come Hebrew 10. 1. vnlesse it had béene giuen them of God as it is expressed Heb. 5. where he speaketh of that Priesthood of the lawe which hath now ceased Séeing none could haue this honour to be a Priest of the olde Testament but such as were called of God as was Aaron then how much lesse shall any be partakers of this dignitie with the sonne of God to be the Priestes mediators of the newe couenant but such as can shewe that God hath giuen them this honour Christ did not take this honor to him selfe Hebr. 5. but he that said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thée gaue it him The Lords sware that he should be a priest Let the Papists shewe any calling which they haue of God vnto this glorie of the Priesthood Let them shewe any one place out of the new Testament where Christ did ordeine Priestes Finally let them shewe where euer Peter or Paul or any Apostle or minister of the Gospel haue called themselues priests or haue béen so called by others otherwise than that which they giue vnto all the faithfull that being washed sanctified in the bloud of Christ they be made Kings and Priestes vnto God 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Reuel 1. 5. which is in another sense than this which they challenge No the worde of the Lorde is directly against you ye priests of Baal For it speaketh of one Priest which should arise after the order of Melchisedech not of priests It sayeth there is one mediatour betwéene God and man 1. Timoth. 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 glorie to the Pope and his priestes as to say they be mediators of the newe Testamēt If not then are they no priests Nowe although this is sufficient to prooue their priesthood to be counterfait that they can shewe no calling in the worde nor no mention that any one of the Apostles was a priest or that any man should haue such honour yet to make the matter more euident I will shewe by further reasons that their priesthood is such that it cannot stand with the priesthood of Christ We al knowe that the Lord swore that his sonne should arise vp a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Psa 110 Then if it fall out as it shal be manifestly shewed that the Priesthood of the Papacie is directly contrary vnto that order of Melchisedech It must néedes also followe that the same is not of God The order of the priesthood of Mechisedech is gathered out of that which Moses saith of him Genesis 14. the wordes are these And Melchisedech King of Salem brought foorth bread 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 heauen and earth and blessed be the most high God which hath deliuered thine aduersaries into thine hand and he gaue him tythe of all This man was greater than the Patriarche Abraham as it is proued 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 no◠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 mother without kinred without beginning of dayes and without ende of life as though he were one that had suddēly come downe from heauen When it is saide 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 nor yet of any that did succéede him it is gathered that he doth continue a priest for euer And moreouer that in his Priesthood all thinges are spirituall and full of endles power By this argument the holy Ghost proueth Hebr. 7. ver 16. 17. 18. that the priesthood of the Leuites was abrogate and could not stand with the Priesthood of Christ séeing it could giue no strength nor furtherance thereto for the one being spirituall and according to the power of the life that is not dissolued the other as he speaketh being after the law of the carnall commaundement they could not be ioyned so together as that the one might be a supply vnto the defect of the other For although the law of the carnall commaundement which is so called not in respect of the founder thereof which was God but for that the substāce of the things were bodily and carnall did profit and benefite men thus farre that by outwarde carnall things they had the resēblance of things spirituall to strengthen their faith Yet when he was come in whom was all the spirituall and heauenly power of the Priesthood those carnal 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 vpon earth which was built with hands he had the bloud of calues and goates and slaine beastes for sacrifice hee presented the names of the tribes before the mercie seat All these and such like are the carnall cōmaudement these did not take away sinne nor restore into fauour with God But Christ alone is the Priest that wrought that His annoynting was not with oyle but with the holie Ghost He needed no holie garments for there was no spot of vncleannes in him to be couered He came not with the bloud of slaine beastes but with his own bloud He entred not into y◠Tabernacle made with hands to appeare for vs and to present vs before the Arke but he is entred into the very heauens euen vnto the throne of God to present vs there Thus then it followeth that the Priesthood of Aaron being after the law of the carnall commaundement that is to saye 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 heauenly and spirituall and full of endlesse power hath fully and perfectly accomplished the worke of reconciliation If this order then of Melchisedech wherin there is nothing carnall did abolish the order of the Priesthood of Aaron wherein al things were carnall because the carnall things cannot helpe at al to bring men to heauen and because the order of the one Priesthood did so differ from the other as being of a quite contrarie nature It must néedes followe that the Priesthood of the Papacie cannot stand with the Priesthood of Christ because it is also carnall For was the oyle vpon Aaron carnall and is not their annoynting shauing carnall Were all the ministring garments of Aaron carnall and are not their
