The texte.

NOwe sens the processe of our wordes hath broughte vs a∣gayne to the mencion of Melchisedech, lette vs consider what a man he was, & by what reason he bare the fygure of our prieste. For wee reade that this Melchisedech king of the Citie called Salem, was au hye pryest of the most hye God, the whiche Melchisedech mette Abraham in hys retourne from the slaughter of the three kynges, and blessed hym for his valiaunte acte, vnto whome Abraham also gaue tythes of all hys goodes. Fyrste Melchisedech by verye interpretacion of name, is called the kynge of ryghteousnesse: then by the tytle of his kyngdome, he is called kyng of Salem, that is to saye, kyng of peace: who, as it is said, had neyther father, nor mother, nor pedigrew, nor begynning of dayes, nor end of lyfe. But of hym it is spoken (whiche verelye agreeth wyth the sonne of god) that he contineweth a prieste for euer. And so farfoorth eueryethyng a∣greeth derye well wyth our hye pryeste Christ, who ordained the kyngdome of ryghtuousnesse, who is the prynce of peace, who, as touchyng his deitye had neither father in earth, nor mother, whose pedigrew no manne is hable to declare, who had neyther begynnyng, nor shall haue ending, whose priest∣hoode continueth for euer, and purifyeth all that beleue in hym vnto the worldes ende. Nowe let vs consider the dignitie of the same Melchisedech and ho we farre he excelled the pristes of Moses lawe Abraham so greate a patriarke dyd not onley vouchesafe to receyue blessyng of hym after he had sleyne the kynges, but also gaue hym tythes of the syoyles.

The texte.

And the lawe of Moyses commaunded this, that they whiche came of the linage of Leui, shoulde succede in the ministracion of priesthoode, and receiue tithes, but of theyr brethren alonely, that is to saye, of the posteritie of Abraham: neither doeth the auctoritie and dignitie of the Leuites stretch any further: but Melchisedech where he was an alyaunt from the Iewishe nacion, receyued tithes of Abraham, the very auctour of the whole nacion and blessed him, of whome according vnto Gods promise, the nacion of the Iewes shoulde issue. It is out of contouersie that the lesse receiueth blessing of the greater. For whose blesseth, doeth as it were, allowe by hys autoritie that whiche is done. Nowe thauctoritie to allowe is wont to remayne in the superiour, and not in him that is eguall or inferioure. And in the tribe of Leui they receiued tithes, who were also mortall menne themselues, and by whose death thesame auctoritie came vnto other. But it is sayde of Melchi∣sedech that he liueth and continueth for euer in the preeminence of perpetu∣all priesthood. To conclude, whereas thauctoritie to demaund tithes came from leuy the chiefe priest vnto other priestes, yet in that that Abraham pay∣ed tythes to Melchisedech, it semeth that Leuye also hymselfe was made bonde to paye tythes, notwythstandyng that he was wonte to receyue the same of other. Therefore as they are counted of lesse authoritie that paye tythes vnto Leuy: so was Leuy inferioure vnto Melchisedech vnto whome he gaue tythes. Some man wyll here saye: howe gaue he tythes who was not yet borne at what tyme Melchisedech mette Abraham? But forasmuche as the posteritie is in manoure counted to bee in the auctoure of the nacion, therfore I sayed after this intelleccion, that Leuy, who came of Abraham, gaue tithes vnto Melchisedech.

The texte.

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 Page  xi 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.

The texte.

For god woulde vs to be made perfite, but that lawe broughte nothyng to perfeccion: neyther was it geuen for that purpose, yet was it not geuen in vayne: Truelye it was geuen for a season, to thentente it shoulde be a cer∣taine griece or stayre to bring vs at the length to a better hope. For it promy∣sed a fruitfull lande wherein they shoulde lyue a quietlyfe, who had kepte the commaundementes of Moses lawe.

