Ep/le to,-.the'fiEBf Evvs: felves, they call out the Writings wherein they are from that Harmony and confent which in general appears amonglll,all the Books of DivineInfpiration.. Of the Style of this Epifilewe havefpokenbefore .,-;JSts.Gravity,Simplicity Majell?, and abfolute fuitablenefs unto the High, Holy, and Heavenly Myferies. treated of in it are as far asI can find, not only very evident; 'but 'alto by all acknowledged, whoarc able to judge of them. Want ofCatholick7`radition in all Ages of the Church, from the firlt giving forth of any Writing tetiifyingunto its Divine Original , is another impeachment of its pre- tence unto Canonical Authority. And this Argument arifeth fatally againft the Apo- chryphalBooks beforementioned. Some of them areexprefly excluded from the Ca- non by many of the antient Churches, nor are anyof -them competently teftified unto. The Suffrage of this kind given unto our Epiftle, wehave mentioned before.. The Doubts andScruples of Come about it, have likewife been acknowledged. That they are ofno weight tobe laid inthe ballante againft the Teftimony givenunto it, might cafily be demonflrated. But becaufe they, were levied all of them, principally againft its Author, and but by confequence againft its Authority, I (hall confider.them in a Difquilition about him, wherein we íhall give a further confirmationof the Divine Original of the Epifile, by proving it undenyably to be Written by the Apse St. Paul, that eminent Penman of the Holy Gholl. Thus clear Bands the Canonical Authority of this Epiftle. It is deefiitute of no evi- dence needful for the manifeftation, ofit; nor is it obnoxious unto -any juft exception againft its claim of that priviledge. And hence it is cometo pafs , thatwhat ever have been thefears doubtsand fcruples of fome, therafle,temerarious Objefkions, Conje- dures and Cenfures of others,theCare and Providence ofGod over it, as a parcel of his nioí holy Word, workingwith the prevailingevidence of itsOriginal implanted in it, andits Spiritual Efficacy unto all the ends of holy Scripture, hath obtained an ab- folute Conquell over the hearts and minds ofall that believe, and fetled it in afull pof feffìon of CanonicalAuthority in all theChurches ofChrifl: throughout the world. Exercitätiò 4.39
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