Commentary Upon Acts, Part 2
Part II. The Iewish Story.
Sect. I. Troubles at Iamnia.
THe troubles and miseries of the Jews are now drawing to the heart of their State, and this yeare are got into their owne Land, and drawing neare Ierusalem it selfe. And the poore Alexandrian Jewes Commissioners, that the last yeare set forward for Rome, and in the beginning of this yeare are gotten thither, to petition for redresse of their own calamities, doe there receive tydings of worse miseries comming towards all their Nation. The originall and occasion was from Capito a gatherer of Tribute for the Romans in Iudea. This man comming into that Office and Countrey a very poor man: and (as no other can be expected from men of so base and meane quality put into so high places) having pilled and polled all before him, to raise and to mend his fortunes; and being now growne rich, and being afraid to bee accused of the Jewes to Caesar, for his injustice and oppression, hee thinkes it the safest way to prevent that, to get some occasion against them, that hee might accuse them, and cry theefe first. In Iamnia therefore where hee resided, there was mixture of Inhabitants, very many Jewes, and not a few Strangers, or Gentiles. Hereupon Capito secretly contriveth, That these strangers should set up an Altar in the City to Caius, who as they heard, would bee worshipped for a God. This both he and they knew that the Jewes would never indure, as being a most notorious violation of their Law; but would oppose the matter, and so should he have cause and accusation enough against them to Caesar, for despising of his majesty, and contemning his Godhead. Accordingly did the cursed plot take effect: for sodainly and unexpectedly an Altar is built and erected in the City, the Jewes as soon as they heare and see the businesse, they rise generally and pull it downe. Their enemies that had built it, runne to Capito, who indeed had had the chief hand in the design, and complain of the indignity: Hee not thinking it enough to take recognisance of the businesse himselfe, by Letters acquaints the Emperour with the affront, for so hee sets it forth; and well hee knew the Emperour would bee ready enough to second him to doe mischiefe to the Jewes according to his desire.
Sect. II. Troubles at Ierusalem and elsewhere throughout Judea. Caius his Image to bee set up in the Temple to bee Worshipped.
Caius having received this intelligence from Capito, which hee had mingled with all kind of gall and vinegar of exasperation and evill language against the Jewes, and being himself already irreconciliably incensed and bent against them; partly through mischievous incendiaries and accusations, and chiefly because they onelyonly were crosse to his deifying and impious Worship; hee now determineth a course against them, which should strike at the very root, and bring them either to bend or breake. Hee dispatcheth therefore a message to Petronius the Governour of Iudea;Iosephus relateth this story far different from Philo: For hee saith that Caius sent away Petronius for this purpose; but Philo that hee was in Iudea already: Iosephus that the notice of the message came in time of seednesse; Philo in time of harvest: Iosephus that the Jews came to Petronius at P…olemais and Tiberias; Philo in Phoenicia; and the like: which the Raeder will readily see if hee compare the two Authors together, and his judgement subscribe to Philo as the more probable, hee being at the Emperours Court when these things were done; but onelyonly that hee hath flourished the truth with Rhetorick more then needfull. that in stead of the Altar of stone which the Jewes had pulled downe at Iamnia, hee should without faile set up a Golden Colosse or an Image of the Emperour in the Temple at Ierusalem: and that this designe might receive no hindrance by opposition, hee charged that hee should send for part of the Army from Euphrates that lay there for the guard of the East; that if the Jewes would quietly receive the statue it was well, and if they would not, they must bee forced to it, whether they would or no. What must the Jewes doe now at such a pinch? Nay, what must Petronius? If hee disobey what hee is commanded, hee hazardeth his owne ruine; if hee performe it, hee ruineth a whole Nation: The Jewes will bee ready to dye before they will admit of such an Idol; and Petronius is not like to escape, if he bring them not to admit of it. In this strait between affection to himselfe, and to a whole people, hee useth the best accommodation that the present necessity would afford: namely, not to decline the injunction for his owne safety, but to delay it as much as may bee for the safety of the Jewes: that in the space while the image was leasurely making the one party might possibly bee brought to comply, either the Emperour upon consideration to lay his resolution downe, or the Jewes upon perswasion to lay downe their resolutenesse. He appointeth the Image to bee wrought at Zidon, whence on the one hand, lesse offence might accrew to the Jews, and on the other some satisfaction might come to the Emperour, hee hearing by Passengers that the worke was in hand, and they seeing the gentlenesse of Petronius that would not worke it in their owne Countrey.
