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
transfusa fortius sonat Vnde AEschines cum Rhodi Hieron ad Paulinum exularet legeretur illa Demosthenis oratio quam aduersus eum habuerat mirantibus cunctis atque laudantibus suspirans ait Quid si ipsam audissetis Bestiam sua verba resonantem The liuelie voice saieth saincte Hierom hath I wote not what an hidden vertue or clerenesse of demonstration and beyng vttered from The liuelie voice hath a more force in the eare then the dead letter in the eye the mouthe of the Authour into the eares of the disciple yt haith a more force in sownde wherfore Aeschynes when he was a banisshed man at the Rhodes and the oration which Demosthenes made against him was red when all men did wonder at yt and praise yt sithing he saied what yf ye had heard the beast him self vttering his owne woordes Thus moche saincte Hierom. In the whiche saieng he declareth that ther ys more clerenesse in a sentence liuelie spoken from the mouth of the Authour and the hearers shall more easelie preceaue yt and sooner vnderstande yt then they shall onelie reading the same in the dead letter Yt maie therfore be concluded that the gospell as yt ys written ys more hard to be vnderstanded then as yt was of the mouthe of Christe spoken But as yt was spoken yt was hard to be vnderstanded wherfore being written yt ys more harde to be vnderstanded Saincte Paule enombring the giftes of the Spirit saieth To one ys geuen 6. 1. Cor. 12. the vtterance of wisdome to an other the vtterance of knowledge to an other ys geuen faith to an other the giftes of healing to an other power to do miracles to an other prophecie to an other iudgment to discern spirites to an other diuerse tounges to an other interpretacioÌ„ of touÌ„ges All theise saieth he woorketh one and the self same Spirit diuiding to euerie man a seuerall gifte euen as he will In the whiche distinction of giftes ye perceaue that the vtterance of wisdome the vtterance of knowledge the gifte of tounges be seuerall giftes And that they be not geuen to all men indifferentlie but some to one some to other as yt pleaseth the holie will of that blessed Spirit that ys the Authour and distributour of the same gistes For saincte Paule in the ende of the same chapiter wher the former alleaged woordes be writteÌ„ saieth Are all Apostles are all prophetes are all teachers are all doers of miracles haue all the giftes of healing doo all speake with touÌ„ges doo all interprete c. whiche his maner of questioninge includeth a negatiue that euerie man hath not all thâ—se Then forasmuche as euerie man hath not the giste of vtterance of knowledge nor the gifte of prophecie nor the gifte of interpretacion c. Euerie Interpretation of Scripture not geuen to euerie man man hath not the vnderstanding of the scriptures Neither then be the scriptures easie to be vnderstanded of euerie man For vnto him that hath the gifte of knowledge prophecie and interpretacion of scriptures the same be easie But euerie man hath not these giftes wherfore the scriptures to all meÌ„ be not easie This also saincte Paule proueth verie well by the ordre and disposition of the naturall bodie from whiche he diduceth and taketh an argument to 7. 1. Cor. 12. proue an order in the misticall bodie the Churche Ye are saieth he the bodie of Christe and membres one of an other And God hath also ordeined in the Congregacion First Apostles secondarelie prophetes thirdlie Teachers then them that doo miracles after that the gifte of healinge c. In the whiche description of the order in Christes Churche ye see that the three cheifest and highest states be Apostles Prophetes and teachers Nowe if the Scriptures be easie for euerie mans vnderstanding then either these states be superfluouse bicause euerie man vnderstanding the Scriptures ther nedeth no teacher nor Prophete Or ells forasmoche as euery man vnderstandeth the scriptures he ys in this state to be a teacher All be not Prophets nor teachers and a prophete whiche ys directlie against saincte Paules doctrine For he saieth all be not Prophetes neither be all teachers Forasmoche then as Christe hath appointed as one of the cheifest states of his Churche the state of teachers there must be of necessitie a great nombre of inferiour membres that must be hearers and learners And whie shoulde they so be but that the scriptures being harde and obscure by the teachers they must be opened and declared that other maie learn So that as by this scripture yt maye be perceaued and learned that euery man hath not the gifte of knowledge and therfore no easie vnderstanding of the scriptures So by all the other before alleaged yt ys moste manifest that the scriptures be harde and full of difficulties whiche shall also by other means well appeare to the Reader in the processe ensewinge THE SECVNDE CHAPITER TO PROVE THAT THE SCRIPTVRES BE NOT EASIE RECITETH CERtain hard and obscure places of the olde testament ALBEIT that this that ys all readie saied ys sufficieÌ„t to proue the scriptures to be hard and not playn ne easie to be vnderstanded yet that ye maye see yt more manysestlie before yowe face certain places shall be laied before yowe whiche for their obscuritie and difficultie shall compell and enforce yowe to confesse that they be not easie for euerie mans vndestanding And first shall be brought some places of the olde Testament oute of the whiche I might bring not places but wholl bookes and of them not a fewe as all the Prophetes as well the greater as the lesse the Booke of Iob the booke of psalmes the booke of the Preacher and Cantica canticorum englished the Ballett of ballettes of Salomon All whiche bookes certen I am be of soche difficultie hardnesse and obsturitie that as queen Candaces ChaÌ„amberlain saied they can not be vnderstanded with oute a guide or ells Acto â— speciall inspiracion of god As for Genesis although it be counted so easie and so plain a booke yet Hieron presa in Ezech. Genesis might not be red of the Iewes before thirtie yeares of age the Iewes as saincte Hierome witnesseth might not read yt before they were thirtie yeares of age as in whiche were many thinges verie harde to be vnderstanded whiche required a staied heade of mature rype and graue Iudgement soberlie to seke the true sense and vnderstanding of them whiche rash youthe wolde sooen ouerpasse and frame an vnderstanding at their pleasure soche as they phantasied as manye do nowe a daies Oute of this booke although saincte Augustin and other that haue trauailed in the exposition of the same do mooue manie and sundrie doubtes yet I shall ouerpasse them wisshinge the Reader to consider the 49. chapiter in the whiche are coÌ„teined the blessinges of Iacob to his twelue Sonnes and let him trie howe he can waid through the vnderstanding of them as for
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