immediately into the Millennium, of which fome of the primitive Chriftians entertained very ftrange notions. And on this account they lamented the death of their friends, as they fuppofed that it deprived them of privileges to be enjoyed by thofe, who were alive and remained on earth at the general judgement. This error St. Paul endeavours to remove in the latter part of the fourth chapter. In the fecond Epiftle, ch. ii. 2. we find an intimation, that not only Epiftles were forged in St. Paul's name, to propagate this error, but that certain calculations and falfe prophecies were alfo applied to the fame purpose. With refpect to the falfe prophecies, I shall not venture to hazard even a conjecture, for it is very poffible that they were merely verbal, and never committed to writing: and therefore all that I have faid in the first edition, on the Revelation of Cerinthus, I here retract. But of the calculation, of ,which St. Paul fpeaks, and which he terms Aoyos, I believe the true meaning to be, as follows. The Jews in general believed that the Meffiah would erect a temporal kingdom, in which they were to enjoy liberty and reft: and of this kingdom they confidered their fabbath as a type. Hence they concluded, that it must commence at least as early as the beginning of the fixth Millennium from the creation of the world: and they thought it not improbable, that it would begin much fooner. For as the most devout Jews did not wait till fun fet, but began their fabbath and abftinence from labour several hours before, fo they imagined that the Deity would begin the great fabbath feveral hours, that is centuries, before the fix thoufand years from the crea tion were expired. It is true that according to the Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, as the text now stands in our manufcripts, the end of the fixth Millennium was fo far removed, that even after a deduction of several centuries, It would be foreign to the prefent purpofe to inquire, whether this notion were grounded or not. It will be fufficient to obferve that the most learned Jews of the prefent age reject it, though feveral modern Chriftians, especially Vitringa, have retained it. centuries, no man in the time of St. Paul could expect to furvive it. But every one knows that there are confiderable variations in refpect to the years mentioned in the book of Genefis: which make the creation of the world to have taken place at an earlier period, than it is made in our Hebrew Bibles. In the Septuagint, the number of years mentioned in the fifth and eleventh chapters of Genefis, is fuch as advance the duration of the world, in the time of St. Paul, far into the fixth Millennium: but how far I will not attempt to determine, for not all the copies even of the Septuagint have the fame numbers in the eleventh chapter of Genefis, as may be seen on compairing the editions of Grabe and Breitinger, which follow the Codex Alexandrinus, with the editions which contain the text of the Codex Vaticanus. Further, the very uncertainty, which attended the calculation, gave the greater fcope to the imagination of enthufiafts, to fix the commencement of the feventh Millennium, and of, the temporal kingdom. which they expected, at a period the moft fuitable to their wishes. And, if the world at that time had really exifted above 5500 years, they had fome ground for concluding, according to their principles, that the grand Millennium was not far diftant. These notions infinuated themselves very early among the Chriftians and they were received not only by the Theffalonians, but by feveral of the ancient fathers. 4. Among the converts at Theffalonica, there were feveral, who refused to subject themselves to the teachers, and, under the pretence of edifying others, behaved themselves disorderly. These perfons St. Paul had in view, 1 Theff, v. 11-14. The fecond Epistle to the Theffalonians was occafioned by the fame motives, which induced the Apostle to write his firft Epiftle. As this had not produced its proper effect, and feveral members of the Theffalonian community ftill maintained that the day of judgement was at hand, and others continued their disorderly conduct, the Apostle thought it neceffary to write to them again very very foon after he had written his firft Epiftle. In his fecond Epiftle therefore he endeavours to fhew from fome prophecies of the Old Teftament not then fulfilled, that the day of judgement was not fo foon to be expected and at the fame time he cautions the Theffalonians against idlenefs and irregularity. It was the opinion of Grotius, that what is called the fecond Epiftle to the Theffalonians was in fact the first Epiftle, which St. Paul wrote to them. This opinion he