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s the first step to the ruin of Pilate. It was used by an impostor among the Samaritans, who suaded the people that on Mount Gerizim he uld shew them the sacred vessels, which Moses 1 buried with his own hands. Multitudes met arms, to go in a solemn manner, and take possesn of these holy relics: but Pilate, being informed their proceedings, surprised these deluded people h a body of horse and foot, and made a cruel ughter of them; taking a great many prisoners, e principal of whom he put to death without ercy. Upon this, the nobility of Samaria met, d sent an address to Vitellius, accusing Pilate of s massacre. Vitellius, being acquainted with his el and rapacious character, by his own authority mmanded Pilate to appear at Rome, to answer fore the emperor to what should be objected ainst him, sending Marcellus to take the governent of Judea in his stead,

Year of

our Lord

37.

Thus Pontius Pilate was superseded in his office, er he had possessed it ten years. He I not arrive at Rome till the following ar, before which time Tiberius was dead, 1 succeeded by Caligula, who began his reign with orming abuses in the state, and punishing cort governors. He accordingly banished Pilate Vienne, in France. But this emperor's goodness, orge, soon vanished away as the morning cloud, he became one of the vilest monsters that ever graced human nature, exceeding Tiberius in the

ost of his

His into

pride urced

he had a temple dedicated to his own divinity. 'His prodigality was extreme, for he consumed fifty millions of our money in a few months; and his tyrannical disposition made him wish that the Roman people had but one neck, that he might dispatch them all at a blow. He was so wicked, that Seneca said to him, That nature seemed to have brought him forth to shew what was possible to be produced from the greatest viciousness supported by the greatest authority. He proved a dreadful scourge to the Romans, insulting over that proud city, which had so often treated the rest of the world with insolent disdain. But I shall not dwell any longer on this despicable character. May it be your concern, my dear boy, so to regulate your own behaviour and deportment under the influence of right principles, with the blessing of God, as to form a pleasing contrast to the character and conduct of such detestable wretches as the history before us has obliged me to bring to view. In that case, you will not fail to ensure the love and esteem of all your friends, but more especially of Your affectionate aunt.

LETTER XI.

MY DEAR GEORGE,

THE accession of Caligula to the Roman empire proved the advancement of Agrippa, who, in the 12th chapter of the Acts, is called by the common

name of Herod. He was the son of Aristobulus (who was put to death by his father Herod the Great) and brother to the infamous Herodias, who was married to his uncle Herod. Agrippa was of a generous and aspiring temper, polite and insinuating, attached to Judaism and the Mosaic rites. At the age of forty-seven, he had passed through various scenes, having been at times in the lowest state of adversity, wandering in extreme poverty from city to city, and from nation to nation, till, at length, he gained the favour of Tiberius the emperor, who, in a short time, on suspicion, threw him into prison, where he was in as great danger of a speedy execu、 tion as he had been before of starving. But, at the death of Tiberius, Caligula, who had a particular friendship for him, took him from the prison to his palace, changed his chain of iron for one of gold of the same weight, arrayed him in a purple robe, put a diadem on his head, and made him king of all his uncle Philip's dominions. At this time, the christian churches in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, had peace, and daily increased, to the honour of Jesus Christ and the comfort of his disciples. It our Lord was in this year, that Saul first visited Je

Year of

38.

rusalem after his conversion; but he staid only fifteen days, being ordered by Jesus Christ, in a vision, to depart and go unto the Gentiles.

Herod Agrippa, in the same year, obtained permission to visit his kingdom, promising to return again to the emperor, by whose advice he first took a voyage into Egypt. When he came to Alexandria, the inhabitants of that city, having conceived an in

veterate hatred against the Jews, were highly affronted at the arrival of a king of that nation; and, by the connivance of the governor Flaccus, (Egypt being at this time subject to Rome) they exposed Agrippa in their songs, and ridiculed him on their stages and in all their public places. Not satisfied with these insults, they took a poor madman, and put a paper crown on his head, a mat about his body for a robe, and a reed in his hand for a sceptre, young men attending him as his guard, with poles on their shoulders, whilst some pretended to come to him for justice, and others for counsel, hailing him with the title of Lord.

You cannot fail, George, to see a striking resemblance between this insulting derision of the king of the Jews by strangers, and that offered to our blessed Saviour by the Jews, five years before, when they mocked the majesty of a King whom angels adore. But these insults did not end here: for the Alexandrians, encouraged by their governor, set up the image of Caligula the emperor, who had lately proclaimed himself a god, in the synagogues of the Jews, and a dreadful persecution commenced; the populace being permitted to plunder their houses at pleasure, which caused murders and cruelties of all sorts. They suffered this barbarous treatment for two months, by which numbers perished. Agrippa, who had been partly witness to these enormities, applied to the emperor, and at length prevailed upon him to recal Flaccus the governor to Italy, where, notwithstanding all his pretended zeal for the emperor's honour, he received sentence of banishment, and was afterwards put to death.

Herod Agrippa, having thus procured redress for the Jews at Alexandria, settled himself in his dominions. His sister Herodias envying him the emperor's favour, and the high honours which were conferred upon him, excited her husband to go to Rome, with presents to obtain like favours from the emperor, but this proved his ruin: for Agrippa, coming to the knowledge of it, sent presents likewise, and a letter written against his uncle to the emperor, who deprived Herod of his dominions, and banished him to Lyons, in France, after a wicked reign of forty-three years; at the same time pardoning Herodias, because she was Agrippa's sister, and allowing her to have her own treasure: but she, testifying her readiness to be partaker of her husband's miseries, Caligula took it as an affront, and banished her also, giving all her treasure, as well as her husband's dominions, to Agrippa. Thus was this wicked couple punished, eight years after John the Baptist had been beheaded by them, and six years after our blessed Saviour was taken before this Herod. In the same year, Pontius Pilate, being in extreme poverty and misery, killed himself with his own hands. Thus were these vile wretches overtaken by the just vengeance of God.

Year of

40.

In the beginning of the following year, Agrippa took possession of all his uncle Herod's dominions, by which his power and grandeur our Lord were increased beyond any of the kings of Judea since Herod the Great. But the Jews at this time were plunged into new difficulties, by the emperor's taking it into his head to be worshipped as a

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