Instead of making remarks on Erafmus and other Commentators, I fhall only obferye in three words, that dróxolola may be taken in the reciprocal fense: Utinam se etiam' absciderent.*

"I wish thefe circumcifers would alfo cut themfelves quite off from your communion; and leave the Chriftian Church, where they do more harm than good to themselves, and to others."

A learned friend fhewed me the fame interpretation, proposed in fome foreign journal.

* The ingenious G. Wakefield, in his notes on the Georgics of Virgil under the head of EXPLICATION, cites Georg. II. 32.

Et fæpe alterius ramos impune videmus

Vertere in alterius, mutatamque infita mala

Ferre pyrum, et prunis lapidofa rubefcere corna.

Upon which he obferves, that the peculiar use of a verb, whether in the active or paffive voice, analogous to that of the Greek middle verb, was not unusual among the Latins.

"Hoc igitur dico et edico, Virgilium, atque alios probos auctores, quoties vim media vocis Græcorum velint exprimere, fempèr uti voce passivâ, (nam vocem tertiam cum fuis terminationibus non habent) vel activâ cum pronomine."

Of this he adduces many inftances; and then adds,

"Intereà vix dici poteft quot errores invenuftos per noftram N. T. verfionem fuderit harum rérum ignorantia. Liceat mihi infigne exemplum, Coronidis loco, jam proferre.

Οφελον και 'ΑΠΟΚΟΨΟΝΤΑΙ οι αναςατεντες υμάς. Galat. V. 124

I would they were even CUT OFF, which trouble you.

Nec aliter interpretes antiqui, nifi quod melius quiddam Arabį fuboluiffe videatur, quem confulat eruditus lector. Nihil agunt critici ad locum; in quibus funt, qui indecoras nefcio quas interpretationes comminifcuntur.

I. TIM. I. 6.

On this text Erafmus gives an excellent fpecimen of the questions agitated and determined by the schoolmen.

"In vaniloquium. Quantum ad pronunciationem attinet, Matæologia non multum abest a Theologiâ, &c." See Life of Erafmus, Vol. II. p. 218.

Such is the fcholaftic theology; and fuch are the fchool-men, whom, Erafmus held in contempt;

Idem eft ac fi dixiffet Apoftolus, Vellem ut etiam DOLORIS ALIQUID PATERENTUR ut FLERENT. Vera enim 8 noтEσda, fignificatio eft feipfum præ dolore verberare-palmis tundere. Optimè Hefychius': 'ATоxoTYσαμένη, δερνοκοπησαμένη, αποκοψαμενη. Similiter Euripides, T ROAD. 623. Έκρυψα πεπλοις, καπεκοψαμην νεκρον,

Huc redeunt ita Horatiana, quorum prius à Pauli locutione non longè diftat. II. Sát. I. 45.

Qui me commôrit (melius non tangere clamo)

FLEBIT. Vid. etiam ver. 69.-Et ità alii.

Sed hæc hactenus. Nunc ad locum Virgilii, unde egreffus fum, redeo. Sic igitur mihi videtur legendus:

Et fæpè alterius ramos SE impune videmus

VERTERE in alterius.

Idem pronomen certiffimè excidit ab Æn. II. 235.

Accingunt omnes operi,

Lege Accingunt SE. Ut præteream Æn. I. 210, ubi habemus-Ii SE præda ACCINGUNT,-quis nefcit voces accingi, armari, et fimilia, fæpius ab optimis fcriptoribus ufurpari in mediæ vocis fignificatione; ut то оπλσ¤αι Græcorum ?-Vid. Tibull. IV. 1. 179.

Eft equidem ubi media vox invenitur, fine pronemine: ut, Lucret. II. 1041.

-fi tibi vera videtur,

Dede manus; aut, fi falfa eft, ACCINGERE contrà.

but

but who ftill have their friends and admirers. For it is not to be expected that myftical or metaphyfical jargon fhould ever go quite out of fafhion. It is a trade, which a man may fet up at a fmall expence,

I. TIM. III. 16.

Θεος εφανερώθη.

"Mihi fubolet Deum additum fuiffe adverfus hæreticos Arianos, &c." Erafmus.

The true reading feems to be,-Μυσήριον. Ο εφα vεpwn, &c. Id quod:-" That which was manifefted, &c."

II. TIM. IV. 16.

No man flood with me, but all men forfook me..

66

Strong as the expreffion is, yet it may perhaps mean, Very few stood with me." For it is a common way of speaking, and of the figurative kind. Thus

And fo John III. 32. No man receiveth his teftimony: that is, "Few there are who receive it."

HEB.

HEB. XI. 37.

Ἐν μηλωταις, &c. In feep-fkins.

A French Dominican, who hath written a book on the antiquities of the monaftic ftate, hath made fome remarks on the note of Erafmus upon this verse.

He obferves, that "a badger is called meles, or melis, and fometimes taxus by Latin writers:" But the word taxus, in this fenfe, seems to be of recent date. See Harduin's Pliny, I, 462, and A. Erudit. XXI. 73,

II. PETER, I. 16,-19,

For

"We were eye-witneffes of his Majefty. "he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came fuch a voice to him. "from the excellent glory, This is my beloved "Son, in whom I am well pleafed. And this voice "which came from heaven we heard, when we "were with him in the Holy Mount, We have also a more fure word of Prophecy."

Και εχομεν βεβαιότερον τον προφήτικον λογονο
And we have the prophetic word more confirmed.

This teftimony God gave to his Son twice; Once at his baptifm (Matt. III. 13. Mark I. 11. Luke

Luke III. 22.) and once again at his transfiguration: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed: hear ye him. Matt. XVII. 5. Mark IX. Luke IX, 35.

7.

St. Peter probably alludes to both these teftimonies; but certainly, and more particularly, to the latter; for he was prefent, and heard it.

What is the prophetic Word in St. Peter? I fay, it means in general every prophecy in the Old Teftament relating to Chrift, but more peculiarly these three prophecies :

I." Behold my Servant, whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my foul delighteth. I have put my fpirit upon him, &c." Ifaiah, XLII. 1.

St. Matthew cites it thus, XII. 18.

"Behold my Servant, whom I have chofen; my Beloved, in whom my foul is well pleafed."

II. "The Lord God will raise up unto thee a Prophet, like unto me: Unto him fhall ye hearken." Deut. XVIII. 15.

II.The Lord hath faid unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." Pfalm II. 7.

This