S. Mathew instructinge Ioseph sayth Mary shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes So then this sonne of God Iesus is the sauiour of the worlde who forgiueth sinnes and setteth vs free from al the power of our aduersary the deuil Which verily he could not do vnlesse he were very god Hee is also called Christ which is all one as if you saye Annoynted The Iewes cal him Messias Which word is a title proper to a kingdome or priesthoode For they of olde were wonte to annointe their kinges priestes they were annoynted wyth external or figuratiue oyntment or Oyle But very Christ was annoynted with the very true oyntement that is wyth the fulnes of the holy ghoste as is to be seene in the firste third Chapters after S. Iohn Moste properly therfore is this name Christ attributed to our lord For first he is both kinge and prieste of the people of god Then the holy Ghost is powred fully by all meanes and abundantlye into Iesus from whom as it were by a liuely fountayne it floweth into all the members of Christ For this is that Aaron vppon whose heade the Oyle was powred which ranne downe to his bearde and the nethermost skirts of his garment For of his fulnes we haue all receyued The last thinge that is to be noted now in this secōd Article is the we cal the sonne of God our lord The sonne of God verily is for two causes properly called our lord First in respect of the mysterie of our redēption For Christ is the Lord of all the electe whom hee hath deliuered from the power and dominion of Satan sinne and death and hath made them a people of his owne getting for himselfe This similitude is taken of Lordes which wyth theyr monye buy slaues for theyr vse or els which in warres reserue captiues whō they myght haue slaine or which deliuer men condemned from present death So then by this Lords are as it were deliuerers redéemers or sauiours Hereunto verily alludeth Paul where he sayth Ye are bought with a price become not therefore the seruauntes of men And S. Peter saith Ye are redeemed not vvith golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Moreouer Christe is called Lord in respect of his Diuine power and nature by which all things are in subiectiō to the sonne of god And for because this word Lord is of a very ample signification as that which conteyneth both the diuine nature and maiestly wee see that the Apostles in theyr writinges vse it very willingly Paule to the Corinthians sayth Although there be many Lords yet haue we but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom all thinges are wee by him Now the third Article of Christian fayth is this Which vvas conceiued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie In the seconde article wee haue confessed that wee beleeue in Iesus Christe the sonne of God oure Lorde wherein wee haue as it were in a shadow confessed that wée beléeue assuredly that God the father hath for vs our Saluation giuen to the world his sonne to be a Sauiour and redéemer For hitherto belōg those names Iesus and Lord. Now therefore in this thirde Article I haue to declare the maner and order how he came into the world to wit by Incarnation This article contayneth two things The Conception of Christe and his Natiuity Of both which I will orderly speake after that I haue brieflye declared vnto you the causes of the Lord his Incarnation Men were in a miserable takinge and all mankinde should vtterly haue perished for sinne which wée haue all drawne from the first mā Adam For the reward of sinne is death And for that cause wée that were to be caste into hell could not enter into heauen vnlesse the sonne of God had descēded vnto vs and becomming God with vs had with himself drawne vs into heauen Therefore the chiefe cause of his incarnation is to be a mediatour betwixte God and men and by intercession to ioyne or bring into one thē that were seuered For where a mediatour is there also must needes bée discord and parties The parties are God and men The cause of this discord is sinne Nowe the office of the Mediatour is to bring to agréemente the parties disagréeing which verilye cannot be done vnlesse that sinne the cause of this variaunce be takē cleane away But sinne is neyther clensed nor taken away except that bloud be shed and death do follow This witnesseth Paule in his 9. Chapter to the Hebrewes The mediatour oughte therefore to take on him our flesh and bloud that hée might both dye shead his bloud Furthermore it is needefull that this Aduocate or mediatour be indifferently common to both the parties whom he hath to reconcile wherfore our Lord Christ ought to be very God and very man If hée had béene God alone then should hée haue béene terrible to men and haue stoode them in litle stéede If hée had béen méere man then could hée not haue had accesse to God which is a consuming fyre wherfore our Lord Iesus Christ being both God and man was a fitte mediatour for both the parties Which thing the Apostle witnessing sayth One God and one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe the price of redemption for all The same Apostle in the 2 and 9. Cap. to the Hebrewes speaketh many things belonging to this place And in the seconde