Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/289

 whom I preach. As I loved her very much, I entreated her and tried to persuade her to live with me in chaste and pure intercourse, as thou thyself teachest. And she would not. Since she would not, I took a sword and killed her. For I could not see her living in adultery with another."

52. When the apostle heard this, he said, "O maddening intercourse, how leadest thou to impudences! O unrestrained lust, how hast thou excited this one to do this! O work of the serpent, how art thou uplifted in thine own!" And the apostle ordered some water to be brought in a dish. And when the water had been brought, he said, "Come, waters from the living waters; everlasting, sent to us from the everlasting; rest, sent to us from the rest; power of salvation, proceeding from that power which overcomes all and subjects it to its will—come and dwell in these waters, that the gift of the Holy Spirit may be fully communicated to them!" And to the young man he said, "Go, wash thy hands in these waters." And having washed them they were restored. And the apostle said to him, "Believest thou on our Lord Jesus Christ, that he can do all things?" And he said, "Though I am very weak, yet I believe. But I did this in the hope of doing something good. For I entreated her, as I told thee already, but she would not be persuaded by me to keep herself chaste."

53. And the apostle said to him, "Come, let us go to the inn, where thou didst the work, and let us see what happened. And the young man went before