Recognitions 3.18–3.41

And Peter said: “How do you ask—as one wishing to learn, or to teach, or for the sake of raising a question? If as one wishing to learn, I have something to teach you first, so that, coming through the sequence and order of teaching, you may understand of yourself what evil is. But if you put it forward as one teaching, I have no need to be taught by you; for I have a master from whom I have learned everything. But if for the sake of raising a question and disputing, let each of us first set out what seems right to him, and so let the contest be held. For it is not right that you should ask as one wishing to learn and contradict as one teaching, so that after my answer it should be up to your judgment to say whether I have spoken well or badly. Therefore you cannot stand in the place of one who contradicts and be judge of what we say; and so, as I said, if there is to be a contest, let each of us set out what he thinks, and while we are engaged in the conflict, these devout hearers will be just judges.”

And Simon said: “Does it not seem absurd to you that an ignorant crowd should judge our words?” And Peter said: “It is not so; for what is perhaps less clear to one person can be investigated by many; indeed, even popular rumor often has the appearance of prophecy. Above all this, all this people present stands here bound by the love of God and for the sake of knowing the truth; and therefore all of them are to be regarded as one, because of one and the same affection toward the love of truth, just as, on the contrary, two who disagree with each other are many and diverse. And if you wish to take a sign of how all this people standing here is like one man, consider it from their very silence and quiet—how, with all patience, as you see, they pay honor to the truth of God even before they learn it; for they have not yet learned the greater worship they owe it. I hope, then, from the clemency of God, that he will embrace the devout purpose of their mind toward him, and will give the palm of victory to the one who preaches the truth, so as to make the herald of truth manifest to them.”

Then Simon said: “On what do you wish the contest to be held? Say, so that I too may define what seems right to me, and so the inquiry may begin.” And Peter answered: “If you wish to do as seems right to me, I wish it to be done according to the precept of my master, who first of all commanded the Hebrew nation—which he knew had knowledge of God and knew that he was the one who made the world—not to seek him whom they knew, but, knowing him, to search out his will and righteousness, because it is placed in men's choice that, seeking these, they may find, and do, and keep the things on which they are to be judged. And therefore he commanded us to seek not whence evil is, as you were asking a little earlier, but the righteousness of the good God and his kingdom; ‘and all these things,’ he said, ‘will be added to you.’” And Simon said: “Since these things are commanded to the Hebrews, as rightly knowing God and thinking that each has it in his own choice to do the things on which he is to be judged, while my opinion differs from theirs, where do you wish me to begin?”

Then Peter said: “I advise that we first ask whether it is in our power to know on what we are to be judged.” And Simon said: “Not so, but about God, which is also what all who are present wish to hear.” And Peter said: “You agree, then, that something is in the power of choice; only confess this, if it is so, and let us inquire, as you say, about God.” Simon answered: “By no means.” And Peter said: “If, then, nothing is in our power, it is superfluous for us to inquire anything about God, since it is not in the power of those who seek to find. Hence I rightly said that this should be asked first, whether anything is in the power of choice.” Then Simon said: “We cannot understand even this very thing that you say, whether anything is in the power of choice.” But Peter, seeing that he was turning to the more contentious side, and that, for fear of being overcome, he was confusing everything as uncertain, answered: “How, then, do you know that it is not in man's power to know anything, since you know this very thing?”

And Simon said: “I do not know whether I know even this; for each one, as it is decreed for him by fate, either does or understands or suffers something.” Then Peter said: “See, brethren, into what absurdities Simon has fallen, who before my arrival taught that men had it in their power both to know and to do what they wished, and now, driven into a corner by the necessity of words, denies that it is in man's power either to perceive or to do anything; and yet he dares to profess himself a teacher. But tell me: how, then, does God judge each one according to truth for his deeds, if he did not have it in his power to do anything? If this is held, everything is overturned; the effort to pursue better things will be in vain; the judges of this world, too, preside over the laws in vain and punish those who do evil, for they did not have it in their own power not to sin. The laws of peoples which set penalties for evil deeds will also be vain; wretched will be those who keep righteousness with labor, and blessed those who, set in pleasures, living in luxury and crime, hold tyranny. According to this, then, there will be neither righteousness, nor goodness, nor any virtue, nor, as you would have it, God. But I know why you said this, Simon: surely because you wish to escape the questions, so that you cannot be refuted more plainly; and so you say that it is not in man's power to perceive or discover anything. For if you had truly thought so, you would certainly not have professed yourself a teacher among the people before my arrival. I say, then, that man is of free choice.” And Simon said: “What is free choice? Tell us.” Peter answered: “If nothing can be learned, why do you wish to hear?” And Simon said: “Have you nothing to answer to this?”

