Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 2 · Excursus 2
¶Of Sacrifice.
Oure actions are either volū tary, or naturalNOw riſeth ſomewhat to ſpeake of Sacrifice. The definition wherof when we ſearche out, firſt we fynde it to be a certayne action; and that voluntary: whiche I therefore ſaye, bycauſe there are founde ſome actions whiche they call naturall: but thoſe for ſo muche as they depende not of humane election, they can not therfore be called voluntary. Furthermore Sacrifice ought to be referred vntounto religion:Some actions are religious & are ſeparated from political & oeconomicall actions. whiche I do for this cauſe adde, to remoue and ſeperate it from oeconomicall and ciuill workes. For domeſticall workes, are profitable to gouerne a family, and ciuil workes ſerue for the adminiſtration of a publicque wealthe. But ſacrifice is a religious action, bycauſe it pertayneth to the worſhipping of god and was by hym inſtituted, that we ſhould offre our things vntounto hym, and that to this ende, that he might be honoured, and therby (as Auguſtine ſayeth in hys 10.Auguſtine. booke de ciuitate Dei the 7. chap:) to cleaue vntounto hym with an holy ſocietye. And hereby may we ſee in what ſorte a Sacrifice (if we ſpeake of it as it is properly) differeth from a Sacrament,The difference betwene a ſacrifice and a Sacrament. whiche is alſo a voluntarye and religious worke, and alſo inſtituted by God, that by it the promiſes and good giftes of God ſhould be ſealed and exhibited, bycauſe ther we offer nothing vntounto God, but he offereth ſignes, and amplifieth his giftes vntounto vsus, when as thoſe thinges which are offred, ar receaued with a ſound ſaith.
The definition of a Sacrifice.But that the thing may be made more plain, let vsus in a ſumme gather the definition of a ſacrifice. And that is thus: A ſacrifice is a voluntary and religious action, inſtituted of God, to offer vntounto him our thinges, vntounto his glory, and that thereby we may with a ſtrayghter bond be coupled vntounto hym in holy ſocietye.
To this definitiō of ſacrifices, muſt be added a participation.A deuiſion of ſacrifices. Certein ſacrifices ar propitiatory, & others ar of thankes geuyng. By the firſt kinde God is made mercifull vntounto vsus, by the power & iuſte merite therof.Sacrifice propitiatory is onelyonly one. But of this ſorte we hauehave but onelyonly one, for as much as onelyonly by the death of Chriſt the eternall father is reconciled vntounto vsus, and by the merite of this one only oblation the ſinnes of the elect are forgeuen. But in the other kinde of ſacrifice we geue thankes vntounto God, we celebrate his name, and to our power we obey his will. Agayne,A ſacrifice hath an outwarde part and an inward part. wee muſt know that this kinde of ſacrifice conſiſteth of two partes, whereof the one is an inward part, namely whereby we freely and without compulſion referre vntounto God our own wil and our ſelues wholy, and all that wee hauehave receaued, and we make them ſubiect vntounto him, and conſecrate them vntounto his name. The other is an outward part, wherby by ſome gift, and that viſible and ſenſible, we do as it were by ſome token and ſigne, teſtify what we hauehave in our hart, and we offer vntounto him ſomwhat of thoſe things, which he himſelf hath geuen vntounto vsus. So they in the old time offered firſt fruites, tenthes, and ſacrifices. In whych thinges they dyd not onelye ſhadowe Chriſt,The outwarde ſacrifice with out ye inwarde pleaſeth not god. the moſt acceptable ſacrifice vntounto God, but they teſtified alſo, what louelove they them ſelues bare vntounto God. By theſe thinges it appeareth, that the outward oblation or ſacrifice is nothing acceptable vntounto God, except it hauehave the inward part annexed with it, which maye teſtefy it to be in vsus in very dede, for bicauſe they which do make any ſuch oblation do moſt filthyly lye vntounto God. For to teſtifye that which is not ſo, pertayneth to deceite, and ſeing that a lye is vituperable in all thinges, & eueryevery wher, much more pernicious & deteſtable is it, if it be vſed before God.Why ye ſacrifices of the Iewes wer ſome tymes vnacceptable vntounto God Hereof it came that god often times ſaid by his Prophets, that the ſacrifices of the Iewes wer not acceptable vntounto him, and chiefely for this cauſe, namely bicauſe they diſſembled to honour him with lyps and outward ſignes, when as they wer farre from him in hart. He requireth therfore the inward part by it ſelfe, but as for the outward part, he hath no otherwiſe commaunded, but ſo that it be offered with the inward part ioyned together with it: otherwiſe if it be naked & alone, it is both vnacceptable, and alſo highly diſpleaſeth him.
