16 Jan y 1816

Not Paul

Ch. 4 Paul’s Motives

§. 4. Simon Magus

That, according to the account given of the matter in the Acts, the occupation /situation/ which he saw thus carried on by these commissioners of /from/ the Apostles, and by which his concupiscence was excited, was in this sorcerer’s view of the matter a source of no inconsiderable profit, seems out of dispute. ‘From the least to the greatest’ ‘the people of Samaria all gave heed to’ him - saying - ‘This man is the great power of God.’ And to him they had regard why? - ‘because it was /that of/ of long time that he had bewitched them with sorceries.’ This being the case, with a view to what end was it that he could be desirous of receiving participation of this power? Was it mere respect and reputation /illustration/? No. To the principal persons from whom had his proposals been accepted he would have received his commission - to them would all the glory have passed on, this glory of which while he continued practising in his character of sorcerer, he himself was the sole recipient. Money therefore and nothing else was the object of his speculation money and nothing else: that money /profit/ /harvest/ in the reaping of which he saw these Commissioners of the Board of Apostles so sucessfully engaged.

Acts viii. 10.