484 Vol. I. SER MON LXII. The danger of Apoffacy fromChriftianity. H.EB.6.4,5,6. For it is impoffible for thofe mho sereonce enlightned, andhave tailed ofthe heavenly gift, and seremade parta4ers of the Holy Ghofl, andhave ta/led the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come ; If they(hall fall away to re- new them again unto repentance : feeing they crucify to them felves the Sonof God afre/h, andput him to an open fhame. TH ES E wordsare full of difficulties, and the mifunder[tanding of them bath not only been an occauionof a great deal of trouble, and even def- pair to particular perfons, but one of the chief Reafons why the Church of Rome did for a long time reje& the Authority of this Book; which by the way I cannot but take notice of as a demon[trative Inftance both of the fallible Judg- ment of that Church, and, of the fallibilityof Oral Tradition; for St. Prommore than once exprefly tells us, that in his time ( whichwas about coo years after Chrift ) the Church of Rome didnot receive this Epifile for Canonical; But it is plain, that fnce that time, whether moved by the Evidence of the thing, or ( which is more probable) by the Confent and Authority of other Churches, theyhave re- ceived it, and doat this day acknowledge it for Canonical; from whence one of thefe two things will neceffarily follow; either that they were in an error for 400 years together while they rejected it; or that they have finte erred for a Ipnger time in receiving it. One of thefe is unavoidable; for if the Bookbe Canonical now, it was fo from the beginning ; for Bellarmine himfelf confeffeth ( and if he had not confeffed it, it is nevertheless true and certain) that the Church cannot make a Book Canonical, which was not fo before; if it was not Canonical at firft, it cannot be made fo afterward ; fo that let them chufe whichpart they will, it is evident, beyond all denial, that the Church of Rome bath at-Wally erred in her Judgment concerning the Authority of this Book; and one error of this kind is enough todeftroy her Infallibility, there being nogreater Evidence that a Church is not Infallible, than if it plainlyappear that the bath been deceived. And this alfo is a convincing inftanceof the Fallibility ofOral Tradition. For if that be Infallible in delivering down to us theCanonical Books of Scripture, it neceffarily follows, that whatever Books were delivered down to us for Canonical inone Age, mutt have been fo in all Ages; and whatever was rejected in any Age, mull always have been rejected : but we plainly fee the contrary, from the inflame of this Epiftle, concerning which the Church of Rome (which pretends to be the great and faithful Preferver of Tradition) bath in feveral Ages deli- 'rer'd feveral things. This is a peremptory inftance both of the Fallibilityof the Roman Church, and of her Oral Tradition. Having obferved this by the way, which I could not well pats by upon fo fair anöccalion,, I fhall betake my fell ,to the explication of thefe words; towards which it will be nofmall advantage to confider theparticular Phrafes and Expref- lions in the Text. It is impofble for thofe who were once enlightned; that is, were folemnly admitted into the Church by Baptifm, and embraced the profeíTon of Chrillianity. Nothing was more frequent among the Ancients, than tocall Baptifm, pcenapely, Illumination; and thofe who were baptizedwere called, prs;ó seos, en- lightned Perfons, becaufe of that Divine Illumination whichwas convey 'd to the minds of Men by the knowledgeof Chriftianity, the Doctrine whereof they made Profeffion of at their Baptifm. And therefore Juflin Martyr tells us, that by cal- ling
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