A BRIEFE TREATISE against the Priesthood Sacrifice of the Church of Rome Wherein the simple may perceiue their intollerable impietie vsurping that office and action which euer appertaine to Christ onely by G. G. AT LONDON Printed by H. Midleton for Tobie Cooke 1584. A BREEFE Treatise against the Priesthood and Sacrifice of the Church of Rome THE Pope his clergie do stiffely affirme and go about to maintaine that they bée Priests and that it is an holie Priesthoode which they haue euen the Priesthood of the Newe Testament Further also they boast that the sacrifice which they offer is the sonne of God himself euen Christ Iesus God and man flesh bloud and bone as he was borne of the blessed virgin We on the contrarie affirme that they be verie Baalamites and not Priests of the Newe Testament and that their sacrifice is not the sonne of God but the stinking and Idolatrous sacrifice of Antichrist Who shal be beléeued we or they Let neither of both for our selues haue any credit at all For what is man that he should haue any credit Let neither of vs be our owne Judge for then there would be partialitie But let God only strike the stroke let him alone prâ—nounce the sentence let that part he credited which hath his witnesse testimonie When he speaketh let man kéepe silence When he pronounceth sentence let the mouth of all flesh be shut vp For who shall reply against the wordes of his mouth which are in perfect trueth and wisedome His testimonie hath he expressely set downe in the sacred Scriptures his voyce hath he there vttered to declare his perfect minde and will Let them be brought foorth and heard search them for so are ye willed Craue the true vnderstanding at his hands who is the onely teacher If by them it be manifestly proued vnto you that the popish Priests be not the Priests of the Nâ—we 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 it their priesthood and sacrifice which are the two principal things be awâ—y what can be good in them Let vs come to the triall of the matter And first in generall which they deny not the worde doth teach that the dignitic priuilege and office of the holic Priest is to approch into the presence of God to offer giftes and sacrifice and to make request and supplication for the people The necessitie of this office doth come from the profanesse and impuritie of men All men are vncleane sinners God is most pure holie and doth perfectly hate sinne And for the same cause he doth cursse and reiect all those which are polluted therwith They can not approche nor indure his presence before whome nothing vncleane can stand The prayers which come from them cannot be heard being the prayers of sinners and therefore not clean No gift can be accepted at their hands to make any reconcilement or to get any fauour they and all theirs are still reiected they must either haue some other to do it for them or else for euer remaine still out of fauour and be vtterly cast away in eternall perdition He that shall do it must be without spot of sinne and therefore among all the sonnes of Adam onely Jesus Christ is found worthie 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 Priestes It is true in deede that Aaron and his sonnes were coÌ„secrated made priests and did execute the ministerie 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 Christ so also they were not sacrifices in déede but so called for that they were the patterne of that which is the true sacrifice The same is to be saide of the Priestes that they were no otherwise Priestes but in figure because they did resemble Christ who alone is a Priest in trueth Those other Priestes were separated from the people consecrated to the seruice of the Temple The chiefe of them might enter into the most holie place and come before the Arke of the couenant and the mercie seate and there offer with bloud to make reconciliation They bare the names of the tribes of Israel and so presented them before the Lorde But yet all was but a shadow to direct the eyes of their faith vnto Christ for thesâ— Priestes could not wash away sinne they could not bring men into heauen and therefore when he came which is the Priest in deede and which doth accomplish that which was by them but resembled then all those shadowes did cease and giue place He continueth a Priest for euer He hath perfectly wrought the worke of reconciliation brought meÌ„ into fauour with God For with the sacrifice of his bodie he hath ransomed them and with his bloud he hath purged away their sinnes with full satisfaction and his prayers haue béene accepted He hath receiued honour power to saue for euer all those whome he doth sanctifie Now the question is whether any can be ioyned with him in this office and be partakers with him in this high dignitie as to offer vp to God the same sacrifice which he offered For this is without all controuersie 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 dignitie and glorie of the Priesthood by which he did offer it For was not the great glorie of his Priesthood in this that he offred himselfe in sacrifice vnto his father shall not those then which do the same thing receiue the same honour glorie therefore Thus we sée that when as none could be found worthie in heauen and earth but onely the Lambe Reuelaâ— 5. yet euerie greasie shaueling will haue fellowship and glorie with him euen in the highest part of his office Lord how long wilt thou spare looke downe and visite the blasphemie of the wicked beast vpon him and vpon the head route of his horned shauelings They say they be Priestes doubtles then are they mediators of the Newe Testament For the Testament the Priest are ioyned together the Priest of the Newe Testament is the mediatour of the Newe Testament For Christ is compared with Aaron and his sonnes to haue obtained a ministerie so much more excellent as he is the mediatour of a better Testament Hebrewes 8. 6. The excellencie of the ministerie of Aaron and his sonnes was according to the worthinesse of the Testament wherof they were the mediators Furthermore they could not haue that honour to be Priestes or mediators of that Testament wherein there was but the shadow of good things to
