Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsHebrews 5

Every high Priest.

^[1] By the description of a Priest or high Priest (for to this purpose all is one matter) he proveth Christ to be one in most excellent sort. First then, a Priest must not be an Angel, or of any other nature but man's. Secondly, every man is not a Priest, but such an one as is specially chosen out of the rest, and preferred before other of the community, severed, assumpted, and exalted into a higher state and dignity than the vulgar. Thirdly, the cause and purpose why he is so sequestered and picked out from the residue, is to take charge of Divine things, to deal as a mediator betwixt God and the people, to be the Deputy of men in such things as they have to crave or to receive of God, and to present or give to him again. Fourthly, the most proper and principal part of a Priest's office is, to offer oblations, gifts, and sacrifices to God for the sins of the people: without which kind of most sovereign duties, no person, people, or Commonwealth can appertain to God: and which can be done by none, of what other dignity or calling soever he be in the world, that is not a Priest: diverse Princes (as we read in the Scriptures) punished by God, and king Saul deposed from his kingdom, specially for attempting the same. ^[2]

• 1 The description of a Priest, and his office.
• 2 3. Reg. 13. 2. Par. 26. 1. Reg. 13.

^◦

And generally we may learn here, that in ijs quæ sunt ad Deum, in all matters touching God, his service, and religion, the Priest hath only charge and authority: as the Prince temporal is the people's governor, guider, and sovereign, in the things touching their worldly affairs: Which must for all that by him be directed and managed no otherwise, but as is agreeable to the due worship and service of God. Against which if the terrene Powers commit any thing, the Priests ought to admonish them from God.

^[1]

We learn also hereby, that every one is not a Priest, and that the people must always have certain persons chosen out from among them, to deal in their suits and causes with God, to pray, to minister Sacraments, and to sacrifice for them. ^[2] And whereas the Protestants will have no Priest, Priesthood, nor sacrifice, but Christ and his death, pretending these words of the Apostle to be verified only in the Priesthood and Service of the old law, and Christ's person alone, and after him of no more: therein they shew themselves to be ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the state of the new Testament, and induce a plain Atheism and Godlessness into the world. For, so long as man hath to do with God, there must needs be some deputed, and chosen out from among the rest, to deal according to this declaration of the Apostle, in things pertaining to God, and those must be Priests. For else, if men need to deal no more, but immediately with Christ, what do they with their Ministers? Why let they not every man pray, and minister for himself, and to himself? What do they with Sacraments, seeing Christ's death is as well sufficient without them, as without sacrifice? Why standeth not his death as well with Sacrifice, as with Sacraments: as well with Priesthood, as with other Ecclesiastical function? There is no other cause in the world, but that (Sacrifice being the most principal act of religion that man oweth to God, both by his Law, and by the law of nature) the Devil by these his ministers, under pretence of deferring or attributing the more to Christ's death, would abolish it.

• 1 There is a peculiar order & calling of Priests of the new Testament.
• 2 Priests and Sacrifice necessary in the new Testament, and nothing derogatory to Christ's priesthood or Sacrifice.
• ◦ The Prince's temporal authority how far it extendeth.

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This definition of a Priest and his function, with all the properties thereto belonging, holdeth not only in the law of Moyses, and order of Aaron's Priesthood, but it was true before, in the law of nature, in the Patriarchs, in Melchisedech, and now in Christ, and all his Apostles, and Priests of the new Testament: saving that it is a peculiar excellency in Christ, that he only offered for other men's sins, and not at all for his own, as all other do.

• ◦ The dignity & function of Priesthood is not to be usurped.

Taketh to himself.

^◦ A special provision for all Priests, preachers, and such as have to deal for the people in things pertaining to God, that they take not that honour or office at their own hands, but by lawful calling and consecration, even as Aaron did. By which clause if you examine Luther, Calvin, Beza, and the like, or if all such as now a-days intrude themselves into sacred functions, look into their consciences, great and foul matter of damnation will appear.

• ◦ The difference & excellency of Christ's Priesthood.

Did not glorify himself.

^◦ The dignity of Priesthood must needs be passing high and sovereign, when it was a promotion & preferment in the Son of God himself according to his manhood, and when he would not usurp, nor take upon him the same, without his Father's express commission and calling thereunto. An eternal example of humility, & an argument of condemnation to all mortal men, that arrogate unjustly any function or power spiritual, that is not given them from above, and by lawful calling and commission of their Superiors.

