Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily IX/Chapter 17

Chapter XVII.&#8212;Reasons Why Their Deceits are Not Detected.

&#8220;For why do they oracularly foretell cures after a long time?&#160; And why, if they are almighty, do they not effect cures without administering any medicine?&#160; And for what reason do they prescribe remedies to some of those who pray to them, while to some, and it may be more suitable cases, they give no response?&#160; Thus, whenever a cure is going to take place spontaneously, they promise, in order that they may get the credit of the cure; and others, having been sick, and having prayed, and having recovered spontaneously, attributed the cure to those whom they had invoked, and make offerings to them.&#160; Those, however, who, after praying, have failed, are not able to offer their sacrifices.&#160; But if the relatives of the dead, or any of their children, inquired into the losses, you would find the failures to be more than the successes.&#160; But no one who has been taken in by them is willing to exhibit an accusation against them, through shame or fear; but, on the other hand, they conceal the crimes which they believe them to be guilty of.