God; and have become such as need milk, rather than solid food. Now every one who uses milk, is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe: but solid food is for those of mature age, whose faculties have been habituated by long practice to discriminate both good and evil.

VI.—Wherefore, leaving the first principles of Christian doctrine, let us progress towards maturity, not laying again the foundation concerning reformation from dead works, and faith toward God;-concerning the doctrine of immersions, and of imposition of hands, of a resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment; and this we will do, if God permit. For it is impossible to renew again to reformation, those who have been once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age which was to come, and yet have fallen away, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and exposing him to contempt.

7.-For the land that drinks in the rain, which often comes upon it, and brings forth herbs, fit for them by whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God: but that, which produces thorns and briars, is reprobated, and nigh to a curse; whose end is to be burned.

9. But, beloved, we hope better things of you, even things which are connected with salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work, and the love which you have showed toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Yet we earnestly desire every one of you, to show the same diligence, in order to the realizing of this hope, to the end:-that you may not be slothful, but imitators of them, who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely, blessing, I will bless you, and multiplying, I will multiply you;" and so having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men, indeed, swear by the greater; and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all contradiction. Therefore, God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his purpose, confirmed it with an oath; that, by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled away to lay hold on the hope set before us; which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and entering into the place within the vail, where a forerunner has entered on our account; even Jesus, made a High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedec.)

VII. For this Melchizedec-king of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of

the kings, and blessed him, to whom Abraham imparted even a tenth of all; being, indeed, by interpretation, first, king of rightousness, and next also king of Salem; which, by interpretation, is king of peace-was without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life: but, being made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually. Now, consider how great this priest was, to whom even Abraham the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils. For they, indeed, of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to tithe people according to the law; that is, their brethren, although they have come forth from the loins of Abraham: but he, who did not derive his pedigree from their progenitors, tithed Abraham, and blessed the holder of the promises. Now, beyond all contradiction, the less is blessed by the greater. Besides, here, indeed, men, who die, take tithes; but there one, of whom it is testified, that he lives. And, as one may say, even Levi, who receives tithes, was tithed in Abraham: for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedec met bim.

11.-Moreover, if indeed perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, (for with it the people received the law,) what farther need was there that another priest should arise, according to the order of Melchizedec, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? Wherefore, the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity, a change also of law. For he to whom these things are said, was of a different tribe, of which no one gave attendance at the altar. For it is very plain, that our Lord has sprung from Judah, in relation to which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. Moreover, it is still more plain, that according to the similitude of Melchizedec, another priest arises, who is made, not according to the law of a carnal com. mandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For he testifies, "Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedec." Here, then, there is a disannulling of the preceding commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitableness, (for the law made no one perfect,)—and the superinduction of a better hope, by which we draw near to God.

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20.-Moreover, inasmuch as not without an oaththey, indeed, were made priests without an oath, but he, with an oath, by him who said to him, "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedec,") by so much was Jesus made the surety of a better institution. Besides, many, indeed, are made priests, because by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he lives for ever, has a priesthood which does not pass from him. Hence also he is for ever able to save them, who come to God through him; always living to make intercession for them.

Now, such a High Priest became us; who, being holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, has not, like the high priests, need from time to time to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, then for those of the people; for this latter he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law constitutes men high priests, who have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, constituted the Son, who is perfected for evermore.

