Hebrews — Chapter 10

A shadow.) The old Sacrifices obscurely shadowed, but the Sacrifice of the altar most plainely representhet the Sacrifice on the Crosse. The Sacrifices and ceremonies of the old law, were so farre from the truth of Christs Sacraments, and from giuing spririt, grace, remission, redemption, and iustification, and thereupon the entrance into heauen and ioyes celestial, that they were but mere shadowes, vnperfectly and obscurely representing the graces of the new Testament and of Christes death: whereas al the holy Churches rites and actions instituted by Christ in the Priesthood of the new law, conteine and giue grace, iustification, and life euerlasting to the faithful and worthy receiuers: and therfore they be not shades or darke resemblances of Christes passion, which is the fountaine of al grace and mercie, but perfect images and most liuely representations of the same, specially the Sacrifice of the altar, which beacause it is the same oblation, the same host, and offered by the same Priest Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ (though by the ministerie of man and in mysterie is the most pure and neer image, character, and correspondence to the Sacrifice Christes passion, both in substance, force, and effect, that can be.

2. They should haue ceased.] The Iewes Sacrifices were not absolute & independent, because tye were often repeated. If the hosts and offerings of the old Law had been of them selues perfect to al effects of redemption and remission: as the Hebrewes (againist whom the Apostle disputeth) did thinke, and had had no relation to Chriftes Sacrifice on the Crosse or any other absolute and vniuerfal oblation or remedie for sinne, but by and of their owne efficacie could haue generally purged & cleansed man of al sinne & damnation: then they should neuer haue needed to be so ofen repeated and reiterated. For being both generally auailable for al, by their opinion, and particularly applied (in as ample sort as they could be) to the seueral infirmities of euery offender,there had been no sinnes left. But sinnes did remaine, euen thofe sinnes for which they had offered Sacrifices before notwithstanding their Sacrifices were particularly applied vnto them For, offering yearely they didnot only offer Sacrifices for the new committed crimes, but euen for the old, for which they had often sacrificed before: the Sacrifices being rather records and attestations of their sinnes, then a redemption or ful remission, as Christes death is. Which being once applied to man by Baptisme, wipeth away al sinnes past, God neuer remembring them any more, nor euer any Sacrifice or Sacrament or ceremonie being made or done for them any more, though for new finnes other remedies be daily requisit Their Sacrifices then could not of themselues remit sinnes, much lesse make the general redemption, without relation to Chriftes Passion. The Apostle proueth by the often repeating of the Iewes Sacrifices, not that they were none, but that they were not absolute & sufficient. And so you fee it is plaine euery-where, that they were no Sacrifices at al, but that they were not of that absolute force or efficacie, to make redemption or any remission, without dependance of the one vniuersal redemption by Christ: his whole purpose being, to inculcate vnto them the necessitie of Christes death and the oblation of the new Testament. As for the Churches holy Sacrifice, it is cleane of another kind then those of the Iewes, and therfore he maketh no opposition betwixt it, and Christes death or Sacrifice on the Crosse, in al this Epistle: but rather as a sequele of that one general oblation, couertly alwaies inferreth the same: as being in a different manner the very self-same host and offering that was done vpon the Crosse, & continually is wrought by the self-same Priest.

4. Impossible.) The old Sacrifices remitted not sinnes but were only signes therof. The Hosts and Sacrifices of the old Law, which the carnal Iewes made al the count of, without relation to Chriftes death, were not only not perfect and absolute sufficient in themselues, but they did not, nor could not remit any sinnes at al, being but only signes thereof, referring the offenders for remission indeed, to Chriftes Passion. For the bloud of bruit beasts could haue no other effect, nor any other element creature, btfore Christes death. The fruit whereof, before it was extant, could be no otherwise properly applied vnto them, but by beleefe in him.

5. Host and oblation.] God refuseth the Iewes Sacrifices, not al Sacrifice. He meaneth not that God would no host nor Sacrifice any more as the Protestants falsely imagin: for that were to take away not only the Sacrifice of Chriftes body vpon the altar, but the Sacrifice of the same body vpon the Crosse alfo. Therfore the Prophet speaketh only of the legal and carnal Sacrifices of the Iewes, signifying that they did neuer of themselues please God, but in respect of Christ, by whose oblation of his owne body they should please.

