So had the Gentiles their sacrifices, priests, and altars; so had the Jews; so Christ himself, being a priest according to the order of Melchisedec, had a sacrifice, his body; and an altar, his cross, upon the which he offered it. And because he instituted this sacrifice to continue in his church for ever, in commemoration and representation of his death, therefore did he withal ordain his apostles priests at his last supper, there and then instituted the holy order of priesthood and priests (saying, Hoc facite, "Do this,”) to offer the self-same sacrifice in a mystical and Luke xxii. unbloody manner, until the world's end.

19.

Fulke. In denying the blasphemous sacrifice of the FULKE, 2. popish mass, with the altar and priesthood that thereto belongeth, we use no wily policy, but with open mouth at all times, and in all places, we cry out upon it. The sacrifices, priests, and altars of the gentiles were abominable. The sacrifices of the Jews, their priests, and altars, are all accomplished and finished in the only sacrifice of Christ, our high priest, offered once for all upon the altar of the cross: which Christ our Saviour, seeing he is a priest according to the order of Melchisedec, hath an eternal priesthood, and such as passeth not by succession, Heb. vii. Therefore did not Christ at his last supper institute any external propitiatory sacrifice of his body and blood, but a sacrament, joined with the spiritual sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving: which sacrament being administered by the ministers thereto. appointed, the sacrifice is common to the whole church of the faithful, who are all spiritual priests, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, as much as the minister of the word and sacraments.

Martin. To defeat all this, and to take away all external priesthood MARTIN, 2. and sacrifice, they by corrupt translation of the holy scriptures make them clean dumb, as though they had not a word of any such priests, or priesthood, as we speak of. Their bibles, we grant, have the name of priests very often, but that is when mention is made either of the priests of the Jews, or of the priests of the Gentiles (specially when they are reprehended and blamed in the holy scriptures); and in such places our adversaries have the name "priests" in their translations, to make the very name of "priest" odious among the common ignorant people. Again, they have also the name "priests," when they are taken for all manner of men, women, or children, that offer internal and spiritual sacrifices; whereby our adversaries would falsely signify that there are no other priests, as one of them late freshly avoucheth, directly Whitaker's, against St Augustine, who in one brief sentence distinguisheth priests

p. 199.

[FULKE.]

16

See the Puritans' Reply, p. 159, and Whitgift's Defence against the Puritans, p. 722.

FULKE, 3.

properly so called in the church, and priests as it is a common name to all Christians. Lib. xx. de Civit. Dei, cap. 10.1 This name then of "priest" and "priesthood" properly so called, as St Augustine saith, which is an order distinct from the laity and vulgar people, ordained to offer Christ in an unbloody manner in sacrifice to his heavenly Father for us, to preach and minister the sacraments, and to be the pastors of the people, they wholly suppress in their translations; and in all places where the holy scripture calleth them presbyteros, there they never translate "priests," but "elders." And that they do observe so duly and so warily, and with so full and general consent in all their English bibles, as the puritans do plainly confess, and M. Whitgift denieth it not, that a man would wonder to see, how careful they are that the people may not once hear the name of any such "priest" in all the holy scriptures.

Fulke. Now you have gotten a fine net to dance naked in, that no ignorant blind buzzard can see you. The masks of your net be the ambiguous and abusive significations of this word "priest"; which indeed, according to the original derivation from presbyter, should signify nothing else but an "elder," as we translate it, that is, one appointed to govern the church of God according to his word, but not to offer sacrifice for the quick and the dead. But by usurpation it is commonly taken to signify a sacrificer, such as iepeùs is in Greek, and sacerdos in Latin; by which names the ministers of the gospel are never called by the Holy Ghost. After this common acceptation and use of this word "priest," we call the sacrificers of the Old Testament, and of the gentiles also, because the scripture calleth them by one name, cohanin, or iepeis: but because the scripture calleth the ministers of the New Testament by divers other names, and never by the name of iepeis, we thought it necessary to observe that distinction which we see the Holy Ghost so precisely hath observed. Therefore, where the scripture calleth them πрeoẞUTÉρous, we call them, according to the etymology, "elders," and not priests: which word is taken up by common usurpation to signify sacrificers of Jews, gentiles, or papists,

[1 Quod autem cum dixisset, In istis secunda mors non habet potestatem; adjunxit atque ait, Sed erunt sacerdotes Dei et Christi, et regnabunt cum eo mille annis: non utique de solis episcopis et presbyteris dictum est, qui proprie jam vocantur in ecclesia sacerdotes; sed sicut omnes Christianos dicimus propter mysticum chrisma, sic omnes sacerdotes, quoniam membra sunt unius Sacerdotis. Augustin. de Civitat. Dei. Lib. xx. c. 10. Opera. Vol. VI. p. 944.]

or else all Christians in respect of spiritual sacrifices. And although Augustine, and other of the ancient fathers, call the ministers of the New Testament by the name of sacerdotes, and iepeis, which signify the ministers of the Old Testament; yet the authority of the Holy Ghost, making a perfect distinction between these two appellations and functions, ought to be of more estimation with us. The fathers were content to speak in Latin and Greek, as the terms were taken up by the common people newly converted from gentility; but yet they retained the difference of the sacrificing priesthood of the one, and the ministerial office of the other. This may suffice therefore to render a reason, why we use not the word "priest" for "ministers" of the New Testament: not that we refuse it in respect of the etymology, but in respect of the use and common signification thereof.

Martin. As for example in their translations, when there fell a MARTIN, 4. question about circumcision, "They determined that Paul and Barnabas πρeσßutéshould go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this press Presbyteros. question." Acts xv. And again, "They were received of the congrega

[* In Acts xv. 4, τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων is rendered, in the Vulgate, "ab apostolis et senioribus:" also, in verses 20, 22, 23. In verse 41, seniorum is used, though there is not any corresponding clause in the Greek. See also chap. xvi. 4.

πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους, Acts xv. 2, is rendered thus in the different versions: "To the apostolis and preestis," Wiclif, 1380. "To the apostles and elders," Tyndale, Cranmer, Geneva, and Authorised.

ἀπεδέχθησαν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσBurépwv. Acts xv. 4. "They werun resceyued of the chirche, and of the apostlis, and of the elder men," Wiclif. "They were received of the congregation, and of the apostles and elders," Tyndale, Cranmer. "They were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders," Geneva version, and Authorised.

Συνήχθησαν δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι. Acts xv. 6. “ And the apostlis and elder men camen 'togidre," Wiclif. "And the apostles and elders came together," Tyndale, Cranmer, Geneva, Authorised. "And the apostles and ancients assembled," Rhemish version.

Τότε ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκAnoia. Acts xv. 22. "Thanne it plesid to the apostles and to the elder men with alle the chirche," Wiclif. "Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole congregation," Tyndale, Cranmer. "Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church," Geneva, Authorised version.

Οἱ

The later bibles read "church."

Acts xvi.

FULKE, 4.

tion,* and of the apostles and elders." Again, "The apostles and elders came together to reason of this matter." Again, "Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole congregation to send," &c. Again, "The apostles and elders send greeting," &c. Again, "They delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders." If in all these places they had translated "priests," as indeed they should have done according to the Greek word, it had then disadvantaged them this much, that men would have thought both the dignity of priests to be great, and also their authority in councils, as being here joined with the apostles, to be greatly reverenced and obeyed. To keep the people from all such holy and reverent cogitations of priests, they put "elders," a name wherewith our holy christian forefathers' ears were never acquainted in that sense.

Fulke. In all those places by you rehearsed, Acts xv. and xvi., your own vulgar Latin text hath seniores, which you had rather call "ancients" (as the French Protestants call the governors of their churches,) than "elders," as we do. That popish priests should have any dignity or authority in councils, we do flatly deny: but that the seniors, ancients, elders, or priests (if you will) of the New Testament, should have as much dignity and authority as God's word doth afford them, we desire with all our hearts. That " our christian forefathers' ears were not acquainted with the name of 'elders,"" it was because the name of priest in their time sounded according to the etymology, and not according to the corruption of the papists: otherwise I think their ears were as much acquainted with the name of "elders," which we use, as with the name of "ancients," and "seniors," that you have newly taken up, not for that they differ in signification from elders, but because you would differ from us.

.....

Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ Συρίαν . . . . . χαίρειν. Acts xv. 23. "Apostlis and elder britheren," Wiclif. "The apostles, elders and brethren, send greetings," Tyndale, Cranmer. "The apostles and the elders and the brethren send greetings," Geneva. "The apostles and elders and brethren," Authorised version.

παρεδίδουν αὐτοῖς φυλάσσειν τὰ δόγματα τὰ κεκριμένα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Acts xvi. 4. "They delivered them the decrees for to keep ordained of the apostles and elders," Tyndale, Geneva. “They delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders," Cranmer, Authorised version.]

Martin. But let us go forward. We have heard often and of old Martin, 5. time, of making of priests; and of late years also, of making ministers; but did ye ever hear in all England of making "elders"? Yet by these men's translations it hath been in England a phrase of scripture this thirty year; but it must needs be very strange, that this making of "elders" hath not all this while been practised and known, no, not among themselves in any of their churches within the realm of England. To Titus they make the apostle say thus: "For this cause left I thee in Tit. i. Creta, that thou shouldst ordain elders in every city," &c. Again, of

Presbyteros.

Paul and Barnabas: "When they had ordained elders by election in Tous pеаevery congregation." Acts xiv. If they had said plainly, as it is in the BUTépous. Greek, and as our forefathers were wont to speak, and the truth is, Bib. an. 1562. "Titus was left in Creta to ordain priests in every city;" and, "Paul and Barnabas made priests in every church;" then the people would have understood them: they know such speeches of old, and it had been their joy and comfort to hear it specified in holy scriptures. Now they are told another thing, in such newness of speeches and words, of "elders" to be made in every city and congregation, and yet not one city nor congregation to have any elders in all England, that we know not what is profane novelty of words, which the apostle willeth to be avoided, if 1 Tim. vi. this be not an exceeding profane novelty.

Fulke. When you have gotten a bauble, you make more FULKE, 5. of it than of the Tower of London; for you have never done playing with it. It must needs be a clerkly argument that is drawn from the vulgar speeches of "making priests," and "making ministers." Those priests or ministers that are made among us, are the same "elders" that the scripture in Greek calleth Tρeo BuTépovs, and the bishop's letters of orders, testifying of their ordination, call them by none other name, but by the name of presbyteri, which the scripture useth: which term though in English you sound it priests, elders, ancients, seniors, or ministers, which is the common people's word,

"And

[ καὶ καταστήσῃς κατὰ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρους. Titus i. 5. ordeyne preetis by citees," Wiclif. "And shouldest ordain elders in every city," Tyndale, Cranmer, 1539, 1562, Bishops' bible, 1514, Geneva; Authorised version.

Χειροτονήσαντες δὲ αὐτοῖς πρεσβυτέρους κατ ̓ ἐκκλησίαν. Acts xiv. 23. "Et cum constituissent illis per singulas ecclesias presbyteros," Vulg. v. 22. "And whanne thei hadden ordeyned preestis to him bi alle citees," Wiclif. "And when they had ordained them elders by election in every congregation," Tyndale, Cranmer. "And when they had ordained them elders by election in every church," Geneva. "And when they had ordained them elders in every church," Authorised version.]