selves, saying, this man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds. Then said Agrippa, (a Jew, but well acquainted with the Roman constitution,) This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar," Acts xxvi. 30-32.

The sum, I think, is this; that since St. Paul had affirmed in his defence before Felix, ch. xxiv. 12, that "they had not found him in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city;" and before Festus, ch. xxv. 8, that "neither against the law, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, had he offended any thing at all:" And, since the Jews had brought no proofs of any such offences, but only there were some differences between Paul and the Jews, concerning certain questions of their own superstition" [religion]; Paul was an innocent man, and might have been very justly set at liberty, and left to himself to go and propagate his principles in the way he had done hitherto.

This then was the reason of this conduct; they were not used to interpose their authority in differences purely religious: there was no act of sedition, injustice, or violence proved against Paul, or any of his companions: and these were the only things which these officers had a right to punish.

Here are therefore two things, which we are to look for some foreign proof of; namely, the fierce opposition made by the Jews against the followers of Jesus Christ; and then, in the next place, that the Roman officers had no right, according to the constitution of the Roman government at that time, to punish men for innocent principles, but only for wicked practices.

I

II. To the first point, the proceedings of the Jews, little needs to be said. Their characters for violence is so allowed, that no one can well suspect the evangelists have misrepresented them: not to say, that it was by no means their interest to say these things of them if not true. shall however allege a passage or two to this purpose. Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, written about the 140th year of the christian æra, says, that in his time, the Jews cursed in their synagogues all that believed, in 'Christ. This,' says he, is all you can do. You have 'not now the power of killing us yourselves, because others

6

8 Πολλα μεν δη και δεινα και οἱ Ιεδαίοι τες Ρωμαιος έδρασαν (το γαρ του γενος αυτών, θυμωθεν πικρότατον εςι') Dio. l. lix. p. 405. D. b Vid. Pagi, Čritic. in Baron. A. C. 148. Καταρωμένοι εν ταις συναγωγαις υμων της πιςευοντας επι τον Χρισον. Dialog. p. 234. Β.

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' have the governing of things. But this you have done, whenever you have been able. Nor have any other people showed so much enmity against us and Christ as you, who have been likewise the authors of all those prejudices, ' which others have conceived against that righteous per6 son and us his followers. For after that had crucified you 'that one unblamable and righteous man, (by whose stripes they are healed who go to the Father through him,) when 6 you knew that he was risen from the dead, and ascended up into heaven, according as the prophecies had foretold he should, you were so far from repeuting of your evil 'deeds, that you sent out from Jerusalem chosen men into all the world, giving out that the sect of the christians is ' atheistical, and saying all those evil things of us, which they, who know us not, do still say of us.' And Tertullian affirms the same thing; That the Jews were the principal authors of the evil reports which were spread 'abroad concerning the christians.'

III. Moderation and equity toward men of a different religion are more uncommon things. And therefore, it will be needful to be more particular on this head, and to account for the protection, which the heathen officers gave St. Paul and others, when the multitude would have mobbed them, or when the Jewish magistrates demanded a judicial sentence against them.

I shall therefore show, that the Roman people did at this time protect all men in the practice of their several religious rites and institutions.

In the first place I shall consider, how they treated the heathen people in those provinces which they had subdued.

And secondly, I shall give a brief account of the treatment which the Jews received from them.

1. I shall consider how they treated the heathen people, in those provinces which they subdued to their obedience.

Livy informs us, that the Anagnini, a people in Italy, having disobliged the Romans, the senate took away from them several privileges, which they had let them enjoy to that time. Their senates were dissolved, and their magis'trates were deprived of all power and authority, except 'what was necessary for the administration of their religious 'rites.'m This was done in the year of the city 449, before k Ibid. C. D. Et credidit vulgus Judæo. Quod enim aliud genus seminarium est infamiæ nostræ ? Tertul. ad Nat. 1. i. c. 14. Anagninis, quique arma Romanis intulerant-concilia, connubiaque adempta et magistratibus, præterquam sacrorum curatione, interdictum. Liv.

m

Christ 305; and is a proof, that they esteemed all men's religion inviolable.

