that his very bones might be told and lots should be cast for his garment Is not this Jesus whose doctrine I preach unto you This is the Master whom David invites us to hear speaking in the person of God To day if you hear his voice harden not your hearts as your Fore-fathers have done in the desart where I was made angry against those who durst distrust my power and censure all my workes for the space of forty yeares Their infidelity shall not go unpunished I will make them know that I can revenge my self in my wrath I sweare they shall not enter into the place of rest which I had prepared for them Behold dreadfull words and you will doe well to be warned by their loss lest you be excluded also from that place of repose which is offered to you As it availed them little to give ear to the relation of those who returned from the land of Promise and informed them of the true state of it because they would not believe what was said so it is not enough to heare the Gospel preached it must be received humbly to the end you may obtaine by faith the fruition of that repose which is spoken of in the passage I alledged It cannot be that repose which God assumed after he had made the world that being no other thing then a cessation from work nor is it likewise the repose of the Sabbath whose institution was before the birth of David In summe it is not that repose which our Fathers tasted in the Land whereinto they were led by Ioshua for that long since is past therefore it must needs be that the Psalmist speaks of another repose more holy a Sabbath more excellent which appertains to the people of God and in which the Just do eternally repose from all their labours as formerly our Lord did repose the seventh day from all his works Moyses could not bring us into that place where this divine Sabbath is celebrated Jesus Christ entred there the first to open it to those who should receive his doctrine This is the Priest deserving adoration who to purifie heaven and earth and to reconcile man to God has not not made use of the bloud of goats and bulls but of his owne which he has shed to the last drop upon the Altar of the Cross The high Priest of the Law was obliged to offer Sacrifices for his own sins as well as those of the People Jesus Christ is the Sovereign high Priest pure holy unpolluted uncapable of any spot consequently needs not offer any victime for himself he hath not received his Priest-hood by way of a carnall birth and succession as the Priests according to Aaron did but hee has been established eternal Priest according to the order of Melchisedec as we learn by those words of the Psalmist which you confess are to be understood of the Messias Our Lord hath sworne thou art an eternal Priest according to the order of Melchisedec If the Levitical Priest-hood which the people received together with the Law guided to perfection that is to say gave true Justice what need was there that another Priest should come according to the order of Melchisedec and if the Priest-hood be transferred it then follows that the Law is also changed because these two things are inseparably linked together Now that there has been a translation of the Priest-hood 't is not to be doubted since he of whom that passage I alledged speaks was of the Tribe of Iuda and not of Levi out of which Moyses ordained that the Priests should be chosen Observe also that the Leviticall Priest-hood was not established by oath as is that which I treat and this circumstance shewes the sanctity and immutability of that thing unto which God has pleased to unite it There were to be many Priests according to the order of Aaron because they were mortal But the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ is eternall as well as himself he has alwaies power to guide those to eternall salvation who believe in him He is alwaies in the functions of his Priesthood that is to say in continual oblation of himself to God and in prayer without intermission for hee that sayes Eternal Priest sayes also Eternal Oblation The Levitical Priests stood during the exercise of their Functions Jesus Christ having once offered the Hoast of his body is seated at the right hand of God according to the words of the Psalmist The Lord said to my Lord Take thy place till I have put thy enemies under my feet Be not you of that number my deare Brethren you that are descended from Abraham the Father of the Faithfull you whose Ancestours have been so holy you to whom those promises were made and for whom Jesus Christ principally came doe not permit strangers to carry away the benediction due to lawful children and having hitherto born the heavy yoke of Moyses doe not fear now to submit your selvs to that of Jesus Christ which is so light and pleasing And in this you will even obey Moyses by whom as you know God promised That after many ages hee would raise a Prophet of your Nation to whom hee would have you attend as to himself The Apostle spake much after this manner his discourse raised great Disputes amongst his Auditours some blaming what others approved some believing others continuing obstinate S. Paul finding hee could gaine little upon them hee told them freely I know well that ye will fulfill the prophesie of Esay to whom God spake in these tearms Goe to the Children of Israel and tell them You shall hear with your ears but shall not understand with your mindes you shall see with the eyes of the body but not with those of the soule for the heart of this people is suffocated with fat they have heard with their ears against their wills being incensed have shut their eyes for feare they should see by their eyes take in by their eares consent by their hearts and wills and so work their conversion and their cure The incredulous Jewes were extreamly offended at these words and more which he added viz. That the news of salvation should be carried to the Gentiles who would imbrace it This discourse gave occasion of much dispute to the Audience who not being able to come to an agreement every one returned home possessed with different thoughts and opinions Hitherto we have proceeded securely following the steps of Saint Luke who ends here his story and leaves the Apostle in the Confusion of Rome where he saies he remained two years and during that time preached the Doctrine of Jesus Christ without any let Receiving with freedome all those who came to see him Hence what concerns the rest of his life we know little yet I will endeavour to ground what I shall adde more of this Subject either upon certaine traditions or from his owne Epistles In the second Epistle which he writes to Tymothy his dear
