a thing in which every ordinary man woman or child that heard him could so easily have confuted him as they might have done if the twelve Patriarks had been buried in Hebron much lesse when hee spake to the Councell and to men of learning and understanding that would readily have tript him if hee had faltered in so plaine and common a story therefore it is past all doubting that Shechem was knownly and generally reputed the place of the Patriarks buriall For as although there bee mention onely of Moses bringing up the bones of Ioseph Exod. 13.19 yet R. Solomon well observeth that wee may learne from that very place that the bones of all the Patriarks were brought up with him so though there bee mention of the buriall of Ioseph onely in Sichem Iosh. 24.32 and no record of the buriall of the rest of the twelve there yet might it very well bee supposed had not Stephen asserted it that they were also buried there with him For as wee may prove the bringing of their bones out of Egypt yea though Stephen had not told it For 1. The same cause that moved Ioseph to desire buriall in the land of Canaan could not but move the other of the twelve to desire the like were it in faith in the promise or because of the interest in the Land or in hope of the resurrection all the rest had the very same principles to move them to it that Ioseph had 2. The rest of the Tribes bare the same honour to their Patriarks that the Tribe of Ioseph did to him and therefore if they in honour to Ioseph would preserve his bones that at their remoovall they might bee taken out of Egypt the children of the rest of the Tribes would do so by their Patriarks also 3. To which might bee added the kind of necessitie which there was that the twelve fathers of the Church of Israel and heires of the Land of Canaan should have their interment in that Land and not be left in the land of bondage So likewise may there bee arguments sufficient to prove that they were buried with his bones in Sichem As 1. There was no reason they should bee severed in the buriall who had been united in their removall 2. Iosephs bones were most regardable and the same Sepulcher that served him would have best befit them 3. The convocation of all Israel by Ioshua was Sichem and there upon their possessing of the land hee makes a covenant betwixt them and God and it is incomparably more probable that they should bury the bones of all the Patriarks there then in Hebron where wee doe not read that Ioshua ever came but to destroy the Citie Now the reason why Stephen speaking of the burials of Iacob and his sonnes which were in distant and different places doth yet couch their story so close together as if they were all laid together in the same place is 1. Because treating of two numbers so unequall as twelve and one hee first followeth the story of the greater number 2. Hee useth the singular number for the plurall Sepulcher for Sepulchers which is a thing so common as that nothing is more common in the Scripture Language 3. Hee useth an Ellipsis or cutting off of the conjunction Vau or And which also is exceeding common in the same Language as 1 Sam. 6.19 Psal. 133.3 2 King 23.8 and divers other places So that though hee spake so very curt and short as hee did yet to them that were well enough acquainted both with the story it selfe and with such Hebraismes his shortnesse would breed no obscuritie but they would readily take him in this sense And Iacob and our fathers died and were removed to Sichem and were laid in Sepulchers in that which Abraham bought for money and in that that was bought from the sonnes of Emmor the father of Sichem Vers. 20. And was exceeding faire Gr. Faire to God Hee was a goodly child supernaturally borne when his mother was past the naturall course of childbearing Vers. 22. And Moses was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians This Steven speaketh by necessary consequence from his Princely education Vers. 23. And when hee was full fortie years old There are that say that Moses was 40. yeares in Pharaohs Palace 40. yeares in Midian and 40. yeares in the wildernesse Tauchuna in Exod. 2. Vers. 43. Yee tooke up the Tabernacle of Moloch c. I. In Amos the words lie thus Chap. 5. Vers. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Rabbins Kimchi and Iarchi construe in the future tense take it for a threatning of their punishment as much as an upbraiding of their sin as if he should have said unto them yee would not take up the Commandements of the Lord to beare them but you shall beare your Idols into captivitie with you and your enemies shall lay them upon your shoulders And this might have beene a very plausible and faire sense but that Steven hath taught us to construe the Verbe in the time past and not in the time to come and to read it thus yee have borne or taken up c. II. Now the fixing of this time when Israel tooke up this Idolatry is somewhat difficult It is some facilitating of the matter if wee can bee sure it was not in the forty yeares in the Wildernesse And that appeares to bee so by the very scope of Stevens speech for 1. hee telleth that they made a golden calfe in the Verse before and that God for this Idolatry gave them up to worship all the host of heaven whereupon it is evident that this Idolatry with the calfe was neither of these mentioned