Of the Wittenberg Concordia diligently sought and also obtained by the Oberlanders.
A. Von Dürer's and Capital's correspondence with D. Drück and others, in which they claim that the Oberlanders departed from Luther only in words, but not in things.
46 Martin Bucer's letter to Gregorius Brück, with which he also sends 9 articles. July 1530.
In Cölestins üikt. eom. ^.UAUst., toin. II, p. 294 and in Bucer's liist. ^.nAlie., x. 611. we have set the time determination according to Oorx. Uet., vol. II, 222, no. 798.
Translated from Latin by LI. A. Tittel.
Grace and peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Venerable Lord! What I promised your dignity yesterday, according to which I would write the speeches, namely when I called God as a witness and said that in the matter of the holy night meal we are only in disagreement with the words of Luther, in short articles: I have now done this honestly and sincerely, and have written what I consider to be true in my conscience and before God. I therefore send the enclosed articles to you, and humbly ask that you use them to such an end as they are written, namely that they may serve, with divine help and assistance, to either completely remove such dangerous disunity, or at least to alleviate it.
If I had wanted to see how badly all the attempted settlements had gone so far and what kind of speeches had resulted from them, I would probably have had many and important reasons to leave the whole matter untouched. But since I cannot judge otherwise than that D. Martin Luther and others, who are in his part those who have pushed us out of the number of the brethren, nevertheless heartily and faithfully seek the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ and want to know it promoted: so I cannot bring it over my heart that I do not need all the ways that are necessary for the lifting up of the disagreements and the restoration of the church.
seem to contribute something to harmony. I know for certain that I will not escape the cross by doing so, but rather that I will take it upon myself. For the prince of the world rages all the more fiercely the more we strive to conquer his kingdom and settle the disputes. Then it must be true that the number of the elect is small. Even if they were to agree on everything, they could not be freed from the other errors and faults, which Satan sometimes accuses them of, in any other way than through the wounds of Christ. Your now liberated dignitaries will have already learned and recognized this sufficiently through experience in their Christian life.
The articles are as follows. First of all, I confess before God and with the consent of my conscience that I completely believe and hold to be true everything that I will state here: but herewith I do not detract from or add to anyone else's faith. Nevertheless, I dare to say for certain that the dispute between Luther (in one part) and Zwingli and Oecolampadius (in the other) exists only in what I will now state.
(4) Secondly, as far as I can see, this whole controversy consists of three points, namely, how the words, "This is my body," are to be understood, how men eat the body of Christ and who receive it.
5. 1) We consider the words: "This is my body" to be as true in the letter as Luther, although some of us have interpreted them in such a way that the word Is means the word and must be taken for the figure of the body; which two words, as Luther himself confesses in his confession, mean the same thing.
(6) But when I consider the reasons why ours interpreted such words in this way, and Luther rejected the same interpretation, I see no disagreement at all. For ours did it for these reasons, because many people would be of the opinion that the bread is the body of Christ, and whoever eats the bread also eats Christ, without respecting the grace of God and faith.
Against which opinion Luther has been with his teaching until now, and still is.
(7) There are others who want to compare this saying, "This is my body" (as being said of the bread), with the saying, "This is my Son"; which in particular gave Oecolampadius cause to write, as he himself testifies in his conversation. And hence it is that ours denied that the bread was Christ's body essentially and bodily. But Luther denies this in his confession, and proves in clear words that the bread and the body of Christ are two different entities (substances) and natures, and are united sacramentally. But the fact that Luther rejected our interpretation is due (as far as I can judge from his writing) to the fact that he thought that the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper would thereby be annulled and overthrown.
(8) But ours do not say at all that the bread is such a sign of the body of Christ, by which one should think that the body of Christ is absent, or is not received, which they have testified in many issued letters so far. After this it is also clear that from such a speech: that the bread is the figure and the sign of the body of Christ, it does not at all follow that the body of Christ is therefore not present, otherwise one would also have to say of Augustino that he believed it to be the mere bread in the Lord's Supper, since the contrary opinion is to be found everywhere in his books. For when he writes against Adamantus, he used these words: Christ had no hesitation in saying, "This is my body," when he gave the sign of his body.
