challeÌ„ge to themselues greater honour than any Angel hath euen the honour that is due alone vnto the onely begotten sonne of God And yet where the scripture sheweth that this honour was giuen vnto Christ with an oth they will haue part with him being not able to bring one sentence of the worde to prooue that there shoulde be any Priest besides Christ He neuer ordained any Priest no one of his Apostles was called a Priest and in euerie point their order is so contrarie vnto the order of Melchisedech this I say might satisfie but yet to lay open their trecherie further we will proue that they haue abused the world and made them worship that for God which was but a cake of flower I will not goe farre for proofe hereof for it is manifestly and fully to be prooued by that which the holie Ghost hath set downe as concerning the sacrifice of the Newe Testament in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Those reasons which are there brought to proue that the sacrifices of the lawe could doe nothing and therefore were to be abolished will also serue to throw downe the abominable idol of the Papists For if the weaknes of those former sacrifices were gathered by their nature and order which was vsed in them then shall the sacrifice of the Masse if it bee founde to differ as farre and further from that of Christes than those be found not to be the sacrifice of the New Testament In the Epistle to the Hebreweâ— Chap. 9. ver 1. it is saide that the former couenant had also ordinances of religion and a worldly sanctuarie and there he doth repeat particularly sundrie things as the candlestick the fable the shew bread the golden censure the Arke of the Testament the golden pot with Manna Aarons rod that had budded and the tables of the Testament In this worldly Sanctuarie with these foresaide ordinances of the same nature did the priestes of the law exercise their office and this is one argument to prooue that their Priesthood was weake and coulde not bring men vnto God For the habitation of God is in the heauens there is his throne of glorie and most high maiestie thither must those be brought which shal come vnto him whereupon it followeth that the Priest that shall bring men vnto God must be a minister of the Tabernacle of Heauen For the entring into the holie place made with handes the ministring in the same with ordinances of the like nature that is to saye earthly a transitorie can by no meanes bring men eternally vnto God For how shall earthly things compasse heauenly or things which vanish and decay bring that to passe which shall last for euer Those Priestes therefore whose priesthood was transitorie for their priesthood must needes be of the same nature and condition that their temple and ordinances were and can stand no longer than they were for to cease when the time was come vnto which they were prefixed Vnto thâ—se is Christ opposed in the same Chapter ver 24. where he sayeth that Christ is not entred into the holie places made with handes which are similitudes of the true sanctuarie but is entred into heauen it selfe to appeare in the sight of God for vs. For as the sacrifice which he offred was heauenly and of eternall power so also is his Tabernacle and likewise his Priesthood For those three must euer be ioyned together Then if the Priesthood of Aaron and his sacrifices could do nothing but were to cease because their Tabernacle and ordinances were worldly how much lesse shall the greasie Popish priestes be able to offer any sacrifice to appease Gods wrath séeing the sacrifice which must do that is heauenly and spiritual and cannot be offred in a worldly sanctuarie nor with such ordinances as be of earthie nature For it is most manifest that all the trinkets and trash of Popish Massemongers wherewithal they do iuggle play with their Mammets are earthly and transitorie so is also their Temple and Altars and consequently their priesthood And further also it is certaine that the Priesthood of Aaron might rather be called heauenly than theirs because it was the paterne of the heauenly and he was called vnto that honour of God but they can shewe no calling thereto at all Who then is so blind but may sée that séeing the sacrifice propitiatorie cannot be offred by an earthly Priest nor with earthly ordinances that the white cake which the vncleane shaueling the Baalamite doth holde vp ouer his head is not the sonne of God but a dead Idol If the blinde idolatous Papistes will obiect that the efficacie of their sacrifice and priesthood is heauenly although it be executed on earth they are to be aunswered that if the efficacie of their priesthood be heauenly then is it eternall but they are mortal and do not remaine Priestes worlde without ende Againe the power of the sacrifice dependeth vpoÌ„ the power of the Priest 〈◊〉 so their sacrifice is not eternall This thing shal be yet more manifest by 〈◊〉 further comparison which is made betwéene the sacrifice of Christ and those of the lawe in the same Chapter verâ— 13. 14. where it is shewed that if the bloud of calues and of goates and the ashes of a red Heffer sprinkling those that were defiled did sanctifie as touching the carnall purging then howe much more shall the bloud of Christ which by his eternall spirite offred him selfe to God without spot purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God This comparison is brought in to prooue that Christ by entring once into the holie places by his owne bloud hath founde eternall redemption for that being the summe of the two verses going next before is proued by this It was graunted without controuersie that by reason of gods ordinance yâ— bloud of those poore beasts and the water made with the ashes of the Heffer being but a dead thing had power in some manner to purge as namely that which he calleth the carnal purging For if a man were polluted with any outwarde pollution and therefore might not come vnto those holie thinges which were the carnall commandements being but shadowes and ceremonies yet if he were sprinkled with those although he were not purged within froÌ„ sinne he was counted cleane then how much more shall the bloud of the sonne of God which hath the power of life in it because it is the bloud of him that was not onely a man so holie that he was without spot but also God For herein lyeth the strength of the argument which the holie ghost vseth to prooue that Christ at once by his bloud hath purged the conscience from same for euer that this sacrifice was offred by his eternall spirit which is his godhead For the godhed hauing eternall power of life the flesh and bloud of the manâ—od ioyned so with the godhead that they made one person had also the same power so that although the bloud
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
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