and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his Aros't'LES, &c. 3391 The Jews, whore envy and malice were increafed by there dilatory proceedings, determined, the next morning, to ufe a quicker method of putting a period to his life. In order to this, above forty of the mofi turbulent entered into a £hocking confederacy of killing him ; ratifying it by an oath, and the moll bitter execration, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had put their inhuman defign in exe- cution : but fuch vile monflers would do well to remember, that a Being, from whore eye nothing can be concealed, and whole power nothing can refill, is privy to all their aillions, often renders their defigns abortive, and will furely punifh them for their bale attempts. Accordingly, this defign, though probably concluded under the pitchy mantleof the night, wasdifcover- cd to St. Paul, by his lifter's fon, and, at the requefl of the apoíile, told to the governor himfelf, who immediately commanded two parties of horte and foot to be ready 'by nine o'clock that night, in order to con- duel St. 'Paul to Felix, the Roman gover- nor of that province, to whom alto he fent an account of the whole proceedings of the Jews againfl the prifoner ; and, at the fame time, ordered his accufers alfo to appear before the Roman magiltrate : ac- coidingly, -St. Paul was conducted to An- tipatris, and afterwards to Cefarea, where the letters being delivered to "Felix, the apoíile was alto prefented to him ; and finding that he belonged to the province of Cilicia, he told him, that as foon as his accufers were come down, he would de- termine the affair, and commanded him to be fecured in the place called Herod's Hall, till they fhould appear againfl him. Ananias the high-priefi, with route others of the Sanhedrim, came to Cefarea, a few days after St. Paul's arrival, accompanied by Tertullus their advocate, who, in a hart, but eloquent fpeech, adorned with all the flattering and infinuating arts of oratory, began to accule theapoíile, charg- ing him with (edition, herefy, and the pro- fanation of the temple : that they would have faved him the trouble ofthis hearing, by judging him according to their own law; had not Lyfias, the chief captain, violently taken him from them, and Pent both the prifoner and them to Cefarea, by a guard of foldiers. The charge of the orator againfl the apofllo being finifhed, Felix told St. Paul, that he was now at liberty to make his defence : accordingly, he dif.inEtly anfwer,- ed everypart of the charge in the following manner. °' I anfwer this Charge of the Jews with greater fatisfal:ion before thee, becaufe thou haft for many years been á judge of this nation. About twelve days fence, I repaired to Jerufalem; to worfhip the God-of Jacob : but I neither difputed with any man, or endeavoured to ftir up the people in the fynagogues or the city: nor can they prove the charge they have brought againfl me at this time. However, I readily confers, that after the way which they call herefy, fo worfhip I the God of myfathers, firmly believing every part of the writings of Mofes and the prophets ; and, at the fame time, believe, as they themfelves alto do, that the Al- mighty will raise at the Taft day, both the jufi and unjuft from the dead; and I am careful to maintain a clear and quiet con- fcience, both towards God and man, agree- able to this faith. `° Having fpent fortte years in diflant countries, I repaired to Jerufalem, with the alms I had colleEted in other provinces, for the poor of mine own nation, and of- ferings for the God of Jacob. And while I was performing the duties of religion, certain Afiatic Jews found me in the temple, purified according to the law; but neither attended with a multitude of followers, or the leaft tumultuous affembly. It was therefore.neceffary that thefe Jews fhould have been here, if they had any thing to allege againfl me : nay, I ap- peal to thofe of the Sanhedrim here pre- fent, if any thing has been laid to my charge, except the objeftions of the Sad. ducees, who violently oppofed me for afferting
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