The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-11-01
The sunday School.



Aasesia ior be safety ffoa the ria,oss
sauhsdrm Neat. BE- was iaken undcr
military pfoiection 20 save him from
he Plot a forty Jews. who bad banded
together. under he seii imposed pen
atty AZ starvation. 70 XIII him His
history is continued IN tho ehapier
eoutAiuing cur present lesson. Auan.
ias ADD The elders came down from Jer-
usslcm. With The Roman lawyer Teytul-
ne, and Paul WAS called from pnsoa,
&. HziiiS5 and again placed on trial.
He Il charged with scditio1s conduct
against Rome, with heresy against The
Jewish religion, aud with saoulegc
aFAnsi tbe national worship Ter.
tullus vas very complimentary 10 Felix.
and skillfal IN bis plea against Paul
though false 10 every ACQUISITION. They
bad found Paul. be said, a. a pestileneo
among The people. eorrupting their
morals, aud exciting the jews 20 dan.
gerous disorder BE was leader Of
i The body 81 Christians, and was en-.
dcAyoring TO ptoianc the sacred insii-
tulicbs Of bis fathers whom they de-
sired TO punish according 10 the laws
Of bis nation, but Lysius violently took
/ him out Of their hands Their witness
"a were present 10 conlirm the charges
made against bin To oil this the Jews
joined their testimony, saying that
these things were so.
/ The Convincing Plea But Paul
was permitted TO answer for bis life and
teaching. ". l0) Having governed
Judea for some seven years. Felix must
understand the merits Of the case, aud
be able TO Judge impartially Paul
called the six or seven years many,
as they were, comparatively, the IL.
cumbents Of the office being so often
changed and he addressed him as
Judge. because the Judicial function
was united with the civil aud military
in the procuratorship. Felix being thus
qualified to determine the case, Paul
the more cheerfully made his defense
before him, a defense full of dignity,
courtesy, and convincing force. 1t was
but twelve days since be went up TO
Jerusalem, not to treat sacrilegiously
any Of the Mosaic rites, or TO incite
rebellion against Caesar. but to worship
aud he was in the act of worship when
arrested by the mob. IL was clear,
therefore. that, with such purpose,
and within that brief time, he could
not have raised the tumult which was
charged to him. He was found in no
public place, temple or synagogue, dis
putting or raising disturbance, which
proved the first accusation of Tertullus
10 be untrue. But not only did he
utter his firm and manly denial, but
challenged them TO the proof Of their
accusation ". 1877, by fair aud impair.
tial evidence. He would not deny that
he was Christian man ". IA, but he
still worshiped the God Of his fathers /;
else, why was he in the temple for a
sacred purpose He denied nothing
found in the law and the prophets, and
ioyously embraced the Messiah therein
promised TO them, (ch. XVI %, 23) ;
he was therefore not hereto against
the Jewish church. He worshiped Je-
hovah only q Tim. i;3), and in his life
be had strictly conformed TO the teach
ings Of their own Scriptures. Besides,
there were various sects among the
Jews, and why should the Christians
alone be denied that liberation which
Rome gave to others 7 Why we're the
keen and guileful words Of Tertullus
against them onlyl Where were the
justice aud the impartiality OF Roman
tribunals He was Jew, still, and a
Roman citizen, aud in harmony with
Gods people He had hope Of the res
direction ". l5)and preached the doc
trine; but. in that. he taught only what
their sacred writings revealed, and
nearly the whole council admitted
Why, then, arraing him for preaching
their own Scriptures. and what but few
Of them were willing TO deny Further
still though spoken against as an evil
docr. be was intensely conscientious
i ". l5) He had trained himself as
one work Of bis life, TO have always a
conscience void Of oiiense-enlightened
and yet not accusing him. Before his
conversion he was conscientious man
tch xxvi;0 Phil. iii 5. O. but much
more so after the great change and
toward God in all obedience and sub.
mission aud toward men, 10 labor for
their highest good.
Further Reiutation. Paul DOW goes
on TO state his purpose 10 visiting Jer.
usalem v. II, which was TO carry
aims 20 the poor saints there, and TO
present offerings in the temple service I;
aud 10 no way 10 violate the rites Of the
temple His purpose was benevolent
and pioas bow. then. could be desire
10 defle the sacred place 7 The tumalt
.yas mad, pat ~ All on account ~ any