A manuel of the Bibles doctrine for law and Gospell, letter and spirit, signe and thing signified reduced to the first chapter of Leuiticus: Wherewith (occasionally) be plainely considered, and briefelie concluded, the most mayne questions wherewith the christian churches be combied. By H.C.

Section. 7.

HAuing spoken of the oblati∣on of Thankes∣giuing, it fol∣oweth I speak of the ob∣lation of sin. And where should I begin? Ierome touchinge the whole saith thus. Euery sacrifice •…•…n the book of Leuiticus, yea

euery syllable, and the gar∣ments of Aaron and the whole Leuiticall Order, (spirant caelestia sacramēta) do breath forth sacraments, or mysteries. That hee saith of the whole, I may much more saye of this sorte of sacrifices, which in Christ & his mystical body be so deeply sealed as they squeaze out blud againe, and pierce and presse out the verye life of nature.

Hitherto I haue not set the ceremony on the rack (as hath been vsuall with too manye, stray∣ning the ceremonye to

their wits, and not their wits to the ceremony; & I would such vnpropor∣tionable and fantastique straines were not at this daye forced on plainer scriptures also) but I waighed the ceremonye by the plain, open waits of the sanctuary, for cau∣sing the sence to fall out fully & euidentlye to the conscionable Reader of the scriptures. It remai∣neth stil, that I keepe the kings hy-way, & not for satisfactiō of verball spi∣rits (nam haud vnquā aliud seculū tam verbosū) I shold abounde with manner

beyond matter; or take vp the time with by res∣pectes of the animate creatures (which out of nature might bee many) to the weakning and ob∣seuring of the mayn end and purpose of the Holy ghost, And so to the mat ter.

All Sin-sacrifice (as a∣fore) did properly re∣quire blood (for without blood no purgation) where∣upon it is probable, that Cain offring an oblation of the fruits of the earth (termed in Leuit. 2. min∣cha) did proudly intend a Thanksgiuing without

humiliation for sinne; when as Abel rather loo∣ked to his sin, and came to the Lord in humilitie for the purgation there∣of, by the blud of a lamb. This beeing ind•…•…ede the humility of the Publican in the Gospell (Lord bee mercifull vnto me a sinner) when the other was in∣deed of an elate and pu•…•…t vp mind with the Phari. see, who despising the other said, I thanke thee ô God, I am not as this man, &c. but hee went awaye therefore vniustified.

In the second of Leuit. there is a sacrifice tear∣med

Zebach Shelámim: which worde Shelámim signifying pacifications, perfections, heal•…•…hs, it so commeth to passe, that it is turned diuersly. But let it bee (as we haue it turned, and the worde primordially signifieth) a peace offring, it intēdeth an humiliation before GOD for obtayning of peace. And indeede, till wee bee sprinkeled in our hearts from an euill consci∣ence by the blud of christ apprehended by faith, it is impossible to haue peace with God. In the 4. of Leuit. there is a sa∣crifice

called Chá•…•…á∣ah, and in the fift chap. on called Ashá•…•…: the firs•…•… turned by some Latins. Peccatum, the other De∣lictum; taking them with like differēce, as Augus∣tine taketh the two La∣tine words, when as hee saith, Perchance Pecca∣tum is the perpetration of e∣uill, but Delictum the de∣sertion of Good. But to vn∣derstand the Hebrewe wordes so, I take it to bee more subtile then sure. And the rather because the wordes Cháttáah and Ashám are confounded in Chap. 4.

