Review of the Paraphrase of the New Testament, 1 Corinthians
On the firſt EPISTLE to the CORINTHIANS.
Chap. IV. verſ. 6.
[*Not to opinionate.Not to a think of men.]
Think of us not as Maſters of your faith, but as officers of Chriſt, &c. And accordingly not to make it matter of pride to your ſelves, or contemning of others, that ye are the diſciples of ſuch or ſuch, in plain termes to beware that you do not break out into factions, &c.
foreign.IBid. Note a. What foreign ſignifies in this place, will beſt be gheſt by foreign puft up, which followes on purpoſe to explain it. That ſignifying elation of mind to the deſpiſing of others, foreign muſt in all reaſon do ſo alſo. Thus the Scholiaſt on Thucydides, l. 1. ſaith of foreign that it is foreign, where foreign muſt be a degree of pride, as the other a great, or high degree of it. So in S. Chryſoſtome Tom. 3. p. 177. l. 4. foreign; why art thou diſturbed and abuſeſt thy opinion of thy ſelf, thy pride to folly? and l. 6. foreign is by elation of mind, by pride, to become a fool, contrary to foreign, naturall folly. So Rom. 12.3. it moſt literally ſignifies (not to be wiſe, but) to opinionate, to think great matters of himſelf. So in Demoſthenes foreign, one that thinkes at high of himſelf as is fit. OnelyOnly here the notion of the word ſeems a little to be reſtrained by the [foreign, for one] in the latter part of the verſe, and ſo to denote not ſo much pride of their own gifts, as Rom. 12. as pride and high opinion of their teachers, boaſting of them to the diſparagement of others.
Chap. V. ver. 12, 13.
l For what have I to do to judge them alſo that are without; do not ye judge them that are within?
12, 13. (What have mine or the Churches cenſures to do with them that are not members of the Church? Ye know 'tis the practice among you to inflict cenſures on Church-members onelyonly, leaving all others to Gods tribunal) And by doing thus ye ſhall remove the accurſed thing from among you, free your ſelves from thoſe puniſhments that the neglect of your duty, permitting ſuch offenders to go unpuniſhed, and unreformed, may bring upon you.
But them that are without God judgeth. *And ye ſhall put away the evil from among you▪ …or it is, foreign not foreign, and … antients read foreign.Therefore put away from among you that wicked perſon.
Ibid. Note h.foreign p 333. Of foreign violence in a notion of uncleanneſs, Adde, The full deſcription of this will be beſt fetch'd from Strabo, l. 10. ſetting down the cuſtomes, and among them the amours of the Cretanes, altogether after this manner, of force and rape, foreign, they do not get their beloved youths perſwaſion, but by force. The lover, ſaith he, ſome three dayes before tells the friends that he means foreign to commit the rape, and they muſt not hide the youth or divert him from walking his wonted way, for to do ſo is to confeſſe that be is not worthy of ſuch a lover. The whole manner of it is there ſet down, not worthy to be here tranſcribed, by which tis plain that this of foreign rape was among them the ceremony of their Maſcula Venus, and very creditable and cuſtomable among them, and foreign, twas a ſhame to any hanſome youth of good parentage not to have ſome ſuch lover, that ſhould take him by violence; which being the heathen cuſtome of this Iſland of Crete, may well be thought to have given occaſion to that direction of S. Paul Tit. 1.6. that he that were choſen to be Biſhop ſhould be ſuch an one, who had faithful children, foreign not accuſed of riot, not guilty of having ſuffered any ſuch villany as this.
