by Lysias before the whole sanhedrim, or Jewish council. He pleaded before Felix in answer to the accusations of Tertullus, and the Jews who employed him. He preached before Felix and his wife Drusilla, and was several times in the presence of Felix. And before he was sent away to Rome, Festus gave him an opportunity to appear, and plead before himself, and king Agrippa, and Bernice, and the tribunes, and principal men of Caesarea: when Paul gave that august assembly an account of his doctrine, and of himself from his conversion to that time. And it is manifest, that Paul's discourse was well received. And both he and his doctrine were acquitted from all the charges and accusations of the Jews. For when the company had withdrawn, they said among themselves, where certainly they could speak with freedom: "This man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds."

Indeed, it must be owned, that Paul was civilly treated by all the Roman officers in Judea, Lysias, Felix, Festus, Julius. They all behaved as magistrates ought to do. They gave their prisoner and his accusers a fair hearing, that they inight know the truth of the case. Felix was a bad man. Nevertheless, "he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister, or to come to him," ch. xxiv. 23. And he left Paul bound, when he should have released him. But it was only out of compliance to the Jews, of whom he was afraid. And if there was any other defect of justice toward Paul, in the behaviour of the Roman officers, it may be fitly imputed to the powerful influence of the Jews, the people of the country; to whom governors, sent in from abroad, would be obliged to show a great regard, from political considerations.

In ch. xxvii. and xxviii. 1—16, is an account of Paul's voyage to Rome, which St. Luke has related very distinctly. As it was near winter when they set out, they met with bad weather, and were wrecked on the island Melita, now called Malta, lying south of Sicily. There they stayed "three months," xxxviii. 11, and then sailed for Italy in a ship of Alexandria. They landed at Puteoli, and so went for Rome. Paul and the other prisoners were delivered by the centurion to the captain of the guard. How the other prisoners were disposed of, is not particularly related. "But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him," ver. 16. And as Paul had appealed to the emperor, I suppose that he was soon brought before him, and that the method of his confinement was ordered by the

emperor himself. Of which I may say more hereafter, when we come to the second epistle to Timothy.

6

Says Lightfoot: His accusers, that were come from 'Judea to lay in their charge against him, (for we can hardly suppose otherwise, but that some such were come,) 'would be urgent to get their business despatched, that they 'might be returning to their own home again. And so 'would bring him to trial as soon as they could.-—As he ' appealed to Nero himself, so Nero himself heard his cause.' Philip. i. 13; 2 Tim. iv. 16.

6

So Lightfoot. And it appears to me very strange, that any should think Paul's cause was not heard at all at Rome, during his two years' stay there. And yet it has been the opinion of several learned men, particularly of James Capellus, and Dr. Doddridge, whose words I have placed below. And Fr. Spanheim speaks to the like purpose. But his sentiments are rejected by his friend Witsius, as no better than trifling.

i

k

h

Paul came to Rome in the spring of the year, as all will readily think. Some learned men place his arrival there in February, others in April. Here Paul " dwelled two whole years in his own hired house." Therefore he was released from his confinement in the spring two years after.

I suppose Paul to have come to Jerusalem at the Pentecost of the year 58, to Rome in the spring of the year 61, and to have been released in the former part of the year 63. This period therefore is about the space of five years.

XII. We are now to write the history of our apostle from

• As before, p. 322. Redit Romam causam acturus, quod in primâ Romæ mansione non comparuissent accusatores. Jac. Cap. Compendios. in Apostol. Histor. Chronolog. Tab.

After this, Paul continued two whole years at Rome in his own hired house, before he was heard by Cæsar, or his deputy, upon his appeal.' Upon Acts xxviii. 30. Family Expositor, Vol. III. p. 434.

-Sed

Celeberrimus Spanhemius noster ad Historiæ Christianæ seculum i.hæc habet: Dimissus nempe fuerat Paulus, eâ lege, ut in Asiâ coram accu'satoribus suis sisteretur, aut Romæ rursus se sisteret, quum ante nulli in ipsum Romam missi a Judæis essent. Eâ occasione adiit Corinthum.'apparentibus Hierosolymâ Judæis, Romam redire coactus est, anno, ut videtur, sequente; ubi conjectus in vincula; ibidemque ultima Pauli certamina, &c'- -Quæ quam debili nitantur fundamento, non puto mihi esse ostendendum. Wits. de Vit. Pauli, sect. xii. num. xl.

