28 MARCH 1896, Page 24

Prolegomena to Ephesians and Colossians. By the late F. J.

A. Hort, D.D. (Cambridge University Press.) —These essays have, in a high degree, the characteristics of ample knowledge and close cogent reasoning which we are accustomed to associate with Dr. Hort's work. It is difficult to resist the argument that Ephesians was a common letter sent to the churches of Asia, a hypothesis which the almost certain spuriousness of the identify- ing words ie 'Erpicry strongly supports. There was no Church, the Corinthian possibly excepted, in which St. Paul had so keen a personal interest as the Ephesian, yet he gives no salutations ; a thing quite in opposition to his usual practice. A further step is to connect this Epistle with the The iK AaelotICIC4S of the Colossians, "the letter that is to come to you from Laodicea "- i.e., which was to go to Laodicea first in order and then to come on to Corinth.