The History of Christianity - John S. C. Abbott (bookstand for reading .txt) 📗

a man by the name of Cornelius was the captain of an Italian band of a hundred men, which gave him the title of a centurion. He was a devout man, who had abandoned Roman paganism, and had become a worshipper of the true God. His noble character is depicted in the words, “He gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”

One day, which, it seems, he had devoted to fasting and prayer, as he was upon his knees, at three o’clock in the afternoon, an angel of God appeared to him, and said,—

“Cornelius, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.”

Immediately Cornelius despatched two men to Joppa upon this mission. As, about noon the next day, they were approaching the city, Peter was upon the flat roof of the house, the usual place of retirement, engaged in prayer. In a vision he saw a sheet let down from heaven by its four corners, containing animals of all kinds,—those reputed clean, and those which the ceremonial law pronounced unclean. A voice came to him, saying,—

“Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

But Peter replied, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”

The voice rejoined, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”

This vision was repeated three times in immediate succession. While Peter was seated upon the house-top, pondering its significance, the messengers commissioned by Cornelius arrived, and stood before the gate of the house, inquiring if Peter lodged there.

The spirit then said to Peter, “Behold, three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”108

Peter immediately descended, met the messengers, and received from them the following communication: “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.”

Peter invited the men in, entertained them for the night, and the next day accompanied them to Joppa. The vision had taught him, that, in the eye of God, there was no distinction between the clean and the unclean in the human family; that the barrier between the Jew and the Gentile was now broken down; and that the gospel of Jesus was now to be preached to all nations, tribes, and families alike. The centurion received Peter with profound reverence, regarding him as a divinely-appointed ambassador to him. Several of the friends of Cornelius, probably all Greeks or Romans who had abandoned idolatry, were assembled in his house to meet Peter. The zealous and bold apostle, addressing them, said,—

“Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I, without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for. I ask, therefore, for what intent ye have sent for me.”

Cornelius informed Peter of his vision, and of the direction given him by the angel to send for Peter, and receive instruction from his lips. “Now, therefore,” said he in conclusion, “we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.”

We have but a brief abstract of what Peter said in reply, but enough to show us, without any doubt, what was the gospel which he preached to them.

“Of a truth,” said he, “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but, in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

After brief reference to Jesus Christ, “Lord of all,” to his teachings, his miracles, his crucifixion, and his resurrection, he concluded by saying, “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.109 To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”110

Following these words of Peter, the miraculous influences of the Holy Spirit fell upon all alike,—upon Gentile as well as Jew. Several Jews had accompanied Peter to the house of Cornelius; and “they were astonished, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost; for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”111

Peter then said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” He accordingly baptized these believing Gentiles in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus received them directly into the church without insisting upon their first becoming Jews.

When the tidings reached Jerusalem and other parts of Judæa that Peter had received Gentiles to the Church of Jesus Christ, which the Jews had supposed was intended for them alone, it created great excitement. Peter, after remaining a few days in Joppa, returned to Jerusalem. Here he was met by the disaffected brethren, who charged him with what they considered the great ceremonial crime of associating with “men uncircumcised,” and eating with them.

But Peter narrated all the circumstances, and so convincingly, that “they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”

The other disciples, who, by the persecution at Jerusalem, had been scattered abroad, travelled as far as Phœnice and the Island of Cyprus, and to Antioch, in the extreme north, which was then the capital of Syria, and one of the largest cities in the world. They, however, preached the gospel only to the Jews, not considering the Gentiles as entitled to its privileges. In Antioch, the disciples were eminently successful in preaching the religion of Jesus; so much so, that it is recorded that “great numbers believed, and turned unto the Lord.”112

The apostles in Jerusalem, hearing of the great religious interest which was excited in the metropolitan city of Antioch, sent Barnabas to assist the brethren there. He was “a good man, full of faith and the Holy Ghost.” His heart was rejoiced by the scenes which he witnessed in Antioch, and eloquently he urged the converts that with “purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord.” His labors gave a new impulse to the conversions, and “much people was added to the Lord.”113

Saul was at this time preaching in Tarsus, his native city, about thirty miles north-west from Antioch. Barnabas went to Tarsus in search of Saul, and brought him back with him to the metropolitan city. For a year Saul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ; and there first the disciples of Jesus received the title of Christians. This was about the year of our Lord 44. As so many Gentile converts were now flocking into the churches, the Christians ceased to be regarded as merely a sect of the Jews, and the rapidly-increasing disciples in their varied organizations assumed gradually a new and independent character.

