These are all forms of
Christian Apocrypha
Revelation of Paul -
Revelation of John the Theologian -
Gospel of Marcion -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 1 -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 2 -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 3 -
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew - part 4 -
Gospel of Peter -
Gospel of the Nativity of Mary -
Gospel of Mary of Magdalene -
Gospel of James -
Gospel of Bartholomew -
Gospel of Nicodemus -
Consummation of Thomas the Apostle -
Compilation of Thomas - part 1 -
Compilation of Thomas - part 2 -
Apocalypse of the Virgin -
Apocalypse of Peter -
Apocalypse of Thomas -
Acts of Thomas -
Acts of Phillip -
Acts of Peter -
Acts of Peter and Paul -
Acts of Peter and Andrew -
Acts of Paul -
Acts of John -
Acts of John the Theologian -
Acts of Barnabus -
Acts of Andrew and Matthew -
Acts and Martyrdom of Matthew -
Acts and Martyrdom of Andrew
ACTS OF PETER
From "The Apocryphal New Testament"
M.R. James-Translation and Notes
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924
Written, probably by a resident in Asia Minor (he does not know much about Rome), not
later than A. D. 200, in Greek. The author has read the Acts of John very carefully, and
modelled his language upon them. However, he was not so unorthodox as Leucius, though his
language about the Person of our Lord (ch. xx) has rather suspicious resemblances to that of the
Acts of John.
The length of the book as given by the Stichometry of Nicephorus was 2,750 lines-fifty
lines less than the canonical Acts. The portions we have may be about the length of St. Mark's
Gospel; and about 1,000 lines may be wanting. Such is Zaha's estimate.
We have:
1. A short episode in Coptic.
2. A large portion in Latin preserved in a single manuscript of the seventh century at
Vercelli: often called the Vercelli Acts. It includes the martyrdom.
3. The martyrdom, preserved separately, in two good Greek copies, in Latin, and in many
versions-Coptic, Slavonic, Syriac, Armenian, Arabic, Ethiopic.
Also:
One or two important quotations from lost portions; a small fragment of the original in a
papyrus; certain passages-speeches of Peter- transferred by an unscrupulous writer to the Life of
St. Abercius of Hierapolis.
A Latin paraphrase of the martyrdom, attributed to Linus, Peter's successor in the
bishopric of Rome, was made from the Greek, and is occasionally useful.
I
THE COPTIC FRAGMENT
This is preserved separately in an early papyrus manuscript (fourth-fifth century) now at
Berlin; the other contents of it are Gnostic writings which have not yet been published. I follow
C. Schmidt's rendering of it. It has a title at the end: The Act of Peter On the first day of the
week, that is, on the Lord's day, a multitude gathered together, and they brought unto Peter many
sick that he might heal them. And one of the multitude adventured to say unto Peter: Lo, Peter,
in our presence thou hast made many blind to see and the deaf to hear and the lame to walk, and
hast succoured the weak and given them strength: but wherefore hast thou not succoured thy
daughter, the virgin, which grew up beautiful and hath believed in the name of God? For behold,
her one side is wholly palsied, and she lieth there stretched out in the corner helpless. We see
them that have been healed by thee: thine own daughter thou hast neglected.
But Peter smiled and said unto him: My son, it is manifest unto God alone wherefore her
body is not whole. Know then that God is not weak nor powerless to grant his gift unto my
daughter: but that thy soul may be convinced, and they that are here present may the more
believe -then he looked unto his daughter and said to her: Raise thyself up from thy place,
without any helping thee save Jesus only, and walk whole before all these, and come unto me.
And she arose and came to him; and the multitude rejoiced at that which was come to pass. Then
said Peter unto them: Behold, your heart is convinced that God is not without strength
concerning all things that we ask of him. Then they rejoiced yet more and praised God. And
Peter said to his daughter: Go unto thy place, and lay thee down and be again in thine infirmity,
for this is expedient for me and for thee. And the maiden went back and lay down in her place
and was as beforetime: and the whole multitude wept, and entreated Peter to make her whole.
But Peter said unto them: As the Lord liveth, this is expedient for her and for me. For on
the day when she was born unto me I saw a vision, and the Lord said unto me: Peter, this day is a
great temptation born unto thee, for this daughter will bring hurt unto many souls if her body
continue whole. But I thought that the vision did mock me.
Now when the maiden was ten years old, a stumbling-block was prepared for many by
reason of her. And an exceeding rich man, by name Ptolemaeus, when he had seen the maiden
with her mother bathing, sent unto her to take her to wife; but her mother consented not. And he
sent oft-times to her, and could not wait.
(Here a leaf is lost: the sense, however, is not hard to supply. Augustine speaks (quoting
Apocryphal Acts) of a daughter of Peter struck with palsy at the prayer of her father.
Ptolemaeus, unable to win the maiden by fair means, comes and carries her off. Peter
hears of it and prays God to protect her. His prayer is heard. She is struck with palsy on one side
of her body. Then the text resumes.)
The servants of Ptolemaeus brought the maiden and laid her down before the door of the
house and departed.
But when I perceived it, I and her mother, we went down and found the maiden, that one
whole side of her body from her toes even to her head was palsied and withered: and we bore her
away, praising the Lord which had preserved his handmaid from defilement and shame and
(corruption?). This is the cause of the matter, why the maiden continueth so unto this day.
Now, then, it is fitting for you to know the end of Ptolemaeus. He went home and
sorrowed night and day over that which had befallen him, and by reason of the many tears which
he shed, he became blind. And when he had resolved to rise up and hang himself, lo, about the
ninth hour of the day, he saw a great light which enlightened the whole house, and heard a voice
saying unto him: Ptolemaeus, God hath not given thee the vessels for corruption and shame, and
yet more doth it not become thee which hast believed in me to defile my virgin, whom thou shalt
know as thy sister, even as if I were unto you both one spirit (sic). But rise up and go quickly
unto the house of the apostle Peter, and thou shalt see my glory; he shall make known unto thee
what thou must do.
But Ptolemaeus was not negligent, and bade his servants show him the way and bring him
unto me. And when they were come to me, he told me all that had befallen him by the power of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Then did he see with the eyes of his flesh, and with the eyes of his soul,
and much people believed (hoped) in Christ: and he did them good and gave them the gift of
God.
Thereafter Ptolemaeus died, departing out of this life, and went unto his Lord: and when
he made his will he bequeathed a piece of land in the name of my daughter, because through her
he had believed in God and was made whole. But I unto whom the disposition thereof fell,
exercised it with great carefulness: I sold the land, and God alone knoweth neither I nor my
daughter (received the price). I sold the land and kept nought back of the price, but gave all the
money unto the poor.
