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ANF Pseudo-Clementine The Clementine Homilies
“This is our Judge, to whom it behoves us to look. and to regulate our own souls, thinking all things in His favour, speaking well of Him, persuaded that by His long-suffering He brings to light the obstinacy of all, and is alone good. And He, at the end of all, shall sit as a just Judge upon every one of those who have attempted what they ought not.”
When I Clement heard this, I said, “Truly, this is a godliness; truly this is piety.” And again I said: “I would learn, therefore, why the Bible has written anything of this sort? For I remember that you said that it was for the conviction of those who should dare to believe anything that was spoken against God. But since you permit us, we venture to ask, at your command: If any one, most beloved Peter, should choose to say to us, ‘The Scriptures are true, although to you the things spoken against God seem to be false,’ how should we answer him?”
Then Peter answered: “You speak well in your inquiry; for it will be for your safety. Therefore listen: Since there are many things that are spoken by the Scriptures against God, as time presses on account of the evening, ask with respect to any one matter that you please, and I will explain it, showing that it is false, not only because it is spoken against God, but because it is really false.” Then I answered: “I wish to learn how, when the Scriptures say that God is ignorant, you can show that He knows?”
Then Peter answered: “You have presented us with a matter that can easily be answered. However, listen, how God is ignorant of nothing, but even foreknows. But first answer me what I ask of you. He who wrote the Bible, and told how the world was made, and said that God does not foreknow, was he a man or not?” Then I said: “He was a man.” Then Peter answered: “How, then, was it possible for him, being a man, to know assuredly how the world was made, and that God does not foreknow?”
Then I, already perceiving the explanation, smiled, and said that he was a prophet. And Peter said: “If, then, he was a prophet, being a man, he was ignorant of nothing, by reason of his having received foreknowledge from God; how then, should He, who gave to man the gift of foreknowledge, being God, Himself be ignorant?” And I said: “You have spoken rightly.” Then Peter said: “Come with me one step further. It being acknowledged by us that God foreknows all things, there is every necessity that the scriptures are false which say that He is ignorant, and those are true which say that He knows.” Then said I: “It must needs be so.”
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