vestments as the Cope the Surplesse the Amisse and other such holie and priestly robes carnall Was the Altar in the Temple carnall and all the ministring vessels that did belong thereto and are not the Altars of these carnall Were Aarons incense and oblations carnall and are not the oblations of these and all their incense and other things carnall Those former could not stande with the Priesthood of the new Testament because they were in substance carnall howe then shall these latter which are as carnall as they Tell vs O ye Baalamites of the Romish order wherefore your order should in any respect be called the order of Melchisâ—dech seeing it is as contrarie vnto it as was that of Aaron The order of Melchisedech is gathered out of the description of Moses to be without any annoynting with oyle without garments for the ministration without Tabernacle without Altar without sacrifice without any earthly thing And why because his order is spirituall and therefore all things thereto belonging must be spirituall it is eternall and full of endles power and therfore nothing which appertaineth to the execution there of must be transitorie weake For shall an earthly temple an Altar of stone garments of silke or of any corruptible thing be fit to be ioyned with that priesthood which is euerlasting There is no doubt but that euery thing for the execution of the office must be agreeable vnto the nature of the Priesthood it selfe and therefore as there is nothing mentioned in Melchisedech that is carnall so also we sée that our Lorde Iesus Christ a Priest after that order hath executed that function without any such thinges consecrated thereunto How shall the Papistes then which haue their priesthood executed altogether in such things as be transitorie challenge to be of that order with our sauiour wherein as the Priesthood is heauenly and eternall so are all things there to belonging But peraduenture ye will say Melchisedech was a Priest and he offred sacrifices to God as other Priests at that time Wherefore should it then be gathered that there was no carnall thing in substance belonging to the execution of his function He had an Altar he had beastes to offer and no doubt did offer I aunswere that albeit Melchisedech did execute the Priestes office after the manner of other Priests yet that is nothing to the purpose For the order of his Priesthood is gathered out of that description of Moses in which there is no mention of such things We are not to doubt but that he had father and mother that he was borne as an other man and also had an ende of his dayes Neuerthelesse because those things are left out he is brought in as one which neuer had beginning that neuer had ende but continueth a priest for euer In like sort howsoeuer at any time he executed the office of a priest as others did yet because there is no such thing expressed that which is expressed is that wherein he is likened vnto the sonne of God it is saide that he was a priest after another order and that there was nothing carnal in his priesthood Therefore we are to conclude that the priesthood of the new testament hauing nothing in it that is carnall the priesthood of the Papacie being consisting altogether of things carnall and such as were also the inuentions of men it must néedes followe that they are not priestes of any testament of God but the priestes of Antichrist Further let it be considered that a Priest must arise after the order of Melchisedech that shall so continue for euer For the eternall sonne of God was resembled by Melchisedech in that he is brought in without any beginning The continuance also of his office for euer in that there is nothing saide of his death nor of any that did succéede him This then being manifest what impudent wretches are those which being mortall men that haue an ende dare so blasphemously boast that they be Priests after the order of Melchisedech how shall they euer be able to answere vnto this The Priest of the New Testament is after the order of Melchisedech that is to say a Priest for euer without beginning without end without any to succéede him Their priesthood hath a beginning it hath an ende they haue those that do succéed one after another If this be a materiall point in that order of Priesthood which Christ shoulde be after as none vnlesse his forehead be of brasse dare denie that it should be for euer What a childishnes were it for any man to thinke that the priesthood of the Papacie is the same when it doth faile in that which is essentiall For they die and come to an ende Are not these contrarie the one to the other to continue a Priest for euer as Melchisedech in figure and Christ in déede and to be Priestes for certaine yeares and then to cease by reason of death Are not then the Priestes made at Roâ—â— contrary to this order yea as contrary as light is vnto darknes or as heauen is vnto hell And must it not still followe that séeing they be no Priestes of the olde Testament nor can not be Priestes of the New vnto the which their order is coÌ„trary that their priesthood may be as good as the priesthood of Baal and better it cannot be For if it be not of God is it not then of the diuel Let all true Christians therefore behold with detestation this hellish sacrilege of the Romish bishop who being a priest after the diuels order yet sayeth he is after the order of Melchisedech Moreouer it is to be noted which the holy Ghost sayeth Hebr. 7. ver 26. that such an high Priest it became vs to haue as was holie harmelesse vnspotted separate from sinners and made higher than the heauens This setteth foorth the puritie and also the high dignitie which of necessitie are required in that Priest that shal deale in our cause to bring vs to God For if he were a sinner himself how should he come vnto God If he were spotted with any vncleannes how should he purchase fauour for others seeing he should himself be out of fauour If he were vnholie how should he sanctifie and make holie those whome he doeth present vnto God In like sort it is to be weighed how great that man must be of necessitie that is to enter eueÌ„ vnto the throne of glorie and there abide as one able to saue all that come vnto God by him For thus he must be made higher than the heauens and aboue all creatures in the heauens For albeit the holy and blessed Angels be separate from sinners and be also about the throne of God yet no one of them hath this glorie to be made higher than the heauens none of them then can haue the honour of the Priesthood to obtaine pardon of sinnes for the Church that glorie and power being reserued only to the sonne who is farre aboue