Know therefore, thou servant of Jesus Christ, that God directeth (?) them that are his, and
prepareth good for every one of them, although we think that God hath forgotten us. Therefore
now, brethren, let us be sorrowful and watch and pray, and so shall the goodness of God look
upon us, whereon we wait.
And yet further discourse did Peter hold before them all, and glorified the name of Christ
the Lord and gave them all of the bread: and when he had distributed it, he rose up and went unto
his house.
The scene of this episode is probably Jerusalem. The subject of it was often used by later
writers, most notably, perhaps, by the author of the late Acts of SS. Nereus and Achilleus (fifth
or sixth century), who gives the daughter a name, Petronilla, which has passed into Kalendars,
and as Perronelle, Pernel, or Parnell has become familiar.
A few critics have questioned whether this piece really belongs to the Acts of Peter: but
the weight of probability and of opinion is against them. Nothing can be plainer than that it is an
extract from a larger book, and that it is ancient (the manuscript may be of the fourth century).
Moreover, Augustine, in dealing with apocryphal Acts, alludes to the story contained in it. What
other large book of ancient date dealing with Peter's doings can we imagine save the Acts?
II
THE GARDENER'S DAUGHTER
Augustine (Against Adimantus, xvii. 5), says to his Manichaean opponent: the story of
Peter killing Ananias and Sapphira by a word is very stupidly blamed by those who in the
apocryphal Acts read and admire both the incident I mentioned about the apostle Thomas (the
death of the cup-bearer at the feast in his Acts) 'and that the daughter of Peter himself was
stricken with palsy at the prayer of her father, and that the daughter of a gardener died at the
prayer of Peter. Their answer is that it was expedient for them, that the one should be disabled by
palsy and the other should die: but they do not deny that it happened at the prayer of the apostle'.
This allusion to the gardener's daughter remained a puzzle until lately. But a passage in
the Epistle of Titus (already quoted) tells us the substance of the story.
A certain gardener had a daughter, a virgin, her father's only child: he begged Peter to
pray for her. Upon his request, the apostle answered him that the Lord would give her that which
was useful for her soul. Immediately the girl fell dead.
O worthy gain and suitable to God, to escape the insolence of the flesh and mortify the
boastfulness of the blood! But that old man, faithless, and not knowing the greatness of the
heavenly favour, ignorant of the divine benefit, entreated Peter that his only daughter might be
raised again. And when she was raised, not many days after, as it might be to-day, the slave of a
believer who lodged in the house ran upon her and ruined the girl, and both of them disappeared.
This was evidently a contrast to the story of Peter's daughter, and probably followed
immediately upon it in the Acts. There is another sentence appropriate to the situation, which
Dom de Bruyne found in a Cambrai MS. of the thirteenth century -a collection of apophthegms-
and printed with the extracts from the Epistle of Titus.
That the dead are not to be mourned overmuch, Peter, speaking to one who lamented
without patience the loss of his daughter, said: So many assaults of the devil, so many warrings
of the body, so many disasters of the world hath she escaped, and thou sheddest tears as if thou
knewest not what thou sufferest in thyself (what good hath befallen thee).
This might very well be part of Peter's address to the bereaved gardener.
III
THE VERCELLI ACTS
I. At the time when Paul was sojourning in Rome and confirming many in the faith, it
came also to pass that one by name Candida, the wife of Quartus that was over the prisons, heard
Paul and paid heed to his words and believed. And when she had instructed her husband also and
he believed, Quartus suffered Paul to go whither he would away from the city: to whom Paul
said: If it be the will of God, he will reveal it unto me. And after Paul had fasted three days and
asked of the Lord that which should be profitable for him, he saw a vision, even the Lord saying
unto him: Arise, Paul, and become a physician in thy body (i.e. by going thither in person) to
them that are in Spain.
He therefore, having related to the brethren what God had commanded, nothing doubting,
prepared himself to set forth from the city. But when Paul was about to depart, there was great
weeping throughout all the brotherhood, because they thought that they should see Paul no more,
so that they even rent their clothes. For they had in mind also how that Paul had oftentimes
contended with the doctors of the Jews and confuted them, saying: Christ, upon whom your
fathers laid hands, abolished their sabbaths and fasts and holy-days and circumcision, and the
doctrines of men and the rest of the traditions he did abolish. But the brethren lamented (and
adjured) Paul by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he should not be absent above a year,
saying: We know thy love for thy brethren; forget not us when thou art come thither, neither
begin to forsake us, as little children without a mother. And when they besought him long with
tears, there came a sound from heaven, and a great voice saying: Paul the servant of God is
chosen to minister all the days of his life: by the hands of Nero the ungodly and wicked man shall
he be perfected before your eyes. And a very great fear fell upon the brethren because of the
voice which came from heaven: and they were confirmed yet more in the faith.
II. Now they brought unto Paul bread and water for the sacrifice, that he might make
prayer and distribute it to every one. Among whom it befell that a woman named Rufina desired,
she also, to receive the Eucharist at the hands of Paul: to whom Paul, filled with the spirit of
God, said as she drew near: Rufina, thou comest not worthily unto the altar of God, arising from
beside one that is not thine husband but an adulterer, and assayest to receive the Eucharist of
God. For behold Satan shall trouble thine heart and cast thee down in the sight of all them that
believe in the Lord, that they which see and believe may know that they have believed in the living
God, the searcher of hearts. But if thou repent of thine act, he is faithful that is able to blot out
thy sin and set thee free from this sin: but if thou repent not, while thou art yet in the body,
devouring fire and outer darkness shall receive thee for ever. And immediately Rufina fell down,
being stricken with palsy (?) from her head unto the nails of her feet, and she had no power to
speak (given her) for her tongue was bound. And when both they that believed (in the faith) and
the neophytes saw it, they beat their breasts, remembering their old sins, and mourned and said:
We know not if God will forgive the former sins which we have committed. Then Paul called for
silence and said: Men and brethren which now have begun to believe on Christ, if ye continue
not in your former works of the tradition of your fathers, and keep yourselves from all guile and
wrath and fierceness and adultery and defilement, and from pride and envy and contempt and
enmity, Jesus the living God will forgive you that ye did in ignorance. Wherefore, ye servants of
God, arm yourselves every one in your inner man with peace, patience, gentleness, faith, charity,
knowledge, wisdom, love of the brethren, hospitality, mercy, abstinence, chastity, kindness,
justice: then shall ye have for your guide everlastingly the first-begotten of all creation, and shall
have strength in peace with our Lord. And when they had heard these things of Paul, they
besought him to pray for them. And Paul lifted up his voice and said: O eternal God, God of the
heavens, God of unspeakable majesty (divinity), who hast stablished all things by thy word, who
hast bound upon all the world the chain of thy grace, Father of thine holy Son Jesus Christ, we
together pray thee through thy Son Jesus Christ, strengthen the souls which were before
unbelieving but now are faithful. Once I was a blasphemer, now I am blasphemed; once I was a
persecutor, now do I suffer persecution of others; once I was the enemy of Christ, now I pray that
I may be his friend: for I trust in his promise and in his mercy; I account myself faithful and that I
have received forgiveness of my former sins. Wherefore I exhort you also, brethren, to believe in
the Lord the Father Almighty, and to put all your trust in our Lord Jesus Christ his Son, believing
in him, and no man shall be able to uproot you from his promise. Bow your knees therefore
together and commend me unto the Lord, who am about to set forth unto another nation, that his
grace may go before me and dispose my journey aright, that he may receive his vessels holy and
believing, that they, giving thanks for my preaching of the word of the Lord, may be well
grounded in the faith. But the brethren wept long and prayed unto the Lord with Paul, saying:
Be thou, Lord Jesus Christ, with Paul and restore him unto us whole: for we know our weakness
which is in us even to this day.