in this Verse neither with Moloch nor Remphan but as it were a cause of these for for it the Lord gave them up to these 2. Hee seemeth to handle this justice of God upon them in giving them up to Idolatry under these two heads 1. In neglect of Gods own service in the wildernesse yee offered mee no sacrifice for fortie yeares And 2. in their choosing of Idols to worship afterward So that the two verses seeme to run in this sense O house of Israel yee were not content to offer mee sacrifices for 40. yeares together in the wildernesse but yee were well content to sacrifice to Idols and to worship all the host of heaven afterward III. The tabernacle of Moloch In the Hebrew in Amos it is Siccuth Malkekem which is rendred by some Siccuth your King by others the tabernacle of your King by a third sort the observance of your King as if it were derived from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 27.9 Vid. Ab. Ezr. in loc Kimchi in Michol The Seventie in the unprickt Bible read it Succoth a tabernacle which Steven followeth and they both do not crosse but illustrate the sense of the Hebrew Now Molech or Moloch was the Idoll of the children of Ammon 1 King 11.17 prohibited to Israel in a singular
destroyed by the Babylonians as well as the rest of the Temple but because this was built on the very same pile that his was built upon For the Temple standing upon an high and steep hill with a deep and sharpe precipice about it Solomon to make roome for the floore of the mount which was too strait filled up the ditch on the East side with huge stones strongly joynted together and he built his porch upon that pile and because this of Herods was erected also upon that very same foundation it therefore is called Solomons porch It was the first gate or entrance into the mountaines of the House and not onely the very building of the porch but the Court within bare the same name Iosephus ubi supra Vers. 12. And when Peter saw it he answered c. Here Peters Sermon is registred againe but Chapt. 4.1 it is said As they spake which resolveth that Iohn preached as well as hee Vers. 16. Through faith in his name c. Faith is twice named in this verse because of the Apostles faith in doing and the Creeples faith in receiving the miracle the former was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 17. Through ignorance ye did it So Christ said himself Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they doe This their ignorance proceeded mainly from mistaking the place of Christs birth for they supposed it had been Nazaret and from mistaking the kingdome of the Messias for they expected it would have been pompous and full of worldly glory the title on the Crosse Iesus of Nazaret King of the Iewes spake out both the ignorances that carryed them on to so wretched an act Ver. 19. When the times of refreshing shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syriack readeth it That your sinnes may bee blotted out and the times of refreshing may come and so the Arabick and Irenaeus or at least his interpreter cited by Beza the Vulgar ut cùm venerint but concludeth not the clause to make it sense Beza postquam venerint but what sense he would make of it I doe not well understand Hee pleadeth much to prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie postquam and it is not denyed him but hee cannot deny withall that it signifieth ut likewise and so may it best and most properly bee understood That your sinnes may bee blotted out so that the times of refreshing may come The Apostle Peter taketh his speech from Esa. 28.12 where the Prophet at once prophecyeth of the gift of tongues vers 11. of the preaching of the Gospel vers 12. and the infidelity and obduration of the Jews vers 13. and speaketh of these very times and occasions that are now in hand And accordingly is the Apostle to bee understood that speaketh from him concerning the present refreshing by the Gospel and Gods present sending Christ among them in the power and Ministery of that and not of a refreshing at the calling of the Jewes which is yet to come and Gods sending Christ personally to come and reigne among them as some have dreamed and it is but a dream For let but this Text be seriously weighed in that sense that opinion would make of it Repâ—nt therefore and bâ—e converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come As meaning this Repent you now that your sinnes may bee blotted out 2000 or I know not how many hundred yeares hence when the calling of the Jewes shall come If this bee not the sense that they make of this Text that produce it to assert Christs personall â—eigne on earth for a thousand yeares I know not why they should then produce it and if this bee the sense I must confesse I see no sense in it The words are facil and cleare and have no intricacy at all in them if the Scripture may bee suffered to goe upon its owne wheeles and they may bee taken up in this plaine and undeniable Paraphrase Repent yee therefore and bee converted that your sinnes may bee blotted out so that the times of refreshing by the Gospel may come upon you from the presence of the Lord and hee may send Jesus Christ in the preaching of the Gospel to you to blesse you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Vers. 20. And he send Iesus Christ. As Vers. 