¶ Paul is accused before Felix, he answereth for him selfe.
CAPI. XXIIII.
After fyue dayes, Ananias y• hye prest [unspec A] descended, wt the elders & with a cer∣tayne Oratour named Tartullus, which en¦formed y• debite agaynst Paule. And when Paul was called forth, Tartullus begāne to accuse hī, saying: Seing y• we liue in gret quietnes by the meanes of the, and that ma¦ny good thinges are done vnto this nacion thorowe thy prouidence: y• allowe we euer & in all plaes most noble Felix with all than∣kes. Notwithstandyng, that I be not tedi∣ous vnto the, I pray the, that thou woldest here vs of thy curtesy a few wordes.
For we haue founde this mā a pestilent fe¦low, [unspec B] & a mouer of debate vnto al the Iewes in y• whole world, & a mayntayner {fleur-de-lys} (of sedy∣cyon) of the secte of Nazarites, whyche hath also enforsed to pollute the tēple. Whom we toke, & wolde haue iudged accordyng to our lawe: but the hye captaine Lysias came vpon vs, & with great violence toke him a∣way out of our hādes, cōmaundyng his ac∣cusers to come vnto the. Of whō y• mayst (if thou wilt inquire) know the certayntie of al these thinges, wherof we accuse hī, The Ie∣wes lykewyse affirmed, sayinge, that these thinges were euen so.
Then Paul (after y• the debite hī self had beckened vnto hym y• he shulde speake) an∣swered: [unspec C] With a more quyet mynde do I an∣swere for my self, for asmuch as I understād y• thou hast bene of many yeres a iudge vn∣to this people, because y• thou mayst know, y• there are yet, but. xij. daies sēce I went vp to Ierusalē for to worshyp, & they neyther foūde me in y• temple disputyng wt any mā, either raysyng vp y• people, nether in y• Si∣nagoges, nor in y• cyte: Nether cā they proue the thinges wherof they accuse me.
But this I confesse vnto the, that after y• [unspec D] way (whiche they cal heresy) so worshyp I y• god of my fathers, beleuyng al thīges whi∣che are writtē in the law & the Prophetes, & haue hope towardes god, y• the same resur¦reccion of the dead (whych they them selues loke for also (shall be, both of lust & vniust. And therfore ‡ study I to haue alway a clere conscience towarde God, & towarde men.
But after many yeres, I came ‡ & brought almes to my people & offriges {fleur-de-lys} (and vowes) in the which they founde me purified in the temple, nether wt multitude, nor yet with vn¦quietnes {fleur-de-lys}(and they toke me, and cryed, say∣inge, away with our enemye, How be it there were certayne Iewes out of Asia, whiche ought to be here presēt before y•, & accuse me, yf they had ought against me: or els let these [unspec E] same here say, yf they haue foūde any eyull doying in me, whyl I stāde here in y• coūcel: except it be for this one voyce, y• I cryed stā∣dyng among thē: of the resurreccion from death am I iudged of you this day.
Whē Felix herd these thiges, he deferde thē, for he knewe very well of y• way, & sayd: when Lisias the captaine is come downe, I wyl know y• vtmost of your matter. And he cōmaūded an vnder captayne to kepe Paul & to let hī haue rest, & that he shulde forbyd none of his acquaynctaūce to ministre vnto him, or to come vnto him.
And after a certayne dayes, when Felix [unspec F] came with his wyfe Drucilla (which was a Iewesse) he called forth Paul, and herd him of the fayth, which is toward Christe. And as he preached of ryghtuousnes, tēperaūce, and iudgement to come. Felix trembled, and answered: Go thy way for thys tyme: when I haue a conuenient season, I wyl sende for the. He hoped also, that money shulde haue bene gyuen him of Paul, that he myght lose him: wherfore, he called him the oft••••er and comened with him. But after two yere, Fe∣stus Porcious came into Felix roume. And Felix willyng to shew the Iewes a pleasure left Paul in prison bounde.