and both vsed for the same. The sacrifice in the 4 chap. is diuided into 4. •…•…eads, either it is for the sin of the Priest, or of the Congregation, or of the Ruler, or of the common people. The Iewish hy-priest coulde sin (though he caried the vrim and Thummim on his breast) and what is the Romish Hy-priest (whose brest is ordinarilye stuffed with all carnalitye) that hee shold not much more sin & stand in need of sacri∣fice. Israels congregatiō or church could sin, not∣withstanding al the neer

helpes they had from God, and cannot the church now much more sinne? I would it did not. The Prince of the peo∣ple then stood need of a sacrifice, and do not our Princes and rulers stand in as much neede? Yea, their sacrifice was to be presented in an He-goat for that they are not on∣ly to be as He-goats before the flocke for comming out of Babel, but also, for that their sinnes stinke much more, and be farre more infectious then the sins of the people, though the one and the other

proceeded first from ig∣norance. For which res∣pect (among others) the peoples sin afterwards is represented in a She-goat more weak in euill then the former. As therefore good examples in ru∣lers, are drawers vnto God, & god therefore to be much praised: so, to the other the Prophet saith. The Leaders of the people cause them to erre, and they that are led by them arc deuoured.

The sin sacrifices hi∣therto spoken of, in∣tend sin committed first of Ignorance: therefore

in the sixt chapter, the holy ghost laieth downe a sacrifice for such as haue sinned of knowledg. For the opposite vnto ig∣norance is not willingnes but knowledge. Besides that to sin hecousiōs, that is with willingnes as is intimated vnto the He∣brews that beste vnder∣stood the qualities and forms of Sacrifice, vnto such there remaineth no more sacrifice f•…•…r sinnes. Willingnes there, is a sin cōmitted against know∣ledg frāckly, freely, with∣out restraint & check of cōsciēce (euen as the vo∣luntary

sacrifice was to be offred to God, with a frank and free mind, and pleasing of conscience) which indeede is the great sin against the ho∣ly ghost, represented by such sinnes in Israel as were done not only wit∣tingly, but also extensa ma•…•…u, with an hy hand & all freedome of strength: for which sinne indeede, there was no sacrifice ap pointed, but the soule that so sinned, was to be left vnto the maiestrates sword. No•…•…atus the here∣tique (who denied hope of remission to all such

as sinned after baptism, and of knowledge) hee was therefore (for vnder standing so Hebr. 10. 26) as farre wide on the one side, as others haue been on the other side, that for that verse sake haue denied, or at least called into question the autho∣rity of that Epistle to the Hebrewes. Nor can but many such grieuous er∣rours followe the igno∣rance of Leuiticall cere∣monies; howsoeuer som of our Nouelists (if they haue not left their euill their diuell) will, with Is∣mael, flout therat, til they

haue flowted themselues out of Abrahams fami∣lie, and the state of grace.

All the sacrifices thē spoken of in this section ar either offred vp for sin don of Ignorāce, or other∣wis (through infirmitie) cōmitted of Knowledge. Wherein may be obser∣ued the Lords exceding gratious prouidence to∣wards his Church, who for euery soar hath pro∣uided a salue, and his Son Iesus he hath made the Physitian. Only, for such Apostates, as are so farre from being sore as they are wholie

Become seared in con∣science, and theresore sinne against knowledg, and former feeling (spo∣ken of in Hebr. 6. 4. 5.) & so despise the cōmuni∣on (spoken of in heb, 10. 25. 38. 39.) there remains indeede no sacrifice for that sin (which S. Iohn intimates, when he saith There is a si•…•…ne vnto death, I say not that thou shouldst traye for it) but to such remaines (as in Hebr. 10, 27) a fearefull loo∣king for of iudgemente and violente fire, which shall cousume & deuour aduersaries. Dallie therefore not with sinne

after knowledge, least it eat vp all conscience & leaue no place for repen∣tance. I am not ignorant that manye haue spoken much of this sin against the Holy-ghoste, but grounded on their owne surmises, not on diuine scriptures. Peter Lombard (the great master of sen∣tences) hath laboured to define it, but it stickes as bird-lime on his fingers, and needes some wiser then S. Thomas a watering to wash his fingers on it.

Notes

• Sacrifice for Sin.
• Hieronym. ad Paulinū.
• Heb. 9. 22.
• Heb. 10. 22.
• Augu. quaest. 20 in Leuit.
• •…•…erem. 50. 8.
• I say. 9. 15.
• Hebr. 10. 26.
• Beiad Ram•…•… •…•…om. 15. 30 31.
• 1. Iohn. 5. 16