Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XVIII/Chapter 5

Chapter V.&#8212;Peter Doubts Simon&#8217;s Honesty.

When Simon had made these statements, Peter said to him:&#160; &#8220;Can you call to witness that these are your beliefs that being Himself,&#8212;I do not mean Him whom you speak of now as being unrevealed, but Him in whom you believe, though you do not confess Him?&#160; For you are talking nonsense when you define one thing in stead of another.&#160; Wherefore, if you call Him to witness that you believe what you say, I shall answer you.&#160; But if you continue discussing with me what you do not believe, you compel me to strike the empty air.&#8221;&#160; And Simon said:&#160; &#8220;It is from some of your own disciples that I have heard that this is the truth.&#8221; &#160; And Peter said:&#160; &#8220;Do not bear false witness?&#8221;&#160; And Simon said:&#160; &#8220;Do not rebuke me, most insolent man.&#8221;&#160; And Peter said:&#160; &#8220;So long as you do not tell who it was who said so, I affirm that you are a liar.&#8221;&#160; And Simon said:&#160; &#8220;Suppose that I myself have got up these doctrines, or that I heard them from some other, give me your answer to them.&#160; For if they cannot be overturned, then I have learned that this is the truth.&#8221;&#160; And Peter said:&#160; &#8220;If it is a human invention, I will not reply to it; but if you are held fast by the supposition that it is the truth, acknowledge to me that this is the case, and I can then myself say something in regard to the matter.&#8221;&#160; And Simon said:&#160; &#8220;Once for all, then, these doctrines seem to me to be true.&#160; Give me your reply, if you have aught to say against them.&#8221;