V. Æ. 58.

Cæsarea.

J. P. 4771. so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets; and have hope 15 toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And 16 herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Now after many years 17 I Ch. xxi. 27. I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. Where- 18 upon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. Who ought to have 19 been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me. Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil do- 20 ing in me, while I stood before the council, except it be for this 21 s Ch. xxiii. 6. one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

J.P. 4773.
V. Æ. 60.

8

§ 32. After many Conferences with Felix, St. Paul is detained in Prison till the Arrival of Porcius Festus.

ACTS xxiv. 22, to the end.

And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect 22 knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter3. And he commanded a centurion to 23 keep Paul, and let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. And 24 after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, tem-25 perance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. He hoped also that money should have 26 been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. But after 27 two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound 35.

35

§ 33. Trial of St. Paul before Festus-He appeals to the Emperor.

ACTS XXV. 1—13.

Now when Festus was come into the province, after three 1

34 There are two modes of arranging the construction of this verse:-either, "When Felix heard these things he deferred them, and said, that after he had acquired a more perfect knowledge of that way, and Lysias being come, he would take full cognizance of the business;" or, "When he heard these things, having," &c. as in our translation. Beza and Grotius state that Felix had two points, the one of law, the other of fact, to determine. The first was, whether the new sect of the Nazarenes was against the law of Moses? the other, whether Paul was raising a tumult? On the first the learned were to be consulted; on the other, Lysias was the most conclusive witness. Hence delay was entirely proper. Whitby cannot allow that the text will bear this construction, and holds, with the English version, that Felix had already gained a knowledge of the Christian way by his residence at Cæsarea, where Cornelius was converted, and Philip the deacon and many disciples resided-Chap. xxi. 8. 16. Elsley, vol. iii. p. 330.

35 For the probable date of Felix's recal to Rome, see the remarks on Section II. Part XV.

XIII.] FESTUS' ACCOUNT OF THE CHRISTIAN CONTROVERSY.

V. Æ. 60.

Or, as some

copies read, no more than

eight or ten

days.

291 2 days he ascended from Cæsarea to Jerusalem. Then the High J. P. 4773. Priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, 3 and besought him, and desired favour against him, that he Cæsarea. would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill 4 him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cæsa5 rea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. 6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Cæsarea; and the next day sitting on the 7 judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against 8 Paul, which they could not prove. While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at 9 all. But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be 10 judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Cæsar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the 11 Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. 12 I appeal unto Cæsar 3. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar shalt thou go.

36

§ 34. Curious Account given to Agrippa by Festus, of the Accusation against St. Paul.

ACTS XXV. 13—23.

13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto 14 Cæsarea to salute Festus. And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying,

36 A freeman of Rome, who had been tried for a crime, and sentence passed on him, had a right to appeal to the emperor, if he conceived the sentence to be unjust; but, even before the sentence was pronounced, he had the privilege of an appeal in criminal cases, if he conceived that the judge was doing any thing contrary to the laws. Ante sententiam appellari potest in criminali negotio, judex contra leges hoc faciat.

An appeal to the emperor was highly respected. The Julian law condemned those magistrates, and others, having authority, as violators of the public peace, who had put to death, tortured, Scourged, imprisoned, or condemned any Roman citizen who had appealed to Cæsar. Lege Juliâ de vi publicâ damnatur, qui, aliquâ potestate præditus, Civem Romanum ad Imperatorem appellantem necarit, necarive jusserit, torserit, verberaverit, condemnaverit, in publica vincula duci jusserit.

This law was so very sacred and imperative, that, in the persecution under Trajan, Pliny would not attempt to put to death Roman citizens who were proved to have turned Christians; hence, in his letter to Trajan, lib. x. Ep. 97, he says, "Fuerunt alii similis amentiæ, quos, quia cives Romani erant, annotavi in urbem remittendos." "There were others guilty of similar folly, whom, finding them to be Roman citizens, I have determined to send to the city." Very likely these had appealed to Cæsar.-See Grotius ap. Dr. Clarke, and Bishop Pearce.