of Christ of it self had not power at once to purge eternally yet because it was the bloud of God it had that force Hereupon it followeth that the power of that purging by his bloud being eternall and that one purgation being perfect the redemption which he hath found is eternall Hereupon we may strongly coÌ„clude against the Papistes that with a double conclusion First that séeing no sacrifice hath the vertue to purge away sinne but because it is offered by the eternall spirite And secondly that his purging once made being that which is made by the eternall Godhead is perfect for euer By the first it is manifest that they are not able to offer a sacrifice propitiatorie because they are mortal meÌ„ by the seconde that there is no place for them the worke of purging sinne being alreadie accomplished for euer If there be a newe redemption to be wrought then let them be the priestes in the meane time they are foule idolaters and sacrilegious wretches destroying the power of Christs death when they will take vppon them to do that which he hath alreadie perfectly finished Come forth ye blind Papists and proue that ye are more than men shewe also that the sacrifice of Christ once offered hath not an eternall and perfect power to purge away sinne or else confesse that yours is Antichristian Wee may ioyne hereunto the which is vsed to proue that the sacrifices of the Leuiticall Priestes did not purge sinne namely that they were so often offered For thereby the holie ghost doth teach that they were not able to sanctifie the commers thereto Heb. 10. 1. For then as he sayeth they shoulde haue ceased because there should haue béene no more conscience of sinne in the worshippers being once purged The reason is manifest drawen from the effect of the medicine for if it haue taken away the disease and perfected the cure then is it vaine to adde it any more If it be still continually from time to time applyed to the sore as still remaining then it may be said truely that the same medicine doeth not heale Wherefore he addeth this proofe that notwithstanding the sacrifices were offred yet there remained the mention of sinnes yerely when they kept that solemne day of â—rpiation This disease of sinne still remaining as the continuall mention remembrance thereâ— doeth shewe it followeth that those sacrifices did not nor could not purge it away Unto these is opposed the sacrifice of Christ which because it hath perfectly purged sinne for euer so that there remaineth no more conscience thereof in those that are sanctified it is done but once and neuer to be repeated or don again The other which were Priestes in the lawe stoode daily ministring and often offring the same sacrifices which coulde neuer take away sinne But this man hauing offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God froÌ„ henceforth waiting vntill his enimies be made his sooâ—â—loole Heb. 10. verâ— 11 12. The former did stand daily miniâ—â—ring as those which had not nor coulâ—â— not accomplish the work of reconcilâ—ation although they offred neuer so often But he hauing once offered â—easeth from offring and is set downe in the highest throne of maiestie and glorie because as it is there saide he hath with one oblatioÌ„ made perfect for euer those which are sanctified If his sacrifice did abolish sinne but for a time as for a yere or certaine yeres then should he either bring nothing to passe or else returne often and sundrie times from his glorie to offer againe This is also confirmed in the same Chapter ver 18. by a conclusion which is drawen out of the forme of wordes which the Lorde vseth in the promise which he maketh of the Newe Testament as namely that he will remember their sinnes and their iniquities no more He reasoneth in this manner where God remembreth not sinne there he hath giuen pardon and remission for that he colleâ—teth and where there is pardon ther is no more sacrifice for sinne Now therefore when we see this to be most manifest by the plaine doctrine of Gods worde let vs consider the abominable wickednes of the Papistes which by their sacrifice ouerturne all this For whereas there is remission of sinnes alreadie purchased what place can ther be for their sacrifice propitiatorie whereas that sacrifice is vnperfect and cannot take away sinne which is often offred how is theirs the perfect sacrifice of Christes bodie which is continually done againe and againe What do they lesse therefore when they teach that in the Masse they offer Christ to his father to be a sacrifice to take away sinne than affirme that the promise of the New Testament hath failed that sinne is yet remembred no remiâ—â—ion as yet obtained And further when they will needes haue him offred so â—â—â—ten is it not as much as to denye the effect and power of the bloud of Christ Is it not quite contrarie to this that with one oblation he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified But here they take exception and say that they do not offer any new sacrifice but the same And moreouer that their oblation is but an application of the fruit of that which Christ offered and that because we sée féele in our selues that we are still guiltie all which is but a blinde cauill For what though they say they offer the same did not the priests the sonnes of Aaron yerely offer still the same doth not the power of the reason stand in this to proue that they were not auailable because then they should haue ceased Can they denie but that they offer often Further he doeth not place the perfect worke in the sacrifice of Christ because it was but one but because it was but once offred for he saith not with one sacrifice but with one offring hath he made perfect for euer those which are sanctified This doth cut the throte of their ofteÌ„ offring when his one offring had made perfect for euer for it leaueth nothing behind for such caitiues as they be And further where they pretende this necessitie because we haue still guiltie consciences therein they are more than beasts for the guiltinesse of our consciences is not for this that there néedeth any sacrifice to be offered to satisfie and purge sinne but through the remnants of iniquitie which remaine in vs because of the weaknes and imperfection of our faith for in these we are not to looke to any satisfaction yet behind but to take hold of that perfect one which hath alreadie satisfied If that act of theirs bée propitiatorie then is not sinne fully discharged by the other Thus blasphemous they are not onely in this their God of dough but also in all other their satisfactions for sinne and in theâ—â— doctrine of Purgatorie For if there remaine any satisfaction or purgation to be made then is it not true that he hath made perfect for euer
neither was his death then of full and sufficient price True it is that although we are by his one oblation fully and perfectly discharged for euer before God from the guiltines of our sinnes yet we are not in the full possession of this benefite nor shall not be vntill the last day for then shall his enimies be made his footestoole The diuell sinne â—â—â—th are these enimies which he hath ouercome that they cannot raigne ouer vs but yet wee must in the meane time wresile with them not therefore esteeming the power of Christs death to be the lesse because they be not alreadie vtterly abolished as the wicked vnbeléeuing Papistes do and therefore set vp trashe of their own to destroy sinne but waiting for that appointed time when the full power of his death shall appearâ— in the meane time staying by faith resting our selues on that one sacrifice once offred To conclude then hath not the mightie spirite of God power to apply vnto vs the vertue of that bloud but such sillie vermin as the Popish priests must help The holy ghost calling vpon vs and teaching vs to applie these benefites willeth vs to draw neere with a true heart with full assurance of faith Hebr. 10. ver 22. we come vnto him with the heart after a spirituall manner because all thinges in him are spiritual we are did to approch to lay hold of him by faith for wee can not either with the hande or with the mouth And seeing there is not so much as one sentence in all the booke of God which speaketh of any application of his death any other way it must néedes be concluded againe that they may bée as good priestes as the priestes of Baal and no better and that when they hold vp their idol Christ is not betweene their fingers Let vs go forward It shal yet be more manifest by the words of the holie Ghost that this sacrifice of the Masse is so farre from being the sacrifice of the Newe Testament that it doth flatly go against it For he saith as concerning Christ that he did not offer himselfe often as the high Priest went yerely into the holie place with other bloud Hebr. 9. ver 25. and then in the next verse he giueth a reason namely that then he should haue suffred often since the beginning of the world This sentence is verie mightie against the Papistes because it driueth them from all their shiftes and leaueth them naked and destitute but the force of it wil not appeare vnlesse we looke vpoÌ„ what principles it is grounded to proue that if Christ should haue offered himselfe often then must he also haue suffered death often since the beginning of the world Among the which this offreth it selfe as the first to be considered that all the holie fathers the Patriarches and Prophets from the beginning coulde haue no entrance vnto God but by remission of sinnes and that whereas otherwise they had the dore shut against them by this they were restored into fauour and receiued For it cannot be denyed but that by nature they were sinners as we be and that God cannot receiue sinners Being therefore out of controuersie that they obteined life it must néedes followe that they had pardon for if either there had béene no sin or no pardon to be graunted what necessitie could there be of a sacrifice The seconde principle without which the reason of the Apostle cannot stande is this that there can be no remission but onely by the sacrifice of Christ for if any other sacrifice or any other way or meane might obtaine it then were ther not a necessitie why he shoulde often suffer For although ther were a necessitie of remission of sinnes vnlesse all should be damned yet he might be set free from the same necessitie of offring himselfe séeing there were other wayes to obtaine it but the holie Ghost standeth vppon this as a