Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

Those that succeeded in that Church, it is not unlikely, had their scruples increased, because they found it not in common use amongst their Predecessors, like to the rest of St. Pauls Epistles; not considering the occasion thereof. Add hereunto that by that time it had gradually made its progress in its return into the West, where it was first written, and attended with the Suffrage of all the Eastern Churches began to evince its own Authority, sundry persons who were wrangling about peculiar opinions and practices of their own, began to seek advantages from some expressions in it. So did in particular the Novatians and the Donatists. This might possibly increase the scruple amongst the Orthodox, and make them wary in their admission of that Authority which they found pleaded against them. And well was it for them, that their opinions about which they disagreed with their Adversaries, were according unto truth, seeing it may justly be feared, that some then would have made them their Rule and Standard in their reception or rejection of this Epistle: for it was no new thing for the Orthodox themselves to make bold sometime with the Scripture, if they supposed it to run cross unto their conceptions. So Epiphanius informs us, in Ancorat. [Greek or Hebrew]. And also he wept; for so it is read in the uncorrected Copies of the Gospel according to Luke: and St. Irenaeus useth this Testimony in his Book against Heresies, for their confutation, who affirmed that Christ took flesh only in appearance; but the Orthodox, (or Catholics) being afraid (of the importance of that expression) took away that word out of the Copies, not understanding its use and sense. So also Sixtus Sinensis after he hath informed us, out of Hilary, that many Orthodox persons denied the story of our Saviours Agony, and bloody Sweat, adds of his own, Suspicor à Catholicis sublatam esse, pio sed simplici zelo, quod favere videbatur Arianis. I suspect that the Story was taken out of the Copies, by some Catholics, out of a godly, but simple zeal, because it seemed to favour the Arians. So great is the power of prejudice, and so little occasions have men taken, whom others have esteemed Orthodox and pious, to make bold with that word, whereby both we and all our opinions must be judged.

Those that succeeded in that Church, it is not unlikely, had their scruples increased, because they found it not in common use amongst their Predecessors, like to the rest of St. Pauls Epistles; not considering the occasion thereof. Add hereunto that by that time it had gradually made its progress in its return into the West, where it was first written, and attended with the Suffrage of all the Eastern Churches began to evince its own Authority, sundry persons who were wrangling about peculiar opinions and practices of their own, began to seek advantages from some expressions in it. So did in particular the Novatians and the Donatists. This might possibly increase the scruple amongst the Orthodox, and make them wary in their admission of that Authority which they found pleaded against them. And well was it for them, that their opinions about which they disagreed with their Adversaries, were according unto truth, seeing it may justly be feared, that some then would have made them their Rule and Standard in their reception or rejection of this Epistle: for it was no new thing for the Orthodox themselves to make bold sometime with the Scripture, if they supposed it to run cross unto their conceptions. So Epiphanius informs us, in Ancorat. . And also he wept; for so it is read in the uncorrected Copies of the Gospell according to Luke: and St. Irenaeus useth this Testimony in his Book against Heresies, for their confutation, who affirmed that Christ took flesh only in appearance; but the Orthodox, (or Catholicks) being afraid (of the importance of that expression) took away that word out of the Copies, not understanding its use and sense. So also Sixtus Sinensis after he hath informed us, out of Hilary, that many Orthodox persons denyed the story of our Saviours Agony, and bloody Sweat, adds of his own, Suspicor à Catholicis sublatam esse, pio sed simplici zelo, quod favere videbatur Arianis. I suspect that the Story was taken out of the Copies, by some Catholicks, out of a godly, but simple zeal, because it seemed to favour the Arians. So great is the power of prejudice, and so little occasions have men taken, whom others have esteemed Orthodox and pious, to make bold with that word, whereby both we and all our opinions must be judged.