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having met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings, and having blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth of everything. Then, uncovering the contemplation of the type, he says, But consider how great this man was, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of everything. And he did not say this simply, but wishing to show that our priesthood is much greater than the Jewish one. And in the very types of the events, the superiority is shown beforehand. For Abraham was the father of Isaac, and the grandfather of Jacob, and the ancestor of Levi; for Levi was the son of Jacob. For from Levi the priesthood among the Jews had its beginning. But this Abraham, the ancestor of the Levites and of the Jewish priests, in the presence of Melchizedek, who was a type of our priesthood, held the rank of a layman; and he showed this in both ways, both by giving him a tenth—for the laity give the tenths to the priests—and because he was blessed by him—for the laity are blessed by the priests. Again, see how great is the superiority of our priesthood, when Abraham, the patriarch of the Jews, the ancestor of the Levites, is found being blessed by Melchizedek, and giving tenths. For the Old Testament says both of these things, that Melchizedek both blessed Abraham, and received a tenth from him. Paul, therefore, bringing these very things forward, said, But consider how great this man was? This man who? Melchizedek, he says, to whom also Abraham, their patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils. And those of the sons of Levi 48.924 who receive the priesthood have a commandment to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, even though they have come from the loins of Abraham. What he says is this: The Levites, he says, the priests among the Jews, received a commandment according to the law to take tenths from the other Jews. And yet all were from Abraham, both the Levites and the rest of the people, but nevertheless they receive tenths from their brothers. But Melchizedek, whose descent is not traced from them—for he was not from Abraham, nor from the Levitical tribe, but from another race—has received tithes from Abraham, that is, he received tenths from him; and not only this, but also something else. And what is this? That he blessed again him who had the promises, Abraham. And what does this show, he says? That this one is very much less than that one. How? Without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. So if Abraham, the ancestor of the Levites, were not less than Melchizedek, the latter would not have blessed the former, nor would the former have given tenths to the latter. Then, wishing to show that through Melchizedek that would have come to pass, he went on to say: And, so to speak, that is, almost, through Abraham even Levi, who receives tenths, paid tenths. And what is, paid tenths? He himself also gave tenths, he says, to Melchizedek, though not yet born, through his father; For he was still in the loins of his father, he says, when Melchizedek met him; for this reason he said beforehand, So to speak. For what reason then did he say these things? He continues, saying: Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? And what is it that he says? If the state of affairs among the Jews were perfect, he says, and if the law were not a shadow of the good things to come, but had itself accomplished everything, and was not about to give way to another, nor was the former priesthood to withdraw and another to be brought in its place, for what reason did the prophet say: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek? For he should have said, according to the order of Aaron. For this reason he says, Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For it is clear from this that that priesthood has come to an end, and another has been introduced that is much better and higher. And this being acknowledged, that other thing is also acknowledged, that also another polity with the priesthood

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συναντήσας Ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτὸν, ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἐμέρισεν ἀπὸ πάντων Ἀβραάμ. Εἶτα, ἐκκαλύπτων τὸ θεώρημα τοῦ τύπου, Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος, φησὶν, ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἐμέρισεν ἀπὸ πάντων Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατριάρχης. