Chapter 50.—From the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Although the authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews is doubted by some,168    Amongst the Latins, as Jerome tells us in more than one passage (see his Commentaries, on Isa. vi., viii.; on Zech. viii.; on Matt. xxvi.; also, in his Catal. Script. Eccles., c. xvi. [ad Paulum], and lxx. [ad Gaium], etc.). The Greeks, however, held that the epistle was the work of St. Paul. In his Epistle cxxix. [ad Dardanum] he thus writes: “We must admit that the epistle written to the Hebrews is regarded as the Apostle Paul’s, not only by the churches of the East, but by all church writers who have from the beginning (retro) written in Greek.”—Note of the Benedictine Editor. [See Augustin’s City of God, xvi. 22 and Christian Doctrine, ii. (8), 13. The matter is fairly stated by Augustin, after whose day the Epistle was not doubted even in the West.—W.] nevertheless, as I find it sometimes thought by persons, who oppose our opinion touching the baptism of infants, to contain evidence in favour of their own views, we shall notice the pointed testimony it bears in our behalf; and I quote it the more confidently, because of the authority of the Eastern Churches, which expressly place it amongst the canonical Scriptures. In its very exordium one thus reads: “God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who, being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”169    Heb. i. 1–3. And by and by the writer says: “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”170    Heb. ii. 2, 3. And again in another passage: “Forasmuch then,” says he, “as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”171    Heb. ii. 14, 15. Again, shortly after, he says: “Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”172    Heb. ii. 17. And in another place he writes: “Let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”173    Heb. iv. 14, 15. Again he says: “He hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily (as those high priests) to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.”174    Heb. vii. 24–27. And once more: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; (for then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world;) but now once, in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.”175    Heb. ix. 24–28.

50. Ad Hebraeos quoque Epistola, quanquam nonnullis incerta sit , tamen quoniam legi quosdam huic nostrae de Baptismo parvulorum sententiae contraria sentientes, eam quibusdam opinionibus suis testem adhibere voluisse, magisque me movet auctoritas Ecclesiarum orientalium, quae hanc etiam in canonicis habent, quanta pro nobis testimonia contineat, advertendum est. In ipso ejus exordio legitur: Multis partibus, et multis modis olim Deus locutus est patribus in Prophetis; postremo in his diebus locutus est nobis in Filio, quem constituit haeredem universorum, per quem fecit et saecula. Qui cum sit splendor gloriae et figura substantiae ejus, gerens quoque omnia verbo virtutis suae, purgatione peccatorum a se facta, sedet ad dexteram majestatis in excelsis (Hebr. I, 1-3). Et post pauca: Si enim qui per Angelos dictus est sermo, factus est firmus, et omnis praevaricatio et inobedientia justam accepit mercedis retributionem; quomodo nos effugiemus, si tantam neglexerimus salutem? Et alio loco: Propterea ergo quia pueri communicaverunt sanguini et carni, et ipse propemodum eorum participavit, ut per mortem evacuaret eum qui potestatem habebat mortis, id est, diabolum, et liberaret eos qui timore mortis per totam vitam rei erant servitutis. Et paulo post: Unde debuit, inquit, secundum omnia fratribus similis esse, ut misericors fieret, et fidelis princeps sacerdotum eorum, quae sunt ad Deum propitiandum pro delictis populi (Id. II, 2, 3, 14-17). Et alibi: Teneamus, inquit, confessionem: non enim habemus sacerdotem qui non possit compati infirmitatibus nostris; etenim expertus est omnia secundum similitudinem sine peccato (Id. IV, 15). Et alio loco: Intransgressibile, inquit, habet sacerdotium: unde et salvos perficere potest eos qui adveniunt per ipsum ad Deum, semper vivens ad interpellandum pro ipsis. Talem enim decebat habere nos principem sacerdotum, justum, sine malitia , incontaminatum, separatum a peccatoribus, altiorem a coelis factum, non habentem quotidianam necessitatem, sicut principes sacerdotum, primum pro suis peccatis sacrificium offerre, dehinc pro populi: hoc enim semel fecit offerens se (Id. VII, 0138 24-27). Et alio loco: Non enim in manu fabricata sancta introivit Christus, quae sunt similia verorum, sed in ipsum coelum, apparere ante faciem Dei pro nobis; non ut saepius offerat semetipsum, sicut princeps sacerdotum intrat in sancta, in anno semel cum sanguine alieno. Caeterum oportebat eum saepius pati a mundi constitutione: nunc autem semel in extremitate saeculorum ad remissionem peccatorum per sacrificium suum manifestatus est. Et sicut constitutum est hominibus semel tantum mori, et post hoc judicium: sic et Christus semel oblatus est, ut multorum peccata portaret; secundo sine peccatis apparebit eis, qui eum sustinent, ad salutem (Hebr. IX, 24-28).