them then can have the honour of the priesthood to obtaine pardon of sinnes for the Church that glory and power being reserved onely to the Sonne who is farre aboue principallities and powers Such a priest as this must bring vs that are base and sinfull wretches unto God in him we must be sanctified in him we must obtaine favour in him we must be heard that is so high in favour that no request can be denied him In him we must be saved who hath received all power and authority both in heaven earth and liveth for ever What fouler beastlinesse then can there be than this that sinfull unholy and base wormes of the earth should challenge unto themselues to be Priestes of the New Testament yea that such filly Asses as are scarce fit to keepe swine will yet have that office that the glorie honor and power of is aboue the Angels let all men judge now of this conclusion The Priests of the New Testament is pure and holy separated from sinners made higher than the heavens The POPE and all his broode are sinfull whoremongers theeues and murtherers base and vile wretches of the earth farre off from being higher then the heavens Therefore their priesthood is not the priesthood of the New Testament There is also another notable difference betweene the old priesthood and the newe that those former did minister in earth in a Tabernacle made wi h hands which had no enduring substance This latter is entred into the Sanctuarie of Heaven and there doth execute the Priests office he doth not any thing in an earthly sanctuarie For why His Priesthood is heavenly and eternall his Tabernacle must be agreeable unto the same And it is said that if he were one eareh he could not be a Priest whâ—le those Priestes did stand which were after the Law Heb. 8. 4. For although our Lord were a Priest indeed when he was vpon earth and did offer the sacrifice of his body yet ye see there was no outward thing that the Priests vpon earth doe His body was slaine upon earth but was it caried into the Temple and slaine at the Altar Was the blood sprinkled before the Arke of the covenant No all things were heavenly and spirituall in this sacrifice If we regard the substance of his body it was the same that ours is But yet all the vertue and efficacy of the same when it was a slaine sacrifice was from aboue And so though he were in earth yet the whole fruite of his worke was in heaven For he being both God and man was a Priest even then in heaven when he was slaine upon earth The vertue and power of the sacrifice to purge away sinne was not of the manhood from it selfe but the manhood had it from the Godhead in that the manhood was so united unto the godhead that they made one person In this sense he saith Iohn 6. ver 63. It is the spirit that qu ckeneth the flesh profiteth nothing Howsoever the flesh of Christ hath power in it to give life as in deede it is the bread of life and whosoever doeth eate of it shall live for ever yet it hath not this life of it selfe but from the Godhead Likewise the bloud is able to purge away sinne because it is the bloud of a man which is also God It is also said 1. Cor. 15. The first man was of the earth earthly The second mâ—n was the Lord from heaven heavenly Wherefore is he called a man from heaven heavenly was it because his flesh was from heaven cursed be he which so holdeth No it was because all the vertue and efficacy which was in his manhood to redeeme the world was from heaven We see then that he being sacrificed in earth the efficacy of his Priesthood was in heaven There is nothing in his Priesthood nor in the execution thereof which is earthly But these priests are altogether earth and what can they doe without earth A Temple they must have on earth an Altar of earth many other things of earth which proove that all their ministery and function is earthy Then to â—…rists Priestâ—…od is heavenâ—… conclude the Mediator of the New Testament is not a Priest upon earth nor executeth not the Priests office but in the heavenly Tabernacle The Romanes are Priests upon earth they minister with earthly things in earthly Tabernacles and upon Altars consecrated to that purpose Who doth not see therefore that they have no affinity at all with Christ Moreover if it may be demaunded is sir Iohn a King Surely then have there beene many lousie Kings Every one which is a Priest after the order of Melchisedech is a King for those two are joyned together in his order the kingdome and the priest hood Is there any man so foolish as to take these to be kings They may be taken for priests but not after the order of Melchisedech so long as they have but shaven crownes and not crownes of gold nor after the order of Aaron which is ceased but after the order of the priests of Baal If they object that the Pope hath both swords the spirituall and the civill and therefore he is a King and a Priest I answere that therein he is more unlike Christ whose kingdome is not of this world The kingdome of Christ is spirituall he medled not with the civill sword but lefâ— it to the Magistrate The Pope chalenging it is not of that order which Christ is One Priest of â—he New Testament Seing then as we have prooved none can be partakers with Christ in the most high digniry and honour of the Priesthood seing every Priest is a mediatour of a Testament and of the New Testament there is but one seeing none can have that honour to be Priest but they which are called of God and the Papistes can shew no calling nor consecrating of Priestes in the New Testament Seeing in the order of Melchisedech