It so happened about this time that there was a severe drought and famine in Judæa; and Saul and Barnabas were sent by the Christians in Antioch with contributions for the suffering brethren there. Herod Agrippa I., an unprincipled ruler, grandson of Herod the Great, was then king of all Palestine. He, without any apparent cause, drew the sword of persecution. James, the brother of John, was put to death. Peter was arrested and thrown into prison, and so carefully guarded by sixteen soldiers—four for each watch in the night, two chained to the prisoner in his cell, and two stationed at the outside door—as to render his escape apparently impossible. The king had decided to gratify the malice of the Jews, immediately after the passover, by putting Peter to death.

The night had arrived which was supposed to be the last that Peter was to spend upon earth. In the morning he was to be led to his execution. He was quietly sleeping between the two soldiers, bound to them by chains. The angel of the Lord, whom neither granite walls nor iron doors could exclude, entered the prison in dazzling effulgence. As he awoke Peter, the chains dropped from the prisoner’s hands.

“Arise,” said the angel, “gird thyself, bind on thy sandals, cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.”

The angel led him through the intricacies of the prison, and by the guards who were paralyzed with fear, until he came to the outer iron portal which opened into the city. The massive gate, of its own accord, swung open upon its hinges. The angel led Peter into one of the streets, and took leave of him. It was midnight. Peter found himself near the house of Mary, the mother of John. Several of the disciples, knowing that Peter was to be executed the next day, had met there to pass the night in prayer. Peter knocked at the gate. A young girl by the name of Rhoda went to the door; and when she heard the voice of Peter, instead of opening to him, she was so overjoyed and bewildered, that she ran back with the tidings.

The disciples, knowing how apparently impossible it was for Peter to escape from the guard set over him, did not credit her assertion, but declared that she was insane. Upon going to the gate, however, they found, to their astonishment and delight, that Peter stood before them. He informed them of his miraculous deliverance, and the same night withdrew from the city.114

The dawn of the morning, revealing the events of the night, created intense commotion in the city. Herod commanded the guard to be put to death, and instituted a rigorous but unavailing search throughout the city for Peter. Soon after, Herod left Jerusalem for Cæsarea, and took up his abode there. On the 1st of August,115 there was a magnificent festival in Cæsarea in honor of the king. From all the region around, the population flocked into the spacious theatre, whose stone seats rose tier above tier in a vast semicircle, which was thronged with those eager to do homage to the infamous yet powerful monarch. As Herod entered, the edifice rang with applause. Seated upon a gorgeous throne, he addressed the multitude. With one voice the sycophantic throng shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” In the midst of this scene of pride and blasphemy, the angel of death smote Herod with an invisible dart; and the wretched man was taken from the theatre in convulsions, which soon consigned him to the tomb.

Saul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch, and, with other brethren, were earnestly engaged in preaching the gospel there. A divine intimation influenced the brethren to set apart these two distinguished disciples for a missionary excursion to the benighted regions beyond them. After a season of fasting and prayer, they laid their hands upon them, ordaining them for this special work. Antioch was situated upon the River Orontes, about twenty miles from its entrance into the Mediterranean. The two missionaries repaired to Seleucia, an important seaport on the coast. Far off in the west, the mountains of the majestic Island of Cyprus could be seen on a clear day, emerging from the horizon in shadowy glory. Cyprus was the native place of Barnabas. Taking ship, a sail of perhaps a hundred and fifty miles brought them to Salamis, a