sixteenth chapter of this epistle, [v. 15.] were the first fruits of Achaia." Here, therefore, is the propriety we expected and it is a proof of reality not to be contemned; for their names appearing in the several places in which they occur, with a mark of distinction belonging to each, could hardly be the effect of chance, without any truth to direct it and, on the other hand, to suppose that they were picked out from these passages, and brought together in the text before us, in order to display a conformity of names, is both improbable in itself, and is rendered more so by the purpose for which they are introduced. They come in to assist St. Paul's exculpation of himself against the possible charge, of having assumed the character of the founder of a separate religion, and with no other visible, or, as I think, imaginable design.*

* Chap. i. 1. “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, "through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth." — The only account we have of any person who bore the name of Sosthenes, is found in the eighteenth chapter of the Acts. When the Jews at Corinth had brought Paul before Gallio, and Gallio had dismissed their complaint as unworthy of his interference, and had driven them from the judgment-seat; "then all the Greeks," says the historian, [v. 17.] "took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat." The Sosthenes here spoken of was a Corinthian; and if he was a Christian, and with St. Paul when he wrote this epistle, was likely enough to be joined with him in the salutation of the Corinthian church. But here occurs a difficulty. If Sosthenes was a Christian at the time of this uproar, why should the Greeks beat him? The assault upon the Christians was made by the Jews. It was the Jews who had brought Paul before the magistrate. If it had been the Jews also who had beaten Sosthenes, I should not have doubted but that he had been a favourer of St. Paul, and the same person who is joined with him in the epistle. Let us see, therefore, whether there be not some error in our present text. The Alexandrian manuscript gives Távtes without oi "EXλnyes, and is followed in this reading by the Coptic version, by the Arabic version published by Erpenius, by the Vulgate, and by Bede's Latin version. Three Greek manuscripts, again, as well as Chrysostom, give oἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, in the place of oἱ Ἕλληνες. A great plurality of manuscripts authorise the reading which is retained in our copies. In this variety it appears to me extremely probable that the historian originally wrote Távtes alone, and that of "Eves and of 'Lovdatos have been respectively added as explanatory of what the word Távtes was supposed to mean. The sentence, without

No. IX.

Chap. xvi. 10, 11. "Now, if Timotheus come, let "no man despise him."-Why despise him? This charge is not given concerning any other messenger whom St. Paul sent; and, in the different epistles, many such messengers are mentioned. Turn to 1 Timothy, iv. 12, and you will find that Timothy was a young man, younger, probably, than those who were usually employed in the Christian mission; and that St. Paul, apprehending lest he should, on that account, be exposed to contempt, urges upon him the caution which is there inserted, "Let no man despise thy youth."

No. X.

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Chap. xvi. 1." Now, concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye."

The churches of Galatia and Phrygia were the last churches which St. Paul had visited before the writing of this epistle. He was now at Ephesus, and he came thither immediately from visiting these churches [the second time]: "He went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples... And

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the addition of either name, would run very perspicuously thus: “ Καὶ ἀπήλασεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος· ἐπιλαβόμενοι δὲ πάντες Σωσθένην σε τὸν ἀρχισυνάγωγον, ἔτυπτον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος: and he drove them "away from the judgment-seat; and they all," viz. the crowd of Jews whom the judge had bid begone, "took Sosthenes, and beat him "before the judgment-seat." It is certain that, as the whole body of the people were Greeks, the application of all to them is unusual and hard. If I was describing an insurrection at Paris, I might say all the Jews, all the Protestants, or all the English acted so and so; but I should scarcely say all the French, when the whole mass of the community were of that description. As what is here offered is founded upon a various reading, and that in opposition to the greater part of the manuscripts that are extant, I have not given it a place in the text.

[A simpler explanation of this difficulty is proposed, on Acts, xviii. 17.]

7.