Tydings of this lamentable and heavy designe could not bee long kept from the Jewes, nor they upon the tydings long from Petronius. To him they come into Phenicia, men and women, young and old, of all sorts and conditions an innumerable multitude, with teares in their eyes, and bitter cryes in their mouths, that either hee would surcease the enterprise that was in hand, or take their lives before they saw the performance of such abomination. Petronius threatens, speakes faire, urgeth, perswadeth, but all to no purpose, they tendering their necks rather to the execution, then enduring to heare of such violation of their Religion. In the end they obtaine this favour of the gentle Governour, that hee will not proceed in this impious worke, till hee or they, or both have sued to Caesar, by petition to surcease the design, and to remit of his resolution. And so returne the Jewes to their home and harvest, with some contentment in speeding so well at the present, and in some hope to speed better for the future. Iosephus here telleth a story of a miraculous and suddaine shower that fell as Petronius and the Jewes were thus parlying together, whereas there had been no raine of a long time before, and no sign at all of any rain instantly before this fell: God (as hee would have it) seconding this their request with this wonder, and using this argument for the moving of Petronius to back theirs.
Sect. III. Petronius his Letter to the Emperour.
The gentle Governour failed not of his promise, nor of the trust the Jews had reposed in him, but though it may breed his owne smart, hee addresseth a message to the Emperour in their behalfe, and useth the utmost of his perswasive skill and faculty in it. Hee layeth before him that the prosecution of his commanded and intended enterprise, would be the destruction of a whole Nation, the losse of a faire and goodly Tribute and Revenue, the impairing of the Roman strength and honour, the prejudice of his Majesties journey into Alexandria, which he intended ere long to take: That they were already grown desperate, and began to neglect their harvest and occasions, whereby a certain famine would follow upon the Land, and a disadvantage to the Countreys round about: with other Arguments of the same nature, sensible, strong, and perswasive, had not the Emperour been wedded to his owne senselesse will, and bewitched and led away with destructive counsell. Two caitives hee had about him, that continually suggested evill to him against the Jewes, as if for either eare one, Helicon an Egyptian mentioned before, and Apelles an Ascalonite, such another as hee. These were ever adding spurres to his malice against that nation, which was in its full carreare already, and blowing those coales which it was impossible to quench. Wretched men that they were, that sought to reare their fortunes upon others ruines, and to cement estates with others men blood. Such instruments it pleased God to use for the scourging of that ungracious and condemned nation, and having done the worke by them that he had appointed, he cast these rods into the fire, Apelles being tortured by Caius, whom hee had indoctrinated to cruelty, and Helicon slain by Claudius, the Emperour that succeeded in Caius his room.
Sect. IV. Agrippa his mediation for the Iewes.
King Agrippa the Jewes old friend and Advocate is now at Rome, and ready in affection, as well as in place, upon these heavy tydings to intercede for his people, and to doe them good, if it bee possible for any good to bee done. Iosephus and Philo doe againe differ about the relation of this his undertaking of a mediation, as they doe almost in every thing that they relate jointly, in one circumstance or other. Iosesephus saith that Agrippa hearing of this misery of his people, invited Caius to a most sumptuous and extraordinary banquet; using to his cost, such a preparative to his fairer and better aggresse and accoasting the Tyrant upon a matter of so great import: That Caius at the banqu… offered him a boone, whatsoever hee should desire, expecting hee would desire some great Revenue: but that Agrippa requested nothing but the liberty of his people in their Religion, and the removall of that feare that now lay upon them by the … preparing. That Caius, overcome by so honest and unexpected a petition condescended to his desire, and was well … and pacified, till Petronius his Letter came to him after this, and then was hee all of a fury and ragednesse againe. But … thus, That the intelligence from Petronius was come to him before Agrippa began to mediate: That Agrippa comming as at other times to attend the Emperour, was so cast down and daunted at the terror of his lookes, and thunder of his words against the Jewes, that hee fell downe in a swoone, in which hee lay till the next day. Then hee addresseth a Letter to him in his peoples behalfe, so powerfull and pithy, that Caius betwixt anger and calmenesse▪ betwixt commending Agrippa, and being displeased with him, at the last granteth it to Agrippa as a speciall boone, that the dedication of his Image should not goe forward: and to such a purpose hee writeth to Petronius; but withall mingling mischiefe with this his mitigation, hee giveth order that if any one would set up his Image, or dedicate his statue in any towne or City of Iudea, (Ierusalem excepted) it should not bee opposed, but the opposer should be suddainly and severely punished. A politicke and a deadly plot to involve the Nation in an insurrection and rebellion: For the enemies of the Jewes would bee ready to bee erecting such offences; not so much for the honour of Cesar, as for spite of the Iewes, and the Iewes would bee as ready to oppose them to the hazard of their lives, because they abhorred Idols for themselves, and not for the place; and the tyrant would bee as ready as either to take this opportunity of their insurrection, to entangle them in a destructive Warre. But the time of their finall desolation was not yet come, and so it pleased God that none of their enemies were active at this time in this kinde; nor when he set a worke a Colosse to bee made for him in Rome, intending from thence to convey it secretly into the Temple at Ierusalem, it tooke effect according to his impious designe and desire, but came to nothing and the intention quashed, either by his death, which fell out the beginning of the next yeare, or by some other stop and hinderance.