(9) Since our teachers have never been inclined to deny or abolish Christ's presence by their interpretation, but have testified to it in all their writings and books, and seek nothing else by their interpretation than to maintain and show that the bread is not essentially the body of Christ, so that the mob may be drawn from the visible bread to the invisible Christ, I do not think that the dispute is about the matter, but only about words. Now that many sayings of Scripture have been explained differently by old and new teachers of the church, and yet no one condemns the other, if only there is no error in the understanding and opinion of the words themselves, I cannot judge otherwise than that now, out of Christian love, the same thing can happen, because we must finally admit that this saying, "This is my body," is not bad or literal, but rather fanciful.
10 For this no wise man denies, that
Such words need an explanation: and the school teachers and other scholars do not explain them in the same way. Soon Augustine and Jerome also understood the words in the same way as ours. Neither did ours base their cause on the kinds of interpretations, but only opposed this opinion: that the bread is Christ's body essentially, or that the body of Christ is bodily present in the crude sense and manner as the rabble thinks. For Luther himself rejects such an opinion.
11) The other controversy is this, that it is asked how the body and blood of Christ are present. We say that they are present, and are seen by the eye of faith; which some consider as small a presence as when one remembers an absent friend. But ours attach much more to such presence than that which comes through the most certain Word of God and the mighty cooperation of the Holy Spirit. That they do not like the words "essential" and "bodily" at all is only because the rabble imagines and understands by them a presence that happens through movement and spatially. In which sense Luther himself does not take the words. Luther himself also admits that ours teach that Christ has gone to heaven and left the world, and that they conclude from this that Christ cannot be in the bread, and that they therefore speak only of such a kind of presence as is necessary or required.
12. If I now keep the other ways of speaking together, so that Luther describes this presence, namely, that he takes the movement and spatiality just as the school teachers do; likewise, that he does not want to argue about the way of speaking, in the bread is the body of Christ, but wants to be satisfied with the fact that the body of Christ is present, and not only bread and wine are served; Likewise, that he confesses that Christ is nevertheless present in the sacrament through the Word, even if he were in a certain place in heaven, as the flame is in a certain place in the crystal, even if it appears to be present in all of them; likewise, that he and all of his fellows say that this same presence is through the Word; likewise that Brentius wrote that the mouth of the body eats the bread, but the mouth of faith eats the body of Christ; and further, that ours hold true all that Philip of Marburg proposed as a way to unity; and that Paul does not spare the manner of speech: "Christ dwells in us," therefore ours also must not shy away from the expression: that Christ is truly in the
I say that Luther himself and all his followers confess that no one can give the body of Christ in any other way. When I, I say, look more closely at and consider such types of speech, I cannot judge otherwise than that Luther himself and all his followers confess that no one can give and eat the body of Christ in any other way than in and through the word, and thus through the contemplation of faith, which afterwards takes hold of the word and thereby becomes partaker of the body and blood of Christ. For although D. Martinus writes that it must be confessed that the body of Christ is received and chewed with the mouth, which form of speech Chrysostom also uses, he also confesses that the body of Christ is neither eaten nor chewed in itself in the way that other flesh is visibly eaten and chewed, but everything that happens in the bread can also be said and understood of the body of Christ because of the sacramental union.
13. And whoever diligently examines the divine sayings of the holy fathers, finds indeed that they do not deny or deny at all that the body of Christ is truly present and eaten in the Lord's Supper, since they always keep the body and blood of Christ present to the mind and faith, calling bread and wine the body and blood of Christ, which Chrysostom indicates quite clearly in the book of the priesthood in the words where he speaks: For when thou shalt see the Lord offered, and the priest standing by the sacrifice and making atonement, and all become red with the precious blood, dost thou not think that he is still present and standing upon the earth? Or rather, dost thou not go straight to heaven, and lay aside all carnal thoughts of the soul, and with a pure soul and mind look only to the things that are in heaven? O of the miracle! O of the mercy of God! He who sits with the Father above is held in the same hour by the hands of all, and gives himself to those who want to grasp and take hold of him.
14 From all this I cannot (for now) cite more testimonies that do not confirm the words: corporeal, essential, and similar types of speech. This opinion is also considered good by ours, but not according to the common and coarse mind of the rabble. Luther himself uses the words that he teaches that the very body that was crucified and suffered for us is truly present and eaten.