Ibid. Note l. Some doubt there is of the reading, and rendring the words from this place, to the end of the chapter. foreign.Theophylact tells us of ſome that ſet the point after foreign, and then began a new ſenſe without an interrogation. And then the reading muſt be, what have I to do to judge thoſe that are without? No, Judge ye thoſe that are within, adding as in a parentheſis, (but thoſe that are without God judgeth) and ye ſhall take away the evil from among you, which beſt agrees to the foreign (and, not therefore) in the Greek, foreign.and to the reading of Chryſoſtome and Theophylact, who read foreign, ye ſhall remove the evil thing, (not foreign, remove the evil or wicked perſon) from among you, referring *foreign.Say they, to the paſſage in the Old Teſtament, Deut. 13.5. and 22.21. And accordingly Theodoret and the vulgar read foreign, the evil. For this later part, that this reading and rendring is to be adhered to, there will be little doubt to any, that conſiders how evidently theſe laſt words [foreign— and ye ſhall remove the evil from among you] refer to the phraſe in the Old Teſtament, Deut. 22.21. (though there the Rome Edition reads corruptly foreign) all the queſtion is of the former part, which depends on the pointing of the foreign, of which Theophylact addes, foreign, ſome read it conjoyned with what followes, and by way of interrogation, as we do, and all the Copyes, that now we meet with; And that I preferre this reading, beſide the conſent of Copyes, theſe are my reaſons. 1. Becauſe the context agrees very well to it, the thing that the Apoſtle now hath in hand, being to diſclaime meddling with heathens, in the beginning of the verſe, upon which that which is here added [foreign, if it be read all in one interrogation, Do not ye judge thoſe that are within, but thoſe that are without God judgeth?] will follow, and cohere very commodiouſly; For thus it will ly. I have nothing to do to judge thoſe that are without, but as ye, i. e. the Church, uſe to cenſure thoſe that are within, who belong to your cognizance, ſo for all others they muſt be referred, and left to Gods tribunal: (many ſpeeches of this kind are taken notice of, Note on Matt. 9. d.) 2dly. Becauſe in the former reading, foreign is made an anſwer to foreign, which I beleeve to be without example, the queſtion by foreign being ſo ſtrong, and familiar a negative, that generally there is not any negation added to it, and if there were, foreign would be it moſt regularly. 3dly, Becauſe foreign, is very frequently an interrogative forme, and foreign and foreign and foreign, the formes of anſwering the queſtion, and that argues the neceſſity of retaining the ſecond reading. The onelyonly difficulty remaining, is, how [foreign, and ye ſhall take away the evil from among you] ſhall fitly connect with this ſenſe,foreign For that foreign ſhould be rendred [therefore] is not very reaſonable, and that alſo which ſuppoſeth the right reading to be foreign, take away the evil perſon, not foreign, ye ſhall take away the evil [thing] which we have already with great reaſon pitch'd on for the true. The probableſt way to ſalve this difficulty, is, either to affixe theſe laſt words of the Chapter, and of this matter, as a teſtimony out of the Old Teſtament, to conclude, and to belong to the whole buſineſs of this Chapter, that by their obeying his directions in it, they ſhould thus put away the evil from among them, and ſecure themſelves from the puniſhments, which elſe might fall on them, among whom notorious ſinners were thus permitted to live impune, as it had oft fallen out among the Jewes; Or elſe to put the whole 12 verſe, and the beginning of the 13th, in a parentheſis (and not the beginning of the 13th onelyonly) and then to read it in ſenſe thus, from v. 11. But now I have written to you not to accompany, or ſo much as to eat or uſe any familiar converſe with any unclean, or drunken profeſſor, and by ſo doing ye ſhall put away the evil from among you: ſecure your ſelves from the judgements, which elſe you have reaſon to fear will come upon you, then adding the parentheſis in its due place, to give an account of his reſtraining theſe cenſures to profeſſors, or Chriſtians onelyonly; And this ſeemes the faireſt way of compoſing all difficulty.
Chap. VI. ver. 2.
[*Of the ſmalleſt judicatures. To a judge the ſmalleſt matters.]
Note a. That the word foreign] ſignifies not matters but places of Judicature, foreign.appears by Heſychius (foreign) and authors and Gloſſaryes generally, and ſo in the ſacred ſtyle, Suſan. 49. where we read, the place of judgement. So Judg. 5.10. ſit in Judgement, and Dan. 7.10. the Judgement was ſet, i. e. the Court of Judges. And Jam. 2.6. foreign are diſtinctly and neceſſarily rendred Judgement-ſeats. And ſo here the Arabick interpreter renders it by words which are thus in Latine, Subſellia Judicii ad mundum pertinentis, ſeates of judgement belonging to the world.
Ibid. ver. 4.
[*If therefore ye have ſecular judicatures, ſee Note A. If then ye have judgement of things pertaining to this life, *Thoſe that are ſet at nought in the Church, ſet thoſe in them, foreign.ſet them to judge who are leaſt eſteemed in the Church.]
