Acts 19:37 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Men, which are neither robbers of churches, &c.— It is very ungenerous in Orobio to insinuate from hence, that the fear of suffering kept St. Paul from declaring against the established idolatries here; and it is much more so in Lord Shaftesbury, to represent the apostle and his companions as acquiescing in this defence of the chancellor, and sheltering themselves under it, though it maintained that they allowed the divinity of Diana and her image. Now not to insist on the remark, that nothing said against gods made with hands could affect an image which was supposed to have fallen down from heaven; nor to urge St. Paul's absence, though that puts him quite out of the question as to any reply to this speech,—it is obvious to answer, that the chancellor's assertion is only this, "That the persons in question had not disturbed the public peace by any riotous attempt to plunder or demolish the temple or altar of Diana, nor did they abuse her by scurrilous language." This was much to their honour: but in how serious, strenuous, and courageous a manner the apostles bore an open, though always peaceable testimony against idolatry, the whole series of their history and writings shews.