yourselves unto your Husbands, love your Children, obey your * Colos. ch. iii. 18. • Wives, submit own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. wives, and be not bitter against them. parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be dis couraged. Servants, obey, in all things your masters according to the flesh ; not with eye service, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God; and whatever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven.' The passages marked by Italics in the quotation from the Ephesians, bear a strict resemblance, not only in signification but in terms, to the quotation from the Colossians. Both the words and the order of the words are in many clauses a duplicate of one another. In the Epistle to the Colossians, these passages are laid together; in that to the Ephesians, they are divided by intermediate matter, especially by a long digressive allusion to the mysterious union between Christ and his church, which possessing, as Mr Locke hath well observed, the mind of the apostle, from being an incidental thought, grows up into the principal subject. The affinity between * Colos. ch. iii. 18. Αι γυναικες, ὑποτάσσεσθε τοις ιδίοις ανδρασιν, ως ανηκεν εν Κυριῳ. Ephes. Οι άνδρες αγαπάτε τας γυναίκας ἑαυτῶν. Colos. Οι άνδρες, αγαπάτε τας γυναίκας. Ephes. Τα τεκνα, ὑπακουετε τοις γονευσιν ὑμων εν Κυρίῳ· τουτο γαρ ετι δικαιον. Colos. Τα τέκνα, ὑπακουετε τοις γονεύσι κατα παντα τουτο γαρ εσιν ευάρεσον το Κυρίῳ. Ephes. Και οι πατέρες μη παροργίζετε τα τεκνα ύμων. Colos. Οι πατερες μη ερεθίζετε * τα τεκνα ύμων. Ephes. Οι δουλοι, υπακούετε τοις κυρίοις κατα σαρκα μετά φόβου και τρόμου, εν απλοτητι της καρδίας ύμων, ως τῷ Χρισῳ μη κατ' οφθαλμοδουλειαν ως ανθρωπάρεσκοι, αλλ' ως δουλοι του Χρισου, ποιούντες το θέλημα του Θεου εκ ψυχής μετ' ευνοίας δουλευοντές ως τῷ Κυρίῳ, και ουκ ανθρωποις ειδότες ὅτι ὁ εαν τι έκαςος ποίηση αγαθόν, τουτο κομιείται παρα του Κυρίου, είτε δουλος, είτε ελεύθερος. Colos. Οι δουλοι, ὑπακουετε κατα παντα τοις κατα σαρκα κυρίοις, μη εν οφθαλμο δουλείαις, ως ανθρωπάρεσκοι, αλλ' εν άπλοτητι καρδίας, φοβούμενοι τον Θεον και παν 6, τι εαν ποιήτε, εκ ψυχής εργάζεσθε ως τῷ Κυρίῳ, και ουκ ανθρωποις, είδοτες ὅτι απο Κυριου απολήψεσθε την ανταπόδοσιν της κληρονομίας τῳ γαρ Κυρίῳ Χρισῳ δουλευετε. * παροργίζντε, lectio non spernenda, GRIESBACH. these two passages in signification, in terms, and in the order of the words, is closer than can be pointed out between any parts of any two epistles in the volume. If the reader would see how the same subject is treated by a different hand, and how distinguishable it is from the production of the same pen, let him turn to the second and third chapters of the First Epistle of St Peter. The duties of servants, of wives, and of husbands, are enlarged upon in that epistle, as they are in the Epistle to the Ephesians; but the subjects both occur in a different order, and the train of sentiment subjoined to each is totally unlike. 3. In two letters issuing from the same person, nearly at the same time, and upon the same general occasion, we may expect to trace the influence of association in the order in which the topics follow one another. Certain ideas universally or usually suggest others. Here the order is what we call natural, and from such an order nothing can be concluded. But when the order is arbitrary, yet alike, the concurrence indicates the effect of that principle, by which ideas, which have been once joined, commonly revisit the thoughts together. The epistles under consideration furnish the two following remarkable instances of this species of agreement: Ephes. ch. iv. 24, 25. And that ye put on the new man; which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness ; wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour, for we are members of one another." Colos. ch. iii. 9. Lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man, with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge.'† The vice of 'lying,' or a correction of that vice, does not seem to bear any nearer relation to the 'putting on the new man,' than a reformation in any other article of morals, Yet these two ideas, we see, stand in both epistles in immediate connexion. Ephes. ch. v. 20-22. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another, in the * Ephes. ch. iv. 24, 25. Και ενδυσασθαι τον καινον ανθρωπον, τον κατα Θεον κτισθεντα εν δικαιοσυνη και ὁσιοτητί της αλήθειας· διο αποθέμενοι το ψευδός, λαλείτε αληθειαν έκαςος μετα το πλησιον αυτε ὅτι εσμεν αλλήλων μέλη. † Colos. ch. iii. 9. Μη ψεύδεσθε εις αλληλος, απεκδυσάμενοι τον παλαιον ανθρωπον, συν ταις πράξεσιν αυτου, και ενδυσάμενοι τον νεον, τον ανακαινεμένον εις επίγνωσιν. fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.' * Colos. ch. iii. 17. Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.'