Testimonies to the Canonical Authority of the Fourteen Epistles of Paul

On the subject of Paul’s Epistles, there is a universal consent among the ancients, except as it relates to the Epistle to the Hebrews; which having been published without the apostle’s name and usual salutation, many conjectured, that it was the production of another person: and while some ascribed it to Barnabas, others thought that either Clement, or Luke, was the writer. There seems to have been a difference between the Eastern and Western churches on this subject; for the Greeks appear to have entertained no doubts, in regard to Paul’s being the author of this Epistle: it was only among the Latins, that its genuineness was a matter of uncertainty. And the most learned among these, adopted the opinion, that it was the production of Paul; and, by degrees, its authority was fully established in the West, as well as the East. The true state of the case will, however, appear more clearly, by citing the testimonies of the Fathers, than by any general representation.

Although, Clement, the fellow-labourer of Paul, frequently citesr passages from the gospels and Epistles, yet he never expressly mentions any book of the New Testament, except Paul** First Epistle to the Corinthians; to whom also Clement’s Epistle was addressed. His words are, “Take into your hands the Epistle of blessed Paul, the apostle. What did he at first write to you, in the beginning of the gospel? Verily he did, by the Spirit, admonish you, concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos; because that even then you did form parties.” There are ia this Papistic of Clement, many other passages, in which the words of Paul are cited, but this is the only one in which his name is mentioned.

Her]mas, and Ignatius also, often quote the words of Paul’s Epistles, but the book from which they arc taken, is not designated.

PoLTCARP, the disciple of the apostle John, and bishop of Smyrna, who suffered martyrdom, in extreme old age, about the middle of the second century, after sentence of death was pronounced upon him, wrote an Epistle to the Philippians, in which he makes express mention of Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, ‘*Do ye not know, that the saints shall judge the worlds as Paul teaches.”

He also quotes a passage from the Epistle to the Ephesians, under the name of Holy Scripture. “For I trust,” says he, *’ ihat ye are well exer-See 1 Cor. vj. 2.

XT 2 cised in the Holy Scriptures — As in these Scriptures it is said, Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Polycarp, also cites passages from the second Epistle to the Corinthians; from the Epistle to the Galatians; from the First and Second to the Thessalonians; from the Epistle to the Hebrews and from both the Epistles to Timothy; but as is usual, with the apostolical Fathers, he does not refer to the books or authors from which he makes his citations.

Justin Martyr, quotes many passages in the very words of Paul, without mentioning his name. But iRENiEus distinctly, and frequently, quotes thirteen of Paul’s Epistles. He takes nothing, indeed, from the short Epistle to Philemon, which can easily be accounted for, by the brevity of this letter, and the special object which the apostle had in view, in penning it.

It would fill a large space, to put down all the passages cited by Irenaeus, from the Epistles of Paul. Let it suffice to give one from each:” This same thi:ig, Paul has explained, writing to the Romans, Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, separated to the gospel of God. And again, wiiting to the Romans of Israel, he says. Whose are the Fathers, and of whom, concerning the fleshy Christ came, who is God over all blessed forever-Ephes. iv. 26.

more. “This also Paul manifestly shows, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, saying, Moreover brethi’en I would no, that ye should he igyiorantj how that all our fathers were under the cloud. Paul, in the Second to the Corinthians, says, In whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not.’’” The aposile Paul says, in his Epistle to the Galatians, fVherefore then serveth the law of works? It was added until the seed should come, to whom the promise was made.’’ ‘* As also the hiesscd Paul says, in ihc Epistle lo the Ephesi.nis, For ive are members of his body, of his Jlesh, and of his bones.” “As also Paul says to the Philippians, I am full having received of Epaphroditus, the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice, acceptable well pleasing to God.’” “Again, Paul says, in his p]pistle to the Colossians, Luke the beloved physician saluteth you.” “The apostle in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians says, Jind the God of peace sanctify you wholly.” ‘* And again, in iht; Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, speaking ‘tf Antichrist, he says, nd then shall that wicked one be revealed.” In the beginning of his work against here-Rom. i. 1. ix. 5. Cor. x. 1.

