And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery.

“Therefore the apostate withal will recover his former "garment," the robe of the Holy Spirit; and a renewal of the "ring," the sign and seal of baptism; and Christ will again be "slaughtered; " and he will recline on that couch from which such as are unworthily clad are wont to be lifted by the torturers, and cast away into darkness, -much more such as have been stripped.”

“Could Paul teach in opposition to his own act? He had at Corinth forgiven sin through penance; how could he himself speak against his own decision? Since, then, he could not destroy what he had built, we must assume that what he says was different from, but not contrary to, what had gone before. For what is contrary is opposed to itself; what is different has ordinarily another meaning. Things that are contrary are not such that one can support the other. Inasmuch, then, as the apostle spoke of remitting penance, he could not be silent as to those who thought that baptism was to be repeated. And it was right first of all to remove our anxiety and to let us know that, even after baptism, if any sinned, their sins could be forgiven them, lest a false belief in a reiterated baptism should lead astray those who were destitute of all hope of forgiveness. And second, it was right to set forth in a well-reasoned argument that baptism is not to be repeated.…So, then, that which he says in this epistle to the Hebrews, that it is impossible for those who have fallen to be "renewed unto repentance, crucifying again the Son of God and putting him to open shame," must be considered as having reference to baptism, wherein we crucify the Son of God in ourselves that the world may be by him crucified for us. We triumph, as it were, when we take to ourselves the likeness of his death. We put to open shame upon his cross principalities and powers and triumphed over them, that in the likeness of his death we, too, might triumph over the principalities whose yoke we throw off. But Christ was crucified once and died to sin once, and so there is but one, not several baptisms.… And indeed I might also say to anyone who thought that this passage spoke of repentance, that things which are impossible from the human point of view are possible with God. God is able whenever God wills to forgive us our sins, even those which we think cannot be forgiven. And so it is possible for God to give us that which it seems to us impossible to attain. For it seemed impossible that water should wash away sin, and Naaman the Syrian thought that leprosy could not be cleansed by water. But that which was impossible, God who gave us such great grace made to be possible. Similarly it seemed impossible that sins should be forgiven through repentance, but Christ gave this power to his apostles, which has been transmitted to the priestly office. That, then, has become possible which was impossible. But by true reasoning, the apostle convinces us that the reiteration by anyone of the sacrament of baptism is not permitted.”

“"and have fallen away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame." "Renew them," he says, "unto repentance," that is, by repentance, for unto repentance is by repentance. What then, is repentance excluded? Not repentance, far from it! But the renewing again by the laver. For he did not say, "impossible" to be renewed "unto repentance," and stop, but added how "impossible, [by] crucifying afresh." To "be renewed," that is, to be made new, for to make men new is [the work] of the layer only: for (it is said) "thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle's." (Ps. ciii. 5.) But it is [the work of] repentance, when those who have been made new, have afterwards become old through sins, to set them free from this old age, and to make them strong. To bring them to that former brightness however, is not possible; for there the whole was Grace. "Crucifying to themselves," he says, "the Son of God afresh, and putting Him to an open shame." What he means is this. Baptism is a Cross, and "our old man was crucified with [Him]" (Rom. vi. 6), for we were "made conformable to the likeness of His death" (Rom. vi. 5; Phil. iii. 10), and again, "we were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death." (Rom. vi. 4.) Wherefore, as it is not possible that Christ should be crucified a second time, for that is to "put Him to an open shame." For "if death shall no more have dominion over Him" (Rom. vi. 9), if He rose again, by His resurrection becoming superior to death; if by death He wrestled with and overcame death, and then is crucified again, all those things become a fable and a mockery. He then that baptizeth a second time, crucifies Him again. But what is "crucifying afresh"? [It is] crucifying over again. For as Christ died on the cross, so do we in baptism, not as to the flesh, but as to sin. Behold two deaths. He died as to the flesh; in our case the old man was buried, and the new man arose, made conformable to the likeness of His death. If therefore it is necessary to be baptized [again], it is necessary that this same [Christ] should die again. For baptism is nothing else than