est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
vpon the crosse which he graunteth to be moche more excellent then the sacrifices of the olde lawe the seconde note of the saied Chrysostome shall clerely wipe awaie his glose and disapoint him of his cloake Wherfor obserue that when he saied that Chryst prepared this woonderfull sacrisice he opened the time also when he did prepare yt He did saieth he prepare this woonderfull sacrifice when he did chaunge the sacrifice of the olde lawe and when he commaunded A plain saing for M. Juell himself to be offred When did he these two thinges Reader yf thowe marke here be two thinges the one ys that Chryst chaunged the sacrifice the other that he commaunded himself to be offred When did he these two thinges In his last supper when as sainct Cyprian saieth obuiarunt sibi instituta noua antiqua consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat inconsumptibilem Cyp. de Cae. cibum magister apponit Discipulis The newe and the olde ordeinaunces mett together and the lambe which the olde tradicion did settsurth being consumed the master did sett to his disciples inconsumptible meate De prodition Iudae So that for this lambe of the olde tradicion he gaue nowe inconsumptible meate to his Disciples whiche was his bodie and bloode whiche was the veritie of that shadowe as Chrysostom saieth Ille agnus futuri agni typus fuit ille sanguis Dominici sanguinis monstrabat aduentum ouis illa spiritalis ouis fuit exemplum Ille agnus vmbra fuit hic veritas Sed postquam sol iusticiae radiauit vmbra soluitur luce ideo in ipsa mensa vtrumque Pascha typi veritatis celebratum est That lambe was the figure of the lambe to Blood of the Paschall laÌ„be figure of the blood of Chryste in the Sacr. come And that bloode shewed the coming of the bloode of our Lord and that shepe was an example of the spirituall shepe that lambe was the shadowe this the veritie But after the Sunne of righteousnesse did shyne with beames the shadowe was taken awaie with the light And therfore in that table bothe the passeouer of the figure and of the trueth was celebrated Thus he In which saing ys declared that the olde lambe was a figure of our lambe Chryst whiche were together in the table as two passeouers the olde and the newe But when the newe passeouer whiche was the bodie of Chryst ther consecrated was settfurth ther as a newe passouer whiche he calleth the sonne of righteousnesse then the olde Passeouer was taken awaie and this placed in the stead Then was the olde sacrifice chaunged and a newe sacrifice appointed So that ys true that S. Augustin saieth Aliud Cont. literas Petilia est Pascha quod Iudaei celebrant de oue aliud autem quod nos in corpore sanguine Domini celebramus Yt ys an other Passouer that the Iewes do celebrate with a shepe and an other whiche we celebrate in the bodie and bloode of Chryst Yt caÌ„ not be saied that Chryst did chaung the sacrifice of the olde lawvpoÌ„ the crosse for that sacrifice was after the maner of the sacrifices of the ordre of Aaron a bloodie sacrifice as they were But this chaunge of sacrifice must nedes then be when the shewing of the chaunge of preisthead was For as S. Paule saieth Necessarium fuit secundùm ordinem Melchisedec alium surgere sacerdotem non secundùm ordinem Aaron dici Yt was necessarie that an other preist Heb. 7. shoulde rise to be called after the order of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron Chryst neuer shewed himself a preist after the order of Melchisedec but in the last supper in the which he sacrificed after that order Wherfore then was the olde sacrifice chaunged when this newe preist after the ordre of Melchisedec did shewe himself in sacrificing The trueth of this ys well proued by the seconde note in the saing of Chrysostome whiche ys that he commaunded himself to be offred Let al the volume of the Gospell be turned and searched and in no place shall ye finde that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred but in the last supper when he had instituted this holie sacrifice of his and bodie and blood Then he saied Hoc facite This do ye By which woordes he gaue coÌ„maundement to all to whoÌ„ coÌ„mission of this holie ministracioÌ„ should be geueÌ„ that they should doe that that he had doeÌ„ In that high and woonderfull institucion he did three thinges that ys he Three notable thinges doen by Chryst in the inst it â—cion of the B. Sacr. consecrated his blessed bodie and blood he offred yt in sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech and receaued yt with his Apostles Wherfore saing and commaunding that his preistes shoulde that do that he then did forsomoch as among other his doinges he did then offre sacrifice Therfore he coÌ„maunded that he himself should be offred And thus yt maie be perceaued that Chrysostom looked to this place when he saied that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred Li. 4. ca. 32 Of this same sentence and minde be a nombre of the holie Fathers Irenaeus saieth Eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meuÌ„ Et calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundùm nos suum sanguinem confessus est Et noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationeÌ„ c. He took the bread saieth Irenaeus speaking of Chryst which ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And the cuppe likewise which ys a creature as we he confessed to be his blood And of the newe Testament he taught a newe oblacion c. Jn primaoration praepar S. Ambrose also in his praier saieth Ego enim Domine memor venerandae passionis tuae accedo ad altare tuum licet peceà tor vt offeram tibi sacrificium quod tu instituisti offerri praecepisti in commemorationem tui pro salute nostra I Lorde mindefull of thy woorshippefull passion come vnto thy aultar although a sinner to offer vnto thee the sacrifice which thow hauest instituted and commaunded to be The Proclamermaie her learn that Chryst coÌ„manded his bodie to be offred in sacrifice offred in the remembrance of thee for our health Ye see these two graue and auncient wittnesses testifieng with ChrysostoÌ„ that Chryst commaunded this sacrifice which he instituted to be offred What the thing ys that we offre Chrysostome by moste plain woordes declareth when he saieth that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred So that Chryst himself ys our oblacion and sacrifice which we offre not vpon our owne inuencion but vpon his holie and most louing commaundement By this latter part then of Chrysostome his saing the two other partes before noted be well proued For by that that Chryst hath commaunded vs to offre him in our sacrifice yt ys most clere
de illo cuius nostis sacrisicium Ther were before the sacrifices of the Iewes after the ordre of Aaron in the offringe of beastes and that in mysterie The Sacrifice of the body and blood Sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys nowe diffused troughout the worlde of our Lorde the whiche the faithfull and they that haue red the gospell knowe was not yet Whiche Sacrifice ys nowe diffused throughoute all the woorlde Sette before your eyes therfor the twoo sacrifices both that after the order of Aarō and this after the ordre of Melchisedech For yt ys written The Lord hathe sworne and yt shall not repent him Thowe arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Of whom ys yt saied Thowe arte a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Of our Lorde Iesus Chryste who was this Melchisedech King of Salem Salem was before time that same Cittie which as the learned haue declared was afterwarde called Hierusalem Therfor before the Iewes reigned ther the preist Melchisedech who ys written in Genesis the preist of the high God was ther. He mett with Abraham when he had deliuered Loth from the hand of them that did persecute him and he ouerthrewe them of whom he was holden and deliuered his brother And after the deliuerance of his brother Melchisedech mette him So great a man was Melchisedech of whō Abrahā was blessed he brought furth bread and wine and blessed Abrahā and Abraham gaue him tithes Beholde what he brought and whom he blessed And yt ys saied afterwarde Thowe arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Dauid spake this in spirit long after Abraham Melchisedech was in the time of Abraham Of whom in an other place saieth he Thowe arte a preist For euer after the ordre of Melchisedech But of him whose sacrisice ye knowe Thus farre saincte Augustine Ye haue here heard the distinction of the two orders of preisthead of Aaron and of Melchisedech Ye haue heard also the distinction of the two sacrifices the one according to the order of Aaron the other after the order of Melchisedech What this sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys sainct Augustin hathe declared wher he saied The sacrifice of the bodie and Sacrifice auouched blood of our Lorde was not yet whiche sacrifice ys nowe diffused throughoute all the worlde What he meeneth when he saieth as yet the sacrifice of the bodie and bloode of our Lord was not and also whether this sacrifice be after the ordre of Melchisedech in a breif sentence of fewe woordes he doth verie plainlie in an other place open and declare Sublatum est sacrificium Aaron caepit esse sacrificium secundùm ordinem Melchisedech The sacrifice of Aaron was taken awaie And the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedcch beganne By the which sentence yt ys manifest that while the sacrifice of Aarō endured this sacrifice was not vsed But whē that was taken awaie this sacrifice began Likewise he hath taught also that the sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryste ys the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech For wher before Sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacr. ys after the order of Melchisedech he saied that the bodie and blood of our Lord was not yet And nowe he saieth that the sacrifice of Melchisedech began when Aarons sacrifice was taken awaie What doth he ells fignifie but that they be all one thing that