Chap.17. A Commentary upon the Aci s . I69 work ofthe fpirit. See it in thefe noble Bereans : they brought theirbodies to the Aftembly , took the headsofPaids Sermonve- ry truly , repeated and examined the notes they had taken , and yet were unconverted as appears by this verfe. Now if any ofus Huetofeo : fe. dohide the like talent, we arenot to expet`t the fpirit of fans° ifi- 3IÇ. - cation. As our liberty in externall acts (as to come toChurch tò hear &c.) is {till Tome , fo mule our endeavours be anfwerable. Verfe 14. Togo its it were to the fea ] This wasanhighpoint ofwifdomnot to fend Parlthe next way to Athens, but about by theSea for avoidingofdanger. .Verfe 15. Broughthim untoAthens ] The eye ofGreece , but wofully nowbemifted with the fogge offuperftition, as our Uni- Nauficr verfities alto have been of late : Athens was a pleafant and anci- ent City. Cecrops is faid tohave beene Kingof it in Mefes his time. Verfe 16. HisfiiritWas furred ] The word fignifies, he was almoft befides himfelf ( fuch was his zeal ) to fee the Idolatryof ,:iragosvr =n. the eilrhenians. So was WilliamGardiner an Englifh Merchant and Martyr in Portugall, who when the Cardinal in a Maffe, before the King, began to take the ceremoniall Hoaft, to toile it to and fro round about the Chalice,making certain circles and femicircles, he not being able to fuftèr any longer, went to the Cardinall , and Aft. & Mon; in the pretenceof the King, and all his Nobles andCitizens , with foi. rz 3 r. the one hand he fnacht the cake from the Prieft, and trod it under his feet, and with the other hand overthrew the chalice &c. See the like hiftoryofWilliam loWer, who wounded theMaffe-prieft at Wefminfler &c. Act. &Mon. fol. 1430. Wholly given to Idolatry ] `Daufarius reckons upmore Idols al- is Atticis. moft in e, then then in all Greecebetides. And Xénophon faith , nA ¿lien. ' that the Athenians kept double the holy-dayes and feftivals to ,e what others did. Ephraim isjoyned toIdols , let him alone, q. d. ú3n4.,6. there's nohope ofhim. They that make them are like unto them, fo areall they that worfhip them , as blockith as thofe Palaami- blocks theyworfbip. No Church could be found at Athens : They, for their Idolatry, were given up to thong delufjons , vile afl'eth- ons, ¡nit damnation. They were too wile to be faved by the foo- lifimeffe ofpreaching. Verfe 17. With them that met with him] If any body would but lend him a. little audience, he would preach to them, loch was his zeale. The Word mutt be preached in feafon, out YYY
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