the putting to death of the baptized, and his rising again. And he well said, "crucifying afresh unto themselves." For he that does this, as having forgotten the former grace, and ordering his own life carelessly, acts in all respects as if there were another baptism. It behooves us therefore to take heed and to make ourselves safe. On two grounds then he said that the thing was impossible, and he put the stronger last: first, because he who has been deemed worthy of such [blessings], and who has betrayed all that was granted to him, is not worthy to be again renewed; neither is it possible that [Christ] should again be crucified afresh: for this is to "put Him to an open shame." There is not then any second layer: there is not [indeed]. And if there is, there is also a third, and a fourth; for the former one is continually disannulled by the later, and this continually by another, and so on without end. What then (you say)? Is there no repentance? There is repentance, but there is no second baptism: but repentance there is, and it has great force, and is able to set free from the burden of his sins, if he will, even him that hath been baptized much in sins, and to establish in safety him who is in danger, even though he should have come unto the very depth of wickedness. And this is evident from many places. "For," says one, "doth not he that falleth rise again? or he that turneth away, doth not he turn back to [God]?" (Jer. viii. 4.) It is possible, if we will, that Christ should be formed in us again: for hear Paul saying, "My little children of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you." (Gal. iv. 19.) Only let us lay hold on repentance. For behold the love of God to man! We ought on every ground to have been punished at the first; in that having received the natural law, and enjoyed innumerable blessings, we have not acknowledged our Master, and have lived an unclean life. Yet He not only has not punished us, but has even made us partakers of countless blessings, just as if we had accomplished great things. Again we fell away, and not even so does He punish us, but has given medicine of repentance, which is sufficient to put away and blot out all our sins; only if we knew the nature of the medicine, and how we ought to apply it.”

“Above, the Apostle made mention of the priesthood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech, and showed the slowness of those to whom he was writing; here he returns to his proposal. And concerning this he does three things: first he opens his intention; second he shows its difficulty, at the place and this we will do; third he declares his intention, at the place we are confident. Concerning the first he does two things: first he makes clear his proposal; second he explains what he says, at the place not again. His proposal is that, having passed over those things which pertain to the beginning of Christian doctrine, he wishes to pursue other higher things. Hence he says: it has already been said that the perfect have need of solid food; wherefore, leaving aside the discourse of the beginning of the doctrine of Christ, by which Christ begins to be in us, which is through the doctrine of faith — Eph. c. III, 17: that Christ may dwell through faith in our hearts — let us be carried to perfection, that is, to those things which pertain to the perfection of the doctrine of Christ. I Cor. XIII, 11: when I became a man, I put away the things that were of a child. Now this, according to the Gloss, can be referred to two things: namely either to the intellect, so that when a man has advanced, he ought to leave aside childish things and devote himself to the things of the perfect. I Cor. c. II, 6: we speak wisdom among the perfect. Or to the effect. And the sense is that one must not always stand in the sense of beginners, but must tend toward the state of the perfect. Gen. c. XVII, 1: walk before me, and be perfect. Here there is a twofold objection. And first, concerning what he says about leaving aside the beginning, because the beginning ought never to be left aside. Ps. LXXVI, 10: and I said: now I have begun. Job c. XXVII, 6: the justification which I have begun to hold, I will not forsake. I answer. It must be said that the beginning can be left aside in two ways. Either as to estimation, and in this way a man must always be as one advancing and tending toward greater things. Phil. III, 12: not that I have already begun, or that I am already perfect. Or as to progress toward perfection, and in this way a man must always strive to pass over into the state of the perfect. Phil. III, 13: forgetting the things that are behind, stretching myself toward those that are before. For in the way of God, says Bernard, not to advance is to go back. Another objection concerns what he says, let us be carried to perfection. For perfection consists in the counsels. Matth. XIX, 21: if you wish to be perfect, go, and sell all, and so on. But not all are bound to the counsels; therefore. I answer. It must be said that perfection is twofold. One, namely exterior, which consists in exterior acts, which are signs of interior things, such as virginity, voluntary