26. God having raised his Sonne Iesus sent him to blesse you Now this cannot possibly bee understood of Christs personally and visibly comming among them for who of this audience ever saw him after his resurrection But of his comming among them now in this meanes and offer of salvation and in the same sense is this clause in hand to bee understood and so the 22 verse interpreteth it of the sending of Christ as the great Prophet to whom whosoever will not hearken must be cut off Not at the end of the world when he shall come as a Judge but in the Gospel which is his voice and which to refuse to hearken to is condemnation Peters exhortation therefore is to repentance that their sinnes might bee blotted out so that refreshing times might come upon them and Christ in the Gospel might be sent among them according as Moses had foretold that hee should be the great instructer of the people Sect. Which before was preached unto you The very sense of the place confirmeth this reading for though Beza saith that all the old Greek Copies that ever he saw as also the Syrian Arabick and Tertullian read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-ordained yet the very scope and intention of Peters speech in this place doth clearely shew that it is to bee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which before was preached to you namely by Moses or the law vers 22. and by all the Prophets ver 24. Ver. 21. Vntill the restitution of all things Or the accomplishment of all things and to that sense the Syriack translates it untill the fulnesse of the time of all things c. And the Arabick not much different untill the time in which all things shall bee perfected or finished c. The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed signifieth a restitution to a former estate a repairing or an amending as might bee frequently shewed in Greek Writers but in Scripture doth not so properly signifie this as what the Rabbins would expresse by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulfilling or accomplishing and the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not so much stand in the force of Re or again but it stands in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privative in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth unsetled or unconfirmed and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polyb. Hist. lib. 4. Settlement of a City to tumult And to take up these two places where this word is used in the new Testament
villaines that so much infested Iudea in the times of Sabinus and Varus Ioseph Ant. lib. 17. cap. 12. though Iosephus hath not there mentioned him by name A third sort conceive that Gamaliels Theudas was not before Iudas the Galilean who rose about the birth of Christ but a long while after namely a little before Gamaliel speaketh these words And they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the strict propriety namely that it was but a few dayes before and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not post eum after him but praeter eum besides him In these varieties of opinions and difficulties it is hard to resolve which way to take and it is well that it is a matter of that nature that men may freely use their conjectures in it and be excusable I cannot but observe and conceive these things upon the stories of Gamaliel and Iosephus laid and compared together First that Gamaliel meeteth with the double misprision that the present Councell had concerning the Apostles with a double story First they suspected and censured them for false and erroneous teachers to this hee applies the story of Theudas Secondly they suspected them of innovation and of what might tend to mutiny and insurrection and to this he applyeth the story of Iudas Secondly that the miscariages of these two men that hee instanceth in proceeded from two different and dangerous principles pretence of new lights and revelations and pretence of liberty of conscience and of persons Theudas was for the former Iudas for the latter Thirdly that Gamaliels counsell was not of any Christianitie that was in him but of policy not that hee favored the Apostles but that hee feared if any thing were done to them by violence or injustice it might incurre a Premunire or prejudice and that is apparent in that all the Councell consent and entertaine his counsell Fourthly that Gamaliels Theudas and Iosephus his is not all one their descriptions indeed are very agreeable for as Gamaliel saith that Theudas tooke on him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee some body of note and eminency so doth the relation about the Theudas in Iosephus Simon Magus boasted himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee some speciall person Act. 8.9 and how did hee carry on this arrogation why by magick and doing some strange things among the people and just in the same kind hath Iosephus described his Theudas but yet these two Theudases seeme not to bee the same Fiftly for Iosephus setting the story of his Theudas so late as in the time of Claudius a dozen yeares or thereabouts after this speech of Gamaliel although it might bee said it is no strange thing with Iosephus to misplace stories and to faulter in point of exact Chronology as Baronius supposeth hee hath done in this yet seemeth it rather to