Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/356



139. And Vazan, Misdai's son, went to the soldiers and said, "Give him to me that I may speak to him till the king comes." And they handed him over. And he led him to the place where the king used to judge. And Vazan says, "Knowest thou that I am the son of Misdai the king, and that I am at liberty to say to the king what I will, and that < when I tell him, > he will spare thy life? Tell me, therefore, who thy God is, and on whose power thou reliest and in which thou gloriest? For if it is a power and are of sorcery, tell it and teach it, and I set thee free." Says Judas to him, "Thou art the son of King Misdai, who is a temporal king. I am, however, the servant of Jesus Christ, the eternal King. Thou art at liberty to tell thy father that he spare those whom thou wishest in this temporal life, in which men remain not, though thou and thy father give it to them. I, however, beseech my Lord and implore him for men, and he gives them new life, which abides forever. Thou gloriest in possession, slaves, garments, revelry, and unclean couch; but I glory in poverty, love of wisdom, humility, fasting, and prayer, and communion with the Holy Spirit and with my brethren, which are worthy of God, and I glory in an eternal life. Thou hast taken thy refuge in a man like thee, who