h

the holy Feaft, it fignifies a real material Altar, at which they miniftred, and thefe receiv'd. It is needlefs after Mr. Mede to fhew how the ancient Christians took the Lord's Table to be a proper material Altar, and that it is implyed to be fuch in thofe Words of our Lord, If thou bringeft thy Gift unto the Altar, and there remembreft, that thy Brother hath ought against thee, leave thy Gift before the Altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come, and offer thy Gift. The ancient Chriftians (faith Mr. Mede) took this to be an Evangelical Conftitution, wherein our Saviour implyed by way of Anticipation, that he would leave fome Rite to his Church instead of, and after the manner of the Sacrifices of the Law, which fhould begin with an Oblation as they did, and that to require this proper and peculiar Qualification in the Offerer, to be at Peace, and without Enmity, with his Brother. Hence alfo they may feem to have learned to call Bread and Wine (in refpect of this Oblation) alia deg, the holy Gifts, from the Word our Saviour here ufeth, &c. Mr. Mede of the Name Altar. Sect. 11.

VII. Having thew'd from one Place of the New Teftament, that the Minifters of Chrift are proper Altar-Minifters, because they minifter at a proper Altar; I now proceed to fhew from another place, I Cor. x. 20, 21. that they offer Sacrifice, and by Confequence that they are proper facrificing Priefts. These are the Words, But the things which the Gentiles Sacrifice, they facrifice to

b Cyprian Epift. 63. Chriftus bujus Sacrificii Au&tor, & Doctor. Irenæus Lib. IV. Cap. 34. Igitur Ecclefie oblatio, quam Dominus docuit offerri in univerfo mundo, purum Sacrificium,& acceptum eft eis.

Non genus Oblationum reprobatum eft; Oblationes enim & illic, Oblationes autem & hic. Sacrificia in populo, Sacrificia de in Eccle fia, fed Species immutata eft tantum. Îbid.

Devils,

Devils, and not to God, and I would not that ye Should have Fellowship with Devils. Te cannot drink the Cup of the Lord, and the Cup of Devils; ye cannot be Partakers of the Lord's Table, and the Table of Devils. Here I muft obferve, that to drink the Cup of the Lord, and the Cup of Demons, or Devils, and to be Partakers of the Lord's Table, and the Table of Devils, are metonymical Expreffions, which properly fignifie to drink of the Wine offered to the Lord, and of the Wine offered to Devils and to be Partakers of the Sacrifices of the Lord's Table, or Altar, and of the Sacrifices of the Tables, or Altars of Devils. Such is the Phrafe in the preceding Chapter, They who wait at the Altar are Partakers with the Altar, i. e. They who wait at the Altar, are Partakers of the Sacrifices with the Altar. According to this Obfervation, the Words of the Apostle, may be paraphrased thus, But in Anfwer to the Objection, that an Idol is nothing, you ought to understand, that the things which the Gentiles facrifice to Idols, they indeed facrifice to Devils, and not to God, and they, who eat of the things facrificed to them, have Communion with thofe Devils, and I would not, my Brethren, that you should have Fellowship with Devils. For by the common Notion of Communion, in which the WorShippers of Demons in Images, and the Worshippers of God agree, ye cannot with confiftency drink the Cup of the Lord, and the Cup of Devils, ye cannot be Partakers, or Communicants at the Lord's Table, and of the Table of Devils, i. e. Te cannot bold Commuuion, ye cannot be in Covenant, with them both. The Argument, which the Apoftle here ufes against the Chriftians eating of the Sacrifices at the Tables, or Altars of Devils, is founded on this common Principle, received by the Jewish, and Gentile World, that the eating, or partaking at the Table or Altar of any reputed God of the

