Recognitions 2.21–2.44

“For if we spend this short time of life on empty and useless questions, we shall without doubt go to God empty and void of good works, where, as I said, the judgment of our works will take place. For each thing has its own time and place. This is the place of works, and this the time; the world to come is the time of reward. So that we may not be hindered by confusing the order of places and times, let us first inquire what the righteousness of God is, so that, like those about to make a journey, we may be filled with good works as with abundant provisions, by which we may arrive at the kingdom of God as at a very great city. For God is manifest to those who think rightly through the very works of the world that he made, using the testimony of his own creation; and therefore, since there ought to be no doubt about God, let us now inquire only about his righteousness and his kingdom. And if our mind suggests that we inquire into something secret and hidden before we inquire about the works of righteousness, we ought to give ourselves this account: that if by acting well we are found worthy to attain salvation, then, going to God chaste and pure, we shall be filled with the Holy Spirit and shall know all that is secret and hidden without any quibbling of questions; whereas now, even if someone spends the whole time of his life inquiring, he not only will not be able to find them, but will entangle himself in greater errors, because he strives to reach the harbor of life without first walking the way of righteousness.”

“And therefore I advise that his righteousness be sought first, so that, journeying by it and placed on the way of truth, we may be able to find the true Prophet, running not with speed of feet but with goodness of works, so that, with him as our guide, we may not go astray on this way. For if, following him, we are found worthy to enter that city to which we desire to come, we shall then see with our eyes all the things now inquired into, having become heirs of all things. Understand, then, that the way is this course of our life; the travelers are those who do good works; the gate is the true Prophet of whom we speak; the city is the kingdom, in which the almighty Father dwells, whom only the pure in heart can see. So let not the labor of this journey seem hard to us, because at its end there will be rest; for the true Prophet himself also, running through the ages from the beginning of the world, hastens to rest. For he is present with us every day, and whenever it is necessary he appears and corrects us, so that he may lead those who obey him to eternal life. This, then, is my judgment, as it also seemed good to the true Prophet: that inquiry should first be made about righteousness, especially by those who profess to know God. If, then, anyone has something he thinks more correct, let him say it, and when he has said it, let him listen, but with patience and quiet. For this reason I prayed for peace for all at the beginning, in the form of a greeting.”

To this Simon answered: “We have no need of your peace; for if there is peace and concord, we shall achieve nothing toward finding the truth. Robbers and fornicators, too, have peace among themselves, and every wickedness agrees with itself. And so if we have met for this, that for peace's sake we should assent to everything that is said, we shall confer nothing on the hearers; on the contrary, having deceived them, we shall depart as friends. Therefore do not invoke peace, but rather battle, its mother, and, if you can, overcome errors. And do not seek friendship gained by unjust flatteries; for I want you to know this above all, that when two fight each other, there will be peace when one has fallen, overcome. And therefore fight as best you can, and do not seek peace without war, which is impossible; or, if it can be done, show how.”

To this Peter said: “Listen more attentively, men, to what we say. Let us suppose that this world is some great plain, and that from two cities whose kings are opposed to each other a general has been sent from each to fight; and that the general of the good king advises that both armies, without shedding blood, should come under the rule of the better king, so that all may be saved without danger, while the other says: ‘No, let there be a battle, so that not he who is worthy, but he who is stronger, may reign with those who survive.’ I ask you, which would you choose? I do not doubt that you would give yourselves up to the better king, with the safety of all. And I now wish, not, as Simon says, that assent be given for peace's sake to what is wrongly said, but that the truth be sought with quiet and order.”

“For some, in the contest of disputations, when they perceive that their error is being refuted, at once begin to make confusion as a refuge and to stir up quarrels, so that it may not become plain to all that they are overcome; and therefore I frequently entreat that the inquiry be held with all patience and quiet, so that if something perhaps seems to have been said less correctly, it may be permitted to repeat it and explain it more openly. For sometimes a thing is said one way and heard another, when it is either uttered less lucidly or attended to less carefully; and for this reason I wish the discourse to be held patiently, so that neither may one take advantage of the other, nor the untimely speech of the opponent interrupt the speech of the speaker, nor we indulge a zeal for finding fault; but, as I said, it may be permitted to repeat what was said less plainly, so that by the most just examination the knowledge of truth may shine forth. For we ought to know that if anyone is overcome by the truth, it is not he who is overcome, but the ignorance that is in him, which is the worst demon; and whoever can drive it away receives the palm of salvation. For our purpose is to benefit the hearers, not to conquer wrongly, but to be well conquered for the sake of knowing the truth. For if the discourse is moved by zeal for seeking the truth, even if we say something less fully because of human frailty, God in his ineffable goodness will secretly fill up what is lacking in the minds of the hearers. For he is just, and according to each one's purpose he makes what is sought ready to hand for some, but for others makes obscure even what is set in plain view. Since, then, the way of God is the way of peace, let us seek the things of God with peace. If anyone has anything to set out on this, there is room; but if no one wishes to answer, I will begin to speak, and the objections that can be made to me by another I will myself bring forward and resolve.”