2 Cor. iv. 4. Gal. iii. 19.

Ephes. V.30. Phil. iv. 13.

Col. iv. 14. 1 TJies. V. 23,

Thes. XI. 0 aifs, he says, Whereas some havinpj rejected the truth, hringin lying words, and vain getiealogies, rather than godly edifying, which ?s in faithy as saith the Apostle.” This Epistle is often quoted by Irenaeus, in the work above mentioned. Speaking ot Linus, bishop of Rome, he says, “Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in his Epistle to Timothy, Eubulus greeteth thee and Pudens, and Linus” ‘* As Paul says,.^ man that is an here’ tic after the first and second admonition, reject.’* Thus, we have seen, that Irenaeus, who lived in tht age immediately succeeding that in which Paul lived and wrote, has borne explicit testimony to all the Epistles of that apostle, which have his name prefixed, except the short Papistic to Philemon, from which, it is probable, he had no occasion to take any authorities, as it is very concise, and addressed to a friend on a particular subject, in which Paul felt deeply interested.

As to the Epistle to the Hebrews which is anonymous, there is ample evidence, that Irenjeus was acquainted with it; but it is doubtful, whei her he esteemed it to be the production of Paul, or some other person. As he resided in France, it is very possible, that he participated in the prejudice of the Western church, on this point. Euskbius informs us, that he had seen a work of Irenus, which has not reached our times, in which he

1 Tim. i. 4. 2 Tim. iv. 21. Tit. iii. 10.

cites passaoces from the Epistle to the Hehrews; bii he does not siy, that he quoted them as Paul’s. A.iul in his works, which are still extant, there are several passagjes cited from this Epistle, but without direct reference to the source whence they were derived.

Athenagoras quotes from several of Paul’s Epistles; but as has been seen to be the custom of the early Fathers, he commonly uses the words, without informing the reader, from what author they were borrowed. There is, hOwevfr, one passage, in which he refers to both the First and Second Epistles to the Corinlhiana, as being the production of the apostle Paul. “It is manifest therefore,” says he,” that according to the apostlC; This corruptible and dissipated yniist put on incorniption, that the dead heiix raised itp.^ and the separated and even consumed parts being again united, every one may receive justly, the things he hath done in the body whether they he good or bad.’’’’*

Clement of Alexandria, abounds in quotations from Paul’s Epistles; a few of which will be sufficient for our purp’jse. The apostle, in the Epistle to the Romans,, says. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God.^^ *’The blessed. Paul, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, says, Brethren be not children in understanding, how-I Cor. XV. 54. 2 Cor. v. 10.

beitf in malice be ye children, but in understanding be ye men. “He hus also many quotations from the Second to the Corinthians,” The apostle,” says he, “calls the common doctrine of the Faith, a savour of knowledge, in the Second to the Corinthians.” ‘< Hence also,” says Paul, “ye have these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our hearts from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness, in the fear of God. “Whereupon, Paul also writing to the Galatians, says, My little children of whom I travail in birth, again until Christ be formed in you.^’

“Whereupon the blessed apostle says, I testify in the Lord that ye walk not as other Gentiles tvalk.^^ Again; “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’’^ He quotes part of the First and Second chapters of the Epistle to the Philippians, expressly; and in another place, he quotes the same epistle, after this manner: ‘* The Apostle of the Lord also exhorting the Macedonians, says, The Lord is at hand, take heed that ive be not fou7id empty.”

Clement, also, quotes the Epistle to the Colossians, and the Epistles to the Thessalonians. From the First Epistle to Timothy, he cites this passage, OTlmothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoidinsprofane and vain bablings, and oppositions of science, falsely so called, which

1 Cor. xiv. 20. 1 Cor. ii. 14. 2 Cor. vii. 1.

Gal iv. 9. Ephes. iv. 17, 18. Eph. V. 21.»

