Chapter XXXVIII.—Simon’s Creed.

Then Peter:  “Are not you making use of long preambles, as you accused us of doing, because you have no truth to bring forward?  For if you have, begin without circumlocution, if you have so much confidence.  And if, indeed, what you say be displeasing to any one of the hearers, he will withdraw; and those who remain shall be compelled by your assertion to approve what is true.  Begin, therefore, to expound what seemeth to you to be right.”  Then Simon said:  “I say that there are many gods; but that there is one incomprehensible and unknown to all, and that He is the God of all these gods.”  Then Peter answered:  “This God whom you assert to be incomprehensible and unknown to all, can you prove His existence from the Scriptures of the Jews,⁶³⁰⁶³⁰    [In both the Recognitions and the Homilies the contest turns upon the monotheistic teaching of the Old Testament and the supreme Deity of Jehovah.  This is rightly regarded as an evidence of Ebionitic origin.  But Gnostic elements enter again and again.—R.] which are held to be of authority, or from some others of which we are all ignorant, 108or from the Greek authors, or from your own writings?  Certainly you are at liberty to speak from whatever writings you please, yet so that you first show that they are prophetic; for so their authority will be held without question.”