We must admit that the words: "This is my body" mean nothing more than what really happens through the contemplation (or vision) of God. And if we want to speak of God, we must admit that the words: "This is my body" mean nothing more than what really happens through the contemplation (or the face) of faith. Which agrees with what M. Philip so earnestly proposed to them for the sake of harmony: "Christ dwells in us"; and: "Let us make our abode with Him."
15. Ill) there is also a controversy whether the ungodly received the body of Christ. Whereby ours saw that Christ said unto them, This is my body; to which he said soon after, "Which is given for you, which is shed for you and for many others"; that is, he is addressing the right disciples. For when he said that his blood would be poured out for many, and not for all, it is clear that he was speaking only of those who were rightly made partakers of his death and suffering. All the Fathers also drew what St. John left in writing about the Lord's Supper to the holy night meal (just as Christ also spoke these words at the time of the Lord's Supper), by which the Fathers wanted to indicate that in the Lord's Supper Christ not only instituted the sacramental meal, but also the eating of his body and blood and its use for salvation. That is why Augustine writes: the disciples ate. And although the Fathers often say that Judas and other ungodly men do not partake of the body of Christ, yet such sayings of the Fathers seem to be spoken of the sacramental union, since the ungodly did not receive the bread and the cup of the Lord. But this dispute could easily be settled if we spoke like Bernard, who makes a threefold supper: first a sacramental one; the other, since Christ's body is partaken of without fruit; the third, of the faithful, who consider it certain that this supper is instituted by Christ, and that he himself distributes his body and blood.
16 But that I say that D. Luther, and those who are of his part, do not fundamentally disagree with us, I do so because they say that the body and blood of Christ are received in and through faith. Luther, however, writes: "We leave nothing in the holy supper but bread and wine, even though we proclaim the words of Christ as well as his followers. But to those who despise Christ's words, as the wicked do, and to whom everything that is Christ's is, as it were, offensive, how can such food profit them?
Therefore, when I consider everything (that God is witness to me!), I cannot find in what I am saying.
Luther, in order that not only bread and wine be left in the Lord's Supper, used such language, which, in many people's opinion, seemed as if it were in favor of the gross error of the popes. For the people were thereby drawn away from the faith to outward clerical work, and from the honor of the venerable sacrament to ungodly masses. Our people wanted to remedy this infirmity, and used such words, by which Luther believed that the words of Christ were blamed, and that nothing but bread and wine were left in the Lord's Supper, but our people never thought of this.
(18) Hereafter I appeal to Christ's judgment, and say that I am not dissembling in anything, but speak plainly as I mean, and have meant from the beginning of the controversies, to which my writings will bear me witness, and all those with whom I have written of these things at the same time, though I do not say that I understand it better, or can explain it in clearer words; for I have always heartily wished that I could discuss these things with M. Philip and other learned men in true simplicity (as is proper in divine things). Philip and other learned men, disregarding all affectations, in true simplicity (as is proper in divine matters), which I have not yet been able to obtain.
19. May God bring about everything that may bring glory to His name. To us, who contemplate the dangerous annoyances that arise from such disputes, nothing would be more pleasing than to see these disagreements mediated and resolved. If we hoped to achieve this, we would spare neither effort nor labor.
20 I ask you to take note of all this for the best, and to use it for peace and harmony, and also, if possible, to arrange it so that I can have a conversation with my Lord, M. Philip. May God, to whom I entrust myself, help us with His grace!
47 Martin Bucer's other letter to Chancellor Brück.
In Cölestin I. c. S. 297 Latin.
I had almost forgotten what I should have especially remembered, namely, that we should have spoken of the person and incarnation of Jesus Christ, of the personal unity of the two natures in Christ, of the ascension of the Lord and his sitting in the heavenly kingdom.
48 Philipp Melanchthon's letter to Martin Bucer and his co-religionists. The
July 25, 1530.
This letter is found in Latin in des Chyträus kist. Oonk., x>. 666; in Ooelestini üist. Oomitior.
toir". II, x>. 297k; itt Hospininni kist. sucraruentur., ?. II, x. 181 and in the 6orp. kek, vol. II, 221. German in des Chyträus Hist. der Augsb. Conf., p. 171 and in the Historie des Sgcramentsstrerts.