Then Peter said: “I will speak, not compelled by you, but asked by the hearers. The power of choice is a faculty of the soul, having a power by which it can be inclined toward whatever acts it wishes.” Then Simon, praising Peter for what he had said, said: “Truly you have explained it magnificently and incomparably; for I owe you testimony when you speak well. But if you now explain to me what I ask you, I will obey you in everything else. What I wish to learn is this: if what God wills to be, is, and what he does not will to be, is not? Answer me on this.” And Peter said: “If you do not know how absurd and unfitting your question is, I will forgive you and explain it to you myself; but if you know that you are asking inconsistently, you do not act rightly.” Then Simon said: “I swear by that supreme Divinity, whatever it is, which judges and punishes those who sin, that I do not know what I said unfittingly, or what is absurd in my words, at least in what I have put forward.”

To this Peter said: “Since you have confessed that you do not know, learn. Your question demanded one answer for two things contrary to each other. For every motion is divided into two kinds, so that some things are moved by necessity and some by will; and the things which necessity moves are always in motion, but those which will moves are not always. To give an example: the motion of the sun is driven by necessity to complete its appointed course, and every state and service of heaven consists of necessary motions. But man conducts the motions of his acts voluntarily. And therefore there are some things which were created for this purpose, to serve in their ministries by necessity, and they can do nothing other than what has been appointed for them; and when they have fulfilled their ministry, the Creator of all, who so arranged them, preserves them as he wills. But there are other things in which there is power of will and free choice to do what they wish. These, as I said, do not always remain in the order in which they were created, but according as the will leads and the judgment of the mind inclines, they pursue either good or evil; and therefore he has set rewards for those who do well and penalties for those who do evil.”

“You say, then, ‘If God wills something to be, it is; and if he does not will it, it is not’—evidently so that, if I answered that what he wills is and what he does not will is not, you would say: ‘Then he himself wills the evils that are done in this world to be, since everything he wills is, and what he does not will is not.’ But if I had answered that it is not so—that what God wills is, and what he does not will is not—then, turning the argument round, you would say: ‘Then God is powerless, if he cannot do what he wills’; and you would become more insolent, believing you had won, though you had said nothing right. And therefore you do not know, Simon, you greatly do not know, how the will of God works in each thing. For some things, as we said, he willed to be such that they could be nothing other than what they were established by him to be, and for these he set neither rewards nor punishments; but those which he willed to be such that they have it in their power to do what they wish, he appointed, according to their acts and wills, to deserve either rewards or punishments. Since, then, all things that are moved are divided into two kinds, as I have taught, according to the distinction we made above, everything that God wills is, and what he does not will is not.”

And Simon said to this: “Could he not have made us all such that we were good and could be nothing else?” Peter answered: “This too you ask absurdly. For if he had made us of an unchangeable nature, immovable from the good, we would not truly be good, because we could be nothing else; our being good would not come from our purpose, and what we did would not be ours, but of the necessity of nature. How, then, can that be called good which is not done by purpose? For this reason, too, this world needed long periods of time, until the number of souls predestined to fill it should be completed; and then this visible heaven would be rolled up like a scroll and that which is higher would appear; the souls of the blessed, restored to their bodies, would be brought into the light; while the souls of the wicked, surrounded for their unclean deeds by a fiery spirit, would be plunged into the depth of unquenchable fire, to pay its punishments through the age. That these things are so the true Prophet has testified to us; and if you wish to recognize that he is a prophet, I will teach you by innumerable proofs. For of the things he said, each one is even now being fulfilled; and the things he said would come are believed to be going to be fulfilled, since belief in future things is given by those which have already been done.”

