The argument of the Epistleto the Hebrues, gathered by Des. Erasmus of Roterodame.

NO nacion resisted the gospel of Christe with more obsti∣nate mindes, then the Iewes, which bare also a speciall malyce agaynste Paule, partly for that, that he openly professed himselfe to be an Apostle of y^e heathen, whome the Iewes aborred as vnreligious, and godles: and partly because he semed to abolishe Moses lawe, which they con̄pted most holy, & desired the same to be publi∣shed thorough all the worlde in the stede of the gospell. Insomuche that there were some euen amonge them that had receyued Christes doctrine, which thought that the obseruacon of the lawe ought in any wyse to be ioyned and coupled with the gospell. Wherfore the faythfull at Hierusa∣lem, were sondrie wayes vexed and iniured by such as resisted the gospel. For the aduersaries beeing commen officers, and hauing the publike au∣toritie in their handes, the sincere professours of the gospel were caste in∣to prison, were scourged, and suffred spoyle and losse of theyr goodes. Paul therfore cōforteth these good men by y^• example of the old sainctes, which for the moste parte were exercised with such like, or greuouser ca∣lamities that their vertue therby might be tried, and made more excellēt. But chefely he conforteth them with the example of Christe, and hope of the heauenly reward. After this he declareth that now that Christes gospell hath shewed furth hir shyning lyght, the shadowes of Moses lawe haue vanished awaie, and continue no longer. And in this place he repeteth many thynges out of the olde testa∣ment, and applieth them, vnto Christ. He teacheth further, that we ought not to hope for saluacion by kepyng of the lawe, which was geuen but for a tyme, & was vnperfit, but by fayth, by which those olde nota∣ble holy men, whose remēbraunce the Iewes had in great veneracion, chiefely pleased God. In the ende he teacheth cer∣tayne rules pertaining to christian maners.