principalities and powers Such a Priest as this must bring vs that are base and sinful wretches vnto God in him we must be sanctified in him we must obtaine fauour in him we must be heard that is so high in fauour that no request can be denied him In him wee must be saued who hath receiued all power and authoritie both in heauen and earth and liueth for euer What fouler beastlines then can there be than this that sinfull vnholy and base wormes of the earth shoulde challenge vnto themselues to be Priestes of the Newe Testament yea that such sillie Asses as are scarce fit to kéepe swine will yet haue that office that the glorie honor and power of is aboue the Angels let all men iudge nowe of this conclusion The Priest of the New Testament is pure and holie separated from sinners made higher than the heauens The Pope all his broode are sinfull whoremongers théeues and murtherers base and vile wretches of the earth farre off frō being higher than the heauens Therefore their priesthood is not the priesthood of the Newe Testament There is also another notable difference betwéene the olde priesthood and the newe that those former did minister in earth in a Tabernacle made with handes which had no enduring substance This latter is entred into the Sanctuarie of heauen and there doth execute the Priests office hee doeth not any thing in an earthly sanctuarie For why this priesthood is heauenly and eternall his Tabernacle must be agreeable vnto the same And it is saide that if he were on earth he could not be a Priest while those Priestes did stande which were after the law Hebr. 8. 4. For although our Lord were a Priest in deede when he was vpon earth and did offer the sacrifice of his body yet ye see there was no outward thing that the Priests vppon earth do His bodie was slaine vppon earth but was it carried into the Temple and slaine at the Altar Was the bloud sprinkled before the Arke of the couenant No all things were heauenly and spirituall in this sacrifice If we regard the substance of his bodie it was the same that ours is But yet all the vertue efficacie of the same when it was a slaine sacrifice was frō aboue And so though he were in earth yet the whole fruite of his worke was in heauen For he being both God and man was a Priest euen then in heauen whē he was slaine vpon earth The vertue and power of the sacrifice to purge away sinne was not of the manhood frō it selfe but the manhood had it from the Godhead in that the manhood was so vnited vnto the godhead that they made one person In this sense he sayth Iohn 6. ver 63. It is the spirite that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing Howsoeuer the flesh of Christ hath power in it forgiue life as in déede it is the bread of life and whosoeuer doeth eate of it shall liue for euer 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 seconde man was the Lord frō heauen heauenly Wherefore is he called a man from heauen heauenly was it because his flesh was from heauen cursed be he which so holdeth No it was because all the vertue and efficacie which was in his manhood to redéeme the worlde was from heauen We sée then that he being sacrificed in earth the efficacie of his Priesthood was in heauen There is nothing in his Priesthood nor in the execution thereof which is earthly But these priestes are altogether earth and what can they do without earthe A temple they must haue on earth an Altar of earth manie other things of earth which prooue that all their ministerie function is earthie Then to conclude the mediatour of the New Testament is not a Priest vpon earth nor executeth not the Priestes office but in the heauenly Tabernacle The Romanes are Priests vpon earth they minister with earthly things in earthly Tabernacles and vpon Altares concecrate to that purpose Who doth not sée therefore that they haue no affinitie at all with Christ Moreouer if it may be demaunded is sir Iohn a King Surely then haue there béene manie lousie Kings Euery one which is a Priest after the order of Melchisedech is a King for those two are ioyned together in his order the kingdome and the Priesthood 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 haue but shauen crownes and not crownes of golde nor after the order of Aaron which is ceased but after the order of the priests of Baal If they obiect that the Pope hath both swordes the spirituall and the ciuil and therefore he is a King and a Priest I aunswere that therein he is more vnlike Christ whose kingdome is not of this world The kingdome of Christ is spirituall he medled not with the ciuil sworde but left it to the Magistrate The Pope chalenging it is not of that order which Christ is Seing then as we haue prooued none can be partakers with Christ in the most high dignitie and honour of the Priesthoode seeing euerie Priest is a mediatour of a Testament and of the Newe Testament there is but one seeing none can haue that honour to be Priest but they which are called of God and the Papistes can shewe no calling nor cōsecrating of Priestes in the Newe Testament Seeing in the order of Melchisedech all things are spirituall and full of endlesse power in the order of Poperie all things carnall Melchisedech continueth for euer these 〈◊〉 Séeing also the Priest of the New Testament must be perfectly holie pure without spot of sinne and higher than the heauens the Popish Priestes are abominable sinners Christ is a Priest in heauen they vpon earth He is both a King and a Priest sir Iohn is not a king It doth followe that their order of Priesthood is not of God but they be the idolatrous priestes of Antichrist They can not by their ministerie and Priesthood bring men vnto God but contrariwise they carrie headlong vnto the diuel Such therefore as will saue their soules must not be blind and wilfull but open their eyes and behold the cléere and manifest trueth of God which he hath taught in his worde As we haue proued this one part so let vs now come to the other that is to shew that the sacrifice which they offer is not the sonne of God but a wicked abhomination no more pleasing vnto God than if men should offer a dogge in sacrifice vnto him It might suffice to satisfie a modest minde that al which they doe is naught because they doe make themselues Priests after the order of Melchisedech and so do