Hebrews — Chapter 5

And generally we may learne here, that in ijs quæ sunt ad Deum, in an matters touching God, his seruice, and religion, the Priest hath onely charge and authority: as the Prince temporal is the peoples gouernour, guider, and soucraine, in the things touching their worldly affaires: Which must for al that by him be directed and manneged no otherwise, but as is agreable to the due worship and seruice of God. against which if the terrene Powers commit any thing, the Priests ought to admonish them from God. There is a peculiar order & calling of Priests of the new Testament. We learne also hereby, that euery one is not a Priest, and that the people must alwaies haue certaine persons chosen out from among them, to deale in their sutes and causes with God, to pray, to minister Sacraments, and to sacrifice for them. And whereas the Protestants wil haue no Priest, Priesthod, nor sacrifice, but Christ and his death, pretending these wordes of the Apostle to be verified onely in the Priesthod and Seruice of the old law. and Christes person alone, and after him of no moe: therein they shew them selues to be ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the state of the new Testament, and induce a plaine Atheisme and Godlesnesse into the world. Priests and Sacrifice necessarie in the new Testament, and nothing derogatorie to Christ's priesthood or Sacrifice. for, so long as man hath to doe with God, there must needes be some deputed, and chosen out from among the rest, to deale according to this declaration of the Apostle, in things pertaining to God, and those must be Priests. for els, if men neede to deale no more, but immediatly with Christ, what doe they with their Ministers? Why let they not euery man pray, and minister for him self, and to him self? What doe they with Sacraments, seing Christes death is as wel sufficient without them, as without sacrifice? Why standeth not his death as wel with Sacrifice, as with Sacraments: as wel with Priesthod, as with other Ecclesiastical function? There is no other cause in the world, but that (Sacrifice being the most principal act of religion that man oweth to God, both by his Law, and by the law of nature) the Diuel by these his ministers, vnder pretence of deserring or attributing the more to Christes death, would abolish it. The difference & excellence. of Christ's Priesthood. This definition of a Priest and his function, with al the properties thereto belonging, holdeth not onely in the law of Moyses, and order of Aarons Priesthod, but it was true before, in the law of nature, in the Patriarches, in Melchisedec, and now in Christ, and all his Apostles, and Priests of the new Testament: sauing that it is a peculiar excellencie in Christ, that he onely offered for other mens sinnes, and not at all for his owne, as all other doe.

1. Euery high Priest.) The description of a Priest, and his office. By the description of a Priest or high Priest (for to this purpose al is one matter) he proueth Christ to be one in most excellent sort. First then, a Priest must not be an Angel, or of any other nature but mans. Secondly, euery man is not a Priest, but such an one as is specially chosen out of the rest, and preferred before other of the community, seuered, assumpted, and exalted into a higher state and dignitie then the vulgar. Thirdly, the cause and purpose why he is so sequestred and piked out from the residue. is to take charge of Diuine things, to deale as a mediator betwixt God and the people, to be the Deputie of men in such things as they haue to craue or to receiue of God, and to present or giue to him againe. Fourthly, the most proper and principal part of a Priests office is, to offer oblations, giftes, and sacrifices to God for the sinnes of the people: without which kind of most soueraine dueties, no person, people, or Commonwealth can appertaine to God: and which can be done by none, of what other dignitie or calling soeuer he be in the world, that is not a Priest: diuers Princes (as we read in the Scriptures) punished by God, and king Saul deposed from his kingdom, specially for attempting the same. 3 Reg. 13. 2 Par. 26. 1 Reg. 13. The Princes temporal authoritie how farre it extendeth. And generally we may learne here, that in ijs quæ sunt ad Deum, in an matters touching God, his seruice, and religion, the Priest hath onely charge and authority: as the Prince temporal is the peoples gouernour, guider, and soucraine, in the things touching their worldly affaires: Which must for al that by him be directed and manneged no otherwise, but as is agreable to the due worship and seruice of God. against which if the terrene Powers commit any thing, the Priests ought to admonish them from God. There is a peculiar order & calling of Priests of the new Testament. We learne also hereby, that euery one is not a Priest, and that the people must alwaies haue certaine persons chosen out from among them, to deale in their sutes and causes with God, to pray, to minister Sacraments, and to sacrifice for them. And whereas the Protestants wil haue no Priest, Priesthod, nor sacrifice, but Christ and his death, pretending these wordes of the Apostle to be verified onely in the Priesthod and Seruice of the old law. and Christes person alone, and after him of no moe: therein they shew them selues to be ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the state of the new Testament, and induce a plaine Atheisme and Godlesnesse into the world. Priests and Sacrifice necessarie in the new Testament, and nothing derogatorie to Christ's priesthood or Sacrifice. for, so long as man hath to doe with God, there must needes be some deputed, and chosen out from among the rest, to deale according to this declaration of the Apostle, in things pertaining to God, and those must be Priests. for els, if men neede to deale no more, but immediatly with Christ, what doe they with their Ministers? Why let they not euery man pray, and minister for him self, and to him self? What doe they with Sacraments, seing Christes death is as wel sufficient without them, as without sacrifice? Why standeth not his death as wel with Sacrifice, as with Sacraments: as wel with Priesthod, as with other Ecclesiastical function? There is no other cause in the world, but that (Sacrifice being the most principal act of religion that man oweth to God, both by his Law, and by the law of nature) the Diuel by these his ministers, vnder pretence of deserring or attributing the more to Christes death, would abolish it. The difference & excellence. of Christ's Priesthood. This definition of a Priest and his function, with al the properties thereto belonging, holdeth not onely in the law of Moyses, and order of Aarons Priesthod, but it was true before, in the law of nature, in the Patriarches, in Melchisedec, and now in Christ, and all his Apostles, and Priests of the new Testament: sauing that it is a peculiar excellencie in Christ, that he onely offered for other mens sinnes, and not at all for his owne, as all other doe.