poverty. And to this not all are bound. The other is interior, which consists in the love of God and neighbor. Col. III, 14: have charity, which is the bond of perfection. And to this kind of perfection not all are bound, but all are bound to tend toward it, because if anyone were unwilling to love God more, he would not do what charity requires. Now he says let us be carried, and this according to an impulse from the Holy Spirit. Rom. VIII, 14: they who are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God. Or as carried by God, who carries our weakness. Is. XLVI, 3: hear me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are carried by me from the womb. Or as carried by one another. Gal. VI, 2: bear one another's burdens. Then, when he says not again, he explains what he said, and intends to show what those things are which pertain to the beginning of the doctrine of Christ. And he uses a comparison. For through faith the soul is built up into a spiritual building. Therefore, just as in a bodily building the foundation is laid first, so here the first rudiments of the doctrine of Christ are, as it were, foundations. But on the contrary: because below, at XI, 1, faith is set down as being the foundation; but faith is one. Eph. c. IV, 5: one Lord, one faith, one Baptism. But here he sets down six foundations; therefore it seems that this is wrong. I answer. It must be said that faith is the foundation of the virtues. But these things which he sets down here are the foundations of the doctrine of Christ. And he says not again laying the foundation, etc., as if we should lay it so firmly that it need not be laid a second time. Or because you laid it long ago, and it need not be repeated. Now the Apostle orders these things very meaningfully. For just as in the way of generation and of any motion whatsoever, there is first a departure from the term from which, and afterward an approach to the term to which, so he says here — because penance is a departure from sin, and thus it is, as it were, a certain foundation in this life. For no one, according to Augustine, master of his own will, can begin a new life, unless he repents of the past one. Hence the Lord at the beginning of his preaching says: do penance, Matth. IV, 17. And therefore he says of penance from dead works. For works are called dead, either those which are dead in themselves, or those which are mortified. A thing is called living when it has the function of its proper power; and when it fails in this, it is called dead. For our works are ordered to beatitude, which is the end of man. And therefore when they do not lead to beatitude, nor can be ordered to it, they are called dead: and these are works done in mortal sin. Infra IX, 14: the blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit offered himself unspotted to God, shall cleanse our consciences from dead works. But works done in charity are mortified by sin; hence they do not have the power to merit eternal life. Ez. XVIII, 24: all his justices which he had done shall not be remembered. But penance causes these to revive: hence then they are again reckoned toward eternal life. But in the approach to the term, first there is faith, and therefore he says the foundation of faith toward God. Now it is proper to faith that a man believes and assents not to things seen by himself, but to the testimony of another. Now this testimony is either of man alone: and this does not make the power of faith, because a man can both deceive and be deceived. Or this testimony is from divine judgment: and this is most true and most firm, because it is from the very Truth, which can neither deceive nor be deceived. And therefore he says, toward God, that is, so that one assents to those things which God says. Io. c. XIV, 1: you believe in God, believe also in me. Secondly, in this process there are the sacraments of faith. Now these are two sacraments of those entering; for the Apostle here treats only of these. And these are: Baptism, first, by which we are regenerated, and second is confirmation, by which we are confirmed. As to the first he says of Baptisms. But on the contrary, Eph. IV, 5: one faith, one Baptism. Therefore there are not several Baptisms. I answer. It must be said that Baptism is threefold, namely of the river, of the breath, and of blood; but the last two do not have force unless they are referred to the first, because these must be had in intention, if the opportunity is not present, in those having the use of free will. And therefore they are not three sacraments, but one sacrament, by which we are regenerated unto salvation. Io. III, 5: unless one is reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, and so on. Now among these, the Baptism of blood has more of the effect of Baptism, provided the first was in intention, or the contrary was not held in mind, as is clear in the case of the innocents, who were not in an opposite disposition. For Baptism has its power from the merit of the Passion of Christ. Rom. VI, 3: whoever of us were baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized in his death. Therefore, just as he who is baptized is conformed to the