P. That's right.

K. Thus, special inheritances, as well as cities taken from others, are given by God to the holy priests as rewards; but as if it were common to all, he defines one, glorified Jerusalem. For thus he said in Deuteronomy: "And if a Levite comes from one of your gates, from all the land of Israel, where he dwelt, and comes according to the desire of his soul to the place which the Lord shall choose, and serves in the name of the Lord his God, even as all his brethren the Levites who are standing there before the Lord, they shall enjoy the same portion, in addition to what was received from the sale of the father's [property]" (18:6-8). Since there is one God of priests everywhere, it is necessary to be united to those who have been elevated to this rank and chosen by decree from above. The same is still preserved in the churches, and the law about it is honored among us: for although each of those elected to the priesthood has his own city and his own inheritance, yet he will be accepted for the priesthood, if on some occasion he comes from one city or country to another, and eats together with the priests, and is honored according to the laws of love. But it seems that this law, as I think, also means something mysterious: for there are innumerable throughout the whole world the countries and cities in which the holy and God-loving souls of men serve God, living lawfully and living the Gospel, and as if offering sacrifices to Him in the stench of a fragrance that is obviously spiritual: faith, hope, love, patience, meekness, mercy to the poor: "For such sacrifices are acceptable to God." according to the Scriptures (Hebrews 13:16). But all of them flock, as it were, to one and common mother, "to the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:22-23), the beautiful city on high, "the true tabernacle, which the Lord hath raised, and not man" (8:2). There the purer service will be performed, since sin will be completely taken away from us, and there will be no lion and serpent, basilisk and adder: for "And there will be there," it is said, "the way along it will be called the holy way. The lion will not be there, and the beast of prey will not ascend against him" (Isaiah 35:8 and 9). There we will eat the part set apart for us; for it is written: "Bear the fruits of thy labors" (Psalm 127:2). Will not the reward of blessings be in accordance with the labors of each, although to a greater extent, according to the generosity of the Lord? For "with a good measure," it is said, "shaken, pressed, and overflowing, they shall be poured into your bosom" (Luke 6:38).

P. You said it right. Only explain to me this: Were not the Levites permitted to perform the sacraments in their own city and village?

K. There was none: for there was one tabernacle and one altar, on which all the sacrifices were offered, and one temple in Jerusalem, built by Solomon, which fulfilled the image of that ancient tabernacle. And the law completely forbids anyone to offer sacrifices outside the holy tabernacle; and for those who dared to do this, the punishment was destruction and they were threatened with the death sentence, for He clearly said this: "If anyone kills a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat in the camp, or if anyone kills outside the camp, that man will be cut off from his people" (Lev. 17:3 and 9). And that it was quite necessary for those who wished to offer sacrifice at that time to come to the temple and to the most holy city, and there lawfully perform the sacrifices offered by those who came from the tribe of Levi, you can clearly hear from God, who says plainly in Deuteronomy: "You shall not eat in your gates the tithes of your bread, and your wine, and your oil; and the firstborn of thy herds, and of thy flocks, and of all thy vows which thou hast promised, and of thy voluntary offerings, and of the lifting up of thy hands; but you shall eat it before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God shall choose, you and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger who is within your gates, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that your hands have done. Take heed that thou shalt not forsake the Levite all the days [that thou shalt live] in thy land" (12:17-19). For the Godhead is inaccessible, and sacrifice is not accepted without the mediation of the Levites. They mediate, imitating the mediator "between God and men" (1 Tim. 2:5), that is, Christ. And that there is one Church, one sacrament of Christ, and that a sacrifice that is not made in the church is unlawful, nay, rejected and cannot be pleasing to God, this was clearly shown by the law, saying that sacrifices should not be made outside the holy tabernacle. How strictly was the observance of this, learn from this. It would not have been improbable, but on the contrary, it was true that the innumerable cities, scattered throughout Judea, were separated from Jerusalem by long intermediate distances. And therefore how difficult and not easy it was for those who wished to sacrifice the firstfruits of bread, as well as oil and wine, to endure it by such a long journey! For some, the obstacle to this, perhaps, was the strain of the hands. But it was unseemly, nay, very absurd, because it was difficult and inconvenient for those who were far away, to disturb the beauty of the truth by the sacrifices of the children of Israel not in the holy tabernacle. Therefore, in order that the law concerning this, after the proper removal of all obstacles in the way, may finally be fulfilled in accordance with the will of the Lawgiver, Moses gave instruction and expounds the divine will in Deuteronomy, saying: "You shall separate the tithe from all the production of your seed, which comes out of the field every year, and you shall eat before the Lord your God in the place which he shall choose, that His name may dwell there; the tithe of thy bread, and thy wine, and thy oil, and the firstborn of thy herds, and of thy flocks, that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. But if the road is long for you, so that you cannot bear it, because the place which the LORD your God will choose to put his name there is far from you, and the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for silver, and take the silver in your hand, and come to the place that the LORD your God will choose. And thou shalt buy with this silver all that thy soul desires, oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, and whatever thy soul shall require of thee. and you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you and your family shall be glad. And do not leave the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part or inheritance with you" (14:22-27). Do you see with what skill the law equalizes the uneven, makes the impassable easily passable, and facilitates the difficult? And this, I think, means what the prophet said: "The way of the righteous is straight; Thou hast leveled the path of the righteous" (Isaiah 26:7). Notice also that everywhere and necessarily the Levite is involved, by which the law clearly shows us that God would not accept any sacrifice from unholy hands and not in accordance with the law.

