A supplement to Dr. Hammond's paraphrase and annotations on the New Testament in which his interpretation of many important passages is freely and impartially examin'd, and confirm'd or refuted : and the sacred text further explain'd by new remarks upon every chapter / by Monsieur Le Clerc ; English'd by W. P. ; to which is prefix'd a letter from the author to a friend in England, occasion'd by this translation.

CHAP. I.

Vers. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] There are a few things which it may not be amiss to remark upon this Chapter, tho Dr. Hammond has passed it over without any Annotations, content∣ing himself to express what he thought to be the meaning of it in his Paraphrase. Grotius explaining these words tells us, that the Apostle non nominat hic Presbyteros & Diaconos, quia recens erat Ecclesia, nec dum formam plenam acceperat; does not name here Presbyters and Dea∣cons, because the Church of Thessalonica had been but lately gathered, and not yet formed into a regular Church. But if this reason be good, none of the Churches to which St. Paul wrote, except that of Philippi, were regularly formed Churches; because there is no mention made of Church-Governors, Bishops and Deacons, in the inscriptions of any of the Epistles, but to the Philippians. But who will believe that the Ephesian and Corinthian Churches, in which St. Paul had for a great while resided, were not yet so constituted as to have Rectors in them; and yet that the Church of Philippi, in which he made a shorter stay, had? Of the Church of Ephesus the contrary appears from Acts xx.17, 28. and of the Corinthian, by the Epistles themselves written to that Church. So that there must be another reason given for St. Paul's not making mention of Bishops and Deacons in the Inscriptions of all his Epistles. And that which seems to me the most probable is, that the Governors of the Primitive Churches were modest, humble Men, who were unwilling to have themselves distinguished from the rest of the People in the front of St. Paul's Epistles, that they might not appear to pretend to any magisterial Authority, but to look up∣on themselves only as Ministers instituted for the sake of Order and Christian Society. There are a great many signs of this, especially in the Epistles to the Corinthians, in which the Governors of the Churches of Achaia are no where order'd to use any Authority in the

Administration of their Office, or in curbing evil Men who broke the Order of the Church. St. Paul every where speaks to whole Churches, never to the Governors of them apart from the People. However I would not be thought to deny, that some Churches were not yet compleatly formed when St. Paul wrote to them; in which number seems to have been the Church of Rome. But this of Thessalo∣nica must be excepted, as appears from Chap. v.12, 13.

Ibid. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] That is, the Church of God and Christ. The Jews often pleaded that they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Kehal o hedath Jehovah, The Congregation of the Lord, a phrase not unusual in Moses, of which we have an example in Num. xvi.3. Now to distinguish the Christians from the Jews, St. Paul calls them, not only the Church or Congregation of God, but of Christ. The Phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be in Christ, is to be a Christian, and being subjoined to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies a Christian Church, or a Church of Christ. See Note on Rom. xii.5.

Vers. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] The Genitive Case here signifies the relation of a cause to its effect; so that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is a work of which Faith is the cause, or such a work as can proceed only from Faith. Such was mens renouncing Heathenism, and totally for∣saking their old Customs and Practices in order to embrace the Christi∣an Religion, and regulate the remaining part of their Lives accord∣ing to its Precepts; which could not be done but by those who be∣lieved Jesus to be truly sent from God, and gave the Apostles a Commission to preach what they did, and so the whole Doctrin of the Gospel to be true. About the ambiguous signification of a Genitive case, see what I have said in my Ars Critica, Part 2. Sect. 1. C. xii.

Ibid. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] Love or Charity creates 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, labour to a degree of Fatigue, when a Man loves his Neighbour so as to put himself to a great many Hardships and Troubles, and resolves to spare no pains whereby he may benefit others. Such was the Charity of St. Paul, who patiently underwent incredible difficulties in those long Journeys, to mention no more, which he made, that he might rescue multitudes of Men from eternal Destruction. And that the Thessalonians followed his example, as far as they could, he himself teaches us in this place.

Ibid. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] That patience of Adversities, which Hope produces, is never more remarkable, than when Christians are perse∣cuted for their Religion, and submit to any Sufferings rather than comply with the demands of Heathens. For the hope of eternal Happiness makes them most patiently undergo the cruellest Torments.

The Apostle therefore here teaches us that from the three great Ver∣tues of Faith, Charity, and Hope, proceed as all kind of good Works, so particularly an officious Diligence, which declines no Labour, and submits to any Calamities whatsoever.

Ibid. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] That is, God looking on, as an Agonotheta or Overseer of the Games, who confers a Crown on those that exercise themselves in Christian Vertues, and persevere in them to their lives end. The Arabick and Syriack seem to have omitted these Words, because they could not connect them with the foregoing, when other Copies have them. But they might have been left out without di∣sturbing or altering the Sense.

Vers. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] That is, knowing and seeing that upon your embracing the Gospel, God has actually distinguished you from other People. See Note on Eph. 1.4. They who rejected the Gospel when preached to them, were not discriminated from other people, but lay buried still among the unbelieving multitude of Man∣kind, as before.

Vers. 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] Supply 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, having received the Word, which was in much affliction, that is, the Preachers of which were grievously afflicted; with joy of the Holy Ghost, that is, with a pious chearfulness, preferring a good Conscience and the hope of eternal Happiness, to carnal Joy, joined with a course of Sin, and worldly Possessions.

Vers. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] See what I have said on this Word on 1 Cor. x.7.

Vers. 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] Beza and Grotius think that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 must be prefixed to the Words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as if the Sense should be: For from you not only sounded forth the Word of the Lord in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your Faith is spread abroad. But if we carefully consider these words, we shall perceive that the opposition here is not between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the sounding out of the Word, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Thessalonians Faith, but between Macedonia and A∣chaia, which were parts of Greece, and every place, that is, all the pla∣ces of the Roman Empire in which there were any Christians. For the Discourse ascends in this manner:

The Gospel is become fa∣mous not only in some Countries of Greece, by the means of your Faith, whereof they have heard, but also through all the Christian Churches your Faith is spread abroad.

The Word of God is said to have sounded out from the Thessalonians in Macedonia and Achaia, that is, to have been made famous by their Faith. And this is what is meant by the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the going out of their Faith, for to go out is to be spread abroad. See Psalm xix.4. and Interpreters.

* 1.1Vers. 9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] The Alexandrian Copy here reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 we had, which is better than 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 follows, and the Discourse is about a thing past: So that it must be read either 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Vers. 10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] Grotius thinks this is the Present tense for the Future, but without any necessity; for he at present frees us from the Wrath to come, that sets us upon such a Course of Life, which if we constantly follow, we shall have no reason to fear that Wrath. Dr. Hammond thinks the Destruction of Jerusalem is also here inti∣mated; but I am not of his opinion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chapter II.