The City of God, Volume IIAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
The City of God, Volume II
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Kingdom of God -- Early works to 1800
What then does he say who comes to worship the priest of God, even
the Priest who is God? "Put me into one part of Thy priesthood, to
eat bread." I do not wish to be set in the honour of my fathers,
which is none; put me in a part of Thy priesthood. For "I have
chosen to be mean in Thine house;"[383] I desire to be a member, no
matter what, or how small, of Thy priesthood. By the priesthood he
here means the people itself, of which He is the Priest who is the
Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.[384] This people
the Apostle Peter calls "a holy people, a royal priesthood."[385] But
some have translated, "Of Thy sacrifice," not "Of Thy priesthood,"
which no less signifies the same Christian people. Whence the Apostle
Paul says, "We being many are one bread, one body."[386] [And again
he says, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice."[387]] What,
therefore, he has added, to "eat bread," also elegantly expresses
the very kind of sacrifice of which the Priest Himself says, "The
bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."[388]
The same is the sacrifice not after the order of Aaron, but after
the order of Melchisedec:[389] let him that readeth understand.[390]
Therefore this short and salutarily humble confession, in which it is
said, "Put me in a part of Thy priesthood, to eat bread," is itself
the piece of money, for it is both brief, and it is the Word of God
who dwells in the heart of one who believes. For because He had said
above, that He had given for food to Aaron's house the sacrificial
victims of the Old Testament, where He says, "I have given thy
father's house for food all things which are offered by fire of the
children of Israel," which indeed were the sacrifices of the Jews;
therefore here He has said, "To eat bread," which is in the New
Testament the sacrifice of the Christians.
6. _Of the Jewish priesthood and kingdom, which, although promised
to be established for ever, did not continue; so that other
things are to be understood to which eternity is assured._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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