And this is the sum of what I can meet withal that is objected against the canonical, authority of this Epistle; which how little it amounts unto, beyond an evidence of men’s willingness to lay hold on slight occasions to vent their curiosities and conceptions, the reader that is godly and wise will quickly perceive.
22. Having removed these objections out of our way, we shall now proceed to demonstrate the canonical authority of this Epistle, in the strict and proper sense at large before declared. Now, the sum of what we shall plead in this cause amounts to this, that, whereas there are many rexu7jpia, or infallible evidences, of any writings being given by divine inspiration, and sundry arguments whereby books or writ- ings ungroundedly pretending to that original may be disproved, of the former, there is not one that is not applicable unto this _ Epistle, nor is it obnoxious unto any one of the latter sort. Of what nature in general that evidence is which is given unto the divine original of the Scripture by the characters thereof implanted in it,
42 CANONICAL AUTHORITY OF THE [EXERCO. 1.
or other testimony given unto it, or what is the assurance of mind concerning it which thereupon we are furnished withal, belongs not unto our present inquiry. That which we undertake is only to mani- fest that the interest in them of this Epistle, and its immunity from rational exceptions, is equal unto, and no less conspicuous than, that of any other portion of holy writ whatever; so that it stands upon the same basis with the whole, which at present we suppose firm and unmovable.
Eusebius, who, after Melito, Caius, Clemens, and Origen, made a very accurate inquiry after the books unquestionably canonical, gives us three notes of distinction between them that are so and others,— namely, (1.) ®pdécews xapaxrip, the character or manner of phrase or speech; (2.) I'véyun, the sentence or subject-matter treated of ; and, (3.) Tpoaspeots, the purpose and design of the writer: and they are all of great importance, and to be considered by us in this matter. But because others of like moment may be added unto them, and are used by others of the ancients to the same end, we shall insist upon them all in that order which seems most natural unto them, yet so as that they may be all referred unto those general heads by him proposed.
23. Two things there are that belong to the yvwus, or sentence of this Epistle,—first, its general argument; and, secondly, the par- ticular subject-matter treated of init. These seem to be designed thereby. Now, the general argument of this Epistle is the same with that of the whole Scripture besides; that is, a revelation of the will of God as to the faith and obedience of the church; and this holy, heavenly, and divine,—answering the wisdom, truth, and sovereignty, of him from whom it doth proceed. Hence they are called adyia rod @cod, “ The oracles of God,” Rom. ii. 2, or the infallible revela- tion of his will; and ‘Pjwura ri¢ Cwijs aiwviov, John vi. 68, “The words of eternal life;” for that, in the name of God, they treat about. And St Paul tells us that the argument of the gospel is “wisdom,” but “not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of it,” who are destroyed, done away, and madeuseless by it,—that is, the chief leaders of human wisdom and science,—1 Cor. ii. 6: but itis copia Ozod év jvornpip, 4 droxexpusmern, etc.,—“ the mysterious wisdom of God, that was hidden from them,” ver. 7; things of his own mere revelation from his sovereign will and pleasure, with a stamp and impress of his goodness and wisdom upon them, quite of another nature than any thing that the choicest wisdom of the princes of this world can reach or attain unto. And such is the argument of this Epistle: it treats of things which “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they,” by any natural means, ever “entered into the heart of man,” and that in absolute harmony with all other unquestionable revelations of the will of God. Now, if the immediate original hereof be not
? Euseb. Hist. Hceles. lib iii. cap. xxv. ;
SECT. 23.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 43
from God,—that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost,—then it must be either the envention of some man, spinning the whole web and frame of it out of his own imagination, or from his diligence in framing and composing of it from a system of principles collected out of other writings of divine revelation. The first will not be pretended.
Two things absolutely free it from suffering under any such sus- picion: First, the nature of its argument, treating, as was said, of such things as “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of man.” The deity, offices, sacrifice, media- tion, and grace, of Jesus Christ, are not things that can have any foundation in the invention and imagination of man; yea, being re- vealed by God, they lie in a direct contradiction unto all that natu- rally is esteemed wise or perfect, 1 Cor. i. 18-23. They exceed the sphere of natural comprehension, and are destructive of the principles which it frameth unto itself for the compassing of those ends where- unto they are designed.