¶ Paule commeth before the councell. Debate aryseth a∣monge the people, the Capytayne delyuereth hym. God comforteth hym.
CAPI. XXIII.
PAul behelde the coūcel, & sayd: men & bre¦thren [unspec A] I haue liued in al good cōscience before god vntyl this day. And the hye prest Ananias cōmaunded them that stode by, to smyte him on the mouth.
Then sayd Paul vnto hī: God shal smyte the yu paynted wal. Syttest yu and iudgest me after the lawe: & cōmaūdest me to be smi¦ten contrary to the law? And they yt stode by sayde reuylest yu Goddes hye preste? Then sayd Paul: I wyst not brethren, that he was the hye prest. For it is wryten: thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people.
Whē Paul perceyued yt the one part were [unspec B] Saduces, & the other Pharises, he cried out in the coūcel: Men & brethren, I am a Pha¦risey, the sōne of a Pharisey. Of the hope & resurrecyon from death, I am iudged.
And when he had so sayde, there arose a debate bytwene the Pharises and the Sa∣duces, and the multitude was deuyded. For the Saduces say, that there is no re∣surreccion, neyther angel, nor spirit: But the Phariseys graunt both.
And there arose a great cry: & whā thé scri¦bes which were of the Pharisyes part arose they stroue sayig: we finde none euyl in this man. Though a spirit or an angel hath appe¦red to him, let vs not stryue agaynst God.
And when there arose a great debate, the [unspec C] captayne (fearynge, least Paul shulde haue bene pluckt asondre of them (commaunded the souldiers to go downe: and to take him from among them, and to brynge hym into the Castel.
The nyght folowynge, God stode by hym, and sayde: be of good cheare Paule: for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalē ‡ so must thou beare wytnes also at Rome. And whan it was daye, certayne of the Ie∣wes gathered them selues togyther, & made a vowe, sayinge: that they wolde neyther eate nor dryncke, tyll they had kylled Paul. There were mo then fourtye men, whyche had made this conspiracion. And they came to the chefe Prestes and elders, and sayde: we haue boūde our selues with a vowe, that we wyl eate nothyng, vntyl we haue slayne Paule.
Nowe therfore gyue ye knowledge to the vpper Captayne and to the councel, that he [unspec D] bryng hym forth vnto vs to morowe, as though we wolde know some thynge more perfectly of hī. But we (or euer he come nere) are redy kyll him.
When Pauls systers sonne herde of their laying awayt, he went, and entred into the castle, and tolde Paul: And Paul called one of the vnder Captaynes vnto him, and said bryng this yonge man vnto the hye Capy∣tayne: for he hath a certayne thyng to shewe hym. And he toke him and brought hym to the hye captayne, and sayd: Paul the pryso∣ner called me vnto hym, and prayed me to bryng thys yong man vnto the, which hath a certayne matter to shewe the.
The hye Captaine toke him by the hand, [unspec E] and went with him out of the way: and as∣ked hym: what is it that thou hast to tel me: And he sayd: the Iewes are determyned to desyre the, that thou woldest brynge forth Paul to morow into the coūcell, as thoughe they wolde enquyre somwhat of him more perfectly. But folowe not thou their myn∣des: for there lye in wayte for hym of them. mo then fourty men, which haue bounde thē selues with a vowe, that they wyll neyther eate nor dryncke, tyll they haue kylled hym. And now are they redy, & loke that thou shul¦dest promes.
The vpper Captayne then let the yonge [unspec F] man departe, and charged hym sayinge, s•• thou tel it out to no man, that thou hast she∣wed these thinges to me. And he called vnto him two vnder Captaynes, saying: make re¦dy. ii. C. soudiers to go to Cesarea, & horsin•• threscore and ten, and speare men two hun∣dreth, at the thyrde houre of the nyght. And delyuer them beast{is}, that they may ser Paul on, and bring him safe vnto Felix the hye de∣bitie{fleur-de-lys} (For he dyd feare lest happly the Iewes shulde take hym awaye and kyll hym, and he hym self shuld be afterward blamed, as though he wolde take money) and he wrote a letter af¦ter this maner.
Claudious Lysias vnto the most mighty ruler Felix, sendeth gretynge. Thys man was taken of the Iewes, and shuld ha∣ue bene kylled of them. Then came I wyth soudiers, and reskued him, and perceaued that he was a Romayne. And when I wold haue knowen the cause, wherfore they accu∣sed him I brought hym forth into their Councell. There perceyued I that he was accused of questyons of theyr Lawe: But was not gylty of any thynge worthye of death or of bondes. And when it was she∣wed me, howe that the Iewes layde wayre