If therefore there fall out any matters of controverſie concerning the matters of common life, which are to be brought to Judicatures, or will not otherwiſe be compoſed, and if ye do deſpiſe the Governours of your Churches, &c. Yet ſure ye have all reaſon to refer it to the ſimpleſt and meaneſt Chriſtians, or even to ſet them in the tribunal, rather then carry your matter to the Gentile Courts.
Ibid. ver. 5.
[Between brethren.]
Between fellow Chriſtians, whoſe inclinableneſs to peace is to be preſumed of, and then that muſt needs work ſomewhat toward the pacification.
Chap. VII. ver. 23.
[*Or, Are ye bought. Ye ee are bought with a price, *Be not ye made foreign.be not ye the ſervants of men.]
On the other ſide they that have bought out their liberty, and obtained manumiſſion, having been formerly ſervants to heathens, …et them not …ell themſelves again, or revert voluntarily into that condition of ſlavery, but prefer their liberty rather, v. 21.
e e. In this place the whole context perſwades to read [foreign;] interrogatively; For ſo will it beſt anſwer [foreign] Art thou called being a ſervant? or is thy calling that of a ſervant? Thus ver. 18. both parts of the ſpeech are delivered interrogatively, foreign; Is any man called being circumciſed? and preſently, foreign; Is any man called in uncircumciſion? For the …onfirming of this reading, tis to be obſerved; 1. That as before, and after thoſe two queſtions, ver. 18. the rule is given, that every man walk in, or abide in that calling, or condition, wherein God hath placed him, contentedly, without making advantage of Chriſtianity, for his pretence of a change. So tis here likewiſe, before v. 21. (where the interrogation is varied; Art thou called being a ſervant?) and after this verſe, which aſſures us of the continuing the ſame manner of ſpeaking, and ſo that this latter is by way of interrogation alſo. 2dly. That after the firſt queſtion, and the ſhort anſwer to it, Art thou called being a ſervant? care not for it] all that followes, as far as to this, v. 23. is but as in a parentheſis (but if thou mayeſt be free, uſe it rather, For he, &.) and ſo what here followes, v. 23. anſwers to that, by way of parallel, foreign, &c. Which yet will not be a parallel, or anſwerable to the former queſtion, unleſs, as before uncircumciſion was oppoſed to circumciſion and the mention of the latter was interrogative, as well as of the former, ſo here the being bought with the price] be oppoſed to being called a ſervant, (which it cannot be, unleſs it ſignifie manumiſſion from ſervice) and the forme of delivering it interrogative alſo. Laſtly tis aparent that the deſigne of the whole place is to aſſure Chriſtians, that they are not to expect ſecular immunityes, or privileges by being Chriſtians, that their being ſpiritually redeemed by Chriſt doth not make them free men, that before were ſervants, and this 23 verſe, is a medium to infer that, and the concluſion repeated immediately upon it, v. 24. Let every one, &c. Yet ſuch a medium it would not be (but the contrary) if ſpeaking ſtill to the perſon, or perſons, laſt ſpoken to, v. 21. i. e. to ſervants, he ſhould here tell them, they were bought, or redeemed by Chriſt (as the ſame phraſe evidently ſignifies, ch. 6.20) and therefore muſt not be the ſervants of men; And that he ſpeakes to any other, viz. to freemen, it can no way be collected from any words unleſs from theſe, v. 23. nor yet can it from theſe, unleſs foreign] ſignifie being bought out from humane ſervitude, by ſome ſumme of money, &c. as we know it was ordinary to buy freedome from heathen Maſters; Therefore in all probability that is it, which is here meant, and then that is beſt expreſs'd by forme of interrogation.
Chap. VIII. ver. 5.
[Gods many, and Lords many.]
Whether the ſupreme deities, &c. or inferior, &c. or whether the Sunne and Stars of Heaven, or men of the Earth de…fied, Theophylact.
Ibid. ver. 7.
[Some with conſcience of the idol.]
Some that are of opinion that idol Gods are ſomething, and who fear them as able to hurt (and ſo muſt confeſs, &c.)
foreign.Ibid. Note b. Of the notion of foreign being weak] for ſickneſs or wound, to the place in Nahum 2.5. Adde, And ſo generally the Hebrew foreign impingere, and ceſpitare, to ſtumble, or fall on gal-traps, or any other miſchief by the way, is rendred by the 72. foreign being weak, becauſe they are wounded and galled by theſe means, and ſo made unable to go forward. So Rom. 14.21. we have together in the ſame ſenſe foreign and foreign being offended (or galled) and being made weak.
