loffians, chap. i. 25, 26. that he was commiffioned by God to preach them to the world.-Next, because the falfe teachers infinuated, that a more perfect revelation of the will of God might be expected through the miniftry of angels, than that which Chrift had made, the apoftle affured the Coloffians, chap. ii. 3. That in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

pre

are laid up. And added, ver. 4. This, concerning Christ's poffeffing all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, I affirm, that no one may deceive you with plaufible speech, concerning the office and power of angels in the government of the world. He therefore ordered them, ver. 8. to take care that no one made a prey of them, through an empty and deceitful philosophy; he meant the Platonic philosophy in which the dignity and office of angels were fo highly extolled; becaufe, ver. 9. In Chrift continually dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily.-Alfo, because the Judaizers endeavoured to perfuade fuch of the Coloffians as were tinctured with the Pythagorean philosophy, to receive the cepts of the law of Mofes concerning meats and faftings, as conformable to the Pythagorean precepts, and as having the fame influence to purify the foul; the apostle told them, that they had no need, either of the Platonic dogmas concerning the dignity and mediation of angels, or of the Pythagorean precepts concerning abstinence from animal food, and concerning the mortification of the body; because, ver. 10. they were made complete, in every thing neceffary to their fanctification and falvation, by the precepts, mediation, and government, of him who is the head of all government and power.-Farther, because the Judaizers extolled the facrifices and purifications appointed in the law of Mofes, as the only effectual means of obtaining the pardon of fin, the apostle affured them, that thefe were of no use now. Because, ver. 14. Chrift, by his death, had blotted out the handwriting of ordinances contained in the law, with its curse, and had nailed it to his crofs in its blotted out state, that all might fee that the curfe of the law was removed. He therefore or dered them to refift every teacher who attempted to impofe on them, either the ordinances of the law of Mofes, or the Pytha gorean abftinences and mortifications, ver. 16. Let no one rule you in meat, or in drink, or in refpect of a festival, or of a new moon, or of Sabbaths. And in relation to the worshipping of angels as

more

more powerful mediators than Chrift, he said to them, ver. 18. Let no teacher make you lofe your reward, delighting in humility and the worship of angels, ver. 19. and not holding the heads plainly telling the Coloffians, that in praying to God, if they made use of the mediation of angels on pretence of humility, and worshipped them as the authors of the bleffings which they enjoyed, they renounced Chrift the head, and deprived themselves of the benefit of his mediation, and loft all the bleffings they were entitled to, as the members of his body.-Withal, to make the Coloffians still more fenfible of their folly in listening to the falfe teachers, the apoftle afked them, ver. 20. Since ye have died with Chrift from the elements of the world; that is, fince ye have been freed by your death with Chrift, both from the heathen philofophy, and from the law of Mofes, Why as living under that philosophy and law, do ye subject yourselves to the ordinances of either? which things are not according to the commandments of God, but, ver. 22. according to the commandments of men? — Befides, ver. 23. though these commandments have the appearance of wisdom, they are in reality foolishness; being destructive of the vigour both of the mind and of the body.

Peirce in his note on Col. ii. 18. where the worshipping of angels is condemned, thus writeth: "St. Paul feems to me to "have here a more efpecial regard to one particular fect of the "Jews, the Effens. As what he mentions, ver. 23. of the ne

glecting of the body, will be fhewn presently to suit them, fo "they had fomewhat peculiarly among them relating to an"gels: For thus Jofephus, De Bello Judaic. lib. ii. c. 7. five 12. "affures us, that when they received any into their number "they made them most folemnly swear, That they would keep or "obferve the books of their fect, and the names of the angels, with «like care." In confirmation of his opinion, Pierce quotes a note of Dr. Hudson on the above paffage from Jofephus, to the following purpose; "It is hard to fay, why the Effens took "fuch care of the names of angels. Was it that they made "use of them in their charms to cure diseases? Or, did they pay them any fuch worship as the apoftle condemns, Col. ii. "18? The other things there condemned, are certainly theirs, VOL. III.

166

I i

"and

"and agree to the Effens above all others." See Col. ii. 23. note 7.

Mofheim De Rebus Chriftianor. ante Conftantinum magn. seems to think that the great care with which St. Paul, in his epiftle to the Coloffians, taught the creation of all things by God's beloved Son, chap. i. 15, 16, 17. proceeded from his obferving the beginnings of that abfurd notion, concerning the creation of the world by an evil principle, which was first broached in the Christian church by the Gnoftics; and which afterwards was propagated by their difciples, the Marcionites, Encratites, and Manicheans: Or at least, that it proceeded from his foreseeing by the spirit of prophecy, the rise and progress of the monstrous tenets of these heretics, all flowing from their doctrine concerning the creation of the world by an evil principle; and because he was anxious to guard the faithful against their pernicious errors.