When, then, Peter had begun to continue his discourse, Simon interrupted him: “Why,” he said, “do you hasten to say for yourself what seems right to you? I understand your tricks; for you want to put to yourself those questions whose solution you have well rehearsed, so that to the ignorant crowds you may seem to say something right; but with me there will be no room for this. Now, then, since like a brave man you promise to answer anyone who wishes to propose anything, answer me first.” And Peter said: “I am ready, provided the discussion is in peace.” Then Simon said: “Do you not see, most ignorant man, that you act contrary to your master in demanding peace, which certainly does not befit one who promises to overcome ignorance? Or, if you are right to ask peace of the hearers, your master was not right to say: ‘I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword.’ For either you speak well and he not well, or, if your master spoke well, you speak very badly, not understanding that you put forward things contrary to him whose disciple you profess to be.”

To this Peter said: “Neither did he who sent me do wrong to send a sword on earth, nor do I act contrary to him in seeking the peace of the hearers. But you ignorantly and rashly find fault with what you do not understand; for you have heard that the master did not come to send peace on earth, but you have not heard that he said: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.’ Therefore I do not think differently from the master in urging peace, to which he assigned blessedness for those who keep it.” And Simon said: “In wishing to answer for your master, Peter, you have accused him much more gravely, if, though he himself did not come to make peace, he commanded others to keep it. And how will that other saying of his stand: ‘It is enough for the disciple to be as his master’?”

To this Peter said: “Our master, who was the true Prophet and consistent with himself in all things, neither spoke against himself nor commanded us anything different from what he himself did. For his saying, ‘I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword; and from this you will see father separated from son, son from father, husband from wife and wife from husband, mother from daughter, daughter from mother, brother from brother, mother-in-law from daughter-in-law, friend from friend’—all this contains the teaching of peace; and hear how. At the beginning of his preaching, as one who wished to invite and lead all to salvation and to persuade them to bear labors and temptations patiently, he called the poor blessed and promised that for their endurance of want they would obtain the kingdom of heaven, so that with so great a hope they might bear the weight of poverty with equanimity, despising covetousness. For covetousness is one, and the greatest, of the most destructive sins. He also promised that the hungry and thirsty would be filled with the eternal goods of righteousness, so that, bearing want tolerably, they might attempt no unjust deed on its account. Likewise he called the pure in heart blessed, saying that through this they would see God, so that each one, desiring to obtain so great a good, might keep himself from evil and polluted thoughts.”

“So our master, inviting his disciples to patience, urged that the good of peace be kept even with the labor of patience. On the other hand, he mourned over those who lived in riches and luxury and gave nothing to the poor, declaring that they would render an account, because they had not pitied even in want their neighbors, whom they ought to have loved as themselves. By saying these things he made some obey and others become enemies. To those who believe and obey, then, he commands to have peace with one another, and to them he says: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.’ But to those who not only did not believe but also became adversaries of his teaching, he declares a war of word and refutation, and says: ‘From this you will see son separated from father, husband from wife, daughter from mother, brother from brother, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.’ For in each house, when a difference begins between believer and unbeliever, a fight necessarily arises, the unbelievers fighting against the faith, the faithful refuting in them their old error and the vices of their sins.”

“Likewise also toward the scribes and Pharisees, in the last period of his teaching, he wages war, reproving them for deeds that were not good and teaching that was not right, and because they hid the key of knowledge which they had received as handed down from Moses, by which the gate of the heavenly kingdom could be opened. And our Lord, sending us out to preach, commanded us that into whatever city or house we enter, we should say: ‘Peace to this house’; ‘and if,’ he said, ‘a son of peace is there, your peace will come upon him; but if not, your peace will return to you’; and that when we go out of that house or city, we should shake off upon them even the dust that clings to our feet. ‘And it will be more tolerable for the land of the Sodomites and Gomorrhaeans in the day of judgment than for that city or house.’ This he commanded to be done only if the word of truth has first been preached in the city or house, so that either those receiving the faith of the truth may become sons of peace and sons of God, or those not receiving it may be convicted as enemies of peace and of God.”

