Page 49
A COMMENTARY VPON THE EPISTLE OF St PAUL to the Hebrews.
FIRST, the inscription of the Epistle. Se∣condly, the substance of it. In the Inscrip∣tion there are foure things: 1. What it is which is written: 2. Who wrote it: 3. In what tongue he wrote it: 4. To whom it was written. Two of them are expressed, and two of them are necessarily to be sup∣plyed.
The thing written is an Epistle, that which is sent. If wee cannot goe to men, and speake to them by word of mouth, we may send a Letter to them, and speake to them by writing. The Author of this Epistle, at this time could not con∣veniently goe to the Iewes, therefore he writeth to them.
Secondly, who wrote it: there is great controversie about that: some, and those very learned and godly men, will not be per∣swaded, that this is S. Pauls Epistle.
1 Because it wanteth S. Pauls hand and seale,* 1.1 The salutation of me Paul, with my owne hands, this I write in all my Epistles. S. Paul is wont to put his name to all his Epistles; this hath not St. Pauls name, neither in the beginning nor in the ending; neither in the forehead, nor in the foot. Therefore it is none of S. Pauls.
But that is easily answered. In wisdome, hee concealed his name, Quia fuit Iudaeis exosum, etiam ad fidem conversis; if they had seene his name, they would have hurled away his Epistle, because they tooke him to be an enemie to the Law.
2 They cannot be induced to thinke that S. Paul was the Pen∣man of this Epistle,* 1.2 because he puts himselfe in the Catalogue of them that were the Apostles Schollers: whereas S. Paul is wont to stand upon his credit and reputation in that behalfe; that he learned nothing of any man; that he was nothing inferiour to the chiefe of the Apostles.
But either he may speake that by way of rhetoricall communi∣cation, usuall with Orators and Divines too, to assume that to him∣selfe,