Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XVI/Chapter 4

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Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. VIII, Pseudo-Clementine Literature, The Clementine Homilies, Homily XVI
Anonymous, translated by Thomas Smith
Chapter 4
160591Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. VIII, Pseudo-Clementine Literature, The Clementine Homilies, Homily XVI — Chapter 4Thomas Smith (1817-1906)Anonymous

Chapter IV.—The Prejudices of Faustus Rather on the Side of Simon Than on that of Peter.

Our father answered:  “Do not compel me to agree with you without any exercise of my judgment in order that I may seem to be a truth-loving judge; but if you wish me to tell you the truth, my prepossessions are rather the side of your opinions.”  And Simon said:  “How is this the case, when you do not know what my opinions are?”  And our father said:  “It is easy to know this, and I will tell you how.  You promised that you would convict Peter of error in maintaining the unity of God; but if one undertakes to convict of error him who maintains the unity of God. it is perfectly plain that he, as being in the right,[1] does not hold the same opinion.  For if he holds the same opinion as the man who is thoroughly in error, then he himself is in error; but if he gives his proofs holding opposite opinions, then he is in the right.  Not well[2] then do you assert that he who maintains the unity of God is wrong, unless you believe that there are many gods.  Now I maintain that there are many gods.  Holding, therefore, the same opinion as you before the discussion, I am prepossessed rather in your favour.  For this reason you ought to have no anxiety in regard to me, but Peter ought, for I still hold opinions contrary to his.  And so after your discussion I hope that, as a truth-loving judge, who has stripped himself of his prepossessions, I shall agree to that doctrine which gains the victor.”  When my father said this, a murmur of applause burst insensibly from the multitudes because my father had thus spoken.


Footnotes

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  1. The words translated “error,” ψεῦσμα, and “to be in the right,” ἀληθεύειν, are, properly rendered, “falsehood,” and “to speak the truth.”
  2. The mss. read:  “not otherwise.”  The reading of the text is found in an Epitome.