When the prayer was ended, the priest said with
a loud voice: `Stay, Jesus, for we need to know who thou art, for the quieting of our
nation.'
Jesus answered: `I am Jesus, son of Mary, of the seed of David, a man
that is mortal and feareth God, and I seek that to God be given honour and glory.'
The priest answered: `In the book of Moses it is written that our God
must send us the Messiah, who shall come to announce to us that which God willeth, and
shall bring to the world the mercy of God. Therefore I pray thee tell us the truth, art
thou the Messiah of God whom we expect?'
Jesus answered: `It is true that God hath so promised, but indeed I am
not he, for he is made before me, and shall come after me.'
The priest answered `By thy words and signs at any rate we believe thee
to be a prophet and an holy one of God, wherefore I pray thee in the name of all Judaea
and Israel that thou for love of God shouldst tell us in what wise the Messiah will come.'
Jesus answered: `As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, I
am not the Messiah whom all the tribes of the earth expect, even as God promised to our
father Abraham, saying: "In thy seed will I bless all the tribes of the earth."
But when God shall take me away from the world, Satan will raise again this accursed
sedition, by making the impious believe that I am God and son of God, whence my words and
my doctrine shall be contaminated, insomuch that scarcely shall there remain thirty
faithful ones: whereupon God will have mercy upon the world, and will send his messenger
for whom he hath made all things; who shall come from the south with power, and
shall destroy the idols with the idolaters; who shall take away the dominion from Satan
which he hath over men. He shall bring with him the mercy of God for salvation of them
that shall believe in him, and blessed is he who shall believe his words.
