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and suitable days are appointed for having intercourse. For this reason at least, someone having learned from the tradition of Moses, accusing the people for their sins, called them sons of new moons according to the moon and of sabbaths. But also in the beginning of the world men were both long-lived and without sickness; but when, having been neglectful, they abandoned the observance, from then on in succession sons by reason of ignorance, having intercourse <when> they ought not, place their own children under countless sufferings. whence also our <teach>er, concerning the man maimed from birth who received his sight from him, being exami<ned, whether this man sin>ned or his parents, that he was born blind, answered: "Neither did this man sin at all, nor his parents, but that through him the power of God might be revealed," healing the sins of ignorance. And truly by reason of ignorance such things happen, that is, by not knowing when one ought to have intercourse with his wife, if she happens to be clean from her issue. However, the sufferings you have spoken of are from ignorance, not, however, wrought by an evil one. Moreover, produce the one who does not sin and you will have the one who does not suffer, and in addition to not suffering you will also find him able to heal others. For example, at once Moses on account of his piety continued free from suffering for all the time of his life and he healed by prayers the Egyptians who were suff-ering on account of their sins. And Simon: Let these things be so; does the inequality among men not seem most unjust to you? For one is poor, another is rich—and one is sick and <another> is healthy—and likewise countless such things in human life. And Peter: Do you not see, Simon, that again you are sending your words outside the point? For while we were discussing the evil one, you, having made a digression, have introduced the subject concerning seeming improprieties; nevertheless I will speak to this also. The world is an instrument skillfully made, so that for the male who is to be eternally the female may bring forth righteous eternal sons. But they could not be perfected as pious men here, if there were not the needy whom they might help—and likewise also for this reason there are also the sick, for whom they might provide—and the things that follow contain this same reasoning. And Simon: Then it is unfortunate for the lowly; for in order that the righteous may be perfected, they themselves are ill-treated. <And Peter:> If their lowliness were eternal, it would be the greatest misfortune; but the states of lowliness and exaltation happen to men according to the lot. But for whomever the lot is not pleasing, it is possible by making use of an appeal and by going through a legal process to exchange his life for another. And Simon: What is this lot and appeal? And Peter: This is the explanation of another discourse; nevertheless if you permit, we are able to show you how, having been born again and having exchanged your birth and having lived lawfully, you will attain eternal salvation. And Simon, hearing these things, said: Do not think that because I was agreeing as I inquired into each point, that as one fully convinced I was proceeding to another point, bu<t I was> giving you the suspicion that I was being persuaded, so that you might come to another point, so that having learned all your <thought>s I might not condemn you by conjecturing, but being fully informed............ but now grant me three days and when I come I will show you that you know nothing. When Simon had <said> these things and was about to go out, my father said: Having heard a few things from me, Simon, go as you please. Remem-

