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CHAPTER VII.

The transactions of St. Paul, from his arrival at Rome, till his Martyrdom.

HAVING refreshed himself after the fatigue of his voyage, the apostle sent for the heads of the Jewish consistory at Rome, and related to them the cause of his coming, in the following manner: "Though I have been guilty of no violence of the laws of our religion, yet I was delivered by the Jews at Jerusalem to the Roman governors, who more than once would have acquitted me as innocent of any capital offence: but, by the perverseness of my persecutors, I was obliged to appeal unto Cæsar; not that I had any thing to accuse my nation of; I had recourse to this method merely to clear my own inno

cence."

Having thus removed a popular prejudice, he added, "That the true cause of his sufferings was what their own religion had taught him, 'the belief and expectation of a future resurrection.'" But his discourse had different effects on different hearers, some being convinced, and others persisting in their infidelity.

For two whole years Paul dwelt at Rome, in a house he had hired for his own use; wherein he assiduously employed himself in preaching and writing for the good of the church.

The Christians of Philippi hearing of St. Paul's being at Rome and not knowing what distress he might be reduced to, raised a contribution for him, and sent it to Epaphroditus, their bishop, by whom he returned an epistle to them, wherein he gives some account of the state of his affairs at Rome.

St. Paul lived about three years at Ephesus, preaching the Gospel to the numerous inhabitants of that city, and was therefore well acquainted with the state and condition of the place: so that taking the opportunity of Tychicus's going thither, he wrote his epistles to the Ephesians, wherein he endeavors to countermine the principles and practices both of the Jews and Gentiles, to confirm them in the belief and practices of the Christian doctrine, and to instruct them fully in the great mysteries of the Gospel.

By what means St. Paul was discharged from the accusation the Jews brought against him we have no account in history; but it is natural to suppose, that not having sufficient proof of what they alleged, or being informed that the crimes they accused him of, were no violation of the Roman laws, they durst not implead him before the Emperor, and so permitted him to be dis

charged of course. But by whatever means he procured his liberty, he wrote his epistle to the Hebrews before he left Italy, from whence he dates his salutations.

The principal design of it is to magnify Christ, and the religion of the Gospel, above Moses and the Jewish œconomy, in order to establish and confirm the converted Jews in the firm belief and profession of Christianity, notwithstanding the trouble and persecutions that would certainly attend them.

Having thus discharged his ministry, both by preaching and writing, in Italy, St. Paul, accompanied by Timothy, prosecuted his long-intended journey into Spain: and, according to the testimony of several writers, crossed the sea, and preached the Gospel in Britain.

What success he had in these western parts is not known he however, continued there eight or nine months, and then returned again to the east, visited Sicily, Greece, and Crete, and then repaired to Rome.

Here he met with Peter, and was together with him, thrown into prison, doubtless in the general persecution raised against the Christians, under pretence that they had set fire to the city. How long he remained in prison is uncertain; nor do we know whether he was scourged before his execution. He was, however, allowed the privilege of a Roman citizen, and therefore beheaded.

Being come to the place of execution, which was the Aqua Salvæ, three miles from Rome, he cheerfully, after a solemn preparation, gave his neck to the fatal stroke; and from this vale of misery passed to the blissful regions of immortality, to the kingdom of his beloved Master, the great Redeemer of the human race.

He was buried in the Via Ostiensis, about two miles from Rome; and about the year 317, Constantine the Great, at the instance of Pope Sylvester, built a stately church over his grave, adorned it with an hundred marble columns, and beautified it with the most exquisite workmanship.

ST. ANDREW.

CHAPTER I.

The transactions of St Andrew, from his Birth to his being called to the Apostleship.

THIS apostle was born at Bethsaida, a city of Galilee, built on the banks of the Lake of Genesareth, and was son to John, or Jonas, a fisherman of that town. He was brother to Simon Peter, but whether older or younger is not certainly known, though the generality of the ancients intimate that he was the younger. He was brought up to his father's trade, at which he labored till our blessed Saviour called him to be a fisher of men, for which he was, by some preparatory instructions, qualified even before the appearance of the Messiah.

John the Baptist had lately preached the doctrine of repentance, and was, by the generality of the Jews, from the impartiality of his precepts, and the remarkable strictness and austerity of his life, held in great veneration.

In the number of his followers was our apostle, who accompanied him beyond Jordan, when the Messiah, who had some time before been baptized, came that way. Upon his approach, the Baptist pointed him out as the Messiah, styling him the Lamb of God, the true sacrifice that was to expatiate the sins of the world. As soon as the Baptist had given this character of Jesus, Andrew, and another disciple, probably St. John, followed the Saviour of mankind to the place of his abode.

