The Acts of Matthew and Andrew in the City of Cannibals

Here it says that after our Lord Savior Christ ascended to heaven, the apostles were together, and they cast lots among themselves to learn where each of them should travel. It says that the blessed Matthew was given by lot the city of Marmadonia. It says then that the men who were in this city ate no bread and drank no water, but ate men's flesh and drank their blood. And whatever foreign man who came into the city, it says that they immediately seized him and put out his eyes, and they gave him a potion to drink that was blended with much witchcraft, and when he drank this drink, immediately his heart was undone and his mind overturned. The blessed Matthew went into the city, and quickly they put out his eyes. And they gave him a potion to drink and sent him to prison. And they told him to eat the potion and he wouldn't eat it, so his heart was not undone nor his mind overturned, but he prayed continually to the Lord with much weeping and said to him, "My Lord Savior Christ, why did we all give up our families and follow you, and put all our trust in you and believe in you? Look now and see how these men are treating your servant. And I ask you, Lord, that you give back the light of my eyes that I may see those in this city who have begun to do to me the worst torment, and do not forsake me, my Lord Savior Christ, nor deliver me to this bitterest death." When the blessed Matthew had said this prayer, a great light and brightness lit up the prison, and the Lord's voice was speaking in the light, "Matthew, my beloved, look on me." Looking, Matthew saw the Lord Christ, and again the Lord's voice was speaking, "Matthew, be strong and do not be afraid, because I will never forsake you, but I will free you from all troubles, and not only that, but also all your brothers and all who believe in me in all time for forever. But stay here for 27 nights, and after that I will send to you Andrew your brother and he will lead you and all who are here with you out of this prison." When this was said, the Lord said again to him, "Peace be with you." Matthew then remained in prayer and sang praises of the Lord in the prison. And the unrighteous men came into the prison so that they could lead out the men and make them into food. The blessed Matthew then shut his eyes lest the jailors see that his eyes were opened, and they said to themselves, "Three days now are left until we will kill him and make him into food." The blessed Matthew had completed days when the Lord Savior Christ spoke to Andrew his apostle, when he was in the land of Achaia and teaching his disciples there. He said, "Go to the city of Marmadonia to bring Matthew from there, because three days are left before they will kill him and make him into food." The holy Andrew answered him and he said, "My Lord Savior Christ, how may I travel there in three days? But more likely you should send your angel, that it may travel more quickly, because, my Lord, you know that I am a man of flesh, and I may not quickly travel there because the journey is too long and I can not do it." The Lord said to him, "Andrew, hear me, because I made you, and I established and constructed this. Go now to the seashore with your disciples, and there you will find a ship on the shore. Board it with your disciples." The holy Andrew arose in the morning and he went to the sea with his disciples and he saw the ship on the shore and three men were sitting in it. And he rejoiced with much joy and said to him, "Brother, where will you travel to with this little ship?" The Lord Savior was on that ship as the helmsman, and his two angels with him, who were changed into the form of men. The Lord Christ said to him, "To the city of Marmadonia." The holy Andrew answered him and he said, "Brother, take us with you on that ship and guide us to that city." The Lord said to him, "All men flee from that city. Why would you travel there?" The holy Andrew answered him. He said, "We have an urgent errand there and we have a need to fulfill it." The Lord Savior said to him, "Board this ship with us and give us your fare. "The holy Andrew answered him, "Listen, brother, we don't have the fare. But we are disciples of the Lord Savior Christ, whom he chose, and he gave us this command and he said, 'When you go to teach the gospel, don't take with you bread nor money nor a change of clothes.'

