tures, as an argument ad hominem to Peter and the Jews; alledging, as a proof that there was another god befides the Supreme, the imperfe&tions of Adam, who was made after the image of this god; his being punished by being caft out of paradife; God's faying, Let us defcend to fee what is doing in Sodom; Let us caft out Adam, left he should eat of the tree of life, and live for ever; his faying that he repented of his making man, that he fmelled a fweet favour, and that he tempted Abraham *.

* Αύλικα γεν ο καθ' ομοίωσιν αὐτὰ γεγονως Αδαμ και τυφλΘ- κλιζεται, και γνωσιν αγαθε και κιακς εκ έχων παραδεδοίαι, και παραβάλης ευρισκε Παι, και το παράδεισε εκβαλλεται να θανατω τιμωρείται . ομοίως τε και πλασας αυτόν, επει μη πανταχοθεν βλεπει, επι τη Σοδόμων κατατροφή, λεγε: δεύτε, καὶ καλαβαλες ιδωμεν ει καλα την κραυγήν αυλων την ερχομενην προς με συνελενίαι· ει δι μη, ινα γνω· κ αγνοενία αυλον δεικνυεσιν. το δε ειπειν περι τε Αδαμ : εκβαλωμεν αυτον, μηπως εκλεινας την χειρα αυτε αψήλαι το ξυλο της ζωης, καὶ φαγη, και ζησεται εις τον αιώνα, το ειπεν μηπως αγνοει · το δε επαγαγειν, μηπως φαγων ζησεται εις τον αιώνα, καὶ φθονει . κ) το γεγράφθαι ότι ενεθυμήθη ο Θεος ότι εποιησεν τον ανθρωπον. καὶ μελανοει, και αγνοει και το γεγράφθαι, και οσφρανθη κυριος οσμήν ευωδίας, ενδεες εσι, και το επι κνιση σαρκών ήσθηναι εκ αγαθε· το δε πειράζειν, ως γεγραπίαι, και επείρασεν κυρια τον Αβρααμ, κακς, και το τέλος της υπομονης αγνος Θ. Hom. 3. fect. 39. p. 642.

All

All these circumftances he thought to be proofs either of imperfection, ignorance, envy, vice, or feverity, in the being who is ftiled God, and who is fuppofed to be the maker and governor of the world; who, therefore could not be the fupreme being, because he is omniscient, and also abfolutely perfect and good.

As a proof that mention is made in the fcriptures of there being more gods than one, and that the great God was not offended at it, Simon alledges God's faying, "Adam is become one of us." The ferYe shall be as gods;" its being faid, "Thou shalt not curfe the

pent's faying,

་་

gods, nor fpeak evil of the ruler of thy people*. "The gods who have not "made the heavens and the earth fhall "perish," &c. Which he fays implied

that there were other Gods who had made the heavens and the earth. "The

"Lord thy God, he is "Who is like unto thee,

Exod. xxii. 28:

God of gods +.

O Lord, among

+ Deut. x. 17.

"the

"the Gods. The Lord ftandeth in the

congregation of the Gods *."

He likewife pretended to bring proofs of his doctrine from the New Teftament. Thus, in order to prove that there is another God befides him that is fupremely good, Simon alledges Chrift's faying No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and him to whom the Son fhall reveal him; if, before this time, the Father had been unknown to all. He also afferted, that Christ represents one God as a juft and fevere being, and not a good onet.

; as

* Εγω δὲ φημι τας πεπιτευμένας γραφας παρα Ιεδαίοις πολλές λεγειν. θεες, καὶ μη χαλεπαίνειν επι τελω τον θεον, τω αυλιν δια των γράφων αυτά πολλες θεες ειρηκέναι — Ο μεν εν οφις ειπων εσεθε ως Θεοί, ως ούλων θεων ειρηκως φαινεται. ταυλη μαλλον η και θεος εμαρτύρησεν, ειπων, ιδε γεγονεν Αδαμ ως εις ημων. Είως ο τες πολλές ειπων οφις είναι θεες 8η εψευσαίο. παλιν τω γεγράφθαι θεος 8 κακολογήσεις. πολλές σημαίνει θεὸς καὶ αλλοτε, θεοι οι τον ερανον και την γην 8κ εποίησαν απολέσωσαν. και παλιν γεγραπίαι, κυριε ο Θεός σε όλες Θεος των θεων. Και πάλιν, τις όμοιος σοι κυριε εν θεοις · καὶ πάλιν θεος θεων κυριος . κ) παλιν, ο Θεός έση εν συναγωγη θεων . Hon. 16. fect. 6. p. 725.

+ Και είως τοις προ αυτό πασιν αγνώτος ην ο πατηρ .

Φοβερον

και δικαιον συνίζησι θεον, λέγων. Μη φοβηθηκε απο το αποκλειναν το σώμα τη δε ψυχη μη δυναμένω τι ποιησαι * Φοβήθηκε τον δυναμενον

και

It cannot be worth while at this day to give a serious answer to fuch arguments as thefe; but it may not be amifs to fhew in what manner, and on what principles, they were answered in the age in which they were urged. With refpect to the general system of these philosophers, viz. that the fupreme being, or the God of gods, can produce other beings who may be properly called gods by generation, the latter being as it were, the sons of the former, Peter fays, "It is the property of the Father to be "unbegotten, and of the Son to be begotten; but that which is begotten can"not be compared with that which is unbegotten, or felf begotten." Simon fays, "Are they not the fame on account of ge"neration ?" meaning probably, their being produced from the very fubftance of the Father. Peter anfwered, "He who is not "in all refpects the fame with any other

66

66

και σώμα και ψυχην εις την γέενναν το πυρος βαλειν . ναι λέγω υμιν, Τελον φοβήθητε . - Ο δε εκδικωνία και αμειβόμενον λεγον θεον, δικαιον αυλον τη φυσει συνίτησιν, και εκ αγαθον. Hom. 17. fect. 45. P. 731,

" cannot

"cannot be entitled to the fame appella"tion*." He also fays, according to the philofophy of the age, that "the fouls "of men are immortal, being from the "breath of God, and therefore of the fame "substance with him, but that they are "not therefore gods+."

This is by no means fuch an answer as one of the orthodox Fathers would have made. On the contrary, they always pleaded the propriety of the logos being called God, and for the fame reason that Simon here alledges, viz. his being generated from God, and therefore, of his being God of God, as it is expreffed in the Nicene creed. In this work Peter is reprefented as being more fcrupulous how he applied the term God. Wherefore," fays he, "above all things confider that

66

* Προς τέλοις δε, το παλρος το μη γεγενησθαι εσιν, υις δε το γεγενησθαι· γεννήλον δε αγεννήτω η και αυλογεννήίω 8 συγκρινεται . κ ο Σιμων εφη· ει και τη γενέσει 8 ταυλον εσιν; και ο Πείρος εφη ο μη καλα παλλα το αύλο ων τινι, τας αυλας αύλω πασας έχειν προσωνυμίας duvala. Hom. 16. fect. 16. p.728.

+ Αλλα και τελο μαθε. τα ανθρωπων σωματα ψυχας εχει ανα καλες, την τε θες πνοην ημφιεσμένας και εκ τ8 θες προελθέσαι, της μεν αύλης εσιας ετιν, θεοι δε εκ εισιν. Ibid.

VOL. I.

K