been received from another, different from himfelf, that would have appeared in the expreffions made ufe of by him. In fhort, if they were converted by the apoftle, there could not, poffibly, arife in his mind a doubt, whether they remembered, who had been their firft teacher, and who were his fellow-labourers, who had accompanied him in his journies, when he was in their country. And therefore there was no need to remind them of himself more expressly, than he has done. The thing is fuppofed all along.

7. The prefence of Epaphras with Paul at Rome is an argument, that the Coloffians had perfonal acquaintance with the apostle. Indeed Grotius upon ch. i. 7. fays, that

Epaphras is the fame as Epaphroditus, mentioned in the 'epiftle to the Philippians.' But Beaufobre well obferves. upon the fame place: This may be the fame name with Epaphroditus, Philip. ii. 25. But it is not probable, that it is the fame perfon. St. Paul had fent Epaphroditus to Philippi. But Epaphras was ftill at Rome. And there is ' reafon to think, that he was a prifoner there. See Philem. ver. 23.' If Epaphras was fent to Rome by the Coloffians to inquire after Paul's welfare, as may be concluded from ch. iv. 7, 8. that token of refpect for the apoftle is a good argument of perfonal acquaintance. And it is allowed, that Epaphras had brought St. Paul a particular account of the state of affairs in this church. Which is another argument, that they were his converts.

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8. Ch. i. 8. Who alfo declared unto us your love in the fpirit: that is, fays Grotius, how you love us on account of the Holy Spirit given to you.' Or, as Peirce, Who alfo declared unto me the love you bear to me upon a spiritual ' account.' Or, as Whitby, Your spiritual and affectionate love to me, wrought in you by the fpirit, whose fruit ' is love.' All thus understanding it of their love of the apostle, and rightly, as feems to me. Nothing else can be meant by it. For before, at ver. 4. he had fpoken of their love to all the faints. This I take to be another good proof of perfonal acquaintance. And the place is agreeable to what he writes to the Theffalonians, allowed by all to be the apoftle's converts. I Theff. iii. 6. But now when Timothy came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your

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Quomodo nos diligatis propter Spiritum San&tum vobis datum.

Grot. in loc.

faith and charity: [that is the fame with Col. i. 4. Since we beard of your faith in Christ Jefus, and of your love to all the faints] and that ye have good remembrance of us always.

9. Ch. iii. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching, and admonishing one another, in psalms, and bymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging with grace in your hearts to the Lord. This fhows, that the Coloffians were endowed with fpiritual gifts. And from whom could they receive them, but from St. Paul? Apoftles only are allowed to have had the power and privilege of conveying spiritual gifts to other Chriftians. This text therefore has been a difficulty with fuch as have fuppofed, that Paul never was at Coloffe. But now that difficulty is removed.

10. Ch. ii. 1, 2. For I would, that ye knew, what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not feen my face in the flesh: that their hearts might be comforted. This quick change of perfons upon the mention of fuch as had not feen the apostle's face, feems to imply, that the Coloffians, to whom he is writing, had seen him. For if the Coloffians had been among those who had not feen him, he would have expreffed himself in this manI 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, that your hearts might be comforted. But upon the mention of fuch as had not feen him, he fays: that their bearts might be comforted. And having finished his teftimony of concern for fuch as had not feen his face, he returns to the Coloffians, to whom he was writing, and fays, ver. 4. And this I fay, left any man should beguile you with enticing words.

ner.

Theodoret, befide what he had faid in the preface to this epiftle, which has been already transcribed, speaks again to this purpofe in his paraphrafe of ch. ii. 1, 2. I would have you be perfuaded of my great concern for you, and for the Laodiceans: and not only for you and the Laodiceans, • but likewife for all who have not seen me. And that this is his meaning, appears from what follows: that their hearts

• may

be comforted. He does not fay your, but their: that is, ' of fuch as had not seen him.'

11. Ch. ii. 5. For though I be abfent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying, and beholding your order, and the fteadfastness of your faith in Chrift. It is here implied, if I am not mistaken, that the apostle had been with them, and had been present in the affembly of the believers at Coloffe.

12. What is faid ch. iv. 7-9. All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, and the reft, beft fuits the fuppofition of perfonal acquaintance, as before hinted. Indeed, I think it to be full proof, that Paul was acquainted with them, and they with him.