do them justice They obeyed this his order coming to the appointed place repeated with much heat those accusations which before they had deposed without any more proofe this second time then they had done at the first The Apostle answered likewise in his defence the same as before and Festus being desirous to gratifie the Jews though at the cost of the Apostles innocency and life asked him if he were not willing to go to Hierusalem to be judged there by him He answered No and that he appealed to the Tribunal of Caesar for if I have offended him as I am accused or done harm to any 't is there I will suffer death But if I be innocent of these crimes wherewith I am charged as I maintain I am and as you your selves well know no man can oblige me to suffer my self to be judged by my Adversaries And I appeal to the supream Authority of Caesar Festus surprised with this discourse and having maturely considered what he were best to do in this occasion was enforced to tell him Thou hast appealed to Caesar before him thou shalt go At that time young Agrippa came to Cesarea to salute Portius Festus together with his Sister Berenice who had espoused in her first nuptials Herod her Unckle King of Chalcides and in her second marriage Polemon little King of Cilicia This young Prince was not above seventeen yeares of age when his Father of whose death we have spoken in the first Book left him the Scepter The Emperour Claudius at whose Court he then was conserved to him all the estates of his Father except Iudea which he durst not trust in his hands by reason of his youth and the turbulent humor of the Iewes But Nero added to them many little Provinces Some dayes after his arrival Festus spake to him of the Apostle told him all that had passed concerning that business and that it was now suspended because of his appeal to Cesar Agrippa was very glad of the newes for the reputation of S. Paul had made him a long time desirous to see him At the day appointed he came to the place ordained for publick audience in the company of his Sister Berenice with whom the common rumor famed him to have greater familiarity then honesty permitted The Apostle was brought thither and Festus shewing him to Agrippa said This is the man of whom I spake to you and against whom the Iewes were so fiercely bent as they sought his ruine by all maner of means although for my part I finde him not guilty of any crime In fine I intended to send him to Caesar to whom he hath appealed but being ignorant what to write in this affaire it concerning some point of Religion about a certain man named Jesus of Nazareth whom the accused affirmes to be risen againe after his death and whom the Iewes on the other side condemned as an Impostor I am very willing to have him speak before so noble an Assembly and before a Prince well versed in all those questions Hereupon Agrippa made sign to the Apostle that he should defend himself which he did in this manner It is no small consolation to me King Agrippa that I am to speak this day before you in answer to the accusations of my enemies because you are perfectly instructed in all the questions of the Law whereof I am accused to be a publick enemy Hence also I assure my self that you by your piety being interessed in this cause will afford me a favorable hearing Me thinks I ought to be the least suspected of any person to be guilty of this crime wherewith I am charged For if my accusers would but acknowledge the truth they will know in what manner I have lived in Hierusalem all the time of my youth amongst those of my Nation I was brought up under the discipline of the Pharisees which is the sect the most pure of greatest authority in our Religion I do not believe to have done any thing contrary to the rules of my Profession which might give the least occasion to feare the judgement of men if there were question of my behaviour But all my pretended crime hath relatition to my beliefe and I finde my self reduced to a necessity of defending my self in publique because I place my hope in him who was promised to our foreFathers and from whom I expect my salvation as they have done serving God day and night and carefully observing all the precepts which he gave unto them for that end Now this hope does not terminate in this life it is accomplished in the other by the resurrection of the body which places man in a glorious State where he is to receive the recompence of his good deeds and the accomplishment of that salvation which has been here the subject of hope Behold a second crime raised against me by some who following the principles of their Sect deny what I believe and what I teach concerning this point of the resurrection What is there in it that seems to you incredible who dares say God cannot restore life to the dead who had the power to give life when he placed them in the world For the first point of my accusation I confess I have had opinions far different from that of which they would now make me guilty For sometime I believed as others did that I ought to do all things to the dishonour of Jesus of Nazareth and the more I shewed my rage against his name the more notice was taken of my piety The city of Hierusalem is witness of the violences I used I made search in all places after those who professed that doctrin I have cast many of them into prison by authority from the Princes of the Priests to that effect and when they have been condemned to death I have not only by my vote approved the sentence to be just but have been the bearer of it I went to all the Synagogues endeavouring sometimes by force and sometimes by Stratagems to make those who had imbraced the belief of the Gospel to renounce it and I esteemed it a great victory when I could corrupt any disciple of J. Christ I deserved to have continued in my blindeness and to have found in the end the just punishment of my cruelty which extended it self even to forrain and remote Cities But he whom I persecuted had compassion of my ignorance would in shewing mercy to me shew to all sinners the excess of his goodness and long patience I went to Damasco to imprison all those who believed in him and in the way about noon a great light environed me and those who were in my company we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice that spake to mee in the Hebrew tongue Saul Saul Why doest thou persecute me It is in vaine to kicke against the prickes I answered Who are you Lord The Lord replied I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou doest persecute but arise and
