XXXIII. [p. 496.] Acts xxii. 25. "And as they bound him with thongs,
Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to
scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned?"
"Facinus est vinciri civem Romanum; scelus verberari." Cic. in Verr.
"Caedebatur virgis, in medio foro Messanae, civis Romanus, Judices: cum
interea nullus gemitus, nulla vox alia, istius miseri inter dolorem
crepitumque plagarum audiebatur, nisi haec, Civis Romanus sum."
XXXIV. [p. 513] Acts xxii. 27. "Then the chief captain came, and said
unto him (Paul), Tell me, Art thou a Roman? He said Yea." The
circumstance to be here noticed is, that a Jew was a Roman citizen.
Joseph. Antiq. lib. xiv. c. 10, sect. 13. "Lucius Lentulna, the consul,
declared, I have dismissed from the service the Jewish Roman citizens,
who observe the rites of the Jewish religion at Ephesus."
Ib. ver. 28. "And the chief captain answered, with a great sum obtained
I this freedom."
Dio Cassius, lib. lx. "This privilege, which had been bought formerly at
a great price, became so cheap, that it was commonly said a man might be
made a Roman citizen for a few pieces of broken glass."
XXXV. [p. 521.] Acts xxviii. 16. "And when we came to Rome the centurion
delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was
suffered to dwell by himself, with a soldier that kept him."
With which join vet. 20. "For the hope of Israel, I am bound with this
chain."
"Quemadmedum cadem catean et custodiam et militem copulat; sic ista,
quae tam dissimilia sunt, pariter incedunt." Seneca, Ep. v.
"Proconsul estimare solet, utrum in carcerera recipienda sit persona, an
militi tradenda." Ulpian. l. i. sect. De Custod. et Exhib. Reor.
In the confinement of Agrippa by the order of Tiberius, Antonia managed
that the centurion who presided over the guards, and the soldier to whom
Agrippa was to be bound, might be men of mild character. (Joseph. Antiq.
lib. xviii. c. 7, sect. 5.) After the accession of Caligula, Agrippa
also, like Paul, was suffered to dwell, yet as a prisoner, in his own
house.
XXXVI. [p. 531.] Acts xxvii. 1. "And when it was determined that we
should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul, and certain other
prisoners, unto one named Julius." Since not only Paul, but certain
other prisoners were sent by the same ship into Italy, the text must be
considered as carrying with it an intimation that the sending of persons
from Judea to be tried at Rome was an ordinary practice. That in truth
it was so, is made out by a variety of examples which the writings of
Josephus furnish: and, amongst others, by the following, which comes
near both to the time and the subject of the instance in the Acts.
"Felix, for some slight offence, bound and sent to Rome several priests
of his acquaintance, and very good and honest men, to answer for
themselves to Caesar." Joseph. in Vit. sect. 3.
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