bee upon the very native propriety of the time of the story And the matter to bee conceived thus that as Sects and heresies though buried yet doe oft revive and though dispersed yet doe recollect and being once begun are not suddenly extinguished but like quenched fire are ever breaking out in one place or other that so it was with this businesse of Theudas And so also it may bee instanced in the very sect and opinion of him that Gamaliel speaketh of immediatly after namely Iudas of Galilee Hee rose up in the dayes of the tax in the time of Augustus◠as Luke 2. Hee pleaded against the Jewes being subject to the Romans and disswaded them from paying taxes and tribute to them and maintained they ought to have no ruler over them but God and so became the originall of a fourth sect among the Jewes besides the Pharisees Sadduces and Esseans as Iosephus reports of him Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 1. and de Bell. lib. 2. cap. 12. Now though Iudas himselfe perished in his errour and as many as obeyed him were scattered abroad as Gamaliel relateth yet was not his error extinguished with him but revived and grew againe So that at the least 40. yeares after his first appearing his two sonnes Iames and Simon are crucified for it by Tiberius Alexander the successor of Fadus Ios. Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 3. And many yeares after that Eleazer a branch of the same Iudas appeareth in the same opinion with a desperate company with him De bel lib. 7. cap. 30. Even so may it bee conceived of the Sect of Theudas that it began before that of Iudas and that the first author of it tooke upon him great things as to bee a Prophet and to worke miracles and the like but he was soone slaine and all that obeyed him were scattered abroad and came to nought But his folly and fancy perished not with him but however at other times in the time of Fadus one of the same foolery and name and probably his sonne would bee a Prophet againe and divide Iordan and doe I know not what whom Fadus destroyed and brought his company to ruine So that Gamaliels and Iosephus his Theudas are very probably two men but very likely father sonne or tutor and scholler agreeing so jumpe in the same folly and madnesse that they agreed in the same name and that name either given to the latter at such an accidency as Parents name their children or assumed by him in imitation of the former Theudas whom as hee delighted to imitate in his Enthusiastick folly so delighted hee to follow him in denomination And I am the rather confirmed in this opinion about these two men because that as soone as ever Iosephus hath told the story of the destruction of Theudas by Fadus hee telleth of the destruction of the sonnes of Iudas by Tiberius Alexander and I cannot but interpret both the stories in one sense that as in the latter hee speaketh of the off-spring of Iudas whose sect had begun many years before so in the former hee speaketh of the off-spring of Theudas whose sect had begun before that of Iudas Vers. 41. That they were counted worthy Or That they had obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeming to interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so common among the Rabbins which soundeth to that sense and so is it not onely most easily but so it must be most commonly rendred in them And of the very same sense is the Latine word Mereri when it is applyed to man with reference to good generally in the Fathers As when it is said that the Virgin Mary meruit esse mater redemptoris she obtained to bee the mother of the redeemer not she deserved Mary Magdalen Audire meruit Fides tua te salvam fecit she obtained to heare it said Thy faith hath saved thee and a thousand such examples might bee given which too many thousands interpreting by the word merit wrest an harmlesse word to their owne destruction R. Solomon speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meritum volucrium the priviledge of birds and some fathers speaking of our obtaining Gods favour and salvation and
Claudius Caesar And after this be relateth how hee hasted upon his comming to the Crowne to bee Circumcised and after his Circumcision how his mother Helena went to Ierusalem and relieved it being much affamished Now in what yeare of Claudius any of these things were done hee hath not mentioned but hath left it at large and therefore wee may as well suppose that Izates was made King in the first yeare of Claudius and Helena his mother went to Ierusalem in his second as Eusebius may that she went thither in his fourth II. That Paul going at that time of the famine to Ierusalem to bring the almes and collection to the poore Brethren of Iudea had his trance in the Temple Acts 22.17 and in that trance he was rapt into the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 It may be thought indeed by the juncture of Story that Luke hath made that this his trance was at his first journey which hee tooke to Ierusalem after his conversion which journey is mentioned Acts 9.28 Gal. 1.18 for having from the sixth verse of Acts 2â— and forward related the Story of his conversion and of Ananias comming to him and baptizing him hee presently subjoyneth this when I was come againe to Jerusalem and was praying in the Temple I was in a trance as if that had beene the