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النشر الإلكتروني

THE EPISTLE of PAUL the APOSTLE to the LAODI

CEANS.

(This Epistle has been highly esteemed by several learned men of the church of Rome and others. The Quakers have printed a translation, and plead for it, as the reader may see, by consulting Poole's Annotations on Col vi. 16. Sixtus Senensis mentions two MSS., the one in the Sorbonne Library at Paris, which is a very ancient copy, and the other in the Library of Joannes a Viridario, at Padua, which he transcribed and published, and which is the authority for the following translation. There is a very old translation of this Epistle in the British Museum, among the Harleian MSS., Cod. 1212.]

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4 Let not the vain speeches of any trouble you who pervert the truth, that they may draw you aside from the truth of the Gospel which I have preached.

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14 Let all your requests be made known to God, and steady in the doctrine of Christ.

15 And whatsoever things are sound and true, and of good report, and chaste, and just, and lovely, these things do.

5 And now may God grant, that my converts may attain to a 16 Those things which ye hav perfect knowledge of the truth of the Gospel, be beneficent, and heard, and received, think on these doing good works which accom-things, and peace shall be with pany salvation.

6 And now my bonds, which I suffer in Christ, are manifest, in which I rejoice and am glad.

be

7 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation for ever, which shall through your prayer, and the supply of the Holy Spirit.

I you.

17 All the saints salute you. 18 The grace of our Lord Je-. sus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

19 Cause this Epistle to be read to the Colossians, and the Epistle among of the Colossians to be read

you.

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The EPISTLES of PAUL the APOSTLE to SENECA, with SENECA'S to PAUL.

(Several very learned writers have entertained a favourable opinion of these Epistles. They are undoubtedly of high antiquity. Salmeron cities them to prove that Seneca was one of Cæsar's household, referred to by Paul, Philip iv. 22, as saluting the brethren at Philippi. In Jerome's enumeration of illustrious men, he places Seneca, on account of these Epistles, amongst the ecclesiastical and holy writers of the Christian Church. Sixtus Senensis has published them in his Bibliotheque, pp. 89, 90; and it is from thence that the present transla tion is made. Baronius, Bellarmine, Dr. Cave, Spanheim, and others, contend that they are not genuine.]

CHAP. I.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting. SUPPOSE, l'aul, you have been informed of that conversation, which passed yesterday between me and my Lucilius, concerning hypocrisy and other subjects; for there were some of your disciples in company with us;

2 For when we were retired into the Sallustian gardens, through which they were also passing, and would have gone another way, by our persuasion they joined company with us.

3 I desire you to believe, that we much wish for your conversation :

We were much delighted with your book of many Epistles, which you have wrote to some cities and chief towns of provinces, and contain wonderful instructions for moral conduct:

5 Such sentiments, as I suppose you were not the author of, but only the instrument of conveying, though sometimes both the author and the instrument.

6 For such is the sublimity of those doctrines, and their graneur, that I suppose the age of a man is scarce sufficient to be instructed and perfected in the knowledge of them. I wish your welfare, my brother. Farewell.

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an answer, had the young man been at home, whom I intended to have sent to you:

2 For you know when, and by whom, at what seasons, and to whom I must deliver every thing which I send.

3 I desire therefore you would not charge me with negligence, if I wait for a proper person.

4 I reckon myself very happy in having the judgment of so valuable a person, that you are de lighted with my Epistles:

5 For you would not be esteemed a censor, a philosopher, or be the tutor of so great a prince, and a master of every thing, if you were not sincere. I wish you a lasting prosperity.

I

CHAP. III.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting. HAVE completed some VOlumes, and divided them into their proper parts.

2 I am determined to read them to Cæsar, and if any favourable opportunity happens, you also shall be present, when they are read;

3 But if that cannot be, I will appoint and give you notice of a day, when we will together read over the performance.

4 I had determined, if I could with safety, first to have your opi nion of it, before I published it to Cæsar, that you might be convinced of my affection to you. Farewell, dearest Paul.

AS

CHAP. IV.

PAUL TO SENECA.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

S often as I read

your letters, I imagine you present with me; nor indeed do I think any other, than that you are always with us.

2 As soon therefore as you be gin to come, we shall presently see each other. I wish you all prosperity.

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Greeting.

(ONERNING those things, about which ye wrote to me it is not proper for me to mention anything in writing with pen and ink the one of which leaves

marks, and the other evidently declares things.

2 Especially since I know that there are near you, as well as me, those who will understand my meaning.

3 Deference is to be paid to all men, and so much the more, as they are more likely to take occasions of quarrelling.

4 And if we shew a submissive temper, we shall overcome effectually in all points, if so be they are, who are capable of seeing and acknowledging themselves to have been in the wrong. Farewell.

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CHAP. VII.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting. PROFESS myself extremely pleased with the reading your letters to the Galatians, Corinthians, and people of Achaia.

