A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Part 2 · Chapter 24
CHAP XXIV. Paul carry'd to Ceſarea.
THIS Chapter contains the Hiſtory of thoſe Tranſactions concerning Paul before this Faelix the Governour at Ceſarea (after his wonderful deliverance from the Jews in Jeruſalem) where he was admitted to have a fair legal Tryal: And herein may be obſerved theſe following Reſolves.
N.B. 1. The preparation for his Tryal at Law, the Plaintiffs, the Defendant, the Lawyer (that formed the indictment) and the Judge of that Court of Judicature, v. 1.
2. The management of this Tryal; whereof there be three parts.
1. The Preface of Tertullus's ſtarched Oration, wherein, 1ſt. He flatters the Judge for freeing the Country from Robbers (the greater thief pick'd up the leſſer) and he commends Paul's accuſers for their graditude to him for ſo doing, verſe 2, 3. promiſing withal to avoid prolixity of Speech that he might not too long interrupt the Governour's other weighty affairs, verſe 4.2ly. The Articles of Paul's accuſation he rehearſes, which were, Sedition, Hereſy, and Prophaning the Temple, verſe 5, 6. which he, 3ly. Backs with the Teſtimony of Lyſias (whom he tacitly accuſeth for reſcuing the priſoner) verſe 7, 8. and of the Jews then preſent, being come from Jeruſalem, ver. 9.
The 2d. Part of the Tryal, is, Paul's defence he made to this Accuſation which conſiſts of two branches. 1ſt. His Preamble for the cauſing attention giving the Judge his due reſpect without flattery, verſe 10. 2ly. His confutation of all the Articles whereof he was accuſed, as, 1. Of Sedition, which he denys, and confirms his denyal by Arguments drawn from the improbability both of time (being too ſhort to move Sedition in, had he deſigned) verſe 11. and of place (he being in Jeruſalem, a City far Remote from ſuch places where Sedition was uſually raiſed) verſe 12.2. Of Hereſy, juſtifying his own innocency, and evincing their malice for want of proof, verſe 13. and making a good confeſſion of his Faith (as his Lord had done, 1 Tim. 6.13.) verſe 14, 15, 16. And 3. Of violating the Temple, which he cleareth himſelf of by declaring another errand he had thither about Alms, verſe 17. and it was not he, but the Jews of Aſia that made the Tumult in the Temple verſe 18, 19. not did he diſturb the Council, ſave only that he cryed up the Doctrine of the Reſurrection, &c. v. 20, 21.
The third part is the Judgment of the Judge, deferring the final Sentence until Lyſias's coming, verſe 22. and his kindneſs to the priſoner after this Tryal; verſe 23. hearing him preach, verſe 24, 25. yet not void of Avarice and Flattery, ver. 26, 27.
The Remarks ariſing from theſe Reſolves are theſe:
The firſt is; The Devil's Drudges ſpare no pains or coſt in doing his Drudgery with utmoſt Diligence, as here, verſe 1. Ananias the High-Prieſt, and the Elders can travel from the City Jeruſalem to Ceſarea on the Sea ſide for doing miſchief againſt Paul: How did the Spirit of perſecution prompt them and put wings upon them: It ſtill ſtuck in the High-Prieſt's ſtomach, that the Apoſtle had call'd him [a whited Wall] and therefore he ſticks not to lay aſide his Home-Grandeur, and to be at the pains of an ordinary traveller, &c. yea and to be alſo at the coſt of hireing a Lawyer to accuſe Paul. Oh! how ſweet is revenge even in the very Expectation before or without fruition, would to God we were aſhamed for being out-vyed and out-done by the Devil's Servants in our ſervice to Chriſt.
The ſecond Remark is; The Devil never ſtarves his curſed deſigns for want of cunning tools to carry them on, as here: he had his Tertullus, an Eloquent orator, a Lawyer, who had [linguam Venalem] He could teach his tongue to lye, and tune it any way for a luſty Fee. This maſter of his Craft muſt be the man that ſhall draw up a black bill of indictment againſt the poor priſoner, and lay load enough, and too much upon Paul, verſe 2, 5, &c. This Maſter of words ſeems to be ſtraitned for want of words and (uſing the abſtract for the concrete) calls Paul a Peſt or Plague to all places where he came, as if all his Rhetorick could not reach the Miſchieuouſneſs of the man: Machiavel learnt this Leſſon [Audacter & fortiter Calumniare, tunc aliquid haerebit, Reproach luſtily and ſomething will stick] from this Mercenary lying Lawyer, perhaps of the ſame ſize with a later lyar in Law, who ſaid, he that will not venture his body will never be valiant, and he of the long gown that will not venture his Soul, ſhall never be wealthy, &c. However, the veracity of his forged Articles againſt Paul, dreſſed up in moſt gawdy garments of Artificial eloquence, made him merit the ſame commendable character, given to a Paraſitical Duke pleading with the Londoners in the behalf of Richard the third; That never any man could deliver ſo much bad matter in ſuch good words and ſo many quaint phraſes and Rhetorical Flouriſhes.