Sect. V. Flaccus Avilius in banishment, and his end.
The last yeare wee brought Flaccus to the Isle of Andros, and now let us land him there. When he came within kenne of Land, hee burst out into teares and lamentation, comparing that place in his pensive thoughts with Italy and Egypt, and his deplorable condition of life upon which he was now to enter, with the pompe and prosperity in which hee had lived in those two places of his education and Authority. Being landed, his pensivenesse increased the more, by how much hee was now nearer to that misery which his thoughts presaged. His demeanor in this his banishment; if Philo have not set it forth with more Rhetoricke then truth, was full of horrour and amazednesse: avoiding the society of men, running up and downe the woods, tearing his haire, tormenting himselfe, and sometimes rising out of his sleepe at midnight, and running abroad, and hee would looke up towards Heaven and cry out in a lamentable note. foreign. O King of Gods and men, thou art not therefore carelesse of the Nation of the Iewes.
Thus did hee spin out a miserable life for certaine moneths, till Caesar cut his woefull thred in two. For the tyrant lying awake one night and could not sleepe, among other thoughts that came into his mischievous minde, hee considered how happily retired those men lived that were banished: they wanting nothing, and enjoying all things in enjoying themselves. The cruell caitife from these thoughts of their estate, began to envy it, and accounting their banishment rather a pleasure then a punishment, hee gave charge the next morning that they should all bee slaine. Under this doome fell Flaccus, one of the first in the Tyrants thoughts, because one of the first in his displeasure. Executioners are sent for his dispatch, whose errand hee knew as soon as hee saw them, and from them he flies as soone as hee knew them. But it is in vain to flee, and it is too late, for they and vengeance have soon over taken him, and with many wounds have put him to death.
Sect. VI. The Embassadors of the Alexandrian Iewes before the Emperour.
The miseries of the Alexandrian Iewes could finde no remedy, while the source from whence they flowed, was not stopped, but overflowed them continually. The well-head of this their mischief was double▪ The spitefull counsell that was given the Emperor against them by others; and the endlesse rancour that he bare to them himself. To stop the current, and inundation of the calamity that overwhelmed them continually from these to puddle springs, they can find no better, or more feasable meanes and way then to send some men of their owne Nation to Rome, to atone, intercede & mediate for them. Wee left them upon their journey the last yeare, three in number, as saith Iosephus, but five, as Philo, who was one of them himselfe: and now let us trace them to Rome, and see how they speed.
Their first sight of the Emperour was in Campus Martius, who saluted them friendly, and promised to give them hearing with a great deale of speed, and it was hoped by the most of them with a great deale of favour, but it proved farre otherwise. For he shortly went out of the City down to Puteoli by the sea, and they follow him thither. There they first heare the tydings of the state of Iudea under Petronius, and of Cesars Image that was preparing. From Puteoli they follow him to Rome againe, and there being admitted to audience, hee with a terrible and grinning countenance first asked them; What? are you that people that of all others scorne my Deity, but had rather worship your namelesse God? and then scornfully lifting his hands up to Heaven, hee named the name Iehovah. At this all the company of the malignant party rejoyced, as accounting they had got the day. But when the Iewes began to excuse and answer for themselves, hee flung away, and fisked from room to room, they following him all this while: At last, after some chiding at somewhat that hee disliked in the rooms, and appointing how hee would have it mended; hee asked them, How comes it to passe that you forbeare to eate Swines flesh? Here the company laughed out againe: and as the Iewes began to answer, hee angerly interposed thus, I would faine know what are those priviledges of your City, that you challenge? When they began to speake, hee fisked away into another roome. Shortly hee commeth to them againe in a milder manner: And now, saith hee, what say you? And when they began to lay open their matter to him, away flings hee into another roome againe. At last, comming againe more mildly still, These men seeme to mee, saith hee, not so evill, as miserable, which cannot bee perswaded that I am a God; And so hee bad them to depart. And thus concluded this great scene of expectation, for ought that wee can find further in Philo. But whether this was the very end of the matter, or it proceeded further, but that the relation of it is failing in Philo, is hard to decide. It seemeth by him that this was the end of their conference with the Tyrant, but it appeareth withall, that they presented him with some Palinodia, or recantation, which is perished and gone. Eusebius speaketh of five Bookes written by Philo, Eccles. Hist. l. … c. 5.about the calamities of the Iewes, and the madnesse of Caius, whereof wee have but two extant at this time, that against Flaccus, and that about the Ambassy to Caius, and the other three seeme to bee the Palinodia, or it to bee some part of them.
