it to be artificial: for had the writer of the character, which the future state of morals epistle sought a coincidence with the history among them verified: whatever was the reaupon this head, and searched the Acts of the son (and any of these reasons will account for Apostles for the purpose, I conceive he would the variation, supposing St. Paul to have been have sent us at once to Philippi and Thessa- the author,) one point is plain, namely, if the lonica, where Paul suffered persecution, and epistle had been forged, and the author had where, from what is stated, it may easily be inserted a quotation in it merely from having gathered that Timothy accompanied him, ra- seen an example of the same kind in a speech ther than have appealed to persecutions as ascribed to St. Paul, he would so far have imi. known to Timothy, in the account of which tated his original, as to have introduced his quopersecutions Timothy's presence is not men- tation in the same manner; that is, he would tioned; it not being till after one entire chap-have given to Epimenides the title which he ter, and in the history of a journey three years future to this, that Timothy's name occurs in the Acts of the Apostles for the first time. CHAPTER XIII. THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. No. I. A VERY characteristic circumstance in this epistle, is the quotation from Epimenides, chap. i. 12: "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies." Kentis au &iverai, rana bngia, yarrigis gym. saw there given to Aratus. The other side of the alternative is, that the history took the hint from the epistle. But that the author of the Acts of the Apostles had not the Epistle to Titus before him, at least that he did not use it as one of the documents or materials of his narrative, is rendered nearly certain by the observation, that the name of Titus does not once occur in his book. It is well known, and was remarked by St. Jerome, that the apophthegm in the fifteenth chapter of the Corinthians, "Evil communications corrupt good manners," is an Iambic of Menander's: Φθείρουσιν ήθη χρησθ' όμιλίαι κακαι. Here we have another unaffected instance of the same turn and habit of composition.— Probably there are some hitherto unnoticed; and more, which the loss of the original authors renders impossible to be now ascertained. No. II. I call this quotation characteristic, because no writer in the New Testament, except St. Paul, appealed to heathen testimony; and be. cause St. Paul repeatedly did so. In his celebrated speech at Athens, preserved in the seventeenth chapter of the Acts, he tells his There exists a visible affinity between the audience, that "in God we live, and move, Epistle to Titus and the First Epistle to Tiand have our being; as certain also of your mothy. Both letters were addressed to perown poets have said, For we are also his off-sons left by the writer to preside in their res spring." -του γαρ και γένος εσμέν. pective churches during his absence. Both let ters are principally occupied in describing the qualifications to be sought for, in those whom they should appoint to offices in the church; The reader will perceive much similarity of and the ingredients of this description are in manner in these two passages. The reference both letters nearly the same. Timothy and in the speech is to a heathen poet; it is the Titus are likewise cautioned against the same same in the epistle. In the speech, the apos-prevailing corruptions, and in particular, atle urges his hearers with the authority of against the same misdirection of their cares and poet of their own; in the epistle he avails him- studies. This affinity obtains, not only in the self of the same advantage. Yet there is a va- subject of the letters, which from the similaririation, which shows that the hint of inserting ty of situation in the persons to whom they a quotation in the epistle was not, as it may be expected, borrowed from seeing the like practice attributed to St. Paul in the history; and it is this, that in the epistle the author cited is called a prophet," one of themselves, even a prophet of their own." Whatever might be the reason for calling Epimenides a prophet: "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: whether the names of poet and prophet were Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father occasionally convertible; whether Epimenides and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee in particular had obtained that title, as Gro- to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Matius seems to have proved; or whether the cedonia," &c. 1 Tim. chap. i. 2, 3. appellation was given to him, in this instance, To Titus, mine own son after the common as having delivered a description of the Cretan faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the were addressed, might be expected to be somewhat alike, but extends, in a great variety of instances, to the phrases and expressions. The writer accosts his two friends with the same salutation, and passes on to the business of his letter by the same transition. Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. | as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon For this cause left I thee in Crete." Tit. chap. angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given i. 4, 5. to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate"," Titus, chap. i. 6-8. If Timothy was not to "give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions," (1 Tim. chap. i. 4.) Titus also was to The most natural account which can be "avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and given of these resemblances, is to suppose that contentions," (chap. iii. 9;) and was to "re- the two epistles were written nearly at the buke them sharply, not giving heed to Jewish same time, and whilst the same ideas and fables." (chap. i. 14.) If Timothy was to be phrases dwelt in the writer's mind. Let us a pattern (ruos,) (1 Tim. chap. iv. 12.) so was inquire, therefore, whether the notes of time, Titus, (chap. ii. 7.) If Timothy was to "let extant in the two epistles, in any manner fano man despise his youth," (1 Tim. chap. iv. vour this supposition. 12.) Titus also was to "let no man despise him," (chap. ii. 15.) This verbal consent is also observable in some very peculiar expressions, which have no relation to the particular character of Timothy or Titus. We have seen that it was necessary to refer the First Epistle to Timothy to a date subsequent to St. Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, because there was no journey into Macedonia prior to that event, which accorded The phrase," it is a faithful saying" (T; with the circumstance of leaving "Timothy Aoyos) made use of to preface some sentence up- behind at Ephesus." The journey of St. Paul on which the writer lays a more than ordinary from Crete, alluded to in the epistle before stress, occurs three times in the First Epistle us, and in which Titus "was left in Crete to to Timothy, once in the Second, and once in set in order the things that were wanting," the epistle before us, and in no other part of must, in like manner, be carried to the period St. Paul's writings; and it is remarkable that which intervened between his first and second these three epistles were probably all written imprisonment. For the history, which reaches, towards the conclusion of his life; and that we know, to the time of St. Paul's first imthey are the only epistles which were written prisonment, contains no account of his going after his first imprisonment at Rome. to Crete, except upon his voyage as a prisoner The same observation belongs to another to Rome; and that this could not be the ocsingularity of expression, and that is in the epi-casion referred to in our epistle is evident from thet "sound" (,) as applied to words or hence, that when St. Paul wrote this epistle. doctrine. It is thus used, twice in the First he appears to have been at liberty; whereas Epistle to Timothy, twice in the Second, and after that voyage, he continued for two years three times in the Epistle to Titus, beside two at least in confinement. Again, it is agreed cognate expressions, vynoras y ru and Ayo yin; and it is found, in the same sense, in no other part of the New Testament. The phrase," God our Saviour," stands in nearly the same predicament. It is repeated three times in the First Epistle to Timothy, as many in the Epistle to Titus, and in no other book of the New Testament occurs at all, except once in the Epistle of Jude. Similar terms, intermixed indeed with others, are employed in the two epistles, in enumerating the qualifications required in those who should be advanced to stations of authority in the church. "A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity*." 1 Tim. chap. iii. 2-4. "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, that St. Paul wrote his First Epistle to Timothy from Macedonia: "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went (or came) into Macedonia." And that he was in these parts, i. e. in this peninsula, when he wrote the Epistle to Titus, is rendered probable by his directing Titus to come to him to Nicopolis: "When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent (make haste) to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter." The most noted city of that name was in Epirus, near to Actium. And I think the form of speaking, as well as the nature of the case, renders it probable that the writer was at Nicopolis, or in the neighbourhood thereof, when he dictated this direction to Titus. Upon the whole, if we may be allowed to suppose that St. Paul, after his liberation at Rome, sailed into Asia, taking Crete in his way; that from Asia and from Ephesus, the capital of that country, he proceeded into Macedonia, and crossing the peninsula in his progress, came into the neighbourhood of Nico HORE PAULINE. polis, we have a route which falls in with Onesimus to be a Colossian, but in many deevery thing. It executes the intention ex-pendent circumstances. pressed by the Apostle of visiting Colosse and Philippi as soon as he should be set at liberty whom