Ibid. Of the notion of foreign for ſinners, Adde,*In Ro. 5.6. So ſaith Theophylact, foreign, weak, that is ſinners, for weakneſs is ſin, as righteouſneſs is health.
Chap. IX. ver. 1.
[Am I not an Apoſtle?]
And that you may not think, that what I ſay c. 8.13. of abſtaining from many things that are lawfull, is magnificently and ſpeciouſly, rather than with exactneſs of truth ſpoken by me, I ſhall now mention my practices of this kind in other inſtances. And this the rather, becauſe of another part of your letter, &c. Now hereto I make this reply, &c.
Ibid. Note g. Of foreign Adde,foreign. foreign, the middle ſpace betwixt the two termes, from-which, and to which they ran, or leaped, ſaith Jul. Pollux.
Ibid. Note h. To the ſecond notion of foreign for abſtaining from all things that are hurtfull, Adde, the Teſtimony of *Bibl. Pat. Gr. to. …. p. 1035. C.Antiochus Hom. 6. foreign. We mean abſtinence not onelyonly from meats, but that which is comprehenſive, i. e. abſtinence from all things that are forbidden.
Chap. X. Note a. Of the fiery cloud, foreign.though in the day time it ſhineth not, yet ſhining in the night, and giving light, as fire Adde, And this may yet be farther demonſtrated by a paſſage of Pindarus in his deſcription of Aetna,
— foreign
foreign
foreign
foreign
foreign
Which is, in his poetick expreſſion, this plain hiſtorical truth, that it was ordinarily ſeen in Aetna, that it *Ʋſu veniebat oculiſqu… videbatur interdiu fumare Aetnam, noctu flammigerare, A. Gell. Noct. At. l. 17. c. 10ſent out ſmoke in the day time, and flames of fire in the night, and though that Poeme which Virgil left imperfect, have confounded the times, and not taken notice (in his imitation of Pindar) of the diſtinctions of ſeaſons, noted by him in the words foreign and foreign, yet hath he alſo mentioned both the ſmoke and the flames, the firſt in the ſtyle of a black cloud,
—Atram prorumpit ad aethera nubem
Turbine fumantem piceo—
The later by great Globes of fire going up to heaven. Attollítque globos flammarum, & ſider a lambit. Juſt as here a darker ſmoky cloud in the day time, when the Sun outſhone it, and made the light of it uſeleſs, and indiſcernible; and a fiery flaming, ſhining cloud in the night, when they needed ſuch a conduct.
Chap. XI. ver. 5.
[Every woman that prayeth, &c.]
Every woman that performes any office in the Church, that is imployed, as a member of a congregation, joyning with the Miniſter, whither Paſtor, Prophet, in diſcharging of any Chriſtian duty, ſuch as is prayer, &c.
Chap. XII. verſ. 1.
[a *The ſpiritual.Spirituall gifts.]
foreign.Note a. That foreign] may here be uſed in the Maſculine, not Neuter Gender, is moſt evident; And if it be ſo, then it muſt ſignifie ſpiritual perſons, not things. So the word is certainly uſed, ch. 14.37. If any ſeem to be a Prophet or ſpiritual, ſuch as have any …vine afflation. Thus in Palladius, Lauſiac. Hiſt. c. 43. p. 963. D.foreign, I knew exactly that he was a ſpiritual perſon, and knew all things.
Ibid. ver. 4.
[But the ſame ſpirit.]
In them all the ſpirit is the ſame, and therefore they that have not theſe extraordinary gifts in ſo high a degree as others, ſhould not be ſadned for that, as long as they have ſufficient to demonſtrate that they have the Spirit.
Ibid. ver. 27.
[And members in particular.]
Though not the Church Univerſal, yet a ſpecial part thereof, the Church of Corinth (ſee Chryſoſtome) and ſo the myſtical body of Chriſt, and the ſeveral perſons of you, members of that body, that particular Church.
Ibid. Note c.foreign Of the uſe of foreign for Biſhops, Adde. So in Bede Eccl. hiſt. l. 2. c. 2. Epiſcopos ſive Doctores, Biſhops or Doctors. *To. 7. p. 57. l. 4.So S. Chryſoſtome, Epiſt. β. ſpeaking of the inceſtuous Corinthian foreign, many ſay he had the place of a Doctor, ſtreight addes, foreign, he had the preſidency of the Church.
