Principles on Which the Discussion Should Be Conducted.
718.
For some, in the contest of disputations, when they perceive that their error is confuted,
immediately begin, for the sake of making good their retreat, to create a disturbance,
and to stir up strifes, that it may not be manifest to all that they are defeated;
719.
and therefore I frequently entreat that the investigation of the matter in dispute may be conducted with all patience and quietness, so that if perchance anything seem to be not rightly spoken,
it may be allowed to go back over it, and explain it more distinctly.
720.
For sometimes a thing may be spoken in one way and heard in another,
while it is either advanced too obscurely, or not attended to with sufficient care;
721.
and on this account I desire that our conversation should be conducted patiently,
so that neither should the one snatch it away from the other, nor should the unseasonable speech of one contradicting interrupt the speech of the other;
722.
and that we should not cherish the desire of finding fault, yet that we should be allowed,
as I have said, to go over again what has not been clearly enough spoken,
that by fairest examination the knowledge of the truth may become clearer.
723.
For we ought to know, that if any one is conquered by the truth,
it is not he that is conquered, but the ignorance which is in him, which is the worst of all demons;
so that he who can drive it out receives the palm of salvation.
724.
For it is our purpose to benefit the hearers, not that we may conquer badly,
but that we may be well conquered for the acknowledgment of the truth.
725.
For if our speech be actuated by the desire of seeking the truth, even although we shall speak anything imperfectly through human frailty, God in His unspeakable goodness will fill up secretly in the understandings of the hearers those things that are lacking.
726.
For He is righteous; and according to the purpose of every one, He enables some to find easily what they seek, while to others He renders even that obscure which is before their eyes.
727.
Since, then, the way of God is the way of peace, let us with peace seek the things which are God's.
728.
If any one has anything to advance in answer to this, let him do so;
but if there is no one who wishes to answer, I shall begin to speak,
and I shall bring forward what another may object to me, and shall refute it.
Simon's Interruption.
729.
When therefore Peter had begun to continue his discourse, Simon, interrupting his speech, said:
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Why do you hasten to speak whatever you please?
I understand your tricks.
730.
You wish to bring forward those matters whose explanation you have well studied, that you may appear to the ignorant crowd to be speaking well; but I shall not allow you this subterfuge.
731.
Now therefore, since you promise, as a brave man,
to answer to all that any one chooses to bring forward, be pleased to answer me in the first place.
732.
Then Peter said:
I am ready, only provided that our discussion may be with peace.
733.
Then Simon said:
Do not you see, O simpleton, that in pleading for peace you act in opposition to your Master,
and that what you propose is not suitable to him who promises that he will overthrow ignorance?
734.
Or, if you are right in asking peace from the audience, then your Master was wrong in saying,
'I have not come to send peace on earth, but a sword.' Matthew 10:34
735.
For either you say well, and he not well;
or else, if your Master said well, then you not at all well:
for you do not understand that your statement is contrary to his,
whose disciple you profess yourself to be.
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Divisions736-770
RECOGNITIONS 2
Questions and Answers.
736.
Then Peter:
Neither He who sent me did amiss in sending a sword upon the earth,
nor do I act contrary to Him in asking peace of the hearers.
737.
But you both unskilfully and rashly find fault with what you do not understand:
for you have heard that the Master came not to send peace on earth; but that He also said,
738.
'Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the very sons of God,'
you have not heard. Matthew 5:9
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739.
Wherefore my sentiments are not different from those of the Master when I recommend peace,
to the keepers of which He assigned blessedness.
740.
Then Simon said:
In your desire to answer for your Master, O Peter,
you have brought a much more serious charge against him,
if he himself came not to make peace, yet enjoined upon others to keep it.
741.
Where, then, is the consistency of that other saying of his,
'it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master?' Matthew 10:25
Consistency of Christ's Teaching.
742.
To this Peter answered:
Our Master, who was the true Prophet, and ever mindful of Himself, neither contradicted Himself,
nor enjoined upon us anything different from what Himself practised.
743.
For whereas He said, '
I am not come to send peace on earth, but a sword;
and henceforth you shall see father separated from son, son from father,
husband from wife and wife from husband,
744.
mother from daughter and daughter from mother,
brother from brother, father-in-law from daughter-in-law, friend from friend,'
all these contain the doctrine of peace; and I will tell you how.
745.
At the beginning of His preaching, as wishing to invite and lead all to salvation,
and induce them to bear patiently labours and trials, He blessed the poor,
and promised that they should obtain the kingdom of heaven for their endurance of poverty,
746.
in order that under the influence of such a hope they might bear with equanimity the weight of poverty, despising covetousness;
for covetousness is one, and the greatest, of most pernicious sins.
747.
But He promised also that the hungry and the thirsty should be satisfied with the eternal blessings
of righteousness, in order that they might bear poverty patiently,
and not be led by it to undertake any unrighteous work.
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748.
In like manner, also, He said that the pure in heart are blessed,
and that thereby they should see God, in order that every one desiring so great a good
might keep himself from evil and polluted thoughts.
Peace and Strife.
749.
Thus, therefore, our Master, inviting His disciples to patience, impressed upon them that the blessing of peace was also to be preserved with the labour of patience.
750.
But, on the other hand, He mourned over those who lived in riches and luxury, who bestowed nothing upon the poor; proving that they must render an account, because they did not pity their neighbours, even when they were in poverty, whom they ought to love as themselves.
751.
And by such sayings as these He brought some indeed to obey Him, but others He rendered hostile.
752.
The believers therefore, and the obedient, He charges to have peace among themselves,
and says to them,
753.
'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the very sons of God.' Matthew 5:9
754.
But to those who not only did not believe, but set themselves in opposition to His doctrine,
He proclaims the war of the word and of confutation, and says that
755.