The third Remark is; The luſtre and beauty both of Holineſs to God and Righteouſneſs to men cannot become a ſufficient Shield or Target to defend innocency from cauſeleſs calumnyes, as here: Tho' Paul had made it his daily Exerciſe to keep his Conſcience void of Offence both to God and Man, verſe 16 yet how is he calumniated here, and hath his back burdened with the fouleſt reproaches by this foul-mouth'd Orator, wrap'd up in the fineſt ſilken words: How is he branded for being a botch of his Country and ſtigmathized with being a mover of Sedition, which the Jews liked well enough in order to caſt off the Roman yoke, yet becauſe this Aſperſion was odious to the Romans, therefore muſt Paul be charged with Sedition to indanger him of his life, by this Roman Governor, Faelix: Nay, he is charged higher, to be the Anteſignanus, the chief Captain, or Ring-leader of an unruly Rabble: and what not was wanting in the Accuſation to render him the vileſt of Miſcreants [planè quaſi ejus nomen non viri, ſed vitii eſſe videretur] as if the name of Paul had plainly been rather the name of ſome moſt notorious vice and miſchief, and not of any mortal man, N.B. Now if ſuch a pretious perſon as Paul was (whom Chryſostom honours with this Character, that the earth never bare a better man ſince it bare our dear Redeemer) were thus miſ-called, and counted a Peſt, a Plague, a botch, &c. why ſhould ſuch worthleſs worms as we, murmur to meet with many leſſer reproaches: This hath ever been the reward of a wicked world to the Godly prophets, &c. Elijah was called the troubler of Iſrael, &c. And Luther ſtyled [tuba Rebellionis] the Trumpet of Rebellion, &c. N.B. And this is the Deviliſh practice of the Perſecutors of this day: Juſt as they laid all loud lyes to Paul's charge (for taking away his life, accuſing him for ſtirring up the people to ſtand up for their liberty and property againſt the Romans, who now ruled with rigour over them, &c. Even ſo its done now, &c. And tho' Tertullus accuſe Paul for prophaning the Temple (over and above his other crimes) yet doth he not mention wherin, knowing that to ſay [the uncircumciſed did defile the Temple] would have reflected upon Felix who was not circumciſed: Thus he aggravates for his Advantage, and diminiſhes for his diſadvantage, and both without proof.
The fourth Remark is; The Holy Spirit doth more and better inable God's Servants to Apologize for themſelves than the evil Spirits can the Devil's vaſſals to accuſe them: Thus was it here, N. B. Tho' the Devil had got his Tertullus (as eloquent an Orator, as Cicero in Rome, or Demoſthenes in Greece) to implead and impeach Paul; yet behold with what a Flood of Eloquence doth Paul unſtarch all Tertullu's ſtarched invective, and make an excellent Vindication of his own innocency, from verſe 10. to the 22. Wherein he moſt ſtrenuouſly, Argueth;
1. In giving all due reſpect to the Governor yet not flattering him with falſities, as Tertullus had done.
2. In mentioning how long Faelix had been Judge, and ſo appealing to him whether any complaints (of his being Seditious) were ever brought to him all that time.
3. In demonſtrating how improbable it was, that he, at a time (which he had wholly ſpent in performing his purification, & being a cloſe priſoner all the other five days, v. 11.) ſhould be in any capacity actually to raiſe Seditious Tumumlts, but was paſsive in all.
4 In alledging his Errand to the City was not Sedition, but to worſhip God, and to bring Alms for the Poor, v. 11, 17.
5. In urging his own prudent Avoidance of what was in it ſelf lawful to diſcourſe of the Law and prophets, as Luke 2.46. which he forbears to do rather than give offence, verſe 12.
6. In putting his adverſaries upon proof of their Articles, ver. 13.
7. In making a good confeſsion of his death, v. 14, 15, 16. as Chriſt did.
8. In ſetting the Saddle upon the right Horſe, ſaying all the Tumult that happened was by themſelves, v. 18.
9. In pleading that the only proper witneſſes were the Jews of Aſia, who ſhould have been preſent and not thoſe that could only teſtifie by hear-ſay, which cannot be ſufficient evidence, v. 19.
10. In appealing to the very Conſciences of thoſe Jews that were there preſent, if they could charge him with any fault made in the Council, ſave his defending the Reſurrection of the dead, v. 20, 21.
N.B. Oh! how bravely hath Paul pleaded his own cauſe here: Indeed ſuch a powerful pleader, and ſo elegant an Orator was Paul here, and elſewhere, that the grand Atheiſt, Porphury, ſaid, it was pitty ſuch a man as Paul (who could be ſo eloquent when he liſted) ſhould be beſtowed upon the Chriſtian Religion, but it was not he, ſo much as the Spirit of God that ſpake in him, Matth. 10.19, 20.