I have sent again" (ver. 10-12.) It 1. "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, at Rome. It allows him to leave "Titus at appears from the Epistle to the Colossians, Crete," and "Timothy at Ephesus, as he went that, in truth, Onesimus was sent at that time into Macedonia :" and to write to both not to Colosse: "All my state shall Tychicus delong after from the peninsula of Greece, and clare, whom I have sent unto you for the same probably the neighbourhood of Nicopolis: purpose, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved thus bringing together the dates of these two brother." Colos. chap. iv. 7-9. letters, and thereby accounting for that affinity between them, both in subject and language, whom 2. "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, which our remarks have pointed out. have begotten in my bonds" (ver. 10.) fess that the journey which we have thus tra- Onesimus was with St. Paul when he wrote I con- It appears from the preceding quotation, that ced out for St. Paul, is, in a great measure, the Epistle to the Colossians; and that he hypothetic but it should be observed, that it wrote that epistle in imprisonment is evident as a species of consistency, which seldom be- from his declaration in the fourth chapter and longs to falsehood, to admit of an hypothesis, third verse: "Praying also for us, that God which includes a great number of independent would open unto us a door of utterance, to circumstances without contradiction. speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds." CHAPTER XIV. THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. No. I. disco 3. St. Paul bids Philemon prepare for him a lodging: "For I trust," through your prayers I shall be given unto says he, "that you." This agrees with the expectation of speedy deliverance, which he expressed in another epistle written during the same impripresently, so soon as I shall see how it will go sonment: "Him" (Timothy)" I hope to send with me; but myself shall come shortly." trust in the Lord that I als Phil. chap. ii. 23, THE singular correspondency between this epistle and that to the Colossians has been remarked already. An assertion in the Epistle to the Colossians, viz. that "Onesimus was 24. one of them," is verified, not by any mention of Colosse, any the most distant intimation the Colossians, were written at the same time, 4. As the letter to Philemon, and that to concerning the place of Philemon's abode, but and sent by the same messenger, the one to a singly by stating Onesimus to be Philemon's particular inhabitant, the other to the church servant, and by joining in the salutation Phi- of Colosse, it may be expected that the same lemon with Archippus; for this Archippus, or nearly the same persons would be about St. when we go back to the Epistle to the Colos- Paul, and join with him, as was the practice, sians, appears to have been an inhabitant of in the salutations of the epistle. Accordingly that city, and, as it should seem, to have held we find the names of Aristarchus, Marcus, an office of authority in that church. case stands thus. Take the epistle to the Co-Timothy, who is joined with St. Paul in the The Epaphras, Luke, and Demas, in both epistles. lossians alone, and no circumstance verable which makes out the assertion, that is joined with him in this. Tychicus did not superscription of the Epistle to the Colossians, Onesimus was "one of them." Epistle to Philemon alone, and nothing at all epistle to Colosse, and would undoubtedly there Take the salute Philemon, because he accompanied the appears concerning the place to which Phile- see him. Yet the reader of the Epistle to Phimon or his servant Onesimus belonged. For lemon will remark one considerable diversity any thing that is said in the epistle, Philemon in the catalogue of saluting friends, and which might have been a Thessalonian, a Philippian, shows that the catalogue was not copied from or an Ephesian, as well as a Colossian. Put that to the Colossians. In the epistle to the the two epistles together, and the matter is Colossians, Aristarchus is called by St. Paul clear. The reader perceives a junction of cir- his fellow-prisoner, Colos. chap. iv. 10; in the cumstances, which ascertains the conclusion Epistle to Philemon, Aristarchus is mentionat once. Now, all that is necessary to be ad-ed without any addition, and the title of felded in this place is, that this correspondency low-prisoner is given to Epaphras*. evinces the genuineness of one epistle, as well as of the other. It is like comparing the two parts of a cloven tally. Coincidence proves the authenticity of both. No. II. And this coincidence is perfect: not only in the main article of showing by implication, pellation of fellow-prisoner, as applied by St. Paul to And let it also be observed, that notwithstanding the close and circumstantial agreement between the two epistles, this is not the case of an opening left in a genuine writing, which an impostor is induced to fill up; nor of a reference to some writing not extant, which sets a sophist at