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Melchizedek, he said, if this one were better. If therefore another priesthood has been introduced, there must be another covenant; for it is not possible for a priest to be without a covenant and laws and ordinances, nor for one who has received a different priesthood to use that one. Then, that which was an objection, how he could be a priest without being a Levite, having already laid this foundation by what he said before, he does not even deign to solve, but introduces it in passing. I said, he says, that the priesthood was transferred; therefore also the covenant. And it was transferred not only in its manner, nor in its ordinances, but also in its tribe; for it had to be in its tribe also. How? For the priesthood being transferred, he says. That is, for this reason it was transferred from tribe to tribe, from the priestly to the royal, so that it might be the same, both royal and priestly. And behold the mystery; First it was royal, and now it has become priestly; just as in the case of Christ; for He was always king, but He became a priest when He took on flesh, when He offered the sacrifice. Do you see the change? And what was an objection, these things he introduces as the sequence of events requires; For He of whom these things are said, he says, belonged to another tribe, from which no one has attended to the altar. For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, concerning which tribe Moses spoke nothing about priesthood. What he says is this: I too say and know that this tribe had nothing of priesthood, nor has anyone from it served as priest; for this is what is shown by, No one has attended to the altar; but the whole is a transfer. Thus it was necessary for the law and the old covenant to be transferred, because the tribe itself has also been changed. Do you see how he shows another difference also from the change of the tribe? Not only from this is the great difference shown, but now also from the person, and from the covenant, and from the manner, and from the type itself. Who was made, not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 2. He became, he says, a priest, but not according to a law of a carnal commandment; for that law was in many respects lawless. And he rightly called it a carnal commandment; for all the things it prescribed were carnal. For 63.104 to say, Circumcise the flesh, anoint the flesh, wash the flesh, cleanse the flesh, shear the flesh, bind the flesh, feed the flesh, let the flesh rest; are not these things, tell me, carnal? And if you wish to learn also what good things it promised, listen: Long life, he says, for the flesh, milk and honey for the flesh, peace for the flesh, luxury for the flesh. From this law Aaron received the priesthood; but Melchizedek not so. And it is yet more abundantly evident, if another priest arises after the likeness of Melchizedek. What is evident? The difference between the two priesthoods, the distinction, how much better he is who has not been made according to a law of a carnal commandment. Who? This Melchizedek? No, but Christ. But according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed, that You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. That is, not for a time, nor having an end, but, According to the power of an indestructible life. This he said, to show that He became a priest through His own power and the Father’s, through a life without end. And yet this does not follow from, Who was made not according to the law of a carnal commandment; for the logical sequence would have been to say, But according to a spiritual one. But through the "carnal" he showed what is for a time; just as he also says elsewhere, The ordinances of the flesh imposed until a time of reformation according to the power of life; that is, that He lives by His own power. He said that a transfer of the law takes place, and showed how; he seeks therefore the reason; which most of all fully convinces the souls of men, to know the reason in every case, and leads to greater faith. For we believe more then, when we learn also the reason, and the principle according to which it happens. For there is a setting aside, he says, of the preceding commandment, because of its weakness and uselessness. At this point the heretics attack us, saying: Behold, Paul too has said the commandment is evil. But pay close attention; he did not say, because of its evil, nor, because of its wickedness, but, Because of

