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VicTORiNus. A. D. 290. 177
but wrote to the Roiuans, to the Coriiifhiaiis, to the Galatians,
to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossiaus, to the
Thessah>iiians. Afterwards he wrote to particular persons,
that he might not exceed tlie measure of seven churches :
and, contracting his doctrine into a litile compass, he says
to Timothy: " Tliat thou mayest know liow thou oughtest
to behave thyseltin the church of the living God."
The reader cannot but recoWect here what we formerly
saw of the like kind in^ St. Cyj)rian.
Here we have a very valuable testimony to St. Paul's
epistles, like to that which we sa>v before to the gospels.
It may be hence justly concluded that he received thirteen
epistles of the apostle Paul ; that is, the second, as well as
the first, to the Corinthians, and to they Thessalonians, and
all his epistles to particular persons ; the first and second
to Timothy, the epistles to Titus and Philemon.
6. But Victorinus makes no mention of the epistle to the
Hebrews : and in what he says of the rest seems entirely to
exclude it from the number of St. Paul's epistles. Nevertheless,
there are in the Commentary upon the Revelation
some passag-es which seem to contain allusions to this epistle :
I think they deserve to be taken notice of.
1. ' For' our prayers ascend to heaven. As therefore
heaven is denoted by the golden altar, which was the innermost,
(for even the priests, Avho had the anointing, entered
only once in the year to the golden altar, the Holy Ghost
this signifying-, that Christ should do this once for all :) in
like manner,' &c. Compare Hebr. ix. 7, 8, 12.
2. Again :
' For* Moses himself taking moist wool, and
the blood of a calf, and Avater, sprinkled all the people, saying:
This is the blood of the Testament, which God has
enjoined unto you.' See Hebr. ix. 19, 20; and compare
Exod. xxiv. 8, 9.
I have translated the former part of this passage nearly
according to the Latin original ; but I suppose that to be
"' See p. 41. y He has more than once quoted the second epistle
to the Thesfcalonians. Et Paulus contra antichristum ad Thessalonicenses ait
Qnem Dominus interficiet spiritu oris sui. [2 Thess. ii. 8.] in Apoc. p. 415.
C Et Paulus apostolus contestatur. Ait enim ad Thessalonicenses: Qui
nunc tenet, teneat, &c. [2 Thess. ii. 7.] ib. p. 418. F.
^ Utique ad coelum ascendant orationes. Sicut igitur coelum intelligitur
araaurea, quae erat interior; (nam et sacerdotes semel in anno introibant, qui
habebant chrisma, ad aram auream, significante Spiritu Sancto Christum hoc
semel facturum;) sic et—Victor, in Ap. ib. p. 418. B.
" Nam et ip?e tunc legis de populo, accepta lana succida, [forte coccinea,]
et sanguine vituli, et aqua, aspersit populum universum, diceas : Hie sanguis
testamenti ejus, quod mandavit ad vos. ib. p. 417. E.
vol.. III. N
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