Paul was present when Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was put to
death; he only held the clothes of those who cast the stones, but he was
just as guilty of murder as though he had cast the fatal missile, _by
his presence, and making no objection he was consenting to the crime_.
To have relieved himself of the blood of Stephen, he should not have
gone to the place where the murder was committed, if he knew, or had
good reason to know, that a crime was to be committed. If he had gone
there with the belief that it was an _innocent, harmless_ gathering, and
after getting there he saw their murderous intent, he should at least
have left immediately and thus have withdrawn all his influence and
supposed sympathy with the criminals. The holding of their clothes did
not make him guilty, but was only _cumulative_ evidence of the murderous
intent in his heart.
Reader, if you go to a ball or dance, knowing it to be such, you are a
participant in all the sins and crimes which would not have been
committed, if such ball or dance had never been. So if the gathering be
for a _sinless, harmless_ purpose, and you find, after arriving at the
place, that there is to be a dance, and you do not leave immediately,
you will be just as guilty as though you had gone with full knowledge of
what was to be.
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