all things are spirituall and full of endlesse power in the order of Popery all things carnall Melchisedech continueth for ever these die Seeing also the Priest of the New Testament must be perfectly holy and pure without spot of sinne and higher than the heavens the Popish priesâ—… are not of Gâ—… Popish Priests are abominable sinners Christ is a Priest in heaven they upon earth He is both a King and a Priest sir Iohn is not a king It doth follow that their order of Priesthood is not of God but they be the idolatrous priestes of Antichrist They cannot by their ministry and Priesthood bring men unto God but contrariwise they carry headlong unto the divell Such therefore as will save their soules must not be blind and wilfull but open their eyes and behold the claere and manifest truth of God which he hath taught in his word As we have proved this one part so let us now come to the other that is to shew that the sacrifice which they offer is not the sonne
A BRIEFE TREATISE AGAINST THE Priesthood and Sacrifice of the Church of Rome VVherein the simple may perceive thir intollerable impietie usurping that office and action which ever appertaine to Christ only By G. G. Newly reprinted LONDON Printed by W. I. for ANDREVV KEMBE dweling by the Sessions House in Long South-Warke 1635. A BREEFE TREATISE AGAINST THE Priest-hood and Sacrifice of the Church of Rome THe Pope and his clergie doe stiffely affirme and goe about to mainetaine that they bee Priests and that it is an holy Priesthood which they have even the Priesthood of the New Testamnet Further also they boast that the sacrifice which they offer is the sonne of God himselfe even Christ Iesus God and man flesh bloud and bone as he was borne of the blessed Virgin We on the contrary affirme that they be very Baalamites and not Priests of the New Testament and that their sacrifice is not the sonne of God but the stinking and Idolatrous sacrifice of Antichrist Who shall be beleeved we or they Let neither of both for our selves have any credit at all For what is man that he should have any credit Let neither of us be our owne Iudge for then there would be partiality But let God onely strike the stroke let him alone pronounce the sentence let that part be credited which hath his witnesse and testimony When he speaketh let man keepe silence When he pronounceth sentence let the mouth of all flesh be shut up For who shall reply against the words of his mouth which are in perfect trueth and wisedome His testimony hath he expressely set downe in the sacred Scriptures his voyce hath he there uttered to declare his perfect minde and will Let them be brought forth and heard search them for so are ye willed Crave the true understanding at his hands who is the onely teacher If by them it be manifestly proved unto you that the popish Priests be not the Priests of the New Testament nor their sacrifice the sonne of God then let men no longer doubt but that all their whole worship is idolatrous and Antichristian For if their priesthood and sacrifice which are the two principall things be awry what can be good in them Let us come to the triall of the matter And first in generall which they deny not the word doth teach that the dignity privilege and office of the holy Priest is to approch into the presence of God to offer giftes and sacrifice and to make request and supplication for the people The necessity of this office doth come from the profanesse and impurity of men All men are uncleane sinners God is most pure and holy and doth perfectly hate sinne And for the same cause he doth curse and reject all those which are polluted therewith They can not approch nor indure his presence before whom nothing uncleane can stand The prayers which come from them cannot be heard being the prayers of sinners and therefore not cleane No gift can be accepted at their hands to make any reconcilement or to get any favour they and all theirs are still rejected they must either have some other to do it for them or else for ever remaine still out of favour and be utterly cast away in eternall perdition He that shall do it must be without spot or sinne and therefore among all the sonnes of Adam only Iesus Christ is found worthy and able to execute this office For if we respect this great worke of reconciliation betweene God and men we shall finde that alone he hath wrought it and therefore is the onely Priest of God None other can in such consideration be called Priests It is true in deede that Aaron and his sonnes were consecrated and made Priests and did execute the Ministery of the Priesthood in the Temple But yet as their sacrifices did not nor could not take away sinne being but shadowes and the resemblance of the sacrifice of Châ—ist so also they were not sacrifices in deede but so called for that they were the patterne of that which is the true sacrifice The same is to be said of the Priests that they were no o her Priests but in figure because they did resemble Christ who alone is a Priest in truth Those o her Priests were separated from the people and consecrated to the service of the Temple The cheife of them might enter into the most holy place and come before the Arcke of the covenant and the mercy seate and there offer with bloud to make recoâ—ciliation They bare the names of the tribes of Israel and so presented them before the Lord. But yet all was but a shadow to direct the eyes of their faith unto Christ for these Priests could not wash away sinne they could not bring men into heaven and therefore when he came