The apostolical history containing the acts, labours, travels, sermons, discourses, miracles, successes, and sufferings of the Holy Apostles from Christ's ascention to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus : a brief description whereof is here inserted : also, a narration of the particular times and occasions upon which the apostolical epistles were written, together with a brief analytical paraphrase of them : to which is added (for the better understanding of this history) a map of the Apostle Paul's travels ... / by Samuel Cradock.

SECT. XX.

VVHen they were come to Jerusalem, they were very kindly received by the Church there. And the next day, the Elders being met together in the house of James the Apostle, the Son of Alpheus, (See Mat. 15.40. Gal. 1.19. Act. 15.13.), Paul relates to them, what great things the Lord had wrought by his ministry among the Gentiles. When they heard that, they glorified God for the great suc∣cess of the Gospel. But then they acquainted him, that seve∣ral of the converted Jews, (of whom there were many thou∣sands, who, though they had received the Gospel, yet thought the Ceremonial Law must still be observed), were informed concerning him, that he not only permitted the Gentile-converts to remain uncircumcised, but perswaded the Jews living among the Gentiles, (whom he had converted to the Faith), to leave off Circumcision, and the other Ceremonies of Moses's Law. This therefore they tell him, in all probability, will be the event of this business. The Jewish Christians will hear of his being come thither, and so will come in multitudes, to see how he behaves himself in that matter, and will expect some satisfacti∣on from him therein. Therefore they advised him, that seeing there were four men there present, who having had a Naza∣rites Vow upon them, which being now accomplish'd, (see Act. 18.18.), were to perform the Ceremonies prescribed, Numb. 6.13, to 22. that he on this occasion would join himself to them, and perform those Ceremonies and Rites with them, and make provision of such Sacrifices for them as the Law injoins, that so being now freed from their Vow, they may shave their heads; and by this means the believing Jews will be perswaded that they had heard false reports of him, and that he did still ob∣serve the Mosaical Rites. As for the believing Gentiles(a) 1.1, (they tell him), they had made a decree, (which they had sent to Antioch by him and Barnabas, Act. 15.), by which they de∣clared that they are not required to observe any such Rites, or any more than those four Precepts, viz. To abstain from things offered to Idols, from Blood, from things strangled, and from Fornication. Paul hearing this, took their advice, and thought fit thus far to com∣ply with the Judaizing Christians; and ac∣cordingly performing all things belonging to the purifying of the Nazarites. He went into the Temple(b) 1.2 with those four men, and declared unto the Priests, that the time of their Vow was expired, and therefore according to the Law, they were to offer an offering for each person, as in that case is

prescribed. And when the seven days wherein those Sacrifices were to be offer∣ed, were almost at an end, divers unbe∣lieving Jews, that dwelt in Asia, being now come to Jerusalem; as soon as they saw Paul in the Temple, they brought in the multitude tumultuously upon him, and ap∣prehended him, crying out of him, as a person that taught Doctrines derogatory to the prerogative of the Jewish Nation, namely, in that he taught, that the partition-wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down; also, that the Ceremonial Law must be abolished, and that a sinner is not justified by the works of the Law; and that the typical Ceremonies which pre-figured Christ were not to be continued now Christ was come in the flesh; and further, that he did inculcate the predictions of Christ concerning the destruction of the City and Temple of Jerusalem, according to Mat. 23.37, 38. & Luk. 19.43, 44. And because they saw Trophimus with him in the City, who was a Gentile-Christian), they confidently, but untruly aver∣red, that he carried him into the Temple: which they held a pollution and profanation of it. The people being hereupon exasperated, they laid hands on him, and haled him violently out of the Court of the Temple; and the Priests seeing this, presently shut the doors of the Temple, lest possibly he should run into it again, and lay hold on the Horns of the Altar, and so take Sanctuary, (from which they could not take him, as we read Adonijah and Joab once did, 1 King. 1.50. & 2.28. Then they fell a beating of him, and had like to have killed him, had he not been rescued by the chief Officer of the Ro∣man Souldiers, (who kept Garrison there to prevent Tu∣mults), who taking him out of their hands, and supposing him to be some great Malefactor, commanded him to be bound with two Chains, possibly putting one on his hands, the other on his feet, as Agabus had foretold, v. 11,(c) 1.3. And not being able to understand from the confused multitude, what his particular crime was, (some saying one thing, some another), he commanded he should be brought into the Fort or Castle, call'd Arx Antonia, which was their Garri∣son. And as they were going up the stairs to the Castle, the rage of the multitude was so great, that the Souldiers were fain to carry Paul in their arms, to secure him from violence. When he was come to the Castle gate, he desired the Colonel that he would please to permit him to speak unto him. The Colonel wondred he spak•• Greek, and thereupon thought he had been that Egyptian false Prophet, that had raised a Sedition in Judea about Three years before, under the government of Faelix, and had gotten to him about four thousand followers in the wilder∣ness, vid. Joseph. Antiq. lib. 20. ch. 6, 7. Paul tells him, he was a Jew, born at Tarsus, the Metroplis of Cilicia, and therefore