death of Christ sacramentally, so the martyr is conformed really. And therefore this Baptism has the whole effect of Baptism, as to purging all guilt and penalty of sin, yet it does not imprint any character. And therefore if one receiving martyrdom without the Baptism of water were to rise again, he would have to be baptized. But penance does not have as much of the effect of Baptism, because it does not take away every penalty, although it takes away the guilt. But just as the martyr conforms himself to the death of Christ through exterior suffering, so the penitent through interior suffering. Gal. c. V, 24: they who are Christ's have crucified their flesh with its vices and desires. Therefore it can be so great that it takes away all guilt and penalty, as is clear in the case of the thief and the Magdalene. Hence penance is called Baptism, inasmuch as it supplies the place of Baptism. And because it is not lawful to repeat that, therefore penance was instituted. These, therefore, are called Baptisms, because they have the effect of Baptism; but there is only one Baptism, because they do not operate unless that is held in intention. The second sacrament of those entering consists in the very laying on of hands. Therefore he says also of the laying on of hands. But this is twofold. One is that which works miracles, as when Christ through the laying on of hands healed the sick, Lc. IV, 40: laying his hands on each of them he healed them; and this is not sacramental. The other is sacramental, and this is twofold. One in the sacrament of order. I Tim. V, 22: lay hands hastily on no one. The other is in the sacrament of confirmation for renewal. Tit. III, 5: through the laver of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, and so on. For in confirmation the Spirit is given for strength, that is, so that a man may boldly confess the name of Christ before men. For just as in the being of nature, a man is first generated, and afterward grows and is strengthened, so it is in the being of grace. Thirdly there follows the term of the motion, to which the motion is terminated, and this is twofold. For we await two things: the first is the resurrection of bodies, and this is a foundation of faith, because without this our faith is vain, I Cor. c. XV, 14. Therefore he says of the resurrection of the dead. Likewise we await recompense, which will be made through the judge. Eccle. XII, 14: God will bring all things that are done into judgment. And therefore he says of eternal judgment, not that this judgment will last a thousand years, as Lactantius held, but the whole will be in a moment. But it is called eternal, because the sentence which will be given there will last forever. Matth. XXV, 46: these shall go into eternal punishment, but the just into eternal life. And it must be known that all these things, which he says he wishes to treat here, are, as it were, certain rudiments of the faith. Hence he preaches these to novices, Act. XVII, 18 ss., and in many other places. Then, when he says and this we will do, he shows the difficulty of carrying out his proposal: for it is difficult, both in itself, and with respect to his hearers. Hence he does three things. First he indicates that in this he especially needs divine help; second he adds the weakness of certain persons, at the place for it is impossible; third he brings forward a certain comparison, at the place for the earth. He says therefore: let us be carried toward the perfect, and this we will do, if indeed God permits. Now he says less, and signifies more. For it is not only necessary that the Lord permit, but it is required that he do all things. Sap. VII, 16: in the hand of God are we and our words. And therefore one must place everything under confidence in divine help. Io. XV, 15: without me you can do nothing. Iac. IV, 15: instead you should say, if God wills, and if we live, we will do. Then, when he says it is impossible, he shows their weakness: for they were weak in hearing. Just as in bodily matters no condition is so dangerous as that of relapsing persons, so in spiritual matters, he who after grace falls into sin rises to good again with more difficulty. And concerning this he does three things: first he sets forth the goods which they had received; second the difficulty caused in them from relapse, at the place and are fallen away; third he assigns the reason, at the place crucifying again. Now some goods are present, but others are future. Now they in the present had spiritual regeneration, and as to this he says enlightened, namely through Baptism. And Baptism is fittingly called illumination, because Baptism is the beginning of spiritual regeneration, in which the intellect is illumined through faith. Eph. V, v. 8: you were once darkness, but now light in the Lord. They also have a participation in the goods of God, and as to this he says and have tasted the heavenly gift. This gift is grace, and it is called heavenly, because God gives it from the heavens. Ps. LXVII, 19: he gave gifts to men, and Iac. c. I, 17: every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights. There is also in them a participation in the divine goodness. II