The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-10-11
Inc .lnday School.
rstL AZ snRrsAlKn
sesa.r. orara Il. 1877

JsfesAiem sAe great success a hss Is.
hou anoag The Geniiles. ". ~. 90
which, being mech rcisisea By The "a.
iags, they proposed that something
sbould b done to eoncilliasc The pFejp.
aioss and aissrrss 81 ibe many jewish
believers who wonia soon assemble At
/ rcutecost aid would inquire into the
trBtb AID reason of the reported dis
regard q the Mosaic Institutions
Therefore be fesorsed 10 the course De-
scribed 10 the preceding verses lie
/ iul6lled his vow, oh xviii.ls) accord
ing 10 Nam. Vi rs. in which there ap
pears % be- something unwise. At least,
or something we DO not understand
DID Paul intend only to show that be
was not an enemy 20 Moses, or did be
wish 70 make those brethren so zeal.
COS for the law, believe that be still
beld il 10 the same authority that they
did. aud 40 laugh. among the Gentileeg
Whatever was the exact motive TO his
action. The concession made did not
accomplish any important purpose, and
the prophecy Of Agabus began 70 be
fulfilled.
The Arrest and Outbreak The
Jews Of the province Of Asia, where
Paul bad long preached, (ch Xxx 81 >,
who with bitter hatred, bad scen him
build up Christian church at Ephesus
stirred up all the people. and made vi
olent assault upon him. They were
the unbelieving Jews. whom Paul never
endcavored TO conciliate, and who were
bis most malignant enemies, even
among The whole race Of Jews; who
pursued him with a most deliberate,
persevering. and malicious opposition
In every place. They laid hands on
him, with violence, and spraDg upon
their victim as savage beasts upon their
prey, shouting as they held him fast,
Men Of Israel, friends and defenders Of
the law, help to arrest the criminal
aud defend the Holy Place against such
PROCLAMATION. They accused Paul Of
subyerting and destroying the Jewish
people by his wicked doctrines Of
thereby preiudicing all men against
their nation, and denying that they
were Gods peculiar people Of defam-
ing the divine law, by teaching that
men were no longer bound to observe
it, and by his own violation Of 1t; and
also Of profaning the sacred temple,
deepising it as about TO be destroyed
aud by violating its honor in bringing
polluted Greeks into il. But they had
no proof Of that accusation, ". 90; but
the proclamation Of it ia such an angry
manner, and over the head Of Paul just
dragged from the temple, was enough
to make Jews frantic with horror and
indignation. The exciting and awful
news ran through the city. On
the columns OF the court of the Israe
lites were inscriptions in Greek and
Latin which warned all Genties
against going beyond them on pain of
death tPhiIo. Josephus, War, Book
5, CHI. 5, sec. q The charge against
Paul was therefore a capital oifense ;
and the absurdity of it, in view Of such
a prohibition, should have been its re-
futation. But their cry was not with
out effect All the city was moved,
some by the contagious excitement,
and many by their hatred OF Jesus
whom Paul preached. The people
gathered, in tumultuous crowds; and
when Paul was drawn from the temple,
the doors were hastily shut to prevent
its further proclamation, and lest the
holy place should be defied with blood
The timely Rescue. While they went
about to kill hin. -were intending to
do so then aud there, report OF the ri.
otous and dangerous condition Of the
city reached the chiefcaptain Of the
baud Of Roman soldiers who were sta.
toned near the temple that, in the
times Of the festivals, or on any emer.
gency, they might prevent an outbreak
against the Roman civil power. A
band was the tenth part Of legion,
which consisted OF from three to six
thousand men The name of the cap
tain was Clandius Lysius, ch. xxi .26)
who was commander Of the Roman gar
rison at the castle OF Antonio He found
that all Jerusalem was in an uproar;
and il was an oilense against Roman
law 10 excite, abet, or for the authori.
ties TO permit any tumultuous gather.
ings Of the populace. (ch. xix:40.) 1t
was with haste, therefore. that the
ehief.captains ran down from their sta
ton into the temple area where they
we're beating Paul, aud took him and
bound him with two chains, one upon
each arm and attached TO a soldier on
hisi rgtt and his left, (ch. xii :6); or
else chain was put on bis feet also.
~ IL. Ia that way the chiel-captain
showed the jews that be did not intend
to discharge Paul. bnt to examine him
that be was not resncing him from jus.