The Apostolical History, Chapter 6 · Section 21
v. 20. Vides quot ſint millia Judaeorum] Vide Quomodo auctum fuit granum illud Sinapis intra annos 25. Grot.Accenſi zelo legis] Intra Judaeam qui erant Judaei foreign, hi ante diſperſionem illam, quae per Adrianum evenit, libertatem ab legis onere non percepêre. Et ad tales ſcripta eſt Epiſtola ad Hebraeos.v. 23. Votum habentes] non perpetuum, ſed temporarium; & tales Nazaraei dierum vocantur, de quibus Numb. 26. Joſeph. lib. 2. de bello Judaico, c. 15. Erant …alii Nazaraei qui faciebant votum perpetuum, ut Samuel, & Samſon, hi dicebantur Nazaraei ſeculi, i. e. perpetui. Vid. Druſ. annot. in Num.v. 24. Idem valet foreign, ac esto Nazaraeus cum illis, & abſtine à vino rebuſque aliis, quae interdictae ſunt Nazaraeis. Sane Nazaraeatus foreign vocatur, Num. 6.21.foreign] Sumptus facito propter illos. Non Paulus Nazaraeatûs votum concepit, ſed quatuor alii viri, comam, quam aluerant è Nazaraeatûs voto, depoſuerant. Paulus verò ſumtus fecit in hanc rem, ſcil. ad victimas à Nazaraeis offerendas (peractis voti diebus) quas offerre Deo debebant quatuor iſti viri, ſcil. agnum, vel agnam, arietem, placentas, & lagana An verò Paulus integros ſumptus fecerit, necne, dicere non poſſumus: & hinc dicitur foreign, quia quaſi in partem Nazaraeatûs venerat, ſumptus hos faciendo. Petitus.Vult autem hoc Paulum facere Jacobus quò plebi abundantiùs ſatisfaciat, & ut illi quatuor raderent caput, h. e. voti liberentur eo facilius. Eſt Metonym. ſigni pro ſignato. Nam ſicut obligatio votiva exprimebatur demiſſo capillo, ita liberatio comâ abraſà, Num. 6.18. quae coma ſupponebatur urenda ollis in quibus coquebantur carnes de ſacro Euchariſtico.v. 25. foreign] Infinitivus pro Gerundio, nihil tale ſervandum illis, nempe eorum quae Moſes praeſcripſit.v. 26. Denuncians expletionem dierum, &c.] Hoc eſt, omnibus edicens ſe caſtimonium ſuſcipere in dies ſeptem, ita ut dies ipſius pariter exirent cum diebus aliorum qui aliquanto ante ac in majus tempus ſe obligaverant. Licebat enim cuique, eum quem vellet votivae obligationi praeſtituere terminum, Num. 6.5. ſic Paulus in dierum hebdomada ſe obligavit (illi alii in duas, tres aut quatuor hebdomadas) uſque dum offerenda eſſet pro unoquoque (ſcil. eorum qui ſe obligaverant) oblatio. Ita tempus ſumpſit ut pariter cum illorum tempore deſineret. Aoristus hic ſignificat rem quae fieri debebat.v. 28. Qui adverſus populum & legem, &c.] eadem accuſatio quae in Stephanum intenta ſupra, cap. 6.14. Graecos introduxit] Quod planè non licebat, nempe intra ſeptum illud lapideum quod in tres cubitos attollebatur, & inſcriptum columnis habebat, foreign Joſeph. belli Jud. 5.14. Si quis alienigena, etiam Romanus, id ſeptum tranſgrederetur, is occidi poterat, teſte eodem Joſeph. belli Jud. 6.v. 31. foreign] Praefecto ejus cohortis, quae temporibus feſtis, ac proinde etiam in Pentecoſte praeſidium habebat in porticibus Templi ad prohibendos tumultus ſi qui orerentur: quam cohortem etiam foreign Johannes dixit, c. 18.3.v. 35. Evenit ut portaretur à militibus] Levabatur à militibus ne vim ei multitudo inferret, cui expoſitioni favent quae infra c. 23.10. extant.v. 37. Graecè noſti] Graeca lingua poſt Macedonum imperium facta erat quaſi communis populorum Aſiae & Aegypti.v. 39. Loquutus eſt linguâ Hebraea] i. e. Hieroſolymitanâ, magna ex parte Syriaca, qua tum Judaei utebantur.SECT. XXI.