Ibid. Note d. Of the notion of foreign,foreign. for the foreign, Adde, And ſo 'tis acknowledged by Theophylact.
foreign.Ibid. Note e. Of foreign in the notion of releiving and providing for the poor. Adde, So Act. 20.35. S. Paul appoints the Biſhops, foreign to releive, or ſuccour thoſe that were weak or ſick, which by the context, (the mention of Chriſts words, It is better to give than to receive) is applyed to acts of charity, ſupply of corporal wants. And ſo in the 41. Canon Apoſtolical foreign, &c.
foreign.Ibid. Note g. What foreign here ſignifies will be beſt diſcerned by *In Iliad. 1.Euſtathius, who expreſſeth it by foreign a ſtrange language, and by *Strom. 1.Clemens who calls them foreign, the voices of barbarians which have not been learn'd. And though this equally belongs to all ſtrange languages, yet it muſt be obſerved that foreign kinds or ſorts of languages, foreign] in this place, and v. 10. ſignifies with ſome reſtraint not all, &c.
Chap. XIII. ver. 2.
[Underſtand all myſteries.]
Comprehend all the myſtical ſenſes of Scripture, as the Gnoſtick hereticks pretend to do, (ſee Note on 2 Pet. 1.6.) &c.
Ibid.
[I am nothing.]
I am not to be compared with thoſe, that have that moſt excellent gift, c. 12.13. and make uſe of it accordingly, to the benefit of (and preſerving unity in) the Church.
Ibid. ver. 3.
[Though I beſtow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned.]
If I have the liberality to give away all my goods, and even the care, and ſollicitude to diſtribute them to thoſe that ſtand in need of them, and do not this out of any principle of charity, and compaſſion, to contribute to the good of others, but either to pleaſe men, or acquire glory; And ſo in like manner. If I proceed to part with my very life, adventuring the moſt cruel death, even to be burnt alive, and have no charity, or ſincerity of love to others, live and dy without that moſt Chriſtian neceſſary virtue.
Ibid. ver. 4.
[Suffereth long.]
Tis the property of Charity to be ſo far from wronging others, that it teacheth forbearance, makes a man perfectly patient, &c. and ſo for the other virtues mentioned in this verſe, all oppoſed to that temper, which is ſo very obſervable in the preſent Hereticks, and diſturbers of the Church, the Gnoſticks.
Ibid. ver. 5.
[Doth not behave it ſelf unſeemly.]
Keeps men from uſing others unſeemly, &c. Or from diſorderly behaviour in the Church.
Ibid. Note d.foreign To Phavorinus's gloſs of foreign, Adde, for which S. Chryſoſtome reads, foreign. And what that is will be beſt judged from Antiochus, *Bib. Pat. Gr. to 1. p. 1133. C.foreign— foreign, not lifted up above meaſure, not exalted with an opinion of himſelf, as appears by the oppoſites there, foreign lowly-minded, foreign, depreſs'd in heart, foreign, accounting himſelf to be an unprofitable ſervant.
Ibid. To the notion of foreign for raſh and praecipitous, Adde, *p. 1204. B.Antiochus, foreign. where ſpeaking of longanimity and lenity of mind, he ſaith, that he that hath it, is (among other things) foreign, not guilty of that praecipitous raſhneſs, that wrathful men are ſubject to.
Ibid. Of S. Baſils notion of foreign, for foreign, Adde, So in Cicero ad Attic. Ego autem ipſe, *l. 1. Ep. 13.Dii boni, quomodo foreign novo auditori Pompeio, i. e. foreign, how did I ſet my ſelf out, play the Oratour, decking or adorning my ſpeech with borrowed beauty: where it ſeemes, it notes an oſtentation of eloquence, as of any thing elſe.