If you would show kindness toward us, tell us so quickly; if you will not, send us on our way." The Lord Savior said to him, "If you were given this command from your Lord, climb aboard with us to travel on my ship." The holy Andrew boarded the ship and he sat before the helmsman. The Lord Savior said to him, "I see that your brothers are afflicted by the storminess of this sea. Ask them whether they would be taken to the shore and wait there until you fulfill your service where you are being sent and you return again to them." The holy Andrew said to them, "My children, will you go to the shore and wait there for us?" His disciples answered him and they said, "If we leave you, then we will be away from all the good that you have prepared for us. But we will stay with you wherever you go." The Lord Savior said to him, to the holy Andrew, "If you will truly be the disciple of him who is called Christ, speak to your disciples of the miracle that your teacher performed, so that their hearts will be blessed and they will forget this fear of the sea." The holy Andrew said to his disciples, "There was a time, when we were with our Lord, that we got on a ship with him. He appeared as though he were sleeping to test us and made the sea very rough. From the wind the waves were hurled so that they were stirred up over the ship. We were very frightened and cried out to him, the Lord Savior Christ, and he arose and commanded the wind to be stilled, and a great tranquility came over the sea. They were afraid, all who saw this miracle. Now then, my children, do not you be afraid, for our God has not forsaken us." When the holy Andrew had spoken this, he set his head on one of his disciples and slept. Then the Lord Savior saw that the holy Andrew was asleep. He said to his angels, "Take Andrew and his disciples and set them before the city of Marmadonia, and when you have set them there, return back to me." And the angels did as they were told, and he arose to heaven. In the morning it happened that the holy Andrew was lying before the city of Marmadonia and his disciples were sleeping there with him. He woke them up and said, "Arise, my children, and see God's kindness which has happened now to us. We know that our Lord was with us on the ship and we didn't recognize him. He humbled himself as a helmsman and he himself appeared as a man to test us." The holy Andrew then looked toward heaven and he said, "My Lord Savior Christ, I know that you are never far from your servants. And I saw you on the ship and I was speaking to you as to a man. Now then, Lord, I ask that you appear to me in this place." When this was said, the Lord appeared to him in his presence in the form of a fair child and said to him, "Andrew, with your disciples, look. "The holy Andrew prayed and said, "Forgive me, my Lord, that I was speaking to you as to a man. And I probably have sinned, because I didn't recognize you." The Lord then said to him, "Andrew, by no means have you sinned, but I did this because you said that you had no power to travel here in three days. I appeared so to you because I have the power to do anything and to appear to anyone as I like. Now, then, arise, and go into the city to Matthew your brother, and then lead him and all who are with him from the city. Lo, I declare to you, Andrew, because of the many torments that they will inflict on you, that they will drag your body throughout the streets of the city until your blood flows over the earth like water. They will lead you to death; but they may not, although they may bring to you many sufferings. But nevertheless endure it all, Andrew, and do not follow their unbelief. Remember how many sufferings from the Jews I was subject to, that they hung me and they spat on my face; but I endured it all to show you how you should endure. Hear me, Andrew, and suffer those torments, because there are many in this city who should believe in my name." When he had said this, the Lord Savior Christ, he arose to heaven. The holy Andrew then went into the city with his disciples, and they couldn't see any one. When they came to the doors of the prison, they met there seven standing guards. The holy Andrew then prayed in his heart and quickly they were dead. The holy Andrew then went up to the doors of the prison and he made the sign of Christ, and quickly the doors were opened. And he went into the prison with his disciples and he saw the blessed Matthew sitting alone singing. Then the blessed Matthew and the holy Andrew kissed each other. The holy Andrew said to him, "How is it, brother! How are you doing here? There are now three days left until they will kill you and turn you into food for themselves."