If thou wilt aſke, what be thoſe outward works,The outwarde ſacrifices of the Hebrews. wherby we may teſtify the inward ſacrifice? I could rehearſe a great many, the killing of beaſtes, the oblations of firſt fruites and tenthes, which the fathers had, whileſt they were vnderunder the law. To them are added outward wordes, wherin we geue thankes vntounto god, we celebrate his praiſes, and we make our praiers. To theſe muſt be added duties of charity toward our neighbours,Outward kind of ſacrifices cō mon to vsus & to the fathers. mortification of the affections of the fleſhe, and obedience vntounto the commaundementes of god. All theſe latter kinde of ſacrifices are as well common vntounto vsus, as to the fathers. Theſe thinges we geue vntounto god, to beare witnes of our faith, and obeyſaunce towarde hym. And ſeing that it is not to be doubted of thoſe firſt, which wer offred in the time of the law, but that they were in their time ſacrifices, leaſt there ſhould be anye ambiguitye had of the other which wee mencioned in the latter place, whether they ought to be counted in the place of ſacrifices, we wil confirme it by teſtimonies of the ſcriptures. It is written in the .50. pſalme: Offer vntounto god the ſacrifice of praiſe. And in the .51. pſalme: A ſacrifice vntounto god is a troubled and a broken hart. &c. In the .12. to the Romanes: I deſire you for the mercy of god, that ye would ſet foorth your bodies a liuely ſacrifice, holy. &c. Micheas ſaith in the .vi. chap. I will tell thee O man, what god requireth of thee: Doo iudgement, louelove mercy, walke reuerently and modeſtly before God. Iſay alſo, and the reſt of the Prophetes hauehave in many places confirmed this ſentence.
Neither is it to be paſſed ouer,An order or certayne degres amonge outward ſacrifices that among theſe outward thinges which are offered as ſacrifices vntounto god, there are certaine degrees and an order appoynted. For god himſelfe teſtifieth, that he farre aboue the other preferreth mercye and charity toward our neighbours. Wherefore in Mathew the .9. is thys place brought out of the Prophet Hoſea: I will mercy and not ſacrifice. Moreouer, it is written in the .1. of Samuel: Obedience is better than ſacrifices. Theſe words teache vsus, that among outward oblations, the kylling of beaſtes, and tenthes, and fruites in the old time held the laſt place. But the principall part was geuen to the obedience which was ſhewed vntounto the woord of God, to charity towarde our brethren, to thankes geuing and to praiers.
The end of ſacrifices.Neither is the end of ſacrifices lightly to be paſſed ouer, but with diligence to be cōſidered, eſpecially as Auguſtine hath expreſſed it, namely that we might with an holy fellowſhip cleaue vntounto God. For without it our workes thoughe they be neuer ſo excellent,Why the death of Chriſt ſo much pleaſed God. can be no ſacrifices. Yea and the death it ſelf of Chriſt which was the chiefe and onelyonly ſacrifice pleaſed god for this cauſe eſpecially, bicauſe Chriſt to no other end offred himſelfe, but to fulfill the will of his father, and to obey him as it was meete. But to theſe thinges which I hauehave ſayd I will adde an other thing which Auguſtine writeth in his Epiſtle ad Deo gratias the 3.Auguſtine. Two thinges ar required in eueryevery ſecrifice. queſtion. Namely that in eueryevery ſacrifice god requireth twoo certaine thinges. Firſt that our oblations be made vntounto the true god: from which intent for as much as Idolatrers do wander fro, whatſoeuer they do in their rites, turneth to their own deſtruction: The other thing is, that the manner of the oblations conſiſt of the doctrine of the holy ſcriptures, and come not of our owne inuentions and fayninges.
