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Forafmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more chearfully answer for myself:

fome Advantage and Encourage- A. D. 61.
ment to him to plead his Caufe
before a Judge, that had been fe-
veral Years the Procurator of Ju-
dea, and was thereby acquainted
with so much of the Jewish Re-

ligion, and the turbulent Difpofition of that People, as
would foon difcover to him their Malice, and his In-
nocency in the present Cafe.

11. Because that thou mayeft under ftand, that there are yet but twelve days fince I went up to Jerufalem for to worship. 12. And they neither found me in the temple difputing with any man, nei. ther raifing up the people, neither in the fynagogues, nor in the city:

11, 12 & 13. Now as to the firft Part of my Accufation, viz. That of Sedition; be pleased to know, That about twelve Days fince I came up to Jerufalem to keep the folemn Feaft of Pentecoft appointed by the Law; from which Time to this, I preached no Doctrine in publick, either in the Temple, Synagogue, or any other open Place in the City; much lefs had I any Concourse of People about me for any feditious Purpose; but attended the ftated Worfhip of the Temple, in a religious and peaceable Manner. Nay, while they throw this general Charge of Sedition upon me, they have not one Particular to inftance in, that can amount to the leaft Proof of it.

13. Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

14. 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 prophets.

14. As to the Charge of being the Head of a Herefy; I freely own my self to be a Chriftian; which Religion is no other than that which the God of Ifrael intended to establish under the great Meffiah; nor has JESUS its divine Author, nor any of its Doctrines or Worship, any thing in them, but what answers to the ultimate End, and the very Defign of their own Law, and is agreeable to all the Predictions of their Prophets.

15. Now

A. D. 61.

15. And have hope
towards God, which
they themselves allo
allow, that there fhall
be a refurrection of
the dead both of the
just and unjust.

that all Jews,
prove of.

15. Now the main Drift of this Chriftian Profeffion, lies in this one Article, That there fhall be a future Life after this, a State of Rewards and Punishments to every Man according to his Behaviour in this World; which is a Doctrine except the Sadducees, allow and ap

16. And herein do I exercife my felf to have always a confcience void of offence toward God, and to ward men.

17. Now after many years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

16. And upon this Perfuafion it is, that I and all good Chriftians, make it our utmost and conftant Care to live in ftrict Piety to God, and in an exact Juftice and Charity towards all Mankind.

17. Then as to profaning of the Temple, it is directly contrary to the Defign for which I came to Jerufalem, and falfe in Fact, from my Behaviour in that Place of facred Worship. The Defign I came upon, was to bring Contributions to fome of my poor Countrymen, from their Brethren in other Parts, where I had been collecting them; and at the fame time, to keep the Feast of Pentecoft, and perform a Vow + I had made, by proper Offerings to God, agreeable to the Law.

18. Whereupon t certain Jews from Afia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

18. During t which my Attendance in the Temple, with only four Men with me, that were under the fame Vow of the Nazarite as I was, all of us performing our facred Duty in a legal and peaceable Manner; fome Asian Jews railed the Multitude upon me, as a Profaner of the Temple. Which malicious and rafh Suggeftion, they grounded merely upon feeing me one Day walk along the Streets

3

*Viz. In Macedonia and Achaia, Chap. xviii. 18.

+ Chap. xxi.

with

Ver. 18. Whereupon, iv ois-during which Time, or Things. Luke xii. 1.

with one Trophimus, a Gentile Chriftian of Ephesus; A. D. 61. and when they came into Court, could give no Man

ner of Evidence for the Truth of it.

19. Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.

20. Or else let these bere fay, if they have found any evil-doing in me, while I ftood

19. And if they could now have done it, they would not have failed of being here.

20. As for the High-Prieft and the Jews that are prefent, they can be no Witneffes, for they faw nothing of me until I was brought before them into Court. And if I was convicted there of any one Crime or Misbehaviour, let them speak.

before the council.

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Hav

Ver. 22. Ακριβέςερον εἰδὼς τὰ περὶ τῆς ὁδᾶ ing more perfect Knowledge of that Way. Thefe Words may either fignify, That Felix very well knew so much of the Chrifian Religion, as to fee it had nothing in its Principles against the Peace of the Government; or elle, That he would endeavour to inform bimself in it. The latter Senfe feems best to agree with the 24th Verfe.

A. D. 61 as to the Riot, he would hear what Lyfias, who was then prefent, faid; and then would give Judgment accordingly.

23. And he com-
manded a centurion
to keep Paul, and to
let him have liberty,
and that he should

forbid none of his
acquaintance to mi-
nifter or come unto him.

24. And after cer-
tain days, when Fe-
lix came with his wife
Drufilla, which was
a Jewels, he fent for
Paul, and heard him
concerning the faith in

25. And as he rea-
foned of righteouf-
nefs, temperance, and
judgment to come,
Felix trembled, and
answered, Go thy
way for this time;
when I have a con-

venient season, I will

23. In the mean time, though he ftill kept Paul under Confinement by a Guard upon him, yet he ordered all his Friends and Acquaintance fhould have free

Access to him.

24. Some time after, Felix and his Wife Drufilla, fent for Paul to their Lodgings, to give them an Account of his Chriftian Religion.

CHRIST.

25. In which Conference Paul took the Opportunity to enlarge moft pathetically upon thofe particular Points that most nearly touched upon the Vices they were both notorioufly guilty of, viz. Juftice, Chastity, and the future Judgment upon the Breach of fuch Duties. Now Felix had been a moft unjust Oppreffor † of the People in his Government, Drufilla had left her own Husband to marry him; the Nature, and terrible Confequences of both which Crimes, the Apoftle laid fo home to their Confciences, as put Felix into a dreadful Apprehenfion, fo that he interrupted his Difcourfe, and bad him retire, until he fhould have Leifure to hear him again.

call for thee.

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loofe him: wherefore he fent for him the oftner, and commu

ned with him.

27. But after two years, Porcius Feftus came into Felix his room: and Felix willing to fhew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul

Paul again, and feveral Times
gave him a Hearing, his only
Defign was to get him to offer a
Bribe for his Deliverance.

27. And with this base Intent he kept him a Prisoner for above two Years, when the Emperor removed him from his Government, and put Feftus into his Place; and tho' Felix knew in his Confcience Paul was innocent, and ought to have been discharged; yet, now at his going out of Office, to please the Jews, for fear they fhould inform against him for his many exorbitant Practices, left him a Prisoner to his Succeffor Feftus.

bound.

1

CHAP. XXV.

The CONTENTS.

Paul tried again at Cæfarea before Feftus. He infifts on his Roman Freedom, and refufeth to be tried in the Jewish Council at Jerufalem. 'Tis determined he must go to Rome to be tried, as he had appealed to Cæfar. His Hearing before Agrippa.

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I.

AS

S foon as Feftus was fet- A. D. 61.
tled in his Procurator-
fhip at Cæfarea in Felix's Room,
he went up to Jerufalem, the ca-
pital City of his Province, to pay
a Vifit to the High-Prieft and
Jewish Council.

2 & 3. Who with that Part of
them that were Sadducees, enter-
tained the new Governor with
an Acconnt of Paul and his pre-
tended Crimes, earneftly requeft-
ing he would fend for him from

2

Cæfarea,

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