A. D. 61. their lying in wait, he went and entred into the calle, and told Paul.

17. Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and faid, Bring this young captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

man unto the chief

and a Nephew of Paul's having fome Intimation of it, went into the Caftle and told him of it.

17 & 18. Upon which Advice, Paul fent for the Centurion that guarded him, and begged of him to carry his Nephew to the Captain, for he had something of confiderable Moment to impart to him; who accordingly did fo. 18. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and faid, Paul the prifoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath fomething to fay unto thee.

19. Then the chief

captain took him by
the hand, and went
with him afide pri-
vately, and asked him,

20. And he faid,
The Jews have agreed
to defire thee, that
thou wouldst bring

down Paul to morrow
into the council, as
though they would

19. The Captain took the young Man into a private Room, and demanded his Business;

What is it that thou haft to tell me?

20 & 21. Who difcovered the whole Particulars of the Sadducees Plot against Paul, and earnestly requested him not to bring him feated their mutinous Design, any more into Court, and fo de

enquire fomewhat of him more perfectly.

21. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now they are ready, looking for a promife from thee.

22. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged bim, See

thou tell no man that

thou haft fhew'd these
things to me.

23. And he called
unto him two centu-
rions,

22. The Captain affur'd him he would take care of it, but charged the young Man to keep the Secret, for fear he fhould by red from preventing it. any tumultuous Affaults be hind

23 & 24. He then forthwith ordered two Centurions to pro

vide

rions, faying, Make
ready two hundred
foldiers to go to Ca-
farea, and horsemen
threescore and ten, a
, and
Spearmen two hund-
red, at the third hour

of the night.

vide a Guard of Four hundred A. D. 61.
and feventy Horfe and Foot to
go to Cafarea that Night at nine
a-Clock, and conduct Paul thi-
ther, and deliver him to Felix
the Roman Procurator of Judæa,
who kept his Refidence in that
Town.

may fet Paul on, and bring him fafe

24. And provide them beafts, that they unto Felix the governor.

25. And he wrote a letter after this man

ner:

26. Claudius Lyfias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, fendeth greeting. 27. This man was taken of the Jews, and fhould have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

28. And when I would have known the cause wherefore

they accufed him, I brought him forth in

to their council:

25, 26 & 27. And by them fent Felix a Letter, in which he acquaints him, That the Perfon he had fent him under this Guard, was lately taken up by the Jews in the Temple, and had like to have been murdered in a most riotous Manner, if he had not refcued him by a Band of his Soldiers, which he thought himself bound to do, both to keep the Peace, and to preferve the Life of a Roman Free-man, as Paul was.

28 & 29. But that however to do the Jews Juftice, he had given the Man a Tryal before their High-Prieft and Council, where he could find nothing but QuarMembers of it, about Niceties of rels and Difputes between the their own Religion, and not any thing proved against the Prisoner that amounted to Death, or fo much as Imprisonment by the Roman Law, nor indeed by their own neither.

30. Next Day (faith he) I found fome of the Sadducees had laid a Plot to murder him, which I have taken Care to prevent, by M 4

fending

172

A. D. 61. fent firaitway to thee,
and gave command.
ment to his accufers
alfo, to fay before
thee what they had
Fare-
against him.
wel.

31. Then the foldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipa

fending him to you, and referring the Matter to your Hearing, and have accordingly given Notice to the Council to appear at your Court, if they intended any further Prosecution against him. Farcwel.

31 & 32. The Guard took Paul and carried him that Night seventeen Miles, as far as Antipatris, and next Morning the Foot left him to be conveyed by the Horse to Cafarea, and return'd back to 32. On the morrow they left the horsemen their Officer at Jerufalem. to go with him, and returned to the castle.

tris.

33. The Horfe arrived, and delivered their Letter with their Prifoner to Felix.

33. Who when they
came to Cæfarea. and
delivered the epiftle
to the governor, pre-
fented Paul alfo before him.

34. And when the
governor had read the
letter, he asked of
what province he
was. And when he
underflood that he
was of Cilicia;

35.
I will hear
thee, faid he, when
thine accufers are
alfo come. And he
commanded him to
be kept in Herod's
judgment hall.

34. As foon as Felix had read it, he asked Paul what Province he belonged to, and where his Freedom lay; he told him at Tarfus in Cilicia.

35. Well, fays Felix, the HighPrieft and Council fhall be fummon'd hither, and you fhall have a fair Tryal before me. And in the mean time ordered him to be kept in one of the Apartments of Herod's Court of Justice,

СНАР,

CHAP. XXIV.

The CONTENTS.

Paul's Tryal at Cæfarea, before Felix and the Jewish Council. Tertullus opens the Caufe against him. Paul's Defence of himself. Felix defers the Sentence, and treats Paul with Humanity in his Confinement. Felix fends for Paul, to give him a private Account of his Religion. Paul's Difcourfe to Felix. The Effect it had on him. He leaves Paul, in Confinement, to his Succeffor Feftus,

1.

AND after five

days, Ananias the high priest defcended with the elders, and with a cer

tain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

I.

FIVE

IVE Days after Paul was A. D. 61. put into Felix's Cuftody at Cæfarea (Chap. xxiii. 33, &c.) The High-Prieft, and feveral of the great Council (especially fuch

of the Sadducees as were most inveterate against him) came thither to attend upon Felix, and to follow their Profecution; bringing with them one Tertullus a Roman Lawyer, and a famous Pleader, to manage for them.

2. And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accufe bim, faying, Seeing that by thee we en

joy great quietness, and that very worthy to this nation by thy providence,

deeds are done un

3. We agcept it always, and in all places, moft noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

2 & 3. The Court being fet,
and Paul called to the Bar, Ter-
tullus began to open the Charge
with a flattering Oration in Praise
of Felix, the Happiness they en-
joyed under his Management and
Government, with all Expreffions
of Gratitude for it; the better to

biafs him in Favour of his Caufe:
Wherein he acted a most fulfom and
hypocritical Part; for though Felix
had done fome good Actions in the
Beginning of his Government, he

had

*Ver. 2. Very worthy Deeds, or Kaloç0wμálar yevouérar Regulations made-See Jofephus as quoted below.

Vol. I. A. D. 61. had been ever fince a notorious Oppreffor of the People, and was accufed for it to Nero.*

4. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee, that thou wouldst hear us of thy clemency a few words.

5. For we have found this man a peftilent fellow, and a mover of fedition among all the Jews thro'out the world, and a ring-leader of the fect of the Naza

renes:

6. Who alfo hath

4, 5 & 6. Then he came to his Charge, which confifted of three Parts, in the first whereof Paul was accused as a Perfon of feditious Practices among the Jews in feveral Parts of the Roman Empire; next, that he made himself the Head of a dangerous and heretical Sect of Religion, called Nazarenes, (i. e. Chriftians) from one JESUS of Nazareth; and then, that he had profaned the Temple, by bringing Heathens uncircumcifed into it, contrary to the Law.

gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.