tinues reformed, all his Sins are blotted out, Book X. which he had committed in his Ignorance.

L. For what good have the Philofophers done to human Life, by faying, that God is never angry at Men? I fuppofe only this, to teach them that no body need be at all afraid of any Vengeance, or day of Judgment; and thereby to loose the Reins intirely to Sinners. Or what Advantage have they brought to Mankind, who have faid there is no God, and that all things happen by Chance, and Accident? Is not this the Confequence hereof; that Men that hear fuch Doctrine, and fuppofe there is no Judg, none that exercises any Providence in the World, will fear no body; but will be carried headlong into all Wickedness, which either Rage, or Covetoufnefs, or Luft can dictate to them? For even those that fay, nothing can be done but according to the Scheme of Mens Nativity, have not much improv'd human Life: fince the Confequence is, that every one, by afcribing the Caufe of his Sin to his Geniture, fatisfies himself that he is innocent in his wicked Practices; while instead of washing away his Crime by Repentance, he doubles his Guilt by afcribing it to Fatality. For as to thofe Philofophers who have introduc'd many Gods for Mankind to worship, and thofe fuch as you have heard defcrib'd a little above, What fhall I fay? What has it been but decreeing that Vices, that Crimes, that Villanies fhould be worshipped? I am mov'd at once with Shame and Pity on your account, if you will believe me, that either you have not hitherto difcover'd these things to be unworthy, and impious, and execrable; or if you have difcover'd it, and were fenfible of it, you have worshipped what is evil, instead of what is good and excellent.

Bock X. LI. And then befides, What a thing is that which fome of the Philofophers have undertaken to do? I mean to fpeak of God, who are themfelves mortal; and out of their own imaginations alone to speak of things invifible, and incomprehenfible; or to treat of the Origin of the World, while they were not by when it was made; or of its End, or of the Disposition and Judgment of Souls in the invisible World; as if they were not fenfible that to know what is prefent, and visible, is the part of a Man of Reafon; but that to know what is paft, and what is future, and what is invisible, 'tis peculiar to prophetick Prescience. Those things therefore are not to be collected by Conjectures and Sur. mifes, wherein Men are miferably deceiv'd; but by Faith in Prophetick Truth, whence our Doctrine is deriv'd. For we fpeak nothing of our felves; nor do we declare what we gather by humane Reasoning, for this would be to impofe upon our Auditors: but we preach what is deliver'd and made manifest to us by the Authority of the true Prophet. Of whose Prescience and Prophetick Virtue if any one will, as I faid, receive the plain Proofs, let him carefully affemble with the reft, and be unwearied in hearing, and we will give him evident Arguments whereby he will fuppofe that he not only hears with his Ears, but also fees with his Eyes, and handles with his Hand the power of Prophetick Prescience. Concerning which when he is once entirely fatiffy'd, he will take upon him the Yoke of Righteoufnefs and Piety without any difficulty; and will be fenfible of fo great Sweetness therein, that he will not only not complain of any Difficulty in it, but will defire that fomewhat were fuperadded, and farther impos'd upon him.

LII. Now when he had faid thefe and the like Book X. things, and had cured fome fick Perfons that were prefent, and fome that were poffefs'd with Dæmons, he difmifs'd the Multitude; who went away thanking and praising God: charging them to come together to the fame Place on the following Days also, to hear the Word. And when we had been a while by our felves at home, and were preparing to eat, one came in and told us, that Apion the famous Difputant, together with Anubion, were lately come from Antioch, and lodg'd with Simon. Then our Father rejoic'd to hear that; and faid to Peter, If you give me leave I am defirous to go and falute Apion and Anubion; because they are my particular Friends. Perhaps alfo I fhall be able to perfuade Anubion to difpute with Clement about Genitures. Then faid Peter, I give you leave; and commend you that you have a refpect to your Friends. However, take notice how by the Providence of God all things fucceed to your Mind. For behold not only your natural Affection has been answer'd, by the Providence of God, but the Prefence of your Friends is procur'd alfo. Our Father faid, I take notice that it is as you fay. And when he had faid fo, he went away to Anubion.

LIII. Now as for us, we ftaid with Peter, and asked him Questions all the Night, about feveral Points; and learned the Anfwers from him: and fo we kept awake with the very Delight we took in his Inftruction, and the Sweetness of his Difcourse. And when it was Day, Peter look'd upon me, and my Brethren, and faid, I wonder what it is your Father has been doing. And as he had faid this, our Father came in, and found Peter and us fpeaking about him: and when he had saluted us, he began to fatisfy us, and to tell us the Reafon wherefore he had ftaid abroad. But

as

Book X. as we look'd upon him we were afrighted; for we faw in him the Countenance of Simon, and yet heard our Father's Voice. Now as we were running away from him, and fhewing our Deteftation against him, our Father was amaz'd that we dealt fo feverely and barbarously with him. Yet did Peter, and he alone, fee his natural Countenance; who faid farther to us, Why do you shew a Deteftation of your Father? To whom we and our Mother made anfwer, He feems to us to be Simon, tho he has the Voice of our Father. Peter faid, You only know his Voice, which has continu'd unchang'd by Witchcraft; while I know his Countenance alfo, which appears to be chang'd by the Art of Simon, but is to me that of Fauftinianus your Father. And cafting his Eyes on our Father, he faid, That which difturbs your Wife and your Sons is this, the Appearance of your Countenance does not seem the fame that it was; but the Countenance of curfed Simon appears in you.

LIV. And while he was faying this, one of thofe that had gone before to Antioch came in, and faid to Peter, My Lord Peter, I am to inform you that Simon perform'd many Signs and Wonders at Antioch; and makes it the whole Business of his Difcourfes to the People to perfuade them to hate you; calling you a Magician, a Wizard, a Murderer. And indeed he has ftir'd up fuch an Odium against you, that they are vehemently defirous to eat up your very Flesh, if they can light on you above Ground. For which Reason we who were fent before, feeing how vehemently the City was mov'd against you, got privately together, and confider'd what was fit to be done..

LV. And while we faw no likelihood of putting any Stop to this, Cornelius the Centurion

came

came thither; being feat by Cafar to the Prefi- Book X. dent of Cafarea on fome Publick Bufinefs. Him did we fend for by himself, and declar'd the caufe of our fadnefs to him, and exhorted him to aflift us, if it were in his power. Then he, with the utmost readiness, reply'd, That he would immediately drive him away, in cafe we would be affifting to his defign. And when we promis'd that we would diligently perform whatever he should bid us do, he faid, Cafar has commanded that Wizards fhould be fought for and destroy'd, both in the City of Rome, and through the Provinces; many of whom are already put to Death. I will therefore give it out by my Friends that I am come to feize this Magician, and am fent for this purpose by Cafar, that he and the rest of his Companions may be punish'd. Let thofe of your Friends therefore who are privately with him tell him, as if they heard it fome way or other, that I am fent to feize him; and no question when he hears that, he will run away. Or if you have any better contrivance, let me know it. But why fo many words? Thofe of our Acquaintance that diffembled and were with him as Spies, did fo. Now when Simon understood that danger was come home to him, he took this Information as a mighty Benefit, and ran away. When he therefore was come away from Antioch, he came hither, with Athenodorus, as we have heard..

LVI. All we therefore who were gone before, have thought it convenient that in the interim you do not go up to Antioch, until you fee whether upon his departure, that Odium which he had fowed against you among the People be at all diminish'd. Now when he that was come from Antioch had given this intimation, Peter looked upon our Father, and faid, Fauftinianus, your