should bring them under bondage, and treat them evil four hundred gears: 7 And the nation which they shall serve, will I judge, saith the Lord: and after these things they shall go out, and shall serve me in this place. 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day and • Isaac begot Jacob: 4 and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, through envy, sold Joseph in Egypt; and God was with him, 10 And delivered him out of all his tribulations: and he gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharao king of Egypt, and he appointed him governor over Egypt, and over and over all his house. 11 Now there came a famine upon all Egypt, and Canaan, and great tribulation: and our fathers found no food. 12 But when Jacob had heard that there was corn in Egypt: he sent our fathers first: 13 And at the second time Joseph was known by his brethren, and his kindred was made known to Pharao. 14 And Joseph sending, called thither his father Jacob and all his kindredinseventy-five souls. 15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, and our fathers. 16 And they were translated into Sichem, and were laid in the sepulchre that Abraham a Gen. 17. 10.-b Gen. 21. 2.- Gen. 25. 25.-d Gen. 29. 32. and 35. 12.e Gen. 37. 28.-Gen. 41. 37.-g Gen. 42. 2. Gen. 45. 5.-i Gen. 46. 5.k Gen. 49. 32.- Gen. 23. 16. and 50 5. and 15. Jos. 24. 32, 202 bought for a sum of money of the sonsof Hemor,the son of Sichem. 17 And when the time of the promise drew near, which God had promised to Abraham, the people increased and was multiplied in Egypt. 18 Till another king arose in Egypt who knew not Joseph. 19 This same dealing craftily with our race, afflicted our fathers, that they should expose their children to the end they might not be kept alive. 20 At the same time was Moses born, and he was acceptable to God; who was nourished three months in his father's house. 21 And when he was exposed, Pharao's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians: and he was mighty in his words and in his deeds. 23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24 And when he had seen one of them suffering wrong, he defended him: and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him. who suffered the injury. 25 And he thought that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them; but they understood it not. 26 P And the day following he shewed himself to them when they were at strife; and would have reconciled them in peace, saying: Men, ye are brethren, why hurt you one another? m Exod. 1. 7.-n Exod. 2. 2. Heb 11. 23.-0 Exod. 2. 12-p Exod. 2. 13. 27 Bat he that did the injury | land of Egypt, and in the Red to his neighbour, thrust him sea, and in the desert forty away, saying: Who hath ap- years. pointed thee prince and judge over us? 28 What, wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? 29 And Moses filed upon this word: and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begot two sons. 30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the desert of mount Sina an Angel in a flame of fire in a bush. 37 This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel. • A prophet shall God raise up to you of your own brethren, as myself: him shall you hear. 38 d This is he that was 'in the church in the wilderness, with the Angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the words of life to give unto us. 39 Whom our fathers would not obey; but thrust him away, and in their hearts turned back 31 And Moses seeing it, won-into Egypt. dered at the sight. And as he drew near to view it, the voice of the Lord came unto him: saying, 32 I am the God of thy fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses being terrified, durst not behold. 33 And the Lord said to him: Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place wherein thou standest, is holy ground. 40 Saying to Aaron: Make us gods to go before us. For as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.. 42 And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you 34 Seeing I have seen the afflic-offer victims and sacrifices to me tion of my people, which is in for forty years in the desert, O Egypt, and I have heard their house of Israel? groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, and I will send thee into Egypt. 35 This Moses, whom they refused, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge? him God sent to be prince and redeemer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, doing wonders and signs in the a Exod. 3. 2-b Exed. 7. 8. and 9, 10. and 11. 1. 43 And you took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rempham, figures which you made, to adore them. And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.. 44 The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, as God ordained for them, & speaking to Moses that he should make it according to the form which he had seen. c Deut. 18. 15.-d Exod. 19. 3e Exod. 32. 1.-f Amos 5. 25.-g Exod. 25. 40. 45 Which also our fathers receiving, brought in with Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers: unto the days of David. 46 Who found grace before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob." 47 But Solomon built him a house. 48 Yet the Most High dwelleth not in houses made by hand, as the prophet saith: 49 Heaven is my throne: and the earth my footstool. What house will you build me, saith the Lord, or what is the place of my resting? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things? 51 You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you also. 54 Now hearing these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. 55 But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and JESUS standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold I see the heavens opened, and the son of man standing on the right hand of God. 56 And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him. 57 And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul. 58 And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord JESUS, receive my spirit. 