Of the sacrament of the altar in general.
The main part of the eternal and new testament, of the reverend sacrament of both form, flesh and blood of Christ, sign and promise, which he has done to us in the same.
Preached at Wittenberg on Maundy Thursday 1522.
Receive and eat, this is my body, which is given for you. Receive and drink of it, all of you; this is the cup of the new and everlasting testament in my blood, which is poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
1 In these words, two things are now held up to us in one summa, and we are told them.
The words belong in the ears, the signs in the mouth; and it is much more important to have the words or promise than the signs, because we can do without the sign, but we cannot do without the words. For faith cannot exist without the divine word, as a promise, and the sign is to us as a semblance and protection, comfort and certain assurance.
2166 L. 22:39-42, VI main st. - Of the sacrament of the altar sup. W. X, 2659-2662. 2167
The seal is given as an assurance of our blessedness. As when one wants to assure someone, one gives him a letter and seal for assurance. Our Lord Jesus Christ does the same for us. That we may ever be sure and not fear sin, death, the devil, and hell, he sets his body and blood for us, against which death, sin, the devil, and hell are not able, and this shall stand for us. Let us see, who will harm us or what can harm us, if we only believe this?
2 Therefore he gives us his word and sign. His words are to us as a letter, and his signs as a seal and a signet, that we should not doubt, but that we should be strengthened in faith, confirmed in hope, and heated in love. This is what happens when we find it; and for the strengthening and fortification of this faith we go and receive the sign of it. Therefore, whoever wants to go to this reverend sacrament, let him see that he brings these words with him, that he believes that the body of Christ was given for him and that his blood was shed for him, otherwise the reception of the sacrament is harmful to him.
(3) For this reason I have said that one should pay more attention to the words than to the sign. Therefore, the words should be practiced, taught, and preached more than the sign. We must not let the comforting promise go out of our hearts, but remember it in all troubles, especially in death; that we may say, I believe that Christ gave his body and blood for my sin, that neither devil nor death can hurt me; for he said, Receive, this is my body, which is given for thee; and this is my blood, which is shed for thee for the remission of sins. These are his words, I rely on them. He confirmed these words of his by dying on them, and he gave me his body and blood as a sign and confirmation of his words. I take comfort in this, therefore I will take his flesh and blood to myself, so that I may be sure of it and strengthen my faith in it. Whoever has such faith has the devil, death, hell, and everything that challenges him taken away in one heap; faith also works it all together.
4 Here we also see that Christ has instituted both forms, body and blood. Therefore, if our papists would ask me: Yes, both these forms are given only to the priests? you say: No. They will say: Did he then give them to the laity? Say also, No. To whom then did he give them? Then say, He gave it neither to priests nor to laymen, but to his Christians. For this sect did not exist in the Christians, only the papists established it, nor will they prove it from the Scriptures that Christ ordained the apostles priests, for it is a vain dream without all Scripture and reason.
The gospel is to be preached in all the world. What is wrong with it? Not with the gospel, because it is right and true, useful and blessed. But there is a lack of people who are fit for it. If one does not have them, it is better to be silent than to preach, for it is falsified and shamefully preached. So here too, the sacrament and the preached custom are right and good, but where are the people who are fit for it, so that they start and do it? I have striven for this and would like that the pope's law would also be removed from the annual reception of the sacrament on Easter and that everyone would be left free to go there without constraint out of his own conscience and out of the hunger of his soul, so that the atrocious, unchristian abuse and blasphemy would become less, and henceforth hardly anyone would go there, since now many hundreds go. So I see that Satan is trying to make both forms as mean and even meaner than the pope made his one form, before Christians are made who are to do this; and he intends to make it worse on the right side than on the left; therefore it is necessary for us to stay on the middle road and ask God to help us and keep us on it, because Satan is seeking us with earnestness.
6. a Christian should know that there is no greater sanctuary on earth than God's Word, for the sacrament itself is made and given and sanctified by God's Word, and through it we are all also born spiritually and consecrated as Christians.
If a Christian grasps the word, which sanctifies all things and is higher than the sacrament, as much as it can be grasped with the hands, nevertheless, both with mouth, ears, heart, yes, with the whole life: how should he then not be allowed to attack also such, which is sanctified with it? or should he also not attack himself, because he is sanctified with it as well as the sacrament? The Pharisees came in this way, of which Christ says, Matth. 23, 16, that they made the gold more holy than the temple, and the sacrifice more holy than the altar. And it is just as if one were to begin to teach that it is sinful to touch the food of the cup, but that the cup itself should be attacked. I would like to hear a piece from the papists, which they could present without particularly big
You can read more about this in:
XI. Theil, am Palmtage; Sermon von der Confichte und dem Sacrament, § 14 ff, Rede vom Sacrament des Altars.
- on Easter Day; a beautiful sermon on the reception of the Holy Sacrament.
- Sermon on Easter Monday, about the holy sacrament. Sacrament.
- Sermon on Pentecost Wednesday, § 11 ff, of the right heavenly bread.
XIIIb. Theil, Pred. am Ostermittwoch, von dem hochwürdigen Sacrament, wie und warum
Foolishness. But what else should they do who judge and blaspheme God Himself?
A Christian is holy in body and soul, whether layman or priest, man or woman. Whoever says otherwise blasphemes holy baptism, Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit's grace. It is a great and strange thing about a Christian, and God is more interested in him than in the sacrament; for the Christian was not made for the sake of the sacrament, but the sacrament was instituted for the sake of the Christian, and these blind heads want to dispute whether he may attack the sacrament, and even want to make a heresy out of it. Out with the stubborn and blinded pagans, who do not know at all what a Christian means or is. God deliver us from them! Amen.
Christians should consider the same a great treasure.
Further reading can be found in the dogmatic-polemical writings Wider die Papisten, Secct. II:
Serm. from the New Testament.
Sermon on the Reverend Sacrament of the Holy True Body of Christ, and on the Brotherhoods, 1520.
Demand of several articles, in his Sermon of the Holy Sacrament, 1520.