The people of Syracuse in Sicily had an ancient custom of choosing an annual priest to Jupiter. It is one of the heavy charges which Cicero brings against Verres, that whilst he was prætor of that province, he had obstructed the people there, in the usual method of the choice, in order to get into the priesthood a creature of his own."

Verres had a strong fancy for fine statues: and, whenever he had seen any such in any town or city, as he travelled in his province, he would send to the people, and inform them of a desire he had to purchase of them the statue of such or such a god or goddess. Sometimes the people out of fear of his resentments complied with his desires, though with much regret. But others were more resolute, and told him plainly, such things could not be done without impiety. However this wretch (as Cicero says) would send his servants in the night time to steal images, which the people refused to part with. There was a statue of Ceres at Enna, which stood in an open place before her temple. The curious workmanship of it was a strong ' temptation, but its bulk obstructed a clandestine removal. 'She held in her right hand a beautiful image of victory. This he caused to be taken away and brought to his 'house.'P

This statue of Ceres was, it seems, in great veneration at Rome, as well as in Sicily. Let us now hear what Cicero says to the judges upon the trial of Verres. Heal, O ye judges, the wounds given to the religion of your allies; preserve your own. For this is not the branch of any foreign or strange religion. But if it were, and if 'you did not see fit to adopt it into your own religion, yet you ought to be willing to secure it by an exemplary punishment of him who has offered to violate it.'q

lib. ix. cap. 43. n. 24.

Sacerdotia: quibus in rebus non solum jura, sed etiam deorum religiones immortalium omnes repudiavit. Syracusis lex est de religione, quæ in annos singulos Jovis sacerdotem sortito capi jubebat, &c. in Verr. lib. ii. cap. 51.

• Deum denique nullum Siculis, qui ei paulo magis affabre atque antiquo artificio factus videretur, reliquit. In Verr. act. i. 1. c. 5. n. 14.

P Ante ædem Cereris in aperto et propatulo loco signa duo sunt, Cereris unum, alterum Triptolemi, et pulcherrima et perampla. His pulchritudo periculo, amplitudo saluti fuit, quod eorum demolitio atque asportatio perdifficilis videbatur. Insistebat in manu Cereris dextrâ simulachrum pulcherrime factum Victoria. Hoc ille e siguo Cereris avellendum asportandumque curavit. In Verr. lib. iv. cap. 49. n. 110.

"Medemini religioni sociorum, judices: conservate vestram. Neque enim

Of all heathen rites within the bounds of the Roman empire, the Egyptian seem to have been the most different from those of the Romans. They were contemned and ridiculed by the emperors, by Augustus in particular, and by the Romans authors. And, if we may credit Philo, no strangers came into Egypt, but they were tempted to laugh at them, and banter them, till they became accustomed to those absurdities: and all travellers of good sense were wont to be filled with the utmost astonishment, joined with pity.t

But yet they were practised, without any molestation from the Romans: and continued to be so, long after the time I am at present concerned with."

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It is true the Egyptian rites were more than once prohibited in the city of Rome. Augustus laid a restraint upon them, and forbade the performing them in the city or 'suburbs, or within five hundred paces of the suburbs.' And by Tiberius's order the temple of Isis at Rome was ' demolished, and her image thrown into the Tiber.'" But then this was for an high offence; and because her priests, under the cloak of religion, had promoted acts of de

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hæc externa vobis religio, neque aliena: quod si esset, si suscipere eam nolletis; tamen in eo, qui violàsset, sancire vos velle oporteret. Ibid. cap. 51. n. 114. -Sancire (inquit Servius) est sanguine fuso confirmare. Hinc noster in orat. pro Bald. Sanctiones ait sacrandas aut genere ipso, ut obtestatione et consecratione legis; aut pœnâ, cum caput ejus qui contra facit consecratur. Hotom. not, in loc. * Και της αυτης ταύτης αιτίας, εδε τῳ Απιδι εντυχεῖν ηθελησε· λεγων θεες, αλλ' εχι βες, προσκυνειν ειθισθαι. Dio. l. li. p. 455. A. Omne fere genus bestiarum Ægyptii con

secraverunt. Cic. de Nat. Deor. lib. iii. cap. 15.

755. E.

Qualia demens

Ægyptus portenta colat! Crocodilon adorat

Pars hæc

Illic

Oppida tota canem venerantur, nemo Dianam.

Juv. Sat. xv. in.

