suppress and avoid logomachies (14. 23.); to approve himself a faithful minister of the word (15-22.); and to forewarn him of the perils of the last days, in consequence of wicked hypocritical seducers and enemies of the truth, who even then were beginning to rise in the church. These Saint Paul admonishes Timothy to flee, giving him various cautions against them. (iii.)

This Epistle affords a beautiful instance of the consolations which the Gospel imparts to all that truly believe it. "Imagine," says a learned commentator of the 18th century (Dr. Benson) :-" Imagine a pious father, under sentence of death for his piety and benevolence to mankind, writing to a dutiful and affectionate son, that he might see and embrace him again before he left the world; particularly that he might leave with him his dying commands, and charge him to live and suffer as he had done: And you will have the frame of the apostle's mind, during the writing of this whole Epistle." (Pref. to 2 Tim. p. 517.)

Titus was a Greek, and one of St. Paul's early converts, who attended him and Barnabas to the first council at Jerusalem, A. D. 49, and afterwards on his ensuing circuit. (Tit. i. 4. Gal. ii. 1-3. Acts xv. 2.) Subsequently, he was confidentially employed by the apostle on various occasions; and, as appears from this Epistle, was specially appointed by him to regulate the Christian churches in that island. Whether Titus ever quitted Crete, we know not; neither have we any certain information concerning the time, place, or manner of his death; but, according to antient ecclesiastical tradition, he lived to the age of ninety-four years, died and was buried in that island.

This Epistle, the genuineness of which was never questioned, is supposed to have been written after St. Paul's liberation from his first imprisonment, A. D. 64. Titus having been left in Crete to settle the churches in the several cities of that island according to the apostolical plan, Saint Paul wrote this Epistle to him, that he might discharge his ministry among the Cretans with the greater success, and to give him particular instructions concerning his behaviour towards the judaising teachers, who endeavoured to pervert the faith and disturb the peace of the Christian church. The Epistle, therefore, consists of three parts.

PART I. The inscription. (ch. i. 1—4.)

PART II. Instructions to Titus. 1. Concerning the ordination of elders, that is, of bishops and deacons (i. 5—16.) — 2. To accommodate his exhortations to the respective ages, sexes, and circumstances of those whom he was commissioned to instruct; and, to give the greater weight to his instructions, he admonishes him to be an example of what he taught. (ii.)-3. To inculcate obedience to the civil magistrate, in opposition to the Jews and judaising teachers, who, being averse from all civil governors, except such as were of their own nation, were apt to imbue Gentile Christians with a like seditious spirit, as if it were an indignity. for the people of God to obey an idolatrous magistrate; and also to enforce gentleness to all men. (iii. 1-7.) — 4. To enforce good works, avoid foolish questions, and to shun heretics. (iii. 8-11.)

PART III. An invitation to Titus, to come to the apostle at Nicopolis, together with various directions. (iii. 12-15.)

SECTION XIV. On the Epistle to Philemon.

Philemon was an inhabitant of Colossæ, most probably a converted Gentile, and it should seem, an opulent and benevolent Christian. As it is evident from the Epistle itself that St. Paul was under confinement when he wrote it, and as he expresses (verse 22.) his expectation of being shortly released, it is probable that it was written during his first imprisonment at Rome, towards the end of A. D. 62, or early in 63; and was sent, together with the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, by Tychicus and Onesimus. Though some, formerly, questioned the genuineness of this Epistle, the attestations it has received from the earliest antiquity are deemed sufficient to establish that point. The design of this short but beautiful and persuasive letter is, to recommend Onesimus, formerly the runaway slave of Philemon (but now a Christian convert), to his master, and induce him to receive him again into his house. Whether Philemon pardoned or punished Onesimus, we have no information.

SECTION XV.

On the Epistle to the Hebrews.

The Hebrews, to whom this Epistle is addressed, were Jewish Christians resident in Palestine: and, though considerable difference of opinion exists concerning its author, yet the similarity of its style and expressions to that of St. Paul's other Epistles proves that it was written by him in Greek, and not in Hebrew as some eminent critics have supposed. The absence of his name is accounted for by the consideration that he withheld it lest he should give umbrage to the Jews. This Epistle was written from Rome, not

long before he left Italy; viz. at the end of A. D. 62, or early in 63.

The occasion of writing this Epistle will be suffi ciently apparent from an attentive review of its contents. The Jews did every thing in their power to withdraw their brethren, who had been converted, from the Christian faith: to specious arguments drawn from the excellency of the Jewish religion, they added others more cogent, namely, persecution and menaces. The object of the apostle, therefore, in writing this letter, is to show the deity of Jesus Christ, and the excellency of his Gospel, when compared with the institutions of Moses; to prevent the Hebrews or Jewish converts from relapsing into those rites and ceremonies which were now abolished; and to point out their total insufficiency, as means of reconciliation and atonement. The reasonings are interspersed with numerous solemn and affectionate warnings and exhortations, addressed to different descriptions of persons. At length St. Paul shows the nature, efficacy, and triumph of faith, by which all the saints in former ages had been accepted by God, and enabled to obey, suffer, and perform exploits, in defence of their holy religion; from which he takes occasion to exhort the Hebrew Christians to steadfastness and perseverance in the true faith.

The Epistle to the Hebrews consists of three parts; viz.

PART I. demonstrates the Deity of Christ, by the explicit declarations of Scripture concerning his superiority to angels, to Moses, to Aaron, and the whole Jewish priesthood, and the typical nature of the Mosaic ritual. (ch. i—x. 18.

PART II. comprehends the Application of the preceding arguments and proofs, (x.19-39. to xiii. 1-19.) in which the Hebrews are exhorted to steadfastness in

the faith of Christ, and are encouraged by the examples of believers in former ages. (ch. x. 19-39. to xiii. 1-19.)

PART III. The conclusion, containing a prayer for the Hebrews, and apostolical salutations. (ch. xiii. 20-25.)

CHAPTER III.

ON THE CATHOLIC EPISTLES.

SECTION I. On the Genuineness and Authenticity of the Catholic

Epistles.

THE Epistles of Saint Paul are followed in the canon of the New Testament by Seven Epistles, bearing the names of the apostles James, Peter, Jude, and John. For many centuries, these Epistles have been generally termed Catholic or General Epistles, because they are not addressed to the believers of some particular city or country, or to individuals, as Saint Paul's Epistles were, but to Christians in general or to Christians of several countries.

Although the authenticity of the Epistle of James, the second of Peter, the Epistle of Jude, and the second and third Epistles of John, was questioned by some antient fathers, as well as by some modern writers, yet we have every reason to believe that they are the genuine and authentic productions of the inspired writers whose names they bear. The claims to authenticity of these disputed Epistles are briefly noticed in the following sections. Indeed, the antient Christians had such good opportunities for examining this subject, they exercised so much caution in guarding against imposition, and so well founded was their judgment con