Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

Unto all others, he still prefixeth this Title, declaring himself thereby to be one, so authorized to reveal the Mysteries of the Gospel, that they to whom he Wrote, were to acquiesce in his Authority, and to resolve their faith into the Revelation of the Will of God, made unto him, and by him, the Church being to be built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles. And hence it was, that when something he had taught, was called in question, and opposed, Writing in the Vindication of it, and for their establishment in the Truth, whom before he had instructed, he doth in the entrance of his Writings, singularly and Emphatically mention this his Authority, Gal. 1.1. Paul an Apostle, neither of man, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father that raised him from the dead: so intimating the absolute obedience that was due unto the Doctrine by him revealed. By this Title, I say, he directs them to whom he wrote, to resolve their assent into the Authority of Christ speaking in him, which he tenders unto them as the proof and foundation of the Mysteries wherein they were instructed.

In his dealing with the Hebrews the case was far otherwise; They who believed amongst them, never changed the old foundation, or Church-State, grounded on the Scriptures, though they had a new addition of Privileges by their Faith in Christ Jesus, as the Messiah now exhibited. And therefore he deals not with them, as with those whose Faith was built absolutely on Apostolical Authority and Revelation, but upon the common Principles of the Old Testament, on which they still stood, and out of which Evangelical Faith was educed. Hence the beginning of the Epistle, wherein he ⟨p. 34⟩appeals to the Scripture as the foundation, that he intended to build upon, and the Authority which he would press them withal, supplies the Room of that intimation of his Apostolical Authority, which in other places he maketh use of. And it serves to the very same purpose. For as in those Epistles he proposeth his Apostolical Authority as the immediate reason of their Assent and Obedience; so in this he doth the Scriptures of the Old Testament. And this is the true and proper cause, that renders the prefixing of his Apostolical Authority, which his Name must necessarily accompany, needless, because useless, it being that which he intended not to engage in this business. And for himself, he sufficiently declares in the close of his Epistle who he was; for though some may imagine that he is not so certainly known unto us, from what he there says of himself, yet none can be so fond to doubt whether he were not thereby known to them to whom he wrote; so that neither hath this Objection in it any thing of real weight or moment.