The fifth Remark is; The God of mercy multiplies mani-fold mercies on, and marvelous deliverances for his Servants that truſt in him, as here on and for Paul. How was the Judge aſtoniſhed and plainly ſtun'd to hear the Apoſtle's convincing and confounding Apology for himſelf, inſomuch that perceiving the Jews had more malice than matter againſt Paul (who had been ſo plentifully ſupplyed from heaven both with invention and Elocution in matter and manner to the Amazment of all) he deferred to give Sentence, and diſmiſſed the Court (pretending he muſt have more time to inform himſelf (as ſome read the words, v. 22) whether the Law and the Goſpel could conſiſt together, and till Lyſias the chief witneſs (being preſent at all theſe Tranſactions) could come up from Jeruſalem to Ceſarea) whereby the whited Wall, Ananias the High-Prieſt, &c. came but bluely off with a diſappointment, they depart with a flea in their Ear, and the former rigour towards Paul was Relaxed, he was no more to be confined to a cloſe Dungeon, but to have the Liberty of the Priſon for his Relations and Friends to reſort unto him, verſe 22, 23. N.B. Thus our gracious God can caſt in thoſe outward comforts to his poor perplexed people when he Judges this mercy to be meet for them, and will do them moſt good (for he is a God of Judgment & only waits for ſuch a ſeaſon, Iſa. 30.18.) yea and can cauſe his and our enemies to become Contributors hereunto.
The ſixth Remark is; Even very bad men and profligate perſons God over-ruleth to do very good actions for the ſake of his Servants: Joſephus brandeth this Faelix for his intolerable Covetouſneſs, Cruelty, Sacriledge, Murderings and all manner of wickedneſs &c. yet he knowing the curſed qualities of the degenerate Jews by long Experience, and having heard how falſly and frivolouſly they had calumniated Paul, not only with foul words, but ſuch as had no weight nor worth in them: He not only acquits him of his Crimes and lets him have liberty (only with a Chain and a Keeper to gratify the Jews) but alſo ſends for him to hear him preach, v. 24.
N.B. This is reckoned for a vertue in this vitious man, that he would countenance a poor priſoner ſo far as to accept of him for his preſent Chaplain and Preacher, to provide him an opportunity, and an Auditory, amongſt which was principally his Wife Druſilla (who had been out of Town, and whom he had met and conducted home, v. 25.) being a Jeweſs, to hear him concerning the Faith in Chriſt, &c. And no leſs may it be reputed a vertue in this vitious Governour to tremble at the word, Iſa. 66.2. which obdurate ſinners cannot or will not do, Zech. 7.12. being paſt feeling, Eph. 4.19. 2 Tim. 4.2.
The ſeventh Remark is; The Goſpel muſt be preached there, where there is a lawful call, whatever perſons make up the Auditory: As Faelix had his foul faults largly recorded in the Roman Hiſtories: So Druſilla had much more, for beſide her being a Jeweſs, yet marrying an Uncircumciſed man, ſhe lived in filthy Adultery, for ſhe baſely forſook her own Husband, King of the Emeſens (as Joſephus ſaith) and joined her ſelf (not without Magical Tricks) to this Faelix in marriage, while her Husband was living, &c. Here was a pair of hopeful hearers the principal part of Paul's preſent Auditory whatever were the reſt, likely none of the beſt, it being in a blind Heathen Family, yet Paul boggles not to preach to thoſe at their call, not knowing what perſons, or in what hour God might call. This depends upon the Lord in Duty, &c.
The eight Remark is; A word in ſeaſon, how good is it? Prov. 15.23, &c. Paul here applys a Plaiſter ſuitable to the ſore; Thoſe perſons he preached to were defective in their Morals therefore he diſcourſeth of the Evil of Unrighteouſneſs and Incontinency, for which the day of Judgment will call to an account: This put the patient to pain, made him tremble. Paul's faithfulneſs met with no reproach or trouble, as John Baptiſt did from Herod, for the like, behold the force of Conſcience, which like Samſon's wife conceals not the Riddle: 'twere well if great perſons had ſuch faithful preachers. This might ſtop them in their Career of ſin, and make this evil World much better.
The ninth Remark is; Slight qualms of Conſcience never laſt long. Faelix puts Paul off (as over-ſharp) till another Seaſon, which never came, that we read off, v. 25. Delay of Duty is dangerous, his vices revive. 1. His Avarice, in expecting a bribe (contrary to the Law both of God and man) raiſed by a common purſe as he hoped for ſuch a Ring-Leader's Liberty. 2. His Adulation, as his Original was baſe and ſordid, ſo were his Actings, to flatter the Jews that they might not follow him with complaints about his oppreſſion, he leaves Paul bound when turned out of Office, verſe 26, 27. yet was ſent bound himſelf by his ſucceſſor Feſtus to Nero's Court: Thus Faelix (which ſignifieth Happy) became Infelix, unhappy, as carnal Polititians do, that mind pleaſing of men more than diſpleaſing of God.