Pet. I, 4: through whom, namely Christ, he has given us the greatest and precious promises. Therefore he says made partakers of the Holy Spirit. For all gifts are given out of love: and therefore he attributes this participation to the Holy Spirit. Now to participate is to take a part. But only Christ had the Holy Spirit unto fullness. Io. III, 34: for God does not give the Spirit by measure. For the other saints received of his fullness, and were made partakers, not indeed of his substance, but of his distributions. Supra II, 4: and various distributions of the Holy Spirit. I Cor. XII, 4: there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit, and so on. Likewise in the present they had the instruction of doctrine. And as to this he says they have tasted nonetheless the good word of God. This word is called good, because it is the word of eternal life. Io. VI, 69: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Ps. CXVIII, v. 103: how sweet are your words to my throat. Now he says they have tasted, because it not only illumines the intellect, but also refreshes the affection, in which there is a certain savoring. Ps. XXXIII, 8: taste and see that the Lord is sweet. But future goods they had in hope. Rom. VIII, 24: we are saved by hope. And therefore he says and the powers of the age to come. Now of these, some are had not only in hope, but also in a certain inchoation, and these are the endowments of the soul, namely vision, possession, and enjoyment, and these are had in a certain inchoation, inasmuch as faith, hope, and charity, which correspond to them, are had in the present. But other goods there are, which are had only in hope, such as the endowments of the body, namely subtlety, agility, impassibility, clarity. Consequently, when he says and are fallen away, he shows the difficulty of rising again, caused by the fall. Where it must be noted that he does not say fallen simply, but fallen away, that is, totally fallen: because if they had only fallen, it would not be so difficult to rise again. Prov. XXIV, 16: the just man falls seven times a day, and rises again. But if the Apostle were saying that it is impossible for those who have fallen away to rise again, then it could be said that in this he notes the greatest difficulty of rising, namely both on account of sin, and on account of pride, as is clear in the case of the demons. But because he says that those who have once fallen away cannot again be renewed unto penance, and there is no sin in this world from which a man cannot repent, therefore it must be understood otherwise. Hence it must be known that from this passage a certain Novatus, who was a priest of the Roman Church, took an occasion of erring. For he held that no one after Baptism could rise again to penance. But this position is false, as Athanasius says in his epistle to Serapion, because Paul himself received back the incestuous Corinthian, as is clear from II Cor. II, 5 ss., and likewise Gal. IV, 19, because he says: my little children, whom I bring forth again, and so on. It must therefore be understood, as Augustine says, that he does not say that it is impossible to repent, but that it is impossible to be renewed again, that is, to be baptized. Tit. III, 5: through the laver of regeneration and renewal, and so on. For a man could never so repent that he could be baptized again. And the Apostle says this, because according to the law the Jews are baptized many times, as is clear from Mc. VII, 3 s. And therefore, to remove this error, the Apostle says this. Then, when he says crucifying again, and so on, he assigns the reason why Baptism is not repeated, namely because Baptism is a certain configuration to the death of Christ, as is clear from Rom. VI, 3: as many of us as were baptized in Christ. But this is not repeated, because Christ, rising from the dead, dies now no more, Rom. VI, 9. Therefore they who are baptized a second time crucify Christ again. Or otherwise, that the opposition to the grace of Christ is denoted, namely that they wish to sin frequently and afterward be baptized again — so that it is referred not to a repetition of Baptism, but to the fall of those who sin. Who, namely, as far as it is in them, crucify Christ again, because Christ died once for our sins, I Pet. III, 18. Therefore when you sin after being baptized, as far as it is in you, you give occasion for Christ to be crucified again, and thus an insult is done to Christ, in whose blood you, having been washed, stain yourself. Apoc. I, 5: he loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

