Epifilé to the H > B :R E vv s. asHierom teftifics, and that from thedayes of the Apoftles, whole judgement the Ro- man Church it felf at length fubmittedunto. - No impeachment then of the Authorityof this Epifle, can be taken from this defed3^ and inadvertency of the RomanChurcb, it being convinced to be fo by the concur- rent fisffrage and Teffitnony of all other Churches in the world, from thedayes of the Apoftle, aswe (hallafterwards more fully declare. Neither are the occafions of this hzfitation of the Weftern Church obfcure ; The Epiffle was written it may be in Rome, at leaf it was inforce partofItaly, Chap. 13. 24. There no doubt it was fien, and it may be Copiedout before its fending, byCome who ufed to accompany the Apuftle, as Clemens, who as we have (hewed not long after mentioned divers things contained in it. The Original! was without quellion fpeedily fent intoJudea, unto theH=brews to whom it waswritten and diredled, as were all others of the Epitfles of the fame Apolile unto thofeChurches that were immediately intended and concernedin them: ThatCopies of it were by them alfo communicated unto their Brethren in the Eaff, equally concerned in it with themfelves, cannot be doubted, unlefs we will fuppofe them groflynegligent in their duty towardsGod and man, which we have no rea- fon to do. But tlreChurehes of theHebrews living at that time, and for force while after, if not ina feperation, yet in adiffinelion by rea(òn of force peculiar obfervances lions the Churches of the Gentiles , efpecially thofe of the Weft, they were not it may be very forward in communicating this Epifile unto them, being writ- ten , as they fuppofed , about an efpecial concernment of their own. By this means this Epiffle feems to have been kept much within the Compafs Of the Churches of theJews, untill after the deflrudlion of theTemple ; when by their di- fperlion, and coalefceny with other Churches in theRaft, it came to be generally re-' ceived amongit them ; and non j'olum ab Ecclefis orientis, fedab omnibus retro) cclefiis é Greci firmonis Scriptoribus,as Hierom fpeaks. But the LatinChurch having loft that Epip, äd advantage of receiving it upon its Rift writing , it may be alfo upon the confidera- Tardau tiou of theremovall of its peculiar Argument , upon the finall deffrudlion of the whole 3udaical Church, and Worfhip, was (òmewhat flow in their inquiry after it. Thole that fucceeded in that Church, it is not unlikely, had their f"ruples increafed, be- conk they found itnot in common ufe amongft their Predecellòrs, like to the reff of S'. Ends Epijlles ; not confidering the occaion thereof. Add hereunto that by that time it had gradually made its progrefs in its return into the WO, where it was firft written, and attended with the Suffrage of all theEagernChurches began to evince its own Authority , fundry perfons who were wrangling about peculiar opinions and pradli;es of their own, began to Peek advantages fromTome expreffions in it. So did in particular theNovatians and the Donatiffs. This might poflibly increafe the feruple amongft the Orthodox, and make them wary in their admiliion of that Authority which they found pleaded againft them. Andwell was it for them, that their opi- nions about which they difagreedwith their Adverfaries, were accordingunto truth, feeing it may juftly be feared, that force then would have made them their Ruleand Standard in their receptionor rejedion of this Epiflle: for it was no new thing for theOrthodox themfelves to make bold fometime with the Scripture, if they fuppofed it to run crois unto their conceptions. So Epiphanies informs 'us, in Ancorat. dmd. zj lutavae, zát7al CV '7W 3(3, Tazir caayysTigûTos ddtapd7otç doe/yt4"e , xt xxn- 7at 7;3 µaplueá y1(9- Eipvw"U- n.f Xr- dtpíaerwv , 'weif ,rn foz61e4 le Xpwav w ci,dvtu T yoslaf. idui'obot d54 oiso Ta /7,17óv, @'ISNSívrnc, 1(, to voáoaoe,ç dATtd la T'A ivpúeoonV.. And alfa hewept; for fo it isread in the uncorreBedCopies ofthe GoJ ell ac- carding to Luke: and S'.Irenzusufeeth this Teftimony inhis Book, againll Herefies, fietheir confutation, who affirmed that Chriff took flefh only in appearance ; but the Orthodox, (or Catholicks) being afraid (of the importance of that expre(fion) took away that word out of the Copies, not underflanding its ufe and fence. So alfo Sixtus Sinenfis after he hath informed us, out ofHilary, that manyOrthodox perfons denyed the (lory of our Saviours Agony, and bloody Sweat, adds of his own, Sufpicor à Catholicisfublatarn effi, pio fed fimplici zelo, quod favere videbatur Arianis. I fufeíl that the Story was .taken out of the Copies, by, fame Catholicks, out rf a godly, butftmple zeal, becaufe it feemed to favour the Arians. So great is the power of prejudice, and fo little occafions have men taken, whom others haveelieented Orthodox and pious, to make bold with that word, whereby both we and all our opinions muff be judged. But it being manifeli at length, that no colour was given unto the unjuft feverities of the Novations by any thing in this Epiplle, it was generally embraced; And by the conqueft of this oppo- fition eftabli(hed its Authority for the future, Bellarmin
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=