• ◦ All true priests and preachers must be lawfully called thereto.

A Priest for ever.

^[1] In the 109. Psalm, from whence this testimony is taken, both Christ's Kingdom and Priesthood are set forth. But the Apostle urgeth specially his Priesthood, as the more excellent & preeminent state in him, our Redemption being wrought & achieved by Sacrifice, which was an act of his Priesthood, and not of his Kingly power: though he was properly a King also, as Melchisedech was both Priest & King, being a resemblance of Christ in both, but much more in his Priesthood. And our Lord had this excellent double dignity, as appeareth by the discourse of S. Paul, & his allegations here out of the Psalms ^[2] ) at the very first moment of his conception or incarnation. ^[3] For you must beware of the wicked heresy of the Arians and Calvinists (except in these later it be rather an error proceeding of ignorance) that stick not to say, that Christ was a Priest, or did sacrifice, according to his Godhead. Which is to make Christ, God the Father's Priest, and not his son, and to do sacrifice and homage to him as his Lord, and not as his equal in dignity and nature. Therefore S. Augustine saith in Psal. 109. That as he was man, he was Priest: as God, he was not Priest. And Theodorete in Psal. 109. As man, he did offer sacrifice: but as God, he did receive sacrifice. And again, Christ touching his humanity was called a Priest, and he offered no other host but his own body. &c. Dialog. 1. circa med. ^[4] Some of our new Masters not knowing so much, did let fall out of their pens the contrary, and being admonished of the error, and that it was very Arianism, yet they persist in it of mere ignorance in the grounds of Divinity.

• 1 Christ both Priest & King: but his Priesthood more excellent of the two.
• 2 Christ a Priest as he is man, not as he is God.
• 3 Psal. c. 109.
• 4 Retent. pag. 89.

With a strong cry.

^[1] Though our Saviour make intercession for us, according to his human nature, continually in heaven also: yet he doth not in any external creatures make sacrifice, nor use the prayers sacrificial, by which our redemption was achieved, as he did in the time of his mortal life, and in the act of his Passion, and most principally, when with a loud voice, and with this prayer, ^[2] In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum, he voluntarily deposed his soul, yielding it in most proper sort for a sacrifice. For in that last point of his death, consisteth specially his high Priestly office, and the very work and consummation of our redemption.

• 1 The sacrifice on the Cross, was the principal act of Christ's priesthood.
• 2 Luc. 23, 46.

^[1]

Observe more-over, that though commonly every faithful person pray both for himself and others, and offer his prayers to God, yet none offereth by office, and special deputation, and appointment, in the person of the whole Church and people, saving the Priest. Whose prayers therefore be more effectual in themselves, for that they be the voice of all faithful men together, made by him that is appointed and received of God for the people's legate. ^[2] And of this kind were all Christ's prayers, in all his life and death, as all his other actions were: his fasting, watching, preaching, instituting, ministering, or receiving Sacraments: every one being done as Priestly actions.

• 1 Priests' prayers more effectual.
• 2 Christ's Priestly actions.

For his reverence.

^[1] These words have our English Translators perniciously and most presumptuously corrupted, turning them thus, In that which he feared, contrary to the version and sense of all antiquity, and to Erasmus also, and contrary to the ordinary use of the Greek word ^[2], as Beza himself defineth it Luc. 2. v. 25: and contrary to the propriety of the Greek phrase, as not only the Catholics, but ^[3] the best learned Lutherans do shew and prove by many examples. They follow herein the singular presumption of Calvin, who was the first (as his fellow Beza confesseth) that ever found out this interpretation. Which neither S. Chrysostom, nor any other, as perfect Grecians as they were, could ever espy. Where, only to have made choice of that impious and arrogant Sectary's sense, before the said Fathers and all the Churches besides, had been shameful enough: but to set the same down for very Scripture of God's blessed word, that is intolerable, and passeth all impiety. And we see plainly that they have no conscience, indifferency, nor other purpose, but to make the poor Readers believe, that their opinions be God's own word, and to draw the Scriptures to sound after the phantasy of their heresies. But if the good Reader knew, for what point of doctrine they have thus framed their translation, ^[4] they would abhor them to the depth of Hell. Forsooth it is thus: they would have this Scripture mean, that Christ was in horrible fear of damnation, and that he was not only in pains corporal upon the Cross (which they hold, not to have been sufficient for man's redemption) but that he was in the very sorrows & distresses of the damned, without any difference, but that it was not everlasting, as theirs is.

