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the received chronology, not less then 26
before this.

years

3. Story, of that first vision, of which so much has been seen namely, that from whence his conversion was dated: occasion, his journey to Damascus, for the execution of that same commission, verses 6 to 16.

4. Story of his trance: (for this see Chapter IV. §. 7.) In this state, "the Lord" seen by him.-Lord to Defendant. "Get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me." Defendant, to Lord. Informing or reminding said Lord of the details of the part borne by said defendant in the persecution of Saint Stephen.-Lord to Defendant. "Depart, for I will send thee far hence unto "the Gentiles." Note, Defendant cut short: Lord's patience no match for defendant's eloquence.

Judges and executioners.-At the word Gentiles, exclamation :-"Away with him.... he is not fit to "live:"-clothes cast off, as in Stephen's case, as if to prepare for stoning him*. "Dust thrown into the air." Present, chief captain Claudius Lysias, who commands him to be "brought into the castle," and "examined by scourging." While, for this purpose, they are binding him, on Defendant crying out, "I am

*If in any former part of this work, in speaking of this scene, the persons in question have been spoken of as having actually proceeded to acts of manual violence, it was an oversight.

As to the examination by scourging, singular enough will naturally appear this mode of collecting evidence: declared purpose of it," that he" (the captain) "might know wherefore they" (the Jews)" cried out against him," meaning the defendant. A simpler way would have been to have asked them; and, as to the scourge, what use it could have been of is not altogether obvious. To begin with torturing a man, and proceed by questioning him, was, however, among the Romans a well-known mode of obtaining evidence. But, then and there, as now and everywhere, unless the United States form an exception, "whatever is-is right," provided always that it is by power that it is done.

"a Roman citizen," the binding ceases, no scourging commences: the next day he is released, and the "chief priests and all their council" are "sent for," and defendant is "set before them."

SECTION 3.

TRIAL II. JUDICATORY, JERUSALEM COUNCIL-BOARD. Acts xxiii. 1 to 10.

JUDGES, chief priests in council assembled: present, the high priests. Prosecutors,, the said judge: other prosecutors, as far as appears, none. In modern Rome-bred law, this mode of procedure, in which the parts of judge and prosecutor are performed by the same person, is styled the inquisitorial: in contradistinction to this, that in which the part of prosecutor is borne by a different person, is stiled the accusatorial.

Charges or questions put, not stated.

Defendant. "I am a Pharisee.... the son of a "Pharisee. Of the hope and resurrection of the dead "I am called in question."

Thereupon (v.9.) "great cry".

-10. "Great

"dissention." "Chief captain, fearing lest" (Defendant) "Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them," (inuendo the said judges) "commands sol"diers," who take him back into the castle.

"Cry? dissention ?"-whence all this? Acts has not here been explicit enough to inform us. As to Defendant's plea, that it was for believing in the resurrection that he was prosecuted,-what could not but be perfectly known to him was,-that it neither was true, nor by possibility could be so. Among said Judges, parties two-Pharisees and Sadducees : Pharisees the predominant. "The Sadducees (on this

occasion, says v. 8) say there is no resurrection, neither "angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both." Prosecuting a Pharisee for preaching the resurrection, (meaning always the general resurrection) would have been as if a Church-of-Englandist Priest were indicted in the King's Bench, for reading the Athanasian creed. Accordingly-it was a stratagem of the defendant's-this same mis-statement: such it is expressly stated to be: when defendant "perceived (v. 6.) that "the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees," then it was that he came out with it: and, already it has been seen, how effectually it answered its purpose.

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Enter once more the history of the trance. Note here the sudden termination of defendant's first Jerusalem visit, alias his Reconciliation Visit, and turn back to Chapter IV. §. 7, Cause of it,-(historian speaking in his own person)" Grecians (Acts ix. 29) "went "about to slay him," for disputing with them:-(historian, speaking, to wit here, in defendant's person), Christianized Jews' disbelief of his conversion, and of that vision story of his, that he produced in evidence of it. It is on the occasion of the just-mentioned Temple trial, that Defendant is made to come out with it. On that occasion, as hath been seen, it was of no use: but, in this second trial, it will be seen to be of prime use. That it was told over again at this trial is not indeed expressly said: but, that it was so is sufficiently manifest. This and no other is the handle which his supporters in the council lay hold of: and this they could not have done, had he not, as will be seen presently, put it into their hands. "The Scribes (says ver. 9) that were of the "Pharisees' part, arose, and strove, saying, We find "no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Well then-this spirit, or this angel, who was he? Who but that spirit, whom defendant had so manifestly

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told them of, and who was no other than that "Lord" of his, whom he had seen in the trance: in the trance, which, while the multitude were beating him, invention had furnished him with for the purpose.

Mark now, how apposite a weapon the Pharisees found, in this same trance, in their war against the Sadducees. As to Jesus,-though from first to last, so far from being recognised by their sect, he had been the object of that enmity of theirs under which he sunk,-yet, so far as, in general terms, he preached the general resurrection,-his doctrine not only agreed with theirs, but was of no small use to them: it was of use to them, against those political rivals, whose opposition to their sect was the sole cause of every thing that was troublesome to it. As to Paul, -had he confined himself, to the speaking of Jesus's particular resurrection,—this indeed was what no Pharisee could be disposed to admit: but if, by Paul or any one else, Jesus, or any other person, was at any time seen in an incorporeal state,-here was a piece of evidence on their side. With relation to any interview of the Apostles with Jesus after his resurrection, nothing that Paul had to say-to say with truth or colour of truth-was any thing more than hearsay evidence: but, as to that, which on this occasion, he had been relating about the Lord, whom he had seen in his trance,-this, how false soever, was not only direct, but immediate evidence: evidence, in the delivery of which, the relating witness stated himself to have been, with relation to the alledged fact in question, a percipient witness.

That, on this occasion, Paul dwelt, with any particularity, on the appearance of Jesus in the flesh after his resurrection, is not said: and, as it would not have contributed any thing to the purpose, the less particular the safer and the better. Lord or not Lord, that which appeared was at any rate a spirit: and for the

war against the Sadducees, a spirit was all that was wanted: no matter of what sort.

SECTION 4.

TRIAL III. PLACE, CÆSAREA.-Acts xxiv. I—23. SCENE," Governor" Felix's judicatory. Judge, said Governor. Prosecutor, Orator Tertullus: Present, his clients, the "High Priest" and "the Elders." Procedure, accusatorial. Time, "twelve days (ver. 11.) after Trial 1; eleven, after Trial 2."

I. Counsel's Speech-Points touched upon in it, these:-(ver. 1—4.)

66

I. Opening compliment to Governor Judge.—His providence" and "clemency."

II. 1. Vituperative surplusage, of course as if in B. R.: though not paid for, in fees and taxes, by the sheet.-Defendant," a pestilent fellow."

Charges three. To make the matter more intelligible, had the proceeding been by writing in the first instance, they might have been styled counts.

2. Charge 1. Defendant "a mover of sedition 66 among all the Jews throughout the world."

3. Charge 2. Said Defendant "a ringleader of the "sect of the Nazarenes."

4. Charge 3. Defendant " "the temple."

gone about to profane

5. Statement made of Trial 2, and the termination given to it by Roman chief captain Lysias, taking said defendant out of their hands, and commanding accusers' appearance in this court: verses 7, 8.

6. Viva voce evidence accordant: witnesses, neither quality nor number stated. "And the Jews "also assented, saying that these things were so." ver. 9.

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