Ita Paulus, postquam per tres menses Melita hiemâsset, per Syracusas, Rhegium, et Puteolos, Romam venit mense Febr. Neron. vii. Pearson Ann. Paul. p. 18. A. D. lxi.

Ita tandem Paulus, post tot casus, post tot rerum discrimina, Romam venit, anno vii. Neronis, mense Februario. Wits. ib. sect. xu. n. i.

See likewise Tillemont. S. Paul. art. 42.

* Basnag. ann. 60. num. x

this time to his death. But in this period we have no assistance from St. Luke, very little from the other books of the New Testament, nor very much from ancient authors, which can be depended upon as certain.

Whither Paul went after he had obtained his liberty, has been debated. Some think, that he went from Rome to Spain. Others see not sufficient reason for that supposition. Among these are " L'Enfant and Beausobre," Basnage and • Cellarius, and P Du Pin.

That Paul went into Spain, has been argued from an expression of Clement in his epistle to the Corinthians, who there says of Paul, that having taught the whole world 'righteousness, and having come to the borders of the west, and having suffered martyrdom, he went to the holy place.' Which some have rendered" the utmost bounds of the west," and argue, that hereby is meant Spain. I rather think, that Clement only meant Italy, or Rome, where Clement was, and where Paul suffered. From a note of Le Clerc upon the place we learn, that Bp. Fell so understood Clement. The word "coming" also leads to this sense. If Clement had thought of Spain, or Britain, or any other places beyond that in which himself was, he would not have said και ελθων, “ and having come,” but πορευσαμενος, or some other equivalent word," and having gone to the

66

1 Adveniente Timotheo, ex Italiâ profectus est in Hispaniam, quo iturum se dixerat in epistolâ ad Romanos. Pearson. ib. p. 20.

Quelques anciens pères ont dit, que saint Paul, ayant été mis en liberté, alla faire le voyage d'Espagne, dont il avoit formé le dessein cinq ou six ans auparavant. Rom. xv. 24. Mais, outre que ces témoignages sont du quatrième ou du cinquième siècle, il semble que ces pères n'ont parlé de ce voyage, que sur ce que S. Paul en a dit dans l'épître aux Romains. C'est au moins tout ce que S. Jérome allègue.--Aussi les épîtres, que S. Paul écrivit durant sa captivité, témoignent qu'il ne pensoit qu' à retourner en Grèce et en Asie, dès qu'il seroit délivré. Pouvoit-il avoir dans l'esprit un voyage en Espagne, lorsqu'il mandoit à Philémon, 'de lui préparer un logement?' Laissant donc une tradition, au moins fort incertaine, &c. L'Enf. et Beaus. Pref. générale sur les epîtres de S. Paul. sect. liv. p. 33. " Ann. 46. num. xlvi—1.

• Eruditis placet, et admodum est probabile, Paulum primâ captivitate, quam Lucas scripsit, liberatum in Græciam et Asiam revertisse, adeoque bis Romæ fuisse in Hispaniam autem penetrâsse, credibile non est. Chr. Cellar. de Itineribus S. Pauli apostoli, sect. xxviii.

:

P Il arriva à Rome au commencement de l'an 61. Il en sortit au bout de deux ans. Plusieurs ont crû, qu'il avoit alors fait le voyage d'Espagne. Mais nous avons fait voir ailleurs que cela est fort incertain. Il est plus vraisemblable, qu'il revint dans l'Asie, et dans la Grèce. Du Pin. Diss. Prel. 1. 2. ch. 2. sect. viii. 4 δικαιοσυνην διδαξας όλον τον κόσμον, και επι το τέρμα της δύσεως ελθων, και μαρτύρησας επι των ἡγεμονων.κ. λ. Clem. cap. v. Et certe eam regionem vidit, quam Clemens Romanus, ejus itinera commemorans, appellat To repμa τng dvσews. Pearson. • Romæ, hoc est in Hesperiâ, sive Italiâ. Fell.

ibid

bounds of the west." L'Enfant and Beausobre, in their general preface to St. Paul's epistles, say," the bounds of the west" signify nothing but the west. It is an expression, they say, borrowed from the scriptures, in which the borders of a country denote the country itself. In like manner by those words Clement intended Italy.

