Annotations on Chap. XVI.

[ a] * V. 1. Servant of the Church] What 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to minister, signifies in the New Testament hath formerly been noted at large (see Lu. 8. a.) viz. to relieve the poor, either out of the stock of the Church, as admi∣nistrators and dispensers of others liberality and almes, or, as hospitable charitable persons, out of their own substance. So the women that administred to Christ〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉out of their own estates, and so Phoebe here,* who is therefore called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a reliever, or patroness, of many, see Lu. 8. a. and of Paul himself,* ver. 2. and in all probability is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 Cor. 9. 5. the sister, or believing Christian woman, which either did, or, if Paul would have ac∣cepted it, would have helped him and Barnabas to eat and drink, ver. 4. without labouring with their hands v. 6. Such as she accompanying the Apostles in their journies to preach the Gospel (as of her it appears by S. Paul's sending this Epistle from Corinth to Rome by her, as 'tis in the subscription) and furnishing them with all things, which they wanted, from whence they are said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to labour in the Lord v.* 6, and 12. whereupon saith the Scholiast, that the Apostles carried about with them some matrons of good report 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that made provision for their necessary uses,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that the Apo∣stles being free from those cares might be at leisure for preaching only; and Theophylact,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, rich women follow∣ed the Apostles, and provided them necessaries, and eased them of all that care, &c. See note on 1 Tim. 5. a.

[ b] * V. 7. Apostles] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Apostle signifies primari∣ly that office whereunto the Twelve were set apart by Christ immediately, and so that of S. Paul and Bar∣nabas, sent immediately by appointment of the holy Ghost, Act. 13. 2. Secondarily it belongs to some others after, that received the like Commission from the Twelve, or from S. Paul; thus is James the Bishop of Hierusalem often called an Apostle. And so saith Theodoret of those first times, that those which were after called Bishops, were then called Apostles. So, saith he, Epaphroditus is called Apostle of the Philip∣pians, Phil. 2. 5. because he was their Bishop. So Cle∣mens Romanus is by Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom. l. 4. called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Clemens the Apostle. So Ignatius is by S. Chrysostome called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Apostle and Bishop. So of Timothy,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉the Apostle Timotheus was made Bishop of Ephesus, saith an anonymous writer in*Photius. So that Thaddaeus, that was sent by Thomas to the King of Edessa, is styled in Eusebius l. 1. c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Apostle Thaddaeus. So Mark in Epipha∣nius, Haer. 51. and in Eusebius l. 2. c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. So Luke also by Epiphanius Haer. 51. And if it be he which is mention'd 2 Cor. 8. 18. in the style of who is praised for the Gospel, or for preaching through all the Churches (as Ignatius affirms, Ep. to the Ephes. and though Ba∣ronius affirm it to be Silas and*Theodoret, Barnabas, yet Titus Bostrensis on Luke 1. p. 763. C. and S. Jerom on 2 Cor. 8. and from him others have general∣ly Page  509 conceived to be he, being a constant companion of S. Paul in all his travails, as farre as the book of the Acts reaches, and therefore i• said by*Eusebius to have written the Gospel from other mens testimonies, but the Acts〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉from his own sight) and not onely so, but, as it followes v. 19. ordained by the Churches〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Paul's fellow-travailer; then there will be little question, but that title might belong to him, & that he was one of those which are called there v. 23. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Apostles of the Churches. Whether this sense doe belong to the word in this place, it will be yet uncertain, because though it be granted that in those other places the secondary Apostles were certainly meant (and beside this there is no other un∣named, but those which confessedly belong to the twelve Apostles, &c.) yet 'tis possible that these here, Andronicus and Junias, may not be called Apostles, but onely 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉noted, known men 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉a∣mong the Apostles, that is, among the twelve Apostles, as well they might be, having been Christians more anciently then S. Paul, and so converted either by the Apostles probably, or by Christ himself. 'Tis true after all this, that in the Constitutions of the Emperours we find Apostoli Synagogarum, Apostles of the Syna∣gogues, whose office it was among the Jewes to gather up the dues of the Patriarch that lived in Palastine. And proportionably to those the word Apostles might signifie no more then messengers of the Churches, sent about Ecclesiastick affairs, such as are in Ignatius his Epistles called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉sacred or divine officers or messengers. But, it appears not, that in any place of the New Testament the word is used in this sense. See Note on Luke 6. c. and on Joh. 20. 21.

[ c] * V. 16. Holy Kisse] The close of all the Christians prayers was wont to be in form of Benediction, and that Benediction the wishing all charity and unity a∣mong them (after the example of the love of God to∣ward them) in the known form, The grace, or chari∣ty, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communication, or bounty, of the holy Ghost, be with, or among you, alwaies, that is, be continued a∣mong you, as it is from every person of the Trinity to∣ward you. And this being the form of dismissing the assembly, it was ceremoniously observed among them to part with the kissing one another. So saith Justin Martyr Apol. 2. describing the Church-meetings, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when we make an end of prayers, we salute one another with a kisse, which is therefore called the kisse of peace: and Tertullian de Orat. Osculum pacis est signaculum oratio∣nis, the kisse of peace is the seal of pr•yer. This there∣fore is here called the holy kisse, and S. Paul's bidding them salute one another with it, is in effect all one as his pronouncing that benediction which was wont to be attended with it.