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A. D. 57. Eraftus the chamber lain of the city faluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

24. The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Amen.

25. Now to him that is of power to ftablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jefus Chrift (according to the revelation of the myftery, which was kept fecret fince the

world began,

Chamberlain, and Quartus a Chriftian Brother, do the fame.

and oppos'd by the
been revealed at all in

26. But now is made
manifeft, and by the
fcriptures of the Pro-
phets, according to

the commandment of

the everlafting God

made known to all
nations for the obe-
dience of faith.)

as we now preach
express Authority of
27. To God only
wife, be glory, thro'
Jefus Chrift for ever.

Amen.
¶Written to the Ro-

mans from Co-
rinthus, and fent by
Phebe, fervant of the

church at Cenchrea.

24. The Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Amen.

25. I conclude with my hearty Prayers to that God who is both able and willing to fettle and eftablifh you all in this my GospelDoctrine, viz. This of calling the Gentiles as well as Jews into the Church and Kingdom of Chrift. (A Doctrine indeed that for a long

Time has been unknown to the
Gentile World, and misunderstood
Jewish Nation, as if it had never
their Scriptures;

26. But is now, by us the Apoftles of Chrift, fully declared and demonftrated to have been the gracious Defign of God, according to the innumerable Expreffions of the antient Prophets in the Old Teftament, all unanimoufly foretelling that the Gentiles were to come into the Church of Chrift; to them in every Country, by the GOD.)

27. To that GOD alone infinitely wife, be Glory thro' JESUS CHRIST for ever. Amen.

Written to the Romans from
Corinth, and fent by Phebe,
Servant of the Church of
Cenchrea, Anno Dom. 57. ac-
cording to Bishop Pearfon.

The Mystery. So the Calling of the Gentiles is ftyled, Epbef. i. 9. iii. 3, 5, 9. Colof. i. 26. Philip. i. 27. ii. 2. iv. 3.

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A

PARAPHRASE

ON

The First Epiftle of St. PAUL

TO THE

CORINTHIANS.

T

The PREFACE.

HE following Obfervations about the City and People of Corinth, before and after their Converfion, will give the Reader a tolerable Tafte of the Spirit and Defign of both these Epiftles.

Corinth was an antient, rich, and populous Merchant-Town, the chief City of Achaia or Greece. Its Situation and Trade made it a Receptacle of great Variety of People; and the quick and inquifitive Genius of its Inhabitants, foon turn'd it into a kind of Univerfity, and stock'd it with Orators and Philofophers. That there were great Numbers of Jews there, is clear from Acts xviii. 4. But that their Obftinacy against the Gospel-Doc

X 2

trine,

trine, caused the greater Part of the Church planted there, to confift of Gentile Believers, is as evident from Acts xviii. and 1 Cor. xii. 2.

The peculiar Vice and Mifcarriage of these Orators and Philofophers, was Pride and Conceit in their buman Learning and Accomplishments. That of the Jewish Doctors, was a violent Zeal for Circumcifion and their Ceremonial Law. And the epidemical Vice of the Corinthian People, was that of Luft and Uncleannefs. The Chriftian Converts, gained over from each of these People, retained ftill too much of the Prejudices and Practices they had formerly been inured to.

By two Years indefatigable Pains, St. Paul had planted a confiderable Church in this Place. But, by his Absence from them for the Space of about two or three Years, they were over-run with great Disorders, to the Difparagement of the Chriftian Religion in general, and of his apoftolical Authority and Perfon in particular. Several Converts of the Gentile Part fet themselves up for Teachers, and by mixing their philofophical Speculations with the Chriftian Doctrine, and fetting that Medley off with Flourishes of their Oratory, gained upon the People, drew them into Parties, and into a Contempt of St. Paul their firft fpiritual Teacher, who had inftructed them only in the plain and fundamental Doctrines of Chrift as a crucify'd Saviour. On the other hand, feveral Converts of the Jewish Part defpifed and undervalued him, for making the Gentile Believers equally a Part of the Christian Church with themselves. Thus, while the Philofophical Teachers ftiled themselves the Followers of Apollos, out of Refpect to his Oratory: These ranked themselves under Cephas, i. e. St. Peter, as the

Apoftle

Apoftle of the Circumcifion; both of them ftriving to derogate from St. Paul. And amongst these there plainly appears to have been one Perfon most remarkable for setting himself up as a falfe Apoftle, the Head of the Oppofition against

St. Paul.

To vindicate himself from the Afperfions of both these Factions, and to fupport his own Apoftolical Authority, is the Purpose of the four first Chapters of the first Epistle. His fevere Cenfure of the fcandalous Act of Uncleanness in one of the Heads of the Gentile Faction; and of their bringing that, and other Cafes of Injuftice, into Heathen Courts of Judicature, makes up the fifth and fixth Chapters.

The reft of this first Epiftle is taken up in anfwering feveral Questions propofed to him, in a Letter he had lately received, in all Probability, from the more fteady and found Part of this Church, concerning the feveral undue Liberties, and licentious Doctrines of each Kind of thefe new Teachers, both in their publick Affemblies of Worship, and in their private Conversation. All which the Apostle anfwers with proper Reflections, interfperfed, upon his chief Oppofers. The main Articles whereof, I fhall, for the Benefit of the common Reader, regularly digeft at the Head of each Chapter, obferving thofe Turns the Apoftle takes from one Argument to another, according to the Ufage and Temper of the antient Eaftern Writings.

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CHAP. I.

The CONTENTS.

The Introduction. He congratulates their Converfion to the Chriftian Religion, and the Gifts conferr'd upon their Church, to Ver. 10. Then fhews the main Defign of his Epistle to be, to cure them of the Divifions among them, fomented by new and falfe Teachers both of the Gentile and Jewish Part, who fet themfelves up for Heads and Leaders of Parties. Shews them the Abfurdity and Unreasonableness of it. Clears himself of any fuch Proceeding. Lays down the plain Doctrine of a crucify'd Saviour as the chief Article of Chriftianity; and proves the Wisdom, Power, and Excellency of the Difpenfation, as far exceeding the Philofophy of the Gentiles, or the worldly and temporal Expectations of the Jews. A. D. 57. 1. PAUL called to 1 & 2. Paul Manner to be PA be an apostle of Jefus Chrift, through the will of God, and Softhenes, our brother. 2. Unto the church of God which is at

Corinth, to them that
are fanctified in Chrift
Jefus, called to be
faints, with all that in
every place call upon
the name of Jefus
Christ our Lord, both

3. Grace be unto
you, and peace from
God our Father, and
from the Lord Jefus
Chrift.

AUL called in a fpecial

an Apoftle of Jefus Chrift, together with Softhenes our Chriftian Brother, writeth this Epistle to the Church of Corinth, and to all the Chriftian People of those Parts, who worship God through Jefus Chrift, the Lord and Saviour of us all who embrace and profefs his true Religion.

theirs and ours.

3. Praying for all divine Favours and Bleffings upon you, from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift.

See Als ix. Galat. i. 11, 12.

4. And

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