The P REFAcE to the whole EpifHe. might rather then others tak_e notice of it. But thu concerneth hut a part ofthf Epiftle; the more general occa{ion, was the great degeneration of faith and manners, a1!Jd the growth of Lilnrtine DoE1riMes ; as about Gods being the Author at fin, the fufficiency of empty faith andnaked profeffion,&c. When the 'World was new– ly p!owed andfewed wi1h the Gof}et, theje tares came up togetker with the good Corn: As alfo to comfort Gods childrenPlgainft the virJlence ofthe perfocutions then e:t:ercifcd upon them, ~md tp awa. k_en the men of hu own Nation out of their ftupidfecurity, 'Judg– ments being evm.:et the door,and they l'l.ltogether fen(lefs: There– fore the whole Epi{fle u fraught with excellent Inflruaions, how to bear afHitl:ions, to hear the Word, to morcifie vile affeCtions, trJ _bridle the tongue,toconceive rightly of the Nature of God,toadorn our profeffion with~ good converfa'tion, with meeknefs,and peac~, and charity ; finally, how to behave our (elves in the time of ap– proaching mifery: AUthcfo and many other Doarines are[clf.tttr~ ed throughout the Epiflle, fo that Jou m~]foe 'tis exceeding ufo– fulf~r th#{e times. Sixthly, ConGerning the Title, Catholick or General Epillle, which is the Title given all the {e'Zien latter Epi/Ues, I anfwcr, I~ fome Copies •ti> ~ctvovt~n,Canonical; but probablJ that's 11n Error: Wl;y theN Catholick? Mlf.nJ Reafons are given: Oecumenius, .fln.dout ofhimBeza, think.§th 'tis becaufe they were not-infcribeJtfl an1 particular N.ztion or (ity, 40 Pauls are to Rome, Corinth, &c. But this holdeth not in al!,fome ofJohns being dedicated to private perfons)to Gaius, and the Elect Lady, and then there muft be more thm{cvm, that to the Hebrews being direaed to the fame perfons tfJ which Peter and J ames Wrote theirs; fome foy, becaufe they cong Ecdfi.t .._.(,.. tain Univerfal Doctrine, or the publique Treafure ofthe Univerfal t;; s_ has t.;ij1o- Church: But that \Vo;t!dfeem to derogate from the other Epi.ftles, l-u Carmzr .u and to prefer tbefe before them. Pareus thinketh they were meer!y & Cathultc,u d r; L • 1 ,a -b 'l h PP'f'!l,tvit , itolz call: 1o t?) _an _znconfiae_rate cufl~m: But moJ• prv_~r:J 7~ e rea- ~1t a!iiJ auid- fon zs to vtndJcate thezr authenttck_nefs, and to diftmguijh them q1tam (ldit.~J:ra,from the Epifiles of Barnabas, Jgnatius Clemens, and Polycarp, ·fed u! fMo _i '!u• Which though ~ncie?Jt,never made ·up any part of the Rule of F11itb, ' ~~~;;:·~ 1~1i~-•·,<~.· and g{o not to dtrogate from the oth~r EpijUes, but to joyn thefe '""·u· .rn.w 1 1 h,r h" ·r d 1 b G d ,rr.a h d'' a.s ad}mgmr,totmm_. T_eJct mgspremt.Jt, come') fJ ltl;;lpan~eto an &e Jun ius in the Epij}leztfelf. IuJ:an,p. a5. AN
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