A53696:114
Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews
Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole economy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the ancient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole oeconomy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the antient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nathaniel Ponder, 1668
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
SECOND DISSERTATION.
§ 1 THE Divine Authority of the Epistle being vindicated, it is of no great Moment to enquire scrupulously after its Penman. Writings that proceed from Divine Inspiration, receive no addition of Authority from the Reputation or Esteem of them by whom they were written. And this the Holy Ghost hath sufficiently manifested, by shutting up the Names of many of them from the knowledge of the Church in all Ages. The Close of the Pentateuch hath an uncertain Penman, unless we shall suppose with some of the Jews that it was written by Moses after his Death. Divers of the Psalms have their Penmen concealed, as also have the whole Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Ruth, Esther, Job; and the Chronicles are but guessed at. Had any prejudice unto their Authority ensued, this had not been. For those whose Authors are known, they were not esteemed to be given by Prophecy, because they were Prophets; but they were known to be Prophets by the Word which they delivered. For if the Word Delivered or Written by any of the Prophets, was to be esteemed Sacred, or Divine, because delivered or Written by such Persons as were known to be Prophets, then it must be because they were some other way known so to be, and Divinely Inspired, as by Working of Miracles, or that they were in their ⟨p. 25⟩days received, and testified unto as such by the Church. But neither of these can be asserted. For as it is not known that any one Penman of the Old Testament, Moses only excepted, ever wrought any miracles, so it is certain that the most and chiefest of them (as the Prophets) were rejected and condemned by the Church of the days wherein they lived. The only way therefore whereby they were proved to be Prophets was by the Word it self which they delivered and wrote; and thereon depended the Evidence and Certainty of their being Divinely inspired. See Amos 7.14, 15, 16. Jer. 23.25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. And setting aside that actual Inspiration by the Holy Ghost, which they had for the Declaration and Writing of that Word of God which came unto them in particular, and the Prophets themselves were subject to mistakes. So was Samuel when he thought Eliab should have been the Lords Anointed,