Eph. iv. 5.

som/i pre/em’ nse, have erred concernitiff the Jailh. Oil which he Dbs(‘rv<s, <’llerciic>» confuted by this saying, reject both Epistles to riinothy.” The Epistle to Tilus, is also quoted several tim»^s; and he remarks, in one place,” that Paul had cited F^pimenides, he Cretan, in his Koistl to Titus, after this mann»r, Owe of them.sr/i’cs, a poet of their oion, said, the Cretans ac lU luays liars. The Epistle to the Hebnw- is ilso disti!,ctlv quot’ d and is ascribed to Paul, as its author. Wherefore, writing to the Hebrews, who were declining from the faith to the Law, Paul says, Have ye need that any teach yon again, which he the frst principles of the oracles of God, and are become such, as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Tkrtullian frequently, and expressly, quotes most of Paul’s Epistles. In one place, he says, “I will therefore by no means say, God, nor Lord, but I will follow the apostles; so that if the Father and the Son are mentioned together, I will say, God the Father, and Jesus Christ the Lord. But when I mention Christ only, I will call him God as the apostle does, Of tohom Christ came, who is over all God blessed for evermore.”

Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, speaks ot those, who doubted, or denied the resurrection.

In his Treatise on Monogamy, he computes, that it

1 Tim. vi. 20 21. Tit. i. 12, 13.

Heb. V. 12. Rom. ix.’s.

was about one hundred and sixty years from Paul’s writing this Epistle, to the time when he wrote. ‘^’In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, they suppose the apostle Paul to have forgiven the same fornicator, who in the First, he declared, ought to be delivered to Satan tor the destruction of the flesh.” ‘’ But of this, no more need be said, if it be the same Paul, who, writing to the Galatians, reckons heresy among the works of the flesh; and who di. rects Titus to reject a man that is a heretic, after the first admonition, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself.’’

“I pass,” says he, *•’ to another Epistle, which

we have inscribed to the Ephesians; but the heretics, to the Laodiceans.” Again, “According to the true testimony of the church, we suppose this Epistle to have been sent to the Ephesians, and not to the Laodiceans; but Marcion has endeavoured to alter this inscription, upon pretence of having made a more diligent search into this matter. But the inscriptions are of no importance, for the apostle wrote to all, when he wrote to some.”

Speaking of the Christian’s hope, he says, <<0f which hope and expectation, Paul to the Galatians says. For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteouness by faith. He does not say, we have obtained it, but he speaks of the hope of the righteousness of God, in the day of judgment, when our reward shall be decided. Of which bane; ia suspense, when he wrote t.j the Ptiiiippians, he said, If by any means, I might attain unto tlic resurrection of the dead; not as though I fuid already attained, or were already perfect. “The aposile, writiiigto the Colos>.ians, expressly cautions against philosophy, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, and not after the instruction of the Spirit.” “And in llie Epistle to the Thessalonians, the aposile adds, But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that 1 write iDitoyon. For yourselves knotv perfectly, that the day of the Lord so comet h as a thief in the ?iight.” “And in the second episile to the same persons, he writes with gpreater solicitude. But I beseech yon, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, thai ye be ?wt soon shaken in mind, nor be troubled.” “And this word, Paul has used in writing to Timotby, O Timothy keejy that which is committed to thy trust.”

That remarkable passag;e of Tertullian, in which he is supposed to refer to the existina; autoi;raphs of the Epistles of Paul, althouijb referred to already, may with propriety be here introduced. “Well,”.says he,” if you be vvillin;:; to exercise your curiosity profitably, in the business of your salvation, visit the apostolical churches, in which the verychairs of the apostles still preside, in which their

Phil. iii. 11,12. 1 Tlics. v. 1, 2, 3. 2 TJies. ii. 2.

Col. ii. 8. 1 Tim. vi. 30.

X very authentic letters (Authenticse Literae) are recited, sending forth the voice, and representing the countenance of each one of them. Is Achaia near you? You have Corinth. If you are not far from Macedonia; you have Philippi; — :you have Thessalonica. If you can go to Asia; you have Ephesus. But if you are near to Italy, you have Rome, from whence also we may be easily satisfied.”

There are three opinions respecting the meaning of this phrase .^z«Me«Y?c« Literse; authentic letters; the first is, that it signifies the original manuscripts of the apostles; — the authographs which were sent severally to the churches named, to all of which Paul addressed Epistles; the second opinion is, that Tertullian meant to refer his readers to the original Greek of these epistles, which they had been accustomed to read in a Latin version; and the third is, that this phrase means, well authenticated letters; Epistles, which by application to these churches, could be proved to be, genuine writings of the apostles.