which is the Priest indeede and which doth accomplish that which was by them but resembled then all those shadowes did cease and give place He continueth a Priest for ever He hath perfectly wrought the worke of reconciliation and brought men into favour with God For with the sacrifice of his body he hath ransomed them and with his bloud he hath purged away their sinnes with full satisfaction and his prayers have beene accepted He hath received honour and power to save for ever all those whom he doth sanctifie Now the question is whether any can be joyned with him in this office and be partakers with him in this high dignity as to offer up to God the same sacrifice which he offered For this is without all controversie that such as do challenge a copartnership with him in offring the sacrifice and gift which he did offer do also challenge a fellowship with him in the dignity and glory of the Priesthood by which he did offer Heb. 9. 1 4. it For was not the great glory of his Priesthood in this that he offred himselfe in sacrifice unto his father shall not those then which do the same thing receive the same honour and glory therfore Thus we see that when as none could be found worthy in heaven and earth but onely the Lambe v. 6. 7. Revelat. 5. yet every greasie shaveling will have fellowship and glory with him even in the highest part of his office Lord how long wilt thou spare looke downe and visite the blasphemy of the wicked Beast upon him and upon the heard and route of his horned shavelings They say they be Priests doubtlesse then are they mediators of the New Testament For the Testament and the Priest are Christ onely the Priest of the New Testament joyned together the Priest of the New Testament is the mediatour of the New Testament For Christ is compared with Aaron and his sonnes to have obtained a ministery so much more excellent as he is the Mediatour of a better Testament Hebr. 8. 6. The excellency of the ministery of Aaron and his sonnes was according to the worthinesse of the Testament whereof they were the
Mediators Furthermore they could not have that honour to be Priests or mediators of that Testament wherein there was but the shadow of good things to come Heb. 10. 1. unlesse it had beene given them of God as it is expressed Heb. 5. where he speaketh of that Priesthood of the lawe which hath now ceased Seeing none could have this honour to be a Priest of the old Testament but such as were called of God as was Aaron then how much lesse shall any be partakers of this dignity with the sonne of God to be the Priests mediators of the new covenant but such as can shew that God hath given them this honour Christ did not take this honour to himselfe Hebr. 5. but he that said Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee gave it him The Lord sware that he should be a priest Let the Papists shew any calling which they have of God unto this glory of the Pristhood Let them shew any Christ ordaineâ— no Priest in thâ— New Testament one place out of the new Testament where Christ did ordeine Priests Finally let them shew where ever Peter or Paul or any Apostle or minister of the Gospel have called themselves priests or have been so called by others otherwise than that which they give unto all the faithfull that being washed and sanctified in the bloud of Christ they be made Kings and Priests unto God 1. Pet. 2. Revel 1. 5. which is in another sence than this which they challenge No the word of the Lord is directly against you ye priests of Baal For it speaketh of one Priest which should arise after the order of Melchisedech and not of priests It saith there is one Mediator betweene God and man 1 Tim. 2. And therefore also it followeth that there is but one Priest Because the Priest of the new Testament is the mediator of the same is there any man so mad as to ascribe this glory to the Pope and his priests as to say they be mediators of the new Testament If not then are they no priests Now although this is sufficient to proove their priesthood to be counterfait that they can shew no calling in the word nor no mention that any one of the Apostles was a priest or that any man should have such honour yet to make the matter more evident I will shew by further reasons that their priesthood is such that it cannot stand with the priesthood of Christ We all know that the Lord swore that his sonne should arise up a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech Psal 110. Then if it fall out as it shal be manifestly shewed that the Priesthood of the Papacy is directly contrary unto that order of Melchisedech It must needs also follow that the same is not of God The order of the priesthood of Melchisedech is gathered out of that which Moses saith of him Genesis 14. the words are these and Melchisedech King of Salem brought foorth bread and wine which was also a priest of the most high God And he blessed him saying Blessed be Abram of the most high God possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine adversaries into thine hand and he gave him tythe of all This man was greater than the Patriarch Abraham as it is proved by two reasons Hebr. 7. the one that Abraham paid him tithes The other that he blessed Abraham Then Moses writing of so great a man not mentioning father nor mother nor kindred beginning nor end of his life although he had a father and a mother and kinred and had both a beginning and an end yet because Moses mentioneth not any of these it is said that he was without father without beginning of dayes and without end of life as though he were one that had suddenly come downe from heaven When it is said that he was a Priest of the most high God no mention made of any annoynting of any ministring garments of any temple altar or sacrifice not yet of any that did succeed him it is gathered that he doth continue a priest for ever And moreover that in his Priesthood all things are spirituall and full of endles power By this argument the holy Ghost proveth Heb. 7. ver 16. 