2. How then is what is said true, when Matthew affirms that Christ said, Verily I say unto you, that before the cock crow you shall deny me thrice; Matthew 26:34 and Mark declares after the third denial, that The cock crew the second time? Mark 14:72 Nay, most certainly is it both true and in harmony. For because at each crowing the cock is wont to crow both a third and a fourt…

Concerning the four Gospels which alone are uncontroverted in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the Gospel according to Matthew, who was at one time a publican and afterwards an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was written first; and that he composed it in the Hebrew tongue and published it for the converts from Judaism. The second written was that accord…

1. The evil power, who hates all that is good and plots against the salvation of men, constituted Simon at that time the father and author of such wickedness, as if to make him a mighty antagonist of the great, inspired apostles of our Saviour. 2. For that divine and celestial grace which co-operates with its ministers, by their appearance and presence, quickly extinguished the…

1. And thus when the divine word had made its home among them, the power of Simon was quenched and immediately destroyed, together with the man himself. And so greatly did the splendor of piety illumine the minds of Peter's hearers that they were not satisfied with hearing once only, and were not content with the unwritten teaching of the divine Gospel, but with all sorts of en…

1. When the government of Nero was now firmly established, he began to plunge into unholy pursuits, and armed himself even against the religion of the God of the universe. 2. To describe the greatness of his depravity does not lie within the plan of the present work. As there are many indeed that have recorded his history in most accurate narratives, every one may at his pleasu…