He asked them,

"Did we not

command you, that you should not preach in this name?" (meaning the name of Christ); the Apostles answered, "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our Fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things."

When the Chief Priests and Elders heard these words, they were cut to the heart, we are told; yet they did not repent, for they consulted together how they might slay these

men.

One of them, however, wiser or

more merciful than the rest, named Gamaliel, advised that they should be let alone; since if the Gospel they preached were their own device (their own invention that means), it would come to nothing; but if it were really from God, they could not overthrow it. His advice was taken, and the Apostles, after having been beaten, and commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, were set at liberty.

And here perhaps you will say, were not the Apostles now afraid?

No: they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake; and they continued to teach and baptize as He had commanded.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Seven Deacons.-Stephen's Death.

As the number of Christians increased, the Apostles' labours increased also, and they found themselves unable to perform all the duties which pressed upon them, in teaching, baptizing, and managing the charities and other affairs belonging to the Church. They therefore desired some of the disciples to look out among themselves for seven holy and discreet men, who had also

received the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and to whom they might entrust the care of the charities, and various other offices, some of them resembling those which our Clergy now perform. They were They were called the seven Deacons. I shall mention their names, because two of them were afterwards remarkable. Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.

And now I shall relate the history of the first Christian martyr. But I must first explain the word I have used.

The word martyr, then, means witness. A martyr is one who suffers for bearing witness to the truth.

E

Stephen, one of the seven Deacons I have mentioned, was the first Christian martyr. He had been permitted to work many miracles, which, with his boldness in speaking the Gospel truths, had fixed on him the anger of the chief persons among the Jews. He was seized, and dragged before the council of Chief Priests; and false witnesses were procured, who declared that they had heard him speak blasphemous words against God, and against his servant Moses.

Now as Stephen sat listening to these charges, his face, we are told, seemed, as it were, the face of an angel. Being permitted to answer the accusations brought against him,