ys that the bodie and blood of Chryste be the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech And so conuertiblie that the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys the bodie and blood of Chryste Which bodie and bloode be no wher ells offred in sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech but in the sacrifice of the Altar wher bread and wine be turned into the same bodie and bloode For the bodie of Chryste vpon the crosse was a bloodie sacrifice perfected with bloodshedding after the maner of Aarō Therfore the holie sacrifice of the Altar which as sainct Austen saieth ys nowe diffused and spredde through all the world ys the verie bodie and blood of Chryste Although this that ys alleaged oute of sainct Augustin ys so plain that the Aduersaries can not but see the trueth and so strong that they can not against saie yt Yet that they maie see all this that ys spoken confirmed and made more plain and that so being confownded by the euident trueth they maie geue ouer their erroure and yelde vnto trueth we will heare the sentence of the same saincte Augustine treating of this same matter in an other place Thus yt ys Coram regno patris sui mutauit vultum suum dimisit eum et abijt quia erat ibi sacrificium secundùm ordinem Aaron et postea ipse corpore et sanguine suo instituit sacrificium secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Mutauit ergo vultum suum in In Psalm 33. Cōcion 3. sacerdotio et dimisit gentem Iudaeorum et venit ad gentes Before the kingdom of his Father he hath chaunged his cowntennce and lefte him and went awaie bicause ther was ther the sacrifice after the ordre of Aaron And after ward of his bodie and blood he instituted the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech He chaūged therfor his contenaunce in preisthead and left the people of the Iewes and came to the Gentiles Thus sainct Augustin Dooye marke what ys here saied Yf ye doo ye must nedes vnderstand yt yt ys so plain For what can be more breiflie and more plainlie saied then that Chryste did institute a sacrifice of his bodie and blood after the ordre of Melchisedech By this breif sentence manie thinges be aunswered First where the Aduersaries most slaunderouslie haue saied to bring the thing in hatred emongethe people that the Pope made the holie Sacrament a sacrifice to obscure the glorie of Chryste and to diminish the woorthinesse and merit of Chrystes sacrifices vpon the crosse and therwithall to bring the people into beleiff that the Sacrifice of Chryste vpon the crosse was not sufficient withoute this And that without authoritie as this Proclamer saieth we offer vppe Chryst vnto his Father And thus with a nombre of like lies The Pope and the Papistes were made Authours and founders of this sacrifice Not the Pope nor the Papistes made the sacrament a sacrifice but Chryst himself after S. Augustin But basshe and be ashamed thowe slaunderouse mā thowe Enemie of the trueth and open thine eies to see and thine eares to heare what saincte Augustine that holie Father and learned doctour here teacheth that ys that Chryste did of his owne bodie and blood institute a sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech So that Chryst euen by this bolie Fathers testimonie ys the institutour and founder of this blessed Sacrifice and not the Pope neither the papistes as thowe termest them But they be the humble receauers of this same institucion of
this perswasion of his Yf Chryst hath vouched saif to geue his life for thee will he not vouche safe to geue his bodie he hath geuen his life for thee whiche ys a great matter will he not geue thee his bodie whiche ys not so great a matter After that we haue considered this perswasion let vs somwhat more depelie weigh this place of Chrysostom and we shall finde yt so euident in declaring the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament that Sathan himself Tearmes to plain for figuratiue speaches can not well open hys mouthe against yt moche lesse hys mynisters For if they will glose this place of Chrysostom they must bestowe a great nombre of figures vpon yt For here be manie plain woordes and tearmes as his bodie his flesh a great and a woonderfull thinge himself offred settfurth before vs soche foode the lambe the flesh of the shepe whiche doe declare vnto vs the presence of Chrystes bodie And therfore as ys saied they must be darkened with manie figures and mystie gloses yf they shall be peruerted to the Aduersaries corruption of the trueth And trulie yt were wonderfull that Chrysostom preaching to the people wolde vse so manie plain tearmes and leaue them as sownding in their owne significacion when in verie dede as the Aduersaries saie and wolde bear vs in hand they doe all signifie figuratiuelie But let vs yet a litle deapelier consider the wholl place and tearmes of the same And first as touching the perswasion let vs weigh the comparison that ys made in the same by this authour to declare the great loue and mercie of Chryst towardes vs wherin he compareth the