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IRenaeus receiued the same from S. Iohn the Euan∣gelist, by Polycarpus S. Iohns scholar. He decla∣reth it with these wordes: Eum, qui ex creatura Panis est,* 1.1 accepit, & gratias egit, dicens, Hoc est Corpus meum, Et Calicem similiter, qui est ex creatura quae est secundùm nos, suum Sanguinem confessus est, & Noui Testamen∣ti
nouam docuit Oblationem, quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens, in vniuerso mundo offert Deo. De quo in duodecim Prophe∣tis Malachias sic presignificauit,* 1.2 Non est mi∣hi voluntas in vobis, dicit DOMINVS ex∣ercituum: & munus non suscipiam de manu vestra. He tooke that, which by creation is breade, and gaue thankes, sayinge, This is my Body. And likewise the Cuppe ful of that Creature, whiche is here with vs, and confessed it to be his Bloude, and thus taught the newe Oblation of the Nwe Testa∣mente, whiche the Churche receiuinge of the Apost∣les, dooth offer to God through the whole worlde, whereof Malachie one of the twelue Prophetes did prophecie thus: I haue no likinge in you, saith our Lord almightie, neither wil I take Sacrifice of your handes: bicause from the risinge of the Sunne, to the going downe of the same, my name is glorified amonge the Nations, and Incense is offered to my name in e∣uery place, and pure Sacrifice, for that my name is greate amonge Nations. What can be vnderstan∣ded by this newe Oblation of the Newe Testa∣mente other, then the Oblation of that, which he saide to be his Body, and confessed to be his Bloude? And if he had offered Breade and Wine onely, or the Figure of his Body, and Bloude in Bread and Wine,
it had beene no Newe Oblation, for suche had beene made by Melchisedech longe before. Neither can the Prophecie of Malachie be vnderstanded of the Obla∣tion of Christe vppon the Crosse, forasmuche as that was doone but at one time onely, and in one certaine place of the worlde, in Golgoltha, a place without the gates of Hierusalem, neare to the walles of that Ci∣tie. Concerninge the Sacrifice of a contrite, and an humbled harte, and al other Sacrifices of our deuo∣tion, that be mere Spiritual, they can not be called the Newe Oblation of the newe Testament, forasmuche as they were doone as wel in the Olde Testamente, as in the Newe, neither be they altogeather pure. Where∣fore this place of Ireneus, and also the Prophecie of Malachie, wherewith it is confirmed, must needes be referred to the Sacrifice and Oblation of the Bodie and Bloude of Christe daily throughout the whole worlde offered to God in the Masse, which is the ex∣ternal Sacrifice of the Churche, and proper to the Newe Testament: which, as Ireneus saith, the Chur∣che receiued of the Apostles, and the Apostles of Christe.
Lib. 4. cap. ••3.
Malac. 1.