V. Æ. 60.

Cæsarea.

J.P. 4773. There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: about whom, 15 when I was at Jerusalem, the Chief Priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To 16 whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Therefore, when they 17 were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought 18 none accusation of such things as I supposed: but had certain 19 questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked 20 him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be reserved 21 unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cæsar. Then Agrippa said unto 22 Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

• Or, I was doubtful how to enquire hereof.

+ Or, judgment.

*

$ 35. St. Paul defends his Cause before Festus and Agrippa-Their Conduct on that Occasion.

ACTS XXV. 23, to the end, and chap. xxvi.

And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, 23 with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. And Festus said, King 24 Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed 25 nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. Of whom I have no 26 certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not 27 withal to signify the crimes laid against him. Then Agrippa 1 said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: I 2 think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: especially because I know thee to be 3 expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. My manner 4 of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from 5

XIII.]

ST. PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE FESTUS.

u

gave

293

V. Æ. 60.

the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most strait- J. P. 4773. 6 est sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto Cæsarea 7 our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's 8 sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise 9 the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the t Ch. viii. 3. saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the Chief Priests; and when they were put to death, I 11 my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto 12 strange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with u Ch. ix. 3. 13 authority and commission from the Chief Priests, at mid-day, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which 14 journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 15 it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou 16 persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and 17 of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom 18 now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among 19 them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly 20 vision but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do 21 works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught 22 me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those 23 which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to 24 the Gentiles. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learn25 ing doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and sober

J.P. 4773. ness.

V. Æ. 60.

Cæsarea.

For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also 26 I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou 27 believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou per- 25 suadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, 29 that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the 30 governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: and when 31 they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said 32 Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar.

$ 36. St. Paul, being surrendered as a Prisoner to the Centurion, is prevented from completing this Journey, by returning to Antioch, as he had usually done.

ACTS xxvii. 1.

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band‍”.

37

PART XIV.

The Fourth Journey of St. Paul.

§ 1. St. Paul commences his Voyage to Rome, as a Prisoner. ACTS xxvii. 2.

And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, mean

37 St. Luke here relates, that, "when St. Paul was sent from Cæsarea to Rome, he was with the other prisoners committed to the care of Julius, an officer of the Augustan cohort," that is, a Roman cohort, which had the honour of bearing the name of the emperor. Now it appears from the account which Josephus has given in his second book on the Jewish war (a), that when Felix was Procurator of Judæa, the Roman garrison at Cæsarea was chiefly composed of soldiers who were natives of Syria. But it also appears, as well from the same books (b), as from the twentieth book of his Antiquities (c), that a small body of Roman soldiers was stationed there at the same time, and that this body of Roman soldiers was dignified with the title of ZEBAETH, or Augustan, the same Greek word being employed by Josephus, as by the author of the Acts of the Apostles. This select body of Roman soldiers had been employed by Cumanus, who immediately preceded Felix in the Procuratorship of Judæa, for the purpose of quelling an insurrection. And when Festus, who succeeded Felix, had occasion to send prisoners from Cæsarea to Rome, he would of course intrust them to the care of an officer belonging to this select corps. Even here then we have a coincidence, which is worthy of notice-a coincidence which we should never have discovered, without consulting the writings of Josephus. But, that which is most worthy of notice is the circumstance, that this select body of soldiers bore the title of Augustan. This title was known of course to St. Luke, who accompanied St. Paul from Cæsarea to Rome. But that, in the time of the emperor Nero, the gar rison of Cæsarea, which consisted chiefly of Syrian soldiers, contained also a small body of Roman soldiers, and that they were dignified by the epithet Augustan, are circumstances so minute, that no impostor of a later age would have known them. And they prove incontestably, that the Acts of

the Apostles could have been written only by a person in the situation of St. Luke.

(a) Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 13, sect. 7. (b) Antiq. Jud. lib. xx. cap. 6. (c) Bishop Marsh's Lectures, part v. pp. 82. 84. Horne's Addenda to 2nd edit. of Crit. Introduct. p. 741.