marter not to bee doubted of that neither there is nor neuer hath béene any thing able to destroy sinne or to take away the â—uiltines of it by making satisfaction but onely the sacrifice of the sonne of God For howsoeuer the idolatrous Innvels do ascribe vnto many things they power of purging and satisfying for sinâ—â— yet the holie word of God and those which beléeue it do giue that glorie only vnto Christ and euen as his great glorie wherein he hathne fellow The third thing without which an exeâ—ption might be iustly taken against theâ—â—resaid reason is this that there coâ—â—â— be no oblation of Christ but he must suffer death for when he sayeth he should not offer him selfe often he addeth this cause that then he should haue sâ—â—â—â—ed often It were an easie matter â—â— the offring of Christ were any thing aâ—â—â—lable without suffring death to say there were no necessitie wherefore â—ee should suffer often seeing he might bee offred and not be slaine But this is strengthened by that which goeth before in the same Chapter where hee hath shewed that the testament is confirmed when men are dead because it is of no force while the testator liueth and so he is the mediator of the Newe Testament but yet through death Wherefore also the former testament in which there were but the shadowes and paterne of heauenly thinges was ratified by death as it is prooued by this that it was not dedicated without bloud For when Moses had read the lawe vnto the people he tooke the bloud of calues and Goates with water and purple Woll and Hyssop he sprinkled both the booke and the people saying this is the blould of the Testament which god hath commaunded vnto you Likewise also he sprinkled the Tabernacle and all the ministring vessels with bloud and almost all things sayeth he by the law are purged with bloud and without shedding of bloud there is no remission Here is then a manifest reason wherfore Christ could not be offred often but he must then also dye often euen because the testament is of no force without the death of the testator Here is further shewed wherefore it cannot be auailable without death that is to say there is no remission of sinnes without shedding of bloud Christ therefore could not be offred ofteÌ„ vnlesse it should be to no purpose which is most absurde but his bloud must be often shed Then if the Papistes will vpholde and maintaine that their sacrifice is auailable to purge away sinne and that it is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke the dead as they doe impudently affirme Let them also confesse that they murther againe the sonne of God and so shead his bloud For if they will stande to this that theirs is an vnbloudie sacrifice and though they offer him yet they do not slay him and yet withall do challenge the power therby to purge sinne let them knowe that they goe directly against the spirite of God which sayeth there is no remission without shedding of bloud In this therefore they are after
an horrible manner blasphemous that they will ouerthrowe the reason and argument of the holie ghost For if by any means there might be a sacrifice to take away sinne without the shedding of bloud then might Christ haue béen often offred and haue dyed but once If the fathers had the fruite and benefite of that one oblation as namely their sinnes washed away with that bloud once shed that without any offring of such vnbloudie sacrifice to apply the same why should not wee likewise by faith obtaine the same vnlesse some shaueling offer him daily Ye blinde Idolaters did yâ— bloud of Christ purge away sinne before his comming onely through faith and shal it not now Was there a more perfect power in it to abolish sinne in the sathers which were long time before his comming than there is after it hath béene shed in déede For if it be so that the fathers had their sinnes washed away with Christes bloud and yet no offring of him to apply the same but apprchended through faith shall it not destroy the vertue therof or at the least diminish it when they teach that wee cannot be partakers of him vnlesse he be still offred Is that which the holy Ghost speaketh that he hath béene once made manifest in the ende of the world to abolish sinne by the offring himselfe to be referred onely to the fathers before his comming Doth not the reason following extend it vnto vs as wel â—ea euen vnto the whole Church vntill his comming againe at the worldes ende for he compareth it in this maner that as it is appointed vnto meÌ„ to dye once and after commeth iudgement so Christ also being once offred to take away the sinnes of manie vnto those that looke for him shall appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation It is the ordinance of God that wheÌ„ a man hath runne his race and finished his course he shall not be permitted to turne backe againe to do that which he left vndone or â—o make straight that which is crooked but must holde him vnto iudgemeÌ„t for things past because that onely remameth In like sort he setteth the perfection of the one oblation of Christ who being once offered to take away the sinnes of manie it is so perfectly doone that when he shall appeare againe the seconde time to giue the eternall saluation there shal be no sinne to be purged or for which he is to make further satisfaction For when it is saide that he shall appeare without sinne the second time it is not meant of his owne person but of those whome he hath redéemed from their sinnes which is most cléere and manifest in this that the minde of the holie Ghost