Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

CHAPTER IV.

1 Paul ac­cused be­fore the gov­er­nor by Thamyris. 5 De­fends him­self. 9 Is com­mit­ted to prison, 10 and vis­it­ed by The­cla.

THEN Thamyris stand­ing be­fore the gov­er­nor’s judg­ment-​seat, spake with a loud voice in the fol­low­ing man­ner.

2 O gov­er­nor, I know not whence this man cometh; but he is one who teach­es that mat­ri­mo­ny is un­law­ful. Com­mand him there­fore to de­clare be­fore you for what rea­son he pub­lish­es such doc­trines.

3 While he was say­ing thus, De­mas and Her­mo­genes (whis­pered to Thamyris, and) said; Say that he is a Chris­tian, and he will present­ly be put to death.

4 But the gov­er­nor was more de­lib­er­ate, and call­ing to Paul, he said, Who art thou? What dost thou teach? They seem to lay gross crimes to thy charge.

5 Paul then spake with a loud voice, say­ing, As I am now called to give an ac­count, O gov­er­nor, of my doc­trines, I de­sire your au­di­ence.

6 That God, who is a God of vengeance, and who strands in need of noth­ing but the sal­va­tion of his crea­tures, has sent me to re­claim them from their wicked­ness, and cor­rup­tions; from all (sin­ful) plea­sures, and from death; and to per­suade them to sin no more.

7 On this ac­count, God sent his Son Je­sus Christ, whom I preach, and in whom I in­struct men to place their hopes, as that per­son who on­ly had such com­pas­sion on the de­lud­ed world, that it might not, O gov­er­nor, be con­demned, but have faith, the fear of God, the knowl­ege of re­li­gion, and the love of truth.

8 So that if I on­ly teach those things which I have re­ceived by rev­ela­tion from God, where is my crime?

9 When the gov­er­nor heard this, he or­dered Paul to be bound, and to be put in prison, till he should be more at leisure to hear him more ful­ly.

10 But in the night, The­cla tak­ing off her ear-​rings, gave them to the turnkey of the prison, who then opened the door to her, and let her in;

11 And when she made a present of a sil­ver look­ing-​glass to the jailor, was al­lowed to go in­to the room where Paul was; then she set down at his feet, and heard from him the great things of God.

12 And as she per­ceived Paul not to be afraid of suf­fer­ing, but that by di­vine as­sis­tance he be­haved him­self with courage, her faith so far in­creased that she kissed his chains.