Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the LordAbbott, Edwin Abbott
Religion
Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the Lord
Abbott, Edwin Abbott
Christian fiction; Jesus Christ -- Fiction
While we thus conversed together the boat drew nigh unto the eastern
shore. The mountains came down to the water’s edge, so close, and so
precipitous withal, that there was scarce space enough to land: and,
because the sun still lay low in the east, all was dark before us, though
the waters behind us shone fair and bright. But when we were now entering
under the shadow of the cliffs, so that we could discern things more
clearly, we perceived that there was a margin of shore, but narrow and
exceeding rocky, strewn all over with large and small fragments of black
rock, which had fallen from the mountain above. Then suddenly there fell
on our ears a marvellous strange cry, neither as of a man nor yet as of a
wild beast; and while we ceased rowing for to listen, behold, yet another
cry, more piercing and strange than the first, and then straightway
another: and withal the rocks and cliffs took up the sound and multiplied
it, and tossed it this way and that way till all the land seemed alive
with the clamour. But Gorgias trembled and said it was an evil spirit,
for, said he, “There be burial‐places in this part of the coast.” Then
Peter cried aloud and said, “I see a form as of a man, lank and lean,
coming out from the rocks; and it is naked.” Then some of us bade steer
towards another part of the coast; but Jesus commanded to keep on our
course.
Now when we landed, we perceived that it was a man, but he was one
possessed with evil spirits. For he had chains about his body; and he had
cut and lanced his flesh with grievous wounds. When he saw us, he took up
stones to cast at us, so that we feared to approach him; and certain
shepherds from afar off beckoned to us to go back from him. But Jesus went
before the rest of us and accosted him. And lo, at the voice of Jesus, the
man straightway let the stones fall from his hands; and, for a moment, he
stood as one astonied and in a trance. Then he shrieked aloud and made
answer to Jesus in two voices, after the manner of those possessed with
unclean spirits. For at one time the man spake, and at another the devils.
But the devils, speaking in a deep hollow voice, declared that they were
swine, and three thousand in number, and that their name was Legion.
Moreover they besought Jesus that he would not send them into the abyss
(for by this name do the evil spirits use to call that place wherein they
must needs wander so long as they have no bodies of men to dwell in), but
that he would suffer them to remain in the man’s body. But Jesus drove
them out, and the Legion went forth into the abyss, to the number of three
thousand, and in the shapes of swine. But Jesus did not suffer the man to
accompany him, but bade him return to his friends, and to tell them what
great things the Lord had done for him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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