my Name fhall be great among the Gentiles; and in every Place fhall they offer Incense to my Name, and a new and pure offering.Where, by this new and pure Offering, nothing can be understood but the Sacrifice of the Mafs. Becaufe by this Offering we cannot understand Prayers, Alms, Contrition of Heart, and other good Works, which are fometimes in Scripture called Oblations and Sacrifices. For the Prophet Malachi promifes a new Offering; but Prayers, Alms, and other good Works, were common among the Jews. And befides, they of the reformed Church do believe that all the Actions of the Faithful are polluted: And the Prophet fpeaks of a pure and clean Offering. Again, by this Offering, which Malachi fpeaks of, cannot be understood Lambs, Bulls, and fuch like Animals, which were wont to be facrificed in Solomon's Temple. Because the Prophet promiseth that it fhall be offered in every Place, even amongst the Heathen. Laftly, by this Offering cannot be understood the bloody Sacrifice which JESUS CHRIST offered on the Crofs: Because that bloody Sacrifice was offered but once upon Mount Calvary in Judea; and the Prophet fpeaks of an Oblation that fhall be offered in every Place. Therefore by this Offering must be understood the Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Chrift, under the Species of the Bread and Wine: Which is nothing elfe but the Mafs.

ANSWER

ANSWER.

17. To this I Anfwer, First, That by the Offering, whereof Malachi fpeaks, must be understood that fpiritual Worfhip and Service, which Believers fhould perform unto GOD, under the New Teftament; which is .comprifed in that Sacrifice which they offer to GOD, both of their Perfons and religious Actions. And this is the Reafon why St. Paul, (Rom. xii.) fpeaketh thus: I beseech you therefore, Brethren, by the Mercies of GOD, that ye prefent your Bodies a living Sacrifice, boly, acceptable to GOD, which is your reasonable Service. And (Ch. xv.) he faith, It is given him that he should be the Minifter of FESUS CHRÍST to the Gentiles, miniftring the Gospel of GOD; that the of fering-up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being fanctified by the Holy Ghost. Whence it appears, that by this Oblation, whereof Malachi fpeaks, we must not understand the Offering of Chrift's Body and Blood, under the Accidents of Bread and Wine; but the offering of the Perfons and religious Actions of thofe that fhould be brought unto GOD" by preaching of the Gospel, particularly the Gentiles.

18. Secondly, I Anfwer, That in the whole Paffage of Malachi above-cited, the Words [New-Offering] are not to be found, but only clean Offering. And tho' a New Offering had been there spoken of; yet, I fay, that Things

may

may be faid to be New, when (being spoil'd and corrupted) they are reftored and made found again. But the Service of GOD which had been corrupted under the Law, was reeftablish'd by JESUS CHRIST and his Apoftles, under the Gofpel; fo that all things were made New: A New Time, (viz. the Time of the Preaching of the Gofpel ;) a New People, (viz. the Chriftian People;) a New Place, (viz. all Parts of the World, and not at Jerufalem only; ) a New Prayer, (viz. the Lord's Prayer;) New Sacraments, (viz. Baptifm and the Lord's Supper ;) and a New Preaching, viz. the Preaching of Salvation by JESUS CHRIST.

19. Thirdly, I Anfwer, That the Oblation which is offered unto GOD, under the Gofpel, is pure and clean. The Service which is performed unto him, according to his Word, is pure: The Preaching of the Gofpel is pure. In a Word, the Chriftian Religion is pure, though there be many Failings in thofe that profess it. And altho' the Faithful that prefent their Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable to GOD, be compafs'd about with many Infirmities; and that their religious Actions be accompanied with divers Failings: Yet their Perfons and Words may be faid to be pure and clean in JESUS CHRIST, in whose Name they are prefented to GOD. So that although they cannot of themselves please or fatisfy GOD; yet as they are Members of Chrift, they are reputed holy before GOD:

For

For it is thofe that St. Peter speaks of, in Eph. I c. ii. Who as living Stones are built up a Spiritual House, a holy Priesthood, to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to GOD by JESUS CHRIST. And fo our Sacrifices are a pure and clean Offering ; but it is through JESUS CHRIST, who covers them with his Purity and Holinefs; fo that the Defects of them are not imputed to us. To this I add, that befides the perfect Purity which we have by the Imputation of Chrift's Righteousness, we have alfo a Purity begun by the Holy Ghoft; of which St. Paul fpeaks, Rom. xv. in thefe Words. That the Offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being Sanctifi ed by the Holy Ghost. For that which GOD bath decreed, JESUS CHRIST bath purchafed, and the Holy Ghoft hath begun; is reputed by GOD, perfect and compleat. And St. Paul fhews clearly the Truth of what hath been faid, 1 Tim. ii. in thefe Words, I will that Men pray every-where, lifting up boly Hands, without Wrath and Doubting. And, Eph. v. JESUS CHRIST loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might fanctify and cleanfe it with the walking of Water by the Word: That be might prefent it to himself a glorious Church, not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any such Thing; but that it should be Holy, and with out Blemife.

OBJECTION

OBJECTION VI.

20. THE Sixth Objection is drawn from Gen. xiv. in thefe Words: And Melchifedec King of Salem bringing forth Bread and Wine (for he was a Priest) blessed him. And from Pfal. cx. and from Heb. vii, where it is faid, Thou art a Prieft for ever after the Order of Melchifedec. From which Words our Adverfaries argue thus.

First, THEY fay that JESUS CHRIST is a Prieft, (not after the Order of Aaron, but after the Order of Melchifedec: The Difference between Aaron and Melchifedec confifing in this, viz. That Aaron, and the other Levitical Priefts offer'd bloody Sacrifices, killing and fhedding the Blood of Beafts, which they facrificed to GOD, as a Sign and Figure of JESUS CHRIST on the Crofs. But Melchifedec offer'd an unbloody Sacrifice: For when he went to meet Abraham returning from the Slaughter of the Kings, he offer'd to GOD Bread and Wine. fince this Bread and Wine offered to GOD by Melchifedec were Signs and Types of Chrift's Body and Blood; JESUS CHRIST was obliged to offer an unbloody Sacrifice, viz. his Body and Blood, under the Species of Bread and Wine; which he did at the Inftitution and Celebration of the Sacrament of the Eu. charift, that fo the Reality of the Thing typified, might anfwer thofe Shadows and Types.

And

Secondly,