31 Author of the ÿ. 16. Various Anfwers have been given to this Objei1ion, force of themofno more validity, than i is Pelf. Hierom replyes, It hath nomans name prefixed, therefore we May byas good Rearm , Say it was written by no man, as not by Paul; whichInftance though it be approved by Beza with other learned men, and not fuf6ciently anfwered by Erafmus with a contrary infante, yet indeed it is of no value ; forbeingwritten, it mull bewrit- ten by finiebody, though not perhaps by St. Paul. Some have thought, that it may be, the Infcription inquired after was at firtt prefixed, but by Come means or other hash been loft. But as there are verymanyArguments and Evidences to evince the weaknefs of , this imagination, fo the beginning and entrance of the kill le is fuch, as is uncapable. of anycontexture with fuch a Salutation, as that ufed in other Epiftles, as is alfo that of St. John, fo that this Coujedlure can here haveno place. ß. 17. Some of theAntients, and principally Theodoret infift upon the peculiarallotment ofhis. Work unto him amongtheGentiles. Paulwas the Apoflle ofthe Gentiles, in an efpecial manner.; and if in Writing unto theHebrews he had prefixed his name untohis Epilile, hemight have feemed to tranfgrefs the Line of his Allotment. And if it benot certain that theApoftles bycommon confent call their Work intodifin6t portions, which they peculiarly attended unto ; as the Ancients generally concurr that they did', ( andthere was not reafon wantingwhy they fhoulddo fo)- yet it is, that therewas a fpecial Con- vention and agreement between James Peter , and John on the one fide, : and Paul andBarnabas on the other , that they fhould attend the Miniftry of the Circurn- cifion, and theft of the Gentiles. Hence Paul finding it neceffary for him to write unto the Hebrews, would not prefix his name with an Apoftolical Salutation unto his Epiftle, that. hemight not feemto have invaded the Province of others, or tranfgreffed the Line of hisAllotment. But I mull acknowledge that notwithftanding the weight laidupon it byTheodoret and force others, this reafon kerns not unto me cogent unto the endfor whichit.is produced. For ( 1.) TheCommifongiven bythe LordChritt untohis Apofles, was Catholick, and had no bounds but that of the whole Creationof God capableof inftru&ion, Moth. 2.8.19. Mark16. r5. and that Commillion which was given unto, them all ingeneral,,was given untoevery one inparticular : and made him infolidum poffefforof all the Right and Authority conveyed by it. Neither could any following arbitrary agreement pitched on for convenience, and the facilitating of their Work, abridge any of them from exerting their Authoriy, and exerciling their putty towards any of the Sons ofMen, as occafion did require. And hence it is, that notwithfanding the agreement. mentioned, we find St. Peter teachingof theGentiles, and St.Paul labouring the Converfion of the Jews. Secondly,In WritingthisFpiftle,onthis Suppofition St. Paul did indeed, that which is pretended was not meet for him to do; namely, he entered on that whiéh wasthe Charge ofano- ther man > only he concealt bis Name, thathe might not appear in doing of a thing unwarrantableand unjuftifiable. And whether it bemeetto afcribe this unto the Apo- file, iseafie todetermine. As then it is certain thatSt.Paul in the Writing of this Epiftle did nothing, butwhat in duty heought todo, andwhat the Authority given him by 'Chrift extended its fell unto, fo the concealingof hisName, left he fhould be thought to have done anything irregularly , is a thing that without much temerity may not be imputed untohim. 4. it There is another Anfwerto this Obje6tion, whichfeemeth tobefetid and fatisfafkory, which molt oftheAntients tell in. And itis, that St. Pahl had weightyReafonsnot to declare his Name at the entranceof this Epiftle tothe Hebrews, taken from the preju- Eafeb. nil. dices that many of them hadagainft him. This is infifted on by Clemens in Eufebius, tib.6, rap. r;i He didWifèly, faith he, conceal his Name, becaufe òf the prejudieate Opinion that they had Promo. ixEp. againft him : and this is at large infifled on by Chryfoftom, who is followed therein by rd Heb. Theophilaet , Oeeumenius and others without number. The perfecuting Party of the Nation, looked on him asan Apojtate, a Defertorof the Caufe wherein he was onceen- gaged, and one that taughtz4poftafte from the LawofMofes; yea, as they thought, that fet the wholeWorld againftthem and all that theygloried in, Ails 21. 28. and what enmity is ufually furred up onfuchoccafions, all men know, and his example is aEf- ficient inftanceof it. And there wasaddedthereunto,which Chryfoftom, and that jufly layes great weight upon, that he was noordinary Perfin, but a man of great" and extra- ordinary abilities, which'mightily increafed the provocation. Thofe among them, who with the profeffionof theGofe, had a mind, to continue themfelves in, and to impofe upon others the obfervance ofMofbicallnftitutionr, looked on him as the only perfon that hadfruflrated their dcfign, Ails15. 2. And this allo is ufually no (mall caulk of wrath
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