spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord*." Colos. ch. iii. 16. "In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord t." Ephes. ch. vi. 22. "Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts ‡." Colos. ch. iv. 8. "Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts §." In these examples, we do not perceive a cento of phrases gathered from one composition, and strung together in the other; but the occasional occurrence of the same expression to a mind a second time revolving the same ideas. 2. Whoever writes two letters, or two discourses, nearly upon the same subject, and at no great distance of time, but without any express recollection of what he had written before, will find himself repeating some sentences, in the very order of the words in which he had already used them; but he will more frequently find himself employing some principal terms, with the order inadvertently changed, * Ephes. ch. v. 19. Ψαλμοις και ύμνοις, και ῳδαις πνευματικαίς άδοντες και ψαλλοντες εν τη καρδια ύμων τῷ Κυρίῳ. + Colos. ch. iii. 16. Ψαλμοις και ύμνοις και ῳδαις πνευματικαίς, εν χαριτι άδοντες εν τη καρδια ύμων τῷ Κυρίῳ. † Ephes. ch. vi. 22. Ον επεμψα προς ύμας εις αυτο τετο, ἵνα γνωτε τα περι ήμων, και παρακάλεση τας καρδίας ύμων. § Colos. ch. iv. 8. Ον επεμψα προς ύμας εις αυτό τουτο, ἵνα γνῳ τα περι ύμων, και παρακαλέση τας καρδίας ύμων. or with the order disturbed by the intermixture of other words and phrases expressive of ideas rising up at the time; or in many instances repeating not single words, nor yet whole sentences, but parts and fragments of sentences. Of all these varieties the examination of our two epistles will furnish plain examples: and I should rely upon this class of instances more than upon the last; because, although an impostor might transcribe into a forgery entire sentences and phrases, yet the dislocation of words, the partial recollection of phrases and sentences, the intermixture of new terms and new ideas with terms and ideas before used, which will appear in the examples that follow, and which are the natural properties of writings produced under the circumstances in which these epistles are represented to have been composed-would not, I think, have occurred to the invention of a forger; nor, if they had occurred, would they have been so easily executed. This studied variation was a refinement in forgery which I believe did not exist; or, if we can suppose it to have been practised in the instances adduced below, why, it may be asked, was not the same art exercised upon those which we have collected in the preceding class? Ephes. ch. i. 19. chap. ii. 5. "Towards us who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead (and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come. And hath put all things under VOL. III. L his feet and gave him to be the head over all things, to the church, which is his body, the fulness of all things, that filleth all in all;) and you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we had all our conversation, in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewithal he loved us), even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ *." Colos. ch. ii. 12, 13. "Through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead and you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of the flesh, hath he quickened together with him t." Out of the long quotation from the Ephesians take away the parentheses, and you have left a sentence almost in terms the same as the short quotation from the Colossians. The resemblance is more visible in * Ephes. ch. i. 19, 20; ii. 1. 5. Τους πιστεύοντας κατα την ενεργειαν του κράτους της ισχύος αυτού, ἣν ενηργησεν εν τῳ Χριστῳ, εγειρας αυτόν εκ νεκρων, και εκάθισεν εν δεξια αυτού εν τοις επουρα νιοις—και ύμας οντας νεκρους τοις παραπτώμασι και ταις ἁμαρτίαις και οντας ήμας νεκρους τοις παραπτώμασι, συνεζωοποίησε τω Χριστῳ. + Colos. ch. ii. 12, 13. Δια της πίστεως της ενεργειας του Θεου του εγείραντος αυτόν εκ των νεκρών. Και ὑμας νεκρους οντας εν τοις παραπτώμασι και τη ακροβυστία της σαρκος ύμων, συνεζωοποίησε συν αυτώ. in the original than in our translation; for what is rendered in one place, "the working," and in another the "operation," is the same Greek term Evepysia: in one place it is, τους πιστεύοντας κατα την ενέργειαν ; the other, δια της πίστεως της ενέργειας. Here, therefore, we have the same sentiment, and nearly in the same words; but, in the Ephesians, twice broken or interrupted by incidental thoughts, which St. Paul, as his manner was, enlarges upon by the way*, and then returns to the thread of his discourse. It is interrupted the first time by a view which breaks in upon his mind of the exaltation of Christ; and the second time by a description of heathen depravity. I have only to remark that Griesbach, in his very accurate edition, gives the parentheses very nearly in the same manner in which they are here placed; and that without any respect to the comparison which we are proposing. Ephes. ch. iv. 2-4. "With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling +." Colos. ch. iii. 12-15. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long * Vide Locke in loc. + Ephes. ch. iv. 24. Μετα πασης ταπεινοφροσυνης και προςτητος, μετα μακροθυμίας, ανεχομενοι αλλήλων εν αγαπη σπουδα ζοντες τηρειν την ενοτητα του πνευματος εν τω συνδεσμο της ειρήνης. Εν σώμα και ἓν πνευμα, καθως και εκλήθητε εν μια ελπίδι της κλήσεως ὑμων. suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye; and, above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness; and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body *.” In these two quotations the words ταπεινοφροσύνη, πραότης, μακροθυμία, ανεχομενοι αλληλων, occur in exactly the same order: αγαπη is also found in both, but in a different connexion ; συνδεσμος της ειρηνης answers to συνδεσμος της τελειότητος: εκλήθητε εν ένι σωματι to έν σωμα καθως και εκλήθητε εν μια ελπιδι : yet is this similitude found in the midst of sentences otherwise very different. Ephes. ch. iv. 16. "From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body t." Colos. ch. ii. 19. " From which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God ‡." * Colos. ch. iii. 12-15. Ενδύσασθε ουν ως εκλεκτοι του Θεου άγιοι και ηγαπημενοι, σπλαγχνα οικτίρμων, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσυνην, πραότητα, μακροθυμίαν ανεχομενοι αλλήλων, και χαριζομενοι ἑαυτοις, εαν τις προς τινα εχη μομφην καθως και ὁ Χριστος εχαρισατο ὑμιν, οὕτω και ὑμεις· επι πασι δε τούτοις την αγάπην, ήτις εστι συνδεσμος της τελειότητος· και η ειρηνη του Θεου βραβεύετα εν ταις καρδίαις ύμων, εις ἣν και εκλήθητε εν ένι σωματι. + Ephes. ch. iv. 16. Εξ οὗ παν το σωμα συναρμολογούμενον και συμβιβαζόμενον δια πάσης άφης της επιχορηγίας κατ' ενέργειαν εν μετρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκαστου μερους την αυξησιν του σωματος ποιειται. † Colos. ch. ii. 19. Εξ οὗ παν το σωμα δια των άφων και συνδεσμων επιχορηγουμενον και συμβιβαζόμενον, αύξει την αυξησιν του Θεου. |