CHAPTER I.

THE PRIESTHOOD DEFINED.—ITS ANTIQUITY.—IT IS KNOWN UNDER TWO HEADS, THAT OF THE MELCHISEDEC AND THE AARONIC PRIESTHOODS.—ONE CALLED AFTER THE NAME MELCHISEDEC, THE OTHER AFTER AARON.—THE AARONIC ADMINISTERED THE LAW, THE MELCHISEDEC THE GOSPEL.

 
PRIESTHOOD.-What is it?    Webster defines it to be,

“1. The office or character of a priest.”

“2. The order of men set apart for sacred offices.”

More fully defined, Priesthood on earth is the authority and order of God committed unto men, by which they are duly empowered and commissioned to preach the gospel and administer the ordinances thereof; namely, to baptize, lay on hands, bless, -administer the Lord’s supper, ordain, and perform any and all other duties required in the administration of the government of His church or kingdom among, men.

It was conferred upon men as early as Cain and Abel; hence it is as old, at least, as the race of man.

The offices of the priesthood are varied, bear distinctive names, and .ire made continuous. The occupants may be removed, but the offices remain, having been fixed by the hand of Deity.

Those permitted to hold these several positions take the name of the office to which they are respectively assigned, not the office the names of the persons.

No one can rightly assume to act in the offices of the priesthood until he is duly appointed by the great Author of the institution, and complies perfectly with the laws and usages governing such appointments.

The Scriptures reveal a priesthood and a connected line of priests, clearly set out, all the way back from the apostles to Aaron, which is traceable through the Levites. This is called the Aaronic priesthood, but it did not originate with Aaron, or in his day, neither was it prepared for him, but he for it.  (See Ex. xxviii. 1.) God said unto Moses, “Take Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.” An office already extant, and in waiting for an occupant. (See also Ex. xix. 23, 24.)

A chief duty of this office was to offer a lamb upon the altar, which was a type of the sacrifice of the Son of God. Cain and Abel were commanded to obey this rule. (Gen. iv. 3, 4.) They brought offerings before the Lord for a sacrifice, which clearly proves that the authority of the priesthood and the office of a priest were vested in some one at that time. “The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.”

To argue that the Aaronic priesthood came into existence in the time of Aaron simply because it bears his name, would be to assume that the high priesthood originated with Melchisedec because it bears his name. Admitting, this for the argument, will some one tell us by which authority men administered at the altar before the time of Melchisedec, by which Abel offered an “acceptable offering,” and Noah officiated as a priest? If men could properly administer before the Lord in olden times without the authority of either the Melchisedec or the Aaronic priesthoods, why was the use of either established? The admission that God has at any time committed the priesthood as a means of authorizing, men to administer before him acceptably, must be taken as positive evidence of its necessity.

The inspired records clearly reveal and provide for the existence of two priesthoods, viz., the Melchisedec and the Aaronic. Under one or both of these the government of God was administered from Abel to Christ, each priesthood having its separate and specific duties assigned.

That the Melchisedec priesthood was extant as early as the time of Abraham is shown from Genesis xiv. 18, 19, as follows:—

“And Melchisedec king, of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.”

“ He blessed him that had the promises.”—Heb. vii. 6.

 That priesthood has neither descent, “beginning of days, or end of life.” It was before Melchisedec. Priests of that order are “made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” (Heb. vii. 3.) After the time of Melchisedec the high priesthood was called by his name instead of by its former title, evidently because Melchisedec was a noted and a very worthy high priest; and the lesser priesthood was called after the name of Aaron, because he also was such a distinguished high priest of that order. These two priesthoods were conferred upon men, in the ages that are past, as a means of authorizing them to administer acceptably in the government of God. Their duties were separate and distinct. Those of the Aaronic priesthood are clearly and definitely set out. (See Ex. xxviii. 29 ; Lev. vii; Ex. xxx. 17-21; Lev. x.9; xxi. 7-14; vi.12; 2 Chron. xiii.11 ; Num. iv.5-15 ; xviii.26-28; Lev. x.11 ; Deut. xxx.10, etc.)

Paul, in writing of this priesthood, says: —

 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”—Heb. x. 11. “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?.”— Heb. vii.11.

This shows a distinction in the two priesthoods, the Melchisedec being the greater. The “law of carnal ordinances” was administered by the Aaronic priesthood. It did not “ make the comers thereunto perfect.” Priests of that order were made “after the law of a carnal commandment,” this phrase expresses simply the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic institutions that were “ added because of transgressions,” and which were not a necessary part of the gospel (Gal. iii.19),—and “were not suffered to continue by reason of death.” (Heb. vii.16, 18, 19, 23; x.9, 10, 11, 12; Gal. ii.16; Acts xiii.39; Rom. iii.20, 21, 28, and viii.3; Eph. ii.5; Col. ii.20, etc.)

This is to argue that the Melchisedec priesthood administered a higher code, a more perfect system than did that of Aaron. Priests of this order were made “like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” (Heb. vii.3.) Made “after the power of an endless life.” (Heb. vii.16.) What was this higher and more perfect code or system that required the authority of the Melchisedec priesthood for its administration? It was evidently the gospel: for James presents the gospel as “the perfect law of liberty.” (i.25.) Again, a “royal law.” (ii.28.) This is the system through which perfection may be secured to the believers, “ as pertaining to the conscience.” It converts the soul, makes wise the simple. (Ps. xix.4.) In short, “It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” (Rom. i.16.)

What authority administers this perfect code? A law would be a nullity without some power to administer it. The “law of Moses,” the “schoolmaster,” which brought “death,” was administered by the Aaronic priesthood : it follows, then, that “the royal law,” the “perfect law of liberty,” the gospel, is administered by the authority of the Melchisedec priesthood. This will account for its having been reinstated in the time of our Saviour’s personal ministry among men. Moses’ law was to be done away and the gospel reinstated. The “glad tidings of great joy,” the immutable laws of life, were to be preached in all the world; and of necessity it required the unchangeable priesthood to administer it, as in days of old.

If the Melchisedec priesthood is not the one by which the gospel should be preached and its laws administered, why did God introduce and authorize men to work by it in the time of the Saviour? If the gospel could have been properly preached and administered without it, why was its use established? If Christ and his ministry were empowered with this priesthood as an essential means of presenting the gospel system, who shall be so presumptuous as to affirm that the gospel can be acceptably administered without it in any age? To argue that it can is to charge Deity with instituting a nonessential—something of no worth. The priesthood was not limited to a given time and then to cease, but was to be continued with the true order of worship. It was transmitted from Abel to Noah through the people denominated “Sons of God.” (Gen. vi.2; Job i.6.) By him it was brought across the flood (Gen. viii. 20) and remained with his descendants so long, as they continued in the true order of worship. It belonged of right to Abraham, who was a descendant from Noah through Shem. (Gen. xi.1.) He builded an altar in Canaan. (Gen. xii.8 ; xiii.4.) Melchizedek held the high priesthood at this time, who had received it from his predecessors. It also remained among men until Moses, for Moses’ father-in-law, a Canaanite, seems to have held the true priesthood and worshipped the true God. (Ex. xviii.) “We agree,” say Doctors Smith and Cheatham, “with the Jewish tradition, that Adam was the first priest.” Isaac and Jacob were priests, also. (Gen. xxvi.25.)