Chapter V.—Peter Doubts Simon’s Honesty.

When Simon had made these statements, Peter said to him:  “Can you call to witness that these are your beliefs that being Himself,—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?  For you are talking nonsense when you define one thing in stead of another.  Wherefore, if you call Him to witness that you believe what you say, I shall answer you.  But if you continue discussing with me what you do not believe, you compel me to strike the empty air.”  And Simon said:  “It is from some of your own disciples that I have heard that this is the truth.”^13771377    The words in italics are inserted to fill up a lacuna which occurs here in the Vaticanms.  And Peter said:  “Do not bear false witness?”  And Simon said:  “Do not rebuke me, most insolent man.”  And Peter said:  “So long as you do not tell who it was who said so, I affirm that you are a liar.”  And Simon said:  “Suppose that I myself have got up these doctrines, or that I heard them from some other, give me your answer to them.  For if they cannot be overturned, then I have learned that this is the truth.”  And Peter said:  “If it is a human invention, I will not reply to 326it; 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.”  And Simon said:  “Once for all, then, these doctrines seem to me to be true.  Give me your reply, if you have aught to say against them.”