desired liberty to speak to the people; which the Colonel per∣mitting, Paul standing on the stairs, near the gate of the Ca∣stle, made a sign to the people to hold their peace, and give audience; and then began to make his Apology to them in the Hebrew* 1.4 tongue, which procured him the more ready attention from them.

Act. 21. v. 17. And when we were come to Jerusalem, the Brethren re∣ceived us gladly.

v. 18. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James, and all the elders were present.

v. 19. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministery.

v. 20. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the Law.

v. 21. And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, saying, That they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the cu∣stoms.

v. 22. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

v. 23. Do therefore this that we say unto thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

v. 24. Them take, and purifie thy self with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads; and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning him thee, are nothing, but that thou thy self walkest orderly, and keepest the Law.

v. 25. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and con∣cluded, that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep them∣selves from things offered to Idols, and from blood, and from strang∣led, and from fornication.

v. 26. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entred into the Temple, to signifie the accomplishment of the days of purification, untill that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

v. 27. And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the Temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

v. 28. Crying out, Men of Israel, help: this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the Law, and this place: and farther brought Greeks also into the Temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

v. 29. (For they had seen before with him in the City, Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the Tem∣ple.)

v. 30. And all the City was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the Temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

v▪ 31. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came to the chief Cap∣tain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

v. 32. Who immediately took Souldiers, and Centurions, and ran down

unto them: and when they saw the chief Captain and the Souldiers, they left beating of Paul.

v. 33. Then the chief Captain came neer, and took him, and command∣ed him to be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

v. 34. And some cryed one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he command∣ed him to be carried into the Castle.

v. 35. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was born of the Souldiers for the violence of the people.

v. 36. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

v. 37. And as Paul was to be led into the Castle, he said unto the chief Captain, May I speak unto thee? who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

v. 38. Art not thou that Egyptian which before those days madest an up∣roar, and leddest in the wilderness four thousand men that were mur∣derers?

v. 39. But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew, of Tarsus, a City in Cilicia, a Citizen of no mean City: and I beseech thee suffer me to speak unto the people.

v. 40. And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckned with his hand unto the people: and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying.

* 1.5 * 1.6 * 1.7 * 1.8 * 1.9 * 1.10 * 1.11 * 1.12 * 1.13

* 1.14 * 1.15 * 1.16 * 1.17

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Ʋtrumque consilium fuit ex Spiritu Sancto, ut Gentiles conversi non cogerentur observare Ceremoni∣as, & ut Judaei conversi ad tempus sinerentur uti Ceremoniis impletis, donec inutilitatem, & non-necessita∣tem earum cum tempore comprehen∣derent. Vid. cap. 14. ad Rom. Etsi enim Ceremoniae legis Mosaicae, isto tempore, non amplius erant necessa∣riae, tamen erant licitae Judaeis, si quando usus earum conduceret ad a∣lios Judaeos lucrandos. Synagoga debuit cum honore sepeliri, nec tur∣piter, & praecipitanter ex Ecclesiâ e∣jici, sicut superstitiones Ethnicae, sed sensim in desuetudinem venire. Ante Christum Ceremoniae erant mortales, post Christi ascensionem mortuae, post confirmatum Evangelium mortiferae.
• (b) 1.2

  Disputant hîc viri docti utrum Paulus ipse Naziraeatûs votum vel antea in se habuerit, Act. 18.18. vel nunc susceperit, & cum his viris deposuerit; an vero tantum inter∣fuerit, & prae••uerit tanquam Patro∣nus, & Adjutor horum quatuor vi∣rorum sacris, ut ita aliquam modò communionem haberet cum Judaicis Ceremoniis, quod ad scopum suffici∣ebat. Nos litem hanc non decidi∣mus. Stres.
• (c) 1.3

  Judaei praedicuntur vincturi, v. 11, quia ipsi Paulo manus injece runt, eum comprehenderunt, & sic occasionem dederunt quod ab Ethni∣cis militibus vinctus est.
• * 1.4