Now, that the first of these is the true sense of Tertullian’s words, will, I think, appear very probable, if we consider, that if those autographs were preserved, even with common care, they would have been extant in the time of Tertullian, who reckons only 160 years from the time oi Paul’s writing to his own time.

And again, unless he meant this, there is no reason why he should direct his readers only to those cilies liicli had received Epistles; for doubtless many other churches, which mi»;ht he more accessible, had aiithenlic copies, in the Greek languap;e. Such copies undoubtedly existetl in Africa, where Tcrtullian lived. Miey need not therefore have been directed to go to Rome, or Corinth, or F^phesus, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, to seethe Epis- »los of Paul, in Greek.

Neither was it necessary to take a journey to these cities to be fully convinced, that the letteris Nvhich had been received by them, were genuine; for thft evidence of this fact was not confined to these distinguished places, but was diflfused all over the Christian world.

From these considerations, I conclude, that in Tertullian’^ time, these churches had in possession, and preserved with care, the identical Epistles sent to them, by Paul. This sense is confirmed, by what he says, of their being able to hear the voice, and behold the countenance of the apostles, and sees the very seats on which they had been accustomed to sit when they presided in the church. These scats were still occupied by the bishops, and seemed to preside, as they were venerable from having been once occupied by the apostles.

Tertullian was acquainted with the Epistle to the Ilebrovvs, for he quotes several passages from the sixth chapter, but he ascribes it to Barnabas, and not to Paul. In this opinion, I believe he is singular.

O’dGEN, quotes Paul’s Epistles, as expressly and frequently, as is done, by almost any modern writer.

To transcribe all the pasasffs cited by him, would be to put down a larsre portion of tliC writings of this apostle. A few instances, will be sulficient. In one passage, in his wtjrk against Celsiis, he mentions several of Paul’s fpistles t02;tther, in the following manner, “Do you, first of all explain the Epistles of h:m who says these things, and having diligently read, and atteijded to the sense of the words there used, particularly, it) that to the Ephesians; to the Thessaloaians; to the Philippians; to the Romans, &c.” The epistle to the Ephesians, is elsewhere quoted by Origen, with the inscription which it now bears.

After employing an argument founded on a passage, quoted from the Epistle to the Hebrews, he observes; “But possibly someone pressed with this argument, will take refuge in the opinion of those who reject this Epistle, as not written by Paul.’^ In answer to such, we intend to write a distinct discourse, to prove this to be an Epistle of Paul.’^ In his citations of this Epistle, therefore, he constantly ascribes it to Paul, in such expressions as these, “Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews,” “In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the samePaul says.”

But Origen not only expresses his own opinion on this subject, but asserts that by the tradition received by the ancients, it was ascribed to Paul. His words are, “For it is not without reason, that the ancients have h:ii.ded it down to us as Paul’s.’* Now. when we take into view that Origen lived

J within one hunclretl years of Ihe time of the apostles, and that he was a prrson of most extraordinary learning;, and that he had travelled much through difTercnt countries, his testimony on this point is of great weight; especially, since his opinion is founded on the testimony of the ancients, by whom he must mean the contemporaries of the apostles. At the same time, however, he mentions, that some ascribed it to Luke, and others to Clement of Rome.

CvrKiAx, often quotes the Epistles of Paul. “According,” says he, ‘’to what the blessed apostle wrote in his Epistle to the Romans, Every 07ie shall give accoiail of himself to God therefore, let us not judge one another.” In his First hook of Testimonies, he says. In the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, it is said, Moreover, brethren, I ivojild not ye should be ignorant, how that all our Fathoms were baptized unto Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea.” “Likewise, in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, it is written, ‘•’ Their minds were blinded until this day.” ‘In like manner, blessed Paul, by the inspiration of the Lord, says, Aoi, he that ministereth seed to the sower, ininisteibread for your food and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, that ye m,ay be enriched in all things.’”

Rom. xiv. 12. 1 Cor. .x. 1.

