The second and last part of Reasons for refusall of subscription to the Booke of common prayer vnder the hands of certaine ministers of Deuon. and Cornwall, as they were exhibited by them to the right Reuerend Father in God William Cotton Doctor of Diuinitie, and Lord Bishop of Exceter. As also an appendix, or compendious briefe of all other exceptions taken by others against the bookes of communion, homilies, and ordination, word for word, as it came to the hands of an honorable personage. VVith an ansvvere to both at seuerall times returned them in publike conference, and in diuerse sermons vpon occasion preached in the cathedrall church of Exceter by Thomas Hutton Bachiler of Diuinitie, and fellow of S. Iohns Colledge in Oxon.

Cap. 6. Of the name Priest. The worde Priest is often giuen to the minister of the worde and sacraments as the name of his office, which is neuer found in the new testament giuen to any minister, but to Christ.

And good reason it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 giuen the minister of the word, as the name of his office in such sense as our church intendeth. For so is it generally found in the new testament.

In the whole bible there is mentioned onely 2. sorts of Priests the one of Aron, the other after Melchisedecke.

TWo sorts of Priests offering to God some visible, ex∣ternall present, as sacrificeing vnto him, wee read in the bible. But if our word (Priest) being lished for that in the originall hebrue wee must knowe there are more thē onely two sorts of Priests. For the original word in

in Hebrue signifieth a principall honourable officer of chiefe no•••• whither in ecclesiasticall or eiuill occasions.* 1.1 In which sence P••••••∣phar. because of his enmient place about Pharao hath the name,* 1.2 whose daughter Ioseph maried. So the sonnes of Dauid, who might not burne incense are called 2. Sam. 8. So Iarah a chiefe prince about Dauid 2. Sam 20.26.* 1.3 And because Aaron & his sons were to be of greater account then the Lenite, this name of pre∣heminence they distinctlie had from the rest. In the Greek of the new testament there are two words both translated by this same word Priest, signifying a sacerdotall office in sacrificing, or els taken for an auncient and elder, in which sence commonly it is the name of a minister of the gospell, and so the word from Pres∣byteros and presbyter contracted and made short Priest.* 1.4 The occasion intended may charge our language with penurie and want of words, in that she is inforced to make one english word interpreter to them al, and did we speak latine, the plea we put in would be of more force, but in our mother tongue, which we vse, it is not against vs, nor our letturgie.

Aarons priesthood with the name, together with all therest of the Ceremomes had their end by Christ, which to renue were to deni•• Christ.

Yet they so haue not their end by Christ, but the ministers of the gospell succeede Aaron in teaching, and praying for the peo∣ple, which dueties belonged to Aaron, and die not with him. The priest his lips should preserue knoweledge,* 1.5 and of him should the people aske counsell, which verie course continueth in the mi∣nisters of the worde and sacraments.

So if ministers must bee Priests by their office, it must needes be of the Popish sacrificing order, which I hope, none dare affirme.

So must ministers of the word be Priests by their office, & yet no néed they be of the Popish sacrificing order. For they are Priests, as the word is giuen them in the new testament that is auncients, and elders; And reason it is, they should be so thought, because of y^t originall, whence our english word is deriued. For it

is not home borne but a stranger, first a greek; then latine, & now english. And y^t very word, which the holy ghost calleth vs by in y^t new testament, is the grand-sire to this name priest: Wherein our language (if anie complaine of hir pouertie that shée is not copious as y^t griek is) yet may reioyce in this hir dexteritie, that she giueth the name in y^t very same characts the other doth.

To affirme a Priest and Priesthood doth derogate from Christ Iesus who hath put an end to Priest, and Priesthood.

True it doth; to meane a sacrificer of a carnall, reall, external, propitiatorie sacrifice of the very body, and blood of Christ vnder the formes of breade, & wine vpon a materiall altar for the quick and dead:* 1.6 Els in a borrowed speech by way of allusion to the le∣gall rites, it doth no way derogate. For the holie ghost witnes∣seth accordingly, as was prophesied by Esay, we are a roial priest¦hood vnto God to offer vp spirituall sacrifices.