After some conversation with him, Andrew departed, and having found his brother Simon, informed him that he had discovered the great Messiah, so long expected by the house of Jacob, and accordingly brought him to Jesus. They did not, however, stay long with their Master, but returned to their calling.

Something more than a year after, Jesus, passing through Galilee, found Andrew and Peter fishing on the sea of Galilee, where he fully satisfied them of the greatness and divinity of his person, by a miraculous draught of fishes, which they took at his command. He now told them that they should enter on a different series of labors, and instead of fish, should, by the efficacy and influence of their doctrine upon the heart and conscience, catch men; commanding them to follow him, as his immediate disciples and attendants; and accordingly they left all and followed him.

CHAPTER II.

The Transactions of St. Andrew, from our blessed Saviour's Ascension, till his Martyrdom.

AFTER the ascension of the blessed Jesus into heaven, and the descent of the Holy Ghost on the apostles, to qualify them for their great undertaking, St. Andrew, according to the generality of ancient writers, was chosen to preach the Gospel in Scythia, and the neighboring countries.

Accordingly he departed from Jerusalem, and first travelled through Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bythinia, instructing the inhabitants in the faith of Christ and continued his journey along the Euxine Sea, into the desert of Scythia. An ancient author tells us, that he first came to Amynsus, where, being entertained. by a Jew, he went into the synagogue preached to them concerning Jesus, and from the prophecies of the Old Testament proved him to be the Messiah, and Saviour of the world. Having converted many here, he settled the times of their public meetings, and ordained them priests.

He went next to Trapezium, a maratime city on the Euxine Sea; from whence, after visiting many other places, he came to Nice, where he stayed two years, preaching and working miracles with great succcess. After leaving Nice, he passed to Nicodemia, and from thence to Chalcedon, whence he sailed through the Prepontis came to the Euxine Sea to Heraclea, and afterwards to Amastris. In all these places hemet with the greatest difficulties, but overcame them by an invincible patience and resolution.

He next came to Synope, a city situated on the same sea, and famous both for the birth and burial of king Mithridates; here he met with his brother Peter, and stayed with him a considerable time. The inhabitants of Synope were mostly Jews, who partly from a zeal for their religion and partly from their barbarous manners, were exasperated against St. Andrew, and entered into a confederacy to burn the house in which he lodged. But being disappointed in their design, they treated him with the most savage cruelty, throwing him on the ground, stamping upon him with their feet, pulling and dragging him from place to place; some beating him with clubs, some pelting him with stones, and others to satisfy their brutal revenge, biting off his flesh with their teeth; till apprehending they had entirely deprived him of life, they cast him out into the fields. But he miraculously recovered, and returned publicly into the city; by which

and other miracles he wrought among them, he converted many from the error of their ways, and induced them to become disciples of the blessed Jesus.

Departing from Synope, he returned to Jerusalem; but he did not continue long in that neighborhood. He returned again to the province allotted him for the exercise of his ministry, which greatly flourished through the power of the divine grace that attended it.

He travelled over Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Achaia, and Epirus, preaching the Gospel, propagating Christianity, and then confirming the doctrine he taught with signs and miracles. At last he came to Petrea, a city of Achaia, where he gave his last and greatest testimony to the Gospel of his divine Master, sealing it with his blood.

Egenas, proconsul of Achaia, came at this time to Petrea, where, observing that multitudes had abandoned the heathen religion, and embraced the Gospel of Christ, he had recourse to every method, both of favor and cruelty, to reduce the people to their old idolatry. The apostle, whom no difficulties or dangers could deter from performing the duties of his ministry, addressed himself to the proconsul, calmly putting him in mind that, being only a judge of men, he ought to revere him who was the supreme and impartial judge of all, pay him the divine honors due to his exalted majesty, and abandon the impieties of his idolatrous worship; observed to him, that if he would renounce his idolatries, and heartily embrace the Christian faith, he should, with him and the numbers who had believed in the Son of God, receive eternal happiness in the Messiah's kingdom. The proconsul answered, that he himself should never embrace the religion he mentioned: and that the only reason why he was so earnest with him to sacrifice to the gods was, that those whom he had every where seduced might, by his example, be brought back to the ancient religion they had forsaken. The apostle replied, that he saw it was in vain to endeavor to persuade a person incapable of sober counsels, and hardened in his own blindness and folly; that with regard to himself, he might act as he pleased, and if he had any torment greater than another, he might heap that upon him; as the greatest constancy he shewed in his sufferings for Christ, the more acceptable he should be to his Lord and Master. Ægenas could hold no longer; and after treating him with very opprobious language, and shewing him the most distinguished marks of contempt, he passed sentence on him, that he should be put to death.

He first ordered the apostle to be scourged, and seven lictors successively whipped his naked body; but seeing his invincible

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