Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/190

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pray thee, Drusiana. For the voice which I heard did not mention him, but only announced thy resurrection, and when I saw it, I believed. If he were good, God would have certainly raised him out of mercy through the blessed John. He knew that it is good if the man remains dead." And John answered him, " Child, we have not learnt to recompense evil with evil. For God has not recompensed the evil which we have done unto him, but has given us (the opportunity for) repentance. And when we knew not his name, he did not forget us, but had mercy upon us. And when we reviled him, he forsook us not, but was merciful. And when we were disbelieving, he remembered not the evil. And when we persecuted his brethren, he did not requite us, but made us repent, turn away from the sins, and called us to himself, as he called thee also, child Callimachus, and, without remembering thy former sins, made thee his servant through his long-suffering mercy. If thou wishest me not to raise Fortunatus, let Drusiana do it."

82. Without wavering in the joy of her spirit and soul, she went to the body of Fortunatus and said, "God of the aeons, Jesus Christ, God of truth, thou didst permit me to see signs and wonders, thou didst give me the grace to partake of thy name. Thou didst breathe into me thy spirit with thy polymorphous face, and didst show unto me much compassion. With thy rich goodness, thou hast protected me when my former husband, Andronicus, did violence to me, and didst give me afterward