But Simon, who knew that Peter was clearly giving an account from the head of prophecy, by which every question is resolved, declined to have the discussion turn to this, and answering said: “Answer me on what I wish, and tell me: if this visible heaven, as you say, will be dissolved, why was it made in the beginning?” Peter answered: “It was made on account of this present life of men, so that there might be a certain partition and division, lest perhaps someone unworthy should see the dwelling of the heavenly ones and the seat of God himself, which are prepared to be seen only by those who are pure in heart. But now, that is, in the time of contest, it has pleased him that the things destined as a prize for the victors should be invisible.” And Simon said: “If the creator is good and the world is good, how will the good one one day dissolve good things? And if he dissolves what is good, how will he himself seem good? But if he dissolves and destroys it as evil, how will he not seem evil, who made what is evil?”

Peter answered: “Since we promised you not to flee from you when you blaspheme—for you yourself will render account for what you say—we bear it patiently. Hear, then, now: if this heaven which is visible and passes away had been made for its own sake, what you say would perhaps have some reason, that it ought not to be dissolved. But if it was made for the sake of something else and not for itself, it must necessarily be dissolved, so that that for which it seems to have been made may appear. As, for example, the shell of an egg, however beautifully made and carefully formed it seems, must nevertheless be broken and opened, so that the chick may come forth from it and that for which the form of the whole egg seems to have been shaped may appear. So also the state of this world must pass away, so that that loftier state of the heavenly kingdom may shine forth.”

And Simon said: “It does not seem to me that the heaven made by God can be dissolved. For eternal things are made by the eternal one, temporal and perishable things by a corruptible one.” And Peter said: “It is not so. By mortal beings, indeed, things wholly corruptible and temporal are made; but by the eternal one, things are made neither always corruptible nor always incorruptible, but as God the creator wills, so will the things he creates be. For the power of God is not under law, but his will is law to his creatures.” Simon answered: “I call you back to the first question. You said that God is now visible to no one, but that when this heaven has been dissolved and that higher state of the heavenly kingdom has shone forth, then those who are pure in heart will see God. This opinion is contrary to the law; for there it is written that God said: ‘No one shall see my face and live.’”

And Peter answered: “To those who read the law not according to the tradition of Moses, my word seems contrary; but hear how it is not contrary. God is seen by the mind, not by the body; by the spirit, not by the flesh. Hence the angels too, who are spirits, see God; and therefore men, as long as they are men, cannot see God. But after the resurrection of the dead, when they have become like the angels, they will be able to see God. And in this way my word is not contrary to the law, nor is what my master said: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ For he points to a future time in which angels will be made out of men, who will see God in the spirit of the mind.” After these words and many others like them, Simon began to affirm with many oaths: “Give me an account of this one thing only, whether the soul is immortal, and I will comply with your will in everything; but tomorrow,” he said, “for today it is already late.” So when Peter began to speak, Simon went out, and with him very few of his companions, and that out of shame. But all the rest turned to Peter and, bending their knees, prostrated themselves before him; and some of them, bound by various sicknesses or assailed by demons, were healed by Peter's prayer and went away rejoicing, as having obtained both the teaching and the mercy of the true God. When the crowds had gone and only we, his intimates, remained with him, the places on the ground having been laid out again, we reclined, each recognizing his usual place; and having taken food and given thanks to God, we rested.

On the following day Peter, rising before dawn as usual, found us already awake and ready to listen, and began thus: “I entreat you, brethren and fellow servants, that if any of you perhaps cannot stay awake, he should not force himself out of embarrassment at my presence; for a sudden change is difficult, but if one grows accustomed gradually over a long time, what comes from habit will not be a labor. We were not all brought up in the same way, though in course of time we shall be able to be shaped into one habit; for they say that habit holds the place of a second nature. I call God to witness that I am not displeased if anyone perhaps cannot stay awake, but rather if someone sleeps the whole night and does not make up by day what he omitted in the night. For we must give attention to the study of doctrine intently and unceasingly, so that our mind may be filled with the remembrance of God alone; because in the mind which the remembrance of God has filled, no room will be given to the evil one.”

As Peter was saying this to us, each of us eagerly assured him that we had long been awake, satisfied with a short sleep, but had been afraid to wake him, because it would not be fitting for disciples to command their master; “and yet, Peter, we had almost dared to presume it, while our heart, leaping with excessive desire for your words, drove sleep entirely from our eyes. But again our affection for you stood in the way and would not let you be roused by us forcibly.” Then Peter said: “Since, then, you declare that you gladly stay awake out of desire to hear, I wish to repeat to you more carefully and to explain in their order the things that were said in a scattered way yesterday. I intend to do this after each day's disputation, so that at night, when privacy of place and time is given, if anything was perhaps said less fully, as happens in a contest, I may open it in complete order and along a straight line of explanation.” And after this he began to show us how yesterday's disputation ought to have been conducted and could not be, because of the contentiousness or ignorance of his opponent; and that therefore he had used only a profession of faith and had merely destroyed what the adversary said, but had set out his own views neither completely nor plainly; and, repeating each point, he discussed them with us in complete order and with full reasoning.