grounds on 2 Theff. iii. 17. where the Apoftle fays, The falutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every Epiftle: fo I write.' Hence Grotius concluded that this was the first Epiftle, which St. Paul wrote to the Theffalonians, because he taught them in what manner they were to diftinguifh his genuine Epiftles from thofe, which were forged in his name. But this inference is ungrounded, for a writer does not always think it neceffary in the very firft Epiftle to give the tokens of authenticity. On the contrary, it is more probable that he would do this, after letters had been forged in his name, than at the beginning of the correfpondence. CHAP. XIII. OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. SECT. I. Of the perfon and character of Titus. ST. to the Cretans; for the defign T. PAUL's Epiftle to Titus might not improperly of it was not fo much to instruct Titus in matters, which he must have known even without this Epiftle, as to put put into his hands an order, which he might lay before the Cretans, and to which he might appeal whenever unworthy and unqualified peffons attempted to intrude into the epifcopal office. The contents of this Epiftle are nearly of the fame kind as those of the first Epistle to Timothy. The churches in Crete were hitherto without bishops and minifters: Titus therefore was ordered to appoint them, and at the fame time was cautioned against fome, who were of the circumcifion, and who endeavoured to procure for themselves the ecclefiaftical offices". Of the perfon and character of Titus we have no further knowledge, than what is related in the New Teftament: from which it appears that he was by birth a heathen, that he was not circumcifed, as Timothy was, that he fometimes accompanied St. Paul, and was fometimes fent as deputy to Christian communities. с It is remarkable that St. Luke has not once mentioned the name of Titus throughout the Acts of the Apoftles, though St. Paul makes frequent mention of him in his Epiftles. But St. Luke's filence will ceafe to be extraordinary, when we confider the period, in which Titus attended St. Paul. He was prefent with the Apoftle at three different times. Firft, on that journey to Jerufalem, which is described Acts xv. as St. Paul himself in his Epiftle to the Galatians relates in exprefs terms. But in this inftance, though St. Luke has not mentioned him by name, he has included him under the general expreffion feveral other of them', namely of the Gentile converts. From this period, as far as we may judge from the Epiftles of St. Paul, fome time muft have elapfed, before Titus was again with him: but in the fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians the name of Titus is frequently mentioned, where it appears that he had been with St. Paul at Ephefus, and was fent from that city 2 Of these ecclefiaftical offices I fhall treat in the Notes to the Epiftle to Titus, and to the first Epiftle to Timothy. © Ch. ii. 1. 3. d Acts xv. 2. b Gal. ii. 3. city to Corinth. St. Paul, on his own departure from Ephefus, expected to meet Titus again at Troas: but in this expectation he was difappointed, for he did not meet with him, till his arrival in Macedonia", whence the Apostle fent Titus again with a new commiffion to Corinth. Now thefe engagements of Titus took place during the period in which St. Luke was abfent from St. Paul; and this is the reason why he is filent in refpect to the tranfactions of Titus, as alfo of many tranfactions of St. Paul, which took place in this interval. When St. Luke again joined company with 'St. Paul, Titus does not appear to have been with him, fo that these two Gentile converts attended perhaps the Apoftle alternately. The third and laft time, that we find Titus with St. Paul, was shortly before the second Epistle to Timothy was written, in which St. Paul fays ch. iv. 10. that Titus was departed for Dalmatia. But this paffage is of little importance in determining the date of the Epiftle to Titus, which was certainly written long before the second Epiftle to Timothy. This queftion, which will be examined in the following fection, must be determined by the paffages above quoted. When and where the Epifle to Titus was written. CH HRISTIANITY had been very early planted in are not in Crete, though we are not certain by whom it was first introduced there: but as feveral Cretans were prefent in Jerufalem on the day of Pentecoft, at the first effufion of the Holy Ghoft, it is not improbable that on their return they made known the Chriftian religion. The only inftance, in which St. Luke has made any f 2 Cor. ii. 12. 13. mention g Ch. vii. 6. 13. 1 See Vol. III. Ch. vi. Sect., 3. of this Introduction. i Acts ii. 11. |