An assertion of the government of the Church of Scotland in the points of…

But let us hear a triple divination which the non-friends of ruling Elders give forth upon this testimony.¹ First, Bishop Hall telleth us that it is not Ambrose, but a counterfeit who wrote that Commentary upon the Epistles, and for this he allegeth our own Parker against us. The truth is, Bellarmine and Scultingius taught him this answer: The place of Parker he citeth no• in the Margin; but I believe the place he meaneth of is de polit. Eccles. lib. 2. cap. 13. where he holdeth indeed, that the author of these Commentaries was not Ambrose, Bishop of Milan; ⟨p. 59⟩but showeth withal, that he nothing doubteth of the Catholic authority of the Commentaries themselves; Hoc vero, &c. This saith he, may befall the best Author whosoever he be, that some may ascribe his works to another. But that he lived before the Council of Nice, this addeth weight to his testimony of the Seniors. These Commentaries are commonly cited by our Divines, as Ambrose's. I find them in Erasmus his edition, both at Collen, 1532. and at Paris, 1551. acknowledged to be the genuine works of Ambrose, only the Prefaces before the Epistles are called in question. They are also acknowledged in the edition of Costerius at Basil, 1555. Sixtu• Senensis ascribeth them to Ambrose in like manner. The edition of Collen, 1616. hath an observation prefixed, which repudiateth many of his works, and these Commentaries among the rest. Yet the last edition at Paris, 1632. hath expunged that observation, which they had not done if they had approved the same: Howsoever that same observation maketh those Commentaries to be as old as 372. or 373. Perkins in his preparative before his demonstration of the problem, calleth in question the Commentary upon the Hebrews,² but no more. Rivet showeth that these who reject them, do neither ⟨p. 60⟩give good reasons for their opinion; neither yet do agree among themselves. Bellarmine ascribing them to Hilarius Diaconus, Maldonat to Remigius Lugdunensis, the Censors of Louvain to the Author of the questions of the old and new Testament.