“So we too, keeping our master's instructions, first offer peace to the hearers, so that the way of salvation may be recognized without any disturbance. But if anyone does not receive the words of peace nor yield to the truth, we know how to stir up the battle of the word against him and to reprove him more sharply, refuting his ignorance and convicting his sins. Necessarily, then, we offer peace, so that if anyone is a son of peace, our peace may come upon him; but from him who has made himself a stranger to peace, our peace will return to us. So we do not offer peace, as you say, by consenting to evils; for then we would certainly have given you our right hand at once; but so that, as we discuss with quiet and patience, the hearers may more easily discern which is the true word. But if you disagree and are at variance with yourself, how will you stand? He who is divided against himself must fall. For every kingdom divided against itself will not stand. If it seems good to you, speak to this.”

And Simon said: “I wonder at your folly. You set before us your master's words as though it were certain that he is a prophet, whereas I can very easily show that he said many things contrary to himself. Indeed, I will convict you from what you yourself have brought forward. For you say that he said that every kingdom or every city divided against itself will not stand. And elsewhere again you say that he said that he himself sent a sword to separate those who are in a house, so that son is divided from father, daughter from mother, brother from brother, so that if there are five in one house, three are divided against two and two against three. If, then, everything that is divided falls, he who makes divisions has furnished the causes of falling; and if he is such, he is certainly evil. Answer this if you can.”

And Peter said: “Do not rashly disparage, Simon, what you do not understand. First, then, let me answer your saying that I put forward my master's words and resolve from them the points in doubt. Our Lord, sending us apostles to preach, commanded us to teach all nations the things that have been commanded us. So we cannot simply say them as they were said by him. For we have it in our commands not merely to say them but to teach them, and to show from them how each of them rests on truth. Nor again is it permitted to us to say anything of our own. For we are sent, and one who is sent necessarily announces what he has been ordered and sets out the will of the sender. For if I say anything other than what he who sent me commanded me, I shall be a false apostle, since I do not say what I was ordered to say, but what seems good to me. One who does this certainly wishes to show himself better than him by whom he was sent, and is without doubt a transgressor. But if he goes through what he has been ordered and brings forward the clearest proofs of them, he will be seen to perform the work of an apostle; and because I strive to fulfill this now, I do not please you. So do not blame me for bringing forward the words of him who sent me; but if there is anything in them that is not soundly said, you may convict me on that point—which, however, can in no way happen. (For he is a prophet, and cannot be contrary to himself.) Or, if you do not think he is a prophet, let this first be inquired into.”

And Simon said: “I have no need to say this at your bidding; but I want to know how these sayings agree with each other; for if they are shown to be inconsistent, at the same time he will be shown not to be a prophet.” Then Peter said: “But if I first show that he is a prophet, what seems inconsistent will not be so. For no one is proved to be a prophet by consistency, since many can achieve that; and if consistency does not make a prophet, much less does inconsistency. Since, then, there are many things which seem inconsistent to some, yet by a deeper reason have consistency within themselves, just as other things that seem consistent are found, when examined more carefully, to be inconsistent, for this reason I do not think there is a more correct way of judging these things than first to learn whether he who said the things that seem inconsistent is a prophet. For if he is found to be a prophet, it is established that all the things that seem contrary to each other are consistent, but are not understood. Proofs, then, will more rightly be sought on this point. For we apostles were sent to expound the words of him who sent us and to affirm his teachings; we have no commandment to say anything of our own, but, as I said, to open the truth of his words.”

And Simon said: “Teach us, then, how it can be fitting that he who makes divisions—divisions that make those who are divided fall—should either seem good or have come for the salvation of men.” And Peter: “Hear how our master said that every kingdom and every house divided against itself cannot stand. And when he himself did this, see how it turns to salvation. By the word of truth he divides the kingdom of the world, set in error, or each house in it, no doubt so that error may fall and truth reign. But if it happens to any house that error, brought in by someone, divides the truth, then, when error has prevailed, it is certain that truth cannot stand.” And Simon: “But it is uncertain whether your master divides error or truth.” And Peter: “That belongs to another question. But if you agree that everything that has been divided falls, it remains for me to show, if only you will listen in peace, that our Jesus divided and dissolved error by teaching the truth.”