work to supply the loss, in like manner as, because St. Paul was supposed, (Colos. chap. iv. 16.) to allude to an epistle written by him to the Laodiceans, some person has from thence taken the hint of uttering a forgery under that title. The present, I say, is not that case; for Philemon's name is not mentioned in the Epistle to the Colossians; Onesimus' servile condition is no where hinted at, any more than his crime, his flight, or the place or time of his conversion. The story therefore of the epistle, if it be a fiction, is a fiction to which the author could not have been guided by any thing he had read in St. Paul's genuine writings. No. III. Ver. 4, 5. "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints." No. IV. The tenderness and delicacy of this epistle have long been admired: "Though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ; I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds." There is something certainly very melting and persuasive in this, and every part of the epistle. Yet, in my opinion, the character of St. Paul prevails in it throughout. The warm, affectionate, authoritative teacher is interceding with an absent friend for a beloved convert. He urges his suit with an earnestness, befitting perhaps not so much the occasion, as the ardour and sensibility of his own mind. Here also, as every where, he shows himself conscious of the weight and dignity of his mission; nor does he suffer Philemon for a moment to forget it: "I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient." He is careful also to recall, though obliquely, to Philemon's memory, the sacred obligation under which he had laid him, by bringing to him the knowledge "Hearing of thy love and faith This is of Jesus Christ: "I do not say to thee how the form of speech which St. Paul was wont thou owest to me even thine own self besides." to use towards those churches which he had Without laying aside, therefore, the apostolic not seen, or then visited: see Rom. chap. i. 8; character, our author softens the imperative Ephes. chap. i. 15; Col. chap. i. 3, 4. To- style of his address, by mixing with it every ward those churches and persons, with whom sentiment and consideration that could move he was previously acquainted, he employed a the heart of his correspondent. Aged and in different phrase; as, "I thank my God al- prison, he is content to supplicate and entreat. ways on your behalf," (1 Cor. chap. i. 4; 2 Onesimus was rendered dear to him by his Thess. chap. i. 3;) or, 66 upon every remem-conversion and his services: the child of his brance of you," (Phil. chap. i. 3; 1 Thess. affliction, and "ministering unto him in the chap. i. 2, 3; Tim. chap. i. 3;) and never bonds of the Gospel." This ought to recomspeaks of hearing of them. Yet I think it mend him, whatever had been his fault, to must be concluded, from the nineteenth verse Philemon's forgiveness: "Receive him as myof this epistle, that Philemon had been con- self, as my own bowels." Every thing, how. verted by St. Paul himself: "Albeit, I do not ever, should be voluntary. St. Paul was desay to thee how thou owest unto me even thine termined that Philemon's compliance should own self besides." Here then is a peculiarity. flow from his own bounty: "Without thy Let us inquire whether the epistle supplies mind would I do nothing, that thy benefit any circumstance which will account for it. should not be as it were of necessity, but wilWe have seen that it may be made out, not lingly;" trusting nevertheless to his gratitude from the epistle itself, but from a comparison and attachment for the performance of all that of the epistle with that to the Colossians, that he requested, and for more: "Having confiPhilemon was an inhabitant of Colosse: and dence in thy obedience, I wrote unto thee, it farther appears, from the Epistle to the Co-knowing that thou wilt also do more than ĺ lossians, that St. Paul had never been in that city: "I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh." Col. ch. ii. 1. Although, therefore, St. Paul had formerly met with Philemon at some other place, and had been the immediate instrument of his conversion, yet Philemon's faith and conduct afterwards, inasmuch as he lived in a city which St. Paul had never visited, could only be known to him by fame and reputation. say." St. Paul's discourse at Miletus; his speech before Agrippa; his Epistle to the Romans, as hath been remarked (No. VIII.) that to the Galatians, chap. iv. 11-20; to the Philippians, chap. i. 29-chap. ii. 2; the Second to the Corinthians, chap. vi. 1-13; and indeed some part or other of almost every epistle, exhibit examples of a similar application to the feelings and affections of the persons whom he addresses. And it is observable, that these pathetic effusions, drawn for the most part from his own sufferings and situation, usually precede a command, soften a rebuke, or mitigate the harshness of some disagreeable truth. CHAPTER XV. THE SUBSCRIPTIONS OF THE EPISTLES. Six of these subscriptions are false or improbable; that is, they are either