III. And a great multitude of women were kneeling and praying and beseeching Paul; and
they kissed his feet and accompanied him unto the harbour. But Dionysius and Balbus, of Asia,
knights of Rome, and illustrious men, and a senator by name Demetrius abode by Paul on his right
hand and said: Paul, I would desire to leave the city if I were not a magistrate, that I might not
depart from thee. Also from Caesar's house Cleobius and Iphitus and Lysimachus and Aristaeus
and two matrons Berenice and Philostrate, with Narcissus the presbyter (after they had)
accompanied him to the harbour: but whereas a storm of the sea came on, he (Narcissus?) sent
the brethren back to Rome, that if any would, he might come down and hear Paul until he set sail:
and hearing that, the brethren went up unto the city. And when they told the brethren that had
remained in the city, and the report was spread abroad, some on beasts, and some on foot, and
others by way of the Tiber came down to the harbour, and were confirmed in the faith for three
days, and on the fourth day until the fifth hour, praying together with Paul, and making the
offering: and they put all that was needful on the ship and delivered him two young men,
believers, to sail with him, and bade him farewell in the Lord and returned to Rome.
There has been great dispute about these three chapters, whether they are not an excerpt
from the Acts of Paul, or whether they are an addition made by the writer of the Greek original of
the Vercelli Acts.
If they are from the Acts of Paul, it means that in those Acts Paul was represented as
visiting Rome twice, and going to Spain between the visits. Evidently, if this was so, he did not
return straight from Spain to Rome: at least the Coptic gives no indication that the prophecies of
Cleobius and Myrte were uttered in Spain.
The question is a difficult one. All allow that the writer of the Acts of Peter knew and
used the Acts of Paul: but there is strong opposition to the idea that Paul related two visits to
Rome.
The writer of Paul obviously knew the canonical Acts very well and obviously took great
liberties with them. Did he go so far, one wonders, as to suppress and ignore the whole story of
the trial before Felix and the shipwreck? If he told of but one visit to Rome -the final one- it
appears that he did: for the conditions described in the Martyrdom -Paul quite free and martyred
very shortly after his arrival- are totally irreconcilable with Luke (Paul arriving in custody and
living two years at least in the city).
IV. Now after a few days there was a great commotion in the midst of the church, for
some said that they had seen wonderful works done by a certain man whose name was Simon, and
that he was at Aricia, and they added further that he said he was a great power of God and
without God he did nothing. Is not this the Christ? but we believe in him whom Paul preached
unto us; for by him have we seen the dead raised, and men Delivered from divers infirmities: but
this man seeketh contention, we know it (or, but what this contention is, we know not) for there
is no small stir made among us. Perchance also he will now enter into Rome; for yesterday they
besought him with great acclamations, saying unto him: Thou art God in Italy, thou art the
saviour of the Romans: haste quickly unto Rome. But he spake to the people with a shrill voice,
saying: Tomorrow about the seventh hour ye shall see me fly over the gate of the city in the form
(habit) wherein ye now see me speaking unto you. Therefore, brethren, if it seem good unto you,
let us go and await carefully the issue of the matter. They all therefore ran together and came
unto the gate. And when it was the seventh hour, behold suddenly a dust was seen in the sky afar
off, like a smoke shining with rays stretching far from it. And when he drew near to the gate,
suddenly he was not seen: and thereafter he appeared, standing in the midst of the people; whom
they all worshipped, and took knowledge that he was the same that was seen of them the day
before.
And the brethren were not a little offended among themselves, seeing, moreover, that Paul
was not at Rome, neither Timotheus nor Barnabas, for they had been sent into Macedonia by
Paul, and that there was no man to comfort us, to speak nothing of them that had but just become
catechumens. And as Simon exalted himself yet more by the works which he did, and many of
them daily called Paul a sorcerer, and others a deceiver, of so great a multitude that had been
stablished in the faith all fell away save Narcissus the presbyter and two women in the lodging of
the Bithynians, and four that could no longer go out of their house, but were shut up (day and
night): these gave themselves unto prayer (by day and night), beseeching the Lord that Paul
might return quickly, or some other that should visit his servants, because the devil had made
them fall by his wickedness.
V. And as they prayed and fasted, God was already teaching Peter at Jerusalem of that
which should come to pass. For whereas the twelve years which the Lord Christ had enjoined
upon him were fulfilled, he showed him a vision after this manner, saying unto him: Peter, that
Simon the sorcerer whom thou didst cast out of Judaea, convicting him, hath again come before
thee (prevented thee) at Rome. And that shalt thou know shortly (or, and that thou mayest know
in few words): for all that did believe in me hath Satan made to fall by his craft and working:
whose Power Simon approveth himself to be. But delay thee not: set forth on the morrow, and
there shalt thou find a ship ready, setting sail for Italy, and within few days I will show thee my
grace which hath in it no grudging. Peter then, admonished by the vision, related it unto the
brethren without delay, saying: It is necessary for me to go up unto Rome to fight with the enemy
and adversary of the Lord and of our brethren.
And he went down to Caesarea and embarked quickly in the ship, whereof the ladder was
already drawn up, not taking any provision with him. But the governor of the ship whose name
was Theon looked on Peter and said: Whatsoever we have, all is thine. For what thank have we,
if we take in a man like unto ourselves who is in uncertain case (difficulty) and share not all that
we have with thee? but only let us have a prosperous voyage. But Peter, giving him thanks for
that which he offered, himself fasted while he was in the ship, sorrowful in mind and again
consoling himself because God accounted him worthy to be a minister in his service.
