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Principal Articles of the Christian Religion: 35 - On the Priestly Office of Christ

By Jacobus Arminius


      DISPUTATION XXXV ON THE PRIESTLY OFFICE OF CHRIST

      Though the person of Christ is, on account of its excellence, most worthy to be honoured and worshipped, yet, that he might be, according to God, the object of the Christian religion, two other things, through the will of God, were necessary: (1.) That he should undertake some offices for the sake of men, to obtain eternal salvation for them. (2.) That God should bestow on him dominion or lordship over all things, and full power to save and to damn, with an express command, "that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father," and that "every knee should bow to him, to the glory of God the Father." II. Both these things are comprehended together under the title of saviour and Mediator. He is a saviour, so far as that comprises the end of both, and a Mediator, as it denotes the method of performing the end of both. For the act of saving, so far as it is ascribed to Christ, denotes the acquisition and communication of salvation. But Christ is the Mediator of men before God in soliciting and obtaining salvation, and the Mediator of God with men in imparting it. We will now treat on the former of these. III. The Mediator of men before God, and their saviour through the soliciting and the acquisition of salvation, (which is also called, by the orthodox, "through the mode of merit,") has been constituted a priest, by God, not according to the order of Levi, but according to that of Melchisedec, who was "priest of the most high God," and at the same time "king of Salem." IV. Through the nature of a true and not of a typical priest was at once both priest and victim in one person, which [duty], therefore, he could not perform except through true and substantial obedience towards God who imposed the office on him. V. In the priesthood of Christ, must be considered the preparation for the office, and the discharge of it. (1.) The Preparation is that of the priest and of the victim; the Priest was prepared by vocation or the imposition of the office, by the sanctification and consecration of his person through the Holy Spirit, and through his obedience and sufferings, and even in some respect by his resuscitation from the dead. The victim was also prepared by separation, by obedience, (for it was necessary that the victim should likewise be holy,) and by being slain. 6.(2.) The Discharge of this office consists in the offering or presentation of the sacrifice of his body and blood, and in his intercession before God. Benediction or blessing, which, also, belonged to the sacerdotal office in the Old Testament, will, in this case, be more appropriately referred to the very communication of salvation, as we read in the Old Testament that kings, also, dispensed benedictions. VII. The results of the fulfillment of the sacerdotal office are, reconciliation with God, the obtaining of eternal redemption, the remission of sins, the Spirit of grace, and life eternal. VIII. Indeed, in this respect, the priesthood of Christ was propitiatory. But, because we, also, by his beneficence have been constituted priests to offer thanksgivings to God through Christ, therefore, he is also a eucharistical priest, so far as he offers our sacrifices to God the Father, that, when they are offered by his hands, the Father may receive them with acceptance. IX. It is evident, from those things which have been now advanced, that Christ, in his sacerdotal office, has neither any successor, vicar, nor associate, whether we consider the oblation, both of his propitiatory sacrifice which he offered of those things which were his own, and of his eucharistical sacrifice which he offered of those also, which belonged to us, or whether we consider his intercession. COROLLARIES I. We deny that the comparison between the priesthood of Christ and that of Melchisedec, consisted either principally or in any manner in this, that Melchisedec offered bread and wine when he met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings. II. That the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ is bloodless, implies a contradiction, according to the Scriptures. III. The living Christ is presented to the Father in no other place than in heaven. Therefore, he is not offered in the mass.

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See Also:
   1 - On Theology
   2 - How to Teach Theology
   3 - On Blessedness, The End of Theology
   4 - On Religion
   5 - Rule of Religion: The Word of God
   6 - Authority & Certainty of the Holy Scriptures
   7 - The Perfection of the Scriptures
   8 - The Perspicuity of the Scriptures
   9 - The Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures
   10 - The Efficacy of the Scriptures
   11 - On Religion in a Stricter Sense
   12 - The Christian Religion, Its Name and Relation
   13 - The Christian Religion in General
   14 - The Object of Christianity: God
   15 - The Nature of God
   16 - The Life of God
   17 - On the Understanding of God
   18 - The Will of God
   19 - Various Distinctions of the Will of God
   20 - God's Attributes: From the Viewpoint of His Will
   21 - God's Attributes: Relating to Moral Virtues
   22 - On the Power or Capability of God
   23 - The Perfection, Blessedness & Glory of God
   24 - Creation
   25 - Angels in General and in Particular
   26 - The Creation of Man After the Image of God
   27 - The Lordship or Dominion of God
   28 - The Providence of God
   29 - The First Covenant Between God & Man
   30 - Manner of Our 1st Parents in the 1st Covenant
   31 - On the Effects of the Sin of Our First Parents
   32 - On the Necessity of the Christian Religion
   33 - On the Restoration of Man
   34 - On the Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ
   35 - On the Priestly Office of Christ
   36 - On the Prophetical Office of Christ
   37 - On the Regal Office of Christ
   38 - Christ's Humiliation & Exaltation
   39 - God the Father & Christ's Will, & Command
   40 - The Predestination of Believers
   41 - The Predestination of the Means to the End
   42 - Relation of Sinful Men to Christ, & the Means of Salvation
   43 - True Repentance Towards God
   44 - On Faith in God and Christ
   45 - On the Union of Believers With Christ
   46 - The Communion of Believers With Christ Regarding His Death
   47 - The Communion of Believers With Christ Regarding His Life
   48 - Justification
   49 - The Sanctification of Man
   50 - The Church of God and of Christ
   51 - The Church of the Old Testament
   52 - The Church of the New Testament
   53 - The Head and the Marks of the Church
   54 - The Catholic Church, Her Parts and Relations
   55 - The Power of the Church in Delivering Doctrines
   56 - The Power of the Church in Enacting Laws
   57 - The Power of the Church in Administering Justice
   58 - On Councils
   59 - The Ecclesiastical Ministrations of the New Testament
   60 - On Sacraments in General
   61 - The Sacraments of the Old Testament
   62 - The Sacraments of the New Testament in General
   63 - On Baptism and Paedo-Baptism
   64 - On the Lord's Supper
   65 - On the Popish Mass
   66 - On the Five False Sacraments
   67 - On the Worship of God in General
   68 - On the Precepts of Divine Worship in General
   69 - On Obedience, Object of All Divine Precepts
   70 - Obedience to God's Commands in General
   71 - The Material Object of the Precepts of the Law
   72 - Love, Fear, Trust, and Honor Towards God
   73 - On Particular Acts of Obedience
   74 - On the First Command in the Decalogue
   75 - On the Second Command in the Decalogue
   76 - On the Third Precept of the Decalogue
   77 - On the Fourth Command in the Decalogue
   78 - On the Fifth Command in the Decalogue
   79 - On the Sixth Precept

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