name, and who came hither for this purpose, that he might lead them bound to the chief priests?

22 but Saul increased the more in strength; and confounded the Jews that dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

23 And when many days had passed, the Jews consulted together to kill him;

24 but their design was known 2 Cor. xi. 32. to Saul: and they kept watch at the gates, both day and night, that they might kill him:

25 but the disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he endeavoured to Gal. i 1. join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple:

27 but Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles; and declared to them, how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him; and how he had boldly preached at Damascus in the name of Jesus:

28 and he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out; and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus: 29 and he spake and disputed with the Judaising Greeks;

but they endeavoured to slay him:

30 of which the brethren having knowledge, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

31 Then the church had peace throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria; built up and walking in the fear of the Lord; and was filled with the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

32 And it came to pass, as Peter went through them all, that he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda:

33 and he found there a certain man named Eneas, confined to his bed for eight years, who was ill of the palsy:

34 and Peter said to him, Eneas, Jesus the Christ healeth thee; arise, and make thy bed: and he immediately arose: 35 and all that dwelt in Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

36 And in Joppa was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha (which by interpretation is rendered Dorcas, or Doe): she was full of good works, and of alms- deeds which she did:

37 and it came to pass, during those days, that she became ill, and died: and when they had washed her, they laid her in au upper chamber.

38 And as Lydda was near to Joppa, the disciples, hearing

that Peter was there, sent to him two men, beseeching him not to delay to come to them: 39 and Peter arose, and went with them and when he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the gowns and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them :

40 but Peter put them all out, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise! and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter, she sat up:

:

4 saw manifestly, in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius!

5 and when he looked on him, he was terrified, and said, What is it, Lord? and he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for remembrance before God:

6 and now, send men to Joppa, and call hither Simon, who is surnamed Peter;

7 he lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the

sea.

8 And when the angel which spake to him departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of those that continually attended him;

9 and having related to them all these things, he sent them to Joppa.

10 And on the morrow, while they journeyed and were drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:

11 and he became very hungry, and would have eaten ;

12 but, while they were making ready, a trance fell on him; and he saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great linen sheet, let down by the four corners to the earth:

13 in which were all the

four-footed beasts and creeping things of the earth, and the birds of the air:

14 and a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat!" 15 but Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean :

16 and the voice spake to him again, a second time, saying, What God hath cleansed, call not thou common:

17 this was done three times, and immediately the vessel was taken up again into heaven.

18 And while Peter was doubting in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that had been sent by Cornelius, having inquired for Simon's house, stopped at the gate:

19 and they called, and asked if Simon, who was surnamed Peter, lodged there?

20 and while Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee:

21 arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

22 Then Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause for which ye are come?

23 and they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and

fearing God; and having this testimony from the whole nation of the Jews; was warned by an holy angel to send for thee to his house, and to hear words from thee.

:

24 Then he called them in, and lodged them and on the morrow he went forth with them; and certain brethren from Joppa went with him:

25 and the next day, they entered Cesarea: and Cornelius was expecting them, having called together his kinsmen and near friends:

26 and as Peter was entering, Cornelius met him; and falling down at his feet, worshipped him:

27 but Peter raised him, saying, Stand up; I myself also

am a man.

28 And he went in, conversing with him, and found many that were come together:

29 and he said to them, Ye know, that it is held unlawful for a man that is a Jew to join, or go to, one of another nation; but God hath shewed me, that I must call no man common or unclean:

30 therefore I came without objecting, as soon as I was sent for: I ask, therefore, for what reason ye have sent for me? 31 and Cornelius said, Four days ago, from this time, I was praying in my house, at the ninth hour, when, behold, a

Matt. v. 9;

and vi. 1.

32 and he said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are remembered in the sight of God:

33 send, therefore, to Joppa, and call hither Simon, who is surnamed Peter; he is lodged in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea; who, when he cometh, shall speak to thee: 34 immediately, therefore, I sent to thee; and thou hast done well in coming: now, therefore, all we are present here before the Lord, to hear all the things that have been commanded thee by God.

35 And Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons;

36 but that, in every nation, he who feareth him, and laboureth for justification, is ac

cepted by him:

37 this word he sent to the children of Israel, when he gave them the good tidings of Luke, ii. 13. peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all:

38 ye know that which was told throughout all Judea, and which began at Galilee, after the baptism which John preached, concerning Jesus of Nazareth;

39 how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing

oppressed by the devil; because God was with him:

40 and we are witnesses of all the things which he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; whom, nevertheless, they slew, having hanged him on a tree :

41 him God raised on the third day, and caused him to be made manifest;

42 not to all the people, but to the witnesses foreordained by God, even to us, who eat and drank with him after he rose from the dead :

43 and he commanded us to preach to our people, and to testify every where, that it is he who is appointed by God, the judge of the living and the dead:

44 to him all the prophets

bear testimony; bear testimony; that every one who believeth in him shall, through his name, receive remission of his sins.

45 While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard his word:

46 and the believers of the circumcision, who had come with Peter, were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles also:

47 for they heard them speaking, and magnifying God, with other tongues.

48 Then answered Peter, Can

any one forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

49 and he commanded that

they should be baptized in the name of the Lord: then they asked him to remain there some days:

50 and the apostles, and the brethren that were in Judea, heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

CHAPTER XI.

BUT UT when Peter returned to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,

2 saying, Thou wentest in to men that are uncircumcised, and didst eat with them:

3 but Peter began, and laid open to them every thing in order, saying,

4 I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great linen sheet, let down from heaven by the four corners; and it came to me:

5 on which when I had fixed my eyes, and observed, I saw the four-feeted beasts, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things of the earth, and the birds of the air:

6 and I also heard a voice

saying to me, Arise, Peter; kill and eat:

7 but I said, Not so, Lord: for that which is common or unclean hath never entered into my mouth:

8 but the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, call not thou

common:

9 and this was done three times and all were drawn up again into heaven.

10 And, behold, at the same moment three men, who had been sent to me from Cesarea, stopped at the house in which I was:

11 and the Spirit bade me go with them, doubting nothing: and these six brethren also went with me, and we entered into the man's house:

12 and he told us, how he had seen an angel standing in his house, and saying to him, Send to Joppa, and call hither Simon, surnamed Peter;

13 who shall speak to thee words, by which thou and all thy house shall be saved:

14 and as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning:

15 then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, "John indeed baptized with c. i. 5. "water; but ye shall be bap"tized with the Holy Spirit:" 16 if, then, God gave to them an equal gift as to us who