very first time that ever hee came there after he was converted But besides that it is very common with Scripture to make such juncture for times and Stories as if they were close together when oftentimes there is very much space of time betwixt them as Mat. 19.1 Luke 4.13 14. Acts 9.20 21 26 27. â—he proper intent of the Apostle in that Oration of his Acts 22. is to vindicate himself from the accusation laid against him for polluting the Temple and chiefly to plead his authority and commission and why hee had to deale among the Gentiles and therefore hee insists upon two particular Commissions one to Preach and the other to preach to the Gentiles and this is the reason why he joynes his conversion and his rapture in the Temple so close together and not because they were so in time Now this scruple being thus removed and that considered which was said before that in this trance in the Temple God said hee was to send him to the Gentiles and that accordingly hee was dispatched to that worke as soone as hee came to Antioch it cannot but bee concluded that his trance in the Temple was in the second of Claudius and that this was his rapture into the third Heaven since we read not of any rapture or trance that hee had but this III. That this trance or rapture was somewhat above foureteene yeares before hee wrote his second Epistle to Corinth 2 Cor. 12.2 Now in that hee saith it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before or above fourteen yeares agoe hee speaketh not of an indefinite time for then for ought any reason can bee given to the contrary hee might as well have let the mention of the time alone but that it was but a little above that space though it were somewhat above exact fourteen yeares IV. When hee wrote that second Epistle to Corinth hee was in Macedonia as is apparent by very many passages in that Epistle chap. 1.14 and 2.13 7.5 9.2 4. And thither he went upon the hubbub at Ephesus raised against him Act. 20.1 where hee had even the sentence of death in himself 2 Cor. 1.9 V. Now to count foureteene yeares compleat from the second of Claudius in which was Pauls rapture it will bring us to the second yeare of Nero. And let us but cast and compute those shreds of time that wee can find hinted in the Acts of the Apostles and wee shall find them agreeing with this account and giving some light unto it As first it is said by Paul that after hee had been at Ierusalem hee must also see Rome Acts 19.21 Now this doth argue the death of Claudius for if he had expected all the Iews out of Rome as it is averred both by the Scripture Acts 18.2 and by Suetonius in Claud. chapt 25. and never revoked his Edict for ought wee can read in any Story it is very unlikely and unreasonable to thinke that Paul should thinke of going thither if Claudius were alive for thither could hee neither goe without evident and inevitable danger of his owne life nor could hee find so much as one person of his owne Nation in the City when hee came there By this therefore may bee concluded that Claudius was now dead and Nero was going on his first yeare when Paul publisheth his resolution to goe for Rome And the times from hence to his apprehension at Ierusalem may bee cast by these Counters After this his declaring his intention for Rome hee stayeth in Asia for a season Acts 19.22 Now that this season was not long both the preceding and following Verses doe help to confirme for in the Verse before Paul is in a manner upon his motion toward Macedonia and so to Ierusalem already And it is very likely that the feast of Tabernacles which was in September induced him thither but the danger that hee was in at Ephesus before his parting Act. 19.23 24. c. disappointed him of his journey thither hee being now put off from providing accommodation for his voyage and put to shift for life and liberty About the middle of October Neroes first yeare was out and Paul by that time it is like is got to Macedonia and while hee continues there he writes this Epistle as the subscription of it in the Greeke Syriack Arabick and divers other Translations doe reasonably well aime it here howsoever they doe it in other places Or if wee should yeeld to Baronius that it was written from Nicopolis Tit. 2.12 it maketh no difference as to the thing in hand or at least very little since wee are upon the time and not upon the place and the time of difference will not be above a moneth or two Paul wintering so little at Nicopolis as that hee was in motion againe about the beginning of Ianuary if not before for his three moneths travaile of Greece brings it up to the Passeover time or neare upon Acts 20.3.6 And after the Passeover weeke Paul sets for Ierusalem as the Story plainely leads him thither and thence is hee Shipt for Rome toward the latter end of our September or about the Fast and solemne day of humiliation Acts 27.9 And this was in the second yeare of Nero now almost expiring or very neare unto its end And to this sense seemeth that account in Acts 24.27 to be understood After two years Portius Festus came into Felix room Not after two years of Pauls imprisonment for that is utterly without any ground or warrant in the world nor after two yeares of Felix Government for hee had been Governour in Iudâ—a many yeares Acts 24.10 but after two yeares of Neroes Empire or