And after a few days the governor of the ship rose up at the hour of his dinner and asked
Peter to eat with him, and said to him: O thou, whoever thou art, I know thee not, but as I
reckon, I take thee for a servant of God. For as I was steering my ship at midnight I perceived
the voice of a man from heaven saying to me: Theon, Theon! And twice it called me by my name
and said to me: Among them that sail with thee let Peter be greatly honoured by thee, for by him
shalt thou and the rest be preserved safe without any hurt after such a course as thou hopest not
for. And Peter believed that God would vouchsafe to show his providence upon the sea unto
them that were in the ship, and thenceforth began Peter to declare unto Theon the mighty works
of God, and how the Lord had chosen him from among the apostles, and for what business he
sailed unto Italy: and daily he communicated unto him the word of God. And considering him he
perceived by his walk that he was of one mind in the faith and a worthy minister (deacon).
Now when there was a calm upon the ship in Hadria (the Adriatic), Theon showed it to
Peter, saying unto him: If thou wilt account me worthy, whom thou mayest baptize with the seal
of the Lord thou hast an opportunity. For all that were in the ship had fallen asleep, being
drunken. And Peter went down by a rope and baptized Theon in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Ghost: and he came up out of the water rejoicing with great joy, and Peter also
was glad because God had accounted Theon worthy of his name. Arid it came to pass when
Theon was baptized, there appeared in the same place a youth shining and beautiful, saying unto
them: Peace be unto you. And immediately Peter and Theon went up and entered into the cabin;
and Peter took bread and gave thanks unto the Lord which had accounted him worthy of his holy
ministry, and for that the youth had appeared unto them, saying: Peace be unto you. And he said:
Thou best and alone holy one, it is thou that hast appeared unto us, O God Jesu Christ, and in thy
name hath this man now been washed and sealed with thy holy seal. Therefore in thy name do I
impart unto him thine eucharist, that he may be thy perfect servant without blame for ever.
And as they feasted and rejoiced in the Lord, suddenly there came a wind, not vehement
but moderate, at the ship's prow, and ceased not for six days and as many nights, until they came
unto Puteoli.
VI. And when they had touched at Puteoli, Theon leapt out of the ship and went unto the
inn where he was wont to lodge, to prepare to receive Peter. Now he with whom he lodged was
one by name Ariston, which alway feared the Lord, and because of the Name Theon entrusted
himself with him (had dealings with him). And when he was come to the inn and saw Ariston,
Theon said unto him: God who hath accounted thee worthy to serve him hath communicated his
grace unto me also by his holy servant Peter, who hath now sailed with me from Judaea, being
commanded by our Lord to come unto Italy. And when he heard that, Ariston fell upon Theon's
neck and embraced him and besought him to bring him to the ship and show him Peter. For
Ariston said that since Paul set forth unto Spain there was no man of the brethren with whom he
could refresh himself, and, moreover, a certain Jew had broken into the city, named Simon, and
with his charms of sorcery and his wickedness hath he made all the brotherhood fall away this way
and that, so that I also fled from Rome, expecting the coming of Peter: for Paul had told us of
him, and I also have seen many things in a vision. Now, therefore, I believe in my Lord that he
will build up again his ministry, for all this deceit shall be rooted out from among his servants.
For our Lord Jesus Christ is faithful, who is able to restore our minds. And when Theon heard
these things from Ariston, who wept, his spirit was raised (increased) yet more and he was the
more strengthened, because he perceived that he had believed on the living God.
But when they came together unto the ship, Peter looked upon them and smiled, being
filled with the Spirit; so that Ariston falling on his face at Peter's feet, said thus: Brother and lord,
that hast part in the holy mysteries and showest the right way which is in the Lord Jesus Christ
our God, who by thee hath shown unto us his coming: we have lost all them whom Paul had
delivered unto us, by the working of Satan; but now I trust in the Lord who hath commanded thee
to come unto us, sending thee as his messenger, that he hath accounted us worthy to see his great
and wonderful works by thy means. I pray thee therefore, make haste unto the city: for I left the
brethren which have stumbled, whom I saw fall into the temptation of the devil, and fled hither,
saying unto them: Brethren, stand fast in the faith, for it is of necessity that within these two
months the mercy of our Lord bring his servant unto you. For I had seen a vision, even Paul,
saying unto me: Ariston, flee thou out of the city. And when I heard it, I believed without delay
and went forth in the Lord, although I had an infirmity in my flesh, and came hither; and day by
day I stood upon the sea-shore asking the sailors: Hath Peter sailed with you? But now through
the abundance of the grace of God I entreat thee, let us go up unto Rome without delay, lest the
teaching of this wicked man prevail yet further. And as Ariston said this with tears, Peter gave
him his hand and raised him up from the earth, and Peter also groaning, said with tears: He hath
prevented us which tempteth all the world by his angels; but he that hath power to save his
servants from all temptations shall quench his deceits and put him beneath the feet of them that
have believed in Christ whom we preach.
And, as they entered in at the gate, Theon entreated Peter, saying: Thou didst not refresh
thyself on any day in so great a voyage (sea): and now after (before) so hard a journey wilt thou
set out forthwith from the ship? tarry and refresh thyself, and so shalt thou set forth: for from
hence to Rome upon a pavement of flint I fear lest thou be hurt by the shaking. But Peter
answered and said to them: What if it come to pass that a millstone were hung upon me, and
likewise upon the enemy of our Lord, even as my Lord said unto us of any that offended one of
the brethren, and I were drowned in the sea? but it might be not only a millstone, but that which
is far worse, even that I which am the enemy of this persecutor of his servants should die afar off
from them that have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (so Ficker: the sentence is corrupt; the
sense is that Peter must at all costs be with his fellow-Christians, or he will incur even worse
punishment than that threatened by our Lord's words). And by no exhortation could Theon
prevail to persuade him to tarry there even one day.
But Theon himself delivered all that was in the ship to be sold for the price which he
thought good, and followed Peter unto Rome; whom Ariston brought unto the abode of Narcissus
the presbyter.
VII. Now the report was noised through the city unto the brethren that were dispersed,
because of Simon, that he might show him to be a
deceiver and a persecutor of good men. All the multitude therefore ran together to see the
apostle of the Lord stay (himself, or the brethren) on Christ. And on the first day of the week
when the multitude was assembled to see Peter, Peter began to say with a loud voice: Ye men
here present that trust in Christ, ye that for a little space have suffered temptation, learn for what
cause God sent his Son into the world, and wherefore he made him to be born of the Virgin Mary;
for would he so have done if not to procure us some grace or dispensation? even because he
would take away all offence and all ignorance and all the contrivance of the devil, his attempts
(beginnings) and his strength wherewith he prevailed aforetime, before our God shined forth in
the world. And whereas men through ignorance fell into death by many and divers infirmities,
Almighty God, moved with compassion, sent his Son into the world. With whom I was; and he
(or I) walked upon the water, whereof I myself remain awitness, and do testify that he then
worked in the world by signs and wonders, all of which he did.