When day was now dawning, going out to the crowds after prayer, he stood in the usual place for disputing; and seeing Simon standing in the midst of the crowds, having first greeted the people as usual, he said: “I confess that I am grieved about some men who come to us as if to learn something, but when we have begun to teach them, profess in turn that they themselves are teachers, and ask indeed as ignorant men but contradict as men who know. But perhaps someone may say that he who asks does ask in order to learn, but when what he has heard does not seem to him rightly said, he must answer, and this seems to be contradiction, though it is not contradiction but asking again.”

“Let him hear this, then: the discipline of all teaching has a fixed order, and there are some things that must be handed on first, others in the second place, others in the third, and so each thing in order; and if they are handed on in sequence, they become plain, but if they are brought forward out of order, they will seem to be said even against reason. And therefore order must be kept above all, if indeed we seek with the purpose of finding what we seek. For he who has received the right beginning of the way will also grasp the second stage in sequence, and from the second will more easily find the third; and the further he proceeds, the more open the way of knowledge will become to him, until he reaches the very city of truth to which he is heading and which he desires. But he who is unskilled and does not know the way of inquiry is like a traveler in a foreign land, ignorant and wandering: if he will not use a citizen and native as guide, he will without doubt stray from the way of truth and remain outside the gates of life, and so, wrapped in the darkness of black night, will walk the paths of perdition. Since, then, the things to be sought can be found most easily if inquired into in order, and the unskilled man does not know the order of inquiry, it is right that the ignorant should yield to the one who knows and first learn the order of inquiry, so that he may then find the discipline of asking and answering.”

And Simon said to this: “Then truth is not for all, but only for those who know the art of disputing; which is certainly absurd—that, while God is equally the God of all, not all should be equally able to know his will.” And Peter said: “All were made equal by him, and he gave to all equally to be capable of truth. But that none of those who are born was born educated, and that education comes after birth, no one doubts. Since, then, the birth of men holds equality in this, that all are alike capable of receiving instruction, the difference is not in nature but in education. Or who does not know that what each has learned he did not know before he learned it?” And Simon said: “You speak truly.” Then Peter said: “If, then, in the arts that are in common use one first learns and then teaches, how much more ought those who profess to be educators of souls first to learn and then to teach, lest, being unskilled themselves, they seem ridiculous in promising to furnish knowledge to others.” Then Simon said: “In the arts that are in common use it is true that no one knows unless he has learned; but in the word of knowledge, as soon as one has heard, he has learned.”

And Peter said: “If indeed one hears in order and in sequence, he can know what is true; but he who refuses to take up the rule of a more amended life and purer conduct, which certainly follows from the knowledge of truth, will not confess that he knows what he knows. So too we see some who, having abandoned the arts they had learned from boyhood, betake themselves to other occupations, and, to excuse their idleness, begin to blame the art as unfruitful.” And Simon said: “Ought all who hear to believe that what they hear is true?” Then Peter said: “Those who have heard the word of truth in order cannot contradict it at all, but know that what is said is true, provided they also willingly take up its rules of life. But those who, when they hear, are reluctant to devote themselves to good works are not allowed by their lust for doing evil to acquiesce in what they judge right. From this it is shown that it is placed in the hearers' power to choose which they prefer. For if all who hear obeyed, it would rather be a necessity of nature, driving all along one way. For as no one can be persuaded to become shorter or taller, because the force of nature does not allow it, so too with regard to the truth: if all were converted by the word, or all were not converted, it would be a force of nature that compelled all to be converted by the word, or none at all to be converted.”