Then Simon said: “Stop repeating so often your talk of peace, and set out briefly what you think or believe.” And Peter said: “Why are you afraid to hear often of peace? Or do you not know that peace is the perfection of the law? For wars and contests are born from sins; but where no sin is committed, there is peace of soul; and where there is peace, truth is found in disputations and righteousness in works.” And Simon: “You seem to me unable to profess what you think.” And Peter: “I will say it, but of my own will, not forced by your tricks. For I desire that what is saving and useful be brought to the knowledge of all, and therefore I will not delay to set it out as briefly as possible. There is one God, and he is the creator of the world, a just judge, who will one day render to each according to his deeds. For the assertion of these things, I know, countless thousands of words can be stirred up.”

And Simon said: “I wonder indeed at the quickness of your wit, yet I do not embrace the error of your faith. For you prudently foresaw what could be said against you, and elegantly professed it yourself: that countless thousands of words will be stirred up for the assertion of these things. For your profession of faith agrees with no one. Indeed, that there is one God, whose work the world is—who will accept this first point? I think none of the pagans, however uneducated; none at all of the philosophers; not even the most ignorant and wretched of the Jews; nor I myself, who know their law well.” And Peter said: “Leave aside the opinions of the absent; say face to face what seems right to you.” Then Simon said: “I can set out what I truly think, but this consideration makes me slower: if I say what neither agrees with you nor seems right to this ignorant crowd, you, as if struck dumb, will at once stop your ears, as though to keep them from being polluted by blasphemy, and will turn to flight, because you will find nothing to answer; and the irrational people, agreeing with you, will embrace you as one who teaches what they are used to, but will curse me as one who professes new and unheard-of things and brings his error into the minds of others.”

Then Peter said: “Are you not yourself using the evasions you accused us of, having nothing of truth to bring forward? Or, if you have, begin without circumlocutions, if only you are confident; and if what you say does not please any of the hearers, he will leave, but those who remain will be compelled by your assertions to approve what is true. Begin, then, to set out what seems right to you.”

And Simon said: “I say that there are many gods, but that one is incomprehensible and unknown to all, and is the God of all these gods.” Then Peter said: “This God whom you say is incomprehensible and unknown to all—can you prove him from the Scriptures of the Jews, which are held in authority, or from some others which none of us know, or from Greek authors, or from your own scriptures? Say from whichever you wish, provided you first show that they are prophetic; for so their authority will be held beyond doubt.” And Simon said: “I will use proofs from the law of the Jews alone. For it is plain to all who care for religion that this law is of complete authority, yet that each one takes the meaning of this law according to his own sense. For it was so written by him who founded the world that belief in things should rest on it. Hence, whether one wishes to bring forward true things or false, no assertion will be received apart from this law. Since, then, my knowledge agrees most fully with the law, I rightly declared that there are many gods, of whom one is more eminent and incomprehensible, he who is the God of gods. That there are many gods the law itself has taught me. First, where it is said in the person of the serpent to Eve, the first woman: ‘On whatever day you eat of the tree of knowing good and evil, you will be as gods,’ that is, as those who made man. For after they had tasted of the tree, God himself testifies, saying to the other gods: ‘Behold, Adam has become as one of us.’ So it is established that there are many gods who made man, because at the beginning too God speaks thus to the other gods: ‘Let us make man in our image and likeness.’ And also his saying: ‘Let us cast him out.’ And again: ‘Come, let us go down and confound their tongues.’ All these indicate that there are many gods. And this too is written: ‘You shall not curse the gods, and you shall not curse the ruler of your people.’ And again what is written: ‘The Lord alone led them, and there was no foreign god with them,’ shows that there are many gods. There are also very many other testimonies that can be brought from the law, not only obscure but also plain, by which it is taught that there are many gods. Of these, one was chosen by lot to be God of the Jewish people. But I do not assert this one, but him who is the God of this one too, whom not even the Jews themselves know. For he is not their God, but the God of those who have come to know him.”

