Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/269

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me out to come here, that I might see this trial? Thy will, therefore, be done, as thou purposest!" And he began to pray, and to say: "Lord, judge of the living and the dead, of the living who stand here, and of the dead, which are lying (here), and the Lord of all and Father—Father not of the souls that are still in bodies, but of those which have left them, because thou art Lord and Judge of the souls still in the bodies—come in this hour in which I call upon thee, and show thy glory upon him that is lying here." And he turned to his companions and said, "This work has not happened idly, but the enemy has wrought and effected this to make an assault, and you see that he has availed himself of no other form, and has wrought through no other living being, but through his subject."

31. And having said this, behold, a great dragon came forth from his den, knocking his head, and brandishing his tail down to the ground, and said with a loud voice to the apostle, "I will say before thee, why I have killed him, since thou hast come here to reprove my works." The apostle said, "Yes, say on." And the dragon: "There is a certain woman in this place exceedingly beautiful. And as she was once passing by, I saw her and fell in love with her, followed her and watched her. And I found this young man kissing her, and he also had intercourse with her, and did with her other shameful things. And to me it were an easy matter to tell thee this, < but I