Ep :letotheHEBRRvvs. 35 aslfaiab callsthem, "Mat S'N1 t=rUNrt and = i b SIN1 t Tn ;1, Chdp.27.7413. So that there isno queftion but that thefewere they whom St. Peter calls the haarepd of Penn:: Galatia, &c. As St. James extending his Salutation to the fame people in all places, the d'tamotá of the 2welveTribes. Betides many things intifled onby Sr. Teter in theft Epiftles, were peculiar to the Hebrews, who alfo were hisefpecial Care : Seer Epi{f. Chap. J.1o,11,12. Chsp.2.9,2e. Chap. 3. 5.6. Chap 4. 7,17. Eph. 2. 19, 20, 21. (hap. z. I, t x , 0 c. Chap. 3. xo, r t, a2, 13, 14. and many other particular places of the famenature may be obferved in them. Tofumm up ourEvidence in this particular ; Peter being in an elpecial man- ner the Apoftle oftheCircumcifionor Hebrews, Gal. 2.7. havingby his hell Sermon con- vetted many ofthefehangers of Cappadocia, Pontutt,and Afa, Ads2. 9, to, 41. afcri- bins that Title unto them to whomhe wrote, whichwas the ufual and proper Appel- lation of them in all theWorld, 8 dvaauopá ,u 'tetaña, fames 1. I. John7. 35. treating with them for themolt partabout things peculiar to them na a fpecial manner, and that with Argumentsand from Principles peculiarly known unto them, a the places above quotedwill mania, there remains noground of Queftion , but it was thofe Hebrews unto whom he wrote. Nor are theExceptions that are made to this Evidence of any fuch importance, as once to deferve a remembrance by them, whodefign not a *protra6tingof theirDifcourfesbyintiflingonthings unneceffary. . Now it is plain inthisTeffimony afferted,That St. Paul wrote a peculiar Epiftle un.. 4.22. to them, unto whom St. Peter wrote his, that is to theHebrews ; he hath Written unto you, at alfó in aühirEpiftles : that is, inall his other Epiftles. Betides his other Epifles to other Churches and Perfons, he bath alfo written one unto you. So that ifSt. Peters Tetlimonymay be received, St-Paul undoubtedly wrote an Epiftle unto the H:brews, But this may be, fay fome, another Epifile, and not this we treat on ; particularly that to the Galatians, which treateth about Judaical Cuftomr and Worfhip. But this Epifle mentioned bySt. Peter,was writtenparticularlyunto theHebrews in diftináion from the Gentiles : This tothe Galatians is writtenpeculiarly to the Gentiles in oppolition to the Jetres ; fo that a mote unhappy iallante could not pofhbly have been fixed upon. Be- tides he treats not in it of the thingshere mentioned by St.Peter, which' 'are indeed the main Subjedcof the Epiftle to the Hebrews. . But, fay others, Paul indeed mightwrite an Epiftle to the Hebrews, which may be /nit, andthis that we have, might bewritten by fome other : But whence this Anfwer fhould proceed; but froma retolution Oben dhap.kdo7uv, againft Light and Convi6ion,j know not. May we giveplace to fuch rath and prefumptuous Conjeétures, we ¡hall quickly have nothing left entire or fable. For whymay not another as well fay, it is true, Hafts wrote Five Books, but they are loft, and theft that we have under his Name, werewritten byanother : It is not furely one jot lets intolerable for any one, without ground, proof, or Teftimony, toaffirm that the Church hath loft an Epiftle - written to the Hebrews by St. Paul, and taken up one in the room thereof, written by no manknoweth whom. This is nottodeal with that Holy Reverence in the things of God, which becomes us. St. Peter declares that St. Paul in thatEpiftle which hewrote unto the Hebrews, had Q.2xg. declared theLongfitffering ofGod, whereofhe had minded them, to be falvation. Wemuff feewhat was this Longfuffering of God, how it was. Salvation , and how Paul had manifefted it fo to be. The Longfufferanee, Patience, or Forbearanceof God, is either a ¡elute toward man in general, orf¢ecial in reference unto Tome fort ofMen ; orfome kind of Sinsor Provocations that are amongtt them. The firlt of theft is not that which is here intended ; Nor was there any reafon why St. Peter fhould direá the Jews. tothe Epiftles ofSt. Paul in particular to learn theLongfullring of God in General, which is fo plentifully revealed in the wholeScripture, both ofthe Old and New Te- ftament, andonly óccafionly at any timementioned bySt. Pail, . There wastherefore an Efpecial Longfuffering of God which atthat time he exercifed towards the Jeers, waitingtor the Convertìon, and the gathering of his Etet unto him, before thattotal and fmaldettruáion, which theyhad deferved, fhould come upon that Church and State. This hecompares to theLongfuffering of God in the dayes ofNoah, whileft he Preached repentance unto the world, a Epif. 3. zo. For as thofe that were obedient untohis Preaching which wasOnly his own family, werefaved in the Ark, from the general deftru6kion that came up& the World byWater; fo alto they that became obedient upon the Preaching of theGofpel, during this new feafon of Gods fpecial' Long-fuffering, were. tobe ravedbyB-aptifm, or Separation freitn the unbelieving Jews F a by
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