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| Peter Refuses to Discuss Certain Questions in Regard to the Devil.
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Chapter III.—Peter
Refuses to Discuss Certain Questions in Regard to the Devil.
And Simon said: “Since, then, you have
honestly confessed, on the testimony of the Scriptures, that the evil
one exists, state to us how he has come into existence, if indeed he
has come into existence, and by whom, and why.”1412
| 1412 [Comp. Homily XX. 8,
9.—R.] | And Peter said: “Pardon
me, Simon, if I do not dare to affirm what has not been written.
But if you say that it has been written, prove it. But if, since
it has not been written, you cannot prove it, why should we run risk in
stating our opinions in regard to what has not been written? For
if we discourse too daringly in regard to God, it is either because we
do not believe that we shall be judged, or that we shall be judged only
in respect to that which we do, but not also in regard to what we
believe and speak.”1413
| 1413 This passage is
probably corrupt. We have adopted the readings of
Cotelerius—ἤ, ἢ,
instead of εἰ and
μή. | But Simon,
understanding that Peter referred to his own madness, said:
“Permit me to run the risk; but do not you make what you assert
to be blasphemy a pretext for retiring. For I perceive that you
wish to withdraw, in order that you may escape refutation before the
masses, sometimes as if you were afraid to listen to blasphemies, and
at other times by maintaining that, as nothing has been written as to
how, and by whom, and why the evil one came into existence, we ought
not to dare to assert more than the Scripture. Wherefore also as
a pious man you affirm this only, that he exists. But by these
contrivances you deceive yourself, not knowing that, if it is blasphemy
to inquire accurately regarding the evil one, the blame rests with me,
the accuser, and not with you, the defender of God. And if the
subject inquired into is not in Scripture,1414
and on this account you do not wish to inquire into it, there are some
satisfactory methods which can prove to you what is sought not less
effectively than the Scriptures. For instance, must it not be the
case that the evil one, who you assert exists, is either originated or
unoriginated?”1415
| 1415 The words γενητός
and ἀγένητος are
difficult to translate. The first means one who has somehow or
other come into being; the second, one who has never come into
being; but has always been. The mss.
confound γενητός with
γεννητός,
begotten, and ἀγένητος
with ἀγέννητος,
unbegotten. |
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