† In both these passages, submission follows giving of thanks, without any similitude in the ideas which should account for the transition. It is not necessary to pursue the comparison between the two epistles further. The argument which results from it stands thus: No two other epistles contain a circumstance which indicates that they were written at the same, or nearly at the same time. No two other epistles exhibit so many marks of correspondency and resemblance. If the original which we ascribe to these two epistles be the true one, that. is, if they were both really written by St Paul, and both sent to their respective destination by the same messenger, the similitude is, in all points, what should be expected to take place. If they were forgeries, then the mention of Tychicus in both epistles, and in a manner which shows that he either carried or accompanied both epistles, was inserted for the purpose of accounting for their similitude; or else the structure of the epistles was designedly adapted to that circumstance; or, lastly, the conformity between the contents of the forgeries, and what is thus indirectly intimated concerning their date, was only a happy accident. Not one of these three suppositions will gain credit with a reader who peruses the epistles with attention, and who reviews the several examples we have pointed out, and the observations with which they were accompanied. No. II. There is such a thing as a peculiar word or phrase cleaving, as it were, to the memory of a writer or speaker, and presenting itself to his utterance at every turn. When we ob * Ephes. ch. v. 20–22. Ευχαριςοντες πάντοτε ὑπὲρ πάντων, εν ονόματι το Κυρις ήμων Ιησε Χρις8, τῷ Θεῷ και πατρι, ὑποτασσομενοί αλληλοις εν φοβῳ Θεό. Α γυναίκες, τοις ιδίοις ανδρασιν ὑποτάσσεσθε, ως τῷ Κυρίω. † Colos. ch. iii. 17. Και παν ό, τι αν ποιητε, εν λογω, η εν έργω, παντα εν ονόματι Κύριο Ιησε, ευχαριςουντες τω Θεω και πατρι δι αυτού. ‘Αι γυναίκες, ὑποτάσσεσθε τοις ίδιοις ανδρασιν, ως ανηκεν εν Κυρίω. 6 serve this, we call it a cant word, or a cant phrase. It is a natural effect of habit; and would appear more frequently than it does, had not the rules of good writing taught the ear to be offended with the iteration of the same sound, and oftentimes caused us to reject, on that account, the word which offered itself first to our recollection. With a writer who, like St Paul, either knew not these rules, or disregarded them, such words will not be avoided. The truth is, an example of this kind runs through several of his epistles, and in the epistle before us abounds; and that is in the word riches (otos,) used metaphorically as an augmentative of the idea to which it happens to be subjoined. Thus, the riches of his glory,' 'his riches in glory,' 'riches of the glory of his inheritance,' 'riches of the glory of this mystery,' Rom. ch. ix.23; Ephes. ch. iii. 16; Ephes. ch. i. 18; Colos. ch. i. 27; riches of his grace,' twice in the Ephesians, ch. i. 7, and ch. ii. 7; 'riches of the full assurance of understanding,' Colos. ch. ii. 2; ‘riches of his goodness,' Rom. ch. ii. 4; 'riches of the wisdom of God,' Rom. ch. xi. 33; 'riches of Christ,' Ephes. ch. iii. 8. In a like sense the adjective, Rom. ch. x. 12, 'rich unto all that call upon him;' Ephes. ch. ii. 4, 'rich in mercy;' 1 Tim. ch. vi. 18, rich in good works.' Also the adverb, Colos. ch. iii. 16, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.' This figurative use of the word, though so familiar to St Paul, does not occur in any part of the New Testament, except once in the epistle of St James, ch. ii. 5, 'Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith?' where it is manifestly suggested by the antithesis. I propose the frequent, yet seemingly unaffected use of this phrase, in the epistle before us, as one internal mark of its genuineness. No. III. There is another singularity in St Paul's style, which, wherever it is found, may be deemed a badge of authenticity; because, if it were noticed, it would not, I think, be imitated, inasmuch as it almost always produced embarrassment and interruption in the reasoning. This singularity is a species of digression which may probably, I think, be denominated going off at a word. It is turning aside from the subject upon the occurrence of some particular word, forsaking the train of thought then in hand, and entering upon a parenthe tic sentence in which that word is the prevailing term. I shall lay before the reader some examples of this, collected from the other epistles, and then propose two examples of it which are found in the Epistle to the Ephesians. 2 Cor. ch. ii. 14, at the word savour: 'Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place; for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life; and who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God; in the sight of God speak we in Christ.' Again, 2 Cor ch. iii. 1, at the word epistle : 'Need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or of commendation from you? (ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart).' The position of the words in the original, shows more strongly than in the translation, that it was the occurrence of the word story which gave birth to the sentence that follows: 2 Cor. chap. iii. 1. Ει μη χρηζομεν, ως τινες, συστατικών επιστολων προς ύμας, ή εξ ύμων συστατικων ; ή επιστολη ήμων ύμεις εστε, εγγεγραμμένη εν ταις καρδίαις ἡμων, γινωσκομένη και αναγινωσκόμενη ύπο πανίων ανθρώπων, φανερόμενοι ότι εστε επιστολη Χριστε διακονηθείσα ὑφ ̓ ἡμων εγγεγραμμένη 8 υελάνι, αλλά πνευματι Θεου ζωντος· εκ εν πλαξι λιθιναις, αλλ' εν πλαξι κάρδιας σαρκιναις. Again, 2 Cor. ch. iii. 12, &c. at the word veil: 'Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech; and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ; but even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart: nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away (now the Lord is that spirit; and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty). But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord. Therefore, VOL. IV. 15 |