I do confess, dearly-beloved brethren, that I was with him: yet I denied him, even our
Lord Jesus Christ, and that not once only, but thrice; for there were evil dogs that were come
about me as they did unto the Lord's prophets. And the Lord imputed it not unto me, but turned
unto me and had compassion on the infirmity of my flesh, when (or so that) afterward I bitterly
bewailed myself, and lamented the weakness of my faith, because I was befooled by the devil and
kept not in mind the word of my Lord. And now I say unto you, O men and brethren, which are
gathered together in the name of Jesus Christ: against you also hath the deceiver Satan aimed his
arrows, that ye might depart out of the way. But faint not, brethren, neither let your spirit fall, but
be strong and persevere and doubt not: for if Satan caused me to stumble, whom the Lord had in
great honour, so that I denied the light of mine hope, and if he overthrew me and persuaded me to
flee as if I had put my trust in a man, what think ye will he do unto you which are but young in the
faith? Did ye suppose that he would not turn you away to make you enemies of the kingdom of
God, and cast you down into perdition by a new (or the last) deceit? For whomsoever he casteth
out from the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is a son of perdition for ever. Turn yourselves,
therefore, brethren, chosen of the Lord, and be strong in God Almighty, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, whom no man hath seen at any time, neither can see, save he who hath believed in
him. And be ye aware whence this temptation hath come upon you. For it is not only by words
that I would convince you that this is Christ whom I preach, but also by deeds and exceeding
great works of power do I exhort you by the faith that is in Christ Jesus, that none of you look for
any other save him that was despised and mocked of the Jews, even this Nazarene which was
crucified and died and the third day rose again.
VIII. And the brethren repented and entreated Peter to fight against Simon: (who said
that he was the power of God, and lodged in the house of Marcellus a senator, whom he had
convinced by his charms) saying: Believe us, brother Peter: there was no man among men so
wise as this Marcellus. All the widows that trusted in Christ had recourse unto him; all the
fatherless were fed by him; and what more, brother? all the poor called Marcellus their patron,
and his house was called the house of the strangers and of the poor, and the emperor said unto
him: I will keep thee out of every office, lest thou despoil the provinces to give gifts unto the
Christians. And Marcellus answered: All my goods are also thine. And Caesar said to him:
Mine they would be if thou keptest them for me; but now they are not mine, for thou givest them
to whom thou wilt, and I know not to what vile persons. Having this, then, before our eyes,
brother Peter, we report it to thee, how the great mercy of this man is turned unto blasphemy; for
if he had not turned, neither should we have departed from the holy faith of God our Lord. And
now doth this Marcellus in anger repent him of his good deeds, saying: All this substance have I
spent in all this time, vainly believing that I gave it for the knowledge of God! So that if any
stranger cometh to the door of his house, he smiteth him with a staff and biddeth him be beaten,
saying: Would God I had not spent so much money upon these impostors: and yet more doth he
say, blaspheming. But if there abide in thee any mercy of our Lord and aught of the goodness of
his commandments, do thou succour the error of this man who hath done so many alms-deeds
unto the servants of God.
And Peter, when he perceived this, was smitten with sharp affliction and said: O the
divers arts and temptations of the devil! O the contrivances and devices of the wicked! he that
nourisheth up for himself a mighty fire in the day of wrath, the destruction of simple men, the
ravening wolf, the devourer and scatterer of eternal life! Thou didst enmesh the first man in
concupiscence and bind him with thine old iniquity and with the chain of the flesh: thou art
wholly the exceeding bitter fruit of the tree of bitterness, who sendest divers lusts upon men.
Thou didst compel Judas my fellow-disciple and fellow-apostle to do wickedly and deliver up our
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall punish thee therefor. Thou didst harden the heart of Herod and didst
inflame Pharaoh and compel him to fight against Moses the holy servant of God; thou didst give
boldness unto Caiaphas, that he should deliver our Lord Jesus Christ unto the unrighteous
multitude; and even until now thou shootest at innocent souls with thy poisonous arrows. Thou
wicked one, enemy of all men, be thou accursed from the Church of him the Son of the holy God
ommpotent and as a brand cast out of the fire shalt thou be quenched by the servants of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Upon thee let thy blackness be turned and upon thy children, an evil seed; upon thee
be turned thy wickedness and thy threatenings; upon thee and thine angels be thy temptations,
thou beginning of malice and bottomless pit of darkness! Let thy darkness that thou hast be with
thee and with thy vessels which thou ownest! Depart from them that shall believe in God, depart
from the servants of Christ and from them that desire to be his soldiers. Keep thou to thyself thy
garments of darkness! Without cause knockest thou at other men's doors, which are not thine but
of Christ Jesus that keepeth them. For thou, ravening wolf, wouldest carry off the sheep that are
not thine but of Christ Jesus, who keepeth them with all care and diligence.
IX. As Peter spake thus with great sorrow of mind, many were added unto them that
believed on the Lord. But the brethren besought Peter to join battle with Simon and not suffer
him any longer to vex the people. And without delay Peter went quickly out of the synagogue
(assembly) and went unto the house of Marcellus, where Simon lodged: and much people
followed him. And when he came to the door, he called the porter and said to him: Go, say unto
Simon: Peter because of whom thou fleddest out of Judaea waiteth for thee at the door. The
porter answered and said to Peter: Sir, whether thou be Peter, I know not: but I have a
command; for he had knowledge that yesterday thou didst enter into the city, and said unto me:
Whether it be by day or by night, at whatsoever hour he cometh, say that I am not within. And
Peter said to the young man: Thou hast well said in reporting that which he compelled thee to
say. And Peter turned unto the people that followed him and said: Ye shall now see a great and
marvellous wonder. And Peter seeing a great dog bound with a strong chain, went to him and
loosed him, and when he was loosed the dog received a man's voice and said unto Peter: What
dost thou bid me to do, thou servant of the unspeakable and living God? Peter said unto him: Go
in and say unto Simon in the midst of his company: Peter saith unto thee, Come forth abroad, for
thy sake am I come to Rome, thou wicked one and deceiver of simple souls. And immediately the
dog ran and entered in, and rushed into the midst of them that were with Simon, and lifted up his
forefeet and in a loud voice said: Thou Simon, Peter the servant of Christ who standeth at the
door saith unto thee: Come forth abroad, for thy sake am I come to Rome, thou most wicked one
and deceiver of simple souls. And when Simon heard it, and beheld the incredible sight, he lost
the words wherewith he was deceiving them that stood by, and all of them were amazed.