And Simon said: “Teach us, then, what one who desires to know the truth ought to learn first.” And Peter said: “Before everything one must ask what it is possible for a man who seeks to find. For the judgment of God must turn on this: whether a man could do good and did not. And therefore men must ask whether they have it in their power, by seeking, to find what is good, and when they have found it, to do it; for this is that for which they are to be judged. Beyond this it is lawful for the prophet alone to know, and rightly; for what need have men to know how the world was made? This would seem necessary to learn if we had to undertake a similar work of craftsmanship. But as it is, it suffices us for the worship of God to know that he made the world; but how he made it need not be inquired into, because, as I said, it is not incumbent on us to learn the knowledge of that art as if we were going to make something similar. Nor are we to be judged for not having learned how the world was made, but only if we are ignorant of its founder. And we shall know the founder of the world as a just and good God if we seek him in the paths of righteousness. For if we know of him only that he is good, such knowledge does not suffice for salvation; for in the present time not only the worthy but also the unworthy enjoy his goodness and benefits. But if we believe him to be not only good but also just, and, according to what we believe of God, keep righteousness throughout our life, we shall also enjoy his goodness forever. Indeed, to the Hebrews, who thought of God that he was only good, our Master said that they should seek also his righteousness; that is, that they should know that in the present time he is good, so that all may live in his goodness, but that he will be just in the day of judgment, to render eternal rewards to the worthy, from which he will exclude the unworthy.”

And Simon said: “How can one and the same being be both good and just?” Peter said: “Because without justice the good would in a way seem unjust. For it belongs to the good to give his sun and rain equally to the just and the unjust; but this would seem unjust if he always treated the good and the wicked with an equal lot, and if he did not do it for the sake of the crops, which all who are born in this world should enjoy equally. But as the rain given by God nourishes equally both the crops and the darnel, while at harvest time the grain is gathered into the barn and the chaff or darnel is consumed by fire, so in the day of judgment, when the just are brought into the kingdom of God and the unjust are cast out, then the justice of God too will be shown. For if he remained forever equal toward the wicked and the good, this would not only not be good, but would also seem unjust and inequitable, that the just and the unjust should be held by him in one rank of merit.”

And Simon said: “There is one thing on which I would like to be satisfied: whether the soul is immortal. For I cannot take up the burden of righteousness unless I first know about the immortality of the soul; and if it is not immortal, the profession of your preaching cannot stand either.” Then Peter said: “Let us first inquire whether God is just; if this becomes clear, the order of religion will certainly stand entire.” And Simon said: “You who boast that you know the order of disputing seem to me now to have answered against order; for when I ask you to show whether the soul is immortal, you say that we must first inquire whether God is just.” And Peter said: “That is quite consistent and right.” Simon said: “I would like to learn how.”

Peter said: “Listen: some men, blaspheming God and spending their whole life in injustice and pleasure, have died in their beds, reaching the end of life among their own and receiving an honorable burial; while others, worshiping God and keeping their life frugal with all righteousness and sobriety, have perished in deserts for their observance of righteousness, so that they were not even thought worthy of burial. Where, then, is the justice of God, if the soul is not immortal, so as to receive punishments in the future if it has acted impiously, or rewards if it has acted piously and justly?” And Simon said: “This is precisely what makes us unbelievers: that many who do well perish miserably, and again many who act impiously end a long life in happiness.”

And Peter said: “This very thing that draws you into unbelief gives us certain faith that there will be a judgment. For since it is certain that God is just, it is necessary and consequent that there be another age, in which each one, receiving according to his deserts, will prove the justice of God. For if all men now received according to their deserts, we would truly seem to deceive when we say that there will be a judgment; and therefore this very fact, that in the present life each one is not repaid according to his deeds, gives undoubted faith, to those who know that God is just, that there will be a judgment.” And Simon said: “Why, then, am I not persuaded?” Peter said: “Because you have not heard the true Prophet saying: ‘Seek first his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.’” And Simon said: “Bear with me if I am unwilling to seek righteousness first, before I know whether the soul is immortal.” And Peter said: “And you bear with me in this one thing, that I cannot do otherwise than the Prophet of truth has taught me.” Then Simon said: “It is certain that you cannot assert that the soul is immortal, and therefore you quibble, knowing that if it is proved mortal, the whole profession of this religion which you are trying to assert is torn up by the roots. And so I praise your prudence, but do not approve your persuasion; for you persuade many to take up religion and submit to restraint of their desires in the hope of future goods; and it happens to them that they neither enjoy the present and are deceived about the future. For as soon as they have died, the soul too will be extinguished together with them.”