WE shall divide this Article into Several, that we may dispose it in better order, beginning with those who have written upon all the seven Canonical Epistles, or the greatest part of them; afterwards we shall come to those who have explain’d them in particular, whether Catholicks or Protestants.
Didymus of Alexandria has written upon the Canonical Epistles: See the Biblioth. P. P. tom. 4. p. 320. His Performance consists only of short Annotations, which were translated into Latin by St. Jerom himself. There are some who believe this Work to be spurious, or at least dubious. M. Du Pin thinks it very ancient, very clear, and easy to be understood. There are excellent moral Maxims in it, and worthy of Didymus, supposing him to be the Author of it. He contends in it against the Millenarians, and maintains that the Pleasures of Paradise are intirely spiritual; he condemns Fear, when it is purely servile; defines Predestination to be the Decree of God, whereby he chuses those who shall believe in his Son, and perform good Works. He sometimes gives into the Imaginations of Origen. See what Fabricius says of him in his Bibliotheca Græca, tom. 8. p. 352.
He was born at Alexandria in 300. was St. Jerom’s Master, and Catechist of the Schools in this City; as this Saint himself declares in his 32d and 41st Letters. He died in 395. What is most admired in him is, that having lost his Sight when he was very young, he, notwithstanding was very learned, which is looked upon as a Prodigy.
Cassiodorus has preserved an Adumbration, or short Exposition of four Canonical Epistles, by Clemens Alexandrinus; viz. the first of St. Peter, that of St. Jude, and the two first of St. John. This is a monument of Antiquity to be much prized. It is in Cassiodorus, in the Collection of Clemens’s Work, and in the Bibliotheca Patrum of Lyons, tom. 3. p. 231. D. Guaret has not inserted it in his new Edition of Cassiodorus.
This learned and ancient Author himself assures us, in his divine Institutions, ch. 8. p. 543. that he had procured it to be translated into Latin; and had, at the same time, taken a prudent Precaution to suppress what to him did not appear to be altogether Orthodox. There is, however, all the room that can be to question whether that which we have is genuine, since, among others, it explains St. Jude’s Epistle; whereas that mentioned by Cassiodorus, explain’d the Epistle of St. James. Mill cites it frequently, in his Notes upon the New Testament in Greek.
Bede has a Comment upon all the Canonical Epistles, in the fifth Tome of his Works. Cave, in his Historia Literaria, which had the Introduction printed, was wanting in the beginning of this Work.
That of OEcumenius, was printed in Greek and Latin, of John Hentenius’s translating, with Notes, by Bartholemew Coppen, at Frankfort, 1610, in 4to.
That of Cajetan, with his Comment upon St. Paul, was printed at Antwerp, 1611, in fol. the eighth Edition.
Serrarius, his Comment was printed at Lyons, 1704, in fol. the last Edition, with Prolegomena before every Epistle: That of Benedict. Justiniani, at Lyons, 1621. See above, upon St. Paul. That of John Lorin, at Cologn, 1621, 1623, in fol. the second Edition; in two Volumes.
Alphonsus Salmeron wrote only upon five of the Canonical Epistles, and joined to them his Præludia in Apocalypsin; which compose the sixteenth Tome of his Works. See above.
The Notes of Erasmus, and Luke de Bruges, are in the Great Criticks.
Besides these, St. Thomas, or rather Thomas Anglicus, who lived about 1400, for he cites Lyranus, who died in 1340. John Gannai, and Cornelius à Lapide, have likewise written upon all the Canonical Epistles.
D. Lewis Riclot, a Benedictine Monk, of the Congregation of St. Vanne, wrote a Paraphrase on these Epistles in French; printed at Metz, in 1727, in 12mo. with it he joined short Notes, as in his Paraphrase on St. Paul; an Analysis, and Prefaces. The Paraphrase is natural and edifying, the Connexion of it being admirable, and leading the Reader agreeably, from one Verse to another, with Accuracy and Erudition; both which appear as conspicuously in the choice Notes which encrease the value of this Work. The Prefaces are learned, and instructive; the Analysis just, and correct. Moreover, there is the nicest Exactness to be observed in it, in rendring the literal Sense of the sacred Text, in distinguishing those Particulars in Tradition which are fittest to illustrate the difficult Passages of these Apostolical Epistles; and in measuring, without prejudice, all the Explanations with the Rules of Faith, Manners, and the most solid Piety.