est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
example of godlie liuing that God bothe in his pastours and people maie be glorified As cōcerning the second that the scriptures haue doubtes and difficulties Scriptures ful of doubres Yt appeareth by the expresse woorde of God when he saieth Yf ther rise a matter to hard for thee in iudgemēt c. Thow shalt get thee vppe to the preistes the Leuites But forsomoch as this matter ys allready sufficiētlie treacted of and proued yt ys enough here nowe to haue touched yt and so to passe to the third Which ys that the people must be taught and learn the lawes of god of the preistes Which thīg ys so manifestlie declared ād in so plain woordes Doubtes in the lawe of God must be dissolued by the preistes opened in the scriptures alleaged that I shal not nede to make any further declaraciō therof forasmuche as yt ys plainlie ther saied that the doubtes of the people in the lawe of God must be dissolued bi the preistes to whose sentēce and iudgemēt they must in any wise stande and not decline frō yt neither on the right hand nor on the left and that on the pain of deathe In the which saing of God yt ys euidēt howe moche God wolde that the determinaciō of his church in the doubtes of his lawe should be estemed ād reuerēced and his preistes in that respecte obeid Which howe moche yt ys nowe disdained and contēned and gods ordre and cōmaūdemēt neclected his holie faith and religion infringed and violated yt ys more with Sithes and teares to be lamented then beinge so manifest as yt ys nedefull to be opened and declared Of whose mouthe the people should learn the lawe AlmightieGod by his prophete Malachie telleth Likewise that of the preistes the people should aske People must learn of the preistes the lawe God by the Prophete Aggaeus cōmaundeth Who shoulde teach the people the newe Testamēt he also prescribeth Appointing some Apostles some Prophetes some Doctours or teachers who to theise offices are appointed to rule and instruct the people In ijs quae ad Deū pertinēt in those thinges that appertein to God But nowe al this ordre ys inuerted in manie places The people teache the preistes and not the preistes the people The people dissolue the doubts of the lawe the preistes not being asked for The people God his ordre inuerted speake the preistes holde their peace The people make lawes in religion the preistes are cōpelled to obeie The people take in hande the thinges that appertain to God the preistes are put to scilence A moch like state we finde in the time of Moyses emōge the children of Israel in the time when Moyses was in the moūt with God For they perceiuing him to be lōg absent and thinking that he wolde no more come they began to take the rule vpō thēselues And wheras Aarō before cōmaūded and taught thē the religiō of the true God nowe they taking the rule and inuerting the ordre cōmaunded Aaron and taught him soche Religion as lyked them of a false God When the people sawe saieth the booke of Exodus that yt was long er Moyses came downe oute of the Mountain they gathered themselfes togeather Exod 32. vnto Aaron and saied vnto him Vppe make vs Gods to go before vs. For of this Moises the felowe that brought vs oute of the lande of Aegypte we wote not what ys become Hereby maie yt be perceiued what religion shall be when the ordre that God appointed being broken they will teache and commaunde which in matters to godwarde shoulde be taught and commaunded But with all yt ys to be remembred that for this wickednes the wrathe of God waxed hote against the people and notwithstanding that ther was immediatelie Plaguesfor breaking Gods appoincted ordre in religiō and mynisterie a greate slaughter of the people aboute the nōbre of three thousand and that Moyses made intercession to God for the people Yet allmightie God in the ende saied Neuer the latter in the daie when I viset I will viset their sinne vpon them and the Lorde plagued the people bicause of the calfe whiche Aaron made Wherfore seinge that the moche like trangression ys committed emonge the Chrystian people yt ys to be feared that the wrathe of God will waxe hote against vs. But God graūte vs a Moyses that by earnest intercessiō maie yet mittigate the plague of God that shall come for this wickednesse The plague I feare me will be sore vpon Corah Dathan and Abiron and vpon the capitanes of the multitude whiche be the great and