lem, and a year or two before his own death, about the year 60: which is alfo the opinion of Fabricius. But that appears to me rather too foon. If St. James fuffered martyrdom in the year 62, I should be inclined to think, this epiftle was written in the beginning of that year, or in 61, and but a fhort time before his death. Eufebius fays, When Paul had appealed to Cæfar, and ‹ had been sent to Rome by Feftus, the Jews, who had aimed at his death, being difappointed in that defign, turned their rage against James, the Lord's brother, who had been appointed by the apoftles bishop of Jerufalem.' In like manner Tillemont adopting that thought, fays, St. Paul having been fent to Rome near the end of the year 60, by Feftus, governor of Judea, the Jews finding themfelves not able to accomplish their defign against him, turned their rage against James. Nevertheless they did not show it till eighteen months after, when Feftus being dead, and Albinus, who fucceeded him, not being yet arrived, the province was without a ' governor.' That the Jews were much vexed, when Paul was fent to Rome, and had thus efcaped out of their hands, is very reasonably fuppofed. But that their vexation upon that account was the occafion of the death of James, is mere conjecture. Nor does any thing like it appear in the accounts of his death, which Eufebius has tranfcribed from Hegefippus, and Jofephus. If I likewife may be allowed to mention a conjecture, (which is at least as probable, as that just taken notice of) I should fay, I am apt to think, that the death of James was partly occafioned by the offence taken at his epiftle: in which are not only fharp reprehenfions of the unbelieving Jews for the crimes committed by them, but also affecting reprefentations of the dreadful calamities coming upon them. ch. iv. 1, 8. v. 1—6. III. I am now to confider, to whom this epiftle was fent. Beza fays, it was fent to the believing Jews, difperfed all over the world. Cave feems to say, to believing Jews chiefly. And to the like purpofe Fabricius. Grotius" fays, to all k Bib. Gr. 1.4. cap. v. n. ix. 2. cap. 23. in. fidelibus omnibus Judæis, cujufcunque tribus fint, per orbem terrarum difperfis. Bez. ad cap. i. 1. Scripfit, paulo, ut videtur, ante mortem, epistolam catholicam Ju. Cav. PV w dæis & diaσopa, Chriftianam præ- Id ett, gente Ifraelitica qui erant extra Judæam. Gr. ad loc. the the people of Ifrael living out of Judea. Wall's account of this epiftle is this: It was written to fuch Jews (being now Christians) as were difperfed abroad out of Judea. This ' epiftle confifts of general exhortations to piety, patience, and other moral virtues. It has twice or thrice mentioned our Saviour: but has nothing of his miracles, or teachings, or ' death, or refurrection, or our redemption by him: of which 'Paul's, and Peter's, and John's epiftles are full.' To me it feems, that this epiftle was written to all Jews defcendants of Jacob, of every denomination, throughout the world, in Judea, and out of it. For fuch is the infcription: James, a fervant of God, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift, to the twelve tribes, which are fcattered abroad, greeting. No expreffion can be more general, than the twelve tribes. There is not any limitation, reftraining it to Chriftians, or believers in Jefus. Nor does he wish them grace or peace from Jefus Chrift. It is only a general falutation, or greeting. Indeed he does not diffemble his own character. He calls himself a fervant of God, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift. He takes upon himself the character of a Chriftian, and, perhaps, of an apoftle. But he does not so characterize thofe, to whom he writes. Nor is there any chriftian benediction at the end of the epiftle. Nor can I fee, why the twelve tribes fcattered abroad should not comprehend thofe of them in Judea, which were the peculiar charge of the writer. And divers things in the epiftle feem to belong to them efpecially. He means therefore the people of the twelve tribes every where in Judea, and out of it. A large part of the epiftle is fuitable to Chriftians. But there are divers paragraphs, that must be understood, to be addreffed to unbelieving Jews, particularly, ch. v. 1-6..as is generally allowed. I think likewife, that the first ten verses of ch. iv. are addreffed to unbelieving Jews. Where it is faid, Whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not bence, even of your lufts, that war in your members? Ye luft, and have not. Ye kill, and defire to have, and cannot obtain. Ye fight, and war. These things could not be faid to Chriftians. They must relate to thofe difturbances, which, fome while. before the Roman war broke out, were every where among the unbelieving Jews. I am of opinion, that this way of writing was chofen to abate the offence, which the reproofs, and exhortations, and • Crit. Notes upon the N. T. P. 144. warnings warnings of the epiftle were likely to occafion. St. James writes in a general way. Let all apply to themselves thofe things, which belong to them. Wall's note upon ch. v. 6. is to this effect, This is fpoken, not to the Chriftians, but to • fome rich heathens, or infidel Jews, that oppreffed and murdered them. No Chriftians of thofe times had any wars, or fightings, fuch as ch. iv. 1. or killing, as here: viz. not in the time of James, bishop of Jerufalem.' And fays Whitby upon ch. iv. 1. Whence come wars? This epiftle feems to have been written about the eighth of Nero, and the fixty-fecond of Chrift, the year before the death ' of James: before which time the Jews had great wars and fightings, not only with their neighbours [fee note upon Matt. xxiv. 6.] but even among themselves, in every city and family, faith Jofephus: not only in Judea, but in Alexandria, and Syria, and many other places.' A very proper note upon the text, as feems to me. And what he fays upon the following verfes of that chapter, and upon ch. v. 1-6. and in his preface to the epistle sect. v. and vi. deserves alfo attentive regard. Where indeed he expressly says, Since James writes to the whole twelve tribes, I doubt not but