and weaken the credit of his teftimony. I dare not to explain my meaning *.

But to return. I have hitherto endeavoured to fhew (and could more amply have fhewn) that St. John's Gofpel might be, and was probably, written before the destruction of Jerufalem; though it should be granted. nothing occurs there whereby it may ap pear that Jerufalem was then destroyed. But, my Lord, this, after all, is what I cannot grant; the fecond verfe of his fifth chapter. being to me a clear inftance to the contrary: Εςι δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπὶ τῇ προβολικῇ κολυμβήθρα, ἡ ἐπιλεδομένη Ἑβραῖςὶ Βηθεσδά, πέντε soas exxoa. The whole tenor of the words, to my apprehenfion, implies, that that edi fice with five porches (and confequently Jerufalem itself) was then ftanding when this paffage was written. Indeed the Complutenfian and Wechelian editions read sy and v, but without any authority, that I can find; there being no MS. now extant that

Instead of this last sentence a different reading of the Bishop's runs: ""Tis a reflection which (to use "the words of a certain writer) can do no good, "and fhall therefore do no harm; for which rea"fon I forbear to explain it."

reads

:

feads the text otherwise than we do, nor any verfion, befide two of no great weight, the Arabic and Perfian, that countenances fuch a reading and perhaps thefe two verfions may appear otherwife to those who have recourfe to the originals in the Polyglott; for Dr. Mill, whofe authority I follow in this case, owns that he only confulted the Latin tranflations of these.

Should there be no other inftance of this kind in St. John's Gofpel (as indeed I know not that there is), yet this one is of very great moment, if we confider that there is not fo much as one in all the other three Evangelifts, which yet were all certainly written while Jerufalem was ftanding.

I have tired you, my Lord; and therefore fhall end abruptly, with affurances, that what I have faid proceeds from no fondness for my own opinions; that I with indeed I may be able to make out what I propofe, because I think it would be of fome fervice to religion. However, I fhall be as ready to part with what I maintain, as I now am to maintain it, when I find the weight of the argument is against me. VOL. III.

Ę e

I de

I do not expect from your Lordship any elaborate difcuffion of thefe matters, but your judgement upon the whole, and either fuch hints as offer themselves towards ftrengthening my opinion, or fuch objections as you think will overthrow it. I am aware of fome of this latter kind; but they are fuch as I know how to deal with. Your Lordship (if any one can) can fupply me with more and ftronger; and if you cannot, or I can answer the objections raifed by you, I fhall look upon the point as every way secure. I am,

I

LETTER CXLI*.

From Dr. WALL.

July 26, 1722.

N order to find who that "brother" was, fpoken of by St. Paul, 2 Cor. viii. 18, 19. there may be made thefe obfervations.

1. That principal one; that he was one whose " praife in the Gospel" was at that time fpread in all the churches," ver. 18.

2. That he was one of three (whereof Titus was one) fent with a letter at that time [viz. anno Chrifti, according to Bifhop Pearfon, 57; according to the new chronology (by Dean Prideaux, I suppose) 59] by St. Paul and Timothy from Macedonia to the Corinthian Chriftians, to get ready their contributions against the time that St. Paul fhould come.

3. That Titus was well known to them, having been there on the fame errand before;

1

De

*Indorfed by Bp. Atterbury, Dr. Wall's paper relating to the paffage 2 Cor. viii. 18, 19. σε Τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὗ ὁ ἔπαινος ἐν τῷ εὐαγΓελίῳ. "livered by him to me, July 26, 1722.' Ee 21

but

but this brother was not perfonally known to them (his "praife in the Gofpel" they, as well as other churches, may be fuppofed to have heard); and therefore Paul writes to them his character, and the character of the third brother.

4. St. Paul tells them that this brother was already "chofen by the churches" (particularly the churches of Macedonia, where he now was when he wrote) "to travel with "him, with that grace," or charity-money, which they had contributed, and which he and this brother were to carry to Jerusalem, ver. 19. And he had told them, in a letter before, 1 Cor. xvi. that if they pleased to choofe any of their body to go with their money, they fhould be welcome to go with him. Therefore this brother must be suppofed to have gone afterward with St. Paul to Jerufalem.

5. St. Paul having in a fhort time followed these his three meffengers from Macedonia to Corinth, and stayed there about three months, and received the money; and finding himfelf way-laid if he should fail directly from thence to Syria or Judæa, went back to Macedonia,