And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
Ver. 22. Rent off their clothes] i.e. the apostles' clothes.
And commanded to beat them] What? before they had examined the matter? This was preposterous justice; like that of those that in the morning hang the offender, and sit upon him in the afternoon; or those spoken of by Aeneas Sylvius (cap. 20, Europ.), that hang up such as are suspected of theft, and three days after judge of the suspicion. Whereas, on the contrary, a judge is to retain the decency and gravity of the law, which is never angry with any man. Lex non irascitur, sed constituit. Alexander in his anger slew those friends of his, whom afterwards he would have revived again with his own life blood.