2. And this doctrine, concerning the priesthood of Christ and the sacrifice that he offered, is on many accounts deep and mysterious. This our apostle plainly intimates in sundry passages of this Epistle.- With respect hereunto he saith, the discourse he intended was dusep- ponvevros Aye, “ hard to be uttered,”—or rather, hard to be under- stood when uttered, chap. v. 11; as also another apostle, that there are in this Epistle ducvinrd& sia, 2 Pet. iii, 16, “some things hard to be understood,” which relate hereunto, Hence he requires that those who attend unto this doctrine should be past the condition of living on “milk” only, or being contented with the first rudiments and
SECT. 2-4.] THE OFFICE OF PRIESTHOOD. 5
principles of religion; and that they be able to digest “strong meat,” by having “their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,” Heb. y.12—14. And when he resolves to proceed in the explication. of it, he declares that he is leading them “on unto perfection,” chap. vi. 1, or to the highest and most perfect doctrines in the mystery of Christian religion. And several other ways he manifests his judg- ment, as of the importance of this truth, and how needful it is to be known, so of the difficulty there is in coming toa right and full understanding of it. And all these things do justify an especial and peculiar inquiry into it.
3. Now, although our apostle, in his excellent order and method, hath delivered unto us all the material concernments of this sacred office of Christ, yet he hath not done it in an entire discourse, but in such a way as his subject-matter and principal design would ad- mit of, and indeed did necessitate. He doth not in any one place, nor upon any one occasion, express and teach the whole of the doc- trine concerning it, but, as himself speaks in another case, rorumepéig nai worurpirms, “by various parts,” or degrees, and “in sundry ways, he declares and makes known the several concernments of it: for this he did partly as the Hebrews could bear it; partly as the series of his discourse led him to the mention of it, having another general end in design; and partly as the explanation of the old Aaronical institutions and ordinances, which, for the benefit of them that still adhered unto them, he aimed at, required it of him. For me to have undertaken the discourse of the whole upon any parti- _, cular occasion, would have lengthened out a digression too much, diverting the reader in his perusal of the Exposition; and had I in- sisted on the several parts and concernments of it as they do occur, I should have been necessitated unto a frequent repetition of the same things. Neither way could I have given an entire representa- tion of it, whereby the beauty and the symmetry of the whole might be made evident. This, therefore, inclined my thoughts, in the first place, to comprise a summary of the entire doctrine concerning it in these previous Exercitations. From hence, as the reader may take a prospect of it singly by itself, so he may, if he please, carry along much insight with him from it into the most abstruse passages in the whole Epistle. And this, added unto what we have discoursed on chap. i. 2, concerning the kingly right and power of Christ, will give a more full and complete account of these his two offices than, it may be, hath as yet been attempted by any.
4, Moreover, the doctrine concerning the priesthood and sacrifice of the Lord Christ hath in all ages, by the craft and malice of Satan, been either directly opposed or variously corrupted; for it contains the principal foundation of the faith and consolation of the church,
6 THE OFFICE OF PRIESTHOOD. [EXERO. XXV.
which are by him chiefly maligned. It is known in how many things and by how many ways it hath been obscured and depraved in the Papacy. . Sundry of them we have occasion to deal about in our exposition of many passages of the Epistle; for they have not so much directly opposed the truth of the doctrine, as, disbelieving the use and benefit of the thing itself unto the church, they have substituted various false and superstitious observances to effect the end whereunto this priesthood of Christ and his holy discharge thereof are alone of God designed. These, therefore, I shall no otherwise consider but as their opinions and practices occur occa- sionally unto us, either in these Exercitations or in the Exposition ensuing. But there is a generation of men, whom the craft of Satan hath stirred up in this and the foregoing age, who have made it a great part of their preposterous and pernicious endeavours in and about religion to overthrow this whole office of the Lord Christ, and the efficacy of the sacrifice of himself depending thereon. This they have attempted with much subtilty and diligence, introducing a me- taphorical or imaginary priesthood and sacrifice in their room; so, robbing the church of its principal treasure, they pretend to supply the end of it with their own fancies. They are the Socinians whom I intend. And there are more reasons than one why I could not omit a strict examination of their reasonings and objections against this great part of the mystery of the gospel. The reputation of parts, industry, and learning, which the bold curiosity of some hath given unto them, makes it necessary, at least upon unavoidable occasions, to obviate the insinuation of their poison, which that opens a way for. Besides, even among ourselves, they are not a few who embrace and do endeavour to propagate their opinions. And the same course, with their faces seeming to look another way, is steered by the Quakers, who have at last openly espoused almost all their pernici- ous tenets, although in some things as yet they obscure their senti- ments in cloudy expressions, as wanting will or skill to make a more perspicuous declaration of them. And there are others also, pre- tending unto more sobriety than those before mentioned, who do yet think that these doctrines concerning the offices and mediation of Christ are, if not unintelligible by us, yet not of any great necessity to be insisted on; for of that esteem are the mysteries of the gospel grown to be with some, with many among us. With respect unto all these, added unto the consideration of the edification of those that are sober and godly, I esteemed it necessary to handle this whole doctrine of the priesthood of Chiist distinetly, and pre- viously unto our exposition of the uses of it as they occur in the Epistle.