have killed him and now are they ready, looking 22 for a promise from thee. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man, that thou haft fhewed these things 23 to me. And he called unto him two centurions, faying, Make ready two hundred foldiers to go to Cefarea (d), and horfemen threefcore and ten, and fpearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night (e). 24 And provide them beafts, that they may fet Paul on, 25 and bring him fafe unto Felix the governor. And he 26 wrote a letter after this manner. Claudius Lyfias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, fendeth greet27 ing. This man was taken of the Jews, and fhould have been killed of them (f): then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was 28 a Roman. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accufed him, I brought him forth 29 into their council: Whom I perceived to be ac cused of questions of their law, but to have nothing 30 laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me, how that the Jews laid wait. for the man, I fent ftraightway to thee, and gave commandiment to his accufers alfo, to fay before thee 31 what they had against him. Farewel. Then the fol diers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and 32 brought him by night to Antipatris. On the morrow they left the horfemen to go with him, and returned 33 to the caftle.. Who when they came to Cefarea, and delivered the epiftle to the governor, prefented 34. Paul alfo before him. And when the governor had read the letter, he afked of what province he was. 35 And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; I (d) Cefarea was the capital of 'the Province where the Roman Governor refided, and kept his court. (e) The night being reckoned from fun-fet, or fix o'clock, the third hour was nine o'clock: (ƒ) And was in danger of being killed by them.. will hear thee, faid he, when thine accufers are alfo CHA P. XXIV. I AND after five days, Ananias the high-priest (a) defcended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against 2 Paul. And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, faying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietnefs, and that very worthy deeds 3 are done unto this nation by thy providence, We accept it always, and in all places, moft noble Fe4 lix, with all thankfulnefs. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldeft hear us of thy clemency a few words. 5 For we have found this man a peftilent fellow, and a mover of fedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the fect of the Naza6 renes: Who alfo hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged ac7 cording to our law. But the chief captain Lyfias came upon us, and with great violence took him a8 way out of our hands, Commanding his accufers to come unto thee: by examining of whom, thyfelf mayeft take knowledge of all these things, whereof 9 we accufe him. And the Jews alfo affented, faying, 10 that these things were fo. Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to fpeak, answered, Forafmuch as I know that thou haft been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheer11 fully anfwer for myfelf: Because that thou mayeft understand, that there are yet but twelve days fince (a) To go from Jerufalem to any place, s called defcending or going down, and to go to Jerufalem, is called afcending or going up. Chap. xxv 1. 1 12 I went up to Jerufalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the temple difputing with any man, neither raifing up the people, neither in the 13 fynagogues, nor in the city: Neither can they prove 14 the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I : confefs unto thee, that after the way which they call herefy, fo worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the pro15 phets And have hope towards God, which they themfelves alfo allow, that there fhall be a refurrec16 tion of the dead, both of the juft and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a confcience void of offence toward God, and toward men. 17 Now after many years, I came to bring (b) alms to 18 my nation, and offerings. Whereupon certain Jews from Afia found me purified in the temple, neither 19 with multitude, nor with tumult: Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had 20.ought against me. Or elfe let thefe fame here fay, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I 21 ftood before the council, Except it be for this one. voice (c), that I cried ftanding among them, touching the refurrection of the dead I am called in question 22 by you this day. And when Felix heard thefe (b) To bring contributions to my poor brethren in Judea, which I had collected for them, together with offerings for the fervice of the temple; and this being the purpose of my journey, it is plain that I neither had any ill-will to the Jews, nor difrefpect to the temple: nay, if thofe very Jews who caufed me to be apprehended (Chap. xxi. 27.) were here (as they ought to be, fince they took upon them to accuse me), I could appeal to them for my innocence: for they found me at that time in the temple performing the vow of the Nazarites, according to the ceremonies appointed by the law of Mofes (Numb. vi. 2, &c.), and this I did with ferioufnefs and folemnity; a diforderly multitude was indeed brought together, and a tumult was made, but that was done not by me, but themfelves. (c) Unless it be a crime, that I publickly declared my belief of a future ftate. things, T things (d), having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and faid, When Lyfias the chief captain fhall come down, I will know the ut23 termost of your matter. And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he fhould forbid none of his acquaintance (e) to 24 minifter, or come unto him. And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drufilla, which was a Jewefs, he fent for Paul, and heard him (f) concern25 ing the faith in Chrift. And as he reafoned of (g) righteoufnefs, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call 26 for thee. He hoped alfo that money fhould have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: Wherefore he fent for him the oftener, and.com-27 muned with him. But after two years, Porcius Feftus (b) came into Felix' room: and Felix willing to fhew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound (i). (d) Though Felix was well acquainted with the nature of chriftianity, yet he was a partial and corrupt judge, and would not give fentence in favour of Paul. (e) To attend on and affift him with their kind offices. : (f) He heard him difcourfe concerning the doctrines and duties of chriftianity for it is in this large fenfe that the faith in Chrift is here to be understood. See Chap. xvi. 31. (g) Juftice, chastity, and the judgment to come, when every man muft give account of his life. Felix had been guilty of great injuflice and oppreffion in his government, and lived in adultery with Drufilla, who was married to him indeed, but fhe left her lawful husband to live with him, which no form of marriage could juftify. See Matt. xix. 9. Mark x. 12. (h) Porcius Feftus, who fucceeded Felix in the government, fent him a prifoner to Rome, to be tried for his crimes, where with great difficulty his life was fpared. (i) Felix did not fet St. Paul at liberty, as he might and ought to have done, but left him a prifoner. СНАР.. NOW CHA P. XXV. OW when Feftus was come into the Province, after three days he afcended from Cefarea to 2 Jerufalem Then the high-prieft, and the chief of the Jews, informed him againft Paul, and befought 3 him, And defired favour against him, that he would fend for him to Jerufalem, laying wait in the way to 4 kill him. But Feftus answered, that Paul fhould be kept at Cefarea, and that he himself would depart 5 fhortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse 6 this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Cefarea, and the next day fitting in the judgment-feat, commanded Paul to be 7 brought. And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerufalem, ftood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, 8 which they could not prove; While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cefar,. 9 have I offended any thing at all. But Feftus willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and faid, Wilt thou go up to Jerufalem, and there be judged 10 of these things before me? Then faid Paul, I stand at Cefar's judgment-feat (a), where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very II well knoweft. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die but if there be none of these things whereof thefe accuse me (b), no man may deliver me unto 12 them, I appeal unto Cefar. Then Feftus, when he (a) It was the privilege of a Roman citizen to appeal from any jurifdiction in the country to the Emperor himfelf at Rome.. (b) But if I am not guilty of any of the things they lay to my charge, I ought to be defended against them. had |