'henceforth you shall see son separated from father, and husband from wife, and daughter from mother, and brother from brother, and daughter-in-law from mother-in-law, and a man's foes shall be they of his own house.'
756.
For in every house, when there begins to be a difference between believer and unbeliever,
there is necessarily a contest:
the unbelievers, on the one hand, fighting against the faith;
and the believers on the other, confuting the old error and the vices of sins in them.
Peace to the Sons of Peace.
757.
In like manner, also, during the last period of His teaching,
He wages war against the scribes and Pharisees, charging them with evil deeds and unsound
doctrine, and with hiding the key of knowledge which they had handed down to them from Moses, by which the gate of the heavenly kingdom might be opened.
758.
But when our Master sent us forth to preach, He commanded us,
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that into whatsoever city or house we should enter, we should say, 'Peace be to this house.'
759.
'And if,' said He, 'a son of peace be there, your peace shall come upon him;
but if there be not, your peace shall return to you.'
760.
Also that, going out from that house or city, we should shake off upon them the very dust which adhered to our feet.
761.
'But it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city or house.'
762.
This indeed He commanded to be done at length, if first the word of truth be preached in the city or house, whereby they who receive the faith of the truth may become sons of peace and sons of God; and those who will not receive it may be convicted as enemies of peace and of God.
Peace and War.
763.
Thus, therefore, we, observing the commands of our Master, first offer peace to our hearers, that the way of salvation may be known without any tumult.
764.
But if anyone does not receive the words of peace, nor acquiesce in the truth,
we know how to direct against him the war of the word,
and to rebuke him sharply by confuting his ignorance and charging home upon him his sins.
765.
Therefore of necessity we offer peace, that if any one is a son of peace, our peace may come upon him; but from him who makes himself an enemy of peace, our peace shall return to ourselves.
766.
We do not therefore, as you say, propose peace by agreement with the wicked,
for indeed we should straightway have given you the right hand;
767.
yet only in order that, through our discussing quietly and patiently,
it might be more easily ascertained by the hearers which is the true speech.
768.
But if you differ and disagree with yourself, how shall you stand?
769.
He must of necessity fall who is divided in himself;
'for every kingdom divided against itself shall not stand.' Matthew 12:25
770.
If you have anything to say to this, say on.
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Divisions 771-805
RECOGNITIONS 2
Simon's Challenge.
771.
Then said Simon:
I am astonished at your folly.
772.
For you so propound the words of your Master, as if it were held to be certain concerning him that he is a prophet; while I can very easily prove that he often contradicted himself.
773.
In short, I shall refute you from those words which you have yourself brought forward.
774.
For you say, that he said that every kingdom or every city divided in itself shall not stand;
and elsewhere you say, that he said that he would send a sword,
that he might separate those who are in one house,
775.
so that son shall be divided from father, daughter from mother, brother from brother;
so that if there be five in one house, three shall be divided against two, and two against three.
Luke 12:51-53
776.
If, then, everything that is divided falls, he who makes divisions furnishes causes of falling;
and if he is such, assuredly he is wicked.
777.
Answer this if you can.
Authority.
778.
Then Peter said:
Do not rashly take exception, O Simon, against the things which you do not understand.
779.
In the first place, I shall answer your assertion, that I set forth the words of my Master,
and from them resolve matters about which there is still doubt.
779.
Our Lord, when He sent us apostles to preach,
enjoined us to teach all nations the things which were committed to us. Matthew 28:19-20
780.
We cannot therefore speak those things as they were spoken by Himself.
781.
For our commission is not to speak, but to teach those things,
and from them to show how every one of them rests upon truth.
782.
Nor, again, are we permitted to speak anything of our own.
783.
For we are sent; and of necessity he who is sent delivers the message as he has been ordered,
and sets forth the will of the sender.
784.
For if I should speak anything different from what He who sent me enjoined me,
I should be a false apostle, not saying what I am commanded to say,
yet what seems good to me.
785.
Whoever does this, evidently wishes to show himself to be better than he is by whom he is sent, and without doubt is a traitor.
786.
If, on the contrary, he keeps by the things that he is commanded, and brings forward most clear assertions of them, it will appear that he is accomplishing the work of an apostle; and it is by striving to fulfil this that I displease you.
787.
Blame me not, therefore, because I bring forward the words of Him who sent me.
788.
Yet if there is anything in them that is not fairly spoken, you have liberty to confute me;
yet this can in no way be done, for He is a prophet, and cannot be contrary to His word.
789.
Yet if you do not think that He is a prophet, let this be first inquired into.
Order of Proof.
790.
Then said Simon:
I have no need to learn this from you, but how these things agree with one another.
791.
For if he shall be shown to be inconsistent, he shall be proved at the same time not to be a prophet.
792.
Then says Peter:
But if I first show Him to be a prophet, it will follow that what seems to be inconsistency is not such.
793.
For no one can be proved to be a prophet merely by consistency, because it is possible for many to attain this; but if consistency does not make a prophet, much more inconsistency does not.
794.
Because, therefore, there are many things which to some seem inconsistent, which yet have consistency in them on a more profound investigation; as also other things which seem to have consistency, but which, being more carefully discussed, are found to be inconsistent;
795.
for this reason I do not think there is any better way to judge of these things than to ascertain in the first instance whether He be a prophet who has spoken those things which appear to be inconsistent.
796.
For it is evident that, if He be found a prophet, those things which seem to be contradictory must have consistency, but are misunderstood.
797.
Concerning these things, therefore, proofs will be properly demanded.
798.
For we apostles are sent to expound the sayings and affirm the judgments of Him who has sent us; but we are not commissioned to say anything of our own, but to unfold the truth, as I have said, of His words.
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