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"it came to pass that Paul having passed through the upper coasts," (viz. the above-named countries, called the upper coasts, as being the northern part of Asia Minor)" came to Ephesus." Acts, xviii. 23; xix. 1. These therefore, probably, were the last churches at which he had left directions for their public conduct during his absence. Although two years intervened between his journey to Ephesus and his writing this epistle, yet it does not appear that during that time he visited any other church. That he had not been silent when he was in Galatia [for the first time, A. xvi. 6.], upon this subject of contribution for the poor, is farther made out from a hint which he lets fall in his epistle to that church: [ii. 11.] "Only they (viz. the other apostles) would that 66 we should remember the poor, the same also which I was "forward to do."

No. XI.

Chap. iv. 18. "Now, some are puffed up, as though "I would not come to you.'

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Why should they suppose that he would not come ? Turn to the first chapter of the Second Epistle [vv. 15.. 18.] to the Corinthians, and you will find that he had already disappointed them: "I was minded to come unto you before, that you might have a second benefit; and "to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out "of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on 66 my way toward Judea. When I, therefore, was thus "minded, did I use lightness? Or the things that I 66 purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay? But, as "God is true, our word towards you was not yea and

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nay." It appears from this quotation, that he had not

only intended, but that he had promised them a visit before; for, otherwise, why should he apologise for the change of his purpose, or express so much anxiety, lest this change should be imputed to any culpable fickleness in his temper; and lest he should thereby seem to them, as

one whose word was not, in any sort, to be depended upon? Besides which, the terms made use of plainly refer to a promise: "Our word toward you was not yea "and nay." St. Paul therefore had signified an intention which he had not been able to execute; and this seeming breach of his word, and the delay of his visit, had, with some who were evil affected towards him, given birth to a suggestion that he would come no more to Corinth.

No. XII.

Chap. v. 7, 8. "For even Christ, our passover, is "sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast, not "with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and "wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity " and truth."

Dr. Benson tells us, that from this passage, compared with chapter xvi. 8, it has been conjectured that this Co. XV. epistle was written about the time of the Jewish passover; and to me the conjecture appears to be very well founded. The passage to which Dr. Benson refers us is this: "I "will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost." With this passage he ought to have joined another in the same context: [v. 6.] "And it may be that I will abide, yea and "winter with you :" for, from the two passages laid together, it follows that the epistle was written before Pentecost, yet after winter; which necessarily determines the date to the part of the year, within which the passover falls. It was written before Pentecost, because he says, "I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost." It was written after winter, because he tells them," It may be "that I may abide, yea and winter with you." The winter which the apostle purposed to pass at Corinth, was undoubtedly the winter next ensuing to the date of the epistle; yet it was a winter subsequent to the ensuing Pentecost, because he did not intend to set forwards upon his journey [into Macedonia] till after that feast. The words "let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither "with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the

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"unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," look very like words suggested by the season; at least they have, upon that supposition, a force and significancy which do not belong to them upon any other; and it is not a little remarkable, that the hints casually dropped in the epistle, concerning particular parts of the year, should coincide with this supposition.

CHAP. IV.

THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS.

No. I.

I WILL not say that it is impossible, having seen the First Epistle to the Corinthians, to construct a second with ostensible allusions to the first; or that it is impossible that both should be fabricated, so as to carry on an order and continuation of story, by successive references to the same events. But I say, that this, in either case, must be the effect of craft and design. Whereas, whoever examines the allusions to the former epistle, which he finds in this, whilst he will acknowledge them to be such as would rise spontaneously to the hand of the writer, from the very subject of the correspondence, and the situation of the corresponding parties, supposing these to be real, will see no particle of reason to suspect, either that the clauses containing these allusions were insertions for the purpose, or that the several transactions of the Corinthian church were feigned, in order to form a train of narrative, or to support the appearance of connection between the two epistles.

1. In the First Epistle, St. Paul announces his intention of passing through Macedonia, in his way to Corinth : "I will come to you when I shall pass through Mace"donia." In the Second Epistle, we find him arrived in