death. We are told, troops of horse and foot are marching against us, if we oppose the consecration of the statue. Slaves cannot be mad enough to oppose their master's will. We offer our breasts to your swords: let us be killed, let us be sacrificed, let us be cut to pieces; we will bear it without resistance, without opening our mouths to complain.

We ask but one favour, Petronius, and that a very just one. We do not pretend you should refuse to obey the orders you have received. Grant us only a delay sufficient for us to send the emperor a deputation, with our most humble remonstrances. Our case is so good, our credit so great, we do not fear of moving him. When we shall have represented to him the holiness of our religion, our zeal for the traditions of our forefathers, and our just confidence in him that he will not use us worse than other nations, who are permitted to observe their own customs: in short, the example of Caius's own ancestors, who have maintained us in the possession of our privileges; some one of these motives will make an impression on him, and induce him to alter his mind. The wills of princes are not irrevocable, and those, especially, that are hastily dictated by anger, are liable to as sudden changes. We have been traduced and misrepresented; suffer us to defend ourselves; it is very hard to be condemned without being heard. If we obtain no favour, you will still be at liberty to do whatever you may think proper. But until we have presented our supplications to the emperor, do not cut off the last hopes of a nation spread over all parts of the habitable globe, and whose motive in this is piety, not interest.”*

Upon that officer asking them whether they would rather make war with Cæsar, they replied they would not make war, but would rather die than transgress their laws.

Penetrated with this extraordinary spectacle, and respecting

* Crevier, iii. 90–92.

the conscientious feeling of the immense multitude before him, Petronius suspended the execution of his orders, and that at the hazard of his own life, till he received fresh instructions from the emperor, to whom he dispatched an account of the proceedings of the Jews, as favourable as he durst represent them.

Providentially, Herod-Agrippa was then at Rome, and when he waited upon Caligula, without knowing what had happened at Jerusalem, the tyrant thus addressed him; "Your fine countrymen, said he to him, who, of all the people in the universe, refuse divinity to Caius, are seeking death, and they shall find it. I have ordered a statue of Jupiter to be erected in their temple; and they have seditiously rose, and deserting the country, are coming all together here to present a pretended petition: this is rebelling against my commands." Agrippa heard no more, but, as if struck with thunder, the king of the Jews dropped down in a fit, and was carried home senseless, and almost without life. Though ambitious, and given to show and pleasure, yet he had a sincere respect and veneration for his religion. Love of his country touched him too; and when his senses returned, the first use he made of them was to write to Caius, and beg he would be merciful to that unhappy people. In the concluding paragraph of his letter he thus addresses him: "To you, says he, I owe my liberty, my life, my kingdom; take them all from me, rather than infringe our holy laws. If I cannot obtain this favour, I must surely somehow have incurred your displeasure; if that be the case, take my life; for how can I value it when deprived of your favour, which alone renders it sweet and pleasing to me."*

For the moment, Agrippa succeeded, but from a curious

* Crevier, iii. 94, 95. This account is taken from Philo, which

interview which afterwards took place between Caligula, and Philo of Alexandria, and other ambassadors from the Jews in that city, and which is worth reading, it seems pretty clear that the tyrant would have eventually enforced his purpose at all risk of human life, if God had not seen fit, in infinite mercy to his persecuted people, to deprive Caligula of his own life.*

When Claudius ascended the imperial throne, on the assassination of Caligula, he not only confirmed Agrippa in his authority, but made an addition to it of all Judea and Samaria, as held by his grandfather, Herod the Great: and also Abilat of Lysanias, as out of his proper dominions.+

It might have been expected that the persecution, from

• Crevier, iii. 80-101. "In infinite mercy to his persecuted people," for may we not readily imagine that it was chiefly on this account that the tyrant was cut off?-We remember to have somewhere read a remark of Frederick the Great, who, infidel as he was, could say, no monarch ever meddled with the Jews without burning his fingers. It is true that Caligula had committed crimes enough to call down the vengeance of heaven, but God has nothing to do with the world, except for the sake of his church; and thus it is that we see crimes go unpunished for ages, unless the interests of his saints require his especial interference, the secret of which is that the wicked are given up to their own hearts' lusts; in other words, "Nay, but while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them." Matt. xiii. 29.

+ “Here St. Luke is in some measure confirmed, where he informs us (chap. iii. 1.) that Lysanias was some time before tetrarch of Abilene, whose capital was Abila; as he is further confirmed by Ptolemy, the great geographer, which Spanheim here observes, when he calls that city Abila of Lysanias. See the note on B. xvii. ch. xi. sect. 4. vol. ii. and Prid. at the years 36 and 22. I esteem this principality to have belonged to the land of Canaan originally, to have been the burying place of Abel, and referred to as such, Matt. xxiii. 35. Luke, xi. 51. See Authent. Rec. part ii. p. 883-885," Whiston's Jos. iii. 142.

Jos, iii. 142,

which Agrippa and the whole Jewish nation had themselves so lately escaped, might have induced them to abstain from violating the consciences of their brethren, who had avowed their belief in the true and only Messiah; but not so,* for this same Agrippa, with his additional authority, became himself a persecutor, being the prince of whom St. Luke says, Now, about that time, Herod the king† stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread; and when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter, therefore, was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold the angel of Jehovah came upon him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying; Arise up quickly, and his chains fell from off his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thy

And the same animosity against all who believe in Jesus continues to this day; for if travellers and historians are to be believed, in Mahometan and popish countries, where themselves are but barely tolerated, the Jews are always amongst the first to promote and excite a persecution of the Christians. And to any of their own race, who become Christians, the most opprobrious epithets, such as Meshumet, &c., and all manner of reviling and ill treatment, are constantly applied. The divine Saviour himself is never spoken of by them but as the Tolu, or the hanged one.

He was so called to distinguish him from his uncle, Herod the Tetrarch, and his proper name was Herod-Agrippa.*

And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out and followed him, and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of its own accord, and they went out, and passed on j through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

self, and bind on thy sandals; and so he did.

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that Jehovah hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together, praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said¦ unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how Jehovah had brought him out of prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

Now, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Cæsarea, and there abode.

And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon; but they came with one accord to him, and having