Chapter rehearsinge an other cause of Christ his incarnatiō he saith It became him in althings to be made likevnto his bretheren that he might be merciful and a faithful high priest in thinges concerninge God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted An other cause wherfore our Lord was incarnate was that hée mighte instruct vs men in all Godlinesse and righteousnes finally that hée mighte be the light of the world and an ensample of holy lyfe For Paule sayth The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto vs teaching vs to renounce vngodlines and to liue holilie To conclude hée therfore became one wyth vs by the participation of nature that is to say it pleased him to be incarnate for this cause that hée might ioyne vs againe to God who for sinne were seperated from God receiue vs into the fellowship of himselfe and all other his goodnes beside The nexte is for vs to declare the manner of his incarnation This article of fayth standeth on two mēbers The first is He was conceiued by the holy ghoste Al wée men Christe excepted ace conceyued by the seede of man which of it selfe is vncleane and therefore wée are borne sinners and as Paule sayth Wee are borne the sonns of wrath But the body of Christ I saye our Lord was not conceiued in
God and ye shal be my people And yet in an other place we read that the offering of sacrifices that externall action of the people in worshipping god was acceptable and of a sweet smelling sauour in the nose of the lord Now wheruppon riseth this diuersitie I pray you but vppon the difference of the mindes of them that worship the Lord For sacrifices pleased him the honour that was done vnto him in simple obedience faith alone did please him too but that religion hée did vtterly mislike of wherin he was worshipped with outward shewes and not with the fayth and sincere obedience of the inwarde hart in which sort we read that Cain did sinne for God commaunded not to sacrifice in that maner that Cain did Againe he commaunded to sacrifice and to worship him with external ceremonies in faith that Christ shuld come to be the Sauiour of the world not that they should hope to be iustified by the externall action but by him that was prefigured in al their Ceremonies Christe Iesus the sacrifice once to be offered to saue them all who was the life and meaning wherunto all those Ceremonies did leade that are expressed in the lawe But it is not a misse here particularly to examine and looke into not al and euery one but the chiefest Ceremonies and those which are more significant than the rest Let this labour of mine not séeme to any man to bee more curious than needeth or lesse profitable than it sheweth for For it is vndoubtedly very auaileable to the sound vnderstanding of the abrogation of the lawe All thinges whatsoeuer God hath layd downe in the holy scriptures are altogether profitable to our edification and doe carrie with them a diuine authoritie wherby we may coÌ„firme our minds they therfore are very fooles and godlesse people or to vse a more gentle terme they are shuttle witted ignoraÌ„t of all good things whose stomachs doe rise at the Ceremonies that God hath taught and whose eares are offended to heare a sober godly treatise vpon the exposition of those diuine ceremonies Some there are that no smal number who thincke it very profitable and an excellent thing to construe Homer and Virgil allegoricallie in diuine Ceremonies only foolish heads are persuaded that no profite or wisedom lyeth secretly hidden when in déede in all the world againe ther is nothing more profitable more pleasant more fine more excellent or more full of wisedome in allegoricall types than the ceremonies are that God hath ordeyned For in them are the mysteries of Christe his Catholique Church very finely plainely and notably described Now in reckoning vp and touching these seueral ceremonies I wilchiefly follow the very natural order Ceremonies doe apperteyne to the Ecclesiastical worship of god Therfore it is necessarie that there should bee persons appointed in the Church to bee the maisters or rather publique ministers of those Ceremonies to exercise and put them in practise as the Lord ordeyned them It is necessarie also that there be a certaine place and time appointed wherein and when God should be especially worshipped rather than at an other place or season moreouer the holy rites that is the very ceremonies must be appointed and certainly numbered that the worshippers of god may know what and how great y honour is that they are bound to giue vnto him And first of al I meane to say somewhat of the persons that is the priests or Leuits referring stil the hearers to the reading of the holy Bible wherein the whole is fully conteyned and largely described The beginning of priesthood among the old people is deriued or brought from the creatioÌ„ almost For they say that in euery familie the first begotten were alwayes the priestes It is certaine that when the first borne of Aegypt were flaine the Lord did by a lawe consecrate to himselfe the first begotteÌ„ of the Israelits And the preeminence or dignitie of the first begotten hath alwayes béene very great by