VE R S.J. An Expojition, With Notes Grvt.in lomm. But why not ApoHle? GrotiU& fl;lpp,Bfetb ther-eafon~o be, becau[e neither James the fon ofZ ebeJee, nor [ames of Alpheu~,was the Author of this Epifile, but fome third [amcs; not an ApofHe, but Prefidcm of the Presbytery at Jerufalem; hut that we haw: difprovt:d in the Preface. I anfwer therefore,he mentioneth not his Ap:>fildhip ; 1. Bt:caufe there was no need,hebcingeminent in the opjnion and repute ofthe Churches ; thtrefore Paulfaith., he was accounted a PrJlar and main Colume of the Ch;ift:ian Fait.h,G..z-1. 2·9· Paut, whofe Apofilelhip was el'lviouOy que!l:ioned; avol:lCA~th it often. 2. Paut himfelf doth not in every Epifile c~ll himfelf an Apofile; fomerimes hisfiile is, P~ula Prifoner of Jefm Chrijf, Philem.v. I. fometimes,Pat~! aSer_vant ofChri.ft,Phil.r.I. fame– times nothing but his name Paul is prefixed, as r Thef. I. I. and 2 Thef. I. 1. it followeth (and ofthe Lord J-efm Chri{f.) Some take both thefe claufes in aconjoyned fence, as applyed to the fame / perfon, and read it thus, A Servant ofJefm Chrift who is God and Lord; as indeed this was one of the places urged by the Greek Fa– thers for the God-head cif (hrift ag~infi the Arrians.But our read– ing, which dif- joyneth the chufes, is to be~preferred, as being leafl: firained, and more futable to the Apofiolical Infcriptions; neither is the dignity of Chrifl hereby impaired, he being propofed as an objeCl: ofequal honour with the Father; and as the F~ther is Lord as well as J efus Chrifr, .fo JeftlS ChriLl: isGod as well as the Father. Well then,James is not only(i,iJds Servant by thertght of Creation and Providence, bat CtJrifts Serv.:mt by t~e· right of Redemption ; · yea, efpecially deputed by Chrifi as Lord, that is, as Mediator and Head of the Church, to do him fervice in the way of an Apofile : And I fuppore there is fome fp.edal Reafon of this dif- junttion, A Ser111'ant of God and of Chrift, to thew his Country men, that in ferving Chrijl he ferved the God of his Fathers, asPattl pleaded, ~ A-c1s 26.6,7. that in ftanding for Chrifi, he did but fiand for the ' hope of the promife maJeu~<Jto the Fat hers, unto which promifc the twelve Tribei,ferving Godday and night, hope to come. It follow– eth in the Text(to the tWelve Trib-es)that is,to the Jews and Peo– ple ofJfrael,chieBy thofe co~verted to the Faith ofCbri.O:; to thefe James writeth, as the Mini{fer of the Circumcifion, Gal.2.9. And he writeth not in .Hebrew, their own Tongue,hut inGreu/( , as be– ing the language then moll in ufe, as the Apofile 1'~ul writed1 ,tQ the Romans in the fame Tongue, and not in the Lll,in-;{whith'are · · ·- fca~tered
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=