13. The falutations in ver. 10, 11, 14. from Aristarchus, Mark, Luke, Demas, fuppofe the Coloffians to have been well acquainted with St. Paul's fellow-travellers, and fellowlabourers. And Timothy's name is in the falutation at the beginning of the epiftle. Confequently, the Coloffians were not unknown to the apoftle, nor unacquainted with him. And the like falutations are alfo in the epiftle to Philemon, an inhabitant of Coloffe.

14. Ch. iv. 15. Salute the brethren, which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. Ver. 17. And fay to Archippus: take heed to the miniftry, which thou haft received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. This fhows, that Paul was well acquainted with the ftate of the churches in Coloffe and Laodicea. And it affords an argument that he had been in that country, and particularly at Laodicea. He falutes the brethren there, and Nymphas by name, and the church in his houfe. It is probable, fays Theodoret, that he was one of 'the faithful in Laodicea, who had made his house a church, adorning it with piety.' As for Archippus, the fame Theodoret fays, That fome had fuppofed him to have been mi'nifter at Laodicea: but,' fays he, the epittle to Philemon. 'fhows, that he dwelled at Coloffe, where Philemon was.' See Philem. ver. 2.

15. Ch. iv. 3, 4. Withal, praying alfo for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in bonds: that I may make it manifeft, as I ought to

Speak. And ver. 18. Remember my bonds. Such demands may be made of ftrangers. But they are most properly made of friends and acquaintance.

In a word, the whole tenour of this epiftle fhows, that the apostle is not writing to ftrangers, but to acquaintance, difciples, and converts.

16. Finally, an argument may be taken from the epiftle to Philemon, an inhabitant of Coloffe, fent at the fame time with this to the Coloffians.

From ver. 19th of the epiftle to Philemon, I fuppofe it to be evident, that he had been converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Indeed this might be done at fome other place. But it may as well have been done at home.

And St. Paul's acquaintance with Philemon, and the Chriftians at Coloffe, may be inferred from feveral things in that epiftle. At ver. 2. he falutes Apphia by name, probably wife of Philemon : and Archippus, probably, paftor at Coloffe, at least an elder in that church: who, as before obferved, is also mentioned, Col. iv. 17. Once more, at ver. 22. St. Paul defires Philemon, to prepare him a lodging. Whence I conclude, that Paul had been at Coloffe before.

We might argue alfo from the characters of Philemon and Archippus, in the first two verfes of the fame epiftle. The former the apostle calls his fellow labourer, and the other his fellow-foldier. Which expreffions imply perfonal acquaintance, and that they had laboured with him in the fervice of the gofpel in fome place. And what place can be fo likely as Coloffe? There are many, of whom St. Paul fpeaks in his epiftles, as his fellow-labourers, or fellow-helpers, or fellow-foldiers: concerning whom it may be made to appear, that he and they had laboured together in fome one place. And why then should these two be exceptions? Yea, it may be reckoned not improbable, that Archippus had been ordained by St. Paul himself an elder at Coloffe. Whether Philemon likewife was an elder there, I do not fay: though he may have been fo.

From all these confiderations it appears to me very probable, that the church of Coloffe had been planted by the apoftle Paul, and that the Chriftians there were his friends, difciples, and converts. And if the Chriftians at Coloffe were his converts, it may be argued, that fo likewife were the Chriftians at Laodicea, and Hierapolis. None of which places were far afunder.

CHAP.

CHA P. XV.

OF THE SEVEN CATHOLIC EPISTLES.

I. The Antiquity, and the Reafon of that Denomination. II. Called alfo canonical. III. Concerning their Reception in feveral Ages. IV. Their Order.

I. THERE are feven epiftles, which we call catholic. The antiquity of this denomination may be made manifest from a few quotations. Eufebius having given an account of the death of James, called the Juft, and our Lord's brother, concludes: Thus far concerning this James, who is faid to be the author of the first of the epiftles called catholic.' In another place he fays, That in his Inftitutions Clement ' of Alexandria had given fhort explications of all the cano'nical fcriptures, not omitting thofe which are contradicted. 'I mean the epiftle of Jude, and the other catholic epiftles.' They were fo called therefore in the time of Eufebius, and, probably, before. Of which likewife we have good proof. For St. John's first epistle is several times called a Catholic epiftle by Origen in his remaining Greek works, as well as in others. It is likewife fo called feveral times by Dionyfius, bishop of Alexandria. Athanafius, Epiphanius, and later Greek writers received feven epiftles, which they called catholic. I only obferve here farther, that they are so called likewife by Jerom.

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They are called catholic, or univerfal, or general, because they are not written to the believers of fome one city, or country, or to particular perfons, as St. Paul's epiftles are, but