2 Cor. iii. 15. 2 Cor. ix. 10.

‘’Likewise Paul to the Galatians, says, When the jfulness of time was comCy God sent forth his Son, made of a woman.”

Cyprian, expressly quotes the Epistle to the Ephesians, under that. title. “But the apostle Paul, speaking of the same thing more clearly and plainly, writes to the Ephesians, and says, Christ loved the church,, and gave himself for it, that he m,ight sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water. So also, Paul to the Phillppians, says, Who being appointed in the form of God, did not earnestly affect to be equal with God, hut m.ade himself of no reputation, taking on him the form of a servant; and being made in the likeness of man, and found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” “In the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, it is written. Continue in prayer, watching 17i the same.^^ ■’ Likewise, the blessed apostle Paul, full of the Holy Ghost, sent to call and convert the Gentiles, warns and teaches. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy, &c.’’ He also quotes both the Epistles to the Thessalonians. In his book of Testimonies, he says,” If the apostle Paul writing to Timothy, said. Let no 7nan despise thy youth, much more may it be said of you and your colleagues, let no man despise thy age.”” Therefore

Gal. iv. 5. Ephcs. v. 25, 26. Phil. ii. 6 — B-Col. ii. S. vi. 2. 1 Tim. w. W.

the apostle wiles to Timothy, and exhorts, thai a bisfmp shuit/d not strivCy but be gentle, mid apt to teach.’’’’ These two Epistles arc elsewhere quoted distinctly, as the First and Second to Timothy, lie also quotes from the Epistle to Titus, the passage, <’»^ man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition, reject.’’^

Cyprian, no where, quotes the Epistle to the Hebrews. Il IS prohal)’e therefore, that he, like some others of the Latin Fatlu.rs, did nut believe it to be Paul’s; or was iloubtful respecting it

Neither dues he cite the Epistle to rhileinon, of this 1)0 oihrr reiison need be scnight, hut its contents, and bif.’vity. How many Christian authors have written volumes, without any citation of that Ejiistle.

VicToRiNUS, who lived near the close of the third century, often quotes Paul’s Epistles; and among the rest, he cites the Epistle to the Hebrews, which he seems to have believed to be the production of Paul.

DvoNisiusof Alexandria, also a contemporary of Origen, and a man of great learning, in the few fragments of his works which remain, often refers to Paul’s Epistles.

NovATUs, presbyter of the church of Rome, who. flourished about the middle of the third century, expr;ssly cites from the Epistle to the Romans, thai famous testimony to Christ’s divinity, so often quoted by the Faihers, ff’hose are the Fathers,

Tit. jii. 10. 2 Tnn. ij. 24.

of whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is over all God blessed forever. And it deserves to be r»col]ected, that althous;^ so many, beginning with Irenaeus, have cited this passage, yet none of them appear to have th ^ught the words capable of any other meaning, than the plain, obvious sens-, which strikes the reader at first. That it was a mere exclamation of praise, sterns never to have entired their minds. Novatus, also, quotes the First and Second EpistUs to the Corinthians, the Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians. From this last Epistle he cites thcise remarkable words. Who being in the form of God, and interprets the following clause in exact accordance with another of the Fathers, did not earnestly seek to be like God,ur to be equal with God. He quotes from the Epistle to the Culossians, these words, Whether they he thtones or dominions, or principalities, or powers, things visible and invisible, by him all things cofisisf. The Epistles to Timothy, and to Titus, are also cited by this author.

Methodius, who lived in the later part of the third century, quotes Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Firtst and Second to the Corinthians, To the Galatians, To the Ephesians, To the Philippians, To the Colossians, The First to the Thessalonians, and the First to Timothy. He has also taken se>

Phil. ii. 6. Col. i. .16> 17, veral passages from the Epistle to the Hehrvvs; anil quotes it in such a manner, as to retuhr it highly prohahlc, that he estee(iie«l it to ho a part of Sacred Scripture, and ascribed it to P;iul.