absolutely contradicted by the contents of the epistle, or are difficult to be reconciled with them. name is known to have existed in that province. The use, and the only use, which I make of these observations, is to show how easily errors and contradictions steal in where the writer is not guided by original knowledge. There are only eleven distinct assignments of date to St. Paul's Epistles (for the four written from Rome may be considered as plainly contemporary;) and of these, six seem to be erroneous. I do not attribute any authority to these subscriptions. I believe them to have been con. jectures founded sometimes upon loose traditions, but more generally upon a consideration of some particular text, without sufficiently I. The subscription of the First Epistle to comparing it with other parts of the epistle, the Corinthians states that it was written from with different epistles, or with the history Philippi, notwithstanding that, in the sixteenth Suppose then that the subscriptions had come chapter and the eighth verse of the epistle, down to us as authentic parts of the epistles, St. Paul informs the Corinthians that he will there would have been more contrarieties and 66 tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost;" and not- difficulties arising out of these final verses, withstanding that he begins the salutations in than from all the rest of the volume. Yet, the epistle by telling them "the churches of if the epistles had been forged, the whole must Asia salute you;" a pretty evident indication have been made up of the same elements as that he himself was in Asia at this time. those of which the subscriptions are composed, II. The Epistle to the Galatians is by the viz. tradition, conjecture, and inference: and subscription dated from Rome; yet, in the it would have remained to be accounted for, epistle itself, St. Paul expresses his surprise how, whilst so many errors were crowded in"that they were so soon removing from him to the concluding clauses of the letters, so that called them;" whereas his journey to much consistency should be preserved in other Rome was ten years posterior to the conver-parts. sion of the Galatians. And what, I think, The same reflection arises from observing is more conclusive, the author, though speak- the oversights and mistakes which learned men ing of himself in this more than any other have committed, when arguing upon allusions epistle, does not once mention his bonds, or which relate to time and place, or when encall himself a prisoner; which he had not deavouring to digest scattered circumstances failed to do in every one of the four epistles into a continued story. It is indeed the same written from that city, and during that im-case; for these subscriptions must be regarded prisonment. as ancient scholia, and as nothing more. Of III. The First Epistle to the Thessalonians this liability to error I can present the reader was written, the subscription tells us, from with a notable instance; and which I bring Athens; yet the epistle refers expressly to the forward for no other purpose than that to coming of Timotheus from Thessalonica (ch. iii. 6.) and the history informs us, Acts xviii. 5. that Timothy came out of Macedonia to St. Paul at Corinth. which I apply the erroneous subscriptions. Ludovicus Capellus, in that part of his Historia Apostolica Illustrata, which is entitled De Ordine Epist. Paul., writing upon the Second IV. The Second Epistle to the Thessaloni- Epistle to the Corinthians, triumphs unmercians is dated, and without any discoverable fully over the want of sagacity in Baronius, who, reason, from Athens also. If it be truly the it seems, makes St. Paul write his Epistle to second; if it refer, as it appears to do (ch. ii. Titus from Macedonia upon his second visit in2.) to the first, and the first was written from to that province; whereas it appears from the Corinth, the place must be erroneously assign-history, that Titus, instead of being at Crete, ed, for the history does not allow us to sup- where the epistle places him, was at that time pose that St. Paul, after he had reached Co-sent by the apostle from Macedonia to Corinth. rinth, went back to Athens. "Animadvertere est," says Capellus, "mag V. The First Epistle to Timothy the sub- nam hominis illius aCaur, qui vult Titum scription asserts to have been sent from Lao-a Paulo in Cretam abductum, illicque relic dicea; yet, when St. Paul writes, "I besought tum, cum inde Nicopolim navigaret, quem tathee to abide still at Ephesus, togivoμevos uus men agnoscit a Paulo ex Macedoniâ missum Maxidovias (when I set out for Macedonia,") esse Corinthum." This probably will be the reader is naturally led to conclude, that he thought a detection of inconsistency in Barowrote the letter upon his arrival in that coun-nius. But what is the most remarkable is, try. that in the same chapter in which he thus inVI. The Epistle to Titus is dated from Ni-dulges his contempt of Baronius's judgment, copolis in Macedonia, whilst no city of that Capellus himself falls into an error of the same |