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Μελχισεδὲχ, εἶπεν, εἰ αὕτη ἀμείνων ἦν. Εἰ τοίνυν ἱερωσύνη εἰσῆκται ἄλλη, δεῖ διαθήκην εἶναι ἑτέραν· οὔτε γὰρ ἱερέα ἔστι διαθήκης χωρὶς εἶναι καὶ νόμων καὶ προσταγμάτων, οὔτε ἑτέραν λαβόντα ἱερωσύνην ἐκείνῃ κεχρῆσθαι. Εἶτα, ὅπερ ἀντιθέσεως ἦν, πῶς ἱερεὺς ἂν εἴη μὴ ὢν Λευΐτης, τοῦτο διὰ τῶν ἄνω προκαταβαλὼν, οὐδὲ λῦσαι ἀξιοῖ, ἀλλ' ἐν παραδρομῇ εἰσάγει αὐτό. Εἶπον, φησὶν, ὅτι μετετέθη ἡ ἱερωσύνη· οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ διαθήκη. Μετετέθη δὲ οὐ τῷ τρόπῳ μόνον, οὐδὲ τοῖς προστάγμασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ φυλῇ· ἔδει γὰρ καὶ τῇ φυλῇ. Πῶς; Μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης, φησί. Τουτέστι, διὰ τοῦτο μετετέθη ἀπὸ φυλῆς εἰς φυλὴν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἱερατικῆς ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν, ἵνα ᾖ ἡ αὐτὴ καὶ βασιλικὴ καὶ ἱερατική. Καὶ θέα τὸ μυστήριον· Πρῶτον μὲν ἦν βασιλικὴ, καὶ νῦν γέγονεν ἱερατική· ὡσπεροῦν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· βασιλεὺς μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἀεὶ, ἱερεὺς δὲ γέγονεν, ὅτε τὴν σάρκα ἀνέλαβεν, ὅτε τὴν θυσίαν προσήγαγεν. Ὁρᾷς τὴν μεταβολήν; Καὶ ἅπερ ἀντιθέσεως ἦν, ταῦτα, ὡς τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθίας ἀπαιτούσης, εἰσάγει· Ἐφ' ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα, φησὶ, φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, ἀφ' ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκε τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ. Πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερωσύνης οὐδὲν Μωϋσῆς ἐλάλησεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Κἀγώ φημι καὶ οἶδα, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἱερωσύνης εἶχεν αὕτη ἡ φυλὴ, οὐδέ τις ἀπὸ ταύτης ἱεράτευσε· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ, Οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκε τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ· ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν μετάθεσίς ἐστιν. Οὕτως ἀναγκαῖον ἦν τὸν νόμον καὶ τὴν παλαιὰν διαθήκην μετατεθῆναι, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἐνήλλακται ἡ φυλή. Ὁρᾷς πῶς δείκνυσι καὶ ἄλλην διαφορὰν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐναλλαγῆς τῆς φυλῆς; Οὐ μόνον δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης δείκνυται ὅσον τὸ διάφορον, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς διαθήκης, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ τύπου. Ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκικῆς γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου. βʹ. Γέγονε, φησὶν, ἱερεὺς, ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ νόμον σαρκικῆς ἐντολῆς· ὁ γὰρ νόμος ἐκεῖνος τὰ πολλὰ ἄνομος ἦν. Καὶ καλῶς αὐτὸν ἐντολὴν ἐκάλεσε σαρκικήν· πάντα γὰρ ὅσα διωρίζετο σαρκικὰ ἦν. Τὸ γὰρ 63.104 λέγειν, Περίτεμε τὴν σάρκα, χρῖσον τὴν σάρκα, λοῦσον τὴν σάρκα, καθάρισον τὴν σάρκα, περίκειρον τὴν σάρκα, ἐπίδησον τὴν σάρκα, θρέψον τὴν σάρκα, ἄργησον τῇ σαρκί· ταῦτα, εἰπέ μοι, οὐχὶ σαρκικά; Εἰ δὲ θέλεις μαθεῖν καὶ τίνα ἃ ἐπηγγέλλετο ἀγαθὰ, ἄκουε· Πολλὴ ζωὴ, φησὶ, τῇ σαρκὶ, γάλα καὶ μέλι τῇ σαρκὶ, εἰρήνη τῇ σαρκὶ, τρυφὴ τῇ σαρκί. Ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ νόμου τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἔλαβεν ὁ Ἀαρών· ὁ μέντοι Μελχισεδὲχ οὐχ οὕτω. Καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα Μελχισεδὲχ ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος. Τί ἐστι κατάδηλον; Τὸ μέσον τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἑκατέρας, τὸ διάφορον, ὅσον κρείττων ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκικῆς γέγονε. Τίς; ὁ Μελχισεδὲχ οὗτος; Οὒκ, ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστός. Ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου. Μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ, ὅτι Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν τοῦ Μελχισεδέχ. Τουτέστιν, οὐ πρόσκαιρος, οὐδὲ πέρας ἔχων, ἀλλὰ, Κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου. Τοῦτο εἶπεν, ἵνα δηλώσῃ, ὅτι ἱερεὺς γέγονε διὰ δυνάμεως ἰδίας καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, διὰ ζωῆς ἀπεράντου. Καίτοι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀκόλουθον τοῦτο τῷ, Ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκικῆς γέγονε· τὸ γὰρ ἀκόλουθον ἦν εἰπεῖν, Ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνευματικῆς. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ σαρκικοῦ τὸ πρόσκαιρον ἔδειξεν· ὥσπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει, Μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα τὰ δικαιώματα τῆς σαρκὸς κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς· τουτέστιν, ὅτι οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει ζῇ. Εἶπεν, ὅτι νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται, καὶ ἔδειξε πῶς· ζητεῖ λοιπὸν τὴν αἰτίαν· ὃ μάλιστα πάντων πληροφορεῖ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς, τὸ τὴν αἰτίαν πάντως εἰδέναι, καὶ εἰς πίστιν πλείονα ἄγει. Τότε γὰρ μᾶλλον πιστεύομεν, ὅταν καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν μάθωμεν, καὶ τὸν λόγον καθ' ὃν γίνεται. Ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται, φησὶ, προαγούσης ἐντολῆς, διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές. Ἐνταῦθα ἡμῖν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ ἐπιφύονται λέγοντες· Ἰδοὺ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος πονηρὰν τὴν ἐντολὴν εἴρηκεν. Ἀλλὰ πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς· οὐκ εἶπε, διὰ τὸ πονηρὸν, οὐδὲ, διὰ τὸ μοχθηρὸν, ἀλλὰ, ∆ιὰ