The holy Matthew answered him and said, "Brother Andrew, haven't you heard that the Lord said 'for this reason I sent you as a sheep in the middle of wolves'? Then it happened, when they put me in this prison, that I asked our Lord to reveal himself, and quickly he appeared to me and he said to me, 'Stay here 27 days and after that I will send to you Andrew your brother, and he will lead you and all who are with you out of this prison.' As the Lord told me, so I see. Brother, what should we do now?" The holy Andrew and the holy Matthew prayed to the Lord. And after that prayer the holy Andrew set his hand over the eyes of the men who were in the place, and they received sight. And again he set his hand over their hearts, and their consciousness returned again to them. The holy Andrew said to them, "Go into the lower part of this city and you will find there a great fig tree. Sit under it and eat of the fruit until I come to you." They said to the holy Andrew, "Come now with us, because you are our master, lest by chance they will again seize us and bring on us the worst tortures." The holy Andrew said to them, "Go there, because no way will you be hurt or harmed." And quickly they all went, as the holy Andrew had told them. And there were in the prison 2048 men and 49 women, who the holy Andrew then sent out. And he sent the blessed Matthew out the eastern gate with his disciples. And the holy Andrew called for a cloud, and the cloud took up Matthew and this disciples of Andrew and set them on a hill where the blessed Peter the apostle was, and he stayed there with them. The holy Andrew then went out of the prison and he began to go out through the middle of the city. And he came to a certain place and he saw there a standing pillar, and on top of the pillar the likeness of an eagle. And he sat next to the pillar to await whatever should befall him. Then unrighteous men came so that they could lead the men out and make them into food, and they found the doors of the prison open and the seven guards lying dead. When they saw this, they returned again to their aldermen and they said, "We found the prison open, and going in we met no one there." When the sacred aldermen heard this, they said to themselves, "How can this be? Probably some kind of monster went to the prison and killed the guards and immediately freed those who were imprisoned." After this the devil appeared to them in the likeness of a young man and said to them, "Hear me, and look for a certain foreign man here whose name is Andrew and kill him. He is the one who has led out the bound ones from the prison and he is now in this city. Go after him now; hasten, my children, and kill him." The holy Andrew then said to the devil, "Lo, you hardest goad to everyone's unrighteousness, you who always fight with the sin of man, my Lord Savior Christ once cast you into hell." The devil, when he heard this, said to him, "I hear your voice, but I don't know where you are." The holy Andrew said to him, "Because you are blind, you don't see any of the holy ones of God." The devil then said to the people, "Look around you and find him, because he who is speaking with me is the one." The people then hurried and they closed the gates of their city and they searched for the holy Andrew so they might seize him. The Lord Savior then revealed himself to the holy Andrew and said to him, "Andrew, arise and appear to them, so that they will recognize my power as it is." The holy Andrew then arose in the people's sight and he said, "I am the Andrew whom you are seeking." The people then rushed and they seized him and said, "Because you did this to us, we will pay it back to you." And they thought how they might kill him. Then the devil stepped in and said to the people, "If you like, let us tie a rope on his neck and drag him through the streets of the city, and do this until he dies. And when he is dead, we will divide his body among our citizens." And then all the people who heard this liked it, and quickly they tied a rope on his neck and they dragged him around the streets of their city. When the holy Andrew was dragged, his body was mingled with the earth while his blood flowed over the earth like water. After this was done, they sent him to the prison and they bound his hands behind him and they left him, and all his body was broken. Also the next day they did the same. The holy Andrew then wept and he said, "My Lord Savior Christ, come and see what they are doing to me, your servant, and all that I endure for the command that you gave to me. And you said, 'And do not follow their unbelief.'

Behold, Lord, and see what they are doing to me." When he had said this, the devil said to the people, "Hit him on his mouth, so that he will not thus speak." Then it happened that they put him back in the prison. The devil then took with him another seven devils, whom the holy Andrew put to flight. And going into the prison they stood in sight of the holy Andrew and they mocked him with great scorn and they said, "How do you find it here? Who will free you now from our control? Where is your boasting and your hope?" The devil then said to the other devils, "My children, kill him, because he has insulted us and our work." The devils then rushed over to the holy Andrew, and they saw Christ's cross on his countenance. They did not dare to approach him but they quickly flew away. The devil said to them, "My children, why aren't you killing him?" They answered him and they said, "We couldn't because we saw Christ's cross on his countenance and we were afraid. We recognized him, because before he got into this trouble he was our master. If you can, you kill him. We will not obey you in this, since it is likely that God will deliver him and send us into worse torments." The holy Andrew said to them, "Although you kill me, I do not do your bidding, but I do the bidding of my Lord Savior Christ." And they heard this and flew away. When the morning came, again they tortured the holy Andrew. And he sighed with great misery to the Lord and said, "My Lord Savior Christ, I have had enough