life of Chryste whiche he gaue for vs to his bodie which he geueth to vs. Nowe if the Aduersarie by the bodie will vnderstand a figure of the bodie howe vnmeet a comparison will he cause Chrysostom to make as to compare a bare figure to the life of Chryst Or who will thinke that Chrysostome Figures be no wonderfull things wolde vse soche a great matter as the life of Chryst geuen for vs to perswade vs to beleue so small a matter as that Chryst geueth vs a peice of bread a figure of his bodie after the sense of the Sacramentarie But that yt can not beare that sense the woordes that folowe doe well prooue For he saieth that the thing that ys geuen vnto vs ys a great and a wonderfull thing Yf yt be but a figure yt ys no great thing For figures haue ben since the beginning and for the most parte not esteemed as great thinges in the respect that they were figures Yf the Aduersarie will saie that Chrysostom speaketh of the bodie of Chryst spirituallie receaued whiche ys a great thing Yet yt will not helpe wonderfull what ys proprelie him to wrest Chrysostom to him For albeit the bodie of Chryst spirituallie receaued be a great thing yet yt ys not proprelie woonderfull For that ys proprely woonderfull that ys not in vse but rare seldom and almost not seen as saieth sainct Augustine Nowe to receaue the bodie of Chryst spirituallie ys no rare matter for yt hath ben in vse from the beginning Spūall receipt onelie of Chryst ys not wonderfull of the worlde yt was comon to the holie Fathers and Patriarches in the lawe of nature Yt was in vse among the faithfull Iewes and so among the faithfull Chrystians though not among the false Chrystians yt ys no straunge matter and therfore not a woonderfull thing though a greate thing But to receaue Chrystes bodie bothe spirituallie and reallie that ys both a great thing and a woonderfull thing woonderfull I saie for that yt was neuer in vse the bodie of Chryst reallie to be receaued before Chryst saied Take eate this ys my bodie at whiche time he did institute and ordein yt so to be receaued Before Chryst did so by his woorde instite the worlde neuer knewe this maner of receipt yt was neuer in vse neuer in practise And therfore yt ys a wonderfull thing not onelie for that yt exceadeth the compasse of reason and passeth the reache of the senseis that a naturall bodie shoulde in soche maner be receaued but also for that before Chrystes institucion yt was neuer in vse But what needeth me to trauaill so moche in declaring this when the Spūall and real receipt together of Chrystes bodie ys wonderfull authour himself openeth what the great and wonderfull thing ys that he speaketh of heare saing in the same place Audiamus oro perhorrescamus carnes suas nobis tradidit seipsum immolatum nobis proposuit Let vs heare I beseche yow and let vs feare He hath deliuered to vs his flesh himself offred hath he sett before vs. Thys ys the great thing that he spake of this ys the woonderfull thing that ys geuen to vs which he meneth of the slesh of Chryste Chryst himself sett before vs. Which thing that we shoulde well geue heed vnto and perceaue the greatnesse and wonderfullnesse of yt he preuenteth vs with hys aduertisement saing Let vs heare and feare whiche kinde of aduertisement neaded not if yt were but a peice of breade And note here that Chrysostome to the entent the thing might fullie be perceaued according to the trueth and his mening in the same he did not content himself onelie to saie that Chryst hath deliuered vnto vs his flesh but he addeth that Chryst sett himself offred before vs wherbie are remoued all the Sathās seales can not be hanged to Chrysostomes woordes figures and tropes whiche the Aduersaries to the corruption of the trueth wolde here haue putto For yf Chrysostome had saied no more But that Chryst hath geuen to vs his flesh then wolde Sathan by his ministers hanged on one of his comon seales as this woorde figuratiuelie or spirituallie and so made yt to haue appeared that yt ys his euidence But the holie Gost being a good schoolemaster hath taught hys scholer Chrysostom so to frame his woordes that if the enemie wolde go aboute to falsifie them by putting to one of his comon seales yet his falhead shoulde needes appeare For when Chrysostome had saied that Chryst had deliuered vnto vs hys flesh he immediately added as an exposition of those woordes himself hath he setfurth before vs. By whiche woordes the matter ys made plain for yf Chryst himself be sett before vs then ys the bare figure taken awaie and denied Yf he be sett before vs then ys he not onely spiritually receaued For spirituall receipt ys in vs and not before vs. Chryst by the doctrine of the Aduersarie ys within vs and not in the Sacrament before vs but Chrysostom saieth that he ys before vs and speaketh of the being of Chryst in the Sacrament Wherfore he himself ys in the Sacrament before vs and so ys excluded the onely spirituall maner whiche ys the other seale of the Aduersarie and the reall presence ys proued whiche ys the doctrine catholique The farder