EVery high Priest is taken from among men , so that every high Priest must be a man so separate or set apart from ordinary men for offering gifts or sacrifices unto God , as that which wee call consecrated , or hallowed ground , is from common soile or places of secular use or commerce . But albeit the Priests of the Law were by Consecration separated from ordinary men : yet could they not be separated from their owne sinnes , so long as they carried this body of death about them . But such an high Priest ( saith our Apostle Chap. 7. v. 27. it behoved us to have , as is harmelesse , holy , and separated from sinners . Hee was so separated from sinners , that hee could take no infection from them or their sinnes , whilst hee lived and conversed amongst them . Another special Qualification , required in such as were appointed to the legall Priesthood , we have verse the second of this fi●ft Chapter : And that was , to be able sufficiently to have compassion on them that were ignorant and out of the way ; and for this reason , though God be not the Author of sinne in any , yet he made an especiall use of the sinnes whereunto legall Priests were subject ; to teach them thereby ▪ to be compassionate towards others : more compassionate then they would or could have beene , if they had not beene conscious of their owne infirmites , and grievous offences against God ; for which they were to offer sacrifices , aswell as for the sinnes of the people . And the more deepely they were touched with the consciousnesse of their owne sinnes , or with Gods displeasure which they had incurred by them ; the more devoutly they prayed for the people , the more diligent and carefull they were in their office of Attonement for them . Every godly or considerate high Priest did in every respect for the people , as they desired God should doe for them .

2 This compassionate temper in every high Priest or chiefe spirituall Governour required by the Law of God , is so agreeable to the common notions of the law of nature , that the consonancy betwixt them did ( if not first occasion ) yet strengthen the worlds opinion of Peter's supremacy over Christs Catholique Church . A memorable instance to this purpose we have recorded by a late ingenious writer of the life and facts of Matthias Corvinus King of Hungarie , into whose presence an ambitious School-man had long desir'd to be admitted ; who because hee had learned to play fast and loose with Aquinas or Scotus distinctions , presumed hee was able to dissolve any knot in Divinitie , and desired nothing more then to play his prizes before that witty King : Being after long importunate suite admitted into his presence , the first probleme the generous King proposed unto him was this ; [ Seeing S. Peter had thrice denied his Lord and Master , whereas S. Iohn who had never offended him , was never tainted with any crime , but continued still the Disciple whom hee loved ; What was the reason why our Saviour Christ should make S. Peter head of his Church rather then S. Iohn ] * * Tunc Gattus iratus inquit , nol●te mihi prefinire modum theologie , quem teneo : Nemo enim est tam temerarius , qui in Theologicis semecum conferre auderet Nam nibil in hac Divinâ scientiâ mihi est ( ut puto ) incognitum . Omnes enim Bibliothecas percurri , & nun qu●m huius dubitationis occurrit declaratio . Tunc . Rex Matthias alt ad Gatt●m : Non multos in Theologia libros legi nec etiam in aliis facultatibus ; A puero enim ●d Regiam dignitatem evectus , pauca è multis didici , & militarem quodammodò literaturam arriput Sed tamen huius rei declaratio , ut opinor , sacile inveni●tur ▪ Gattus impatiens , sermonem Regium interrumpens , inquit , Deponite hanc mentem , quoniam ut dixi nusquam est &c. Si virgo Iohannes & in side firmus Pontifex fuisset , cum ligandi solvendi● potestate , nusquam libidinis blanditias vneque expertus , & qui nullo tumultu a Christo potuit dimoveri , ad sum similatadinem humanum genus confirmare per cubuisset , & Christi , fideique desertores , libidineque corruptos summâ austeritate depulisset Non enim ex fragilitate peccantes , sed ex anuni ne ●uitia homines putasset , qui fletibus dolorem fingerent . summa igitur ratione factum est ut Petras Iohanni in Pontificatu preferretur ; quod tu Iohannes Gatte inter illa dei iudicia inscrutabili● connumerabas Galeotus Martius de dictis & factis Matthiae inter alios scriptor rerum Hungaricarum elegans . Cap. 30. pag. 386. &c. The Iugler perceiving that he had brought the wrong boxe with him , requested the King not to meddle with Gods secrets , but to propose some other controversed Question to him : upon the issue the King resolved him that this was none of Gods secrets , alleaging the Authoritie of S. Hierome as an introduction to his owne collections , and this reason withall , That if our Saviour had made S. Iohn head of the Church , hee would have beene more severe and rigorous then those , or other corrupt times would suffer ; as being not conscious to himself of any grosie enormitie . The same reason had been avouched long before by Eulogius , but censur'd by * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hee gaves a good reason for this sentence in the 〈◊〉 following . Et si enim Petro dictum est , veruntamen in person● Coryphaei & caeteris apostolis talis potestas data . Quandoquidem & sequentibus illos sacerdotibus eandem da●an esse solvendi ligandique petestatem credimus Photius ex 2. lib bibliotheca . Columno . 1599. Photius as relishing more of plausible fancy , then of sound judgment . Yet in this fancy there was a spice of truth and reason ; * for S. Peter became more powerfull in preaching the Gospell to his Bretheren the Iewes , then any of Christs other Apostles , because he sympathized better with them , and was ( no question ) more compassionate and kinde unto them , then any of the other Apostles were or could have been .