foreignIbid. Note e. Read, What foreign] here ſignifies, is matter of ſome uncertainty; That which ſeems competently agreeable, and commodious to ſome circumſtances of the place, is, that it is one effect, &c. to the end. OnelyOnly it may be worthy of conſideration, whether (this chapter of the markes, and effects of charity, being founded in the diſcourſe of gifts in the Church, c. 12. and both compared with, and ſet before them, here, v. 1, 2, 8. and alſo ſet oppoſite to the factions and diviſions, incident to the irregular uſe of them, and ſo particularly purſued c. 14.) this, and many other parts of the character of charity be not ſo to be interpreted, as may moſt immediately refer to that matter. Thus the three immediate precedents here, foreign, envyeth not, vaunteh not, is not puft up] ſeem peculiarly to marke out the malice and pride and oſtentation of the Gnoſticks, and then proportionably, ſo may foreign behaves not it ſelf diſorderly] i. e. where true Chriſtian charity is, (oppoſed to foreign knowledge, c. 8.1.) it hath this effect, it keeps men from irregular diſorderly behaviour in the Church, ſuch as are mentioned, c. 14. throughout, but eſpecially, v. 23.35. and in reſpect of which it is preſcribed in the end of the chapter, that all things be done (in the Church certainly) foreign orderly, which may very reaſonably be thought to interpret the contrary here, [foreign] and therefore I have not omitted this interpretation in the paraphraſe.
Ibid. Note f.foreign: Of foreign for imputing or accounting ſin to any, to Rom. 4.8. Adde, To this purpoſe S. Chryſoſtome, foreign, he ſuſpects no ill of him of whom he loves, and foreign, charity endures not to receive any ill ſuſpicion of any.
Ibid. Note g. Of foreign and foreign,foreign. Read, But as foreign is oft uſed in a wider ſenſe for all wickedneſs, and peculiarly for the villanies of the Gnoſticks, Rom. 1.18. So is foreign taken for purity and ſincerity of goodneſs, 1 Cor. 5.8. and ſo 3 Joh. 3. and often in other places.foreign. And then as foreign rejoyceth not] denotes the taking no pleaſure, but on the contrary being very ſad, extremely grieved, &c. So the full meaning of the verſe will be, that charity is ſo far from the practice of the Gnoſtickes, which delight in debauching men to unchriſtian ſins, that it will make a man truly mourn, &c.
Chap. XIV. ver. 29.
[Let the prophets ſpeake two, or three, and let the other judge.]
For prophecying let that be done by thoſe who are endowed with that gift, two or three in a day, the reſt of thoſe who have the like gift of prophecy, paſſing judgement, &c.
Ibid. ver. 30.
[If any thing be revealed to another that ſitteth by.]
And if whileſt one that hath that gift, is reading, or expounding any part of Scripture, another that ſitteth by, and hath the like gift, be able to give any expoſition of a ſacred figure, &c.
Ibid. ver. 31.
[For ye may all.]
For ye all that have the gift of prophecy, may &c.
Chap. XV. ver. 2.
*After what manner I preached unto you, if you keep in memory, foreign.If ye keep in memory what I preached unto you.]
After what manner, if your memory ſerve you, I delivered the ſtory to you, &c.
Ibid. ver. 8.
[As aa of one born out of due time.]
As converted by him, and received through his ſpecial favour into the number of his Apoſtles, though moſt unworthy of that dignity.
foreign.Note aa. The full importance of this phraſe foreign] may beſt be taken from a proverbial forme among the Romans, begun in Auguſtus's time. It is, from Suetonius, taken notice of by Baronius, An. Chr. 44. n. 74. but ſomewhat miſrepreſented. The words of Suetonius ly thus, in the life of Auguſtus, c. 35. Erant ſuper mille (ſenatores) & quidam indigniſſimi, & poſt necem Caeſaris per gratiam & praemium allecti, quos abortivos vulgus vocabat. There were at that time an enormous number of Senators, above a thouſand, and ſome of them moſt unworthy of that dignity, having after the death of Caeſar by favour and bribery gotten to be elected. Theſe the multitude proverbially ſtyled abortives. To this proverbial ſtyle of reproach S. Paul in great humility ſeems here ro refer, making his own election into the Apoſtleſhip parallel to the choice and admiſſion of thoſe ſupernumerary unworthy perſons into the Senate, viz. that he, like them, was none of the regular number of the twelve, none of thoſe firſt taken in, in Chriſts life time, no way worthy to be an Apoſtle, as having perſecuted the Church of Chriſt, v. 9. and yet by Chriſts grace and ſpecial favour, called and admitted to this dignity (by the grace of God I am what I am, v. 10.) and in theſe ſo many reſpects, fit to be lookt on, in his own opinion of himſelf, as they were reproachfully by the people, viz. as an foreign an untimely birth, which conſequently hath not thoſe full dimenſions, which thoſe children are born with, who have ſtaid in the wombe their full time, to which moſt aptly agrees that which followes, v. 9. as the reaſon of this expreſſion, for I am the leaſt of the Apoſtles, as the abortive is the leaſt of children. And this is ſtill but proportionable to what he every where, when he ſpeakes of himſelf, is forward to ſay, calling himſelf the greateſt, or chief of ſinners, leſſe than the leaſt of all Saints, and attributing all to the ſuperabundant mercy, and grace of God, that he ſo unworthy, was thus vouchſafed, and dignified by Chriſt.
