That the Hebrevves vvere not all the Ievves, but only a part of them, it is manifest Act. 6: vvhere the primitive Church of Hierusalem, although it consisted of Ievves only, as vve reade Act. 2, yet is said to consist of tvvo sortes, Greekes & Hebrues. Vvhich againe is manifest Phil. 3. vvhere S. Paul c&obar;paring him self with the Iudaical false-Apostles, saith, that he also is, an Hebrue of Hebrues. Finally, they seeme to haue been those Ievves vvhich vvere borne in Iurie, vvhich for the most part dwelled also there. Therefore to the Christian Ievves in Hierusalem and in the rest of Iurie, S. Paul vvriteth this Epistle, out of Italie: saying therevpon, The brethr&ebar; of Italic salute you. Heb. 13. By vvhich vvordes, & by these other in the same place. Knovv ye our brother Timothee to be dimissed, vvith vvhom (if he come the sooner) I vvil see you, it is euident, that he vvrote this, not only after he vvas brought prisoner to Rome, vvherein S. Luke endeth the Actes of the Apostles: but also after he vvas set at libertie there againe.

Many causes are giuen of the Doctors, vvhy vvriting to the Ievves, he doth not put his name in the beginning, Paul an Apostle &c. as he doth lightly in

his Epistles to the Churches and Bishops of the Gentils. ^note The most likely cause is, for that he vvas the preacher and Apostle and Maister of the Gentils. And againe in an other place he saith, that him self vvas appointed the Apostle of the Gentils, as Peter of the Ievves. Gal. 2. Only S. Peter therfore vvriting to the Ievves, doth vse this stile: Peter an Apostle of Iesvs Christ &c. because he vvas more peculiarly their Apostle as being the vicar of Christ, vvho vvas also him self ^{note note note} more specially the minister of the Circumcision, that is (as him self speaketh) not sent but to the sheepe vvhich vvere lost of the house of Israël. Mat. 15.

The Argument of the Epistle S. Paul him self doth tell vs in tvvo vvordes, calling it verbum solatij, the vvord of solace and comfort. ^note Vvhich also is plaine in the vvhole course of the Epistle, namely in the tenth chapter. v. 32. &c. Vvhere he exhorteth them to take great comfort and confidence in their manifold tribulations sustained of their ovvne countrie men the Ievves, vvhereof the Apostle also maketh mention to the Thessalonians. 1. Thess. 2. v. 14. Those persecutions then of the obstinate incredulous Ievves their countrie men, vvas one great tentation vnto them. An other tentation vvas, the persuasions that they brought vnto them out of Scriptures, to cleaue vnto the Lavv, and not to beleeue in Iesvs the dead man.

And vvhereas the Ievves did magnifie their lavv, by the Prophetes, and by the Angels by vvhom it vvas giuen, and by Moyses, and by their land of promise, into vvhich Iosue brought them, and by their father Abraham, and by their Aaronicall or Leuitical priesthod and sacrifices, by their Tabernacle, & by their Testament: he shevveth, that our Lord Iesvs, as being the natural sonne of God, passeth incomparably the Prophetes, the Angels, and Moyses: that the Rest or quietnes vvhich God promised, vvas not in their earthly land, but in heauen: that his figure Melchisedec far passed Abraham: and that his priesthod, Sacrifice, Tabernacle, and testament, far pa&esset;ed theirs. In al vvhich he shooteth often at these three markes: to take avvay the scandal of Christes death, by giuing them sundrie good reasons & testimonies of it: to erect their mindes from visible and earthly promises (to vvhich only, the Ievves vvere vvholy bent) to inuisible and heauenly: and to insinuate that the Ceremonies should novv cease, the time of their correction by Christ being novv come.

The Epistle may be deuided into these partes: the first, of Christes excellencie aboue the Prophetes; Angels, Moyses, and Iosue: c. 1. 2. 3. 4. The second, of his priesthod and excellencie thereof aboue the priesthod of the old Testament: c. 5. vnto the middest of the 10. The last part is of exhortation c. 10. v. 9. to the end of the Epistle.

THE EPISTLE OF PAVL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREVVES. Let the Christian Reader note the corruption and impudent boldnes of our Aduersaries, that vpon a false priuate persuasion of their ovvne, that S. Paul vvas not the author of this Epistle, [Subnote: In the English Bible of the yere 2579.] leaue out his name in the title of the same, contrarie to the authentical copies both Greeke and Latin. [Subnote: Heretical corruption.] In old time there vvas some doubt vvho should be the vvriter of it, but then, vvhen it vvas no lesse doubted vvhether it vvere Canonical Scripture at al. [Subnote: The Epistle to the Hebrues, is S. Paules.] Aftervvard the vvhole Church (by vvhich onely vve knovv the true Scriptures from other vvritings) held it and deliuered it, as novv she doth, to the faithful, for Canonical, and for S. Paules Epistle. Notvvithstanding the Aduersaries vvould haue refused the Epistle, as vvel as they do the Author, but that they falsely imagine certaine places thereof to make against the Sacrifice of the Masse.

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