of this torment, for I am tired. My Lord Savior Christ, you hung on the cross for three hours, and you said, 'Father, why have you forsaken me?' Now for three days I have been dragged through the streets of the city. You know, Lord, of the frailty of mankind. Promise to receive my spirit. Where is your word, Lord, with which you strengthened us, and you said, 'If you listen to me and you always follow me, not a lock of your hair will be destroyed.' Behold, Lord, and see, because my body and the hair of my head is mingled with the earth. Lo, for three days I have been subjected to the worst torment, and you have not appeared to me. My Lord Savior Christ, strengthen my heart!" When the holy Andrew had prayed this, the Lord's voice began to speak in Hebrew, "My Andrew, heaven and earth may pass away but my word will never pass away. Look at yourself and see what has happened to your body and the locks of your head." When the holy Andrew looked, he saw a fruit tree bearing blossoms and he said, "Now I know, Lord, that you have not forsaken me." In the evening it happened when they shut him up in the prison that they said to themselves, "This night he will die." The Lord Savior Christ appeared to him in the prison, and he stretched out his hand and touched Andrew, and he said, "Andrew, arise." When he heard this, quickly he arose healed, and he prayed and he said, "I do thank you, Lord Savior Christ." The holy Andrew then looked, and saw in the middle of the prison a standing pillar, and on top of the pillar a likeness of stone. And he stretched out his hand and said to it, "Be in dread of the Lord and his cross; before them heaven and earth are afraid. Now then, likeness, do what I order in the name of the Lord Savior Christ. Send so much water through your mouth that all those who are in this city will be destroyed." When he said this, the holy Andrew, quickly the likeness of stone sent so much water like brine through his mouth that it drowned men's bodies. And it killed their children and their animals, and they all wanted to escape from the city. The holy Andrew then said, "My Lord Savior Christ, do not forsake me, but send me your angel from heaven on a cloud of fire that will surround all this city so that no one may escape because of the fire." And this said, a cloud of fire descended from heaven and it surrounded all the city. When the blessed Andrew perceived this, he blessed the Lord. The water rose up to men's necks and it swiftly drowned their bodies, and they all cried out and said, "Woe is us, because all this came about for this foreigner whom we have tied up in the prison. What shall we do?" Some of them said, "If it seems this way to you, let us go to the prison and let him out, lest we miserably perish. And let us all cry out and say because we believe in the Lord of this foreign man that he drive away this misery from us."

When the blessed Andrew saw that they were converted to the Lord, he said to the likeness of stone, "Stop now by the power of the Lord, and send no more water from your mouth." And this said, the water stopped, and no more of it came from the mouth. The holy Andrew then went out from the prison, and the water itself receded obediently before his feet. And those who were left, they came to the doors of the prison and they said, "Have mercy on us, God, and do not do to us as we did to this foreigner." The holy Andrew then prayed in the people's sight, and the earth opened itself up and it swallowed the water around the men. The men who saw this were very afraid of him and they said, "Woe is us, because this death is from God. And he will kill us for the suffering that we inflicted on this man. Truly he is sent from God, and he is God's servant." The holy Andrew said to them, "My children, do not be afraid, because those who are still in this water will live again. But this has happened so that you will believe in my Lord Savior Christ." The holy Andrew then asked the Lord and said, "My Lord Savior Christ, send here your Holy Ghost to awaken all who are in this water, that they may believe in your name." The Lord then ordered all who were in the water to arise. And after this, the holy Andrew ordered a church to be built in the place where the pillar stood, and he gave to them the commandments of the Lord Savior Christ. "And love him because his power is great." And he named one of the aldermen as bishop, and he baptized them and said, "Now I am ready to go to my disciples." They all asked him and they said, "Stay with us yet a little while, so you are able to confirm us, because we are newly made to this belief." The holy Andrew would not listen to them, but he said good-bye to them and left them. A great multitude of the people followed him, weeping and lamenting. And they cast ashes over their heads. When the holy Andrew was leaving, the Lord Savior Christ appeared to him on the way in the image of a fair child and said to him, "Andrew, why are you going like this without the fruit of your struggle? And you are forsaking those who called you, and you are not pitying their children, who were following you and weeping, so that their cry and misery arose to me in heaven. Now then return again to the city and stay there seven days, until you strengthen their minds in my belief. Go then to the city with your disciples, and believe in my belief." When he had said this, the Lord Savior Christ, he arose to heaven. The blessed Andrew returned again to the city of Marmadonia and he said, "I bless you, my Lord Savior Christ, you who converts all souls, because you didn't let me go from this city in my anger." They rejoiced with great joy. And he stayed there with them for seven days, teaching and strengthening their hearts in the belief of our Lord Savior Christ. When seven days had passed, as the Lord commanded, he left the city of Marmadonia, and hastened to his disciples. And all the people escorted him with joy and they said, "One is the Lord God, the Savior Christ, and the Holy Ghost; to them is glory and power in the Holy Trinity through the wide world truly without end." Amen.