Apostol § 24

In those days, there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his house, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an Angel of God coming in and saying unto him, “Cornelius!” And when he look on him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?” So he said unto him, ‘Thy prayers and thine alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for one Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” And when the Angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. And when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, [at] about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four comers, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke unto him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, thou must not call common.” This was done three times, and the object was taken up again into heaven.