| Gray's Priesthoods (2) |
| Three priesthoods. Before and after Melchisedec, until Aaron, anyone could offer sacrifices §. Prophets receive revelation, not fill [priestly] offices §. Melchisedec's priesthood first, Melchisede 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. | ||
| 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."* | *Gray footnote: ¶ Hebrews 5:1 | |
| Melchisedec first | Of such, Melchisedec was the first. | |||
| Sacrifices without priesthood before Melchisedec | 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. | *Gray footnote: ¶ Genesis 4:3, 4; 8:20 | ||
| Until Aaron | 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. | |||
| No
priests before Aaron All could offer sacrifices |
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. | |||
| 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. | ||
| Prophet not an office | But these were extraordinary characters, and are not known to have had any peculiar functions in the ordinary offices of religious worship. | |||
| Religion not an organization | 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. | |||
| No
structure Individuals offer sacrifices for others |
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. … | * Gray footnote: ¶ Job 1:5, ¶ Exodus 18:12 | ||
| Melchisedec first legitimate priest, first priesthood | [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 | 1. HE is denominated [Hebrew], Priest of the most high God. | Original contains Hebrew characters as indicated. | ||
|
Priest in Hebrew is Cohen Secular as well as sacred usages |
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.
… |
|||
| 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. |
¶ 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. |
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. | ||
| 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." | Gray footnote: ¶ Numbers 18:8 | |
| King Uzziah got leprosy for trying to act as priest | 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.* | Gray footnote: ¶ 2 Chronicles 26:16–21 | ||
| God approved sacrifices of non-priests | 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. | |||
| God can call whom he wants (whether they have priesthood or not) | 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. | |||