Sect. VII. Apion.
Among the five, or three Ambassadors of a side, (as Iosephus and Philo differ in their number) the most renowned in their contrary and differing kindes were Apion the Greeke, and Philo the Iew; the others are wholly namelesse, and their memory exstinct, but these two have left a perpetuation of theirs behind them by their writings.
Apion was an Egyptian, born in the utmost borders thereof in a place called Oasis, but fained himselfe for an Alexandrian. A man given to the Grecian studies of Philosophy, but with more vainglory then solidity. Hee not contented, to have been a personall accuser of the Jewes to Caius in that their Ambassy, wrote also bitterly against them in his Egyptian History, to disgrace them to posterity. Of which Iosephus that wrote two bookes in answer of him giveth this censure. That some things that hee had written were like to what others had written before, other things very cold, some c…lumnious, and some very unlearned. And the end and death of this black-mouthed railer hee describeth thus To mee it seemeth, that hee was justly punished for his blasphemies, even against his owne Countrey lawes, for hee was circumcised of necessity, having an ulcer about his privities, and being nothing helped by the cutting or circumcising, but putrifying with miserable paines, hee dyed, Contr. Apion. lib. 2.
Sect. VIII. Philo the Iew.
Philo was a Jew by Nation, an Alexandrian by birth: by line, of the kindred of the Priests; and by family, the brother of Alexander Alabarcha. His education was in learning, and that mixed, according to his originall and residence, of the Jewes, and of the Greekes: his proofe was according to his education, versed in the learning of both the Nations, and not inferiour to the most learned in either: From this mixture of his knowledge, proceeded the quaintnesse of his stile and writing; explaining Divinity by Philosophy, or rather forcing Philosophy out of Divinity, that hee spoyled the one, and did not much mend the other. Hence his Allegories which did not onelyonly ob…cure the cleare Text, but also much soile the Theologie of succeeding times. His language is sweet, smooth, and easie, and Athens it selfe is not more elegant and Athenian. For attaining to the Greeke in Alexandria, partly naturally, (that being a Grecian City) and partly by studie, (as not native Grecians used to doe) hee by a mixture of these two together, came to the very Apex and perfection of the language, in copiousnesse of words, and in choice. His stile is alwayes fluent, and indeed often to superfluity, dilating his expressions sometimes so copious, that hee is rather prodigall of words, then liberall, and sheweth what hee could say if the cause required, by saying so much, when there is little or no cause at all. And to give him his character for this, in short, Hee is more a Philosopher then a scripture man in heart, and more a Rhetorician then a Philosopher in tongue. His manner of writing is more ingenious then solid, and seemeth rather to draw the subject whereon hee writeth whither his fancy pleaseth, then to follow it whither the nature and inclination of it doth incline. Hence his allegorizing of whatsoever commeth to his hand, and his peremptory confidence in whatsoever hee doth allegorize, insomuch that sometimes hee perswadeth himselfe that hee speaketh mysteries, as pag. 89. and sometimes hee checketh the Scripture, if it speake not as hee would have it, as page 100.
How too many of the Fathers in the primitive Church followed him in this his veine, it is too well knowne, to the losse of too much time, both in their writing and in our reading. Whether it were because hee was the first that wrote upon the Bible, or rather because hee was the first that wrote in this straine, whose writings came unto their hands, that brought him into credit with Christian Writers, he was so farre followed by too many, that while they would explaine Scripture, they did but intricate it, and hazarded to lose the truth of the story, under the cloud of the Allegory. The Jewes have a straine of writing upon the Scripture, that flyeth in a higher region then the writings of Christians, as is apparent to him that shall read their Authors. Now Philo being a Jew, and naturally affecting like them to soare in a high place, and being by his education in the Grecian wisdome more Philosophical then the Iews usually were, and by inclination much affected with that learning, hee soareth the Jewish pitch with his Grecian wings, and attaineth to a place in which none had flowne in before (unlesse the Therapeutae, of whom hereafter) writing in a straine that none had used before, and which too many, or at least many too much used after; of his many strange and mysterious matters that hee findeth out in his veine of allegorizing, let the Reader taste but some.