Philip Melanchthon wishes Bucer and his own salvation!
Brenz has informed me of the content of your conversation with him; I would also have no difficulty in talking to you at present if I were not hindered by other business. For you shall certainly take it for granted, if I do not consider your teaching to be right in all things, that I am nevertheless of a different opinion without all bitterness and without hatred. It seems to me that it is neither beneficial to the common good nor to my conscience that I should burden our princes with the hatred of your doctrine, which I can persuade neither myself nor others to accept, against the testimony of the whole church. But if you wish to confer with me in writing, you shall certainly know that I will keep your letters in such a way that no danger shall arise from them.
Zwingli has sent here a confession in which he truly does not want to be regarded for having
49 Martin Bucer's and Capito's answer to Philip Melanchthon to the above letter. July 28, 1530.
See the previous number. In 6orx. Rsk., vol. II, 235.
(1) God knows that we desire to converse with you in a friendly manner, highly learned man, so that we do not blame you in part for the hatred with which the world persecutes us on account of our doctrine. For we know that the world cannot stand Christ and his teaching at all, no matter in what way it is driven, which not only you, but also Erasmus, who confesses the truth more politely than anyone else, experience sufficiently. Christ's saying stands firm that he must lose his soul who wants to find it with him, the one beatifier of our souls. We are otherwise as displeased with this common discord and unrest as anyone else, but because God's word is to be preferred to all other things, it does not behoove us, if the world were to completely fall in, to betray the truth of the gospel, or to keep silent about that which is called God's word, or to abandon to the wolves the herd for which Christ shed his blood. You see now that you, as an innocent, kind-hearted man, might not otherwise have believed that truth has no place anywhere. For there are not many to whom it is given to deny themselves completely and to consecrate themselves to the cross.
2 Because we have now surrendered to this, we can expect nothing but hatred, persecution and death from the world, even if we had not already angered it with the dispute about Holy Communion, and even if we were otherwise in complete agreement with all of you who want to be good Christians and evangelicals. For like a lowly heap
1) According to the reading of the 6orp. Rsk.: "that he only deviates from the right doctrine with words".
How small are we all compared to those who adhere to the pope? But the most noble and supreme thing that moves the prince of the world and the whole world against us is this, that we alone expect and receive all righteousness and blessedness from the one Savior Christ through faith, and consider everything else to be useless, fraud and deceit. This is what makes the world and the ruler of the world so angry against us. For what should they particularly ask that we should deny that Christ is in the bread, when they do not even believe that he is in heaven?
(3) Therefore, we have no reason to desire to burden any man, much less your so pious and praiseworthy princes, with the hatred of our doctrine. To this end, we do not ask anyone to confess anything of which he is not yet certain from God's Word, but rather have an abhorrence of anyone who would subject himself to this. For especially in the matters of God, nothing should be done thoughtlessly and freely, of which one is not quite sure.
4 Furthermore, as far as Zwingli's Apologia or Confession is concerned, we think that you should not be concerned about this on our part. For without this, that, as only men know, we have nothing to do with him here, you yourselves see now that this some one embittered the emperor against all of us, that we cannot hold Christ lower than the pope. But from which spirit Zwingli wrote, he who tests the spirits will judge. We think that no one or even few are given, because they are burdened with this flesh, that they may act and do something out of God's spirit in such a way that the flesh does not also suppress something of his. There are also some who think, dear Philip, which you will credit us with, that D. Luther would have admonished the clergy differently in his next booklet, if his flesh had not also added something of its own, to say nothing of many other things, which he interprets against us without truth in this and other books under the names of heretics and heretics.
But that Zwingli should also rumor about other articles without need, we cannot see, because he touches nothing in it that he has not previously let go out into all the world through public books. Should he now have passed over the same with silence, since he was to give an account of his faith to the emperor at this imperial diet, then he would have accused himself of having an evil conscience, and the enemies of the
Truth has made him more courageous to pursue as one who flees of his own free will. It seems to us that if there has ever been time to confess the truth constantly and publicly, it is especially necessary to do so now that the world wants to hear and judge such teaching. This is what the ancient martyrs used to do.
