THE HISTORICAL CATECIIISM.- 297 52. Q. Were not the apostles greatly persecuted ? A. Yes, they were put in prison by the high-priest, they were beaten by. order of the council, James the brother of John was slain by Herod, and Peter was put in prison again, in order to be put to death ; Acts v. 18, 19, 40. and xii. 2, 3, 11. 53. Q. Did God give them any miraculous deliverances ? A. Several times when the apostles were imprisoned they were released by angels ; Acts v. 18, 19. and xii. 7. andxvi. 25, 26. 54. Q. Who was one of the chief persecutors of the Chris- tians at this time.? A. Saul, a young man, a zealous pharisee, who was afterwards called Paul ; Acts vii. 58. and viii. 1, 3. 55. Q. Did he live and die a persecutor ? A. No, he was struck down to the ground by a blaze of light as he was going to Damascus to imprison theChristians, and Jesus Christ called him with a voice from heaven ; Acts ix. 1 -8. 56. Q. What is afterwards related of him ? A. That hebe- camea zealous preacher of the gospel, he was made the apostle of the Gentiles, and spent his days in travelling to convert the heathen nations ; Acts ix. 20-22. Gal. ii. 7, 8. Rom. xv. 16-21. 57. Q. What became of Paul at last ? A. After he had done more service for Christ by preaching and writing than any of the other apostles, and endured more sufferings in his life he was put to death as a martyr for Christ; 2 Cor. xi. 23-27. 2 Tim. iv. 6. 58. Q. Is there any further account given of Peter ? A. When he had laid out his life in preaching the gospel, and had writ letters to the christiatis, he was crucified in his old age as Christ foretold him ; John xxi. 18, 19. 2 Pet. i. 14. 59. Q. What is recorded concerning John theapostle ? A. After many labours in the ministry he was banished to the isleof Patmos, where Jesus' Christ appeared to him in visions, and in- structed him by his angels towrite the bookof the Revelation ; Rev, i. 1, 2, 9. 60, Q. What became of the other apostles ? A. Ancient histories give us some uncertain account oftheir travels and their sufferings, but there is very little written in scripture concerning them. d';aL. v. 1`;
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