For this horrible blasphemy (which is their interpretation of Christ's descending into Hell) God's holy word must be corrupted, and the sacrifice of Christ's death (whereof they talk so presumptuously) must not be enough for our redemption, except he be damned for us also to the pains of Hell. Woe be to our poor Country, that must have such books, and read such translations. See Calvin and Beza in their Commentaries and Annotations upon this place, and you shall see, that for defence of the said blasphemies they have thus translated this text. See the Annotations before, Act. 2, 27. and Mat. 27, 46.

• 1 Notorious Heretical translation to maintain Calvin's horrible blasphemy.
• 2 ἀπὸ εὐλαβείας.
• 3 Flac. Illyr. upon this place.
• 4 Calvin's blasphemy that Christ suffered hell pains upon the cross, and that his death otherwise were insufficient.

Consummate.

^[1] The full work of his sacrifice, by which we were redeemed, was wholly consummate and accomplished, at the yielding up of his spirit to God the Father, when he said, ^[2] Consummatum est: though for to make the same effectual to the salvation of particular men, he himself did diverse things, and now doth in heaven, and ourselves also must use many means, for the application thereof to our particular necessities. See the next Annotation.

• 1 Christ yielding up the Ghost, accomplished our redemption.
• 2 Io. 19. 30.

Was made to all.

^◦ The Protestants upon pretence of the sufficiency of Christ's Passion, and his only redemption, oppose themselves guilefully in the sight of the simple, against the invocation of Saints, and their intercession, and help of us, against our penitential works or suffering for our own sins, either in this life or the next: against the merits of fasting, praying, alms, and other things commended to us in holy Writ, and against most things done in the Church, in sacrifice, Sacrament, and ceremony. But this place and many other shew, that Christ's Passion, though it be of itself far more sufficient and forcible, than the Protestants in their baseness of understanding can consider, yet profiteth none but such, as both do his commandments, and use such remedies and means to apply the benefit thereof to themselves, as he appointeth in his word, or by the Holy Ghost in his Church. And the Heretics that say, faith only is the thing required to apply Christ's benefits unto us, are hereby also easily refuted. For we do not obey him only by believing, but by doing whatsoever he commandeth. Lastly, we note in the same words, that Christ appointeth not by his absolute and eternal election, men so to be partakers of the fruit of his redemption, without any condition or respect of their own works, obedience, or free-will: but with this condition always, if men will obey him, and do that which he appointeth. See S. Augustine (or Prosper) to. 7. Respons. Prosperi li. 2. articulo 1. ad objectiones Vincentij, where he saith of the cup of Christ's passion, it hath indeed in itself, to profit all: but if it be not drunken, it healeth not.

• ◦ Christ's Passion sufficient for all, but profitable to them only which obey, not by faith only, but by doing as he and his Church command.

Inexplicable.

^◦ Intending to treat more largely and particularly of Christ's or Melchisedech's Priesthood, he forewarneth them that the mystery thereof is far passing their capacity, and that through their feebleness in faith and weakness of understanding, he is forced to omit diverse deep points concerning the Priesthood of the new law. Among which (no doubt) the mystery of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the altar, called Mass, was a principal & pertinent matter: which the Apostles and Fathers of the primitive Church used not to treat of so largely and particularly in their writings, which might come to the hands of the unfaithful, who of all things took soonest scandal of the B. Sacrament; as we see Io. 6. He spake to the Hebrews (saith S. Hierom ep. 126.) that is, to the Jews, and not to faithful men, to whom he might have been bold to utter the Sacrament. And indeed it was not reasonable to talk much to them of that sacrifice which was the resemblance of Christ's death, when they thought not right of Christ's death itself. Which the Apostle's wisdom and silence our Adversaries wickedly abuse against the holy Mass.

• ◦ The Apostle omitteth to speak of the B. Sacrament as a mystery then too deep for the Jews' capacity.