Review of the Paraphrase of the New Testament, Titus – Philemon
On the EPISTLE to TITUS.
Chap. I. ver. 12.
[A aa prophet of their own ſaid, the Cretians are alwayes lyers, evil beaſts, aaa ſlow bellyes.]
foreign.NOte aa. Of Epimenides the author of this verſe, it is known that he took upon him to teach men, how the judgements of heaven, when at any time they fell on a city, peſtilence, famine, &c. were to be averted. A ſtory of this is notorious in Diogenes Laertius, and is ſet down Note on Act. 17. f. and ſo ſaith Theophylact of him, that as he was one of the wiſeſt men among the Graecians, ſo he was foreign one that ſet himſelf to find out and teach others what ceremonies were to be uſed to avert the anger of the Gods (which they that did, are called among the heathens, prieſts and diviners, 1 Sam. 6.1, 2.) He farther ſaith of him, that he did ſeem foreign, to be a very good diviner, and accordingly, ſaith Laertius, foreign, one very much in the favour of the Gods; but this, as it is elſewhere ſhewn at large, (Note on Lu. 1. m.) not referring onelyonly to prediction of things to come, but directing them in their duty for preſent actions. This gives an account of the reaſon, foreign.why he is here called a prophet of their own, one ſo deemed by them; And as moſt ſuch were among them, ſo was he, a Poet alſo; Of him ſaith Chryſoſtome, and Theophylact, that ſeeing the Cretians build a Sepulchral Monument to Jupiter, and worſhip him, as one that was or had been but a man, foreign, in Zeale, and jealouſie, and rage for that God of his, he writes theſe verſes to Jupiter, beginning, foreign, Which Chryſoſtome makes up into a Diſtich.
—foreign
foreign.
The Cretans are alwayes lyers, for they have built thee a tombe, but thou haſt never dyed, but ſhall continue for ever. But it muſt here be obſerved, that theſe verſes are in Callimachus's hymne foreign, which that they are the very lines here referred to, in Epimenides, doth no way appear, but by Chryſoſtomes conjecture, nay the contrary muſt be concluded by the foreign] that here followes, but not in Callimachus. It is then moſt probable that Callimachus borrowed thence the firſt words, and added the reſt of his own, and ſo applyed it to his purpoſe. And then it remains that this was not the occaſion of theſe words of Epimenides cited by S Paul, and then all S. Chryſoſtomes ſuppoſed difficulties are at an end, which he raiſed on ſuppoſal, that the verſe here cited by S. Paul referred to Jupiter (for it was no lye, that Jupiter was mortal and had dyed.) However this were, Epimenides's words, as far as S. Paul cites them, are true, and the matter notorious, even to a proverb, that the Cretans were lyers, and accordingly in Cebes's table, foreign] is juſtly deemed to be falſely written for foreign in this notion of foreign, for foreign and foreign, lying and deceiving, ſee Petiti Miſcell. l. 4. c. 4. and ſo in that more general account, and not in this particular reſpect, S. Paul here calls them lyers, foreign.for to that the [foreign alwaies lyers] in Epimenides belonged, and not to one act of theirs. So in like manner doth S. Paul take out of Aratus, and apply to the true God, thoſe words, which that heathen applied foreign, to Jupiter falſely ſtyled a God, by this means ſtopping their mouths with teſtimonies out of their own authors, as to the Jewes he elſewhere argues out of the Prophets of the Old Teſtament, which were of force with them, and not out of the Goſpels.
foreign.What is here meant by foreign] is matter of ſome queſtion; Phavorinus ſeems to have read it foreign and renders it foreign, great eaters, and ſo indeed that word proverbially uſed for gluttons, ſeems to be made of foreign belly, and foreign, not in the notion of foreign ſlow or idle, but of foreign ſwift (ſo ſaith Heſychius foreign, and in Homer foreign are ſwift, eager dogges) and ſo ſignifies greedy devourers. And to this ſenſe hath Guil. Canterus with full confidence interpreted the phraſe, Nov. Lect. l. 1. c. 15. But that which to me ſeems more facile, is to render foreign belleys] a… Heſychius doth, foreign, they that take no care but for food, and ſo the word belleys] will be proverbially taken for gluttonous perſons, as in Heſiods Theogonia, from whence the latter part of this verſe ſeems to be imitated, and lightly changed, foreign.foreign. And then foreign idle] annext to it, will ſignifie all thoſe ſins of uncleanneſs conſequent to gluttony, which are alſo proverbially expreſs'd by idleneſs, as in Sodome, Ez…ch. 16.49. and ſo ſeem to ſignifie here among the Gnoſtick heretickes in Crete.
Chap. II. Note b. Of foreign, 1 Tim. 3.foreign. Adde, That is, ſaith Theophylact, the Deaconeſſes.
Ibid. Note d. Of the importance of foreign,foreign. to the teſtimony of Naumachius, Adde, So Hector to Andromache in Homer, foreign.
foreign
foreign.
Go home and fall to thine own work— on which ſaith Euſtathius, foreign, the Poet in thoſe words delivers a moral ſentence, that it is the proper imployment for women to keep home and follow their domeſtick affaires.
Chap. III. Note a. Of the notion of foreign,foreign. for honeſt trades, Adde, Thus in Cicero vitae acti, ſignifies a trade, or the whole buſineſs of the life, l. 1. de Nat. Deor. De actione vitae multa dicuntur. So Gen. 47.3. foreign; what is your occupation? to which they anſwer that they are ſhepheards. So in Sophocles's Oedipus, when the queſtion is, foreign; What is your trade or manner of living? the anſwer is, foreign, I have ſpent moſt of my time in keeping of ſheep. So Jonah, 1.8. foreign; What is thy occupation? foreign.This may farther appear by foreign] which is here uſed with it, for that ſignifies to profeſs, or work in any art or calling. So Syneſius Ep. 2. foreign, ſhe hath followed her trade bravely. So in Cicero pro Domo; Qui ſacerdotiis praefuerant, the Prieſts, in Chryſoſt. Hom. 31. in Rom. foreign, they live by their hands, and profeſs or work in the ſhop. And this is inforced by what here followes, for theſe things are profitable to men, anſwerable to what is added,foreign. Eph. 4.28. that he may be able to give to him that needeth, out of the fruits and earnings of his labour, and ſo here, v. 14. (where the ſame exhortation is repeated) he addeth foreign for neceſſary uſes (ſee Note f.) that they be not foreign unfruitfull, foreign.i. e. that they may give to others, which he calls foreign fruit, Philip. 4.27. and the fruits of righteouſneſs, c. 1.11.
On the EPISTLE to PHILEMON.
foreign.NOte a. Of bands or obligations, Adde, ſuch as are mentioned in the Goſpel, Luc. 16.6. foreign take thy bill, i. e. the obligation, wherein he was bound to the Steward's Maſter which being in the Stewards keeping he reſtored to him,T. 4. p. 422. li. 7. and by Chryſoſtome expreſs'd by foreign to give bond.