The Lord comes to Death and argues with Death. He orders that Death release, from hell and death, the souls and give them back to him.
Behold, Death is shaken by these words and approaches his servants and gathers together into a group all his powers and princes of evil. And the prince of evil bears forth signed documents of indentured slaves and declares:
'Look! These people obeyed my word! Look! These mortal men - they bowed down and worshipped us!'
But God, the just Judge, then showed his justice, and said to him:
'Adam obeyed you, and then you did, through him, capture all hearts. Mankind obeyed you. But my body, what is it doing here? It is sinless. That body of the first Adam was in bondage to you, and you legally held the writ of indenture. But all bear witness to me that I have not sinned. I owe you nothing. I, therefore, bought back the body the first Adam sold to you. I tore up the contract that enslaved mankind to you. I satisfied Adam's debts when I was crucified and descended into Hell. And I command you O Hell, O Darkness, O Death: Release the imprisoned souls of the sons of Adam!'
And so, at last, the wicked powers, struck with fear, restored the imprisoned sons of Adam.
--an anonymous late 4th-century Syrian Christian