Whither the ſelfe ſame thing may be both a ſacrament and a ſacrifice.Here ariſeth a doubt, bicauſe we hauehave put a difference betwene a ſacrament and a ſacrifice: and yet if the elders in their oblations and ſacrifices had the ſelf ſame thing, that we hauehave when we celebrate the ſupper of the Lorde, whych no man doubteth but to be a ſacrament: How ſhall that be true that we ſaid before that there is a difference betwene a ſacrifice and a ſacrament, ſeing that of neceſſity the ſacrifices of the Elders muſt alſo be Sacraments? To this I anſwer that the reaſons of theſe thinges ar diuers, and yet that letteth not but that one thing may be both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice. For no man doubteth but that philoſophy and ſtrength of the body are diuers thinges, which neuertheles may be ſene both in one mā: So alſo it happeneth here, that one thing may be both a ſacrifice & a ſacrament,The ſupper of the lord is both a ſacrament & a ſacrifice. although the reaſon of a ſacrament and a ſacrifice be diuers. When the ſupper of the Lorde is celebrated, in that the body and bloud of Chriſt are by faith & ſpirit geuen vntounto vsus to be receaued, and the promiſe of that coniunction which we hauehave with Chriſt, is ſealed, ſo that we are the members of his bodye, in this reſpect I ſay, it is a ſacrament, and alſo ſo called, bicauſe in that action god geueth hys gyftes vntounto vsus. But in that by the ſame action we do celebrate the memory of the death of Chriſt, we render thankes vntounto him for the giftes which we hauehave receaued, we conſecrate & offer our ſelues vntounto god, it is,The kylling of ſacrifices were both ſacramēts and alſo ſacrifices. & may be called a iuſt ſacrifice, wherby we geue moſt acceptable oblations vntounto god himſelf. This ſelf ſame thing may we ſe in the killing of the ſacrifices which wer in the old time done before god: for they wer both ſacraments, wher in Chriſt was geuen to the men in the old time to be receaued of them by faith, & by which they cōmunicated before the Lord in eating & drinking together. Al theſe things I ſay pertained to the reaſō of a ſacramēt. And yet the ſame wer alſo ſacrifices, whē as ther thei did both conſecrate theirs & them ſelues vntounto god.
But to retourne to the hiſtory, when as very many kinde of ſacrifices were commaunded in the law, namely for ſynnes and for faultes, peaceofferings alſo and burntofferings, it is vncertain which of theſe the Iſraelites vſed at this preſent: for the hiſtory declareth it not. But by as much as maye be coniectured by thoſe thinges which are ſpoken, he ſhould not erre in my iudgement, whiche ſhould affirme that they ſacrificed for ſynne. For to this ende pertaineth both the ſermon that was preached, and alſo the weeping of the people, namelye to hauehave forgeuenes of their ſynnes, and to retourne againe into fauour with god.
But ſome peraduenture wyl maruayle, why they durſt ſacrifice there where the tabernacle of God was not fixed, when as in Deuter. it was moſt manifeſtly forbidden by a law, that the people ſhould not Sacrifice in anye other place.Whether it were lawfull to ſacrifice there where the tabernacle of God was not. But as touching that law we muſt vnderſtand, that it was not of efficacye till ſuch time as the Arke and Tabernacle of the Lord had a fixed and firme place. Which came not to paſſe before Salomon had built the moſt noble Temple at Ieruſalem. Wherfore before that time, we reade that they ſacrificed in wandering and vncertain places, namely wherſoeuer any occaſion of religion was geuen. Furthermore they which thinke that this man of God which preached this ſermon was Phineas, do ſay that it is not to be maruailed, that ſacrifices wer offered here at Bochim as the hiſtory teacheth. For it might eaſely be that the ſelfe ſame man which preached the ſermon, offered ſacrifice in the name of the whole people for ſynne, for that he exerciſed the office of prieſthoode. For he ſucceeded Eleazer his parent, according to the promiſe of God.
And by theſe things which hauehave ben intreated of in this place,What thinges ought to be obſerued in an holy aſſembly. we may gather what thinges ought chiefly to be obſerued in an holy aſſembly. The word of god before al thinges muſt be preached vntounto the people, therby to allure the hearers to repentance, namely to acknowledge the ſinnes which they hauehave committed, and to repent them therof. Then muſt they procede to the adminiſtration of the Sacramentes, wher the faithful may be made more aſſured that their ſinnes ar by Chriſt forgeuen them, they may alſo geue thankes vntounto God, and with many and ſundry praiſes celebrate and cal vponupon him.