“For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it,.... Here the apostle illustrates what he had before been speaking of, by a simile taken from the earth, to which men in general answer, who are of the earth; earthy and unregenerate men and carnal professors are of earthly minds; they are like the earth when it was rude and without form, and cursed by God; and are as insensible as the earth: but the earth is particularly distinguished into that which is fruitful, and which is unfruitful; and the former is spoken of in this verse, to which true believers in Christ agree; who are the good ground, into which the seed of God's word is received, and brings forth fruit; these are God's tillage or husbandry: and the "rain" that comes upon them may signify either the grace of Christ, which, like rain, is an instance of his sovereignty, and what he alone can give, and not the vanities of the Gentiles; and which he gives to persons undeserving of it; and which refreshes, revives, and makes fruitful: or else Christ himself, Psa 72:6 whose first coming was like rain much desired, and long expected; and so is his spiritual coming very desirable, delightful, refreshing, and fructifying: or rather his Gospel, Deu 32:2 which comes from above, and is the means of softening hard hearts, of reviving distressed and disconsolate minds, and of making barren souls fruitful; which is done by coming "oft" upon them, at first conversion, and afterwards, alluding to the former and latter rain; and may refer to the receiving of more grace, even grace for grace, out of Christ's fulness, through the ministration of the word, which is drank in by faith, under the influence of the Spirit of God: and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed; God the Father, who is the husbandman, and ministers of the Gospel, who arc labourers under him; and where the Gospel comes in power, it brings forth the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of righteousness, the fruits meet for repentance; and which are to the glory of God the Father, and are answerable to the means be makes use of, the ministry of the word and ordinances; and no man can bring forth fruit without Christ, his Spirit, and grace: and such earth, or those signified by it, receiveth blessing from God; both antecedent to all this, and which is the cause of fruitfulness; and as consequent upon it, for such receive more grace, even all the blessings of grace, and at last the blessing of glory; and all this being in a way of receiving, shows it to be of gift, and of pure grace.”

“If they shall fall away - Και παραπεσοντας And having fallen away. I can express my own mind on this translation nearly in the words of Dr. Macknight: "The participles φωτισθεντας, who were enlightened, γευσαμενους, have tasted, and γενηθεντας, were made partakers, being aorists, are properly rendered by our translators in the past time; wherefore, παραπεσοντας, being an aorist, ought likewise to have been translated in the past time, Have fallen away. Nevertheless, our translators, following Beza, who without any authority from ancient MSS. has inserted in his version the word si, if, have rendered this clause, If they fall away, that this text might not appear to contradict the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. But as no translator should take upon him to add to or alter the Scriptures, for the sake of any favourite doctrine, I have translated παραπεσοντας in the past time, have fallen away, according to the true import of the word, as standing in connection with the other aorists in the preceding verses." Dr. Macknight was a Calvinist, and he was a thorough scholar and an honest man; but, professing to give a translation of the epistle, he consulted not his creed but his candour. Had our translators, who were excellent and learned men, leaned less to their own peculiar creed in the present authorized version, the Church of Christ in this country would not have been agitated and torn as it has been with polemical divinity. It appears from this, whatever sentiment may gain or lose by it, that there is a fearful possibility of falling away from the grace of God; and if this scripture did not say so, there are many that do say so. And were there no scripture express on this subject, the nature of the present state of man, which is a state of probation or trial, must necessarily imply it. Let him who most assuredly standeth, take heed lest he fall. To renew them again unto repentance - As repentance is the first step that a sinner must take in order to return to God, and as sorrow for sin must be useless in itself unless there be a proper sacrificial offering, these having rejected the only available sacrifice, their repentance for sin, had they any, would be nugatory, and their salvation impossible on this simple account; and this is the very reason which the apostle immediately subjoins: - Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God - They reject him on the ground that he was an impostor, and justly put to death. And thus they are said to crucify him to themselves - to do that in their present apostasy which the Jews did; and they show thereby that, had they been present when he was crucified, they would have joined with his murderers. And put him to an open shame - Παραδειγματιζοντας· And have made him a public example; or, crucifying unto themselves and making the Son of God a public example. That is, they show openly that they judge Jesus Christ to have been worthy of the death which he suffered, and was justly made a public example by being crucified. This shows that it is final apostasy, by the total rejection of the Gospel, and blasphemy of the Savior of men, that the apostle has in view. See the note on Heb 6:4 (note).”