X. But when Marcellus saw it he went out to the door and east himself at Peter's feet and
said: Peter, I embrace thy feet, thou holy servant of the holy God; I have sinned greatly: but
exact thou not my sins, if there be in thee the true faith of Christ, whom thou preachest, if thou
remember his commandments, to hate no man, to be unkind to no man, as I learned from thy
fellow apostle Paul; keep not in mind my faults, but pray for me unto the Lord, the holy Son of
God whom I have provoked to wrath -for I have persecuted his servants- that I be not delivered
with the sins of Simon unto eternal fire; who so persuaded me, that I set up a statue to him with
this inscription: 'To Simon the new (young) God.' If I knew, O Peter, that thou couldest be won
with money, I would give thee all my substance, yea I would give it and despise it, that I might
gain my soul. If I had sons, I would account them as nothing, if only I might believe in the living
God. But I confess that he would not have deceived me save that he said that he was the power
of God; yet will I tell thee, O most gentle (sweet) Peter: I was not worthy to hear thee, thou
servant of God, neither was I stablished in the faith of God which is in Christ; therefore was I
made to stumble. I beseech thee, therefore, take not ill that which I am about to say, that Christ
our Lord whom thou preachest in truth said unto thy fellow-apostles in thy presence: If ye have
faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain: Remove thyself: and
straightway it shall remove itself. But this Simon said that thou, Peter, wast without faith when
thou didst doubt, in the waters. And I have heard that Christ said this also: They that are with
me have not understood me. If, then, ye upon whom he laid his hands, whom also he chose, did
doubt, I, therefore, having this witness, repent me, and take refuge in thy prayers. Receive my
soul, who have fallen away from our Lord and from his promise. But I believe that he will have
mercy upon me that repent. For the Almighty is faithful to forgive me my sins.
But Peter said with a loud voice: Unto thee, our Lord, be glory and splendour, O God
Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unto thee be praise and glory and honour, world
without end. Amen. Because thou hast now fully strengthened and stablished us in thee in the
sight of all, holy Lord, confirm thou Marcellus, and send thy peace upon him and upon his house
this day: and whatsoever is lost or out of the way, thou alone canst turn them all again; we
beseech thee, Lord, shepherd of the sheep that once were scattered, but now shall be gathered in
one by thee. So also receive thou Marcellus as one of thy lambs and suffer him no longer to go
astray (revel) in error or ignorance. Yea, Lord, receive him that with anguish and tears entreateth
thee.
XI. And as Peter spake thus and embraced Mareellus, Peter turned himself unto the
multitude that stood by him and saw there one that laughed (smiled), in whom was a very evil
spirit. And Peter said unto him: Whosoever thou art that didst laugh, show thyself openly unto
all that are present. And hearing this the young man ran into the court of the house and cried out
with a loud voice and dashed himself against the wall and said: Peter, there is a great contention
between Simon and the dog whom thou sentest; for Simon saith to the dog: Say that I am not
here. Unto whom the dog saith more than thou didst charge him; and when he hath accomplished
the mystery which thou didst command him, he shall die at thy feet. But Peter said: And thou
also, devil, whosoever thou art, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, go out of that young man
and hurt him not at all: show thyself unto all that stand here. When the young man heard it, he
ran forth and caught hold on a great statue of marble which was set in the court of the house, and
brake it in pieces with his feet. Now it was a statue of Caesar. Which Marcellus beholding smote
his forehead and said unto Peter: A great crime hath been committed; for if this be made known
unto Caesar by some busybody, he will afflict us with sore punishments. And Peter said to him: I
see thee not the same that thou wast a little while ago, for thou saidst that thou wast ready to
spend all thy substance to save thy soul. But if thou indeed repentest, believing in Christ with thy
whole heart, take in thine hands of the water that runneth down, and pray to the Lord, and in his
name sprinkle it upon the broken pieces of the statue and it shall be whole as it was before. And
Marcellus, nothing doubting, but believing with his whole heart, before he took the water lifted up
his hands and said: I believe in thee, O Lord Jesu Christ: for I am now proved by thine apostle
Peter, whether I believe aright in thine holy name. Therefore I take water in mine hands, and in
thy name do I sprinkle these stones that the statue may become whole as it was before. If,
therefore, Lord, it be thy will that I continue in the body and suffer nothing at Caesar's hand, let
this stone be whole as it was before. And he sprinkled the water upon the stones, and the statue
became whole, whereat Peter exulted that Marcellus had not doubted in asking of the Lord, and
Marcellus was exalted in spirit for that such a sign was first wrought by his hands; and he
therefore believed with his whole heart in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, by whom all
things impossible are made possible.
XII. But Simon within the house said thus to the dog: Tell Peter that I am not within.
Whom the dog answered in the presence of Marcellus: Thou exceeding wicked and shameless
one, enemy of all that live and believe on Christ Jesus, here is a dumb animal sent unto thee which
hath received a human voice to confound thee and show thee to be a deceiver and a liar. Hast
thou taken thought so long, to say at last: 'Tell him that I am not within?' Art thou not ashamed
to utter thy feeble and useless words against Peter the minister and apostle of Christ, as if thou
couldst hide thee from him that hath commanded me to speak against thee to thy face: and that
not for thy sake but for theirs whom thou wast deceiving and sending unto destruction? Cursed
therefore shalt thou be, thou enemy and corrupter of the way of the truth of Christ, who shall
prove by fire that dieth not and in outer darkness, thine iniquities that thou hast committed. And
having thus said, the dog went forth and the people followed him, leaving Simon alone. And the
dog came unto Peter as he sat with the multitude that was come to see Peter's face, and the dog
related what he had done unto Simon. And thus spake the dog unto the angel and apostle of the
true God: Peter, thou wilt have a great contest with the enemy of Christ and his servants, and
many that have been deceived by him shalt thou turn unto the faith; wherefore thou shalt receive
from God the reward of thy work. And when the dog had said this he fell down at the apostle
Peter's feet and gave up the ghost. And when the great multitude saw with amazement the dog
speaking, they began then, some to throw themselves down at Peter's feet, and some said: Show
us another sign, that we may believe in thee as the minister of the living God, for Simon also did
many signs in our presence and therefore did we follow him.
XIII. And Peter turned and saw a herring (sardine) hung in a window, and took it and
said to the people: If ye now see this swimming in the water like a fish, will ye be able to believe
in him whom I preach? And they said with one voice: Verily we will believe thee. Then he said
-now there was a bath for swimming at hand: In thy name, O Jesu Christ, forasmuch as hitherto it
is not believed in, in the sight of all these live and swim like a fish. And he cast the herring into
the bath, and it lived and began to swim. And all the people saw the fish swimming, and it did not
so at that hour only, lest it should be said that it was a delusion (phantasm), but he made it to
swim for a long time, so that they brought much people from all quarters and showed them the
herring that was made a living fish, so that certain of the people even cast bread to it; and they
saw that it was whole. And seeing this, many followed Peter and believed in the Lord.