Page  [unnumbered]The law was grosse, and so was the rewarde, but thus god prouided for the grosse capacities of menne, that by sensible thinges they shoulde by litle and litle fall in vrewith thinges spiritual. It was cōmaunded that they should not s•ey, that they should not steale, that they shoulde pourge the handeling of carayne with certayne ceremonies: A lande was promised them wherein they should liue quietly a few yeres: but vnto vs heauen is promised, where we may liue in euerlasting ioye and felicitie, and in the meane while we are commaunded to loue euen oure very enemies. Theyr prieste when he was most deuoutly occupyed about sacrifice to make intercession vnto God for the people, went into the inwarde partes of the vayle: But our priest entred euen into the very heauens, there to pleade our cause before god the father, whome we are made nye vnto by our ambassadour Christ Iesu, who is the head of the churche. For it is not possyble that the bodye be awaye where the head is present: And by reason of suche an hye prieste, we haue a surer hope then the Iewes had by meanes of theyr hye priestes, because theyr priestes were ordeined without an othe, and ours with an oth: the which god would haue made, to thentente we shoulde haue a more sure confidence in hys pro∣mises, if the priest by whose mediacion we hope after the immortall felicitie promised vs, were by an othe approued an euerlastyng hye prieste and that of god, which elsewise can not lye. For thus speaketh he in the propheticall psalme: The lorde sware and will not repent, thou art a priest foreuer after the ordre of Melchisedech. Therefore looke howe muche difference there is betwene heauen and yearth, betwene thynges that lasteth for a tyme, and thinges eternall, betwene those that are mortal, and such as are immortal, betwene worldlye thynges and heauenlye: of so muche a better testamente was oure hye pryeste Iesus made promiser, and so much the certayner pro∣myser, as the promyse among men confyrmed with an othe, is of more cer∣taintye, then a simple promyse.

The texte.

Moreouer vnder the law of Moses it was needefull to haue manye priestes instituted, eyther because they shoulde execute the priestes offyce by tournes appoynted, eyther because that death woulde not suffer them al∣wayes to continue in theyr ministracion, and by that meanes, the promiser oftentymes chaunged was verye vncertayne of hys promise. But thys our prieste is one for all, and needeth not anye successoure, but by reason he en∣dureth for euer, he hath a continuall priesthood.

Page  xiiWherfore he is hable to bring those vnto saluaciō, whom he hath begun to saue, because they haue hym alwayes a redy prieste, by whose meanes they may come vnto god. For Christ liueth euer to thintēte that whensoeuer nede requireth, he may make intercessiō for his vnto god. For he hath not so offe∣red a sacrifice that it should profite a fewe a short while, but that it should be auaylable to all men, and at al times hable to pacifye gods wrath. Therfore sens the lawe was heauenlye and perfite, it was meete that oure hye prieste shoulde also be such a one, that is to say, godly, without deceyte, vndefyled, farre seperate from the coumpanye of synners, lyfted vp aboue all the hea∣uens, who needeth not dayly to offer oppe sacrifice as Moses priestes did; first for his own sinnes, and then for the peoples sinnes. For what manour of atonemakers were they, who themselfes had nede to be made at one with god, vnto whome they made intercession for other mennes offences? what manour a sacrifice was that, which for sundrie sinnes was of necessitie ofte tymes to be made again? Our hye priest, who had no sinne of his owne, toke vnto him the sinnes of the whole worlde, and once offered vp a sacrifice for all menne, not a beast, but hys owne proper persone. For Moses lawe, as it was weake and vnperfite, so dyd it ordayne suche hye priestes as were sub∣iect to infirmitie. But y^e worde of the othe that I spake of right now, which declareth that a better lawe shall succede in stede of the olde ordeineth not e∣uery man indifferently, but the very sonne of god a priest for euer more, rea∣dy at all times and mete to make intercession for vs, for that neyther death can take him away, neither any infirmitie let hym, to be a conueniente and perfite besecher for vs.