were filled with envy; and they laid hands upon the apostles, and put them in the common prison."

But what can man do against the Almighty? "An angel (1) of the Lord by night opening the doors of the prison, and leading them out, said: Go, and standing, speak in the temple to the people all the words of this" doctrine of "life. Who having heard this, early in the morning entered into the temple, and taught."

They were still there when "the high-priest coming, and they that were with him, called together the council and all the ancients of the children of Israel: and they sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the ministers came, and opening the prison, found them not there, they returned and told, saying: The prison indeed we found shut with all diligence, and the keepers standing before the doors; but opening it, we found no man within. When the officer of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were in doubt concerning them, what would come to pass."

They were not long without knowing, for "one came and told them: Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple. standing, and teaching the people. Then went the officer with the ministers and brought them without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned (2)."

"And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high-priest asked them, saying: Commanding (3) we commanded you that you should not teach in this name (4);

(1) The apostles wrought no miracles for themselves, nor does it appear that they even asked God to do it for them. Their fate was in his hands, and all their desire was that he might dispose of them according to his own will and pleasure. Thus many of the saints, suffering all manner of pain, asked not relief for themselves, but they asked and obtained it for all others who applied to them.

(2) As they would certainly have been if the apostles had called the people to their assistance, but it would have been a crime to excite the populace against public authority, however unjust and oppressive it might be.

(3) It would seem that they should first have endeavored to ascertain how the apostles had got out of prison. Why did they not do so? Simply because they doubted not that the examination would bring to light that which they feared-a miracle.

(4) They did not mention the name of Jesus. Was this through contempt, or through a secret horror of that name, arising from the remembrance of their crime, and the remorse of which they could not divest themselves?

and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you have a mind to bring (1) the blood of this man (2) upon us. Peter and the apostles, answering, said: We ought to obey God rather than men."

This they all said with one voice; but it appears that it was Peter alone who continued the discourse: "The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom you put to death, hanging him upon a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins (3). We are witnesses of these things, and" with us "the Holy Ghost (4), whom God hath given to all that obey him." These words must have given them to understand that they were very far from receiving so great a gift, since they, so far from obeying God, required others to obey them rather than him.

"When they had heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they" even "thought to put them to death," when God, who had destined them to carry his name to the ends of the earth, raised for them an advocate where there was little reason to expect one. "A Pharisee (5) named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, respected by

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(1) That is to say: Preach no more this Jesus of Nazareth, for it is an outrage upon us. A fine reason, truly! Just as if they said: You preach that Jesus of Nazareth is risen from the dead, and he is not; you say that you do miracles in his name, and you do not. In such a case not to gainsay these facts is to confess them, and they did this against their will: such is the empire of truth over the most hardened hearts; but so great is the obduracy of certain sinners, that though they cannot deny the truth, they can never be brought to admit it.

(2) They had once been heard to cry out: His blood be upon us and upon our children. They then asked what they now fear; very soon they shall feel its effects.

(3) Repentance can only be had through his grace; and the remission of sins, which is the fruit thereof, is only obtained through his merits.

(4) The testimony of the apostles, and that of the Holy Ghost are considered as two distinct testimonies, because the apostles testified that they had seen Jesus Christ after he had risen from the dead, while the Holy Ghost testified, by the miracles which he operated through them, that their testimony was true.

(5) This does not mean that he had their vices, or held their false doctrines; but it is certain that he believed as they did with regard to the capital dogma of the resurrection. This was enough to constitute him a Pharisee, and the name was no reproach, when he was only a Pharisee on this point. Such, too, was Nicodemus, and a few others, who had apparently kept themselves free from the bad leaven of the Pharisees. Had Gamaliel, then, been a concealed disciple, or were his eyes only then opened to the light?

all the people, rising up in the council, commanded the men to be put forth a little while. And he said to them: Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do as touching these men; for before these days rose up Theodas (1), affirming himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves. He was slain, and all that believed him were scattered and brought to nothing. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the enrolling (2), and drew away the people.

This is a doubtful case, and his discourse does not make it any thing clearer. The only thing that can be said is, that if he were only then partially enlightened, he spoke very correctly with regard to his present dispositions. If he were already a believer, while keeping back whatever might have lessened the effect of his words, he yet said nothing contrary to truth. However that might be, he finally believed and became a saint, recognized as such by the Church. He it was who, in the reign of Honorius, appeared to the priest Lucian, and revealed to him the spot where he would find the body of St. Stephen, with those of three other saints, of whom he was one, Nicodemus being another. It may be remembered that the latter opposed the design of the priests and Pharisees when they proposed to put Jesus to death. These two examples serve to show how liberal is God towards those who, though obliged to assist in the councils of the wicked, choose rather to expose themselves to their anger than consent to any thing unjust.