the Ciuil lawe The first begotten did alwayes rule and beare the sway in his fathers house and was as it were a king amonge his brethren to the first begotteÌ„ the inheritance was due to the other brethren were portions giuen the first begotten did excel the rest in the dignitie of the priesthood Therefore when Cain and Abel did striue about their birthright they coÌ„tended not about a trifle but about a matter of very great weight Whervpon when the mother virgin is said in Luke to haue borne her first begotten sonne let no man thinke that she was the mother of the second begotten or many sonnes more For in that Luke calleth Christ her first begotten sonne therein is noted his dignitie and excellencie For to Christ our Lord doth belong the kingdome priesthood and inheritance By whose bouÌ„tiful liberalitie wée are adopted to be his parteners both in the kingdome priesthood and inheritaunce of life euerlasting and all heauenly thinges But to returne to oure purpose againe the dignitie of priesthood amonge the people of Israel did of right belong to Ruben because hee was the first begotten But he by committing detestable inceste did loose his righte Next to him therfore was Leui who also loste that dignitie for the sinne which he coÌ„mitted in killing the men of Sichem trayterously and prophaning the sacrament of Circumcision But because the tribe of Leui did behaue it selfe manfully not onely in the bringing of the children of Israel out of Aegypt but also in punishing idolaters I meane the men that worshipped the golden calfe therefore did they receiue the office or dignitie of priesthood in reward of their vertue and at that time were the Leuits chosen into the place of the first begotten of all the séed of Israel For thus wée read And Moses said vnto the Leuites Consecrate your handes vnto the Lord this day euery man vppon his sonne and vpon his brother that there may a blessing bee giuen you this day And againe And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Behold I haue taken the Leuites from amonge the children of Israel for all that first openeth the matrice amonge the children of Israell and the Leuites shal be mine Because all the first borne are mine For the same daye that I smoate all the first borne in the land of Aegypt I hallowed to mee selfe all the first borne in Israel And so forth By this it appeareth that the tribe of Leui was appointed to the priesthood in the Church of Israel Moreouer this dignitie or ministerie was singularly confirmed to this Tribe immediately vppon the insurrection of Corah Dathan and Abiron by the wonderfull myracle that the Lord wrought vppon Aarons rodd which budded alone among the other eleuen twigs for a witnesse that god had appointed the tribe of Leui alone to the office and function of holy priest â—ood And for that cause was the same rodd put into the arcke and kept
167 5 Adam begat a sonne in his owne similitude c. 500 6 I will destroy all flesh wherein there is breath of life c. 715 8 I will set my raine-bowe in the cloudes that when I sée it I may remember c. 957 9 The eating of beastes or anye thinge that liueth and moueth is graunted c. 385 9 The Lord rayned vpon Sodom and Gomor brimston and fire c. 633 9 Whatsoeuer maÌ„ it be of the house of Israel or of the strangers c. 385 12 Pharao the king of Aegypt coÌ„maunded Sara Abrahams wife to be taken and caried to his palace c 231 14 Giue mée the soules and take the substance or goods to thy self c. 755 16 And she called the name of the Lord which spake vnto her Thou God lookest on me c. 743 16. Hast thée to Zoar and saue thee selfe there for I can do nothing c. 640 17 I will make my couenaunt betwéene mée and thée and thy séed after thée in their generations c. 1051 17 The vncircumcised man child in whose flesh the foreskinne is not circumcised that soule shal be cut off from his people c. 1041. 1046 18 Abraham sawe thrée but with them thrée he talked as with one worshipped one c. 633 18 Wilt thou destroy the iust with the wicked That be farre from thee c. 520 18 And shal I hide from Abraham what I minde to do c. 3 20 Loe thou shalt die because of the womaÌ„ which thou hast taken away c. 232 22 In thy séede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed c. 545 645. 687. 22 God tempted Abraham c. 485 30 Giue me children or else I die c. 658 30 Am I in Gods stéede whiche hath denied thée or withholden froÌ„ thée the fruite of the wombe c. 658 33 And hée going before them bowed himselfe seuen times to the ground c. 649 34 Sichem defiled Dina the daughter of Iacob c. 235 39 Ioseph beeing prouoked to adulterie by his maisters wife c. 232 44 Ye wil bring my gray haires with sorrow to hell or the graue c. 65 48 Leâ— my name be called vppon them c. 655 ¶ Out of Exodus 3 THus shalt thou saye to the childreÌ„ of Israel The Lord God of our fathers the God of Abraham c. 612 3 And Moses said to God Behold when I come vnto the childreÌ„ of Israel to whom thou doest nowe send me and shal say vnto them c. 608 4 Euery manchild whose foresain shall not be circumcised shal be cutt off c. 1029 4 And GOD hardened Pharaos heart c. 493 4 A bloudie husband art thou vnto mée c. 1044 6 I am Iehouah And I appeared to Abraham Isaac Iacob as God Schaddai but in my name Iehouah I was not knowen vnto them c. 611 9 I haue now sinned the Lord is iust but I and my people c. 493 12 When your children shall saye vnto you what meaneth this worship c. 160. 