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἔλεγεν, ἀλλ' ἐνδείξασθαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι πολλῷ μείζων ἡ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἱερωσύνη τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς τύποις αὐτοῖς τῶν πραγμάτων προλαβοῦσα ἡ ὑπεροχὴ διαδείκνυται. Ὁ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ πατὴρ ἦν, καὶ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ πάππος, καὶ Λευῒ πρόγονος· τοῦ γὰρ Ἰακὼβ ἦν υἱὸς ὁ Λευΐ. Ἀπὸγὰρ Λευῒ ἡ ἱερωσύνη παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν. Ἀλλ' οὗτος ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πρόγονος τῶν Λευϊτῶν καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν ἱερέων, ἐπὶ τοῦ Μελχισεδὲκ, ὃς ἦν τύπος τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἱερωσύνης, λαϊκοῦ τάξιν ἐπεῖχε· καὶ τοῦτο δι' ἀμφοτέρων ἐδήλωσε, καὶ διὰ τοῦ δοῦναι δεκάτην αὐτῷ· οἱ γὰρ λαϊκοὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τὰς δεκάτας διδόασι· καὶ ὅτι ηὐλογήθη παρ' αὐτοῦ· οἱ γὰρ λαϊκοὶ παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων εὐλογοῦνται. Πάλιν ὅρα πόση ἡ ὑπεροχὴ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἱερωσύνης, ὅταν Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατριάρχης τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὁ πρόγονος τῶν Λευϊτῶν, εὑρίσκηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Μελχισεδὲκ εὐλογούμενος, καὶ δεκάτας διδούς. Καὶ γὰρ ἀμφότερα ταῦτά φησιν ἡ Παλαιὰ, ὅτι καὶ εὐλόγησεν ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ δεδεκάτωκεν αὐτόν. Ταῦτα γοῦν αὐτὰ εἰς μέσον ἀγαγὼν ὁ Παῦλος, ἔλεγε, Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος; Οὗτος τίς; Ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ, φησὶν, ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην Ἀβραὰμ ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων ἔδωκεν ὁ πατριάρχης ἐκείνων. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευῒ 48.924 τὴν ἱερωσύνην λαμβάνοντες, ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν, τουτέστι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οἱ Λευῗται, φησὶν, οἱ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἱερεῖς, ἐντολὴν ἔλαβον κατὰ τὸν νόμον, δεκάτας λαμβάνειν ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων Ἰουδαίων. Καίτοι γε πάντες ἐκ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἦσαν, καὶ οἱ Λευῗται, καὶ ὁ λοιπὸς λαὸς, ἀλλ' ὅμως δεκάτας λαμβάνουσι παρὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ Μελχισεδὲκ, ὁ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἦν, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς τῆς Λευϊτικῆς, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἑτέρου γένους, δεδεκάτωκε τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, τουτέστι, δεκάτας παρ' αὐτοῦ ἔλαβε· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερόν τι. Τί δὲ τοῦτο; Ὅτι καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, πάλιν ηὐλόγησε. Καὶ τί τοῦτο, φησὶ, δείκνυται; Ὅτι οὗτος ἐκείνου σφόδρα ἐλάττων. Πῶς; Χωρὶς πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται. Ὥστε εἰ μὴ ἦν ἐλάττων ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ὁ πρόγονος τῶν Λευϊτῶν, τοῦ Μελχισεδὲκ, οὐκ ἂν ἐκεῖνος τοῦτον εὐλόγησεν, οὐδ' ἂν οὗτος ἐκείνῳ δεκάτας ἔδωκεν. Εἶτα βουλόμενος δεῖξαι, ὅτι διὰ τοῦ Μελχισεδὲκ προῆλθεν ἂν ἐκεῖνο, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· Καὶ, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τουτέστι σχεδὸν, διὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Λευῒ ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων δεδεκάτωται. Τί δέ ἐστι, δεδεκάτωται; ∆εκάτας ἔδωκε καὶ αὐτὸς, φησὶ, τῷ Μελχισεδὲκ, ὁ μηδέπω γεννηθεὶς, διὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ· Ἔτι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἦν, ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισεδέκ· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ προλαβὼν εἶπεν, Ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἐπάγει λέγων· Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἡ τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευϊτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτῇ νενομοθέτητο, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα ἕτερον, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι; Τί δέ ἐστιν ὃ λέγει; Εἰ τὰ πράγματα ἦν τέλεια, φησὶ, τὰ κατὰ Ἰουδαίους; καὶ μὴ σκιὰ ἦν ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν αὐτὸς κατωρθώκει, καὶ οὐκ ἔμελλεν ἑτέρῳ παραχωρεῖν, οὔτε ἡ ἱερωσύνη ἡ προτέρα ὑπεξίστασθαι, καὶ ἑτέρα ἀντεισάγεσθαι, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ; ἔδει γὰρ εἰπεῖν, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρών. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἡ τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευϊτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα ἕτερον, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι; ∆ῆλον γὰρ ἐκ τούτου, ὡς ἐκείνη μὲν τέλος ἔλαβεν ἡ ἱερωσύνη, ἑτέρα δὲ ἀντεισενήνεκται πολλῷ βελτίων καὶ ὑψηλοτέρα. Τούτου δὲ ὁμολογουμένου, κἀκεῖνο συνωμολόγηται, ὅτι καὶ πολιτεία ἑτέρα τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