P. Thus the Levitical family is honoured in all things.

C. Quite so, Palladius; for the priest is the image and imprint of Christ, since Immanuel is called the intercessor of "God and men," also the messenger and saint of our confession, according to the Scriptures (1 Tim. 2:5 and Heb. 3:1), Who "and not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His own blood, once entered into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption. For by one offering He made perfect forever those who are sanctified," according to the Scriptures (Heb. 9:12; 10:14). Pay attention, if you will, to how the priest is crowned with the glory of Christ in another way. Yet He clearly calls out to us and says: "For the Father judges no man, but hath given all judgment unto the Son, that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father" (John 5:22-23); and also through the mouth of the saint: "There is one Lawgiver and Judge," as it is written in the Holy Scriptures (James 4:12): and while the divine David also sings: "For God is the Judge" (Psalm 49:6), the Lawgiver, assimilating the radiant dignity of such judgment to those who come from the holy family, thus says in Deuteronomy: "If in any matter it shall be difficult for thee to judge between blood and blood, between judgment and judgment, between beatings and beatings, [and] there are dissenting opinions in your gates, then arise and go to the place which the Lord your God will choose, and come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who will be in those days, and ask them, and they will tell you how to judge; And do according to the word they say to you in the place which the Lord shall choose, and seek to do all that they teach you. according to the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the decree which they shall tell thee, do, and thou shalt not deviate either to the right hand or to the left from what they say unto thee. And whoever does not listen to the priest who stands there in the service of the Lord your God, or the judge, must die, and you shall destroy evil from Israel. and all the people will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer act boldly" (17:8-13). You see that the law clearly requires those who have decided to bring a complaint against someone for whatever reason, that they make the priest the judge and the decider. But watch carefully, so that you may fulfill in accordance with all that will be prescribed to you: "For the mouth of the priest must keep knowledge, and the law is sought out of his mouth," according to the words of the prophet (Mal. 2:7). For he himself does not lay down the law, but on the contrary leads the will of the Lawgiver to the right path, incorruptibly explaining it and being the best rewarder of justice, subtly weighing the judgment in each case. For this reason, those who have decided to disobey them are accused of coarseness and arrogance, and are punished by them with the highest of all evils, that is, death: "Let him die," it is said, who does not pay attention to "the priest standing there in the service before the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 17:12). Thus, great and truly wondrous is the presence of God and service to Him; but he who does not honor the servant of God is subject to judgment and punishment, and he who despises this Divine dignity will suffer severe punishment for his contempt. We will find that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself was concerned about respect for this law; for he thus cried out to the people of Judah: "On the seat of Moses sat the scribes and the Pharisees; therefore whatsoever they command you to observe, observe and do" (Matt. 23:2-3). Wherefore let no one judge a priest, though he may appear to be dissolute and negligent in his determination to live according to the law, but let him be obedient when he expounds the law; for he suffers from defects depending on his own will, but he explains what is God's. Therefore, the things of God should not be dishonored because of human things.

P. Of course it is.

K. And that the work of the priesthood is glorious and truly worthy of attention, you can also see from the fact that it has a most glorious beginning and the same end: for neither can anyone be hidden, that someone is elevated to the level of the priesthood, nor that he is called from God to the highest and heavenly "mansions" (John 14:2) and left the priesthood to another. That is why Christ also said about the priests of the Gospel preaching among the Gentiles (Romans 15:16), as well as among the Israelites, that they would be known everywhere and in all things, and would gain glory visible to all: for "No one who has lit a candle puts it in a hidden place, nor under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that those who enter may see the light" (Luke 11:33). And that what has been said is true, I mean that the Divine minister will be in glory visible to all and wondrous, let the divine Isaiah convince of this, exclaiming: "Ascend to the high mountain, O thou who preaches the good tidings of Zion!" (Isaiah 40:9).

P. That this is so is clear to everyone. But tell me, how this image was painted for us in the Holy Scriptures.

K. It may be very easy for you, my friend, to see it depicted as if still in coarse features; For thus God said in the book of Numbers to the most holy Moses: "And take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and lead them up to Mount Horus. And thou shalt take off Aaron's garments, and clothe Eleazar his son in them, and Aaron shall depart and die there. And Moses did as the Lord commanded. And they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation, and Moses took off Aaron's garments, and clothed Eleazar his son in them. and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain" (20:25-28). Do you understand, then, how Aaron, who was to die and cease to exist, is raised up on the mountain, and also how he was descended from him in the priesthood, that is, Eleazar, who was to be his successor in the priesthood? And the mountain signifies everywhere the visible and high position and vastness of glory. So let it be said of everyone who is elevated to the level of a sacred rite: "A city that stands on the top of a mountain cannot be hidden" (Matt. 5:14).

BOOK 14. That those who wish to have access to the church must be clean and washed from sinful defilement, and only in this way should they approach God