3 But in offering gifts and sacrifices out of true compassion towards his people , in making Intercession and Attonement for them , our high Priest did and doth farre exceed all legall Priests , all other inferious spirituall Governours . In all things ( saith our Apostle ) it became him to be made like unto his Brethren , that hee might be a mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God , that hee might make reconciliation for the sinnes of his people . For in that he suffered and was tempted , hee is able to succour them that are tempted . Heb. 2. 17. All his sufferings and temptations were requisite for his Qualification Of this point see more at large in the 3 book of these commentaries upon the creed Sect. 2. cap. 6. to his Priestly function , which was to be mercifull and compassionate towards sinners : more compassionate towards all sorts of sinners , then any one sinner could be either towards himselfe or others ; Because he had more full and deeper experience of the wages due to sinne , than any sinners in this life can have . Hence saith our Apostle in the words immediately preceding to these now in handling , Though he were the Sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered . As he was the Sonne of God he knew all things , could learne nothing ; yet as the sonne of man , or as man design'd for our high Priest , he had a sensible experience of the paines and punishments due to sinne , and of the unknowne terrours of the second death , which as he was God hee could not have , and which as man , unlesse hee had beene the Sonne of God withall , he could not have borne . The obedience which he learned by suffering ( as was observed before ) was passive not active . And his unspeakable patience ( even while hee suffered these grievous and unknowne paines and terrours ) is mentioned by our Apostle as a part of his Qualification . v. 7. In the daies of his flesh he offered up praiers and supplications by strong cryes and teares unto him that was able to save him from death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

MAldonate with some other good Interpreters referre these strong cryes or loud exclamations unto that strong cry upon the crosse , my God my God why hast thou for saken me ? But thus they teach ( with due respect unto their worth and learning I speake it , ) very impertinently and inconsiderately . For first , that ejaculation of our Saviour upon the Crosse , though uttered with a loud voice or cry , beares rather the character of a complaint or expostulation , then of a humble Prayer or supplication , ( if we take it in the literall sense ) as if it had been extorted from the extremitie of paine which he then suffered . The truth is , it was neither a Praier nor complaint , but meratessera , a signall or watch-word to his Auditours or Spectatours to rally their tumultuous disordered thoughts . And if they had taken their former indignities done unto him on the Crosse , and his admirable patience in suffering them without murmure or complaint , into serious consideration , they might have diseerned that this was the man or promised Messias , whose sufferings the Psalmist did describe , and by his owne sufferings in part represent . For our Saviour uttered not these words of the 22 Psalme untill all the other passages in the same Psalme were ocularly exemplified and fulfilled in him .

2 Secondly , we never read , nor have we any occasion to suspect , but reasons pregnant to deny that our Saviour did ever deprecate the death of the Crosse ; or could be daunted with any indignities which the Iews could doe unto him , either by word or fact : either by themselves or their Associates . And for this reason ( as hath been observed before , ) when In the 8 book of these Comments . Cap. 12. par. 3. Peter had advised him to be good to himselfe , not to expose his person to the malice of the Iewes , hee was dismissed with this severe check , Get thee behind me Satan , for thou art an offence unto me &c. Now Peter had been the more provident of the two , if his Master had uttered the former words either by way of Prayer or complaint . Againe if our Saviour had beene at any time daunted with the death of the Crosse , or had prayed for deliverance from this death , or any paines that did accompany it , his praiers or supplications had not beene heard by him , who was able to save him from death ; seeing from this death , he did not save him , but suffered or rather required him to tast of it to the full for all men . But it is evident that these strong cryes and exclamations uttered with teares mentioned by our Apostle Chap. 5. 7. were heard to the full . For so it is said , He was heard in that which he feared . So both our English translations read it : The later with this variation in the margine , Hee was heard for his pietie . Neither expression is altogether untrue● ; yet neither of them full ; or both put together not much ad appositum , litle pertinent to our Apostles intent or meaning . How then are they to be amended ? By a more full explication of the severall acceptions of the words in the originall .

3 This latter word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred by feare , or piety , imports in its prime or proper signification as much as a wary or cautelous feare . And ( if good Interpreters doe not faile us , ) it is alway taken in the better sense , that is ( as we say ) for a filiall or pious , not for a base or servile feare . Whence seeing he only is pious or godly , who is wary or circumspect not to offend God , nor to wound his owne conscience , the same word in the secondary or consequentiall sense doth signifie piety , or godlinesse . But whether in one or both of these two compatible senses we take this word in this place , the construction which either the vulgar Latine or our English makes of the whole originall clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exanditus est ob reverentiam , hee was heard in that he feared , or for his piety or reverence , will be very harsh . For the Greeke proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot by analogy either to the Greeke or Hebrew be rendred by the Latine ob or propter ; or as our English doth in or for ; or in that he feared or for his pietie , or reverent feare . We are therefore to consider a twofold Hebraisme in this passage . The one in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a generall rule in the Hebrew Dialect , that not only Participles but Noune Substanstives , or abstract formes are aswell passive as active . According to this analogy unto the Hebrew , the word Hope aswell in the Greek as in the Latine , and many other like , are sometimes to be construed actively , sometimes passively . Spes quâ speramus & spes quae speratur . And so likewise promissio qua Deus promittit & promissio quae promittitur . This is the promise which he hath promised , even eternall life . And so is the word , feare , whether wee take it in the worse or better sense , as for a naturall or servile fear , or for a pious and religious fear , there is timor quo timemus a feare by which we seeke to eschew evill , and timor qui timetur which is no other then the evill feared . Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must in this place of necessitie be taken in the passive signification , not in the active , that is , for the evil which our Saviour so much or so piously feared . Againe in asmuch as God alwaies delivered them from danger or dread , whose prayers he heares , hence it is that to be exauditus , truly heard of God in prayers and supplications , is as much as to be delivered from the dread or danger which we pray against . So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in true English all one , as if he had said , And he was delivered from that which he so piously or mightily feared .