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καὶ τοῦ κοινωνῆσαι ἐπιτηρήσιμοι ἡμέραι προσῳκείωνται. ἔνθεν γοῦν τις ἐκ τῆς Μωυσέως παραδόσεως μεμαθηκώς, αἰτιώμενος τὸν λαὸν ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις, υἱοὺς νεομηνιῶν τῶν κατὰ σελήνην καὶ σαββάτων ἀπεκάλει. ἀλλὰ καὶ κατ' ἀρχὰς τοῦ κόσμου οἱ ἄνθρωποι πολυετεῖς τε ἦσαν καὶ ἄνοσοι· ὁπότε δὲ ἀμελήσαντες τὴν παρατήρησιν ἀπέλιπον, ἔκτοτε κατὰ διαδοχὴν υἱοὶ ἀγνοίας αἰτίᾳ <ὅτε> μὴ δεῖ κοινωνοῦντες ὑπὸ μυρία πάθη τὰ ἑαυτῶν τιθέασι τέκνα. ὅθεν καὶ <ὁ διδάσκ>αλος ἡμῶν περὶ τοῦ ἐκ γενετῆς πηροῦ καὶ ἀναβλέψαντος παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐξετα<ζόμενος, εἰ ὅτι ἥμαρτ>εν οὗτος ἢ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, τυφλὸς ἐγεννήθη, ἀπεκρίνατο· «Oὔτε οὗτός τι ἥμαρτεν οὔτε οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἵνα δι' αὐτοῦ φανερωθῇ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ» τῆς ἀγνοίας ἰωμένη τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. καὶ ἀληθῶς ἀγνοίας αἰτίᾳ τὰ τοιαῦτα γίνεται ἤτοι τῷ μὴ εἰδέναι πότε δεῖ κοινωνεῖν τῇ γαμετῇ, εἰ καθαρὰ ἐξ ἀφέδρου τυγχάνει. πλὴν ἃ προείρηκας πάθη ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἐστίν, οὐ μέντοι ἐκ πονηροῦ εἰργασμένα. προσέτι δὲ δὸς τὸν μὴ ἁμαρτάνοντα καὶ λάβε τὸν μὴ πάσχοντα, καὶ πρὸς τῷ μὴ πάσχειν καὶ ἄλλους αὐτὸν θερα- πεῦσαι δυνάμενον εὑρήσεις. αὐτίκα γοῦν Μωυσῆς διὰ εὐσέβειαν ἀπαθὴς τὸν πάντα τῆς ζωῆς διετέλεσε χρόνον καὶ τοὺς Aἰγυπτίους δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσ- χοντας εὐχαῖς ἰᾶτο. καὶ ὁ Σίμων· Ἔστω μὲν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν· οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἀδικωτάτη ἡ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀνωμαλία; ὃς μὲν γὰρ πένεται, ὃς δὲ πλουτεῖ-καὶ ὃς μὲν νοσεῖ καὶ <ἕτερος> ὑγιαίνει-καὶ ὁμῶς τοι- αῦτά τινα μυρία ἐν τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ βίῳ. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Oὐ συνορᾷς, ὦ Σίμων, ὅτι πάλιν ἐκτὸς τοῦ σκοποῦ τοὺς λόγους πέμπεις; περὶ πονηροῦ γὰρ ἡμῶν διαλεγομένων σὺ ἐκτροπὴν ποιήσας περὶ τῶν δοκούντων ἀτοπημάτων τὸν λόγον εἰσηγήσω· πλὴν καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ ἐρῶ. ὁ κόσμος ὄργανόν ἐστι τεχνικῶς γεγονός, ἵνα τῷ ἐσομένῳ ἄρρενι αἰωνίως ἡ θήλεια τίκτῃ δικαίους αἰωνίους υἱούς. οὐκ ἐδύναντο δὲ εὐσεβεῖς ἐνταῦθα ἀποτελεσθῆναι, εἰ μὴ ἦσαν οἱ ἐνδεεῖς οἷς ἐπικουρήσουσιν-ὁμοίως τε καὶ διὰ τοῦτό εἰσι καὶ νοσοῦντες, ὧν προνοήσουσι-καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τοῦτον περιέχει τὸν λόγον. καὶ ὁ Σίμων· Oὐκοῦν ἠτύχηται τοῖς ταπεινοῖς· πρὸς γὰρ τὸ ἀποτελεσθῆναι δικαίους αὐτοὶ κακουχοῦνται. <καὶ ὁ Πέτρος·> Eἰ ἦν αἰώνιος ταπείνωσις αὐτῶν, ἀτυχία ἂν ἦν μεγίστη· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τῷ κλήρῳ τὰ ταπεινώματα καὶ ὑψώματα ἀνθρώ- ποις γίνεται· ᾧ δ' ἂν μὴ ἀρέσκῃ ὁ κλῆρος, ἔνεστιν ἐκκλήτῳ χρησάμενον καὶ νομίμως διαδικασάμενον τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ὑπαλλάξαι βίον. καὶ ὁ Σίμων· Τίς οὗτος ὁ κλῆρος καὶ ἔκκλητος; καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Τοῦτο ἑτέρου λόγου ἐξήγησίς ἐστι· πλὴν ἐὰν ἐπιτρέψῃς, δεῖξαί σοι δυνάμεθα πῶς ἀναγεννηθεὶς καὶ τὴν γένεσιν ὑπαλλάξας καὶ νομίμως βιώσας αἰωνίου τεύξει σωτηρίας. καὶ ὁ Σίμων ταῦτα ἀκούσας ἔφη· Μήτι νομίσῃς ὡς ἐπειδὴ εἰς ἕκαστον κεφάλαιον ζητῶν συνετιθέμην, ὡς πληροφορούμενος ἐφ' ἕτερον ἠρχόμην κεφάλαιον, ἀλ<λ' ὑπο>νοίας σοι τοῦ πείθεσθαι παρεῖχον, ἵνα ἐπ' ἄλλο ἔλθῃς κεφάλαιον, ὅπως πάσας <τὰς δια>νοίας σου μαθὼν μὴ στοχαζόμενος καταγινώσκω σου, ἀλλὰ πεπληροφορημε............ νῦν δὲ τριῶν ἡμε- ρῶν μοι συγχώρησον καὶ ἐλθὼν δείξω σε μηδὲν εἰδότα. Ταῦτα τοῦ Σίμωνος <εἰπόντος> καὶ ἐξιέναι μέλλοντος ὁ ἐμὸς ἔφη πατήρ· Βραχέα μου, Σίμων, ἐπακούσας, ὥς σοι φίλον ἐστί, πορεύου. μέμνη-