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| Three priesthoods. Before and after Melchisedec,
until Aaron, anyone could offer sacrifices §. Prophets
receive revelation, not fill [priestly] offices §.
Melchisedec's priesthood first, Melchisedec the first priest §.
Hebrew word for priest can refer to sacred or secular office §.
Those who tried to act as priests without authorization were punished §.
But God can and has called men without priesthood to perform sacrifices
§. |
| Origin
of priesthoods |
¶ |
I. OF the divine origin of the priesthoods of Melchisedec,
Aaron, and Jesus. |
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| Three
priesthoods |
¶ |
ACCORDING to the evidence of scriptural history,
the only admissible evidence in the case, these three priesthoods were divinely
constituted; and the only divinely constituted priesthoods that ever existed
among men. Of these, calculating from the commencement of sacrificial functions,
Melchisedec's was the first. It is obvious, that by priest is here meant
an official character, "a man taken from among men," and "ordained
for men, in things pertaining to God, that he might offer both gifts and
sacrifices for sin."* |
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*Gray
footnote: ¶ Hebrews 5:1 |
| Melchisedec
first |
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Of such, Melchisedec
was the first. |
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| Sacrifices
without priesthood before Melchisedec |
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Previous to [31] his
day, the offering of gifts and sacrifices for sins was, like prayer, the
common right of the faithful; as appears from the offerings of Cain and
Abel, or Noah,* &c. &c. |
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*Gray
footnote: ¶ Genesis 4:3, 4; 8:20 |
| Until Aaron |
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In this situation matters
continued in respect to worshippers generally, (the tribe which Melchisedec
represented probably excepted,) and to the posterity of Abraham in particular;
even after the constitution of God's covenants with him, and down to the
consecration of Aaron. |
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No priests before Aaron
All could offer sacrifices |
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Previous
to this latter period, there was not a priest in Abraham's family; but,
as numerous instances attest, every worshipper offered up his own sacrifice,
or invited and employed what assistants he pleased. For ages after the calling
of Abraham, the institutions of true religion, and the dispensation of the
Spirit of grace, were continued to several other tribes of men: among these
also, the right to offer sacrifice, belonged, for any thing we know, to
the faithful in common. |
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Religion
requires revelation
God raised prophets through generations |
¶ |
IN the early ages of the world religion had not received that
organization, which has distinguished religious society in subsequent periods.
Prophets of every age had: Adam, no doubt, was the [32] first; Enoch, Noah,
and others succeeded; for there could not be any such thing as religion,
without a divine revelation: and by a procedure, the wisdom and goodness
of which are equally apparent, God raised up from among men the instruments
by which his will should be made known to their respective generations.
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| Prophet
not an office |
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But these were extraordinary characters,
and are not known to have had any peculiar functions in the ordinary offices
of religious worship. |
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| Religion
not an organization |
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The faithful had no fixed teachers, to preach the truths,
or doctrines of religion; no fixed priests, to present their sacrifices
and offerings. Every pious man, no doubt, was ready to embrace such opportunities
as might offer of instructing others, and presenting his sacrifice in person.
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No
structure
Individuals offer sacrifices for others |
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We are
not to imagine, however, that religion was, in the times alluded to, so
entirely a private and personal concern, as to be wholly destitute of social
character. It did always possess social character, and admitted the communion
of saints: but that character was defined, not by ecclesiastical constitution,
but by the natural arrangements of human society. Thus we find Job offering
up sacrifices for his children, and Jethro, in communion with [33] Moses,
Aaron, and the elders of Israel, offering up sacrifice in the Israelitish
camp.* Such a course things would naturally take. … |
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* Gray footnote:
¶ Job 1:5, ¶ Exodus 18:12 |
| Melchisedec
first legitimate priest, first priesthood |
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[35]
.... As no priesthood existed previous to the days of Abraham, nor in his
family, till the consecration of Aaron; as no evidence of divine origin
can be produced in behalf of the heathenish priesthoods; and, as we are
assured that Melchisedec was a divinely constituted priest; it follows,
that he was the first [36] priest among men, and his the first priesthood.
Let us, therefore, produce the evidence that this man had a divine appointment
to the priest's office.