6 We would like to wish that such modesty and leniency, which some have recently undertaken to use, would soon be used in the beginning and progress of these matters, and that they would not have been rumbled with such inconsistent paradoxes, which are contrary to our office and status, or indeed are not appropriate.
(7) But that you write that Zwingli does not want to be regarded as holding differently only in words, and not so much in the matter itself, we confess that he is of a different opinion than those who much more crudely than you do unite the body of Christ with the bread, or include it in the bread. Otherwise we call our Blessed Mother to witness that we can see no difference at all, or even such a small one, between the presentness, of which Zwingli writes that it consists in contemplation of faith (in contemplations fidei), and your essential, yet not spatial, presentness, which, when one inquires into it, immediately disappears.
Otherwise, it might appear from Brenz's closest conversation with us, and from some of his and other writings, that you are somewhat further from us as far as the article on the true human nature of Christ is concerned. But if anyone considers even in this piece without passion and with true love and unity of both parts of opinion, he will find that in truth there is no other dispute than that so far no agreement has been reached about the words, how this mystery is to be explained and presented to the listeners. For how else could it happen that in such high matters those whom One Spirit teaches and drives should not agree among themselves?
9 We have no doubt about you, because you hold the testimony of the holy fathers so highly that you come closer to their form of speaking about this mystery. Thus it seems to us that even Luther at Marburg did not seem to speak as thoughtfully as some others 1). All of this you see, as one who understands, how extensive it looks. Thus you have experienced in many ways how little has been done so far with
1) The text says: ut yuiäsrQ; Bretschneider conjicirt pridsm; the old translator assumed yuiäam, where we have left it. Melanchthon may be meant.
The first part of this article is devoted to the reestablishment of Christian unity among us. But in the colloquium at Marburg, how quickly and much too briefly it proceeded for such a great matter, several points of contention were nevertheless compared, and the rest would also, as we think, have been settled without doubt, if one part could have explained its opinion to the other more certainly and more truly. If the minds are previously embittered, one often does not read what is written by the other part, or, if one reads it, one generally understands it differently and more uncomfortably than it is meant.
(10) That you will faithfully keep our letters, which we will write to you, we do not doubt; although we have previously put ourselves in so much and great danger for the sake of Christ's name, as our conscience testifies, that it cannot well be greater.
(11) But again you should not doubt that we also want to ensure that oral conversation can cause you as little danger as our letters can cause us when we act in writing. For we should despise the speeches of incomprehensible people, from whom one cannot escape, no matter how one likes. The other day we talked with Brenz about unity for barely two hours, and soon that day a great Hans boasted that we had come here to revoke our doctrine. We live in Christ, whom no one can deceive. Thus we alone desire to have the favor of pious people, for which reason these loose speeches do not move us. For even if some people's eyes are blinded for a while, the truth will soon dispel this haze and make them see clearly again. It must be a tender Christian, unaccustomed to suffering, who is deterred by such theidings from seeking and working for the common peace and welfare of the brethren.
(12) Therefore, for the sake of Christ, we ask you, if you have not completely abandoned all hope concerning us, to grant us the opportunity to speak with you at this time. We will appear at the place and time you shall appoint, and so show ourselves that you shall not doubt that we seek Christ's glory with all our hearts, and in this matter we will not deal with any deceit or guile. In other common matters in this life, it sometimes happens to us, as it does to people, that even though we love the truth, we still often deceive ourselves.
(13) But in this matter, and in all the articles of Christian doctrine, we have so searched and examined our hearts, that we also with an oath
that we seek no other things than those which Christ has taught and which are pleasing to Christ.
14 You write that you disagree with us without bitterness; you should certainly do the same to us. You assume that you have done nothing against us here; we have defended you and your actions both here and elsewhere. And what we cannot defend, we conceal, or even mitigate everything that is spoken and written against us without truth; we would rather attribute it to a zeal for God, but an untimely one.
(15) So we entrust our cause to no one, unless we also understand your cause. We would gladly resolve common peace and unity even with our blood; but a true, lasting peace, which no one but Christ can give, to whom the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth, who is pleased only with sincere people, and with those who have regard even for the weak and the least. has pleased.