And they assembled themselves day and night unto the house of Narcissus the presbyter.
And Peter discoursed unto them of the scriptures of the prophets and of those things which our
Lord Jesus Christ had wrought both in word and in deeds.
XIV. But Marcellus was confirmed daily by the signs which he saw wrought by Peter
through the grace of Jesus Christ which he granted unto him. And Mareellus ran upon Simon as
he sat in his house in the dining chamber, and cursed him and said unto him: Thou most adverse
and pestilent of men, corrupter of my soul and my house, who wouldest have made me fall away
from my Lord and Saviour Christ! and laying hands on him he commanded him to be thrust out
of his house. And the servants having received such licence, covered him with reproaches; some
buffeted his face, others beat him with sticks, others cast stones, others emptied out vessels full of
filth upon his head, even those who on his account had fled from their master and been a long
time fettered; and other their fellowservants of whom he had spoken evil to their master
reproached him. saying to him: Now by the will of God who hath had mercy on us and on our
master, do we recompense thee with a fit reward. And Simon, shrewdly beaten and cast out of
the house, ran unto the house where Peter lodged, even the house of Narcissus, and standing at
the gate cried out: Lo, here am I, Simon: come thou down, Peter, and I will convict thee that
thou hast believed on a man which is a Jew and a carpenter's son.
XV. And when it was told Peter that Simon had said this, Peter sent unto him a woman
which had a sucking child, saying to her: Go down quickly, and thou wilt find one that seeketh
me. For thee there is no need that thou answer him at all, but keep silence and hear what the child
whom thou holdest shall say unto him. The woman therefore went down. Now the child whom
she suckled was seven months old; and it received a man's voice and said unto Simon: O thou
abhorred of God and men, and destruction of truth, and evil seed of all corruption, O fruit by
nature unprofitable! but only for a short and little season shalt thou be seen, and thereafter eternal
punishment is laid up for thee. Thou son of a shameless father, that never puttest forth thy roots
for good but for poison, faithless generation void of all hope! thou wast not confounded when a
dog reproved thee; I a child am compelled of God to speak, and not even now art thou ashamed.
But even against thy will, on the sabbath day that cometh, another shall bring thee into the forum
of Julius that it may be shown what manner of man thou art. Depart therefore from the gate
wherein walk the feet of the holy; for thou shalt no more corrupt the innocent souls whom thou
didst turn out of the way and make sad; in Christ, therefore, shall be shown thine evil nature, and
thy devices shall be cut in pieces. And now speak I this last word unto thee: Jesus Christ saith to
thee: Be thou stricken dumb in my name, and depart out of Rome until the sabbath that cometh.
And forthwith he became dumb and his speech was bound; and he went out of Rome until the
sabbath and abode in a stable. But the woman returned with the child unto Peter and told him and
the rest of the brethren what the child had said unto Simon: and they magnified the Lord which
had shown these things unto men.
XVI. Now when the night fell, Peter, while yet waking, beheld Jesus clad in a vesture of
brightness, smiling and saying unto him: Already is much people of the brotherhood returned
through me and through the signs which thou hast wrought in my name. But thou shalt have a
contest of the faith upon the sabbath that cometh, and many more of the Gentiles and of the Jews
shall be converted in my name unto me who was reproached and mocked and spat upon. For I
will be present with thee when thou askest for signs and wonders, and thou shalt convert many:
but thou shalt have Simon opposing thee by the works of his father; yet all his works shall be
shown to be charms and contrivances of sorcery. But now slack thou not, and whomsoever I
shall send unto thee thou shalt establish in my name. And when it was light, he told the brethren
how the Lord had appeared unto him and what he had commanded him:
XVII. (This episode, inserted most abruptly, is believed by Vouaux to have been inserted
here by the compiler of the Greek original of the Vercelli Acts: but it was not composed by him,
but transferred with very slight additions from the earlier part of the Acts-now lost- of which the
scene was laid in Judaea. I incline to favour this view.)
But believe ye me, men and brethren, I drove this Simon out of Judaea where he did many
evils with his magical charms, lodging in Judaea with a certain woman Eubula, who was of
honourable estate in this world, having store of gold and pearls of no small price. Here did Simon
enter in by stealth with two others like unto himself, and none of the household saw them two, but
Simon only, and by means of a spell they took away all the woman's gold, and disappeared. But
Eubula, when she found what was done, began to torture her household, saying: Ye have taken
occasion by this man of God and spoiled me, when ye saw him entering in to me to honour a mere
woman; but his name is as the name of the Lord.
As I fasted for three days and prayed that this matter should be made plain, I saw in a
vision Italicus and Antulus (Antyllus?) whom I had instructed in the name of the Lord, and a boy
naked and chained giving me a wheaten loaf and saying unto me: Peter, endure yet two days and
thou shalt see the mighty works of God. As for all that is lost out of the house of Eubula, Simon
hath used art magic and hath caused a delusion, and with two others hath stolen it away: whom
thou shalt see on the third day at the ninth hour, at the gate which leadeth unto Neapolis, selling
unto a goldsmith by name Agrippinus a young satyr of gold of two pound weight, having in it a
precious stone. But for thee there is no need that thou touch it, lest thou be defiled; but let there
be with thee some of the matron's servants, and thou shalt show them the shop of the goldsmith
and depart from them. For by reason of this matter shall many believe on the name of the Lord,
and all that which these men by their devices and wickedness have oft-times stolen shall be openly
showed. When I heard that, I went unto Eubula and found her sitting with her clothes rent and
her hair disordered, mourning; unto whom I said: Eubula, rise up from thy mourning and
compose thy face and order thy hair and put on raiment befitting thee, and pray unto the Lord
Jesus Christ that judgeth every soul: for he is the invisible Son of God, by whom thou must be
saved, if only thou repent with thine whole heart of thy former sins: and receive thou power from
him; for behold, by me the Lord saith to thee: Thou shalt find all whatsoever thou hast lost. And
after thou hast received them, take thou care that he find thee, that thou mayest renounce this
present world and seek for everlasting refreshment. Hearken therefore unto this: Let certain of
thy people keep watch at the gate that leadeth to Neapolis on the day after to-morrow at about
the ninth hour, and they shall see two young men having a young satyr of gold, of two pound
weight, set with gems, as a vision hath shown me: which thing they will offer for sale to one
Agrippinus of the household of godliness and of the faith which is in the Lord Jesus Christ: by
whom it shall be showed thee that thou shouldest believe in the living God and not on Simon the
magician, the unstable devil, who hath desired that thou shouldest remain in sorrow, and thine
innocent household be tormented; who by fair words and speech only hath deceived thee, and
with his mouth only spake of godliness, whereas he is wholly possessed of ungodliness. For when
thou didst think to keep holy-day, and settedst up thine idol and didst veil it and set out all thine
ornaments upon a table (round three-legged table), he brought in two young men whom no man
of yours saw, by a magic charm, and they stole away thine ornaments and were no more seen.
