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confufion and prolixity, I fhall offer the reader the substance of my obfervations, as clearly as I am able, in the following Propofitions.

1. In the beginning of the fecond century there was a certain Epiftle extant, intitled, The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans. This is evident, because such an Epiftle was received by Marcion, who lived in that time; for he was cotemporary with Polycarpa, who converfed with the Apoftles, and many others, who had feen Chrift; and confequently he (Marcion) muft live near St. Paul's time. This Marcion made ufe of an Epiftle under the name of Paul to the Laodiceans; to confirm which I obferve, that Heretick, who was a notorious corrupter of the facred Writings, had, befides his mutilated and interpolated Gofpel, another book, which he and his followers intitled, The 'Aosλòv Apoftolicon, and in which he comprehended ten only of St. Paul's Epiftles out of the fourteen which are now received, and then altered and accommodated. them to his own sentiments and notions. These (according to Epiphanius) were the Epistle to the Galatians, the two to the Corinthians, to the Romans, the two to the Theffalonians, to the Coloffians, to Philemon, to the Philippians, "Exe dè nai tñs πρὸς Λαοδικέας λεγομένης μέρη, i. e. he takes in alfo Tome part of that which is called, The Epiftle to the Laodiceans. Epiphanius, who had read both Marcion's Evangelium and Apoftolicon (as himself fays), producing the inftances of that Heretick's corruptions and interpolations in the Epiftles which he pretended. to receive, styles that to the Laodiceans the eleventh, and in the introduction to his Scholia, or criticism upon the Apoftolicon, he enumerates the Epiftles received by Marcion, and having first placed that to the Romans, Ephefians, Coloffians, next reckons that to the Laodiceans, and then the other Epiftles; where I obferve, by the way, a most notorious error in

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our present copies of Epiphanius; for whereas in all the places cited, nay, and even in this very place, that Father expressly fays, that Marcion received only the ten forementioned Epiftles of St. Paul into his Apoftolicon; yet here in the very next words he is made to receive all the fourteen, viz, the two Epiftles to Timothy, Titus, and the Hebrews are alfo enumerated in his Apoftolicon. This is a contradiction fo manifeft, that Epiphanius cannot poffibly be fuppofed guilty of it, and seems only to have happened through the blunder of some careless transcriber, who, when he had wrote the first ten Epiftles and that of the Laodiceans, added the others, as he thought, to make the catalogue of the Apoftle's Epiftles complete. But to return, it is evident there was in the time of Marcion, or in the beginning of the fecond century, an Epiftle under the name of Paul to the Laodiceans.

I know indeed that there is in Tertullian an account of this matter very different from this of Epiphanius, viz. “That "Marcion and his followers called that the Epistle to the La"odiceans, which was the Epistle to the Ephefians: that epi"ftle, fays he, we are affured, by the true teftimony of the "Church, was fent to the Ephefians, and not to the Laodiceans; "though Marcion has taken upon him falfely to prefix that title "to it, pretending therein to have made fome notable difco"very and in the fame book elsewhere. I fhall fay nothing

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now of that other Epiftle, which we have infcribed to the "Ephefians, but the Hereticks entitle it to the Laodiceans." This, I fay, is a very different account of the matter from that of Epiphanius: this fuppofes the Epistle to the Ephefians and Laodiceans to have been one and the fame Epiftle, only under different titles: the other fuppofes them to have been two different and diftinct ones: feveral learned men have subscribed to the opinion of Tertullian. .Grotius, Dr. Hammond, and Dr. Whitby, believe the prefent Epiftle to the Ephefians

Ecclefiæ quidem veritate epiftolam iftam ad Ephefios habemus emiffam, non ad Laodicenos, fed Marcion ei titulum aliquando interpolare geftiit, quasi et in isto diligentiffimus explorator. Lib. v.

adverf. Marcion. c. 17. in initio. b Ibid. c. 11. p. 570.

C

Prolegom. in Epift. ad Ephef.

d Annot. on Col. iv. 16.
• Annot. on the same place.

was

was formerly intitled to the Laodiceans; and Dr. Mill would perfuade us, that Paul himself directed it to the Laodiceans, and that the present title to the Ephefians is corrupt and false. This I fhall have more occafion to examine hereafter in the mean time shall only observe, that Epiphanius feems in this matter worthy of more credit than Tertullian, because it is certain Epiphanius faw and read the Apoftolicon of Marcion; in which he fays there were these two different Epiftles; whereas it does not appear that Tertullian ever did, and therefore as it was easy for the latter to be imposed upon in this cafe, fo it was impoffible the former should.

CHAP. VII.

St. Paul wrote no Epistle to the Laodiceans. The Occasion of the Forgery taken from Col. iv. 16. Various Opinions upon that Text. The Opinion of Sir Norton Knatchbull, Le Clerc, and the Popish Writers, viz. That the Words relate to fome loft Epistle, refuted. The Opinion of Grotius, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Whitby, and Dr. Mill, viz. that the Epistle to the Laodiceans and Ephefians was the fame, refuted.

II.