52 Which of the prophets 59 And falling on his knees, have not your fathers perse- he cried with a loud voice, say cuted? And they have slaining: Lord, lay not this sin to them who foretold of the coming their charge. And when he had of the Just One; of whom you said this, he fell asleep in the have been now the betrayers Lord. And Saul was consentand murderers: ing to his death. 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of Angels, and have not kept it. CHAP. VIII. Philip converts the Samaritans, and baptizes the eunuch. Heb. 8. 9.-1 Kings c 6. 1. 1 Par. 17. 12-e Infra, 17. 24.-fIsaias 16. 15.- Ps. 131. 5-d3 Kings AND at that time there was 66. 1. CHAP. VII. Ver. 45. Jesus. That is, Josue, so called in Greek. Ver. 48. Dwelleth not in houses, &c. That is, so as to stand in need of earthly dwellings, or to be contained, or circumscribed by them. Though, otherwise by his immense divinity, he is in our houses; and everywhere else; and Christ in his humanity dwelt in houses; and is now on our altars. raised a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed through the countries of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men took orders for Stephen's funeral, and made great mourning over him. 8 But Saul made havoc of the A.D. 33. church, entering in from house to house, and dragging away men and women, committed them to prison. -4 They therefore that were dispersed, went about preaching the word of God. 5 And Philip, going down to the city of Samaria, preached CHRIST unto them. 6 And the people with one accord were attentive to those things which were said by Philip, hearing, and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For many of them who had unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out. 8 And many taken with the palsy and that were lame, were healed. 9 There was therefore great Joy in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who before had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, giving out that he, was some great one: 10 To whom they all gave ear, from the least to the greatest, saying: This man is the power of God, which is called great. 11 And they were attentive to him, because for a long time he had bewitched them with his magical practices. 12 But when they had believed Philip preaching of the kingdom of God, in the name. of JESUS CHRIST they were baptized both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and being baptized he stuck close to Philip. And being astonished wondered to see the signs and exceeding great miracles which were done. 14 Now when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received | the word of God; they sent unto them Peter and John. 15 Who when they were come, prayed for them,that they might receive the Holy Ghost. 16 For he was not as yet come. upon any of them: but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord JESUS. 17 Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that by the imposition of the hands of the apostles the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying: Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said to him: 20 Keep thy money to thyself, to perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast no part, nor lot, in this matter. For thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Do penance therefore for this thy wickedness and pray to God, if perhaps this thought of thy heart may be forgiven of thee. 23 For I see thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. 24. Then Simon answering, CHAP. VIII. Ver. 17. They laid their hands upon them, &c. The apostles administered the sacrament hands, and prayer: and the faithful of confirmation, by Imposition of thereby received the Holy Ghost. Not but they had received the grace of the that plenitude of grace and those spiritual gifts which they afterwards received from Bishops in the sacra ened them to profess their faith pubment of confirmation, which strengthlicly. said: Pray you for me to the | Lord, that none of these things which you have spoken, may come upon me. 25 And they indeed having testified and preached the word of the Lord: returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many countries of the Samaritans. 26 Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: Arise, go towards the south, to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza: this is desert. 27 And rising up he went. And behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch, of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge over all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to adore. 28 And he was returning sitting in his chariot, and reading Isaias the prophet. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip: Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias, and he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest? 81 Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 And the place of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter: and like a lamb without voice before his shearer, so openeth he not his mouth. 33 In humility his judgment was taken away. His generation who shall declare, for his life shall be taken from the earth? 34 And the eunuch answering a Isaias 53. 7. 206 Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? of himself, or some other. man? 35 Then Philip opening his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him JESUS. 36 And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water: and the eunuch said: See here is water, what doth hinder me from being baptized? 37 And Philip said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answering said: I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lerd took away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found in Azotus, and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Cesarea. CHAP. IX. Paul's conversion and zeal. Peter heals Eneas, and raises Tabitha to life. AND & Saul as yet breath ing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples b A.D. 34. Gal. 1. 13. Ver. 37. If thou believest with all thy heart. The Scripture many times mentions only one disposition, as here belief, when others equally necessary are not expressed, vix., a sorrow for sins, a firm hope, and the love of God. Moreover, believing with the whole heart signifies a belief of everything necessary for salvation. |