But though here are words resembling those of St. Paul, Rom. xi. there is no reason to think Barnabas has any respect to them. They are used by him in a different sense, and on another account.

N. T.

XVI. Philip. iv. 5. "The Lord is at hand."

2 Pet. iii. 10. "The earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up.

Rev. xxii. 12. “Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me."

BARNABAS.

XVI. Ch. xxi. The day is near, in which all things shall be destroyed, together with the wicked one. The Lord is near, and his reward.'

Some may apprehend, that there is here a reference to some text, or texts, of the New Testament. But I think by no means. If he alludes to any text of scripture, it is to Isa. xl. 10. "His reward is with him, and his work before him" or lxii. 11. "Behold, thy salvation cometh: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him :" as Menard has observed upon this place of Barnabas.

N. T.

XVII. 2 Tim. i. 10. " But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Rom. xv. 8. "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers."

XVIII, Heb. iii. 5. “ And a Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant. ——6. But Christ, as a son, over his own house, whose house are we."

0 Ο Κύριος εγγυς.

Ρ Εγγυς γαρ ἡμερα, εν ἡ συναπολείται παντα τῳ πονηρῳ. Εγγυς ὁ Κύριος, και ὁ μισθος αυτ8. 4 Και Μωσης μεν

r

πιςος-ὡς θεράπων.-Χριστος δε, ώς ύιος επι τον οικον αυτ8, οὗ οικος εσμεν ἡμεις. Μωσης θεράπων ὧν ελαβεν αυτος δε ὁ Κύριος ἡμιν εδωκεν, εις λαον κληρονομιας, δια ἡμᾶς ὑπομείνας.

N. T.

BARNABAS.

testament.] But the Lord himself has given them to us, the people of his inheritance, he having suffered for us.'

There does not appear to me any the least reason to suppose, that Barnabas has here any respect to the epistle to the Hebrews. He often argues like the author of that epistle, without borrowing from him.

N. T.

XIX. Heb. x. 25. "Nots forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is."

XX. 1 Pet. i. 17. "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons, judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear."

BARNABAS.

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XIX. Ch. iv. Dot not withdraw yourselves from others, like justified men.'

XX. Ch. iv. As much as in us lies, let us meditate on the fear of God, and strive to keep his commandments, that we may rejoice in his judgments. For the Lord judges the world without respect of persons, and every one shall receive according to what he does.'

Thus I have put down the most" material passages of Barnabas, which may be supposed to contain allusions to the books of the New Testament, that every one may be able to judge for himself. But excepting some of the first numbers, I do not allege them as express quotations or allusions. In most of these places, Barnabas does not appear an imitator, or copier of others, but an original author, who had in his mind the same doctrine with Paul, • Μη εγκαταλειποντες την επισυναγωγην, καθώς εθος τισιν. separatim debetis seducere vos, tanquam justificati.

t Non

u Note: at ch. vii.

This writer says of the Jews, that they shall say; Is not this he whom we crucified, having despised him, pierced him, and mocked him?' Where he seems to apply the words of Zech. xii. 10, which are also applied John, ch. xix. 37. Mr. Jones, vol. III. p. 144, hence concludes, that he used St. John's gospel. But I am not convinced by his arguments, the force of which depends very much upon his supposition, that this writer was originally a Gentile, and not a Jew. For though the circumstance of our Saviour's being pierced at his crucifixion be related only by St. John, v. 34, it never was a secret, but was all along well known to the christians of that time, before John wrote this gospel. It is most manifest, (as will appear hereafter,) that this writer was a perfect master of our Lord's history, and I believe, learned men in general are satisfied, he was better acquainted with the Old Testament than Mr. Jones supposed. Besides that, whom they have pierced,' may have been at that time the reading of the Seventy, as well as the Hebrew. See R. Simon. Hist. Critique du text du N. T. ch. xx. p. 242, 243.

and the other apostles. This is the idea I have formed of this epistle, from a frequent perusal of it. And some learned men have been of much the same opinion.

It is probable, that at the writing of this epistle he had read St. Matthew; and that he refers to him in numbers I. II. III. IV. and perhaps at VI. and VII. But it cannot be thought strange, that a man who was contemporary with the apostles, and had the same spirit, and the like gifts with them, if he was not an apostle himself, should often speak and reason and argue like them, without quoting their writings, or referring to them.