But his device hath had no success (place); for my God hath manifested it unto me, to the end
thou shouldest not be deceived, neither perish in hell, for those sins which thou hast committed
ungodly and contrary to God, who is full of all truth, and the righteous judge of quick and dead;
and there is none other hope of life unto men save through him, by whom those things which thou
hast lost are recovered unto thee: and now do thou gain thine own soul.
But she cast herself down before my feet, saying: O man, who thou art I know not; but
him I received as a servant of God, and whatsoever he asked of me to give it unto the poor, I
gave much by his hands, and beside that I did give much unto him. What hurt did I do him, that
he should contrive all this against mine house? Unto whom Peter said: There is no faith to be put
in words, but in acts and deeds: but we must go on with that we have begun. So I left her and
went with two stewards of Eubula and came to Agrippinus and said to him: See that thou take
note of these men; for to-morrow two young men will come to thee, desiring to sell thee a young
satyr of gold set with jewels, which belongeth to the mistress of these: and thou shalt take it as it
were to look upon it, and praise the work of the craftsman, and then when these come in, God
will bring the rest to the proof. And on the next day the stewards of the matron came about the
ninth hour, and also those young men, willing to sell unto Agrippinus the young satyr of gold.
And they being forthwith taken, it was reported unto the matron, and she in distress of mind came
to the deputy, and with a loud voice declared all that had befallen her. And when Pompeius the
deputy beheld her in distress of mind, who never had come forth abroad, he forthwith rose up
from the judgement seat and went unto the praetorium, and bade those men to be brought and
tortured; and while they were being tormented they confessed that they did it in the service of
Simon, which, said they, persuaded us thereto with money. And being tortured a long time, they
confessed that all that Eubula had lost was laid up under the earth in a cave on the other side of
the gate, and many other things besides. And when Pompeius heard this, he rose up to go unto
the gate, with those two men, each of them bound with two chains. And lo, Simon came in at the
gate, seeking them because they tarried long. And he seeth a great multitude coming, and those
two bound with chains; and he understood and betook him to flight, and appeared no more in
Judaea unto this day. But Eubula, when she had recovered all her goods, gave them for the
service of the poor, and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and was comforted; and despised and
renounced this world, and gave unto the widows and fatherless, and clothed the poor. And after a
long time she received her rest (sleep). Now these things, dearly beloved brethren, were done in
Judaea, whereby he that is called the angel of Satan was driven out thence.
XVIII. Brethren, dearest and most beloved, let us fast together and pray unto the Lord.
For he that drove him out thence is able also to root him out of this place: and let him grant unto
us power to withstand him and his magical charms, and to prove that he is the angel of Satan. For
on the sabbath our Lord shall bring him, though he would not, unto the forum of Julius. Let us
therefore bow our knees unto Christ, which heareth us, though we cry not; it is he that seeth us,
though he be not seen with these eyes, yet is he in us: if we will, he will not forsake us. Let us
therefore purify our souls of every evil temptation, and God will not depart from us. Yea, if we
but wink with our eyes, he is present with us.
XIX. Now after these things were spoken by Peter, Marcellus also came in, and said:
Peter, I have for thee cleansed mine whole house from the footsteps (traces) of Simon, and wholly
done away even his wicked dust. For I took water and called upon the holy name of Jesus Christ,
together with mine other servants which belong unto him, and sprinkled all my house and all the
dining chambers and all the porticoes, even unto the outer gate, and said: I know that thou, Lord
Jesu Christ, art pure and untouched of any uncleanness: so let mine enemy and adversary be
driven out from before thy face. And now, thou blessed one, have I bidden the widows and old
women to assemble unto thee in my house which is purified (MS. common), that they may pray
with us. And they shall receive every one a piece of gold in the name of the ministry (service),
that they may be called indeed servants of Christ. And all else is now prepared for the service. I
entreat thee, therefore, O blessed Peter, consent unto their request, so that thou also pay honour
unto (ornament) their prayers in my stead; let us then go and take Narcissus also, and whosoever
of the brethren are here. So then Peter consented unto his simplicity, to fulfil his desire, and went
forth with him and the rest of the brethren.
XX. But Peter entered in, and beheld one of the aged women, a widow, that was blind,
and her daughter giving her her hand and leading her into Marcellus' house; and Peter said unto
her: Come hither, mother: from this day forward Jesus giveth thee his right hand, by whom we
have light unapproachable which no darkness hideth; who saith unto thee by me: Open thine eyes
and see, and walk by thyself. And forthwith the widow saw Peter laying his hand upon her.
And Peter entered into the dining-hall and saw that the Gospel was being read, and he
rolled up the book and said: Ye men that believe and hope in Christ, learn in what manner the
holy Scripture of our Lord ought to be declared: whereof we by his grace wrote that which we
could receive, though yet it appear unto you feeble, yet according to our power, even that which
can be endured to be borne by (or instilled into) human flesh. We ought therefore first to know
the will and the goodness of God, how that when error was everywhere spread abroad, and many
thousands of men were being cast down into perdition, God was moved by his mercy to show
himself in another form and in the likeness of man, concerning which neither the Jews nor we
were able worthily to be enlightened. For every one of us according as he could contain the sight,
saw, as he was able. Now will I expound unto you that which was newly read unto you. Our
Lord, willing that I should behold his majesty in the holy mount -I, when I with the sons of
Zebedee saw the brightness of his light, fell as one dead and shut mine eyes, and heard such a
voice from him as I am not able to describe, and thought myself to be blinded by his brightness.
And when I recovered (breathed again) a little I said within myself: Peradventure my Lord hath
brought me hither that he might blind me. And I said: If this also be thy will, Lord, I resist not.
And he gave me his hand and raised me up; and when I arose I saw him again in such a form as I
was able to take in. As, therefore, the merciful God, dearly beloved brethren, carried our
infirmities and bare our sins (as the prophet saith: He beareth our sins and suffereth for us; but we
did esteem him to be in affliction and smitten with plagues), for he is in the Father and the Father
in him -he also is himself the fulness of all majesty, who hath shown unto us all his good things:
he did eat and drink for our sakes, himself being neither an-hungered nor athirst; he carried and
bare reproaches for our sakes, he died and rose again because of us; who both defended me when
I sinned and comforted me by his greatness, and will comfort you also that ye may love him: this
God who is great and small, fair and foul, young and old, seen in time and unto eternity invisible;
whom the hand of man hath not held,