Hearing this, Peter said: “Fear nothing, Simon; for see, we have neither stopped our ears nor fled, but we answer with words of truth what you have falsely set out, asserting this first: that there is one God, this same God of the Jews, who alone is God, creator of heaven and earth, and who is also the God of all those whom you call gods. If, then, I show that there is none higher than he, but that he himself is above all, you will confess that your error is above all.” And Simon said: “Why, even if I were unwilling to confess it, would not the hearers who stand by convict me of being unwilling to profess what is true?”

“Listen, then,” said Peter, “that you may know first that even if there are many gods, as you say, they are subject to the God of the Jews, to whom no one can be equal or greater. For it is written that Moses the prophet speaks thus to the Jews: ‘The Lord your God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God.’ So even if there are many who are called gods, the God of the Jews is nevertheless the one God of all, and he is called the God of gods. For not everyone who has been called god is therefore God. Indeed Moses too is called the god of Pharaoh, and it is certain that he was a man. And judges have been called gods, and it is agreed that they were mortal. The idols of the nations, too, are called gods, and we all know that they are not; but this was given to the impious as a kind of punishment: that because they would not know the true God, whatever form and image presented itself to them should be held by them as god. Since, as I said, they refused to receive the knowledge of the one who is God of all, it is therefore granted to them to have as gods those who can furnish nothing to those who pray to them. For what can lifeless images or living creatures confer on men, when power over all things belongs to him?”

“In three ways, then, someone is called god: either because he truly is; or because he ministers to him who truly is—and, for the honor of the sender and that his authority may be full, the one sent is called what the sender is, as has often happened with angels; yet when they appear to a man, if he is prudent and learned, he asks the name of the one who appeared, so that he may recognize at once the honor of the one sent and the authority of the sender. For each nation has an angel, to whom the government of that nation has been entrusted by God; and when he appears, though he is thought and called god by those over whom he is set, yet when questioned he will not give himself such a testimony. For the most high God, who alone holds power over all, divided the nations of the whole earth into seventy-two parts and appointed angels as princes over them. But to one who was the greatest among the archangels was given by lot the government of those who, above all others, received the worship and knowledge of the most high God. And holy men too, as we said, are made gods of the impious, as having received power of life and death over them, as we mentioned above concerning Moses and the judges. For this reason it is written of them: ‘You shall not curse the gods, and you shall not curse the ruler of your people.’ The princes of the individual nations, then, are called gods. But the God of the princes is Christ, who is the judge of all. So in truth neither angels, nor men, nor any creature can be gods, since they are placed under power, as created and changeable: angels as those who once were not and now are, men as mortal, and every creature as that which can be dissolved—but only if he who made it dissolves it. And therefore he alone is the true God who not only lives himself, but also gives life to others, which he can also take away when he wills.”

“For this reason, then, Scripture cries out in the person of the God of the Jews: ‘See, see, that I am God, and there is no other besides me. I will kill, and I will make alive; I will strike, and I will heal; and there is none who can deliver from my hands.’ You see, then, how by a certain ineffable power Scripture, forestalling the future errors of those who would affirm another God, either in heaven or on earth, besides him who is the God of the Jews, declares: ‘The Lord your God is one God, in heaven above and on earth below, and besides him there is no other.’ How, then, have you dared to say that there is another God besides him who is the God of the Jews? And again Scripture says: ‘Behold, the heaven of the Lord your God, and the heaven of heaven, the earth and all that is in them. Yet I chose your fathers to love them, and you after them.’ So on every side this judgment is fortified by Scripture: that he who created the world is the true and only God.”

“And even if there are others, as we said, who are called gods, they are under the power of the God of the Jews, for Scripture spoke thus to the Jews: ‘The Lord our God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords.’ Scripture also warns that he alone is to be worshiped, saying: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ And: ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord your God is one God.’ Indeed the saints too, filled with the Spirit of God and sprinkled with the drops of his mercy, cried out: ‘Who is like you among the gods, Lord, who is like you?’ And again: ‘Who is God besides the Lord, and who is God besides our Lord?’ So Moses, when he saw the people making progress, gradually initiated them into the understanding of the monarchy and faith in one God, as he says in what follows: ‘You shall not mention the names of other gods,’ remembering, no doubt, the punishment with which the serpent was condemned, who first named gods. He was condemned to eat earth, and judged worthy of such food because he first of all brought the name of gods into the world. And if you too wish to introduce many gods, see that you do not meet an end like the serpent's.”