364 13 Sanctifie to mée al the first borne c. 160 17 Whosoeuer sacrificeth to any God c. 200 18 Looke ouer all the people consider them diligently and choose c. 175. 389. 894 19 Talke thou with vs wée will heare but let not God talke c. 870 19 Moses the holy seruant of God is commaunded to sanctifie the people c. 19 19 Sett boundes vnto the people round about the mounteine and say vnto them Take héed to your selues c. 606 20 Thou shalt not bow down nor worship them c. 650 21 Hee that curseth father or mother c. 153 21 The punishment of that kinde of thefte whiche the Lawyers call Plagium 272. 278 22 Thou shalt not haue to do with a false report c. 390 22 If any man shall giue to his neighbour a beast to kéepe c. 131 22 Restitution is flatly commanded of the Lord in the Law c. 280 22 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue c. 197 22 Thou shalt not afflicte the widowes nor fatherlesse children c. 158. 509. 23 Thou shalt not followe a multinide to do euill c. 194 23 Thrice in the yeare shall euery male appeare before the Lord c. 352 30 Whosoeuer shall make for him selfe a composicion or perfume of incense to smell therew c. 658 31 Ye shall kéepe my Sabbâ—â—hes because it is a signe c. 144 32 And Moses said vnto the Leuites Consecrate your handes c. 331. 33 Thou canst not sée my face For no man shall see mée and liue c. 607 616. 34. Behold I will send mine Angel before thee to kéepe thee in the way c. 741 ¶ Out of Leuiticus The chiefest Chapiters of Leuiticus are expounded in the Sermon of the Ceremoniall Lawes 6 CHarge giuen to the priests to kéepe the holy fire alwayes burning c. 368 7 Touching vowed sacrifices or sacrifices offered by couenaunt c. 379 10. Thou and thy sonnes that are with thee shall drincke neither wine nor c. 336 10 The sonnes of Aaron burnt scorâ—â—hâ— vpp with fire from heauen for offering straunge fire c 962 11 Of the cleane and vncleane creatures c. 382 12 13. 14 15. 16. Touching cleansing sacrifices for bodily deâ—ilinges 373. 13 The priestes did iudge betwixt cause and cause and betweene cleane and vncleane c. 338 17 Whosoeuer of the house of Israel shall kill an oâ—e or a sheepe c. 344. 3. 7. 17. 19. The eating of bloud and strangled is forbidden c. 385 18 The abhominable sinne of Sodomie medling with beastes also is plainely forbidden c. 236 19 Ye shall doe no vnrighteousnes in Iudgement c. 194 19 Ye shall not steale ye shall not lye no man shall deale c. 273 19. Ye shall do no vnrighteousnes in iudgement true balances true weightes c. 270 20 Of the punishment of adulterie 236 20 Of the punishment of incest 236 20 A lawe against Sodomie 236 20 The soule that worketh with a spirite or that is a Southsayer shal die c. 755 22 Let no deformitie be in the thing that thou shalt offer c. 368 24 Of the punishment of such as blasphemed Gods name c. 129 26 I wil smite you for your sinns seuen times c. 936 27 Of vowes c. 380 ¶ Out of Numerie 3 ANd thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron to his sonnes c. 232 3 The Leuits shall kepe all the instruments of the tabernacle c. 338 6 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying speake vnto Aaron and his sonnes saying On this wise ye shal blesse the children c. 336 6 Touching the discipline of the Nazarites c. 380 10 The trumpets wherewith the congregation was called together were in the Leuites hands c. 338 11 Gather vnto me threescore and tenne men of the elders of Israel
in the tabernacle to the end that none other tribes should affecte the priesthood at any time thereafter Al which is largely declared in the 16. and 17. Cap of the booke of Numbers Now there was amonge the Leuits a certaine order there were degrées and as it were appointmentes vnto sundrie offices For the Leuites were diuided into three families that is into Cahatites Gersonites and Merarites and they againe were parted into foure orders For first of all out of the familie of Cahat were chosen princes to beare the sway and rule the rest to them the remnaunt of the Cahatites and the other two orders the Gersonites and Merarites were subiecte and did obey the first sorte of Cahatites that were their gouernors For Aaron the chiefe priest with Ithamar and Eleazar his sonnes had the preeminence among the rest For thus we read in the 3. of Numb And thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron and to his sonnes For they are giuen vnto him of the children of Israel And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sonns to waite on their priestes office and the straunger that commeth nigh shal be slaine Therein did Aaron the chiefe priest beare the type or figure of Christe the true the best and greatest king and bishop to whome all Christians are subiecte as to their chiefe bishop and head whose dwelling is in heauen And here obserue that all the Leuites did not serue in the tabernacle nor that they al did euery where thorough the land of Israel instruct