14 And if there be among you
any remembrance of what is good,
think of me; meditating on these
things, that both my desire and
my watching for you may turn to
a good account.
15 I beseech you; I ask it as a
favour of you; whilst you are in
this beautiful tabernacle of the
body, be wanting in none of these
things; but without ceasing seek
them, and fulfil every command,
For these things are fitting and
worthy to be done.
16 Wherefore I have given the
more diligence to write unto you
according to my ability, that you
might rejoice. Farewell, children
of love and peace.
17 The Lord of glory and of
all grace, be with your spirit,
Amen.
[The end of the Epistle of Barnabas
the Apostle, and fellow-traveller
of St. Paul the Apostle.]
REFERENCES TO THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF BARNABAS.
[Barnabas was a companion and fellow-preacher with Paul. This Epistle
lays a greater claim to canonical authority than most others. It has been
cited by Clemens, Alexandrinus, Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome, and many
ancient Fathers. Cotelerius affirms that Origen and Jerome esteemed it
genuine and canonical; but Cotelerius himself did not believe it to be
either one or the other; on the contrary, he supposes it was written for
the benefit of the Ebionites, (the christianized Jews,) who were
tenacious of rites and ceremonies. Bishop Fell feared to own expressly
what he seemed to be persuaded of, that it ought to be treated with the
same respect as several of the books of the present canon. Dr. Bernard,
Savilian professor at Oxford, not only believed it to be genuine, but
that it was read throughout in the churches of Alexandria, as the
canonical Scriptures were. Dodwell supposed it to have been published
before the Epistle of Jude, and the writings of both the Johns. Vossius,
Dupuis, Dr. Cane, Dr. Mill, Dr, S. Clark, Whitson, and Archbishop Wake
also esteemed it genuine: Menardus, Archbishop Land, Spanheim, and others
deemed it apocryphal.]