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For the priestly office is indeed discharged on earth, but it ranks
amongst heavenly ordinances; and very naturally so: for neither man,
nor angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power, but the
Paraclete Himself, instituted this vocation, and persuaded men while
still abiding in the flesh to represent the ministry of angels.
Wherefore the consecrated priest ought to be as pure as if he were
standing in the heavens themselves in the midst of those powers.
Fearful, indeed, and of most awful import, were the things which were
used before the dispensation of grace, as the bells, the pomegranates,
the stones on the breastplate and on the ephod, the girdle, the mitre,
the long robe, the plate of gold, the holy of holies, the deep silence
within. But if any one should examine the things which belong to the
dispensation of grace, he will find that, small as they are, yet are
they fearful and full of awe, and that what was spoken concerning the
law is true in this case also, that "what has been made glorious hath
no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth." For
when thou seest the Lord sacrificed, and laid upon the altar, and the
priest standing and praying over the victim, and all the worshippers
empurpled with that precious blood, canst thou then think that thou art
still amongst men, and standing upon the earth? Art thou not, on the
contrary, straightway translated to Heaven, and casting out every
carnal thought from the soul, dost thou not with disembodied spirit and
pure reason contemplate the things which are in Heaven? Oh! what a
marvel! what love of God to man! He who sitteth on high with the Father
is at that hour held in the hands of all, and gives Himself to those
who are willing to embrace and grasp Him. And this all do through the
eyes of faith! Do these things seem to you fit to be despised, or such
as to make it possible for any one to be uplifted against them?
Would you also learn from another miracle the exceeding sanctity of
this office? Picture Elijah and the vast multitude standing around him,
and the sacrifice laid upon the altar of stones, and all the rest of
the people hushed into a deep silence while the prophet alone offers up
prayer: then the sudden rush of fire from Heaven upon the
sacrifice:--these are marvellous things, charged with terror. Now then
pass from this scene to the rites which are celebrated in the present
day; they are not only marvellous to behold, but transcendent in
terror. There stands the priest, not bringing down fire from Heaven,
but the Holy Spirit: and he makes prolonged supplication, not that some
flame sent down from on high may consume the offerings, but that grace
descending on the sacrifice may thereby enlighten the souls of all, and
render them more refulgent than silver purified by fire. Who can
despise this most awful mystery, unless he is stark mad and senseless?
Or do you not know that no human soul could have endured that fire in
the sacrifice, but all would have been utterly consumed, had not the
assistance of God's grace been great.
For if any one will consider how great a thing it is for one, being a
man, and compassed with flesh and blood, to be enabled to draw nigh to
that blessed and pure nature, he will then clearly see what great honor
the grace of the Spirit has vouchsafed to priests; since by their
agency these rites are celebrated, and others nowise inferior to these
both in respect of our dignity and our salvation. For they who inhabit
the earth and make their abode there are entrusted with the
administration of things which are in Heaven, and have received an
authority which God has not given to angels or archangels. For it has
not been said to them, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be
bound in Heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed
in Heaven." They who rule on earth have indeed authority to bind, but
only the body: whereas this binding lays hold of the soul and
penetrates the heavens; and what priests do here below God ratifies
above, and the Master confirms the sentence of his servants. For indeed
what is it but all manner of heavenly authority which He has given them
when He says, "Whose sins ye remit they are remitted, and whose sins ye
retain they are retained?" What authority could be greater than this?
"The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son?"
But I see it all put into the hands of these men by the Son. For they
have been conducted to this dignity as if they were already translated
to Heaven, and had transcended human nature, and were released from the
passions to which we are liable. Moreover, if a king should bestow this
honor upon any of his subjects, authorizing him to cast into prison
whom he pleased and to release them again, he becomes an object of envy
and respect to all men; but he who has received from God an authority
as much greater as heaven is more precious than earth, and souls more
precious than bodies, seems to some to have received so small an honor
that they are actually able to imagine that one of those who have been
entrusted with these things will despise the gift. Away with such
madness! For transparent madness it is to despise so great a dignity,
without which it is not possible to obtain either our own salvation, or
the good things which have been promised to us. For if no one can enter
into the kingdom of Heaven except he be regenerate through water and
the Spirit, and he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink His
blood is excluded from eternal life, and if all these things are
accomplished only by means of those holy hands, I mean the hands of the
priest, how will any one, without these, be able to escape the fire of
hell, or to win those crowns which are reserved for the victorious?
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