THE Apoſtle now beginning to make his defence to the people, He firſt ſets before them what manner of perſon he was before his converſion. He was a Jew by extraction, born in the noble City of Tarſus, educated at Jeruſalem, under that famous Doctor of the Law Gamaliel, (a man of great eſteem among them; ſee Act. 5.34.), being perfectly inſtructed by him in the Law of the Fathers (a)Per patriam legem non intelligitur lex quam Patres à Deo per Moſen acceperant, ſed foreign quam ipſi à patribus acceperant. Phariſaeorum religionem notat, quae foreign magnam partem conſtabat, quarum foreign ſe fuiſſe olim, ait Gal. 1.14. Cumque foreign ei religioni attribuit, idem dicit quod infra, c. 26.5. ſcil. ſe inſtitutum eſſe in Phariſaiſmo, quae eſt accuratiſſima Patriae legis forma. De Dieu. Intelligit ſe in Traditionibus, & Cabalis Judaicis, nec non in gloſſis falſis ſupra legem Moſis (quarum tum major inter Judaeos erat authoritas quam ipſius Moſis Math 5.21.) probè fuiſſe inſtitutum, praecipuè in praeciſis obſervatiunculis & regulis Phariſaeoram, c. 26.5., and imbued with the ſtricteſt Judaical Principles, and was a great Zelot for that way, and a bitter enemy to Chriſtianity. And he tells them, that all the Senate, or Sanhedrim, eſpecially the high Prieſt, could atteſt the truth of what he ſaid; for, from them he received commiſſion to apprehend all ſuch Chriſtians, as he could find in Syria, and to bring them bound to them to Jeruſalem to be ſcourged, or otherwiſe puniſhed. 2ly, He declares to them the manner of his converſion(b)Paulus non fuit regenitus ante converſionem ſuam in itinere Damaſceno. Fuit enim acerbiſſimus hoſtis, & perſecutor Chriſti, & Eccleſiae Chriſtianae ut de ſe fatetur, Phil. 3.6. & 1 Tim. 1.13. Gal. 1.13. Simeon, Cornelius, &c. carebant quidem cognitione veri Meſſiae, ſed non in corde gerebant acerbum odium ac amarum hoſtilitatem contra Chriſtum ſicut Paulus. Quod ſe ait in juſtitiâ legis fuiſſe irreprehenſibilem non intelligendum eſt de verâ ſanctimoniâ vitae ſed de ſuperſtitioſâ & rigidâ obſervatione ceremoniarum, & traditionum patriarum, ut nemo Phariſaeorum haberet quod reprehenderet, Gal. 1.14. Streſo., [ſee Chap. 2. Sect. 1.], how travelling to Damaſcus to purſue his perſecuting deſign, when he was come nigh to that City, a great light from Heaven ſhon round about him; upon which he fell to the ground, and heard theſe words articulately ſpoken to him by Chriſt(c)Probabile eſt, Paulum ipſis corporalibus ſuis oculis vidiſſe ipſum Chriſti corpus ſplendore ſuo in oculis Pauli coruſcans. Vidit fulgur corporale ex nubibus; circumfulſus eſt radiis Spiritus Sancti intus in conſcientiâ, ſed ſimul potuit ipſum Chriſti corpus glorioſum videre. Sicut enim vox quam audivit fuit ex ipſius ore, v. 14. ita probabile eſt lucem quam vidit fuiſſe ex ipſius Chriſti corpore. Et loca ſuperius allegata ex Act. 9.27. & 22.14. & 26.16. & 1 Cor. 9.1. & 1 Cor. 15.8. omnino videntur poſtulare hanc fidem, quod Paulus ipſum Chriſtum hominem viderit corporaliter. Poſt reſurrectionem eſt viſus Dominus à multis, poſt aſcenſionem à nemine, praeterquam à Stephano & Paulo. Sed inde non ſequitur; Chriſti corpus fuiſſe in terrâ. Potuit enim virtute Chriſti, corporalis viſus Pauli ita roborari, ut quod in coelis erat in terris conſpiceret. Sic Stephanus, ſublatis in coelum oculis, Jeſum vidit ſtantem ad dextram Dei, Act. 7.55., Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me? And they that were with him heard a voice indeed [ch. 9.7.], (as the people did, Joh. 12.19. when ſome ſaid it thundred, others ſaid an Angel ſpake), but underſtood not diſtinctly what was ſaid. He further declares how Chriſt told him, he had provided one Ananias to come unto him, and to ſhew him what he had deſigned for him to do, and ſuffer, for his Name ſake. And thus being blinded by the brightneſs of the glory that ſhone about him, he was led by thoſe that were with him to Damaſcus, and there by the Miniſtry of Ananias he recovered his ſight. Ananias alſo ſhewed him, how God had choſen him, that he ſhould know his will, and have the Goſpel revealed to him, and ſhould ſee Jeſus, and hear him ſpeak to him from heaven, and ſhould make known to all men(d)Ut eſſet teſtis & praeco quod Jeſus Chriſtus, quem Judaei crucifixerant, vivat & in coelis ſedeat ad dextram Patris in gloriâ. Hujus rei foreign teſtis, eſt Apoſtolus, quâ in re excellit caeteros Apoſtolos qui Chriſtum quidem ideò in carne viderunt, Act. 10 41. 