the Levitical law, they would not have neglected to charge him with this violation, when he was publickly accufed at Jerufalem and Cæfarea. Yet in Acts xxiii. 1-10. XXIV. 1-21. we meet with no charge of any fuch kind. I believe therefore that the two paffages above quoted from the Epiftle to the Galatians imply, not that St. Peter and St. Paul partook of unclean meats in company with heathens, but merely that they did not refufe to affociate at table with heathens, and to eat in their houses, which the Jews in general avoided', even if nothing was produced which was contrary to their law. For the veffels themfelves, in which the food was prepared, they confidered as unclean: nor were they certain that among the various ingredients there was no intermixture of fomething forbidden. Hence St. Paul himself fays, Galat. vi. 13. that the circumcifed themfelves did not obferve every tittle of the law, fignifying, as I understand the paffage, that the Jews neither did nor could obferve the ftrict letter of the law, when they refided in heathen countries. Some writers have concluded from the Epistle to the Galatians, that St. Peter and St. Paul were not agreed as to the neceffity of retaining the Levitical law, but on the contrary, that they taught very different doctrines on this fubject. Now it is true, that in one inftance, St. Peter, to avoid giving offence to the Jews, withdrew himself from the Gentile converts at Antioch: yet the Epiftle to the Galatians is fo far from proving that St. Peter thought differently from St, Paul in refpect to the Levitical law, that it fhews they entertained the very fame fentiments. This further appears from Acts x. xi. xv. and from what St. Peter himself has written in his first Epiftle. 1 Ads x. 28, Αθεμιτον εσιν ανδρι Ιεδαίῳ κολλάσθαι η προσερχεσθαι αλλοφύλων СНАР, CHA P. XII. OF THE TWO EPISTLES TO THE THESSALONIANS. SECT. I. Of the time when St. Paul wrote his first Epistle to the TH Theffalonians. HE two Epiftles to the Theffalonians are the next in point of chronology to the Epiftle to the Galatians. Theffalonica, originally called Thermæ, till its. name was changed by Philip in confequence of a victory over the Theffalians, was in the time of St. Paul the capital of Macedonia. In this city was a very numerous colony of Jews, and their fynagogue was fo celebrated, that St. Luke calls it by way of eminence avvazwyn, or, the fynagogue: and even to this very day Salonike, as the place is now called, abounds with Jewish families. Now as the Jews were the firft perfecutors of christianity, we see the reason why the Theffalonian community was more exposed to perfecution, than any other. St. Paul preached the Gospel at Theffalonica, after he had taught at Philippi", and in the fame year, in which he wrote his Epiftle to the Galatians. Some few among the Jews received the Gofpel, and the Apoftle endeavoured to prove to them the truth of Christianity from the prophecies of the Old Teftament . But a great number of the heathens, who, though they had not been circumcifed, had learned to worship the one true God, and are therefore called σεβόμενοι Ελληνες, became converts to Chrift. Hence the majority of this church confifted of native heathens, who had formerly been idolaters P: and it is not improbable that Chriftianity had been propagated even among the idolatrous heathens, The Jews m Acts xvii. r. • Ver. 2-4. n Acts xvii. 1. Jews ever jealous of the admiffion of the gentiles to the fame privileges with themfelves were highly offended with the Apostle's conduct, and raised therefore such a difturbance, that St. Paul and Silas were obliged to quit Theffalonica after a refidence of only three weeks. Not content with driving St. Paul from Theffalonica, before the Chriftian community was thoroughly established, they carried their malice fo far as to follow him even to Beroea which place they obliged him likewife to quit and to fly to Athens. Silas and Timothy ftaid behind at Beroea, but they received orders from St. Paul to follow him as foon as poffible: and at Athens St. Paul waited for them. Their actual arrival there is not mentioned by St. Luke': but that they really came thither to St. Paul appears from 1 Theff. iii. 1. 