thofe of Palestine must be included.' Р Mr. Pyle has spoken clearly to the like purpose in the preface to his paraphrafe of this epiftle. I fhall now transcribe a part of venerable Bede's note upon the beginning of this epiftle. From the words, fcattered abroad, he is led to think of what is faid, Acts viii. 1. that upon occafion of the perfecution against the church at Jerufalem after the death of Stephen, they were all fcattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea, and Samaria, except the apofties, and fays, that James writes this epiftle to those who were 'fcattered P Thefe circumftances gave occafion to this apoftle, the refidentiary of the circumcifion in Judea, to endite this epiftle, partly to the infidel, and partly to the believing Jews. It was directed to the Jews and Jewish converts of the difperfion. Yet, as that to the Hebrews was intended for the general benefit of all the fcattered tribes, though directed to the natives of the holy land: fo, no doubt, this had an equal refpe&t to them, over whom James imme diately prefided, in the fpecial character of their bishop. Pyle's Paraphrafe, vol. II. p. 290, 291. Legimus, occifo a Judæis B. Stephano, quia facta eft in illa die perfecutio magna, in ecclefiâ, qez eft Hierofolymis, et omnes difperfi funt per regionis Judææ et damariæ, præter apoftolos. His ergo difperfis, qui perfecutionem pa funt propter juftitiam, mittit epif tolam. Nec folum his, verum eti am fcattered abroad, and suffered perfecution for the fake of righteousness nor to them only, but also to thofe, who though they had believed in Chrift, were not careful to be perfect in good works, as what follows in the epiftle plainly hows and likewife to fuch as continued unbelieving, and to the utmost of their power perfecuted those who believed." Which appears to me very right. 1. His Hiftory to the Time of our Saviour's Afcenfion. II. To the Council of ferufalem, in the year 49. III. He goes to Antioch, where he is reproved by St. Paul for Diffimulation. IV. His travels, and the Time of his coming to Rome. V. The Time of his Death. VI. Several Things, hitherto omitted, or but lightly touched upon. 1. His epifcopate at Antioch. 2. His having been five and twenty Years Bishop of Rome. 3. His Children. 4. His Wife's Martyrdom. abfconding at Rome. 6. The Manner of his Crucifixion. VII. That he was at Rome, and fuffered Martyrdom there. a 5. His I. THE land of Palestine, fays Cave, at and before the coming of our bleffed Saviour, was diftinguished into three feveral provinces, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. This laft was divided into the Upper and the Lower. In the Upper, 'called alfo Galilee of the gentiles, within the divifion, belonging to the tribe of Naphtali, ftood Bethfaida, formerly an obfcure and inconfiderable village, till lately re-edified, and enlarged by Philip the tetrarch, and in honour of Julia daughter of Auguftus called by him Julias. It was fituated upon the banks of the fea of Galilee, called also the fea ' of Tiberias, and the lake of Gennefareth, which was about forty furlongs in breadth, and a hundred in length, and had ' a wilderness on the other fide, called the defert of Bethfaida, whither our Saviour ufed often to retire.' At this place was born & Simon, furnamed Cephas, or Petros, Petrus, Peter, fignifying a stone or rock. He was a fisherman. upon the forementioned lake or fea: as was also, in all probability, his father Jonas, Jonah, or John. He had a brother, named Andrew. Which was the oldeft of the two is not certain. For concerning this there were different opinions among the ancients. Epiphanius fuppofed Andrew to be the elder. But according to Chryfoftom, Peter was the firftborn. So likewife Bede, and Caffian, who even makes Peter's age the ground of his precedence among the apostles. And Jerom himself has expreffed himself in the like manner, faying, that the keys were given to all the apostles alike, and the church was built upon all of them equally. But for preventing diffenfion, precedency was given to one. John might have been the perfon. But he was too young. And Peter was preferred upon account of his age.' St. John has informed us of the firft acquaintance of Simon Peter with Jefus: to whom he was introduced by his brother Andrew. He findeth his own brother Simon, and faith unto him: we have found the Meffiah. And he brought him to Jefus. And when Jefus beheld him, he faid: thou art Simon, the son of Jenas. Thou shalt be called Cephas. Undoubtedly, they had been from the beginning among thofe, who are faid to have locked for the kingdom of God, and waited for redemption in Ifrael. Andrew had received Jefus as the Meffiah. And his brother Simon readily concurred in the fame belief and profeffion. They had heard John, and, as may be fuppofed, had been baptized by him, as all Jews in general were. Being from his teftimony, and by perfonal converfation with Jefus, convinced, that he was the Meffiah, it is likely, that henceforward they often came to him, and heard him, and faw fome of the miracles done by him. We may take it for granted, that they were prefent at the miracle at Cana in f Hom. e H. 51. num. xvii. in Matt. 58. al. 59. T. VII. P. 586. D. In Evang. Joann. cap. i. Interroganti ergo Domino Jefu Chrifto, quem eum crederent refpondit primus Apoftolorum Petrus, unus utique pro omnibus. Idem enim unius habuit refponfio, quod habeat [f. habebat] omnium fides. Sed primum debuit refpondere, ut idem effet ordo refponfionis, qui erat honoris, et ipfe antecederet confeffione, qui antecedebat ætate. Caflian. de Incarn. 1. 3. cap. 12. ap. Bib. P. P. tom. VII. At dicis, fuper Petrum fundatur Ecclefia: licet id ipfum in alio loco fuper omnes Apoftolos fiat, et cuncti claves regni cœlorum accipiant: et ex æquo fuper eos Ecclefiæ fortitudo felidetur: tamen propterea inter duodecim unus eligitur, ut capite conftituto, fchifmatis tollatur occafio. Sed cur non Joannes electus eft virgo? Ætati delatum elt, quia Petrus fenior erat: ne adhuc adolescens, ac pene puer, progreffæ ætatis hominibus præferretur. Adv. Jovin. 1. i. T. IV. P. 168. Ch. i. 35-42. Galilee |