So is euerie godlie man and woman a Priest, but this is nothing to the minister.

True also it is, Euerie godlie man and woman is a Priest in the common receiued sence as the prophet speakes Isay 61. yee shalbe named the Priests of the Lord yet from among them he will take out some more speciallie to bee Priests and Leuites,* 1.7 that is such, as in the ministerie of the Gospell should be distin∣guished both from the people, and from themselues, as were the Priest and Luites. For though the people offer vp the calues of their lips, and their bodies a liuing, reasonable sacrifice, yet in two respects els for distinction sake the minister may haue that name, rather then the people. First because, they offer vp for themselues distinctly a part, but he in publicke by vertue of his of∣fice both for himselfe, and for them in the name of the congrega∣tion, standing vp before the Lord, and offering their prayers in that onely attonement, Christ Iesus, they in the meane while accompanying him with sighs and grones, sealing vp euery peti∣tion with a still, silent, but effectuall Amen: Secondly he mini∣streth in holie things the word and sacraments, which ministra∣tion Saint Paul calleth by the name of one imploied in a sacred

businesse,* 1.8 for the word is a sacrificing knife in the hand of his mi∣nister, by which our flesh is killed, and offered vp a ••••ring sacrifice vnto God: Where Peguer nekinus in his promtuarie vpō Mar∣lorat, saieth in the title of the pastor. (In which sense Pastors are called sacrificers, or ministring in holie things) And it may be thought S. Chrisost. so meant intituling six books by y^t name (Hierosune) & S. Austin writing that Bishops and Priests are now properlie called sacerdotall Priests. Zanchius saieth in the 4. commaundement: It was a most auncient custome in the church of christ, that the ministers of the word & sacramēts should be called sacerdotall Priests, because ministers of sa∣cred things Nor doe I much contend about names, so we did agrece in the thinges themselues.

To giue this new name to the ministers of the Gospel is to crosse, & reiect the wisdome of God who hath giuē so many fit names to his in his word.

It is no new name but the old, and the verie same which the worde of God giueth them: For it is Priest, whose name is presbuteros, and so translated into our tongue, as other words Bible, Euangilest, Baptisme, Church, and the like, which retaine the foot-print of their originall. And could wee redeeme the wrong it hath receiued, in being put to interpret the office of a popish sacrificer, our labour should be imployed herein, but we are not to cōmaund words. As for other naturall english El∣der, aunciēt sen••or, whereof some are no more english thē this, the reason, why we vse them not, is because they are made triuial and common in other trifling pelting, and prophane occasions: So as what in regarde thereof, as also for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 riuation whence this worde is taken, and the allusion it hath by way of simi∣litude to them in the law (as we generallie among vs receiue it in our church, not to be misliked, nor so contentiously to be imrup¦ned, more then y^t word (Sunday) among the beathē, which name we retaine, vnderstanding not y^t Sun in the firmamēt (though Pa¦gans do) but our Lord the sun of righteousnesse to whose honour wee obserue it.* 1.9 And therefore as S. Austin in another case about the worde (free will) Let him retainethe worde, and correct his minde. If any be popishlie affected it is not the worde, but their iudgement that needeth reformation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cohen
• * 1.2

  Genes. 41.45.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 1. Ch••o. 18.17 2. Sam. 8. 2. Sam. 20.26.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Presbyter. Priest.
• * 1.5

  Malac. 2.7:
• * 1.6

  Isay. 61.6. 1. Pet 2.5. Apoc. 5.10.
• * 1.7

  Isay. 61.6.66.21.
• * 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Rom. 15.16. Pastores quo sensu sacerdotes dicantur Feg∣uernek. Crisost. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Episcopi & prasbyters pro∣priè appellātur sacerdotes Aug de ciuit dei lib. 20 cap 10 vetustissima cō suetudo fuit in ecclesia christi∣ana, vt mini∣str•• vocarēsur sacerdotes Neque egomul∣tum moror no∣mina modo de rebus conueniat Zanch. deredēp. lib. 1 c. 19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Kirck Church.
• * 1.9

  Linguā teneat mentem corri∣gat August.