is to shewe a difference betwéene his first and seconde appearance euen in that point Which if it should be vnderstoode of his owne person should make no difference because he was without sinne at his first appearing although he tooke vpon him and bare in his bodie the sinnes of his people But at his seconde appearance because he hath vtterly destroyed sinne for euer there shal be none to be borne of him and therefore none for which he shall againe offer sacrifice The Papists but that they be impudeÌ„t might be ashamed to patch in their trumperie to giue power vnto the death of Christ when they sée here the perfection of it so set foorth that it hath so at once for euer destroyed sinne that there néedeth no more sacrifice to be offred For will they make the power of it lesse since his coÌ„ming than it was before We may then conclude séeing the sacrifice of the Newe Testament that should haue a spirituall heauenly and endlesse power could not be offred in a worldly sanctuarie with worldly ordinances the sanctuarie and all the ordinances of the Popish seruice and Priesthood are such as are earthly and séeing the same sacrifice coulde not be offred to be auailable vnlesse it were offred by the eternall godhead the Popish Priestes are men and not God being the bloud of a man which is also God that purgeth away sinne it hath an eternall power to purge and so vnlesse the Papistes will haue a newe â—â—demption there is no place for their propitiatorie sacrifice And séeing the sacrifice that is perfect is but once offred that which is often offred doeth not take away sinne And because the sacrifice of Christ once offred hath for euer perfectly abolished sinne the promise of the Newe Testament is that God will no more remember it and therefore no more sacrifice to be required The Papistes contrarie to that promise make satisfactions still and sacrifices for sinne Their sacrifice is offred often Christ coulde be offred but once because he could by but once The sacrifice is not auailable without death because there is no remission of sinnes without shedding of bloud The Papistes do not saye they slay Christ they say theirs is an vnblodie sacrifice there is no remission of sinnes without shedding of bloud The sacrifice of Poperie is not the sacrifice of the Newe Testament neither can it be propitiatorie as they bragge for the quick the dead Nay it is as abominable before God as if a man should offer a dogge in sacrifice Then considering what iniury these Priests after the order of Rome haue done vnto the sonne of God first in challenging that office and dignitie which belongeth onely vnto him and secondly in ouer throwing the perfection of the vertue and efficacie of his sacrifice Let as many of vs as minde to cleaue vnto Christ to take part with him and to fight vnder his banner so attaine the reward of eternal glory remoue our selues vtterly from the campe and societie of such aduersaries and armed with the spirituall armour of God let vs sounde the trumpet and bid defiance against them and against the diuel and Antichrist their chiefe capitaines for this is most certaine that wee shall neuer be reputed as friendes vnto Christ vnlesse wee be at enmâ—ty with his enimies fight against them Manie do suppose that they may hold friendship and familiaritie with them and estéeme of them as Christians and match their sonnes with their daughters although they beare yâ— same print and be of the same stamp with their parents onely because they doe professe the name of Christ and carrie a zeale vnto him But this dooth bewray a most horrible blindnes grosse darkenesse in them which cannot sée that to confesse the name of Christ is not anie thing at all auailable séeing they doe vnder that pretence rob and spoyle him of his glorie tread downe his trueth and 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 a spirituall but a carnall zeale could nothing at al cléere them but that they were still those which as vtter enimies of god did fight against him In like
sort although it be graunted that the Papistes haue a denotion towards Christ yet what doth it helpe them séeing it is a carnall and blind deaotion our sauiour Christ sheweth Mat. 23. that the Scribes Pharasées did build the tombes of the Prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous and saide that if they had béene in the dayes of their fathers they would not haue béene 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 he threateneth them that all the righteous bloud shead vppon the earth should come vpon them and why because he would send Prophets lesse men and Scribes vnto them and of them they shoulde kill and crucifie and of them they should scourge in their synagogs and persecute from citie to citie They were then guiltie and had their part in the bloud of the former Prophets because they murthered those of their time Euen so is this wicked and bloudie generation of the Papistes they haue such a zeale to the Saints of God that were of olde that they would honour them with diuine worship when as in the meane time they persecute and murther all those which imbrace and follow the doctrine of those holy ones Shall not they theâ— be guiltie of all the bloud of the Martyrs whome they séeme to loue and honour as the Scribes and Pharisees did the Prophets when as by all kinde of cruell trecheries by treasons periuries they séeke to murther destroy all those which beare any loue to the glorious Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that will not fall downe worship yâ— beast nor receiue his mark If euer there were helhoundes that could not be satisfied with bloud these are they which woulde spare neither high nor lowe Prince nor subiect yong nor olde If euer there were damnable heretikes and abominable idolaters vpoÌ„ earth these are they which ground all their worship vppon the deuises of men reiecting the holie scriptures and taking the honour due vnto God his sonne Christ and giuing it vnto creatures worshipping for God a cake made of flower Is it not then ful time that we giue eare to the voice froÌ„ heauen Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues Reuel 18. 