famouse mē in the Num. 16. congregacion which haue gathered thē selues together against Moyses and Aaron and cā not contēt thē selues with soche ordre as God hath put in his Church and which by hys pleasure hath so long continued But yet they come to Moyses and Aaron and saie ye make muche to doo seing all the multitude are holie euery one of them and the Lorde ys emonge them Whieheaue ye your selues vppe aboue the Congregacion of the Lorde I must staie my hand I shall ells be to tediouse to the reader in this matter in the whiche I thought not to haue writtē the fourth parte of that that ys written and for expedicion leaue vnto him to reade the strory in the booke of Nombres and so further to consider yt And wher ther be manie stories declaring the displeasures of God to haue commed vppon the people bicause they wolde not submitte them selues to the ordeinaunce of him and his ministres but wolde vsurpe vpon them both Yet I will speake but of one in the first booke of the kinges which ys that where God appointed Samuel his beloued and holie Prophet to be the ruler of the people they being a stiffnecked and disobedient people to gods 1. Reg. 8. ordre so long before vsed al the elders gathered themselues together and came to Samuel and saied vnto him Beholde thowe arte olde and thy Sonnes walke not in thy waies Nowe therfore make vs a king to iudge vs as al other nacions haue See their phantasticall prouidence and therwith their disobediēce They take in hande to prouide for their common wealth as though God coulde not prouide them as good a ruler after Samuel as he did in prouiding of Samuel And therfore the ruler whiche God appointed reiected make vs saie they a kinge But what saied Almightie God to Samuel Heare the voice of the people for they haue not cast thee awaye but me that I shoulde not reign ouer them 1. Reg. 12. And after that they had a kinge Samuel to cause them to vnderstand that their offence was great saied I will call vnto the Lorde and he shall send thunder and rain that ye maie perceaue and see howe that yower wickednesse ys great which ye haue doen in thee seight of the Lorde in asking yowe a king And they saied Praye for vs thy seruauntes vnto the Lorde thy God that
26. their haÌ„des yf yt had not ben his will to haue suffred In further argument wherof also when Peter drewe his sworde and cutte of the eare of Malchus Iesus saied vnto him Putte vppe thy sworde into the sheath Shall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath geuen me And as S. Matthew testifieth saied further to Peter Thinkest thowe that I can not now praie to my Father and he shall geue me by and by more then twelue legioÌ„s of Angels But howe then shall the scriptures be fulfilled for thus must yt be By all whiche processe yt dothe most euidentlie appeare that willinglie he suffred his passion So did God by his Prophet foresaie that he shoulde doo Oblatus est quia voluit He was offred vppe bicause he wolde Iudas betraied him with a kisse Iuda osculo filium hominis tradis Iudas be Esay 53. traiest thowe the Sonne of man with a kisse The prophecie saied loÌ„g before that yt shoulde so be Homo pacis mea in quo sperani qui edebat panes meos magnificauit super me supplantationem My owne familiar frende whom I trusted which did also eate of my bread hath laied great wait for me Psal 40. That this prophecie was spoken of Iudas Chryste him self ys wittnesse who speakinge of Iudas in the Gospell alleageth this same scripture Qui manducat mecum panem leuabit coÌ„tra me caleaneum suum He that eateth bread with Joan. 13. me shall lifte vppe his hele against me To procead in the story of the passion when the Iewes laied handes vpon him and apprehended him Discipuli omnes relicto co fugerunt All his disciples Matth. 