XXI. Before we quite leave this epistle, we must take notice of a singular passage in it.

Ch. iv. As the Son of God says: "Let us resist all iniquity, and hate it."

Menard upon the place says: This sentence we have in none of the gospels, but he had heard it from Christ, or some one of his disciples. It is like that passage of St. Paul, Acts xx. 35, " And to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said; It is more blessed to give than to receive."

66

XXII. And this passage may lead us to one observation more; that I do not in this epistle perceive any quotations or references to Apocryphal gospels. Nor do I at present recollect, that the learned men, who have so diligently collected the passages of those gospels, have suspected any quotations of them in this epistle, beside this last mentioned passage, and that at number I. And I think it without reason, that they have suspected these: it being no uncommon thing for writers to report the sense of a text or saying, without representing their very words. Or, as the same Menard upon that place says: He there alleges not any one particular text of the gospel, but expresses the sense ' of many of Christ's sayings, concerning the necessity of ⚫ enduring tribulations for the sake of eternal life: as "strait is the gate: He that will come after me”—and the like, which occur frequently in the gospels.'

X

-per omnia orthodoxus, et Apostolorum, præsertim Sti. Pauli, vestigiis insistens; ut si non laborum et itinerum, saltem dogmatum, participem ubique agnoscamus. Ad calcem J. Armachani de Barnabæ epist. præmonitionis, ap. Cotel. p. 13. Ed. Amst. 1698. y C. 4. Sicut dicit filius Dei: rez Sic inquit, nempe

sistamus omni iniquitati, et odio habeamus eam. Jesus. Non profertur hic certus aliquis Evangelii locus, sed sensus multorum Christi dictorum, de tribulationibus perferendis ab eis qui sunt æternæ vitæ studiosi: ut, Arcta via est, quæ ducit ad vitam: Qui vult venire post me, &c. et similia, quæ passim in Evangelio reperire est. Menard. ad. cap. vii. See likewise Jones, as before, vol. i. p. 518, 519.

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CHAP. II.

ST. CLEMENT. HIS HISTORY.

THE next piece, which I am to quote, is the epistle of Clement, bishop of Rome, to the church of Corinth: whom ancient writers, without any doubt or scruple, relate to have been the same Clement, whom St. Paul mentions among his "fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life," Philip. iv. 3. The epistle is written in the name of the whole church of Rome to the church of Corinth. And therefore it is called at one time the epistle of Clement, and at another the epistle of the Romans to the Corinthians. The main design of it is to compose some dissensions, which there were in the church of Corinth about their spiritual guides and governors. Which dissensions seem to have been raised by a few turbulent and selfish men among them. Upon this occasion Clement recommends not only concord and harmony, but love in general, humility, and all the virtues of a good life, and divers of the great articles and principles of religion. The style is clear and simple. It is called by the ancients an excellent, an useful, a great and admirable epistle. And the epistle still in our hands deserves all these commendations: though not entire, there being some pages wanting in the manuscript of it: and though we have but one ancient manuscript of it remaining. For which reason it cannot be altogether so correct, as if we had a number of copies to compare together.

6

It being of considerable importance in these most early writings, to settle their true age; somewhat must be ob served concerning the time when this epistle was written. The succession of the first bishops of Rome lies at present in some uncertainty and obscurity. Bishop Pearson sup* Απλως δε κατα φρασιν και εγγυς τε εκκλησιασικό και απεριεργε χαρακτηρος. Phot. Cod. 126. b Photius commends the epistle in the main. But still he says, There are in it several things liable to censure. One is, that the ́ writer, though he calls our Lord our high-priest and patron, gives him none of the higher and more divine titles. However he does not any where openly blaspheme him.' Αιτιασαιτο δ' αν τις εν ταυταις-οτι αρχιερέα και προτάτην τον Κυριον ἡμων Ιησεν Χριστον εξονομάζων, εδε τας θεοπρεπεις και ύψηλοτέρας αφηκε περί αυτ8 φωνας. Ου μην εδ' απαρακαλύπτως αυτόν εδαμη EV TETOLL Braonμɛ. Cod. 126. p. 306. That is, in modern language, it is a Socinian epistle. So upon many occasions, Photius is apt to censure ancient writers, who come not up to the orthodoxy of his time. Opera. Post. p. 172.