One of these seven, Stephen, “full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.” He was arrested, and false witnesses were bribed to accuse him. “We have heard him say,” they testified, “that this Jesus of Nazareth shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.” Stephen was permitted to speak in his defence. He began with the call of Abraham, and gave a rapid sketch of the great events in their national existence, selecting those points which were most available in their bearing upon his cause. He showed how the _faith_ of Abraham and the _piety_ of Joseph secured God’s blessing. He probably somewhat exasperated them when he showed that the law of Moses did not restrain their fathers from, at times, lapsing into the grossest idolatry: and when, in continuation of his argument, that external observances alone did not constitute piety, he said, “The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands,” he probably was assailed by some rude interruption; for, emboldened by inspiration, he suddenly exclaimed,―― “Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers; who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”[92] This plain speech so exasperated the rulers, that “they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed upon him with their teeth.” Stephen knew that death was his doom from those unjust and inexorable judges. “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God; and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” There was no crime in all this, no violation of the law. To have pronounced any legal condemnation would have been absurd. The only resource left was mob violence. These proud and infamous men, the dignitaries of the Sanhedrim, “cried with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet whose name was Saul. “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And Saul was consenting unto his death.”[93] This is the first mention which is made of Saul, the most remarkable man whose name is recorded in sacred or profane annals.