19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:



Ver. 19. Lord, they know that I imprisoned] Therefore no wonder though they of Jerusalem reject my testimony, as a light giddy headed fellow who now teach that religion that I lately persecuted; sed praestat herbam dare quam turpiter pugnare. Luther was counted and called an apostate, he confessed the action; but blessed God that had given him grace to fall off from the devil. Bugenhagius having read some few leaves of Luther’s book de Captivitate Babylonica, rashly pronounced Luther the most pestilent heretic that ever troubled the Church. But shortly after, reading the book through, and wisely weighing the arguments therein used and urged, he recanted his former censure, and publicly averred and maintained that all the Christian world was out, and Luther only in the right; Hic vir unus et solus verum videt, said he to his collegioners; many of whom he convinced and converted to the truth. (Scult. Annal.) It is judged by many that the fear of disgrace began to work upon Paul here (as it had done upon Jonah, Jon_4:2), q.d. I shall be counted a moon-calf; {a} a Retraxit shall be entered against me, as is against a plaintiff that will not proceed in his suit.



{a} An abortive shapeless fleshy mass in the womb; a false conception. Obs. Regarded as being produced by the influence of the moon. ŒD