17. 18. that the priesthood of the Levites was abrogate and could not stand with the Priesthood of Christ seeing it could give no strength nor furtherance thereto for the one being spirituall and according to the power of the life that is not dissolved the other as he speaketh being after the law of the carnall commandement they could not be joyned so together as that the one might be a supply unto the defect of the other For although the law of the carnall commandement which is so called not in respect of the founder thereof which was God but for that the substance of the things were bodily and carnall did profit and benefit men thus farre that by outward carnal things they had the resemblance of things spirituall to strengthen their faith Yet when he was come in whom was all the spirituall and heavenly power of the Priesthood those carnall and earthly things were to cease As for example Aaron was annointed with materiall oyle he was clothed with the ministring garments he entred into a tabernacle upon earth which was built with hands he had the bloud of calves and goates slaine beasts for sacrifice he presented the names of the tribes before the mercy seat All these and such like are the carnall commandement these did not take away sinne nor restore into favour with God But Christ alone is the priest that wrought that His annoynting was not with oyle but with the holy Ghost He needeth no holy garments for there was no spot of uncleannesse in him to be covered He came not with the bloud of slaine beastes but with his owne bloud He entred not into the Tabernacle made with hands to appeare for us and to present us before the Arke but he is entred into the very heavens even unto the throne of God to present us there Thus then it followeth that the Priesthood of Aaron being after the law of the carnall commandement that is to say the consecration was with things that were earthly and of a bodily substance the sacrifices also of the same sort it could do nothing But the Priesthood of Christ wherein all things are heavenly and spirituall and full of â—…e power hath fully and perfectly accomplished the worke of reconciliation If this order then of Melchisedech wherein there is nothing carnall did abolish the order of the Priesthood of Aaron wherein all things were carnall because the carnall things cannot helpe at all to bring men to heaven and because the order of the one Priesthood did so differ from the other as being of a quite contrary nature It must needs follow that the Priesthood of the Papacy cannot stand with the Priesthood oâ— Christ because it
sons with their daughters although they beare the same print and be of the same stampe with their parents onely because they doe professe the name of Christ and carry a zeale unto him But this doth bewray a most horrible blindnesse and grosse darkenesse in them which cannot see that to confesse the name of Christ is not any thing at all available seeing they doe under that pretence rob and spoyle him of his glory and tread downe his trueth an destroy his lawes The Apostle sayeth Rom. 10. that the Iewes had the zeale of God but yet he sayeth it was not according to knowledge and therefore that being not spirituall but a carnall zeale could nothing at all cleere them but that they were still those which as utter enemies of God did fight against him In like sort although it be graunted that the Papists have a devotion towards Christ yet what doth it helpe them seeing it is a carnal and blind devotion Note our Saviour Christ sheweth Mat. 23. that the Scribes and Pharises did build the tombes of the Prephets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous and said that if they had beene in the dayes of their fathers they would not have beene partakers with them in the bloud of the Prophets but yet for all this their forwardnesse and good will to honour the Prophets and to disalowe of their fathers in killing them hee threateneth them that all the righteous bloud shed upon the earth should come upon them and why because he would se nd Prophets and wise men and Scribes unto them and of them they should kill and crucifie and of them they should scourge in their synagogs and persecute from citie to citie They were then gullty Note and had their part in the bloud of the former Prâ—phets because they murthered those of their time â—…s wicked and bloudy generation of the Papists they have such a zeale to the Saints of God that were of old that they would honour them with divine worship when as in the Marke this yâ—… generation of Papists meane time they persecure and murther all those which unbrace and follow the doctrine of those holy ones Shall not they then be guilty of all the bloud of the Martyres whom they seeme to love and honour as the Scribes and Pharises did the Prophets when as by all kinde of cruell trecheries by treasons and perjuries they seeke to murther and destroy all those which beare any love to the glorious Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and that will not fall downe and worship the beast nor receive his marke If ever there were helhoundes that could not be satisfied with bloud these are they which would spare neither high nor low Prince nor subject â—…sts the â—…test Idolaâ—… that ever â—…eupon earth â—… the most â—…udy yong nor olde If ever there were damnable heretikes and abominable idolaters upon earth these are they which ground all their worship upon the divises of men rejecting the holy scriptures and taking the honour due unto God and his Son Christ and giving it unto creatures worshipping for God a cake made of flower Is it not then full time that we give eare to the voice from heauen Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues Revel 18. 