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
benefittes shewed and doen saieth thus And the readde Sea didest thowe diuide before them 2. Esd 9. in sundre so that they went through the middest of the Sea drie shooed and their persecutours threwest thowe in to the depth as a stone in mightie waters and leddest them on the daie time in a clowdie piller and on the night season in a piller of fire to shewe them light in the waie that they went Thowe gauest them bread from heauen when they were hongrie and broughtest furth water for them oute of the rocke when they were thirstie The diuision of the read sea wherof Esdras first maketh mencion The read Sea shall be perceaued to be a great wonderfull worke of God and a great benefitt to the Israelites yf the historie of the same be considered In the booke of Exodus we read that when Pharao king of Egypt Exod. 14. had according to gods commaundement sent vnto him by Moyses permitted the children of Israell to departe oute of Egypte he being a man of wicked heart when they were goen with might and force prepared to folowe them and to persecute them Whose mighttie armie and great nombre of horses and chariettes when the Israelites sawe poursewing them and with all considering the great strait that they were in hauing Pharao and his hoste behind them at their backe and the readd sea before them So that ther appeared vnto them nothing but wofull distresse and ineuitable perill of death they were sore afraied and caried oute to God And Moyses stretched oute his hand ouer the read Sea and God caried awaie the Sea by a verie strong east winde all that night and made the Sea drie land so that the children of Israell went through the middest of the Sea with drie feet hauing the waters as a wall vnto them bothe on the right hand and on the leste And the Egyptians folowed after them into the middest of the Sea and God caused the waters to return vpon them and drowned them with their horses and chariettes For whiche great wonder Moyses sange in prayse to God Flauit spiritus tuus operuit cos mare submersi sunt quasi Exod. 15. plumbum in aquis vehementibus The winde blewe and the Sea couered them they sanke like lead in the mightie waters Filij autem Israell ambulauerunt per siccum in medio â—eius But the children of Israell went on drie land in the myddest therof As ye maie perceaue by this what a great worke of God and howe great a benefitt to the Iewes yt was that sainct Paule in these fewe woordes spake The clowde that all passed through the redde Sea So was yt likewise that he saied that all the Fathers were vnder the cloude Of the beginning of this clowd we read also in Exodus that when the children of Israell departed oute of Egypt that theyr iourney should not be vncerten and they wander without Exod. 13. 14. ordre the Lord went before them by daie in a piller of a clowde to lead them the waie and by night in a piller of the fire to geue them light that they might go both by daie and by night The piller of the clowde departed not by daie nor the piller of sire by night oute of the sight of the people Benefites of the Clowde This clowdie piller was not onelie a guide and a leader vnto the people but yt was also a bullwarke of defence For when Pharao with hys armie did persecute the children of Israell the aungell of God whiche went before the hoste of Israell remoued and began to go behinde them And the clowdie piller that was before the face of them began to stand behind theÌ„ and came betwen the host of the Egyptians and the hoste of Israell Yt was also a darke clowde and gaue light by night and all night long the one came Num. 9. not at the other Thys clowde did not onely nowe serue for the commoditie of the Israelites but further on their iourney in the wildernesse yt was a great benefitt vnto them as we read in the booke of Nombres wher we learn that yt couered the Tabernacle allwaie by daie and the similitude of fire by night And yt happened that when the clowde abode vpon the tabernacle from euen vnto the morning and was taken vppe in that morning then they iourneied Or yf the clowde taried two daies or a moneth or a long season vpon the tabernacle and remained theron the children of Israell aboad still and iourneied not And as sooen as the clowde was taken vppe they iourneied Of thys clowde also speaketh the Prophet Dauid in the psalme reck ninge yt amonge other as a great benefitte of God geuen to the Israelites Expandit nubem in protectionem eorum ignem vt luceret eis per noctem Manna He spred oute a clowde to be a couering and fire to geue them light in the night season Exd. 16. Thus this goodlie benefitt somwhat opened and declared we shal do the like aboute the next which ys Manna Of the whiche we read that the xv daie of the seconde moneth after the departing of the children of Israell oute of the lande of Egypte the wholl multitude of the children of Israell murmured against Moyses and Aaron in the wildernesse and the children of Israell saied vnto them wolde to God we had died by the hande of the Lorde in the lande of Egypte when we sett by the flesh pottes and when we did eate bread our bellies full For ye haue brought vs out into this wildernesse to kill this wholl multitude with honger Then saied the Lorde vnto Moyses Be holde I will rain breade from heauen to yowe and the people shall go oute and gather daie by daie And in the same chapiter yt foloweth And in the morning the dewe laie rownde aboute the host And when the dewe was fallen beholde yt laie vpon the grownde in the wildernesse small and rownde and when the children of Israell sawe yt they saied euery one to his neighbour yt ys Manna For they wist not what yt was And Moyses saied vnto them this ys the bread which the Lord hath geuen yowe to eate Thus God fedde the children of Israell in the wildernesse wher they did neither sowe ne reape with this bread from heauen of the whiche they had no lacke This ys the meate that sainct Paule speaketh of that all the fathers did eate of This ys yt that ys spoken of in the Psalme Et Psalm 77. pluit illis Manna ad manducandum panem caeli dedit eis He rained downe Manna also vpon them for to eate and gaue them foode from heauen Of the wounders of this bread more shall be saied in the next chapiter The last benefitt recited of sainct Paule in this place ys that they all dranke Mater of the Rocke of one drinke that came oute of the rocke Of this miraculouse drinke we read that when