15. As
the delusion was extending, Peter and Paul, a noble pair, chief rulers
of the Church, arrived and set the error right “Justin says not one word about
St. Peter’s alleged visit to Rome, and his encounter with Simon
Magus.” But “Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical
History (c. a.d. 325), quotes Justin
Martyr’s story about Simon Magus (E. H. ii. c. 13), and
then, without referring to any authority, goes on to assert (c. 14)
that ‘immediately in the same reign of Claudius divine Providence
led Peter the great Apostle to Rome to encounter this great destroyer
of life,’ and that he thus brought the light of the Gospel from
the East to the West’ (ibidem).
Eusebius probably borrowed this
story “from the strange fictions of the Clementine
Recognitions and Homilies, and Apostolic
Constitutions.” See Recogn. III. 63–65;
Hom. I. 15, III. 58; Apost. Constit. VI. 7, 8, 9.
Cyril’s account of Simon’s death is taken from the same
untrustworthy sources.; and
when the supposed god Simon wished to shew himself off, they
straightway shewed him as a corpse. For Simon promised to rise
aloft to heaven, and came riding in a dæmons’ chariot on the
air; but the servants of God fell on their knees, and having shewn that
agreement of which Jesus spake, that If two of you shall agree
concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done unto
them Matt. xviii. 19., they launched the
weapon of their concord in prayer against Magus, and struck him down to
the earth. And marvellous though it was, yet no marvel. For
Peter was there, who carrieth the keys of heaven Ib. xvi.
19.: and nothing wonderful, for Paul was
there It is certain that S.
Paul was not at Rome at this time. This story of Simon Magus and
his ‘fiery car’ is told, with variations, by Arnobius
(adv. Gentes, II. 12), and in Apost. Constit. VI.
9., who was caught up to the third
heaven, and into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it
is not lawful far a man to utter 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4.. These
brought the supposed God down from the sky to earth, thence to be taken
down to the regions below the earth. In this man first the
serpent of wickedness appeared; but when one head had been cut off, the
root of wickedness was found again with many heads.