1 Joh. 1.1, 2. ut idonei Chriſti teſtes eſſent, ſed Paulus vidit ipſum in gloriâ, & ex coelo audivit loquentem, & ſeſe manifeſtantem. Ergo ait 1 Cor. 9.1. Annon ſum Apoſtolus, annon vidi Dominum Jeſum? Non tantum vidit Chriſtum exstaticè, & in viſione nocturnâ, Act. 18.9. & 22.9. & 23.11. 2 Cor 12. ſed &, hoc loco, corporaliter, non minus quam caeteri Apoſtoli., the things which Jeſus had already and ſhould further make known to him. Ananias alſo having further inſtructed him, exhorted him to be baptized, and by Faith in Chriſts blood to waſh away the guilt of all his ſins, (of which Baptiſm is a ſign and ſeal), and earneſtly to implore grace from Chriſt, to ſanctifie his nature more and more. Paul having thus opened to them the manner of his Converſion and Call, to be an Apoſtle; he now further ſhews them, how at his firſt coming to Jeruſalem after this, (ſee ch. 9.26.), as he was in the Temple(e)Paulus Chriſtianus precatur in Templo Judaico. Faciebant id tum temporis adhuc etiam caeteri Apoſtoli & Chriſtiani, Act. 3.1. Non religione & obſervantiâ praecepti ceremonialis, Deut. 12.5. 2 Chron. 7.12, 13. ſed quia intempeſtivum adhuc, & curſui Evangelii noxium erat, abrumpere communionem cum Judaeis in externis cultûs exercitiis. Paulus igitur aſcendit Templum ardenterque petiit (ut probabile eſt) ut ſibi apud Judaeos liceret praedicare Evangelium, populum ſuum Chriſto lucrifacere, & Eccleſiam quam vaſtaverat iterum aedificare: Inter precandum raptus eſt in Paradiſum ſeu tertium coelum, audivitque verba▪ ineffabilia & ſummas accepit revelationes, 2 Cor 12.3, 4. praying, he fell into an Exſtaſie or Trance, and in that Exſtatical Viſion ſaw Chriſt, who commanded him to get him ſpeedily out of that City, becauſe his former zeal againſt the Goſpel, would hinder his preaching of it now from being ſucceſsfull. Againſt this, he humbly argued, that his former zeal againſt Chriſtianity, (which was ſo remarkable and notorious, by his impriſoning the Profeſſors thereof, and cauſing them to be ſcourged in the Conſiſtories of many Cities, and by his aſſiſting in the ſtoning of Steven, and keeping the Garments of his accuſers whilſt they ſlew him) might be an argument to the Jews, that they were very great and cogent reaſons, that had wrought ſuch a ſtrange change in him; and ſo he might in all likelyhood, be a fitter perſon to publiſh the Doctrine of Chriſt now, by how much the more he had oppoſed it formerly, [ſee Sect. 3. of Chap. 2.]. But this did not prevail for his ſtaying at Jeruſalem, but Chriſt commanded him to depart from thence, telling him he would ſend him to preach to the Gentiles, who had not that exception againſt him, and would more readily receive his Doctrine. Hitherto the Jews had patience to hear him, but when he mentioned the Gentiles, and that he was appointed to preach to them, they cried out, he was a Villain, and unworthy to live, and expreſſing their fury by throwing duſt into the air, and caſting off their Clothes as if they would preſently ſtone him, the chief Commander of the Guard, bid the Soldiers carry him into the Caſtle, and commanded, that he ſhould be ſcourged till he ſhould confeſs what he had done, that had ſo enraged the Jews againſt him. As they were going about to bind him, in order to the ſcourging of him, the Apoſtle declares himſelf a free-born Denizon of Rome, whom the Roman Laws would not permit to be ſo dealt with, before any ſentence was legally paſſed upon him. When they heard this, they ceaſed from their deſign of ſcourging him; and the Colonel (who had himſelf purchaſed the freedom of a Citizen of Rome at a great rate) was afraid he had already done more than he could well anſwer, in binding him, and putting Chains upon him.
