centuries, no man in the time of St. Paul could expect to furvive it. But every one knows that there are confiderable variations in refpect to the years mentioned in the book of Genefis: which make the creation of the world to have taken place at an earlier period, than it is made in our Hebrew Bibles. In the Septuagint, the number of years mentioned in the fifth and eleventh chapters of Genefis, is fuch as advance the duration of the world, in the time of St. Paul, far into the fixth Millennium but how far I will not attempt to determine, for not all the copies even of the Septuagint have the fame numbers in the eleventh chapter of Genefis, as may be feen on comparing the editions of Grabe and Breitinger, which follow the Codex Alexandrinus, with the editions which contain the text of the Codex Vaticanus. Further, the very uncertainty, which attended the calculation, gave the greater fcope to the imagination of enthufiafts, to fix the commencement of the feventh Millennium, and of the temporal kingdom which they expected, at a period the most fuitable to their wishes. And, if the world at that time had really exifted above 5500 years, they had fome ground for concluding, according to their principles, that the grand Millennium was not far diftant. Thefe notions infinuated themselves very early among the Chriftians: and they were received not only by the Theffalonians, but by feveral of the ancient fathers.

4. Among the converts at Theffalonica, there were feveral, who refused to fubject themfelves to the teachers, and, under the pretence of edifying others, behaved themselves diforderly. Thefe perfons St. Paul had in view, 1 Theff. v. 11—14.

The fecond Epistle to the Theffalonians was occafioned by the fame motives, which induced the Apoftle to write his first Epistle. As this had not produced its proper effect, and several members of the Theffalonian community ftill maintained that the day of judgement was at hand, and others continued their diforderly conduct, the Apofthe thought it neceffary to write to them again

very foon after he had written his firft Epiftle. In his fecond Epistle therefore he endeavours to shew from fome prophecies of the Old Testament not then fulfilled, that the day of judgement was not fo foon to be expected and at the fame time he cautions the Theffalonians against idleness and irregularity.

It was the opinion of Grotius, that what is called the fecond Epistle to the Theffalonians was in fact the first Epiftle, which St. Paul wrote to them. This opinion he grounds on 2 Theff. iii. 17. where the Apostle fays, The falutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every Epiftle: fo I write.' Hence Grotius concluded that this was the firft Epiftle, which St. Paul wrote to the Theffalonians, because he taught them in what manner they were to diftinguifh his genuine Epiftles from thofe, which were forged in his name. this inference is ungrounded, for a writer does not always think it neceffary in the very firft Epiftle to give the tokens of authenticity. On the contrary, it is more probable that he would do this, after letters had been forged in his name, than at the beginning of the correfpondence.

But

CHAP. XIII.

OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS.

ST

SECT. I.

Of the perfon and character of Titus.

T. PAUL's Epiftle to Titus might not improperly be called an Epistle to the Cretans: for the defign of it was not fo much to inftruct Titus in matters, which he must have known even without this Epiftle, as to

put

put into his hands an order, which he might lay before the Cretans, and to which he might appeal whenever unworthy and unqualified persons attempted to intrude into the epifcopal office. The contents of this Epiftle are nearly of the fame kind as thofe of the firft Epistle to Timothy. The churches in Crete were hitherto without bishops and minifters: Titus therefore was ordered to appoint them, and at the fame time was cautioned against fome, who were of the circumcifion, and who endeavoured to procure for themselves the ecclefiaftical offices. Of the perfon and character of Titus we have no further knowledge, than what is related in the New Teftament: from which it appears that he was by birth a heathen, that he was not circumcifed, as Timothy was, that he fometimes accompanied St. Paul, and was fometimes fent as deputy to Chriftian communities.