.Eu!»EBins, the learned historian, undonlitedly received thirteen Epistles of Paul as genuine; and he seems to have entertained no donht, res|>ecting the Canonical auth-’Hty of the Epistle to i he. Hebrews; but he sometimes expresses himsell doubtfully, of iis author; while at other times he quotes it as Paul’s, without any a[)parent hesitation. In speaking of the universally acknowjedged Epistle of Clement of Rome, he observes, “In which, inserting many sentiments of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and also using some of the very words of it, he plainly manifests that Epistle to be no modern writing. And hence, it has, not without reason, been reckoned among the other writings of the apostle; for Paul having written to the Hebrews in their own language, some think that the Evangelist Luke, others, that this very Clement, translated it; which last is the more probable of the two, there being a resemblance between the style of the Epistle of Clement, and that to the Hebrews; nor are the sentiments of these two writings very different.” In his Ecclesiastical History, he speaks “Of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and divers othfr Epistles of Paul.” And Theodoret positively asserts, that Euscbins received this Epistle as PaiiP.-J, and that he manilested that all the ancients, almost, were of the same opinion. It seems, from these facts, that in the time of Eusebius,the churches with which he was acquainted, did generally receive the Epistle to the Hebrews, as the writing of Paul.

Ambrose, bishop of Milan, received fourteen Epistles of Paul.

Jerome received as undoubted, all Paul’s Epistles, except that to the Hebrews, concerning which he says, in his Letter to Evanjj;elius, ‘’ That all the Greeks and some of the Latins, received this Epistle.”

And in his letter to Dardanus, “That it was not only received as Paul’s, by all the churches of the East, in his time, but by all the Ecclesiastical writers, in former times; though many ascribe it to Barnabas, or Clement. He uls’> says, that it was daily read in the churches; and if the Latiiss did not receive this Epistle, as the Greeks rejected the Revelation of John, he received both; not being so much influenced by present times, as the judgment of ancient writers, who quote both; and that not as they quote apocryphal books, and even Heathen writings, but as Canonical and Ecclesiastical.”

Jerome, in speaking of the writings ofPaul,gives the following very full and satisfactory testimony; **He wrote,’’ says he, ‘nine Epistles to seven churches. To the Romans, one; to the Corinthians, two ,: to the Galatians, one; to the Philippians.

one; to the Colossians, one; to the Thessalonians, two; to tho Ephesians, oru*; to Timothy, two; to Titus, one; to Philemon, one. liutthe Kpistle, cailciJ, TO THK TIkbuews, is not thought to be his, beiiuse of the dilTerence of ai t>;ument ami style; buf rather Barnabas’s, as Teriulli;in thought; or Luke’s, accordino; to some oth r.^; or Clement’s, who was afterwards bisho]) of Rome; who bring much with Paul, clothed and adorne Paul’s sense, in his own language. Or if it be Paul’s, he might decline putting his name to it, in the inscription, for fear of offending the Jews. Moreovi’r, he wrote as a Hebrew to the Hebrews; it being his own language, whence it came to pass, that being translated, it has more eh gance, in the Greek, than his other Epistles. This they say is the reason 6f its differing from Paul’s other writin-js. There is also an Epistle to the Laodiceans; but it is rejected by every body.” Jerome, commonly quotes the Epistle to the Hebrews, as the Apostle Paul’s; and as we have seen before, this was his prevailing opinion, which is not contradicted in the long passage, just cited.

Augustine received fourteen Epistles of Paul, the last of which, in his catalogue, is, the E[)islle to the Hebrews; he was aware however, that some in his time thought it of doubtful authority,** However, says he, ‘* I am inclined to ffdiow the opinion of the churches of the East, who receive it, among the Canonical Scriptures.

The time when each of these Epistles was writ* ten, taniioc be ascertaineti with any exaotness. It is not t ven aaived Tm<>ng the learned, which was the First of Paul’s Epistles. Generally, indeeti, it has been thought, that the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, were composed earliei than the others; but, bf late, some learned men have given precedence to the Epistle to the Galatians. And this opinion is not altogether confined to the moderns, for Tertullian mentions this Epistle as among; the first of Paul’s writings. But the more common opinion is, that it was written during the long abodt: of this apostle, at Corinth, Among the advocates of this opinion we find L’Enfant, Beausobre, Lardner, &c.; Grotius, Capel, Witsius, and Wall, suppose, that it was written at Ephesus. These last, together with Fabricius and Mill, place the date of this Epistle to the Galatians, after that to the Romans.

