D. Sarauia. 1. Of the diuerse degrees of the ministers of the gospell. 2. Of the honor vvhich is due vnto the priestes and prelates of the church. 3. Of sacrilege, and the punishment thereof. The particular contents of the afore saide Treatises to be seene in the next pages.

CHAP. III. What the honour of the Priest-hoode was among the people of God.

THat this the iudgement of all nations, did not proceed of any error of mans mind, but of a certaine feeling of the law of God wri∣ten in their heartes, the most sacred histo∣ries & the lawes which God himselfe hath made, doe proue sufficiently: for doe they not al enthronize the Priest-hood among the most principal honours? Among the people of God, the Hie-priest had al∣waies the second place next vnto the King. Among the more ancient and antique fathers, when as yet there was no lawe written, wheresoeuer true religion did flowrishe, the first-borne had alwaies this prerogatiue of honour in their fami∣lies aboue the rest of their brethren, Hee was graced with the Priest-hood. But if at any time, the Lorde of his absolute au∣thoritie, did translate the right of the first-borne vnto the younger brother, with all hee inuested him also into the same dignity of the Priest-hood: so came Iacob to bee prie∣sted.

And this custome continued with the people of God, euen vnto the age of Moses, vnder whome, by the expresse commaundement of God, the Priest-hoode was translated from the first-borne in generall, vnto the tribe of Leuie. But now howe carefull God himselfe was of this; That his Priest should be honoured, the processe of Moses his historie can sufficiently testifie: neither is it needfull for me to delate al things at large: it sufficeth to haue noted the chief groūds Only this is not to be omitted, (besides that our God wold haue him represent our hie and thrise honored Priest, Christ Iesu, that the rights which of dutie belong vnto God him∣selfe: God (as an especial fauor) he hath giuen to his Priests,

when as he demised vnto them the vse of those things which were offered and brought as presents vnto him, and which it was not lawfull for any man to touch and turne vnto his own vse, that was not the Lords Hie-priest. Againe, his plea∣sure was, that the right of the tythes and tenthes, and other honours of especiall prerogatiue, which by the lawes of na∣ture did belong to God onely, should be a stipend vnto the Priests for their sacred ministery: besides, first fruits, redem∣tions of their first borne, head-pence, subsidies & such like, were by his lawes referred to the vse & benefit of the Priests, and tabernacle of the Lorde. And last of all, hee appointed them onely, the dispensation both of diuine and humaine lawes: in honor whereof, he did by law enact, that the iudg∣ment of the Hie-priest should be held sacred and inuiolable in all controuersies: vnto the which, if any man were so ob∣stinate as not to supply, his death was the lieu of his contu∣macie.