Malachi i. 11, in which the universal spread of the true religion is predicted by saying that from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, " in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering." 1
Protestants reject the doctrine that the eucharist is a true pro- pitiatory sacrifice, —
1. Because it is not only destitute of all support from the Scriptures, but is directly contrary to the whole nature of the ordinance, as exhibited in its original institution and in the prac- tice of the apostolic church. There it is set forth as a sacred feast commemorative of the death of Christ.
2. Because it is founded on the monstrous doctrine of transub- stantiation. If the whole substance of the bread be not changed into the substance of Christ's body, and the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood, and if the whole Christ, body, soul, and divinity be not really and truly present under the form (or species) or appearance of the bread and wine, then the priest in the mass has nothing to offer. He in fact offers nothing, and the whole service is a deceit. Just so certainly, therefore, as the impossible and the unscriptural cannot be true, just so certain is it, that the mass is not a propitiatory sacrifice.
3. The Romish doctrine is that the Apostles were priests, and were invested with authority and power to continue and perpetu- ate in the Church the priestly office by ordination and the impo- sition of hands by which the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are conveyed. All this is unscriptural and false. First, because a priest is a man appointed to be a mediator between God and other men, drawing near to Him in behalf of those who have not liberty of access for themselves, and whose function it is to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. But there is no such office under the Christian dispensation, save in the person of Jesus Christ. He is our only, and all sufficient priest ; everywhere present and everywhere accessible, who has opened for us a new and living way of access to God, available to all sinners of the human race without the intervention of any of their fellow sinners. Every believer is as much a priest under the Gospel, as any other be-
1 In this passage the words H?|P "^pE, correctly rendered in the English version " incense shall he offered," in the Vulgate are translated " sacrificatur." In the Septuagint it is Ovfiiafta wpoadyerai. Luther's version is, " gerauchert." Even if the Vulgate version were correct, and the prophet had said that " in every place sacrifice should be made," that would prove nothing to the point. The Old Testament prophets predicted the spread of the true religion under the Gospel dispensation in the use of terms borrowed from the Old Testament ritual.
vol. in. 44
690 PART III. Ch. XX. — , THE MEANS OF GRACE.
Iiever, for through Christ they all have equal freedom of accesa unto God. It subverts the whole nature of the gospel, to make the intervention of any human priest necessary to our reconcilia- tion with God. Secondly, Christian ministers are never called priests in the New Testament. Every title of dignity, every term expressive of the nature of their office, is bestowed on them, but the title priest, so familiar to Jewish and Gentile ears, is never given to them. Nor is any priestly function ascribed to them. They are not mediators. They are not appointed to offer sacri- fices for sin. Every priest is a mediator, but it is expressly de- clared that Christians have but one mediator, the man Christ Jesus. There is but one sacrifice for sin, the all sufficient sacri- fice of Christ upon the cross, who died once for all to bring us near to God. Thirdly, Christ Himself and the Apostles after Him in all their addresses to the people, instead of directing them to go to ministers as priests to obtain the benefits of redemption, uniformly assume that the way is open for the return of every sinner to God without human intervention. " Come unto me " is the invitation of Christ to every heavily laden sinner. " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," is the gospel preached by the Apostles both to Jews and Gentiles. The eman- cipation of the Christian world effected by the Reformation, con- sisted in large measure in freeing man from the belief that Christian ministers are priests through whom alone sinners can draw near to God. It was preaching deliverance to captives, and the opening of the prison to those who were bound, to announce that believers through Christ are all made kings and priests unto God ; subject to no authority but the authority of God (and of course to such as He has ordained), and all having access by one Spirit unto the Father. If then ministers are not priests, the eucharist is not a sacrifice.
4. The Romish doctrine is derogatory to the sacrifice of the cross. It supposes that the work of Christ in making satisfaction for the sins of men, needs to be constantly repeated. This is directly contrary to Scripture, which teaches that by the one offer- ing of Himself, He has forever perfected them that believe. His one sacrifice has done all that need be done, and all that a sacri- fice can do. Romanists say that the same sacrifice which was made on the cross, is made in the mass. The only difference be- tween the two is modal. It concerns only the manner of obla- tion. Then why is the latter needed ? Why does not the one offering of Christ suffice ? Certain it is the Bible refers us to nothing else ; and the believer craves nothing else.