However, another ground of this opinion is what St. Paul himself says, Rom. xv. 24, "Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you. For I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company." But Paul's measures had been broken by his imprisonment at Rome, and the consequences of it. And it was now at least five years since writing the epistle to the Romans. It is more likely, that " when Paul left Rome, he went into the east, and Greece. For in his letters, written near the end of his confinement there, he expresseth hopes of so doing. Philip. ii. 23, 24, speaking of Timothy, he says: "Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord, that I also myself shall come shortly." Compare i. 20—25.And he says to Philemon, an inhabitant of Colosse, ver. 22, "But withal prepare me a lodging: for I trust that, through your prayers, I shall be given unto you." And in the epistle to the Hebrews, probably written by Paul to the Jews of Judea and Jerusalem, he says, ch. xiii. 18, 19," Pray for us. And I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner." And lower, ver. 23, “ Know ye, that our brother Timothy is set at liberty. With whom, if he come shortly, I will see you." Moreover, it is not impossible, but that Paul may have taken care of Spain, by sending thither some of his fellow-labourers, whilst he was prisoner at Rome.

As I suppose the epistle to the Hebrews to have been written after that to Philemon, I am apt to think, that Paul came from Rome to Jerusalem, as soon and as directly as he could. But he made there a short stay only. From Judea I think it likely that he went to Ephesus, and there left Timothy whom about two years before he had sent for "Nos tamen præcipue movent petita ex scripturis argumenta, quibus aperte liquet, Paulum egressum Romanorum carcere, in Orientem se contulisse. Documento sane magno, mutatum esse jubente Deo Pauli consilium, quo in Hispaniæ tractum ex civitate Romanâ proficisci statuerat.- -Illud etiam nobis est vero proximum, peregrinationem Pauli Hispanicam ex verbis Pauli fabricatam. -Unde collegerunt, quod decreverat, illud executioni esse mandatum. Quæ tamen non est apta argumentandi ratio, &c. Basnag. ann. 46. num. xlix.

Num. liv. p. 33.

to come to him from Ephesus to Rome. From Ephesus Paul might go to Laodicea and Colosse. And, possibly, he returned to Rome by Troas, Philippi, and Corinth.

w

V

66

Some have hesitated to allow, that Paul ever came again into this country, because he says, Acts xx. 25," And now, behold, I know, that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more." But Lewis Capellus has well removed that difficulty. I therefore have placed below a part of his observations. And says Wall upon the place: Eryw oida," I know," 'when spoken of things future, does not, (as it is used by St. Paul,) always signify a certain knowledge, or a pro"phetic certainty: but often means only thus much: "I take it for granted: I am fully persuaded: I foresee it highly probable: I have no other expectation." And the like.' See also what there follows.

6

But

They who think, that Paul did come again into this country, but nevertheless was not at Ephesus, seem not to attend to St. Paul's expressions, who does not say to the elders of Ephesus: "I know that you will see me no more." his words are these: "And now, behold, I know, that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more." The apostle then thought, that he should never more come into those parts. Consequently, he might as well come to Ephesus as to Colosse: which he probably did, and certainly hoped, and intended to do. See Philem. ver. 22.

Beside Capellus and Wall, already alleged, I might refer to others, who hesitate not at all to allow, that Paul came again into this country, particularly Le Clerc, and L'Enfant and Beausobre, upon Acts xx. 25, and Pearson. Not now to mention any more.

I said just now, that, probably, Paul went to Jerusalem, as soon as he could, after he was set at liberty. Aud say L'Enfant and Beausobre in their general preface to St.

▾ Sed responderi potest, Paulum non semel ex humanâ conjecturâ, atque ex humano spiritu, consilio, et proposito, multa ejusmodi cogitâsse, putâsse, proposuisse, ac dixisse. Quæ tamen postea, Deo ita disponente, aliter ceciderunt.

-Itaque mirum videri non debet, si, cum Spiritus Paulum oppidatim moneret vincula et afflictiones graves manere eum Jerosolymis, sentiretque se Spiritu ligatum, ut eo nihilominus proficisceretur, nesciens quænam essent illic sibi eventura, desperaverit de reditu suo ad eos, quos post se relinquebat; licet, Deo ita disponente- -res aliquot post annis ceciderit aliter, quam ipse tum credebat. Non est itaque tam validum adversus nos argumentum illud, ut eo subvertatur sententia nostra de Pauli reditu in Orientem, post soluta Romana ejus vincula. Lud. Capel. Hist. Apost. Illustrat. p. 34-36. * Paulus venit Miletum,

"Notes upon the N. T. p. 255. &c. Ann. Paulin. p. 24. A. D. lxvi.

y P. 34.