26 fledde and forsooke him Whiche thing allmightie God had spoken by hys Prophet Zacharie that so yt shoulde come to passe Percutiam pastorem disper gentur oues gregis I will smite the sheaperd and the shepe of the flocke shall be scatered That this prophecie ys thus to be vnderstanded Christe ys witnesse Zach. 14. who in the Gospell of saincte Marke applieth yt to the same pourpose In the house of Caiphas they entreacted our Sauiour very euell For emongest other thinges Expuerunt in faciem eius They did spitte in his face Of the whiche the Prophete Esaie spake as though yt had ben doen to hys own Mat. h. 26 Esay 50. person Faciem non auerti ab increpantibus conspuentibus in me I turned not my face from shame and spitting on me That in the morninge the cheif preistes and the elders of the people had a councell against Iesus to putte him to deathe yt was not ouerpassed withoute prophecie For the Prophete Dauid speaketh thus of yt in the person Mat. 21. of Chryste Circumdederunt me canâ—s multi concilium malignantium obsedit me Manie dogges compased me rownde aboute the councell of the wicked laied siege Psal 21. against me When Iudas as yt foloweth in the storie seing Chryste condemned brought the moncie again sainge I haue offended betrayeng an innocent Mat. 27 bloode and that the cheif preistes wolde not putte these siluer plates into the treasurie bicause yt was the price of blood but tooke couÌ„sell and bought with them a potters fielde to burie straungers the Euangelist himself affirmeth the prophecie therby to be fulfilled saing Then was that fulfilled whiche was spoken of by the Prophet Hieremie sainge And they tooke thirtie siluer peices the price of him that was valued whom they bought of the children of Israell and gaue them for the potters feilde Theise woordes be not fownde in Hieremie after the translation of the Bibles that nowe be comonly vsed yet this prophecie maie well be alleaged oute of Hieremie For saincte Hierom saieth that he hath red a booke of Hieremie in the Hebrue tounge in the whiche this sentence ys conteined woord for woorde But emoÌ„ge the prophetes that we haue in vse nowe Zacharie hath yt most plainlie wher we read yt thus Yf ye thinke yt good bring hether my price Zachar. 11 Yf no then leaue So they weighed down thirtie siluer peices the value that I was priced at And the Lorde said vnto me Castyt vnto the potter a goodlie price for me to be valued at of them And I tooke the thirtie siluer peices Matt. 27 and cast them vnto the potter Thus moche Zacharie In whose woordes ye perceaue the price of him that was solde which was thirtie siluer plates for the whiche summe our sauiour was solde Ye perceaue further more what was doen with those thirtie plates In the prophecie they were cast to the potter And the cheif preistes cast theÌ„ likewise to the potter for they bought a porters feilde with theÌ„ to burie strangers in Thus maie ye se how agreable thinges doen in the Gospell be with the prophecie and how liuelie and well the one aunswereth the other Pilate hearing that Iesus was a man of Galilie which belonged to the iurisdiction of Herode he sent him to Herode before whom the high preistes and Scribes accused him straitlie But Herode with his men of warre when they had despised him they sent him again cloathed in a white garment vnto Pilate Wherby the prophecie was fulfilled which saied Quare fremuerunt geÌ„tes populi meditati sunt inania Astiterunt reges terrae principes conuenerunt in Psal 2. vnum aduersus Dominum et aduersus Christum eius Whie do the heatheÌ„ so furiouslie rage together and why dothe the people ymagen vain thinges The kinges of the earthe stand vppe and the rulers take counsell together against the Lorde and against hys enointed That this prophecie of Dauid was herefullfilled the holie Goste by the holie multitude testifieth in the actes of the Apostles which in their praier to God praied thus Domine tu es qui fecisti caelum et terram etc. Lorde thow arte God which hast made heaueÌ„ and earthe the Sea aÌ„d all that in theÌ„ ys Which Act. 4. in the holie Gost by the mouth of thy seruauÌ„t Dauid our father hauest saied why did the heatheÌ„ rage and the people ymagen vain thinges The Kinges of the earth stoode vppe and the rulers came together against the Lorde aÌ„d against his enointed And of trueth against thy holie childe Iesus whom thow hauest enointed both Herode and also Ponce Pilate with the gentiles aÌ„d the people of Israell gathered theÌ„ selfs together in this Citie to doo what soeuer thy haÌ„des and thy counseil determined before to be doen. Thus ye se not onelie the Gospel aunswereth the prophecie but also by meÌ„ full of the holie Goste yt ys so taken vnderstaÌ„ded and applied To procead in the storie When Chryst was before Herode who questioned withe him manie woordes he aunswered nothing as S. Luke testifieth Luc. 23. Matth. 27. So being before Pilate when he was accused of the cheif preistes and elders as S. Mathew wittnesseth he aunswered nothinge And wheÌ„ Pilate also saied to him doest thowe not