The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

The texte.

If nowe therefore perfeccion came by the priesthood of the leuites (for vnder that priesthood, the people receyued the lawe) what neded it furthermore, that another priest shoulde ryle to bee called after the ordre of Melchisedech, and not after the ordre of Aa∣ron? For yf the priesthood bee translated, then of necessitie must the lawe be translated al∣so. For he of whome these thinges are spoken, pertaineth vnto an other tribe, of whom ne∣uer man serued at the aultare. For it is euidente that our Lorde sprong of the tribe of Iu∣d a, of which tribe spake Moses nothing concerning priesthod. And it is yet a mere euidēt thing, it after the similitude of Melchisedech, there arise an other priest, which is not made after the lawe of the carnall commaundemente, but after the power of the endeles lyfe. (For after this maner doth he testifie: thou art a priest foreuer, after the ordre of Melchi∣sedeche.) Then the commaundemente that wente afore, is dissanulled, because of weake∣nes and vnprofitablenesse.

Yf so be that perfyte religion and holinesse dyd depende vpon the L••∣••iticall priesthood, as it semeth vnto the Iewes, because the lawe was geue vnder Aaron who was of the trybe of Leuy, what needed then agayne an¦other priest to rise, who, as it is writen in y^• mystical psalme, should be said to

be instituted not after the ordre of Aaron, but after the order of Melchise∣dech? For seeyng the auctoritie and fourme of the lawe is ioyned with the fourme of priesthood, it is nedefull if priesthood be translated into an other fourme, that the fourme of the lawe bee lyke wyse translated and chaunged. Certes the chaunging of the tribe sufficiently declareth, that the manour or fourme of priesthood must nedes be chaunged. For he whome the prophecie of the psalme speaketh of, was none of the tribe of Leut, but of that••••••be wherof neuer man as yet serued at the aulter, because it is euydent that our lorde Iesus sprong of the trybe of Iuda. But when Moses did institute the rite, and auctoritie of priesthood, he made no mencion of thys priesthoode whiche shoulde bee of the same kynred with the tribe of Iuda. Furthermore that the priesthood whereof the psalme speaketh is not the same manoure of priesthood that Moses priesthood is of, it doeth appeare more manifestly in that the prophecie playnely addeth these woordes folowing: After the or∣der of Melchisedech: signifying therby a priest vnly ••e vnto Aaron, and like to Melchisedech, to thentente we shoulde vnderstande, that there is no lesse difference betwene the one persone and the other, then is betwene the rite or ceremonte, and efficacie of priesthood. What meaneth this? after the ordre of Melchisedech: nothing els, but which doeth not sacrifice beastes prescry∣bed ••y the grosse and carnall lawe, but can by heauenlye grace bryng vs to lyfe euerlasting. For the law did purifie the fleshe by washinges, and diuers purgacions: but grace purifieth our soules with a sacrifice of more strength and efficacy. For as Aaron contineweth not for euer, so his priesthood was not euerlastyng and as it is sayde of Melchisedech, that he continueth for euer, so hys priesthoode shall haue no ende. And that these thynges verelye agreeth with Christ, the mistical psalme declareth, saying: Thou art a priest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech. The priesthood that contineweth but for a season geueth place to the euerlastyng priesthood, and the mortall hye prieste geueth place vnto the immortall. Certes as the v••••perfiter priest∣hood geueth place vnto the perfiter: euen so the vnperfit lawe geueth place to the perfiter lawe of the gospell, wherby the constitucions and lawes of Moses conteyned in the olde testament be (as it were,) dyssanulled, for that they were not of strength sufficiente, nor so profitable as they shoulde haue been.