Macknight maintains, that it was written from Antioch, after the Council of Jerusalem; and offers in support of his opinion several plausible arguments, vlhich, if they do not prove all that he wishes, seem to render it probable that the time of this Epistle being written, was soon after the Council of Jerusalem.

Semler, however, is of opiniton that this Epistle was written prior to the Council of Jerusalem.

JiVom these various opinions, it is sufficiently evident, that tlic precise date of the Epistle to the Galatians, cannot be ascertained. If we lake the opinions of tho><c who give the earliest date, the time of writing will not be later than A. D. 47. But if we receive as more probable the opinions of thtise who think that it was written after the Coun” cil of Jerusalem, we shall bring it down to the year .50; while according to the opinion more comlYionly adopted, its date will be A. D. 52, or A. D- 5.^. And if we prefer the opinions of those who assign the latest date to this Epistle, we shall bring it down several years later, and instead of giving it the first place, will give it the ninth or tenth.

There seem to be better daia for determining, that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, was written from C«)rmlh, about the y«ar 51; and the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, was probably written a few months afterwards, from the same 7)lac*e.

Michaclis and Dr. H des unite, in giving the next place, in the order of tinnie, to the Epistle to Titus. Lardner, however, places it considerably later; and Paley assigns to it a date, later than any other author. On this subject, there is little else than conjecture to gtiide us.

The year in which this Epistle was written, according to Michaelis and Males, was 53; ace rding to Lardner, 5b; according to Jiarringion,

57 j and according to Whitby, Pearson, and Paley, 65,

The Epistle next in order, is the First to the Corinthians, the date of which can be determined with considerable precision, from theEpisfle itself. I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. These words teach where this Epistle was written, and by a comparison with other passages of Scripture, that it was penned near the close of Paul’s long; residence at Ephesus, from which place he departed, about A. D. 57. This then is the proper date of this Epistle.

The First Epistle to Timothy will stand next, if we follow the opinion most commonly entertained by learned men; and its date pvill be, A. D. 57, or A. D. 5S. This opinion is supported by the authority of Athanasius, Theocloret, Baronius, Capellus, Blondel, Hammond, Grotius, Salmasius, Lightfoot, Benson, Barrington, Michaelis, Dod- /dridge, and others. But Pearson, Rosenmiiller, JMacknight, Paley, Tomline, &.c. place it as low as the year of our Lord G4, or 65.

The Second Epistle to the Corinthians was written, probably, about a year after the First, which will bring it to A. D. 58.

‘In the same year, it is thought, that Paul wrote his very important Epistle to the Romans. On this point however, there is some diversity of opi-

1 Cor. xvi. 8.

moil. Rut the Epistle itself contains internal evidence that it was written at Corinth, when the a])i)Stle was preparing to lake the contributions of the churches to Jerusalem.

The date of the Epistles to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, and to the Coiossians, can be ascertained pretty nearly, from the circumstance, that Paul was prisoner at Rome, when they were written. Tho Epistle to the Ephesians, may, with much probability, be referred to A U. (il; the Epistle to the Philippians to A. D. 62; and the Epistle to the Colossians to the same year.

The short Epistle to Philemon was written, as appears by several coincidences, about the same time, as those just mentioned.

The Epistle to the Hebrews seems to have been written about the termination of Paul’s first imprisonment at Rome. Its date, therefore, may without much danger of mistake, be referred to A. D. 62, or A.D. G3.

J. D. Michaelis, who, as has been seen, has done much to unsettle the Canon of Scripture by calling in question the s;enuineness of some of the books, as well as the inspiration of some of the writers, has, in an elaborate essay, (Vol. iv.) endeavoured to lessen the authority of this Epistle. For an answer to the arguments of this learned, but sceptical Professor, I would refer the mador to Townsend’s New Testament, Arranged in Chronological AND Historical Okdek.

Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy seems to have been written during his second imprisonment at Rome, and shortly before his death, A. D. 66.