A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 4. Of the Author of this Epistle.

THe proofs before produced for the Divine Authority of this Epistle, give evi∣dence that an Apostle, or some other extraordinary Minister, immediately in∣spired and infallibly insisted by the divine Spirit, was the Author of it.

f 1.1 Some have supposed it to be written by Luke the Evangelist, or by Clemens: g 1.2 some by Apollos, whose learning and eloquence joyned with great piety is much

commended: who also in speciall is said, to have mightily convinced the Iews, Acts 18. 24, 25, 28.

But the evidences following do more then probably evince, that Paul the Apostle was the Author of this Epistle.

• 1. The Aucient Greek Churches accounted it to be S^t Pauls, and thereupon prefixedh 1.3 this Title before it, The Epistle of Paul, &c. And in the Catalogue of S^t Pauls Epistles this is reckoned up: whereupon there are said to be fourteen Epistles of S^t Paul.
• 2. Both i 1.4 Matter and Manner of penning this Epistle is agreeable to S^t Pauls other Epistles.
• 3. That which S^t Paul stileth his token in every Epistle (2 Thes. 3. 17.) is also in* 1.5 the close of this Epistle, thus set down; Grace be with you all Amen. Indeed in most of his Epistles, he stiles it the grace of Iesus Christ: yet in both his Epistles to Timo∣thy and to Titus, it is as here.
• 4. The mention which is made of Timothy, who was S^t Pauls associate, of whom he oft makes mention in his other Epistles, and gives the same Epithete to him that is here, our brother Timothy. Compare with Heb. 13. 23. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Philem. v. 1. To shew that that very Paul is here meant, who was immediately called by Iesus Christ, and infallibly assisted by his Spirit, he is described by his extraordinary function, The Apostle. Hereof see Chap. 3. v. 1. Thus much of the Author.

Objections made against this Pen-man of this Epistle, are answered in their due places. See Chap. 2. §. 27.

Notes

• f 1.1

  Origines, ut re∣fort Euseb. hist. Eccl. l. •…•…. c. 25.
• g 1.2

  Beza in An∣not. major.
• h 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. Ita scriptum inveni∣mus in omnibus nostris codicibu•…•… excepto uno.
• i 1.4

  Vide Piscat. Prolegom. de Authore hujus Epist.
• * 1.5

  Beza loc. citat. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 3. •…•…lurima Pa∣trum testimo∣nium, citantur a Whitakero controv. 1. de S. Script. q. 1. c. 16.