Review of the Paraphrase of the New Testament, Addition 5 – Addition 7
Another to be inſerted on 1 Cor. 15. note b. after the Addition out of Scaliger concerning abbreviations.
foreign.OF this interpretation of the place, See Chryſoſtome, Tom. 3. p. 514. Of whoſe underſtanding of it, becauſe I ſee ſome poſſibility of doubting, I ſhall more largely conſider the words; foreign. After recitation of the ſacramental and dreadful word, and the venerable rules of the doctrines brought from heaven, this at the end we adde, when we are about to baptize, we command him to ſay, I beleeve in the reſurrection of bodies, and we are baptized in, or, on this faith. foreign. For after profeſſing this with the other articles, we are put into the fountain of thoſe ſacred waters. foreign; S. Paul therefore remembring them of this (viz. this cuſtome of profeſſing before baptiſme, with other articles, this of the reſurrection of the dead) ſaid, Why alſo art thou baptized for the dead, that is, the dead bodies? foreign foreign. For on this thou art baptized, beleeving the reſurrection of the dead body, that it abides no longer dead, and thou indeed by words beleeveſt the reſurrection of the dead. Here 'tis evident that the phraſe foreign, being baptized for the dead, is otherwiſe expreſs'd by him, by foreign, being baptized in, or, on this, and that farther expreſs'd by foreign— beleeving the reſurrection of the dead body, and foreign, by words reciting the reſurrection of the dead. Nothing then can be more manifeſt, than that this was his underſtanding of S. Pauls words, that being baptized for the dead, was being baptized in the faith and profeſſion, as of other articles of the Creed, ſo of this particularly, and in the laſt place, of the Reſurrection of the body. To this indeed he farther addes, foreign. Then the Prieſt as in an image or repreſentation demonſtrates to thee, by what he doth, the things that thou haſt beleeved, and profeſs'd by words, foreign, when thou beleeveſt without a ſigne, he allowes thee a ſigne— viz. in putting in, and taking out of the water, which is foreign, the ſigne of deſcending into the ſtate of the dead, and aſcending from thence. Where though the action of the Prieſt putting in, and taking out of the water, be a ſignificative proof of the ſame thing, that the baptized are baptized into the faith of the reſurrection of the dead, yet was the interpretation of the Apoſtles words fully accompliſhed in that former, of being baptized into that article of the Reſurrection, of which this action of the Prieſt was the lively ſign. And accordingly Theophylact, who ordinarily copies out S. Chryſoſtomes interpretations, doth content himſelf with the firſt onelyonly, foreign, They that are to be baptized do all profeſs the Symbol of the faith (that S. Chryſoſtome had called the venerable rules of the doctrines that were brought from heaven) in which after others this is ſet down, I beleeve in the reſurrection of bodies, foreign; The Apoſtle therefore ſaith, that they that beleeve there is a reſurrection of dead bodies (ther's Chryſoſtomes explication of dead, by bodies) and have been baptized in, or on theſe hopes (ther's his foreign on this) if they be deceived (i. e. if there be no reſurrection, what ſhall they do? foreign; And indeed why are men at all baptized for the reſurrection,) that is, on the expectation of the reſurrection (ſtill foreign and foreign, for, and on the expectation of the reſurrection, are all one) if the dead are not raiſed? Zonaras alſo on Can. 18. of the Council of Carthage, though with Chryſoſtome he take in the action of the Prieſt, in putting in and taking out of the water, (which is but the confirmation of this, and is not a new interpretation of S. Pauls words) yet he firſt inſiſteth on this, that they that are baptized are inſtructed in the power of the Sacrament, and ſo taught to hope for (that ſure comprehends to beleeve) foreign, among others (the articles wherein the Catechumeni are inſtructed) foreign, the reſurrection alſo of the dead. And Balſamon on that Canon is juſt to the ſame purpoſe. To this there is but one thing to be added— &c.
Another to be inſerted on Galath. 2.
Verſ. 2.