4. Is it not plainely said by the Angell Revel 14. 9. that if any man worship the beast and his image and shall receive the marke in his forehead or in his hand he shall also drinke of the wine of the wrath of God even of the undelayed wine which is powred forth into the cup of his wrath and he shal be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lambe and the smoke of their torment shall ascend world without end and they shall have no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his image and if any receive the print of his name Being as cleere as the Sunne at noone dayes unto all those which have eyes to see that Rome is that Babylon and the Pope that savage and cruell beast ought it not to drive us as far from them as the East is from the West to renounce their religion and false idolatrous worship to pack up all their trash and send it home to Rome to abolish their lawes to flye their fellowship and society to be at utter enmity with them in this respect that they be the sworne enemies of Christ What honour is there left unto the Son of God when such vile caitifes shall take uppon them to be partakers with him in the office and dignity of the mediatorship For when as the separation and enmity betweene God and men was such that there could be no agreement nor unity because God is most perfctly holy and pure and can not but hate that which is foule and contrary unto his nature there was none to approch unto him to be the mediator betweene him and them which was in so high favour as that they might be accepted through him nor of such power as to be able to aunswere and discharge whatsoever they could be charged withall but such an one as was also most holy and pure While the Tabernacle did stande and the most holy place which did represent heaven the high Priest was the mediator for when the people were shut forth he went in before the Arke to offer and make prayer for them But those things were but shadowes and his consecration was carnall He was a poore sinfull man not able to purchase favour for himselfe He was a Priest agreeable to that covenant but no wretched sinner can be the mediator of the new covenant to stande betweene God and the people that he may obtaine favour and remission of sinnes for them but he which is unspotted Alas what case then are those men in which take a poore Popish Priest which is an uncleane swine in lechery to be their Priest to stand betweene God and them to offer for them that by him they may have their sinnes pardoned Doth not David say the wicked cannot stand before God How then shall any of them stand as a Priest before him to be a mediator Doth not the holy Ghost say by Salomon that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord can that which the Lord doth esteeme as a thing abominable be a sacrifice propitiatory Can that which God doeth curse and hate clense away sinne The Lord in mercy open the eyes of poore simple men which have been seduced and misled that they may see what a deceipt this is that a man shal be made to seeke life in that which is one of the greatest sinnes that can be committed as namely to set a poore rotten worme in the place and office of Christ a vile filthy sinner is to come before God with a sacrifice Now as they be idolatrous peiests by their cake which they worship as God overthrowing as much as lyeth in their power the sacrifice of Christ and fighting under the banner of the diuell against God so also their fruits do follow accordingly and declare what manner of trees they be Do they not maintaine lying and perjury all kinde of disembling and false trecheries to obtaine their purposes and to bring their mischievous and divelish practises to effect Are they not bloudy murtherers and traitors against their lawfull Soveraigne Prince Let them shew where ever Peter Paul or any Apostle of Christ hath taught the like or put it in practise If not then let us conclude against them that they be of their father the divel who is the author of all falshood and a murtherer the worker of all treasons against Princes And let all men which have any care to save their soules be so farre from liking of them or consenting to them that they can say with the holy Prophet do not I hate them that hate thee O Lord am I not irkesomely greeved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I take them as enemies to my selfe This zeale ought to be for the glory of Christ in all true Christians this loue setled in the hearts of al faithful subjects towards their Prince There is no testimony of any goodnes in men without this for those men which can retaine so willingly even in their bosoms these vipers as some doe their wives their sonnes their daughters their servants and their friends although they make some shew as though they did somewhat mislike yet they be very Atheists voide of all true knowledge and feare of God FINIS