Christian Apocrypha and Early Christian Literature

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The whole city therefore came to see the wild asses under the yoke; and they had heard also the
report of the apostle that he was to come and visit them. And the apostle asked the captain:
Where is thy dwelling, and whither dost thou bring us? And he said to him: Thou thyself
knowest that we stand before the doors, and these which by thy commandment are come with
thee know it better than I.
72 And having so said he came down from the chariot. The apostle therefore began to say: Jesu
Christ, that art blasphemed by the ignorance of thee in this country; Jesu, the report of whom is
strange in this city; Jesu, that receivest all (Syr. sendest on before the apostles in every country
and in every city, and all thine that are worthy are glorified in thee; Jesu, that didst take a form
and become as a man, and wert seen of all us that thou mightest not separate us from thine own
love: thou, Lord, art he that gavest thyself for us, and with thy blood hast purchased us and
gained us as a possession of great price: and what have we to give thee, Lord, in exchange for
thy life which thou gavest for us? for that which we would give, thou gavest us: and this is, that
we should entreat of thee and live.
73 And when he had so said, many assembled from every quarter to see the apostle of the new
God. And again the apostle said: Why stand we idle? Jesu, Lord, the hour is come: what wilt
thou have done? command therefore that that be fulfilled which needeth to be done. Now the
captain's wife and her daughter were sore borne down by the devils, so that they of the house
thought they would rise up no more: for they suffered them not to partake of aught, but cast them
down upon their beds recognizing no man until that day when the apostle came thither. And the
apostle said unto one of the wild asses that were yoked on the right hand: Enter thou within the
gate, and stand there and call the devils and say to them: Judas Thomas the apostle and disciple
of Jesus Christ saith unto you: Come forth hither: for on your account am I sent and unto them
that pertain to you by race, to destroy you and chase you unto your place, until the time of the
end come and ye go down into your own deep of darkness.
74 And that wild ass went in, a great multitude being with him, and said: Unto you I speak, the
enemies of Jesus that is called Christ: unto you I speak that shut your eyes lest ye see the light:
unto you I speak, children of Gehenna and of destruction, of him that ceaseth not from evil until
now, that always reneweth his workings and the things that befit his being: unto you I speak,
most shameless, that shall perish by your own hands. And what I shall say of your destruction
and end, and what I shall tell, I know not. For there are many things and innumerable to the
hearing: and greater are your doings than the torment that is reserved for you (Syr. however great
your bodies, they are too small for your retributions). But unto thee I speak, devil, and to thy son
that followeth with thee: for now am I sent against you. And wherefore should I make many
words concerning your nature and root, which yourselves know and are not ashamed? but Judas
Thomas the apostle of Christ Jesus saith unto you, he that by much love and affection is sent
hither: Before all this multitude that standeth here, come forth and tell me of what race ye are.
75 And straightway the woman came forth with her daughter, both like dead persons and
dishonoured in aspect: and the apostle beholding them was grieved. especially for the girl, and
saith unto the devils: God forbid that for you there should be sparing or propitiation, for ye know
not to spare nor to have pity: but in the name of Jesus, depart from them and stand by their side.
And when the apostle had so said, the women fell down and became as dead; for they neither had
breath nor uttered speech: but the devil answered with a loud voice and said: Art thou come
hither again, thou that deridest our nature and race? art thou come again, that blottest out our

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