The fame author, after defcribing the cofmogony of the an cient heretics above mentioned, adds, That they differed greatly from each other in their manners. Such of them as were of a morose difpofition, and averse to fenfual pleafures, ordered their disciples to weaken and subdue the body, as the fountain of all pravity, by hunger, and thirst, and every kind of hardship: And forbade the use of wine, and of marriage, and of whatever tend ed to the gratification of the body; in order that the mind being delivered from the fetters and contagion of matter, might be free. Hence came that auftere manner of life, which the Marcionites, Encratites, Manicheans, and other antient heretics, led. That fuch of them as were inclined to fenfual pleasures, by the very fame dogmas concerning the pravity of matter, and concerning the evil principle, took to themselves a liberty of gratifying their lufts without fear. For they affirmed, That piety confifts in the knowledge of God, and in the union of the mind with him: That they who attain this union, and by contempla. tion draw their mind away from their body, have no concern with the actions of the body; and therefore are under no obli gation to restrain its propenfities. Hence proceeded the diffolute lives of the Carpocratians and others, who affirmed, that all things were lawful to them; and that temperance was enjoined

5

to men, not by God, but by the maker of the world, whom, as we have said, they represented as an evil being. Of this twofold discipline, proceeding from one and the same fountain, there are many traces in fcripture. For among the first corrupters of Christianity, the apoítle Paul mentions fome who affumed to themselves a great fhew of wisdom, by a voluntary neglecting of the body, Col. ii. 23. And the apostles Peter and Jude speak of others, who were fo corrupted as to affirm, that Christ had purchased for them a liberty of finning: and who argued, that whatever their lufts inclined them to do, was lawful. See I John Pref. fect. 3.

Before this fection is concluded, it may be proper to remark, with Lardner, that in the epistle, which our Lord directed St. John to write to the church of the Laodiceans, there are traces of the errors which the false teachers endeavoured to diffeminate in Phrygia. For example, to fhew that angels are not fuperior to Chrift in dignity and power, and that they are not to be worshipped on account of their miniftry in the government of the world, he in that epiftle afferted his own power as creator of the world, nearly in the terms made ufe of by Paul in his epistle to the Coloffians. For he calls himfelf, Rev. iii. 14. The beginning (apyn, the efficient cause) of the creation of God.-Next, because the falfe teachers, who troubled the churches of Phrygia, were puffed up on account of their pretended knowledge of things which they had not feen, Col. ii. 18. and thought themfelves complete in every respect, by obeying the precepts of the law of Mofes, and the prescriptions of the heathen philosophy, Christ condemned that vain boasting in the Laodiceans, Rev. iii. 17. Thou fayeft, I am rich and increafed with goods, and have need of nothing, and knoweft not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and blind, and naked.-And whereas St. Paul faid to the Coloffians, chap. ii. 10. Ye are made complete by him who is the head of all government and pover; Chrift faid to the Laodiceans, Rev. iii. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayeft be rich, and white rayment, that thou mayeft be clothed, and that the Shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye falve, that thou mayeft fee.

It may be proper alfo to take notice, that although the worfhip of angels was at the first repreffed, in the churches of

Hence the

made a law

Phrygia, by the apostle's epiftle to the Coloffians, it afterwards prevailed among them to fuch a degree, that the council which met at Laodicea, the metropolis of Phrygia, found it neceffary to condemn that idolatry by their 35th canon, as Theodoret informs us in his note on Coloff. ii. 18. as follows: "This mif "chief continued long in Phrygia and Pifidia. "council which met at Laodicea, in Phrygia, "against praying to angels; and to this very day, there are to "be seen among them, and in the neighbouring parts, the ora"tories of St. Michael."-The 35th canon of the council of Laodicea, to which Theodoret refers, is in the following words: "Chriftians ought not to leave the church of God, and go and "name angels, or gather affemblies. If, therefore, any one is "found to practise this secret idolatry, Let him be Anathema, "because he has left our Lord Jefus Chrift the Son of God, "and has turned to idolatry."-The time of the meeting of this council is uncertain. Lardner, vol. viii. p. 293. thinks it was held A. D. 363. This is the council of Laodicea which, in its last two canons, declared what facred books were to be publicly read in the churches.

SECT. III. Of the Time when the Epifle to the Coloffians was written and of the Perfons by whom it was fent.

:

At the time the apoftle wrote this letter, he was in bonds for preaching the gospel, Col. iv. 3. But his confinement was not fo ftrict as to prevent his preaching occafionally. For he mentions, chap. iv. 10. His fellow labourers in the kingdom of God, who had been a confolation to him. This agrees with Paul's first confinement at Rome, where, Acts xxviii. 30. He dwelt two whole years in his own hired houfe, and received all who came in unto him; 31. preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching thofe things which concern the Lord Jefus Chrift, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.-Now, on the fuppofition that this epiftle was written during the apoftle's first confinement at Rome, fince it was fent by the perfons who carried his letter to Philemon, in which he defired him to provide him a lodging at Coloffe, be. cause he hoped to fee him foon, ver. 22. we have reafon to