2 For the Holy Ghost has in them by you delivered those sentiments which are very lofty, sublime, deserving of all respect, and beyond your own invention.

3 I could wish therefore, that when you are writing things so extraordinary, there might not be wanting an elegancy of speech agreeable to their majesty.

4 And I must own, my brother, that I may not at once dishonestly conceal anything from you, and be unfaithful to my own conscience, that the emperor is extremely pleased with the sentiments of your Epistles;

5 For when he heard the beginning of them read, he declared, That he was surprised to find such notions in a person, who had not had a regular education.

6 To which I replied, That the Gods sometimes made use of mean (innocent) persons to speak by, and gave him an instance of this in a mean countryman, named Vatienus, who, when he was in the country of Reate, had two men appeared to him, called Cas velation from the gods. Farewell. tor and Pollux, and received a re

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PAUL AND SENECA.

emperor) that which is so very, yours, I do a thing both disagreecontrary to his religion, and way able to myself, and contrary to our of worship; seeing he is a wor- religion: shipper of the heathen gods.

3 I know not what you particularly had in view, when you told him of this; but I suppose you did it out of too great respect for me.

4 But I desire that for the future you would not do so; for you had need be careful, lest by shewing your affection for me, you should offend your master:

5 His anger indeed will do us Lo harm, if he continue a heathen; nor will his not being angry be of any service to us:

6 And if the empress act worthy of her character, she will not be angry; but if she acts as a woman, she will be affronted. Farewell.

I

CHAP. IX.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting. KNOW that my letter, wherein I acquainted you, that I had read to the Emperor your Epistles, does not so much affect you as the nature of the things (contained in them),

2 Which do so powerfully divert men's minds from their former manners and practices, that I have always been surprised, and have been fully convinced of it by many arguments heretofore.

3 Let us therefore begin afresh ; and if any thing heretofore has been imprudently acted, do you forgive.

4 I have sent you a book de copia verborum. Farewell, dearest Paul.

CHAP. X.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

As S often as I write to you,

and place my name before

2 For I ought, as I have often declared, to become all things to all men, and to have that regard to your quality, which the Roman law has honoured all senators with; namely, to put my name last in the (inscription of the) Epistle, that I may not at length with uneasiness and shame be obliged to do that which it was always my inclination to do. Farewell, most respected master. Dated the fifth of the calends of July, in the fourth consulship of Nero, ard Messala.

CHAP. XI.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

Α

LL happiness to you, my

A dearest Paul.

2 If a person so great, and every way agreeable as you are, become not only a common, but a most intimate friend to me, how happy will be the case of Seneca !

3 You therefore, who are so eminent, and so far exalted above think yourself unfit to be first all, even the greatest, do not named in the inscription of an Epistle;

4 Lest I should suspect you intend not so much to try me, as to banter me; for you know yourself to be a Roman citizen.

5 And I could wish to be in that circumstance or station which you are, and that you were in the same that I am. Farewell, dearest Paul. Dated the xth of the calends of April, in the consulship of Aprianus and Capito.

PAUL AND SENECA.

CHAP. XII.
ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

AL

LL happiness to you, my dearest Paul. Do you not suppose I am extremely concerned and grieved that your innocence should bring you into suffer ings?

2 And that all the people should suppose you (Christians) so criminal, and imagine all the misfortunes that happen to the city, to be caused by you?

many, and he shall be devoted to be burnt with fire instead of all.

8 One hundred and thirty-two houses, and four whole squares (or islands) were burnt down in six days: the seventh put an end to the burning. I wish you all happiness.

9 Dated the fifth of the calenda of April, in the consulship of Frigius and Bassus.

CHAP. XIII.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting. LL happiness to you, my dearest Paul.

AL

3 But let us bear the charge with a patient temper, appealing (for our innocence) to the court (above), which is the only one our hard fortune will allow us to address to, till at length our misfortunes shall end in unalterable hap-cal style, and therefore such mighty piness.

4 Former ages have produced (tyrants) Alexander the son of Philip, and Dionysius; ours also has produced Caius Caesar; whose inclinations were their only laws.

5 As to the frequent burnings of the city of Rome, the cause is manifest; and if a person in my mean circumstances might be allowed to speak, and one might declare these dark things without danger, every one should see the whole of the matter.

6 The Christians and Jews are indeed commonly punished for the crime of burning the city; but that impious miscreant, who delights in murders and butcheries, and disguises his villanies with lies, is appointed to, or reserved till, his proper time.

7 And as the life of every excellent person is now sacrificed instead of that one person (who is the author of the mischief), so this one shall be sacrificed for

2 You have wrote many volumes in an allegorical and mysti

matters and business being committed to you, require not to be set off with any rhetorical flourishes of speech, but only with some proper elegance.

3 I remember you often say, that many by affecting such a style do injury to their subjects, and lose the force of the matters they

treat of.

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