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| Jesus
a priest |
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1. HE is denominated
[Hebrew], Priest of the most high God. |
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Original
contains Hebrew characters as indicated. |
Priest in Hebrew is Cohen
Secular as well as sacred usages |
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THE
term [Hebrew], Cohen, has been considered by some, who are never
to be named without respect, as a sacred title, and never applied
to any who are not, in the official sense, priests. But the scriptural
usage of the term establishes the contrary opinion. From that usage we collect
that [Hebrew], Cohen, is a title of honour, a subordinate title,
and a title given equally to officers in church, and in state.
…
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Jews:
Cohen for Messiah is secular office (minister)
If Messiah is a civil servant of an earthly ruler, he is not king
Ergo, Cohen for Messiah must be sacred office (priest) |
¶ |
[42]
… II. OUR second proof of his divine appointment is taken from the
110th psalm; where Messiah is represented as constituted a priest after
the order of Melchisedec; which takes the priest-[43]hood of the latter
as a settled point. The Jews in order to get rid of the obnoxious doctrine
of Messiah's priesthood, a doctrine which involves them in great embarrassment
respecting the prerogatives of the tribes of Judah and Levi, insist on giving
the term [Hebrew], Cohen, in this psalm, its civil sense. But the
miserable gloss dethrones their Messiah. For if he be not the priest of
God, but only the minister of an earthly prince, he ceases
to be a sovereign, a king, on the throne of his father David. But take the
passage in its obvious sense, and all is luminous and consistent. Messiah,
a king on the throne of David, is Jehovah's [Hebrew], Cohen, or priest,
after the similitude of Melchisedec, who was both a king and a priest.
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¶
Psalm 110:6 |
Priests must be called by revelation
Melchizedec was a priest
Melchizedec must have been called by God |
¶ |
III.
OUR third proof is found, where Paul says that every high priest, [Hebrew],
"being taken from among men is ordained for men, in things pertaining
to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin." And again
he says, verse 4. "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but
he that is called of God, as was Aaron."* Now as no man could be a
priest without a divine appointment; and, as Moses, David, and Paul, testify
that Melchi-[44]sedec was a priest, it follows that he must have had a divine
appointment to that office.
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*Gray
footnote: ¶ Hebrews 5:1, ¶
5:4 |
| Priesthood
origins |
¶ |
AFTER delaying so long
on the priesthood of Melchisedec, we will readily be excused from quoting
the passages of scripture which prove that the priesthoods of Aaron and
Jesus had a similar origin, especially as the proof, in both instances,
is ample, obvious, and acquiesced in. |
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| Execute
non-Aaronic pretenders |
¶ |
PREVIOUS
however to dismissing the Aaronic priesthood, it may not be deemed superfluous
to advert to a class of facts in the Jewish history, which seem to interfere
with its constitutional privileges. The constitution runs thus: "Thou
and thy sons with thee" (the speech is addressed to Aaron) "shall
keep your priests office for every thing of the altar and within the vail;
and ye shall serve: I have given your priests office unto you as a service
of gift: and the stranger" (that is a person not of the family of Aaron)
"that cometh nigh" (to offer sacrifices, or do the priests office)
"shall be put to death."* |
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*Gray
footnote: ¶ Numbers 18:8 |
| King
Uzziah got leprosy for trying to act as priest |
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Upon
this ground it was that the priests resisted king Uzziah, when he invaded
their office; and God seconded them in defending their rights, by striking
the king with leprosy, in the very act of usurp-[45]ation.* |
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*Gray
footnote: ¶ 2 Chronicles 26:16–21 |
| God
approved sacrifices of non-priests |
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Yet all
this notwithstanding, we find frequent instances of persons who were not
priests, offering up sacrifice, without opposition from men, and with the
approbation of God: such as Samuel: ¶
1 Samuel 16:2, &c., Gideon: ¶
Judges 6:24 &c., Elijah: ¶ 1
Kings 18:31, &c. |
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| God
can call whom he wants (whether they have priesthood or not) |
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But such instances did not at all interfere
with the ordinary priesthood. GOD limited the children of Israel to the
ministration of the sons of Aaron in the services of the altar: but he did
not limit himself from commanding and accepting sacrifices from other hands.
Inspiration furnished full powers. The sovereign of all has a right to demand
the services of whom he pleases. But these extraordinary sacrificers are
never called, nor considered, priests; any more than Abraham or Job. |
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Gray's
Priesthoods (1)
Gray's Priesthoods (3)
Gray's Priesthoods
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