с

It is remarkable that St. Luke has not once mentioned the name of Titus throughout the Acts of the Apostles, though St. Paul makes frequent mention of him in his Epiftles. But St. Luke's filence will ceafe to be extraordinary, when we confider the period, in which Titus attended St. Paul. He was prefent with the Apostle at three different times. First, on that journey to Jerufalem, which is described Acts xv. as St. Paul himself in his Epiftle to the Galatians relates in exprefs terms. But in this inftance, though St. Luke has not mentioned him by name, he has included him under the general expreffion feveral other of them', namely of the Gentile converts. From this period, as far as we may judge from the Epiftles of St. Paul, fome time must have elapfed, before Titus was again with him: but in the fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians the name of Titusis frequently mentioned, where it appears that he had been with St. Paul at Ephefus, and was fent from that

city

Of thefe ecclefiaftical offices, I fhall treat in the Notes to the Epiftle to Titus, and to the first Epistle to Timothy. • A&ts xv. 2.

< Ch. ii. 1. 3.

Gal. ii. 3. ← Ch. ii. 13. vii. 6. 13. 14. viii. 6. 16. 23 xii. 18.

city to Corinth. St. Paul, on his own departure from Ephefus, expected to meet Titus again at Troas but in this expectation he was disappointed, for he did not meet with him, till his arrival in Macedonia3, whence the Apostle fent Titus again with a new commiffion to Corinth. Now these engagements of Titus took place during the period in which St. Luke was abfent from St. Paul; and this is the reafon why he is filent in respect to the tranfactions of Titus, as alfo of many tranfactions of St. Paul, which took place in this interval. When St. Luke again joined company with St. Paul, Titus does not appear to have been with him, fo that these two Gentile converts attended perhaps the Apostle alternately. The third and last time, that we find Titus with St. Paul, was fhortly before the second Epiftle to Timothy was written, in which St. Paul fays ch. iv. 1o. that Titus was departed for Dalmatia. But this paffage is of little importance in determining the date of the Epiftle to Titus, which was certainly written long before the fecond Fpiftle to Timothy. This question, which will be examined in the following fection, must be determined by the paffages above quoted.

SECT. II.

When and where the Epistle to Titus was written.

CF

HRISTIANITY had been very early planted in Crete, though we are not certain by whom it was first introduced there: but as feveral Cretans were prefent in Jerufalem on the day of Pentecoft, at the first effufion of the Holy Ghoft, it is not improbable that on their return they made known the Chriftian religion. The only inftance, in which St. Luke has made any

2 Cor. ii. 12. 13.

Ch. vii. 6. 13.

* See Vol. III. Ch. vi. Sc. 3. of this Introduction.

mention

i Acts ii. 11.

mention of a voyage of St. Paul to Crete is in Acts xxvii. 7. 8. But at that time St. Paul was on his voyage, as a prifoner, to Italy, and seems ouly to have touched at the ifland. It is true that St. Paul expreffed to the Roman Centurion a wish to pafs the winter there: but St. Luke has not mentioned that he went on fhore, nor is it probable that the Roman centurion would have given him permiffion, as he was then a prifoner. With this voyage therefore of St. Paul to Crete the Epiftle to Titus has no connexion.

But that St. Paul not only had been in the island of Crete, but had preached the Gofpel there, not long before he wrote his Epistle to Titus, is evident from its contents for St. Paul fays, ch. i. 5. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou fhouldeft fet in order the things, that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.' Now as St. Luke has taken no notice in the Acts of the Apoftles of the voyage undertaken by St. Paul to Crete, when he appointed Titus to ordain elders, we have no other means of determining the time when it happened, than a comparison of the facts mentioned in the Epiftle to Titus with what we know in general of St. Paul's travels. It is on this account that commentators are fo much at variance in respect to the date of this Epiftle: and I myself entertain at prefent a very different opinion from that, which I formerly entertained. In the first edition of this Introduction, I defcribed the Epiftle to Titus, as written after St. Paul's imprisonment at Rome: in the second edition I wavered in this opinion: when I published the third edition, I thought it highly probable that this Epiftle was written long before St. Paul's voyage as a prifoner to Italy: and at present I have no doubt that it really was, and that in the chronological arrangement of St. Paul's Epiftles it fhould be placed between the fecond Epistle to the Theffalonians and the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians.

St. Paul fays to Titus, ch. iii. 12. When I fhall fend Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come

unta