The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

But Festus willing to gratify the Jews, said to Paul, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things in my presence? ¹But Paul said, I stand at the Justice Seat of the Emperor, where it behoveth me to be judged; I have done no wrong to the Jews, as thou better knowest: If I have done any thing unjustly, or yet committed crime worthy of death, I refuse not to die: But if there be nothing of these things true whereof they accuse me, no man may give me to them: I appeal to Caesar. It may appear at the first sight, That Paul did great injury to Festus the Judge, and to the whole Order of the Priesthood, who did hope greater equity in a cruel tyrant, then in all that Session, and learned company: which thing, no doubt, Festus did understand pronouncing these words, Hast thou appealed to Caesar? Thou shalt go to Caesar. As if he would say, I, as a man willing to understand the truth, before I pronounce sentence, have required of thee to go to Jerusalem, where the learned of thine own Nation may hear thy Cause, and discern in the same. The controversy standeth in matters of Religion; thou art accused as an apostate from the Law, as a violator of the Temple, and a transgressor of the Traditions of their Fathers; in which matters I am ignorant, and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same Religion whereof the question is▪ and yet dost thou refuse so many godly Fathers to hear thy cause, and dost appeal to the Emperor, preferring him to all our judgments, of no purpose, belike, but to delay time. Thus, I say, it might have appeared that Paul did not only injury to the Judge and to the Priests, but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected, partly for that he did refuse the judgement of those that had most knowledge (as all men supposed) of Gods Will and Religion; and partly, because he appealed to the Emperor, who then was at Rome, far absent from Jerusalem, a man ignorant of God, and enemy to all virtue. But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies, and what things they had intended against him, even from ⟨p. 8⟩the first day he began freely to speak in the Name of Christ, did not fear to appeal from them, and from the Judge that would have gratified them.

But Festus willing to gratifie the Iews, said to Paul, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things in my presence?