2. Timothy however staid only a short time with St. Paul, who fent him back to Theffalonica: and before Timothy's return St. Paul had left Athens, and was gone to Corinth, whether Timothy followed him ". Now as St. Paul has mentioned in his firft Epiftle to the Theffalonians, not only Timothy's departure to Theffalonica, but likewise his return, it follows that this Epiftle was written, not at Athens, as the fubfcription imports, but at Corinth, where St. Paul spent a year and a half. I once thought it probable that the Epiftle was written during the former part of this period: but it appears to me at prefent, that he wrote it rather in the latter part of this interval, after he had made feveral excurfions from Corinth. St. Paul fays to the Theffalonians, ch. i. 7. that their conduct was fuch, as made them an example for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, and ver. 7. 8. 9. he adds, • For from you founded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia 9 Acts xvii. 14. 15. Acts xvii, 16. St. Luke's filence in refpect to this matter is not extraordinary, because he was not present with St. Paul at Athens, having ftaid behind at Philippi. See above, ch. vi. sect. 3. Theff. iii. 1-5• Acts xviii. 5. Theff. iii, 1-6. Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith in God is fpread abroad, fo that we need not speak any thing: for they themselves fhew of us what reception we had with you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to ferve the living and true God, and to wait for his fon,' &c. From this paffage we must conclude that St. Paul had been in various places, after he had founded the church at Theffalonica: and it is not improbable, that during the year and an half above-mentioned he made feveral excurfions from Corinth, one of which was perhaps to the island of Crete, as I fhall endeavour to thew in the chapter, which relates to the Epiftle to Titus, Further, in ch. ii. 17. 18. he fays, But we, brethren, being taken from you a fhort time in prefence, and in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to fee your face with great defire. Wherefore, we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us.' Since therefore St. Paul had feveral times formed a refolution of revifiting Theffalonica, and had feveral times being prevented, it is evident that this Epiftle was written, neither foon after St. Paul's arrival at Corinth, nor even foon after Timothy had arrived there from Macedonia. The particular year of the Chriftian Era I cannot pretend to determine: for these determinations, as I have already obferved, are very precarious. But if the Epiftle to the Galatians was written at the end of the year 49, the firft Epiftle to the Theffalonians was written probably about the year 51. * By what accidents he had been prevented St. Paul does not say: but as during the courfe of his life he thrice fuffered fhipwreck (2 Cor. xi. 25.) it is not impoffible that one of them happened in the interval, which elapfed between his departure from Theffalonica and the writing of his firft Epiftle to the Theffalonians. Ch. xi. Sect. 1. SECT. SECT. II. Of the circumftances of the Church at Theffalonica. THE HE principal circumstances of the Chriftian community at Theffalonica, as far as is neceffary to a right understanding of St. Paul's two Epiftles, are the following. It confifted, as was mentioned in the preceding fection, for the moft part of Gentile, and of fome few Jewish, converts. As it is hardly credible, that St. Paul at his departure appointed thofe to be teachers, who only three weeks before were wholly unacquainted with revealed religion, it is probable that the teachers mentioned ch. v. 12. were converts from Judaifm, or at leaft fuch Greeks, as had already embraced the Jewish, religion. 2. The newly founded community had made indeed some progress in the faith: but being still in an imperfect ftate, and oppreffed by the powerful Jews at Theffalonica, it was in fome danger, and ftood in need therefore of fresh fupport, to enable them to ftand firm in the doctrine, which they had embraced. This fupport the Apoftle gives them in the three firft chapters of the first Epiftle, and endeavours to convince them, both by his own conduct, and by the imparted gifts of the Holy Ghoft, that the Gofpel which he preached, was true in itself, and of divine origin. 3. There prevailed an error, relative to the doctrine of the laft judgement, which might have created great confufion in this community. The Theffalonians, like moft of the primitive Chriftians, fuppofed that the day of judgement was not far diftant, and that it would happen in the age, in which they themselves lived. Further, they imagined that they who furvived this day, would have a great advantage over thofe, who were deceafed which was probably to confift in their entering immediately |