Time of the Captivity, (as we obferv'd before) The captain of Nebuchadnezzar's 2 Kings guard took Seraiah the Chief Priest, and Zephaniah the fecond Prieft, and the three keepers of the door.

XXV. 18.

There is yet, another Senfe, in which we find the mere Priefts, fometimes call'd Chief Priests; and that is, either, when the Heads of Houses ör Families, in the Tribe of Levi, are spoken of; or Men of great Character for Senfe and Experience. Thus Ezra, who himself was one, menEzra viii. tions twelve of the Chief of the Priests. 24, 29. We find them mention'd again in the Gofpel; where they are plainly enough diftinguish'd from the High-Prieft. They led Jefus away to the High-Priest; and xiv. 53. with him were affembled all the Chief Priefts. Either, all those that were Mem

Mark

Acts iv. 6.

bers of the Sanhedrim; or fuch as he had fummon'd to confult with, in fo arduous and extraordinary a Juncture. Such wete thofe probably whom, we read of in the Acts of the Apostles; Where Annas the (late) High-Priest, and Caiaphas (the prefent High-Prieft) and John and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred

of

of the High-Prieft, are faid, to be gathered together, in order to examine St. Peter and St. John. And one of thefe Heads of Families was Scava, the few, and chief of the -xix.14. Priefts; whom we read of, at Ephefus.

1

Now, the Priesthood being, by the Law, infeparable from the Tribe of Levi, when the Law came to be abolish'd by CHRIST, that Qualification vanish'd along with it. This St. Paul exprefly afferts and explains in his Epiftle to the Hebrews. He shews, Heb. vii, that CHRIST our High-Prieft, after the Order of Melchifedec, and not of the Tribe of Levi, having chang'd the Priesthood, muft of neceffity have made a change of the Law alfo. For, it is evident (fays he) that our LORD sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Mofes pake nothing, concerning the Priesthood.

And, as there is a difanulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; as the Law is abolifh'd, with all its (now) ufelefs Ceremonies and Sacrifices; and God, inftead thereof, has declar'd that he will be worship'd, in Spirit and in truth, with a Life of Charity, fpringing out of faith unfeigned; fo CHRIST, I 4

instead

instead of the Levitical, has establish'd another, unchangeable Priesthood. He said to John. xx. his Disciples, As my father hath sent me, even 21,22,23. fo fend I you: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Who

foever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever fins ye retain, they are retained.

And this is the Form now us'd, by our Bishops; who are the Succeffors of the Apoftles, and to whom the Commiffion of CHRIST has fucceffively defcended, authorizing and empowering them accordingly Acts. xiv. to ordain elders (whether Bishops or Priests) in every church; as Occafion requires. Of the proper Qualifications for this facred Office, They are the Judges. Nor (as our Art. xxiii. Church declares) " is it lawful for any "Man to take upon him the Office of

23.

publick Preaching, or miniftring the Sa"craments in the Congregation, before he "be lawfully called and fent to execute "the fame. And those, we ought to judge "lawfully called and fent, which be chosen "and called to this Work, by Men who "have publick Authority given unto them, "in the Congregation, to call and fend "Minifters into the LORD's Vineyard.

SECT.

SECT. XI.

The LEVITE S.

Next to the Priests were the Levites, properly fo call'd, by way of Distinction from the Reft of the Minifters of the Sanctuary. Levites, in one Sense, they were all; from the High-Priest down to the Door-keeper: as they were defcended from Levi. But when God appropriated the Priesthood to Aaron and his Sons, and their Succeffors in the House of Aaron; He diftributed the Reft of the facred Offices to the Remainder of the Tribe of Levi: Some of whom were to attend upon and affift the Priests, in the more laborious and fervile Parts of their Function; and the Rest (of whom we shall speak afterwards) to take care of other Duties relating to either the Tabernacle or Temple.

The former of these, are what we find emphatically styl'd Levites. Let us see how the general Institution of them stands. The Numb.. LORD spake unto Mofes, faying, Bring the 5. &c. tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the Prieft, that they may minister un

to

to him. And they fhall keep his charge, and
the charge of the whole congregation, before
the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the
Service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep
all the inftruments of the tabernacle of the
congregation, and the charge of the children
of Ifrael, to do the fervice of the tabernacle.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron
and to his fons; they are wholly given unto
bim out of the children of Ifrael.
Shalt appoint Aaron and his fons, and they
Shall wait on their Prieft's Office: And the
Stranger (who is not of the Tribe of Levi)
that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

And thou

Their Number, at that time, was Two 22.28. and twenty thousand and three hundred. They were to encamp about the four Quar

34.39.

25.

2

ters of the Tabernacle, and had the respec tive Duties allotted them under their feveral Chiefs. And Levi having had three Sons, Gershon, *Kohath, and Merari, the Levites were number'd, and affign'd to their proper Offices, under three Divifions. The Sons of Gershon were to take charge of, the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof,

*He was Grandfather to Mofes and Aaron.

and