The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

ACTS CHAP. VI, VII.

THE seven Deacons [as they are commonly called] chosen by occasion of the Hellenists murmuring against the Hebrews about neglect of their widows. The He∣brews were Jews the inhabitants of Judea, and the Hellenists those Jews that lived in other Countries dispersedly among the Greeks: Not only in Greece, but almost in all other Countries, which the conquests of Alexander, and the continuance of the Syro∣grecian Monarchy after him had filled with Greeks, as all Countries also were filled with Jews.

In all the Jews Synagogues there were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Parnasin, Deacons, or such as had care of the poor, whose work it was to gather alms for them from the Congregation, and to distribute it to them. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 There were two that gathered alms for them and one more added to distribute it to them. Maym. in Sanhedr. per. 1. R. Chelbe in the name of R. Ba bar Zabda saith, They appoint not less then three Parnasin. For if judgment about pecuniary matters were judged by three, much more this matter which concerneth life is to be managed by three. Jerus. in Peah fol. 21. col. 1. That needful office is here translated into the Christian Church: and the seven are chosen to this work out of the number of the hundred and twenty that are mentioned, Chap. 1. 15. and that company only was the choosers of them, and not all the Believers in Jerusalem. The reason why the Hebrews neglected the widows of the Hellenists may be supposed, ei∣ther because they would stick to their old rule, mentioned once before, That a widow was to be maintained by her husbands children. Talm. in chetub. per. 11. Maym. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per. 18. [compare 1 Tim. 5. 4.] or because the Hebrews of Judea had brought in more into the common stock for the poor, by sale of their Goods and Lands, then those that had come from forrain Countries had done, they not having Goods and Lands so ready to sell. All that had been brought in hitherto, had been put into the Apostles hands, and they had been burdened with the care and trouble of the disposal of it: but now they transfer that work and office to the seven, solemnly ordaining them by Imposition of hands into it, and here only, the Imposition of the Apostles hands confers not the Holy Ghost, for these men were full of the Holy Ghost before.

Stephen an eminent man among them, is quarrelled by certain of the Libertines, and the Hellenists Synagogue. Libertini 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are exceeding frequently spoken of in the Jews Writings. And the Alexandrian Synagogue [one of the Hellenists] is mention∣ed in Jerus. in Megillah. fol. 73. col. 4. and Juchas. fol. 26. who tell, that R. Eliezer bar Zadoc took the Synagogue of the Alexandrians that was at Jerusalem, and imployed it to his own use.

When they are not able to overpower him by argument and disputation, they take a ready way to do it, by false accusation, and conventing him before the Sanhedrin: where being accused of vilifying Moses, and speaking of the destruction of that place, he is vin∣dicated, even miraculously, before he pleadeth his own cause, by his face shining like the face of Moses, and bearing an Angelical aspect and Majesty; for indeed he spake but what was spoken by the Angel Gabriel, Dan. 9. 26, 27.

In his Apology, he speaketh to the heads of his accusation, but somewhat abstrusely; yet so as to them to whom he spake to be well understood, his discourse being according to their own Rhetorick and Logick: To what was laid to his charge, for vilifying Moses, and saying, his customs should be changed, he rehearseth in brief the whole history of Moses, and shews he was Orthodox to him; but yet he driveth all to this, that as the times before Moses were still moving and growing on to settlement in Moses, so when Moses him∣self had setled all he had to do, yet he pointed them to a Prophet yet to come, to whom they should hearken as the ultimate Oracle, which was this Jesus that he preached to them. And whereas he was accused for speaking of the destruction of the Temple, he first shews, that fixedness to this or that place, is not so much to be stood upon, as appears by the flit∣ting condition of the Patriarchs [whose flittings he giveth the story of at large] and by the moving condition of the Tabernacle before the Temple was built: And when the Temple was built, it was not because God would confine himself to one place, for the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, ver. 48. &c.

He inserteth two or three sharp and true accusations of them, whereas theirs of him had been but false and causeless. As, that their fathers had persecuted those tha•• foretold of Christ, as they did him for now preaching him, and they followed their fathers steps; nay went further, for they had murdered Christ, whereas their fathers had but mur∣dered his Prophets. And whereas they were so punctual, about the Ceremonious rites given by Moses, they neglected the moral Law, which was given by the disposition of Angels.

This cuts them to the heart, that they pass a rancourous and furious sentence of death upon him: but he hath a sight of the high bench of Heaven, God and Christ at his right hand, their judge and his: A most fit prospect for the first Martyr.

They cast him out of the City and stone him for blasphemy. For these were to be stoned. He that went in to his mother, or to his fathers wife, or to his daughter in Law, or to a male, or to a beast: and he that blasphemed, or that committed Idolatry, &c. And the place of stoning was out from the place of Judgment, [nay out of the City, as the Gemarists resolve it] be∣cause it is said, Bring him that cursed, out of the Camp. And A crier went before him, that was to die, proclaiming his fault. Sanhedr. per. 6. & 7.

When he was come within four cubits of the place of stoning, they stript him naked: only co∣vered his nakedness before. Ibid.

And being come to the very place, first the witnesses laid their hands upon him, Maym. in Avodah Zarah per. 2. and then stripping off their coats that they might be more expe∣dite for their present work, first one of them dasheth his loins violently against a stone that lay for that purpose: if that killed him not, then the other dasheth a great stone up∣on his heart, as he lay on his back: and if that dispatched him not, then all the people fell upon him with stones. Talm. ubi sup.

Steven in the midst of all this their fury, and his own anguish, gets on his knees and prays for them: and having so done he fell asleep. The Jews do ordinarily use the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to signifie Dying, which properly signifies sleeping, especially when they speak of a fair and comfortable death: which word Luke translates here. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All that were stoned were also hanged up upon a tree. Talm. ubi sup. Whether Steven were so used is uncertain, but it is evident that he had a fair burial, and not the burial of a male∣factour.