VIII.-Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such a High Priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens;-a minister of the holy places; namely, of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is constituted to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Hence it was necessary that this High Priest also, should have something which he might offer. For, indeed, if he were on earth, he could not be a Priest, there being priests who offer gifts according to the law. (These perform divine service for an example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses, when about to construct the tabernacle, was admonished of God: "See, now, (says he,) that you make all things according to the type, that was showed you in the Mount.") Besides, he has now obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he is the mediator of a better institution, which has been established upon better promises. For if that first institution had been faultless, a place would not have been sought for a second. But finding fault, he says to them, "Behold the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new institution with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the institution, which I made with their fathers, at the time of my taking them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt;-because they did not abide in my institution, I also neglected them, says the Lord. -Now this is the institution, which I will make with the house of Israel after these days, says the Lord: 1 will put my laws into their mind, and inscribe them on their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. Because I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more." By saying, "a new institution," he has made the former old: now, that which is decaying and growing old, is ready to vanish away. IX.-Now, indeed, the first institution has both ordinances of service, and a worldly holy place. For the first tabernacle, which is called holy, was set in order; in which were both the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; and behind the second vail, the tabernacle, which is called most holy;-having the golden censer, and the ark of the institution, covered every where with

gold, in which were the golden pot having the manna, and the rod of Aaron which budded, and the tables of the institution; and above it the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat; concerning which things, we cannot at present speak particularly. 6.-Now, these things being thus set in order, the priests go at all times into the first tabernacle, performing the services; but into the second tabernacle,-the high priest alone,-once every year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people. The Holy Spirit signifying this, that the way of the holy places was not yet laid open, while the first tabernacle was yet standing; which was a figurative representation for the time being, during which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot, with respect to the conscience, make him who does the service perfect:-only with meats and drinks, and divers immersions; ordinances concerning the flesh, imposed till the time of reformation. But Christ being come,-a High Priest of the good things to come,-has, through a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, (that is to say, not of this building,) entered once into the holy places, having obtained eternal redemption; not, indeed, by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the polluted, sanctified to the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through an Eternal Spirit, offered himself without fault to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And, for this reason, he is mediator of the new institution, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first institution, those who had been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Now where there is such an institution, the death of the instituted sacrifice must necessarily intervene: for since the institution is ratified over the dead, it has no force while the instituted sacrifice lives. Hence neither was the first introduced without blood; for "when Moses had spoken every precept in the law to all the people, taking the blood of calves, and of goats, with water and scarlet wool, and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself, and the people;" saying, "This is the blood of the institution, which God has enjoined on you." Moreover, he in like manner sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things, according to the law, were cleansed with blood; and without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. It was necessary then, indeed, that the representations of the things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these. Therefore, Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, the antitypes of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God, on our account. Not, however, that he should

offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy places every year with other blood; for then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once, at the conclusion of the ages, he has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And, forasmuch as it is appointed to men once to die, and after that the judgment; even so Christ, being once offered, to bear away the sins of many, will, to them who look for him, appear a second time, without a sin-offering, in order to salvation.

X.-Moreover, the law, containing only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of these things, never can, with the same sacrifices, which they offer every year continually, make those, who come to them, perfect. For then, would they not have ceased to be offered; since the offerers being once purified, should not have had any more conscience of sins? but, in these, there is a remembrance of sins yearly. Besides, it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when coming into the world, he says, "Sacrifice and offering thou hast not willed; but a body hast thou prepared me. In whole burnt offerings, and sin offerings, thou hast no pleasure: Then, said I, behold I come to do thy will, O God! (In the volume of the book it is written concerning me.") Having said above, that sacrifice, and offering, and whole burnt offerings, and sin offerings, thou hast not willed, neither hast pleasure in them, (which are offered according to the law,) then he said, "Behold I come to do thy will." He takes away the first will, that he may establish the second. By which WILL, we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. And, indeed, every priest stands daily ministering, and offering often the same sacrifices, which never can take away sins: but he having offered only one sacrifice for sins, through his whole life, sat down at the right hand of God; thenceforth waiting till his enemies be made his footstool. Wherefore, by one offering he has perfected forever the sanctified. Moreover, also the Holy Spirit testifies this to us; for after he had said, "This is the institution which I will make with them after these days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and inscribe them on their minds;" he adds, "and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more." Now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

19.-Having, therefore, brethren, free access to the most holy place by the blood of Jesus,-a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us through the vail, (that is, his flesh;) and— a great High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith;-having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of the hope unmoved; for