This Verse is acknowledged by many Learned Expositors, to be very difficult, not so much from the matter, for that is easy, as from the grammatical disposition of the words, there being several conjectures, and divers adventures about the transposing of them. In most of the Latin Copies, there are three members in the disjunction, whereas the Greek hath but two, after this manner: Whether we be afflicted, whether we be comforted, and whether we exhort. But according to the Greek word, which is [Greek or Hebrew], this would make a tautology; therefore, no doubt, this was inserted in the Latin Copies, by some, not diligently attending to what they did. Then as for the Greek, Chrysostom doth transpose the words otherwise then we do, putting off the second member of the disjunction, viz. Whether we be comforted, &c. to the next Verse, Knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, &c. and then reduceth all the rest to the former part. Some also blame Erasmus, for adding in the Original, (it is;) Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation: which way our Translators also render. And indeed, the sense would run well enough without it, relating to those words, Our hope of you is steadfast. ⟨p. 219⟩But this is not material, for the sense is still the same. Not therefore to trouble you with these grammatical difficulties, seeing the scope and meaning of the Apostle is evident, which is, That whatsoever did befall him in his ministerial Office, it was for their good, and therefore they were to be so far from being discouraged at his sufferings, or to despise him for them, as the false Apostles laboured to make them do, that they ought rather to honour him, and they themselves to be more animated in their sufferings for Christ. And in this the Apostle doth so overflow with words, that Erasmus absurdly giveth this profane censure, Intempestivae copiae affectatio, as if he could teach the Spirit of God how to speak. But no wonder at this presumption of his, seeing in his Epistle to Barbirius, (purging himself from being a Lutheran, much more from holding every thing that Luther wrote,) he addeth, he would not be so addicted to Austin or Hierome; vix etiam ipsi Paulo, scarce even to Paul himself. Whether this vix would preserve him from blasphemy, let others judge.
THis Verse is acknowledged by many Learned Expositors, to be very difficult, not so much from the matter, for that is easie, as from the grammatical disposition of the words, there being several conjectures, and divers adventures about the transposing of them. In most of the Latin Copies, there are three members in the disjunction, whereas the Greek hath but two, after this manner: Whether we be afflicted, whether we be comforted, and whether we exhort. But according to the Greek word, which is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, this would make a tautology; therefore, no doubt, this was inserted in the Latin Copies, by some, not diligently attending to what they did. Then as for the Greek, Chrysostome doth transpose the words otherwise then we do, putting off the second member of the disjunction, viz. Whether we be comforted, &c. to the next Verse, Knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, &c. and then reduceth all the rest to the former part. Some also blame Erasmus, for adding in the Original, (it is;) Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation: which way our Translators also render. And indeed, the sense would runne well enough without it, relating to those words, Our hope of you is stedfast. ⟨p. 219⟩But this is not material, for the sense is still the same. Not therefore to trouble you with these grammatical difficulties, seeing the scope and meaning of the Apostle is evident, which is, That whatsoever did befall him in his ministerial Office, it was for their good, and therefore they were to be so farre from being discouraged at his sufferings, or to despise him for them, as the false Apostles laboured to make them do, that they ought rather to honour him, and they themselves to be more animated in their sufferings for Christ. And in this the Apostle doth so overflow with words, that Erasmus absurdly giveth this prophane censure, Intempestivae copiae affectatio, as if he could teach the Spirit of God how to speak. But no wonder at this presumption of his, seeing in his Epistle to Barbirius, (purging himself from being a Lutheran, much more from holding every thing that Luther wrote,) he addeth, he would not be so addicted to Austin or Hierome; vix etiam ipsi Paulo, scarce even to Paul himself. Whether this vix would preserve him from blasphemy, let others judge.