and teach There were certaine ordinances touching the choice and refusall of those amonge the Leuits that were to be called to the ministerie or priest hood Time will not serue mée to reckon all the lawes appointed for that purpose The chiefe whereof are to be seene in the 21. and 22. Cap. of Exodus In the 8. Chapiter of the booke of NuÌ„bers the age is appointed of them that should be thought fitt for the ministerie that is from the 25. to the 50. yeare of their age The priestes that were called and chosen to the ministerie were also consecrated The maner of consecrating them is farre more large and busie than that I can in fewe wordes declare it By their consecration was meant that they ought to bee adourned with sundrie giftes and indued with holy conuersation that serue the Church in the office of priesthoode For to this doth â—specially belong the annoynting of the priestes which is a type of the holy ghoste where withall vnlesse an Ecclesiasticall minister bee indued hée exerciseth the office to his owne destruction This Ceremoniall annoynting of priestes is set downe by Moses in the 19. of Exod. the 8. of Leuit and the 8. Chapiter of the booke of Numbers To this wée must add also the habite or apparel that the priests did vse The priestes ware when they did not minister in their charge or office such kinde of garmentes as Lay men did as wée may gather out of Ezechiel but when they did serue in the ministerie then did they wear ceremonial raymeÌ„t according to gods coÌ„maundement A very large description wherof Moses doth very wel set downe in the 28. and 39. cap. of Exod. There are in number 9. sortes of Ceremoniall garments yet some doe reckon vpp but eight Iosephus maketh 10. First of all the priestes before they went about their offices did washe themselues in water and then put on their holy garments Amonge those garments some there were indifferently vsed both of the inferiour and chiefe priests And first their priuities are hidden with linnen bréeches comming downe to their knées and hamms the vpper part whereof was tyed aboue their hippes with a gathering band like to the vpper part of our common slopps to the end that if they should chaunce to fall while they were busie in killing their sacrifices or in bearing burdens to fro the parts should not appeare which shame doth bidd to couer Vppon their linnen bréeches they had a close coate made of double linnen which as Iosephus sayth was made of silke That was plaine or cloase to the body without plaight or gathering and came downe iust to the calfe of the legge Such were souldiours wont to weare and called them cassocks so fitt for their limms and close to their bodies that they were light and without let either to runne or fight And therefore the priestes making themselues readie to the ministerie of God put on such a cassocke that being comely cladd they mighte notwithstanding with much expedition discharge their office and exercise their ministerie The third kinde of rayment that was a belt or girdle did gird that cassock about the priest This girdle was woauen of purple scarlet and blew silke like to an Adders skinne hanging downe beneath the knée but in the holy ministerie tucked vp againe vpon the left shoulder The fourth kinde of 〈◊〉 was a Mitre or a rounde litle Capp which couered his head almost to the eares in facion like as if a maÌ„ should cut a boowle euen in the middest and sett the vpper parte vppon his head Then was the Ephod whereof mention is made not in Exodus where the Ceremoniall garmentes are reckoned vppe as it were of purpose but in other places of holy scripture which garment was indifferently common to all the priestes This Ephod is thought to haue béene a linnen cloake such an one as Dauid ware when hee daunced before the arcke Of the priestes which Saule slue by the handes of Doeg the Edomite thus wee read And he killed that same day 85. men that ware linnen Ephods His meaning is not that they were slaine while the Ephodes were on their backes but that they were killed when they were of that age and order that they might weare an Ephod that is that they mighte minister in the priesthood of the lord Therefore in Osee wée read Thou shalt bee without Ephod and Teraphim That is without priesthood religion For the Ephod began to be vsed for the very priesthood the garment or the signe for the thing signified But if any man will take these words of Osee to be spoken of the more notable Ephod of which I shal haue cause to speake anon I will not greatly gainsay him Nowe this linnen Ephod séemeth not to differ much from that which the Papistes do call a Surplice These fiue garments the chiefe priest and vnder priests did vse alike The other foure doe properly belong to the high priestes alone The first of the soure was called Megil and was a coate downe to the ancles a garment all of blew silke from the necke downe to the soale of the foote being cloase on euery side vnlesse it were the places to put his head and armes out at at the hemms beneath did hange 72. bells and as many Pomegranates so placed that still betwixte two bells there hounge one Pomegranate and betwixt two Pomegranates one bell the cause