4. Is it not plainly saide by the Angel Reuel 14. 9. that if any man worship the beast and his image shall receiue the marke in his forehead or in his hande he shall also drinke of the wine of the wrath of God euen of the vndelayed 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 holie Angels and in the presence of the Lambe the smoke of their torment shall ascende worlde without end and they shal haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his image and if any receiue the print of his name Being as cléere as yâ— Sunne at noone dayes vnto all those which haue eyes to sée that Rome is that Babylon and the Pope that sauage and cruell beast ought it not to driue vs as far from them as the East is from the West to renounce their religion and false idolatrous worship to pack vp all their trash and send it home to Rome to abolish their lawes to flye their fellowship societie to be at vtter enmitie with them in this respect that they be the sworne enimies of Christ What honour is there left vnto the sonne of God when such vile caitiâ—es shall take vppon them to be partakers with him in the office and dignitie of the mediatorship For when as the separation and enmitie betwéene God men was such that there coulde be no agréement nor vnitie because God is most perfectly holie and pure and cannot but hate that which is foule contrarie vnto his nature there was none to approch vnto him to be the mediator betwéene him and them which was in so high fauour as that they might be accepted through him nor of such power as to be able to aunswere discharge whatsoeuer they coulde bee charged withall but such an one as was also most holie and pure While the Tabernacle did stande and the most holie place which did represent heauen the high Priest was the mediatour for when the people were shut foorth hee went in before the Arke to offer make prayer for them But those thinges were but shadowes and his consecration was carnall He was a poore sinfull man not able to purchase fauour for himselfe He was a Priest agréeable to that couenant but no wretched sinner can be the mediator of the newe couenant to stande betwéene God and the people that he may obtaine fauour and remission of sinnes for them but he which is vnspotted Alas what case then are those men in which take a poore Popish Priest which is an vncleane sooine in lecherie to be their Priest to stande betweene God them to offer for them that by him they may haue their sinnes pardoned Doth not Dauid say the wicked cannot stand before God How then shall any of them stande as a Priest before him to be a mediator Doth not the holy Ghost say by Salomon that the sacrifice of yâ— wicked is an abomination to the Lordâ—â—an that which the Lord doth esteeme as a thing abominable be a sacrifice propitiatorie Can that which God doeth cursse and hate clense away sinne The Lord in mercie open the eyes of poore simple men which haue beene seduced misled that they may see what a deceipt this is that a man shal be made to seek life in that which is one of the greatest sinnes that can be coÌ„mitted as namely to set a poore rotten worme in the place and office of Christ a vile fil thie sinner is to come before God with a sacrifice Nowe as they he idolatrous priestes by their cake which they worship as God ouerthrowing as much as lyeth in their power the sacrifice of Christ and fighting vnder the banner of the diuel against God so also their fruites do follow accordingly declare what manner of trees they be Do they not maintaine lying and periurie all kinde of dissembling and false trecheries to obtaine their purposes and to bring their mischieuous and diuelish practises to effect Are they not bloudy murtherers and traitors against their lawfull soueraigne Prince Let them shewe where euer Peter Paul or anie Apostle of Christ hath taught the like or put it in practise If not then let vs conclude against them that they be of their father the diuel who is the author of all falshod and a murtherer the worker of all treasons against Princes And let all men which haue any care to saue their soules be so farre froÌ„ liking of them or consenting to them that they can say with the holy Prophet do not I hate them that hate thée O Lord am I not irkesomely gâ—â—eued with those that rise vp against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I take them as enimies to my selfe This zeale ought to be for the glorie of Christ in all true Christians this loue setled in the hearts of all faithfull subiects towardes their Prince There is no testimonie of any goodnes in men without this for those men which can retaine so willingly euen in their bosoms these vipers as some do their wâ—ues their sonnes their daughters their seruants and their friends although they make some shewe as though they did some what mislike yet they be verie Atheists voide of all true knowledge and feare of God FINIS
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