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The Recognitions of Clement

Anonymous Pseudo-Clementine compiler

Book 3 · Chapter 52

About this work

A pseudonymous Christian romance in which Clement narrates travels, debates, conversions, family separation and reunion, and Peter’s conflicts with Simon Magus within a larger composite tradition.

Author: Anonymous Pseudo-Clementine compiler
Traditional attribution: Clement of Rome
Date: Probably 3rd–4th century
Origin: Syria (often proposed)
Genre: Apocryphon

The work belongs to the complex Pseudo-Clementine tradition, whose sources, recensions, dates, and relationships remain debated.

Chapter LII.—False Signs and Miracles.

Then Niceta said: “I give you

‹ Book 3 · Chapter 51 Book 3 · Chapter 53 ›

abundant

thanks

,

O

most

clement

Peter

;

but

this

is

what

I

desire

to

learn

,

how

Simon

,

who

is

the

enemy

of

God

,

is

able

to

do

such

and

so

great

things

?

For

indeed

he

told

no

lie

in

his

declaration

of

what

he

has

done

.

”

To

this

the

blessed

Peter

thus

answered

:

“

God

,

who

is

one

and

true

,

has

resolved

to

prepare

good

and

faithful

friends

for

His

first

begotten

;

but

knowing

that

none

can

be

good

,

unless

they

have

in

their

power

that

perception

by

which

they

may

become

good

,

that

they

may

be

of

their

own

intent

what

they

choose

to

be

,

—

and

otherwise

they

could

not

be

truly

good

,

if

they

were

kept

in

goodness

not

by

purpose

,

but

by

necessity

,

—

has

given

to

every

one

the

power

of

his

own

will

,

that

he

may

be

what

he

wishes

to

be

.

And

again

,

foreseeing

that

power

of

will

would

make

some

choose

good

things

and

others

evil

,

and

so

that

the

human

race

would

necessarily

be

divided

into

two

classes

,

He

has

permitted

each

class

to

choose

both

a

place

and

a

king

,

whom

they

would

.

For

the

good

King

rejoices

in

the

good

,

and

the

wicked

one

in

the

evil

.

And

although

I

have

expounded

those

things

more

fully

to

you

,

O

Clement

,

in

that

treatise

in

which

I

discoursed

on

predestination

and

the

end

,

yet

it

is

fitting

that

I

should

now

make

clear

to

Niceta

also

,

as

he

asks

me

,

what

is

the

reason

than

Simon

,

whose

thoughts

are

against

God

,

is

able

to

do

so

great

marvels

.