As see what hee saith of the invisible Word of God, pag. 5. & pag. 24. & 169. & 152.
How hee is a Pythagorean for numbers, pag. 8. & pag. 15, 16, 31. where hee is even bewitched with the number Seven; and pag. 32, 33. as the Therapeutae were 695. from whom hee seemeth to have sucked in his Divinity.
Pag. 9. Hee accounteth the Starres to presage future things; whom in pag. 12. hee almost calleth intelligible Creatures, pag. 168. and immortall Spirits, pag. 222.
Pag. 12. Hee seemeth to thinke that God had some Coadjutors in mans Creation.
Pag. 15. God honoured the seventh day, and called it holy; for it is festivall not to one people or region onelyonly, but to all: which is worthy to bee called the festivity of the people, and the nativity of the world.
Pag. 43. Hee distinguisheth betwixt Adam formed and made, earthly and heavenly.
Pag. 57. He teacheth strange Doctrine, which followeth more copiously, pag. 61. about two natures created in man, good and bad.
Pag. 68. Observe his temperance when his list.
Pag. 86. Hee beleeveth that his soul had sometime her raptures, and taught him strange, profound, and unknowne speculations, as there she doth concerning the Trinity, and in pag. 89. He thinketh he talketh mysteries.
Pag. 94. Faith the most acceptable Sacrifice; an unexpected confession from a Jew.
Pag. 100. He checketh Ioseph the Patriarch for impropriety of speech, and hee will teach him how to speak.
Pag. 102. Speaking of the death of Moses, hee saith, foreign, &c. Hee is not gathered, or added, fainting or failing, as men had done before, for hee admitted not either of addition or defection, but hee is translated or passeth away by the Authoritie of that efficient word by which the universe was made.
Pag. 122. Hee is againe very unmannerly and uncivill with Joseph, and so is hee againe in pag. 152. hee had rather lose his friend then his jest, and censure so great a Patriarch then misse his Allegory.
That Aaron used imposition of hands upon Moses, pag. 126.
Pag. 127. That Abel slaine yet liveth, as Heb. 11.
Pag. 152. God like a Shepherd and King governeth all things in the world by right and equity, foreign: Setting over them his upright word, which is his first begotten Son, who taketh the care of this sacred heard, like the Deputy of some great King.
Pag. 161. He sheweth his learning is the great Encyclica.
Pag. 168. Hee calleth Angels Genii and Heroes, according to the Greekes, and holdeth that they were created in the aire, but in the superiour part of it neer the Skie, and fly up and downe there, pag. 221, 222.
Pag. 170. His Allegories make him impious, and hee counteth the story of Paradise to bee but foolery, if it bee taken literall.
Pag. 180. Hee talketh a Rabinall tale about the invention of musicke.
Hee constantly followeth the Lxx, as appeareth, pag. 160, 179, 218, 245, 255.
Pag. 190. He maketh God and his wisdome, as it were father and mother, of whom the world was generate, but not humano more.
Ibid. He readeth that place, Prov. 8.22. The Lord created me the first of his workes. For saith hee, it was necessary that all things that came to generation, should be younger then the mother and nurse of all things.
Pag. 191. He is very uncivill with Iethro.
Pag. 205. He holdeth Lots wife to have been turned into a stone.
Pag. 206. He was in the Theater at a play.
Pag. 213. Hee holdeth Isaac weaned at seven yeares old. And mentioneth certaine Dialogues made by himselfe, personating Isaac and Ismael. He calleth cap. 32. of Deuteronomie foreign, Canticum majus, according to the Rabbins phrase: so likewise pag. 179.
Pag. 214. Iacob praying for Ioseph saith, foreign. It is very questionable where this speech is to bee found.
Pag. 223. The spirit of God is an immortall knowledge.
Pag. 232. He treateth de Primogenito, & secundogenito Dei: that is, of his Word and the World.
Pag. 234. Hee holdeth freewill, but it is in comparison of the actions of men with the effects of Plants and Brutes.
Pag. 241. He is fallen out with Ioseph againe.
Pag. 251. Hee telleth a fable, how all Birds and Beasts spake the same language, and understood one another; but that their tongue was confounded because they petitioned that they might never grow old, but renew their youth as the Serpent doth, who is the basest of them.
But this is more then enough for a taste: wee shall conclude his Character with that Apophthegme that came from him when Caius was in a rage against him and his fellow-Commissioners, How ought wee to cheare up, saith he, though Caius bee angry at us in words, seeing in his deeds hee even opposeth God? Iosephus relateth it, Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 10.