“If--Greek, "And (yet) have fallen away"; compare a less extreme falling or declension, Gal 5:4, "Ye are fallen from grace." Here an entire and wilful apostasy is meant; the Hebrews had not yet so fallen away; but he warns them that such would be the final result of retrogression, if, instead of "going on to perfection," they should need to learn again the first principles of Christianity (Heb 6:1). to renew them again--They have been "once" (Heb 6:4) already renewed, or made anew, and now they need to be "renewed" over "again." crucify to themselves the Son of God--"are crucifiying to themselves" Christ, instead of, like Paul, crucifying the world unto them by the cross of Christ (Gal 6:14). So in Heb 10:29, "trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith . . . sanctified, an unholy thing." "The Son of God," marking His dignity, shows the greatness of their offense. put him to an open shame--literally, "make a public example of" Him, as if He were a malefactor suspended on a tree. What the carnal Israel did outwardly, those who fall away from light do inwardly, they virtually crucify again the Son of God; "they tear him out of the recesses of their hearts where He had fixed His abode and exhibit Him to the open scoffs of the world as something powerless and common" [BLEEK in ALFORD]. The Montanists and Novatians used this passage to justify the lasting exclusion from the Church of those who had once lapsed. The Catholic Church always opposed this view, and readmitted the lapsed on their repentance, but did not rebaptize them. This passage implies that persons may be in some sense "renewed," and yet fall away finally; for the words, "renew again," imply that they have been, in some sense, not the full sense, ONCE RENEWED by the Holy Ghost; but certainly not that they are "the elect," for these can never fall away, being chosen unto everlasting life (Joh 10:28). The elect abide in Christ, hear and continuously obey His voice, and do not fall away. He who abides not in Christ, is cast forth as a withered branch; but he who abides in Him becomes more and more free from sin; the wicked one cannot touch him; and he by faith overcomes the world. A temporary faith is possible, without one thereby being constituted one of the elect (Mar 4:16-17). At the same time it does not limit God's grace, as if it were "impossible" for God to reclaim even such a hardened rebel so as yet to look on Him whom he has pierced. The impossibility rests in their having known in themselves once the power of Christ's sacrifice, and yet now rejecting it; there cannot possibly be any new means devised for their renewal afresh, and the means provided by God's love they now, after experience of them, deliberately and continuously reject; their conscience being served, and they "twice dead" (Jde 1:12), are now past hope, except by a miracle of God's grace. "It is the curse of evil eternally to propagate evil" [THOLUCK]. "He who is led into the whole (?) compass of Christian experiences, may yet cease to abide in them; he who abides not in them, was, at the very time when he had those objective experiences, not subjectively true to them; otherwise there would have been fulfilled in him, "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance" (Mat 13:12), so that he would have abided in them and not have fallen away" [THOLUCK]. Such a one was never truly a Spirit-led disciple of Christ (Rom 8:14-17). The sin against the Holy Ghost, though somewhat similar, is not identical with this sin; for that sin may be committed by those outside the Church (as in Mat 12:24, Mat 12:31-32); this, only by those inside.”