  The Jews after the Ba∣bylonish Cap∣tivity by their converse with the Syrians and Assyrians, had very much mingled the purity of the Hebrew with those Tongues, so that the Syriack having so great an agreement with the Hebrew was rec∣koned for one Tongue.
• * 1.5

  v. 20. Vides quot sint millia Judaeorum] Vide Quomodo auctum fuit granum illud Sinapis intra annos 25. Grot.
• * 1.6

  Accensi zelo legis] Intra Judaeam qui erant Judaei 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hi ante dispersi∣onem illam, quae per Adrianum evenit, libertatem ab legis onere non percepêre. Et ad tales scripta est Epistola ad Hebraeos.
• * 1.7

  v. 23. Votum habentes] non perpetuum, sed temporarium; & tales Nazaraei dierum vocantur, de quibus Numb. 26. Joseph. lib. 2. de bello Judaico, c. 15. Erant ••alii Nazaraei qui faciebant votum perpetuum, ut Samuel, & Samson, hi dicebantur Nazaraei seculi, i. e. perpetui. Vid. Drus. annot. in Num.
• * 1.8

  v. 24. Idem valet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ac esto Nazaraeus cum illis, & abstine à vino rebusque aliis, quae interdictae sunt Nazaraeis. Sane Nazaraeatus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 voca∣tur, Num. 6.21.
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Sumptus facito propter illos. Non Paulus Nazaraeatûs votum concepit, sed quatuor alii viri, comam, quam aluerant è Nazaraeatûs voto, deposuerant. Paulus verò sumtus fecit in hanc rem, scil. ad victimas à Nazaraeis offerendas (peractis voti diebus) quas offerre Deo debebant quatuor isti viri, scil. agnum, vel agnam, arietem, placentas, & lagana An verò Paulus integros sumptus fecerit, necne, dicere non possumus: & hinc dicitur 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quia quasi in partem Nazaraeatûs venerat, sumptus hos faciendo. Petitus.
• * 1.10

  Vult autem hoc Paulum facere Jacobus quò plebi abundantiùs satisfaciat, & ut illi quatuor raderent caput, h. e. voti liberentur eo facilius. Est Metonym. signi pro signato. Nam sicut obligatio votiva exprimebatur demisso capillo, ita liberatio comâ abrasà, Num. 6.18. quae coma supponebatur urenda ollis in quibus coqueban∣tur carnes de sacro Eucharistico.
• * 1.11

  v. 25. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Infinitivus pro Gerundio, nihil tale servandum illis, nempe eorum quae Moses praescripsit.
• * 1.12

  v. 26. Denuncians expletionem dierum, &c.] Hoc est, omnibus edicens se casti∣monium suscipere in dies septem, ita ut dies ipsius pariter exirent cum diebus alio∣rum qui aliquanto ante ac in majus tempus se obligaverant. Licebat enim cuique, eum quem vellet votivae obligationi praestituere terminum, Num. 6.5. sic Paulus in dierum hebdomada se obligavit (illi alii in duas, tres aut quatuor hebdomadas) us∣que dum offerenda esset pro unoquoque (scil. eorum qui se obligaverant) oblatio. Ita tempus sumpsit ut pariter cum illorum tempore desineret. Aoristus hic significat rem quae fieri debebat.
• * 1.13

  v. 28. Qui adversus populum & legem, &c.] eadem accusatio quae in Stephanum intenta supra, cap. 6.14. Graecos introduxit] Quod planè non licebat, nempe in∣tra septum illud lapideum quod in tres cubitos attollebatur, & inscriptum columnis habebat, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Joseph. belli Jud. 5.14. Si quis alienigena, etiam Romanus, id septum transgrederetur, is occidi poterat, teste eo∣dem Joseph. belli Jud. 6.
• * 1.14

  v. 31. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Praefecto ejus cohortis, quae temporibus festis, ac proinde etiam in Pentecoste praesidium habebat in porticibus Templi ad prohibendos tumul∣tus si qui orerentur: quam cohortem etiam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Johannes dixit, c. 18.3.
• * 1.15

  v. 35. Evenit ut portaretur à militibus] Levabatur à militibus ne vim ei multi∣tudo inferret, cui expositioni favent quae infra c. 23.10. extant.
• * 1.16

  v. 37. Graecè nosti] Graeca lingua post Macedonum imperium facta erat quasi communis populorum Asiae & Aegypti.
• * 1.17

  v. 39. Loquutus est linguâ Hebraea] i. e. Hierosolymitanâ, magna ex parte Sy∣riaca, qua tum Judaei utebantur.