Ibid. ver. 33.
[cc Good *Di…poſitions.manners.]
Such eaſie, ſeducible, credulous people, as it ſeems ſome of you are.
foreign.Note cc. What foreign here ſignifies may perhaps be beſt underſtood by Heſychius in the word foreign, which he there explaines by foreign: by which it appears that the phraſe refers not to goodneſs of manners, as that ſignifies actions: and as Heſychius renders foreign (for which the ordinary print reads foreign) and foreign, but to ſimplicity and deceivableneſs of mind, and accordingly it is moſt properly rendred good diſpoſitions, or good natures, of which it is ordinarily obſervable, that they are ſubject to be ſeduced, and miſlead, into error or falſe doctrine, as here the denying of the reſurrection. And accordingly it is introduced, and inforced with a foreign, be not deceived, noting what corruption was here to be taken heed of, that of error. The rendring the phraſe good manners, refers it peculiarly to the ſenſe of being debauch'd and corrupt in their lives, which is not commodiouſly applicable to this place, which treats onelyonly of intellectual error, and therfore this other ſenſe is with more reaſon to be here faſtned on.foreign. That converſation and diſcourſe (ſo foreign ſignifies) with Hereticks, or Philoſophers, that diſputed againſt the poſſibility of the bodyes returning to life, after it was once perfectly dead, might probably ſeduce and deceive foreign, eaſie, well-natured auditors, who are not ſo circumſpect, as they ſhould be; And thus hath Theophylact interpreted foreign, the good diſpoſitions denote thoſe that are eaſily deceived, or cheated.
Ibid. Note b.foreign. Of the cuſtome of abbreviatures in citing articles, or titles of Conſtitutions, Adde, To this purpoſe 'tis the obſervation of the Learned *Elench. c. 9.Joſ. Scaliger, that not onelyonly the Rabbins, but generally other Doctors notiſſimas, & vulgò tritiſſimas ſententias dimidiatas ſolent citare, uſe to cite by abbreviature known and vulgar ſentences, inſtancing in foreign, Matt. 15.5. So it appears by Suidas, uſing the Proverb [foreign, from the ſinking] which is but the abbreviature of foreign, From a ſinking ſhip whatſoever thou getteſt, muſt be counted gain.
Ibid. foreign.Of the interpretation of foreign] Adde, the teſtimony of Harmenopulus de ſect. foreign. who refuting the Marianites addes, foreign, not knowing that it is ſpoken of the confeſſion of the reſurrection of the dead.—
Ibid. ver. 55.
[f Where is thy ſting?]
Note f. Theſe words are taken out of Hoſea, foreign.c. 13.14. where yet we read, I will be thy plague. And ſome have conjectured, that in ſtead of the Hebrew foreign I will be, the Greek read foreign where? But R. Tanchum, and Ebn Jannahius, ſaith Mr. P. affirme that the Hebrew foreign is all one with foreign, and ſo ſignifies, where] in that very chapter of Hoſeah, v. 10. foreign, where is thy king? and ſo then the Septuagints rendring will be literal, and the Apoſtles words lightly varied from it.
Chap. XVI. ver. 1.
[The Saints.]
The poore Chriſtians in Judea, exhauſted partly by their former Chriſtian liberality, Act. 2.45. making ſale of their goods, and communicating their ſtock to the Chriſtians, and partly being ſpoiled of their goods by the perſecuting Jewes, 1 Theſ. 2.14.
foreign.Ibid. Note c. Of the foreign] Adde, To this *On Rom. 16.15.Theophylact farther addes, that by this phraſe is intimated the great piety of the Maſters of theſe families, that had made all their houſe Chriſtians, (foreign) and again their great hoſpitality to ſtrangers. For where, ſaith he, ſuch virtues are, foreign, that houſe is a Church.