(1) Josephus, in the 20th Book of his Antiquities, speaks of one Theodas, who gave himself out for a prophet, and against whom Caspius Fadus, then governor of Judea, sent out his troops, who killed him, and with him several of his followers, the rest being irretrievably dispersed. This happened, according to him, in the fourth year of the reign of Claudius. This is what puzzles the interpreters, because that period was many years later than the discourse of Gamaliel, and there is no probability that Josephus could be mistaken forty years in fixing the date of a public event which he said had occurred in his own time. Let this be as it may, it is still certain, 1st, That Gamaliel quoted this fact on the present occasion; 2d, That he did so before men who were as well informed as himself; 3d, That these men, so far from contradicting, were convinced by his words: consequently this fact can no longer be doubted.

When there is positive evidence of any fact, no other objections can be reasonably admitted than those which directly bear upon that proof.

This principle is certain; and it alone is quite enough to annihilate almost all the objections brought against religion.

(2) This enrolling may have been that which took place at the time of the birth of Christ, or perhaps another which was made eight or ten years later, when Archelaus ceased to reign in Judea. One of the reasons which induced Augustus to have this numbering of the people made, was that he might levy a poll-tax upon all his subjects. The Jews being then in immediate expectation of their conquering Messiah, many of them were opposed to the paying of this tribute. Judas of Galilee, who had put himself at their head, perished, as has been seen. But let it be remarked that Gamaliel, speaking of the followers of Theodas, said that they were dispersed and brought to nothing,

after him; he also perished; and all, even as many as consented to him, were dispersed. And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from: these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest perhaps you be found to fight even against God."

This would have been a bad advice had it not been at least prob able that the work was divine. God alone has the right to alter religion, because there is no true religion save that of which he is the author. It was, therefore, necessary to ascertain whether this was his work; and if it were not recognized as such, very far from letting those alone who called themselves its apostles, they should have been at once put down, so as to secure the safety of religion and of the state itself; for every innovation in religion is sure to shake the latter to its very foundations. But, if they saw there the hand of God, they must not, by opposing it, oppose God himself, and thereby expose themselves to ruin all, under pretence of saving all. Now it was to make this examination (the result of which appeared to him little less than certain) that Gamaliel sought to urge his colleagues; and as they had not yet done so, he persuaded them not to use any ultra measures until they had considered the matter This was the point to be gained at the moment, and in this he succeeded. "And they consented to him," without starting any objection. But, inasmuch as they had been persuaded, without being converted, "calling in the apostles, after they had scourged them, they charged them that they should not speak at all in the

over.

whereas those of Judas were only stated to have been dispersed. The fact is, that Judas had infused into the public mind the leaven of sedition, which continued to ferment, especially amongst the Galileans, many of whom, according to Josephus, chose rather to suffer death and torture than to pay tribute to Cæsar, or recognize him for their soyereign. Some even hold that it was because Jesus Christ was a Galilean, at least by education and abode, that those who tempted him put the question to him whether it was permitted to pay tribute to Cæsar. However this conjecture may be, it is certain that this bad spirit was never wholly crushed; that, from Galilee, where it had been fostered, it spread throughout the whole country, and ended in that general insurrection which brought on the final destruction of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the entire people.

name of Jesus, and they dismissed them. And they, indeed, went from the presence of the council rejoicing (1) that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus." Their zeal, far from being cooled, appeared to have acquired fresh ardor and intrepidity. "And every day they ceased not, in the temple, and from house to house, to teach and preach Christ Jesus."

CHAPTER VI.

MURMUR OF THE GREEKS AGAINST THE HEBREWS.-ELECTION AND ORDINATION OF THE SEVEN DEACONS. STEPHEN FULL OF GRACE AND STRENGTH.-THE JEWS DISPUTE AGAINST HIM. HE IS SEIZED BY THEM AND BROUGHT BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

MEN are always men; and even in the best cultivated garden the skill of the gardener is constantly required in pruning and planting; so also in the holiest communities there will be always deficiencies to supply, and excesses to prune away. Those who for some time had but one heart and one soul began, at length, to disagree. The very bond of union became a cause of dissension; and charity, founded on the community of goods, was disturbed by the inequality of the respective shares. (a) "In those days, the number of disciples increasing" (the blood of the apostles was already fertilizing the soil of the church), "there arose a murmuring of the Greeks (2)

(a) Acts, vi. 1.

(1) They figured to themselves Jesus Christ under the lash of his tormentors, and they exulted in the thought that they were thus made like unto their divine master in undergoing a punishment similar to his. So it is that the just, persecuted, outraged, stripped, and tormented, see Jesus Christ in all these conditions, and if they are sensible of grief it is because they find their sufferings inferior to those of their Lord and Saviour. (2) Jews who were natives of a country wherein Greek was spoken; of this class, too, were those who had been born in Judea of Greek parents, and continued to speak the language which they learned from their parents,