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preffions, were intended to convey the same meaning, and to relate to the fame journey. the comparison of these phrases gives us St. Paul's own explanation of his own words; and it is that very explanation which we are contending for, viz, that 7PITOV TÉTÍ ερχομαι does not mean that he was coming a third time, but that this was the third time he was in readineís to come, τριτον ετοίμως εχων. I do not apprehend, that after this it can be neceffary to call to our aid the reading of the Alexandrian manuscript, which gives ετοίμως εχω ελθειν in the thirteenth chapter as well as in the twelfth; or of the Syriac and Coptic verfions, which follow that reading; because I allow that this reading, befides not being fufficiently fupported by ancient copies, is probably paraphraftical, and has been inferted for the purpose of expreffing more unequivocally the sense, which the fhorter expreffion TρTOV τετο έρχομαι was fuppofed to carry. Upon the whole, the matter is fufficiently certain; nor do I propofe it as a new interpretation of the text which contains the difficulty, for the fame was given by Grotius long

ago;

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ago; but I thought it the cleareft way of explaining the fubject, to defcribe the manner in which the difficulty, the folution, and the proofs of that folution, fucceffively prefented themselves to my inquiries. Now, in hiftorical researches, a reconciled inconfiftency becomes a pofitive argument. First, because an impoftor generally guards against the appearance of inconfiftency; and fecondly, becaufe, when apparent inconfiftencies are found, it is feldom that any thing but truth renders them capable of reconciliation. The existence of the difficulty proves the want or abfence of that caution, which usually accompanies the conscioufnefs of fraud; and the folution proves, that it is not the collufion of fortuitous propofitions which we have to deal with, but that a thread of truth winds through the whole, which preferves every circumstance in its place.

No. XII.

Chap. x. ver. 14—16. "We are come as far as to you alfo, in preaching the Gofpel of Chrift; not boafting of things "without our measure, that is, of other

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"men's labours; but having hope, when

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your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you, according to our rule, "abundantly to preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you."

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This quotation affords an indirect, and therefore unfufpicious, but at the same time a distinct and indubitable recognition of the truth and exactness of the history. I confider it to be implied by the words of the quotation, that Corinth was the extremity of St. Paul's travels hitherto. He expreffes to the Corinthians his hope, that in some future vifit he might "preach the Gospel to the regions beyond them;" which imports that he had not hitherto proceeded "beyond them," but that Corinth was as yet the fartheft point or boundary of his travels. Now, how is St. Paul's first journey into Europe, which was the only one he had taken before the writing of the epistle, traced out in the hiftory? Sailing from Afia, he landed at Philippi; from Philippi, traverfing the eastern coaft of the peninfula, he paffed through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Theffalonica; from thence through Berea

to

to Athens, and from Athens to Corinth, where he stopped; and from whence, after a refidence of a year and a half, he failed back into Syria. So that Corinth was the laft place which he visited in the peninfula; was the place from which he returned into Afia; and was, as fuch, the boundary and limit of his progrefs. He could not have faid the fame thing, viz. "I hope hereafter to vifit the regions beyond you," in an epistle to the Philippians, or in an epistle to the Theffalonians, inafmuch as he must be deemed to have already vifited the regions beyond them, having proceeded from those cities to other parts of Greece. But from Corinth he returned home; every part therefore, beyond that city, might properly be faid, as it is faid in the paffage before us, to be unvifited. Yet is this propriety, the fpontaneous effect of truth, and produced without meditation or defign.

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CHAP. V.

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS.

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No. I.

THE argument of

HE argument of this epiftle in fome measure proves its antiquity. It will hardly be doubted, but that it was written whilft the dispute concerning the circumcifion of Gentile converts was fresh in men's minds: for, even fuppofing it to have been a forgery, the only credible motive that can be affigned for the forgery, was to bring the name and authority of the apostle into this controversy. No defign could be fo infipid, or fo unlikely to enter into the thoughts of any man, as to produce an epistle written earneftly and pointedly upon. one fide of a controverfy, when the controverfy itself was dead, and the question no longer interesting to any description of readers whatever. Now the controverfy concerning the circumcifion of the Gentile. Chriftians

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