A commentary on the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. By M. John Calvin. Translated…A commentarie on the vvhole Epistle to the Hebrevves. By M. Iohn Caluin. Translated…

And this will we do, Vers. 3 &c.] Behold here a terrible and fearful threatening: but the Apostle thus thunders, to the end the Jews should not flatter themselves too much in their carelessness, by despising the grace of God. As if he should say, there is no staying till to morrow, because this ⟨p. 113⟩opportunity of going forward will not last always. For it is not in the power of man to pass from the entrance unto the mark, as oft as pleaseth him, but the finishing of our course is a particular gift of God.

ANd this will we do, Vers. 3 &c.] Behold here a terrible and fearfull threatning: but the Apostle thus thunders, to the end the Iewes should not flatter themselues too much in their carelesnes, by despising the grace of God. As if he should say, there is no staying till to morrow, because this ⟨p. 113⟩opportunitie of going forward will not last alwaies. For it is not in the power of man to passe from the entrance vnto the marke, as oft as pleaseth him, but the finishing of our course is a particular gift of God.

That those which were once enlightened,] Vers. 4 This place hath given many occasion to reject this Epistle, and especially because the Novatians armed themselves therewith to deny pardon to those that had fallen. Those therefore of the West especially, have doubted whether this Epistle were to be believed, because they were pressed with the Novatian sect, and had not knowledge enough to refute their arguments. But when we have scanned the Apostles meaning, we shall by and by see there is nothing here that doth any way favour so absurd an error. Others who acknowledge the authority of this Epistle, and allow it for holy; willing to avoid the absurdity, do wind themselves out from it, only by way of cavil. For some there are who take this word impossible, for difficult, or, for a thing that very rarely comes to pass: the which is far wide from the signification of the word. There are some others, howbeit more in number; who restrain it to that repentance, whereby new Converts were wont to be prepared unto baptism in the ancient Church. A like matter; as if the Apostle had enjoined them that were converted to fast, or to do some such like thing. Moreover what great thing should the Apostle have said, if he had denied that that kind of repentance which is but a dependence of Baptism, might be renewed again? He threatens an horrible vengeance of God to fall upon all those that reject the grace of God which they have once received. What gravity or weight were then I pray you in this sentence, and what terrible thunderbolt were there in it to fear those who were foolishly become secure and careless, if so be it did only admonish us that there were no place left for the first repentance? for so this would stretch it self to all kind of sin. What shall we say then? for seeing the Lord offereth mercy to all without exception: what reason is there that any (by such an absurdity) should