11. Often offering the same Hosts.) We must often note that the Apostles speach of many Priests and often Sacrificing, concerneth only the Iewes Priests and Sacrifices, not the Priests and Sacrifices of the new Testament. As S. Paul is forced often to inculcate that one principle of the efficacie & sufficiencie of Chriftes death, because of the Hebrues too much attributing to their legal Sacrifices, and for that they did not referre them to Chriftes only oblation: so we, through the intolerable ignorance and importunity of the Heretikes of this time (abusing the words of the Apostle spoken in the due defence and declaration of the valure and efficacie of Chriftes passion aboue the Sacrifices of the Law) are forced to repeat often, that the Apoftles reason of many Priests & often repetition of the self-same Sacrifices, concerneth the Sacrifices of the Law only, vnto which he opposeth Christes Sacrifice and Priesthood; & speaketh no word of or against the Sacrifice of the new Testament: which is the Sacrifice of Chriftes owne Priesthood, Law, and institution, yea. the same Sacrifice done daily vnbloudily, that once was done bloudily: made by the same Priest Christ Iesus, though by his ministers hands: and not many Hosts , as thofe of the old Law were, but the very self-same in number, euen Chriftes owne body that was crucified. And that you may see that this is the iudgement of al antiquity, and their exposition of these and the like words of this Epistle, and that they seeing the very same, arguments that the Protestants now make so much a doe withal among the simple and vnlearned, yet wel perceiued that they made nothing against the daily oblation or Sacrifice of the altar, and therfore answered them before the Protestants were extant, 1200, yeares; we wil set downe some of their words, whose authoritie and exposition of the Scriptures must preuaile in al that haue wisedom or the feare of God, aboue the false and vaine glosses of Caluin and his followers.

26. If we sinne willingly. ) The Caluinists heresie against remission of sinnes. As the Caluinists abuse other like places against the holy Sacrifice of the Masse, so they abuse this as the Nouatians did before them, to proue that an Heretike, Apostata, or any that wilfully forsaketh the truth, can neuer be forgiuen. Which (as is before declared in the 6. chapter) is most wicked blasphemie; the meaning hereof being, as is there said, only to terrifie the Hebrewes, that falling from Christ they can not so easily haue the host of Christes death applied vnto them because they can not be baptized any more, but must passe by sacramental penance, & satisfaction, & other hard remedies which Christ hath prescribed after Baptisme in the Churches discipline. Therfore S. Cyril saith li. 5. in Io. c. 17. Penance is not excluded by these words of Paul, but the renewing by the lauer of regeneration. He doth not here take away the second or third remission of sinnes (for he is not such an enemy to our saluation) but the host which is Christ he denieth that it is to be offered againe vpon the Crosse. So saith this holy Doctour. Perilous reading of the Scriptures. And by this place & the like you see, how perilous a thing it is for Heretikes & ignorant persons to read the Scriptures. Which by following their owne fantasie *they peruert to their damnation. 2. Pet. 2.

29. The bloud of the Testament. ) Contempt of Christs bloud in the Sacrament. Whosoeuer maketh no more account of the bloud of Christes Sacrifice, either as shed vpon the Crosse, or as in the holy Chalice of the altar (for our Sauiour calleth that alfo *the bloud of the new Testament) then he doth of the bloud of calues and goats, or of other common drinkes, is worthy death, and God wil in the next life, if it be not punished here, reuenge it with greiuous punishment. Luc. 22.

31. It is horrible. ) Penance. Let al Christian people doe satisfaction and penance for their sinnes in this life. For the iudgements of God in the next life done by God himself, of what sort soeuer whether temporal as in Purgatorie, or eternal as in Hel be exceeding grieuous.

34. You had compassion. ) Mercie to the emprisoned for religion. To be merciful to the afflicted for religion, & to be partakers of their miseries, is a very meritorious worke, and giueth great confidence before God in the day of repaiment or remuneration for the same.

38. Liueth of faith. ) Faith is the confort of the afflicted. Faithful men afflicted in this life, haue their comfort in their assured faith and hope of Chriftes comming to deliuer them once from al these miseries; & so by that faith & comfort they liue, whereas otherwise this miserable life were a death.