4. Taketh to himself.) A special prouiso for all Priests, preachers, and such as haue to deale for the people in things pertaining to God, that they take not that honour or office at their owne hands, but by lawful calling and consecration, euen as Aaron did. Al true Priests and Preachers must be lawfully called thereto. By which clause if you examine Luther, Caluin, Beza, and the like, or if al such as now a daies intrude them selues into sacred functions, looke into their consciences, great and foul matter of damnation wil appeare.

5. Did not glorifie himself.) The dignitie and function of Priesthood is not to be vsurped. The dignity of Priesthod must needes be passing high and soueraine, when it was a promotion and preferment in the sonne of God him self according to his manhod, and when he would not vsurpe, nor take vpon him the same, without his fathers expresse commission and calling therevnto. An eternal example of humility, and an argument of condemnation to al mortal men, that arrogate vniustly any function or power spiritual, that is not giuen them from aboue, and by lawful calling, and commission of their superiors.

6. A Priest for euer.) Christ both Priest & king: but his Priesthood more excellent of the two. In the 109 Psalme, from whence this testimonie is taken, both Christes kingdom and Priesthod are set fourth. but the Apostle vrgeth specially his Priesthod, as the more excellent and preeminent state in him, our Redemption being wrought & atchieued by sacrifice, which was an act of his Priesthod, and not of his kingly power. though he was properly a king also, as Melchisedec was both Priest, and king, being a resemblance of Christ in both, but much more in his Priesthod. And our Lord had this excellent double dignitie (as appeareth by the discourse of S. Paul, and his allegations here out of the Psalmes) at the very first moment of his conception or incarnation. Christ a Priest as he is man, not as he is God. for you must beware of the wicked heresie of the Arians and Caluinists (except in these later it be rather an errour proceding of ignorance) that sticke not to say, that Christ was a Priest, or did sacrifice, according to his Godhead. Which is to make Christ, God the fathers Priest, and not his sonne, and to doe sacrifice and homage to him as his Lord, and not as his equal in dignity and nature. Therfore S. Augustine saith in Psal. 109. That as he was man, he was Priest: as God, he was not Priest. And Theodorete in Psal 109. As man, he did offer sacrifice: but as God, he did receiue sacrifice. And againe, Christ touching his humanity was called a Priest, and he offered no other host but his owne body. &c. Dialog. 1 circa med. Some of our new Maisters not knowing so much, did let fall out of their pennes the contrarie, and being admonished of the errour, and that it was very Arianisme, yet they persist in it of mere ignorance in the groundes of Diuinitie. Psal. 2. 109. Retent. pag. 89.

7. With a strong crie.) The Sacrifice on the Crosse was the principal acte of Christ's priesthood. Though our Sauiour make intercession for vs, according to his humane nature, continually in heauen also: yet he doth not in any external creatures make sacrifice, nor vse the praiers sacrificall, by which our redemption was archieued, as he did in the time of his mortal life, and in the act of his Passion, and most principally, when with a loud voice, and with this praier, In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum, he voluntarily deposed his soul, yelding it in most proper sort for a sacrifice. for in that last point of his death, consisteth specially his high Priestly office, and the very worke and consummation of our redemption. Luc. 23,46. Priests praiers more effectual. Obserue more ouer, that though commonly euery faithful person pray both for him self and others, and offer his praiers to God, yet none offereth by office, and special deputation, and appointment, in the person of the whole Church and people, sauing the Priest. Whose praiers therfore be more effectual in them selues, for that they be the voice of all faithful men together, made by him that is appointed and receiued of God for the peoples legate. Christs Priestly actions. And of this kind were all Christes praiers, in all his life and death, as all his other actions were: his fasting, watching, preaching, instituting, ministring, or receiuing Sacraments: euery one being done as Priestly actions.

9. Consummate.) Christ yelding vp the Ghost, accomplished our redemption. The ful worke of his sacrifice, by which we were redeemed, was wholy consummate and accomplished, at the yelding vp of his spirit to God the Father, when he said, Consummatum est. though for to make the same effectual to the saluation of particular men, he him self did diuers things, and now doth in heauen, and our selues also must vse many meanes, for the application thereof to our particular necessities. See the next Annotation. Io. 19,30.

11. Inexplicable.) The Apostle omitteth to speake of the B. Sacrament as a Mysterie then too deep for the Iewes capacitie. Intending to treate more largely and particularly of Christes or Melchisedeks Priesthod, he forwarneth them that the mysterie thereof is far passing their capacitie, and that through their feeblenes in faith and weakenes of vnderstanding, he is forced to omit diuers deepe points concerning the Priesthod of the new law. Among which (no doubt) the mysterie of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the altar, called Masse, was a principal & pertinent matter: which the Apostles and Fathers of the primitiue Church vsed not to treate of so largely and particularly in their writings, which might come to the hands of the vnfaithful, who of al things tooke soonest scandal of the B. Sacrament, as we see Io. 6. He spake to the Hebrues (saith S. Hierom ep 126) that is, to the Iewes, and not to faithful men, to whom he might haue been bold to vtter the Sacrament. And in deede it was not reasonable to talke much to them of that sacrifice which was the resemblance of Christes death, when they thought not right of Christes death it self. Which the Apostles wisedom and silence our Aduersaries wickedly abuse against the holy Masse.