Philanthrōpia, or, The transcendency of Christs love towards the children of men Laid down by the apostle St. Paul, in Ephes. 3. 19. A treatise formerly preached, but now enlarged and published for common benefit. By Peter Williams, preacher of the Gospel.

Sect. 2.

* 1.1BUT I come to the words themselves, and I meet with several readings and interpre∣tations of them among Expositors, which I shall mention, and pitch upon that, which I conceive most agreeable to the Apostles meaning in this place.

(1.) The Syriack Translation (as I find it rendred byb 1.2 Tremelius) runs thus, That you may know the greatness of the love of Christ. This is good, those two words (passing knowledge) being supplyed by one word (greatness:) yet

it seems to be defective; for (according to the sense of this place) there is not only a positive, but a superlative greatness in the love of Christ, an exceeding greatness, as is expressed concern∣ing Gods Power, Eph. 1.19.

(2.) The vulgar Latine runs thus, Scire eti∣am supereminentem scientiae charitatem Christi: which Erasmus (from the ambiguity of the word scientiae, being both the Genitive and Da∣tive Case) is doubtful how to paraphrase, whe∣ther according to the Dative Case, To know the love of Christ, which is greater than can be known; or according to Ambrose, which excelleth, or hath the preheminence of our knowledge; or else, according to the Genitive Case, To know the ex∣cellent love of the knowledge of Christ:c 1.3 but he enclines to this latter sense, as most agreeable to the Greek. Of this Reading I shall speak more under the next Head: and in the mean time I have this to say against Erasmus his drawing of the Vulgar Translation to this sense, That I much question whether it be agreeable to the mind of that Interpreter, whoever he was: for its likely, if he had intended any such thing, he would have otherwise placed the words, not Scire supereminentem scientiae charitatem Chri∣sti, but Scire supereminentem charitatem scientiae Christi. Besides, the great Patrons of this Trans∣lation, (I mean the Papists) carry the sense quite another way, at least those which I have seen, as Dion, Carthus, Estius, Tirinus, A La∣pide, of whom more afterwards.

(3.) The next Reading, is that which was even now mentioned, Ʋt{que} sciretis eximiam

dilectionem cognitionis Christi, And that you may know the excellent love of the knowledge of Christ; Nor is Erasmus single in owning of it.d 1.4 Beza fathers it upon Hierome.e 1.5 Heinsius contends stiffly for it, and expounds it to this sense, That the Apostle prayes for their knowledge, and under∣standing of that excellent, transcendent, and un∣speakable love, which Christ exhibits and declares to the Sons of Men, when he calls them to the knowledge of himself.f 1.6 Vorstius is not against it, and expounds it to the same sense.g 1.7 Grotius allows it, and gives this sense of it, That they might know, that is, experience in themselves that love of God and their Neighbour, which ari∣seth from the knowledge of Christ: He tells us of a M. S. in which the words are thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and sayes, that it seems there were some Copies in Hierome's time, which had it thus, because he so expounds it. And our English Annotator, who treads in his steps, (Dr. Hammond) makes mention of a M. S. of the Kings, wherein the words are so placed. And indeed if the words were so read in all, or the most Copies, it were indisputably on their side; but seeing it is other∣wife, I crave leave to dissent, and (reserving all due reverence to the learned Authors fore∣mentioned) to conclude with Beza,h 1.8 That

those who go this way, do but in vain trouble them∣selves to produce an obscure sense of the words, not without a more violent transposition than can be well admitted, especially seeing they may be car∣ried without any straining, to a better sense another way.

(4.) Another Reading is that of Ambrose, who renders it, Scire etiam supereminentem sci∣entiam charitatis Christi, as if it were not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; And thus Augustine reads it in his 120th. Epistle, (mihi) p. 697. To know the transcendent knowledge of the love of Christ: But this requires a greater mutation of the words than the former, to make it good; nor do I find, or hear of any Original Copy to countenance it, as the other hath. Besides this, Augustine mentions it only in transitu; and though Ambrose thus renders the words, yet his Comment is wholly agreeable to the sense I aim at, if it were his, (which yeti 1.9 many learned men do question.) I shall produce instances from him afterwards, and in the mean time shall leave this, and come to that which I conceive to be the main.

(5.) In the last place therefore, Beza reads the words thus, Cognoscere charitatem illam Christi omni cognitione superiorem, which our English Translatours follow, and render it as you read, And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Now from this Translation (which is so generally known, and received a∣mong us) I am not willing to recede without just occasion, which not finding as to this place, I shall cloze with it, and give you that which I

conceive to be the true and proper sense, and meaning of the words.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The seve∣ral Read∣ings.
• b 1.2

  Ut cog∣n••scatis magnitudi∣nem cha••i∣tatis Chri∣sti. Trem.
• c 1.3

  Posterior sensus ma∣gis quadrat. ad Graecum sermonem. Eras. in loc.
• d 1.4

  Hiero∣n••mus in∣terpretatur, eximiam dilectio∣nem cogni∣tionis Ch••i∣sti. Bez. in loc.
• e 1.5

  Det & vobis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, inquit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ut intelligatis excellen∣t••m, at{que} superemi∣n••ntem amorem il∣lius cogni∣tionis Chri∣sti. Hoc est qu••m, cùm ad cogniti∣onem sui nos voca∣vit, exhi∣buit, ac de∣claravit nobis Chri∣stus. Heins. in loc.
• f 1.6

  In his verbis potest esse trajectio, quasi dicat Apo∣stolus, excellentem Dei charitatem in ipsâ Christi cognitione, quae nobis contigit, elucere. Vorst. Schol. in loc.
• g 1.7

  Summam illam dilectionem, Dei scilicet, & proximi, quae ex cognitione Christi oritur. Grot. in loc.
• h 1.8

  Quidam in hoc explicando loco frustrà se torserunt, ut Hieronymus, qui interpretatur eximiam dilectionem cognitionis Christi, obscuro sensu, & trajectione ità violentâ, ut admitti certè non possit. Beza in loc.
• i 1.9

  Bellar. de script. Eccles. p. 64. Geth. Pa∣trolog. p. 281. Rivet. Crit. Sacr. lib. 3. cap. 18.