i

things facrificed to him, was in its Nature, and common Conftruction an Act of Communion with that God, and therefore by this common Norion of religious Fellowfhip, or Communion, Chriftians could not confiftently with their Religion eat at the Lord's Table, and at the Table of Devils, or communicate with Devils, and with him, who came to deftroy the Works of the Devil, and all the religious Worship of Devils in the Gentile World. This Obfervation helps to fet the Parallel which the Apostle draws betwixt Altar-Communion with Chrift, and Devils in a clear Light; First there were Offerings, or Sacrifices to both; Secondly, a Table, at which thofe Sacrifices were eaten; Thirdly, that the Cup was offered at the Lord's Table, as well as at the Table of Devils, and by confequence in the Fourth place, that there were ), or facrificing Minifters, as Pollux calls Priefts, who offered upon the Lord's Table, as idolatrous Priefts did upon the Altars of the Devils, and there feafted their People at the Tables, and in the Name of their falfe Gods. I fay, the whole Parallel between Eating and Drinking at the Table of the Lord, and the Table of Devils, fuppofes, that they eat, and drank of things which had been offered, and by confequence, that the Minifters of the Lord's Table, upon which the Bread, and Wine were firft folemnly offered, and then confumed, are facrificing Priefts: Such as in the ixth Chapter and 13th Verfe of this Epiftle, the Apofile fpeaking of Jewish Priefts, calls raised ga μέρος, της θυσιαςηρίω προσεδρεύοντες. Sacra operantes, or Sacra procurantes, Altari defervientes, or Altari operam dantes, Minifters about holy Things pertaintaining to God, Waiters at the Altar, without whom, there could have been no Sacrifices, or Offerings, or

Lib. I. Cap. I. Segm 14.

any

any partaking of the Offerings at the holy Table, in which the A&t of Communion doth confift.

Hence in the time of the Apoftles the Bread, and Wine in the Holy Eucharift came to be call'd weg, and wegpoegi, Gifts, and Offerings, and the Minifters of the Gofpel wegovernoles Ta dweg, Offerers, or Sacrificers, their Miniftration at the Lord's Table, being the moft fpecial, and excellent part of their priestly Function, in which confecrating the Oblations of Bread and Wine, or making them an holy and acceptable Sacrifice to God by folemn Prayer, or Invocation of the Holy Ghost upon them, they make Interceffion, and Atonement for their own Sins, and the Sins of the People, as by a moft folemn Rite of Supplication according to the Nature, and Ufe of Sacrifices, by which the Mercy, and Fa vour of God is procured.

I fay, according to this Parallel of the Apostle be tween the Communion with the true God, and that of Devils, Bread, and Wine in the Holy Eucharift were called Gifts, and Offerings, and the Minifters of the Gospel Offerers, and Sacrificers in the Age of the Apoftles, as appears from two or three Paffages in St. Clement's Epiftle to the Corinthians, who was Fellow Labourer with the Apostles, and muft have, understood their meaning. Saith he, Cap. xl. Seeing then these things are very evident, it is our Duty, who have looked into the depths of Divine Knowledge, to do all things in order, whatsoever our Lord hath commanded us to do. Especially that we perform our [wegopped's hellias] Offerings, and Miniftrations to God at the times appointed for them. For thefe he hath commanded to be done not unfeafonably, and diforderly, but at certain appointed times, and hours. Wherefore he hath ordained by his fove

* See the Prayer of Confecration in the Communion Office of the Scotish Common-Prayer Bock.

reign Authority both where, and by whom they are to. be performed, that fo all things being done without fault to all well-pleafing, they may be acceptable to bis Will. They therefore who make their Offerings at the appointed Seafons, they are blessed, and accep ted, for being obedient to the Orders of the Lord, they offend not. The fame is to be obferved by thofe, who minifter unto him in Divine Service. For the Chief Prieft bath proper Offices affigned to him, and to the Priefts is their proper Station appointed, and to the Levites belong their proper Miniftrations, and the Layman is confined within the Bounds of what is commanded to Laymen. So Chapter xliv. faith he, we cannot think, that thofe may be justly thrown out of their Miniftry, who were either appointed by the Apoftles, or afterwards, by eminent Men with the Teftimony, and Approbation of the whole Church, and bave with all Humility, and Innocency miniftred to the Flock of Chrift in Peace, and without Self-Intereft, and for a long time have been approved by all: Such we think cannot be justly thrown out of their Miniftry. For it would be an heinous Sin in us, if we should caft out thofe from their Epifcopal Charge [τὰς ἀμέμπλως και ωσίως η προσενέΓκονίας τὰ δῶρα ] who without blame, or default offer up the holy Gifts. I add the word holy, because the Bread and Wine in the Eucharift were called not only deg but alia dweg by the Ancients; and I must also obferve, that as the Apoftle defcribes the Priefts under the Law by one of their Properties, which was to take Tithes: So St. Clement here, whofe Name the Apostle tells us, was written in the Book of Life, calls the Prefbyters of Corinth Offerers of the Gifts in the holy

1 Προσφοράς αυθ.

m

See Colerius's Note on the Place. Bifhop Fell on C. xl. Hinc fapius in hac Epiftolâ & eopoes mentio, ubi etiam Epif copi defcribuntur hoc charactere & elogio, quod fint wecoevésolés τὰ δῶρα

Eucharift,