I heard you saying: 'I believe no one at all who says anything against the one who created the world, not angels nor prophets, not scriptures, not priests, not teachers, not anyone else, even if someone performs signs and wonders, even if he flashes openly in the air or reveals through visions or through dreams.' Who then can persuade you, whether rightly or wrongly, to think anything other than what you have decided, you who so strongly and immovably abide in your own opinion—

And Peter, as Simon said these things and was about to go out, said: "Hear this one more thing from me, and go wherever you wish." And when Simon turned back and remained, Peter said: "I know how you were astonished then when you heard me say: 'Whoever says anything at all against the God who created the world, I do not believe.' But now hear something greater than this. If in reality the God who created the world happens to be of such a character as the scriptures recount—and if he is in some other way incomparably evil, such that neither the scriptures have been able to describe nor anyone else is even able to conceive, likewise I will not cease to worship him alone and to do his will. For I want you to know and be persuaded that he who has no affection for his own maker can never have it for another. And if he has it for another, having it contrary to nature, he has the love of the unjust from an evil source, being ignorant, as he is not even able to keep that one securely. And if there is indeed some other above the Creator, he, as a good being, will accept me all the more for this, that I love my own father, but he will not accept you, knowing that you abandoned your maker by nature (for I do not say father) for a greater hope, not caring for what is reasonable. Thus, even if you find one greater than him, he knows that you will also one day abandon him, and all the more because he has not become your father, since you abandoned even your real father. But you will say: 'He knows that there is no other above him, and for this reason he cannot be abandoned.' Thanks, then, is due to non-existence; but he knows the inclinations of your mind are ready for ingratitude. But if he, knowing you to be ungrateful, accepts you, but does not receive me, whom he knows to be grateful, he is irrational according to your argument, not having made use of reason. Thus, Simon, being a minister of wickedness, you are ignorant." And Simon answered: "Whence, then, did evil originate, tell us." And Peter said: "Since today you made haste to go out and said that for the future you would not listen to me as a blasphemer, tomorrow, if indeed

abiding?"

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αὐτοῖς τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν ὑποδεῖξαι· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰ ἀληθῆ τῶν γραφῶν, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἀγνοεῖτε καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ». διὸ δεῖ πάντα ἄνθρωπον σωθῆναι θέλοντα γενέσθαι, ὡς ὁ διδάσκαλος εἶπεν, κριτὴν τῶν πρὸς πειρασμὸν γραφεισῶν βίβλων. οὕτως γὰρ εἶπεν· «Γίνεσθε τραπεζῖται δόκιμοι». τραπεζιτῶν δὲ χρεία, ὅτι τοῖς δοκίμοις καὶ τὰ κίβδηλα ἀναμεμιγμένα. Ταῦτα τοῦ Πέτρου εἰπόντος ὁ Σίμων ἐπὶ τοῖς ·ηθεῖσιν περὶ τῶν γραφῶν προσποιησάμενος ἐκπεπλῆχθαι ὡς πτοηθεὶς ἔφη· Ἀπείη μοι καὶ τοῖς ἐμὲ φιλοῦσιν τῶν σῶν ἐπακούειν λόγων. καὶ μέχρι μὲν ὅτε οὐκ ᾔδειν σε ταῦτα περὶ τῶν γραφῶν φρονοῦντα, ἠνειχόμην καὶ διελεγόμην, νῦν δὲ ἀφίσταμαι. ἔδει μέντοι τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑποχωρῆσαί με, ὅτι ἤκουσά σου λέγοντος· Ἐγὼ κατὰ τοῦ κτίσαντος τὸν κόσμον οὐδὲν οὐδενὶ πιστεύω λέ- γοντι, οὔτε ἀγγέλοις οὔτε προφήταις, οὐ γραφαῖς, οὐχ ἱερεῦσιν, οὐ διδασκά- λοις, οὐκ ἄλλῳ οὐδενί, κἂν σημεῖά τις καὶ τέρατα ποιῇ, κἂν ἐν ἀέρι ἐπι- φανῶς ἀστράπτῃ ἢ δι' ὁραμάτων ἢ δι' ἐνυπνίων ἀποκαλύπτῃ. τίς οὖν σε μεταπεῖσαι δύναται εἴτε καλῶς εἴτε κακῶς ἕτερόν τι φρονεῖν παρὰ τὰ δόξαντά σοι, ἰσχυρῶς οὕτως καὶ ἀκινήτως τῇ σεαυτοῦ γνώσει ἐνδιαμέ-

Καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ταῦτα εἰπόντι τῷ Σίμωνι, ἐκβαίνειν μέλλοντι, ἔφη· Ἔτι τοῦτό μου ἄκουσον καὶ πορεύου ὅπου θέλεις. τοῦ δὲ Σίμωνος ἐπιστραφέντος καὶ ἐπιμείναντος ὁ Πέτρος ἔφη· Oἶδα πῶς τότε ἀκούων κατεπλάγης, ὅτε εἶπον· Ὅστις ποτ' ἂν ᾖ κατὰ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον κτίσαντος θεοῦ λέγων ὁτιοῦν, οὐ πι- στεύω. τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτου μεῖζον νῦν ἄκουσον. ἐὰν τῷ ὄντι ὁ τὸν κόσμον κτίσας θεὸς τὴν γνώμην τοιοῦτος ὢν τυγχάνῃ, ὁποῖον αἱ γραφαὶ καταλέγου- σιν-καὶ εἰ ἄλλως πως ἀπαραβλήτως κακός ἐστιν, ὡς οὔτε αἱ γραφαὶ εἰπεῖν ἴσχυσαν οὔτε ἄλλος τις κἂν ἐννοῆσαι δυνατός ἐστιν, ὁμοίως ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀποστήσομαι τοῦ αὐτὸν μόνον σέβειν καὶ τὸ αὐτοῦ βούλημα ποιεῖν. εἰδέναι γάρ σε θέλω καὶ πεπεῖσθαι ὅτι ὁ εἰς τὸν αὑτοῦ ποιητὴν οὐκ ἔχων στοργὴν οὐδὲ εἰς ἕτερον ἔχειν ποτὲ δύναται. εἰ δὲ ἔχει πρὸς ἕτερον, παρὰ φύσιν ἔχων, ἐκ πονηροῦ τὸν τῶν ἀδίκων ἔρωτα ἔχων ἀγνοεῖ, ὡς μηδὲ ἐκεῖνον βεβαίως φυλάξαι δυνάμενος. καὶ εἰ ἄρα ἐστίν τις ἕτερος ὑπὲρ τὸν δημιουργόν, ἀποδέξεταί με ὡς ἀγαθὸς ταύτῃ μᾶλλον, ὅτι τὸν ἐμὸν ἀγαπῶ πατέρα, σὲ δὲ οὐκ ἀποδέξεται εἰδὼς ὅτι τὸν φύσει σου ποιητήν (οὐ γὰρ λέγω πατέρα) κατέλιπες ἐπ' ἐλπίδι μείζονι, οὐ φροντίσας τοῦ εὐλόγου. οὕτως εἰ καὶ αὐτοῦ κρείττονα εὑρήσεις, οἶδεν ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸν καταλείψεις ποτέ, καὶ μᾶλλον ὅτι μὴ γέγονέν σου πατήρ, ὁπότε καὶ τὸν ὄντως σου πατέρα κατέλιπες. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς· Oἶδεν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἕτερος ὑπὲρ αὐτόν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταλειφθῆναι οὐ δύναται. χάρις οὖν τῷ μὴ εἶναι· τὰ δὲ τῆς γνώμης οἶδεν ἕτοιμα πρὸς ἀγνωμοσύνην. εἰ δὲ εἰδὼς ἀγνώμονά σε ἀποδέχεται, ἐμὲ δὲ εὐγνώμονα ἐπιστάμενος οὐ προσίεται, ἀλόγιστός ἐστι κατὰ τὸν σὸν λόγον, τῷ εὐλόγῳ μὴ κεχρημένος. οὕτω πονηρίας, ὦ Σί- μων, ὑπουργὸς ὢν ἀγνοεῖς. καὶ ὁ Σίμων ἀπεκρίνατο· Πόθεν οὖν τὸ πονηρὸν πέφυκεν, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἐπειδὴ σήμερον, ἔφη, ἐκβαίνειν ἔφθασας καὶ ἔφης τοῦ λοιποῦ ὡς βλασφήμου μὴ ἀκούειν ἐμοῦ, αὔριον εἴγε

νοντα;