' 'Ών τι αν γενοιτο καταγελασοτερον; και δη των ξενων οἱ πρωτον εις Αιγυπτον αφικόμενοι, πριν τον εγχωριον τύφον ταις διανοίαις εισοικισασθαι, εξησθενηκασι χλευώζοντες· οσοι δε παιδειας ορθής εγεύσαντο, την επ' ασέμνοις πραγμασι σεμνοποιΐαν καταπλαγέντες, οικτίζονται τις χρωμένες. Philo de Decalogo. p. " Οἱ δε Αιγυπτιοι και αιλερες, και κροκοδείλες, και οφεις, και ασπίδας, και κυνας, θεως νομίζεσιν και τέτοις πασιν επιτρέπετε και iμei kai oi voμoi. Athenag. Legat. p. 2. A Parisiis. 1636. Nemo se ab invito coli volet, ne homo quidem : atque ideo et Ægyptiis permissa est tam vana superstitionis potestas, avibus et bestiis consecrandis, et capite damnandis qui aliquem hujusmodi deum occiderint. Unicuique etiam provinciæ et civitati suus deus est.--Sed nos soli arcemur a religionis proprietate. Sed apud vos quodvis colere jus est, præter Deurn verum. Tertul. Apol. cap. 24.

* Τα τε ίερα τα Αιγυπτια επεισιοντα αυθις ες το αςυ ανέτειλεν απειπων μηδένα μηδε εν τῳ προασειῳ αυτά εντός ογδοον ἡμισαδιον ποιειν. Dio. lib. liv. p. 525. A. Joseph. Ant. 1. xviii. cap. 4. sect. 4.

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bauchery which were ruinous of the peace of families, and that in the very temple itself which she had at Rome.*

And Flaccus the president of Egypt, in the latter end of the reign of Tiberius, prohibited their fellowships at Alexandria; which they held under a pretence of religion indeed, but made use of for drunkenness only and such like excesses: on other accounts they met with no interruptions.

And those sacred rites which were more properly their own, were as severely restrained, when they were known to be abused to the like infamous practices. For this reason the Bacchanalia were prohibited at Rome and throughout Italy by a decree of the senate.z A. U. 568, before Christ

186.

That I may not enter into needless particulars, I shall take notice here of but one thing more. Philo says, that when the Jews waited on Petronius president of Syria, to entreat him not to proceed as yet to erect the statue of Caligula at Jerusalem, they desired that he would give them leave to send an embassy to the emperor: Possibly, say they, we 'may obtain thus much, not to be treated worse than the 'meanest of all people, whose religion is preserved invio• late.'a

IV. In the second place I shall give a brief account of the treatment which the Jews had from the Romans.

b

The Jews received very considerable favours and privileges from Alexander; and they enjoyed the same under his successors in Syria and Egypt, though with some interruptions, especially in Syria. But I intend not to go so high as this. I take notice of this only, because the Jews enjoyed under the Romans the most extensive privileges out of Judea, which had been granted by Alexander and his immediate successors; and because the privileges which they received first from them, seem to have been in a great

* Id. ibid. * Τας τε έταιρειας και συνοδες, αἱ αει επι προφάσει θυσίων είςιωντο, τους πραγμασιν εμπαραινέσαι, διελυε. Philo, in Flac. p. 965. D. Deinde senatusconsulto cautum est, Ne qua Bacchanalia Romæ, neve in Italiâ essent. Si quis tale sacrum solenne et necessarium duceret, nec sine religione et piaculo se id omittere posse, apud prætorem urbanum profiteretur; prætor senatum consuleret; si e permissum esset, quum in senatu non minus centum essent, ita id sacrum faceret, dum ne plus quinque sacrificio interessent: neu qua pecunia communis, neu quis magister sacrorum, aut sacerdos esset. Liv. lib. xxxix. cap. 18.

Ταχα πε πρεσβευσαμενοι πεισομεν,-η περί τε μη παντων, και των εν εσχατίαις εθνών, οἷς τετηρηται τα πατρια, έλαττον ενεγκασθαι. Philo, de Leg. ad Cai. p. 1026. E. b Vid. Joseph. Ant. lib. xii. cap

3. sect. 1. Contr. Apion. lib. ii. sect. 4