S

T. Paul did not write any Epifle to the Laodiceans; but that which gave occafion to the forgery of an Epiftle under that title, was these words of Paul, Col. iv. 16. And when this Epifle is read among you, caufe that it be read alfo in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewife read the Epiftle from Laodicea. The feeming ambiguity of the laft words, καὶ τὴν ἐκ Λαοδικείας ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀναγνῶτε, and that ye likewife read the Epiftle from Laodicea, has occafioned much controversy, and requires therefore a difcuffion here. For fome therein have understood St. Paul, as fpeaking of an Epiftle, written by him to the Church of Laodicea, which he advifes the Coloffians to procure from thence, and read publickly

Prolegom. in Nov. Teft. §. 73, 74, &c.
D 4

in

in their Church, as well as to tranfmit the Epiftle which he wrote to them, to be publickly read at Laodicea. That feveral of the antients thus explained tùv in Aaodineías, is plain from Chryfoftom; and Theodoret ", who exprefsly writes against this expofition: Some, fays he, imagine Paul to have wrote an Epifle to the Laodiceans, and accordingly produce a certain forged Epiftle (fo intitled): but the holy Apoftle does not fay τὴν πρὸς Λαοδικέας, the Epiftle to the Laodiceans, but τὴν ἐκ Λαοdineias, the Epistle from the Laodiceans; for they had wrote to him on some occafion. The old Latin Vulgate translation is thought by feveral to favour this interpretation, et ea, or (as it is in Pope Clement the Eighth, and the Louvain edition ©) eam quæ Laodicenfium eft. Thus the Popish writers have generally understood this Verfion, and concluded from hence, that St. Paul means here an Epiftle which he sent to the Laodiceans. It is certain, fays Bellarmine, from the New Teftament, that Paul's Epifle to the Laodiceans is now loft, for he mentions it Col. iv. 16. But it is not so strange that the Popish writers should fall into this mistake, who take the corrupt tranflation of the Vulgate for their infallible guide; though indeed even that does not neceffarily favour their interpretation, seeing we may, render eam quæ Laodicenfium eft, the Epifle of the Laodiceans, meaning an Epistle written by them, as well or better than the Epifle to the Laodiceans. What seems more ftrange is, that fome Proteftants, who regard the original Greek above any tranflation, should suppose the Apostle in these words to have referred to any Epiftle wrote by himself to the Church of Laodicea, which yet I observe they have, though they do not agree as to the fame Epistle; for

1. Some have thought the Apostle refers to fome Epiftle of his to the Laodiceans, which is now loft. Thus Sir Norton Knatchbull; The words mean, says he, an Epiftle which was written

2 Homil. 12. in Epift. ad Coloff. apud Sim. Critic. Hiftor. N. T. Par. 1. c. 15. p. 137.

In Loc. apud eund.

Vid. Jamefii Bellum Papale ad

loc. p. 112.

Apud Whitaker Controverf. de Script. I. Quæft. VI. c. 9. fcil. lib. iv. de Verb. Dei, c. 4. Vid. Walther. Offic. Biblic. §. 1402.

Annot. in loc.

from

a

from the Apofle to the Laodiceans, which, why or how it is loft, as that other to the Corinthians, and another to the Ephefians, as also other books of Scripture, is known to God alone : for the phrafe is frequent, as, twès tŵr in tñs Evraywyns, fome of the Synagogue ; oi ix wisews, the faithful; oi in rñs Eroas, the Stoicks; áréμos ix vuxtâv xaλswoi, the night-winds are grievous. So Mr. Le Clerc in his French Verfion and Notes 3 τὴν ἐκ Λαοδικείας, "Celle qui doit venir de Laodicée; ce qui fuppofe que S. "Paul avoit écrit à ceux de Laodicée, & leur avoit donné "ordre de faire part de fa Lettre à ceux de Coloffe; i. e. The words fuppofe that St. Paul had wrote to the Church of Laodicea, and had given them orders to communicate part of their Epifle to the Coloffians. And in another place ", the same author, citing these words of the Apostle's, adds, " Videtur etiam "Paulum Epistolam ad Laodicenses scripfiffe, quæ intercide"rit, &c." i. e. St. Paul feems (by these words) to intimate, that he had wrote an Epistle to the Laodiceans, which is now loft; and the loss of this gave afterwards occafion of forging an Epiftle under his name. But how improbable this is, I fhall shew presently.

2. Others fuppofe the Apostle to have referred, in these words, to an Epiftle written by him, but not one that is loft, but one now extant; viz. the Epiftle to the Ephefians. This opinion was first started by Grotius, who, to support it, changes the true reading τὴν ἐκ Λαοδικείας, and would have us read only τὴν Aaodisías, i. e. not the Epiftle from Laodicea, but the Epiftle of the Laodiceans. The annotations of this learned critick are generally esteemed above all others by our English Divines; and accordingly Dr. Hammond, who has transcribed or tranfiated a great part of Grotius's notes into his Annotations on the New Testament, Dr. Whitby, who has notoriously tranfcribed from both, and Dr. Mill, have followed him in this opinion.

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