[aa *The chief men.Them which were of reputation.]
aa. FOr the notion of foreign here, and foreign, v. 6.foreign. It muſt be obſerved, that it ſignifies not the mens own opinion of themſelves, or their aſſuming any great authority over others (as of Simon Magus it is ſaid, Act. 8.9. that he did foreign, ſay, or take upon him, that he was ſome great one) but that they were ſo in the reputation and eſteem of others, and that the great opinion, that at that time all Chriſtians had of them, above the reſt of the Apoſtles, was it that moved Paul to go up, and addreſs himſelf particularly to them. This is fitly expreſs'd by foreign, as from that verb, the noun foreign, reputation or glory comes, thoſe that are in eſteem in an eminent manner, and more ſo by foreign thoſe that are eſteemed to be ſomething, foreign.i. e. ſomething above other their foreign or fellow-Apoſtles, not ſeemed, ſo as that is equivocal either to ſeeming falſely, bare ſeeming, or ſeeming in their own eyes, but ſeeming ſo in truth, and to the generality of the beſt, and wiſeſt Chriſtians. In proportion to this,foreign. foreign, it maketh no matter to me, v. 6. is far from any thing of ſcorne or deſpiſing in S. Paul, that ſpeakes it: it is a ſolemne forme onelyonly of inſiſting on his own commiſſion from Chriſt, which could no way be prejudiced by the real excellency of their perſons how great ſoever they were. God who accepts no perſons, and attends not to perſonal excellencies, may give his Commiſſion to an foreign to the meaneſt and unworthieſt, as well as to thoſe, which are really of the greateſt eminence. All this paſſage therefore is rather an expreſſion of great reverence to Peter, &c. than of ſcorne. OnelyOnly for his miſſion and revelations, he hath them from Chriſt, not from any man, c. 1.16. and 2.6.
Another to be inſerted in the Additions to the EPISTLE of JUDE.
Jude 7.
*Having given foreign.GIving themſelves over to fornication, and *Having gone away after others, foreign.going after ſtrange fleſh, are ſet forth *A paterne foreign.for an example, *Undergoing, foreign.ſuffering the vengeance bb of eternal fire.
Having given themſelves up to all unnatural luſt, and accordingly were then moſt notoriouſly puniſhed with utter deſtruction by fire and brimſtone from heaven, and that but an eſſay of thoſe eternal flames of hell, under which they now are involved, and ſo may well be a warning to all that fall into the ſame ſins at this time.
bb. The phraſe foreign in all other places Mat. 18.8. and 24.41,foreign. 48. ſignifying the fire wherein the damned are tormented day and night for ever and ever, Rev. 20.10 it is yet thought probable, that in this place, being applied to theſe cities of Sodome, &c. It ſhould be taken in another notion, for an utterly deſtroying by fire, ſuch being the fire and brimſtone that fell on thoſe cities. But for this there appeareth no neceſſity, but on the other ſide there is a conjuncture of all circumſtances of the context to perſwade the underſtanding it here of the fire of hell, as in all the other places. For, 1. It is evident that Sodome and Gomorrah and the cities about them] ſignifie in this place the inhabitants of thoſe cities, for to thoſe only and not to the walls and buildings of the cities, belongs the foreign, having given themſelves over to fornication] And then ſure thoſe that ſuffer the vengeance of eternal hell (and therein are ſet forth for an example, what we Chriſtians, falling into the like courſes, are to expect) are not the walls but the inhabitants alſo. Now of theſe it is here affirmed in the preſent tenſe, foreign, they that thus formerly ſinned, are ſet forth a pattern, or an example (as men which are puniſhed are) foreign, ſuffering, or undergoing (at the preſent, when Jude writes it) the vengeance of eternal fire. Of the unbeleeving Iſraelites he had affirmed, v. 5. that God foreign (in the aoriſt) deſtroyed them. Of the Angels, v. 6. that foreign, having not kept, but forſaken their principality, foreign in the preter tenſe, he hath kept them under darkneſs in everlaſting chains unto the judgement of the great day; and ſo of theſe cities in the aoriſt, foreign, having given themſelves over to fornication, foreign, and having gone— But now in the latter part of the verſe it is onelyonly in the preſent tenſe, they are propoſed or ſet forth a paterne, or an example, foreign, in the preſent undergoing, or ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire, either not at all referring, by thoſe words, to their long ago paſt deſtruction by fire and brimſtone, which was notorious in ſacred ſtory, and ſo ſufficiently intimated in the very mention precedent of Sodome and Gomorrah; or if he did, yet withall conſidering it as a judgement ſtill continued, then began as an eſſay ſignificative of what followed, but ſtill protracted without any releaſe; They ſtill ſuffer, or undergoe that vengeance of fire, which fire is withall foreign, never likely to have an end. And this is the exacteſt and propereſt notion of theſe words, which I therefore preferre before that other ſet down in the Annotations, on Luke 1. o. and 2 Theſſ. 1. b. which I therefore deſire may be expunged.