Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/347

 unrest? Thou requirest thy subjects to follow thee in conversation and manners, and when they despise thy commandments, thou punishest them; how much more ought they which believe on my God serve him with much holiness, purity, and chastity, free from all fleshly pleasures, from adultery and dissipation, theft, drunkenness, gluttony, and (other) dishonorable acts!"

127. When Misdai heard these things, he said, "Behold, I set thee free. Go and persuade Mygdonia, Charis's wife, that she separate not from him." Said Judas to him, "Delay not, if thou meanest to do something (against me). For if she has received that in a right way, which she has learned, neither iron, nor fire, nor anything else which is stronger than these things will be able to harm her nor to separate him (from her) whom she retains in her soul." Said Misdai to Judas, "Some remedies make others without effect, and theriac makes bites of an adder ineffective. And if thou only wishest thou canst make ineffective the charms (formerly applied by thee), and bring about peace and concord among husband and wife. For by doing this thou savest thyself. For thou hast not yet lived thy life to the full. And know, if thou persuadest her not, I shall tear thee away from this life welcomed by all." And Judas said, "This life is given to us as a loan, and this time changes. The life, however, which I teach is imperishable, whereas beauty and visible youth shall be no more