The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXII. How Paul, being sent bound from Judea to Rome, having made his defence, was wholly acquitted.

BUt Festus is by Nero sent as successour to this Felix: in whose time Paul having plea∣ded for himself is carried bound to Rome; Ari∣starchus was with him, whom somewhere in his Epistles he deservedly stiles his fellow prisoner: And Luke, who committed to writing the Acts of the Apostles, concluded his History here, having shewed that Paul lived two full years at Rome, en∣joying in a great measure his liberty; and, that he Preached the Word of God, no man forbidding him: Then, having made his defence, it is more∣over reported that the Apostle travelled again upon account of the ministration of Preaching; and that, coming the second time to the same City, he ended his life by martyrdome in this Emperours Reign. At which time, being in bonds, he wrote the se∣cond Epistle to Timothy, signifying therein both his former defence, and also his approaching death. Take his own Testimonie hereof. At my first answer, says he, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me, I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge: notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me, that by me the Preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was de∣livered out of the mouth of the Lion. By which words he makes it plainly evident, that at the first time, that his Preaching might be fulfilled, he was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion; speaking, as it was likely, of Nero, because of his cruelty. a 1.1 But afterwards he has not added any thing like unto these words [He shall deliver me out of the mouth of the Lion:] for by the Spirit he saw that his end was now near at hand: wherefore, having said [and I was de∣livered out of the mouth of the Lion] he adds this [The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom] evidently signifying that his martyrdom was at hand; which he more plainly foretels in the same Epistle, saying, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. More∣over in this second Epistle to Timothy, he mani∣festly declares, that onely Luke was then with him when he wrote it; but, at his first answer, that not so much as he was with him then. Whence 'tis aggreable to reason to think, that Luke con∣cluded the Acts of the Apostles at that time, ha∣ving continued the History so long as he ac∣companied Paul. These things we have spoken,

that we may make it manifest that the martyrdom of Paul was not consummated at that first coming of his to Rome; which Luke mentions. For its likely, that Pauls Apology for his opinion was more easily admitted by Nero, he behaving him∣self more mildly at the beginning of his Empire; but proceeding afterwards to the commission of most horrid and villanous Acts, those things a∣gainst the Apostles together with many other persons, were by him taken in hand.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Indeed this place is very ob∣scure; and therefore Musculus (as also D^r Hanmer) omitted it. But, having considered upon it long and much, at length I ap∣prehended the true sense of this place. Eu∣sebius therefore says, that from the second E∣pistle of Paul to Ti∣mothy this may be ga∣thered, to wit, that Paul in his first de∣fence was acquitted by the Judges sen∣tence; but afterward at his second defence he was condemned. The former part hereof he apparently manifests in these words [At my first defence no man stood with me;] and whenas he says [I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon.] which is as much as if he had said, I was snatcht from Nero's jaws. But Paul speaks far otherwise of his second accu∣sation. For he does not say [The Lord delivered me out of the mouth of the Lyon] as he had said before. For he foresaw, God revealing it to him, that he should by no means any longer avoid the sword of the persecutour, but should end his life by a glorious martyrdom. There∣fore when he had said of his first accusation [I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon] concerning his second, with which he was then charged, he adds these words [The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom] ap∣parently manifesting his death by these words. This is the meaning of this place, which neither the translatours, nor I my self at first un∣derstood. Wherefore in the words of Eusebius, it must be read [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] in two distinct words, or else the accent must be changed, thus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Indeed, in the Maz. M. S. it is thus written [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] in two di∣stinct words. Moreover Jerome, in his Book De Scriptorib. Ecclesiast. has quoted this place of Eusebius, where he speaks of Paul; but he appre∣hended not Eusebius's meaning, as it will be apparent to the Reader. Wherefore Sophronius also, when he translated this place of Jerome, into Greek, omitted some words, which seemed to hinder the meaning. Vales.