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144
ST. PAUL'S
DIVINI;
COMMISSION
[Disc,
T.
comply
with
the
unjust desire
of
the Jews, Festus
had a
mind to heàr the
whole cause,
that
he might
send
Csar
a
more
particular
account. Now
king Agrippa
being
there upon
a visit,
Festus
tells
Agrippa
the story
in this
speech
of
which
my
text
is
a part,
vier.
1
-7,
&c.
And from these words
we
may take occasion to
make
these three
observations
:
d.
Civil governors among
the heathens, before
they
were
taught
to
persecute the christians,
thought
it
strange
to
have
matters
of
pure religion brought
before
them,
where
the
state and the peace of
it
was
not
concerned.,
II.
The resurrection of Jesus
Christ
from the
dead
is
the grand question
in
our
debates,
about
christianity,
and
which
we
are
solicitous
to
maintain,
in vindication
of
our
religion.
.
III.
Paul
would
not
have
affirmed
Jesus
Christ,
a
dead
man, to be alive,
without
very good
proof of
it;
knowing
that
the
whole religion which he
taught the
world
depended
on the
truth of
it.
First
observation. Civil governors among the hea-
thens
usually in
ancient
times,
thought it strange
to have
matters
of
pure
religion
brought'
before them.
Festus imagined
some
dreadful
accusation
of
sedition
or murder
was
brought against Paul, or
some high
crime
against
the state, when he
was
with
such fury
brought
before
him
;
but there
was
nothing
of
this kind
appear-
ed.
St.
Paul
expressly
says,
he had
walked
uprightly
before
God
and
man, and
exercised himself
to
keep
a
good conscience toward
God
and
men
;
a conscience
void of
offence
;
and after manyyears,
he came to bring
alms to his
Own
nation,
to
do
his
country a
kindness,
and the Jews
seized him,
upon pretence
of
his
opinions
being contrary
to
the religion
of their
nation.
The great
design
of
civil
government, and
the institu-
tution
of
magistracy among men,
is
to
keep the peace,
to
secure the persons and properties
of
mankind
who were
innocent,
from all
manner of
injury;
and there
is
no-
thing
more
of
religion comes within their province, than
is
absolutely necessary
to
secure the public peace.
Now,
upon this
account, and
that
with some
appearance
of
reason,
it
bath
been
supposed
that
atheists, or those
who
deny
God,
or
his
providence, or
his
government of
the
world,
Iriay be
justly
punished
by
magistrates,
s4
far
at