Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/163

 Jesus Christ. But what thou hast done now is childish and imperfect: thou didst paint the dead picture of a dead."

30. And he ordered brother Berus, who ministered unto him to bring all the old women of all Ephesus, whilst he himself and Cleopatra and Lycomedes made the necessary preparations. And Berus came and told John, "Of the old women which live here, I only found sixty-four in a healthy state; of the rest some are paralyzed and some otherwise sick." When John had heard it, he remained silent for some time, rubbed his face, and said, "O, of the indolence of those who dwell in Ephesus! O, of the despair and weakness (in the faith) in God! O, of the devil who mocked in course of time at the believers in Ephesus! Jesus, who gives me grace and the gift to trust in Him, speaks now quietly to me: 'Have the sick women brought, come with them to the theatre, and heal them through me! For of those which will come to this spectacle are some which I will convert by such cures, that they may be of some use.'"

31. When all the people had met at Lycomedes' house on account of John, he took leave of them, saying, "All of you who wish to know the power of God, come to the theatre!" On the following day, it being yet dark, the people ran to the theatre. The