Frauds and Follies of the Fathers: A Review of the Worth of Their Testimony to the Four Gospels — John Shaqi
Frauds and Follies of the Fathers: A Review of the Worth of Their Testimony to the Four GospelsWheeler, J. M. (Joseph Mazzini)
Religion
Frauds and Follies of the Fathers: A Review of the Worth of Their Testimony to the Four Gospels
Wheeler, J. M. (Joseph Mazzini)
Christianity -- Controversial literature; Fathers of the church
It begins, "I, Clement, who was born in the city of Rome," and proceeds
to narrate his thoughts on philosophy, his doubts and hopes of a future
life. To resolve these the worthy Father determined to go to Egypt,
and bribe a magician to bring him a soul from the infernal regions to
consult whether the soul be immortal. But he heard of the Son of God
in Judea and was ready to accredit the wonders ascribed to him.
Having heard Barnabas, Clement proceeds to Cæsarea and sees Peter, who
instructs him concerning the True Prophet. And now comes the curious
part of the story. Peter is engaged in continuous controversy on the
true Mosaic and Christian religion with a miracle worker, called Simon
the magician, who it is said confessed he wrought his wonders by the
help of the soul of a healthy young boy, who had been violently put to
death for that purpose, and then called up from the dead and compelled
to be his assistant. Peter follows this Simon about from place to
place, exposing him. He especially follows him to Rome. The astounding
revelation in connexion with this story we give in the words of the
author of "Supernatural Religion" (vol. ii., p. 34): "There cannot be a
doubt that the Apostle Paul is attacked in it, as the great enemy of
the true faith, under the hated name of Simon the magician, who Peter
followed everywhere for the purpose of unmasking and confuting him. He
is robbed of the title of 'Apostles of the Gentiles,' which, together
with the honor of founding the Churches of Antioch, of Laodicea, and of
Rome, is ascribed to Peter. All that opposition to Paul which is implied
in the Epistle to the Galatians and elsewhere (1 Cor. i., 11, 12; 2 Cor.
xi., 13--20; Philip i., 15, 16) is here realised and exaggerated, and
the personal difference with Peter to which Paul refers is widened into
the most bitter animosity."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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