stand upon thy feet I have appeared to thee to the end I may ordain thee a preacher of those things thou hast seen make thee boldly to render publike testimony in all places of the world both of these and other verities which I will in due time reveale unto thee Be not affraid I will deliver thee from the ambushes and violence of the people unto whom I send thee that thou mayest open their eyes and reduce them from that deplorable siate of darkness in which they are unto the light of my Gospel that thou mayest free them from the power of the devil and place them under the protection of God to the end they may from his goodness receive remission of their sinnes and share in the inheritance of Saints by a firm faith in my name I rejected not by a misbelief O King Agrippa this heavenly vision for presently I began to preach to the Jewes of Damasco and afterwards at Hierusalem and in Judea and then to the Gentiles exhorting them to return to God by a true conversion of heart and to do workes worthy of pennance not to obtain the possession of a land flowing with milk and honey such other recompences as are promised by a carnall Law but to obtain the fruition of heaven which is infallible to those who live according to the Maxims of Jesus Christ This Doctrine is not new I have deduced it from the writings of Moyses and those of the Prophets who all speak clearly of the sufferings of the Messias of his ignominious death and of the glory of his resurrection in which order he with great reason holds the first place since hee is the first-born of God before all creatures He is begotten in light and he is come into the world to enlighten the Jewes and Gentiles to make of them but one people or rather one body of which he is the head diffusing admirable influences of a new life amongst his members for he is the new man who destroyes the old in us and who brings us all sorts of benedictions as the other had brought us all manner of miseries it is he after whom all our Fore-fathers have fighted it is he who has taken upon him that curse to which the Jews and Gentiles were subject it is he who upon the tree of the Cross has abolished the fatal sentence of death in which all men were engaged The Law of Mâ—yses had truly Sacrifices to expiate sin but that expiation was but exteriour the bloud of Goats and Bulls could not purifie the hearts of those that offered it only the bloud of Jesus Christ has this divine vertue and indeed it is onely hee that has taken away all the sins of the world It was needfull to re-iterate the Sacrifices of the Temple but this divine Priest of whom I speak being once offered hath drawn dry the very source of sinne has for ever taken away that which hindered sanctification has appeased the divine Justice opened to himself to his members a heavenly Sanctuary which till then was shut up This was figured by the high Priests entering once a year into the material Sanctuary with the bloud of a Goat offered for his own and the peoples sins for all that which our Fore-fathers beheld was in figure God would dispose them by carnall things unto spiritual by shaddowes conduct them to the light which his Son was to bring to the world in the fulness of time where he has contracted an alliance incomparably more holy and more glorious then was the first Hear what a Prophet speaks a long time before his coming Behold sayes hee the dayes approach in which I will make a new alliance with the house of Israel and Juda far different from that which I contracted with their fathers when I withdrew them from the bondage of Egypt They were not faithfull in the observation of my Law they mocked at it and I treating them as they treated me have scorned them The testament which I promise to the Children of Israel is that I will grave my ordinances in their hearts I wil be their God they shal be my people they shall not need any laborious study or serious consultations with learned Masters to be instructed in my Truthes because I will be their Tutour and by an interiour unction will teach them all I would have them to know so that one neighbour shall not teach another with trouble and one shall not say to another Doest thou know the Lord because from the least to the greatest all shall perfectly know me I will remit their offences with so full a pardon that I will not so much as remember them Behold in this passage hee speakes of a new testament the old then is to be abolished and consequently another is to succeed and to the end there should be some resemblance betwixt them it was necessary this should be confirmed by the bloud of the Testatour as that was given with a ceremony of bloud when Moyses sprinkled the people saying This is the bloud with the which the Lord confirms his alliance which he hath this day contracted with you Behold great Prince that which I preach Behold how I destroy the Law Behold how I am an enemy to God Festus unable to comprehend the sublime discourse of the Apostle interrupted him and called out O Paul thy great learning doth make thee mad thou doest utter extravagant things The Apostle humbly answered I speak nothing that is extravagant what I propose is truth and the King who has daigned me his attention perfectly knowes those things which I have said For what concerns Jesus Christ his life was so publick and so famous and the wonders he hath wrought so lately done that there is not any amongst the Jewes who can be ignorant of them Having spoken thus to Festus he addressed himself to the King and said Agrippa Doe you believe the Prophets I know you believe them Agrippa touched in his conscience and with the force of his reasons could not but answer Paul thou hast almost convinced me to be a Christian S. Paul replied I would to God great Prince that you and all here present had embraced the Doctrine which I preach and that you were like me in all but my Captivâ—ty I do not wish you the chaines I bear but on the contrary I would willingly give not onely my liberty but even my life for you At this word the King the Governour Berenice and all the rest rose up and Agrippa said to Festus That if he had not made his appeale he might be returned back absolved But the providence of God had ordained this meanes to bring him to the Capital City of the world where the Gospel which Judea would not receive should gain noble victories over Idolatry Festus willing to be rid of his prisoner imbarked him in an Affrican vessel of the city of Adrumetum and gave the charge of conducting him and others