Argument IV. Malachi 1:11:
“In every place an oblation is offered to my name, a pure offering.” He
responded, 1. Benedict Arias Montanus annotates on this message: “Although the
meaning of this passage is clear from the words themselves, yet the secret
reason of its signification is to be observed from the construction of the
words, which the ancient interpreters carefully considered but certainly did
not sufficiently explain. God had severely rebuked the priests for having so
despised and diminished his name that they judged it to make no difference by
what manner and with what victim he was worshipped.” And afterward: “But the
other nations, led not by the open norm of the Law and the divine oracles, but only
by the contemplation of the works of Nature, earnestly and attentively
worshipped God, whom they believed to be the Lord and Ruler. By what name they
undertook this, God himself explains: ‘Great is my name among the nations.’ By
reason of greatness and as a matter of definition, he testifies that he is
worshipped by them; and by that right he even strongly surpasses the Jews, to
whom his name was a matter of contempt. Therefore, although the proper name of God
was unknown to the nations, yet certainly the surname of the great, which God
had by nature had earned for itself a place among all nations through the
alternating sequences of day and night and the constant fourfold change of the
seasons.” And afterward: “We said at the outset that this discourse is
recondite, inasmuch as with the same simple utterance of words it embraces
simultaneously a double meaning: that the name of God is great from the rising
of the sun to its setting, and that the very rising and setting of the sun is
regarded as the greatness of the divine name. IT was fitting, moreover, that by
the same name of greatness, God should be known and also worshipped among the
nations” (Benedict Arias Montanus, Commentary on Malachi, p. 935). This explanation
of Benedict Arias is contained in that volume concerning which Antwerp censure
pronounced that it not only presents piety and the true meaning of prophecy,
but also contributes greatly to the extirpation of heretical dogmas and to be promotion
of piety among all preachers. Although Bellarmine truly (Robert Bellarmine, On
the Mass, book 1, ch. 10) and Suárez (Franciso Suárez, Disputations, part 3,
disp. 74, art. 1, sect. 1) judge is inadmissible in any way, they do not refute
it with suitable and compelling arguments.
2. Antonius Possevinus
does not dare disapprove this explanation of Benedict Arias, for he writes
thus: “Nevertheless there are not lacking most learned men who, in this royal
work prepared by Arias, have desired that certain things drawn from the Rabbis
should be referred to the sense of the Catholic Church, such as those concerning
the continual and bloodless sacrifice, which has been foretold by the testimony
of Malachi as yet to come, which Arias seems to have referred to the sacrifice
of the gentiles, But since it is not for us in this place to pass judgment on
that work, we advise the reader to compare the Greek edition of the Septuagint,
the Latin translation of this edition published at Rome by order of Pope Sixtus
V, that which appeared at Antwerp. From which also the Spanish Index
Expurgatorius, while noting other things in it, does not touch upon the passage”
(Antonius Possevinus, Select Library, book 2, ch. 21, vol. 1, p. 63).
3. Isidorus Clarius likewise
does not take this passage of the Mass sacrifice, but of the interior and
spiritual sacrifices of the New Testament, for he annotates on this passage: “It
is clear from this that the ceremonies of the Law were to be abolished at the
time of Christ, and that all the faithful throughout the whole world were to
sacrifice the pure offering of prayer” (Isidorus Clarius, Commentary on
Malachi, p. 386, Venice edition).
4. Franciscus Vatablus
expounds on the passage in the same manner in his notes (p. 47): “There will
be, at the time, namely, of grace, a great thing, that is, it will be held in
great esteem among the nations, which is said, ‘I will accept the offering of
the nations which they shall offer to me.’ The calling of the nations is
proclaimed.” (p. 48): “It will be offered and pure. Understand: and not impure.
By the worship of the old law he understands the worship of the new.” This
exposition of the prophetic prediction concerning the calling of the nations
agrees with the apostolic sayings (Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Philippians
2:17). (Johann Gerhard, Confessio Catholica: On the Sacrifice of the Mass—Article
XV [trans. Koden A. Green [2026], 45-47)