Act. 22. v. 1. Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
v. 2. (And when they heard that he ſpake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more ſilence; and he ſaith)
v. 3. I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarſus, a City in Cilicia, yet brought up in this City at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.
v. 4. And I perſecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into priſon both men and women,
v. 5. As alſo the high Prieſt doth bear me witneſs, and all the eſtate of the elders: from whom alſo I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damaſcus to bring them which were there, bound unto Jeruſalem, for to be puniſhed.
v. 6. And it came to paſs, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damaſcus about noon, ſuddenly there ſhone from heaven a great light round about me.
v. 7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice ſaying unto me, Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me?
v. 8. And I anſwered, Who art thou, Lord? and he ſaid unto me, I am Jeſus of Nazareth whom thou perſecuteſt.
v. 9. And they that were with me ſaw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that ſpake to me.
v. 10. And I ſaid, What ſhall I do, Lord? And the Lord ſaid unto me, Ariſe, and go into Damaſcus, and there it ſhall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
v. 11. And when I could not ſee for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damaſcus:
v. 12. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, having a good report of all the Jews, which dwelt there,
v. 13. Came unto me, and ſtood, and ſaid unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy ſight. And the ſame hour I looked up upon him.
v. 14. And he ſaid, The God of our fathers hath choſen thee, that thou ſhouldſt know his will, and ſee that juſt One, and ſhouldſt hear the voice of his mouth.
v. 15. For thou ſhalt be his witneſs unto all men of what thou haſt ſeen and heard.
v. 16. And now, why tarrieſt thou? Ariſe, and be baptized, and waſh away thy ſins, calling on the name of the Lord.
v. 17. And it came to paſs, that when I was come again to Jeruſalem, even while I prayed in the Temple, I was in a trance,
v. 18. And ſaw him ſaying unto me, Make haſte and get thee quickly out of Jeruſalem: for they will not receive thy teſtimony concerning me.
v. 19. And I ſaid, Lord, they know that I impriſoned and beat in every ſynagogue them that believed on thee.
v. 20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was ſhed, I alſo was ſtanding by and conſenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that ſlew him.
v. 21. And he ſaid unto me, Depart: for I will ſend thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
v. 22. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lift up their voices, and ſaid, Away with ſuch a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he ſhould live.
v. 23. And as they cryed out, and caſt off their clothes, and threw duſt into the air.
v. 24. The chief Captain commanded him to be brought into the caſtle, and bade that he ſhould be examined by ſcourging: that he might know wherefore they cryed ſo againſt him.
v. 25. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul ſaid unto the centurion that ſtood by, Is it lawful for you to ſcourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
v. 26. When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief Captain, ſaying, Take heed what thou doſt, for this man is a Roman.
v. 27. Then the chief Captain came, and ſaid unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He ſaid, Yea.
v. 28. And the chief Captain anſwered, With a great ſum obtained I this freedom. And Paul ſaid, But I was free-born.
v. 29. Then ſtraitway they departed from him which ſhould have examined him: and the chief Captain alſo was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman: and becauſe he had bound him.