(16) Behold, how long a letter it becomes, since we alone have wished to reply to your one short letter; what would happen then if we were to deal with such high matters in writing? For there are also other more articles in which, as some say, we err according to your discretion; and today one has reported to us that you told a distinguished theologian of the opposition: Zwingli and I, Bucer, have revoked all that we agreed to at Marburg, which you have spoken without cause, if you have spoken otherwise. For I still hold all the same, and just in the same opinion as Luther. Zwingel has also not deviated from it, which I will easily demonstrate and prove to you and to anyone with understanding, if you will allow us to speak to you verbally.
17 But I ask that you draw few people to it, for we desire only a friendly discussion. We would like to see Brenz and his like there. We do not want to take anyone but Mr. Jakob Sturm, or, if it pleases you, he should also stay away. For Christian love demands that we should expect nothing else from each other than is due to sincere people; although some have let themselves be heard to spout dangerous speeches from us orally and in writing, which cannot flow from us other than from unkind and wrong thoughts. Be well, and let us know again what you want to do in this matter. There are necessary things
If this had not happened these days, we would have rewritten this four days ago, so that you would not think that we had delayed our answer so long by our own will. Date Augsburg, from the Strasbourg envoy's hostel. Anno 30, the 28th of July.
Your good friends
Capito and Bucer. 1)
50th article, 2) in which the discord about the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper between D. Luther and Zwingli's co-relatives is primarily based. Sent to Bucer by D. Brück, the Chancellor of Saxony.
This and the following scripture is found in German in Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 136 and in Chyträus 1. e. p. 175. Latin in Cölestin 1. o. toi". II, x. 299, but in a different relation.
(1) Bucer and his followers hold that the body of Christ is in heaven, and not with the bread, or essentially present in the bread. They nevertheless say that the body of Christ is truly present, but through the contemplation of faith, that is, in thoughts (imaginationte), that is, that it is formed presently with thoughts. This is a bad and simple-minded opinion.
2. they make a blue haze before the eyes of the people, so that they say that Christ is truly present, and at the same time, by contemplation of faith, that is, in thought, they again deny the essential presence.
We teach that the body of Christ is truly and essentially present with the bread or in the bread; but we think that Bucer is being deceitful here when he says that we are one with each other in this article, namely, because we reject the transubstantiation or transformation of the bread altogether, and say that bread remains.
4 Although we say that the body of Christ is essentially present, D. Luther does not say that it is present locally. Luther does not say that it is present locally, spatially, in one size and circumscribed, but in the way that the person of Christ or the whole Christ is present with his church and all creatures.
5 From this Bucerus concludes that if Christ's body is present in this way, as the whole Christ.
1) This signature is not in the Oorx. Lei.
2) The next number shows that Melanchthon placed these articles. In the 6orp. Lok. they are not found.
is present in all creatures, it follows that the Body of Christ is spatial only in One place, and that all other things, because they have other distinct and remote places, are not essentially present to the Body of Christ, but are objective.
6 Thus he disputes that the presence consists only in the fact that one forms the body of Christ as present with thoughts.
7 But Bucerus deceived himself and others with this imagination, that he never allows the essential and true presence of the body of Christ in the bread.
(8) Now we must confess that it is a real and essential presence, and not dispute whether it is a spatial or other kind of presence.
Martin Bucer's answer to Chancellor Brück about the above articles, in which he thinks that Melanchthon did not understand him correctly. August 1, 1530.
See the previous number.
I thank E. Achtb. that she has obtained an answer from Philip for me. But if he had wanted to hear and consider my opinion correctly, he should not have added that I deceitfully made a blue haze before people's eyes and spoke differently than I meant, because he and his people insist on the true presence of the body of Christ. I have known this for a long time, and if I had not known it before, I could have heard it from him in Marburg in D. Luther's room. Luther's room, since he told me in private exactly what he writes here. - But I now dispute that the very presence of the body of Christ, of which they teach, which could exist without all ascending and descending, and without all space, as Luther holds in his Confession (if Christ were already spatially in heaven etc.), is no other presence than that which we have through the sounding of faith (contemplatione fidei). For they teach that by the word the body of Christ is brought into the Lord's Supper, and is partaken of by faith. What other way of presence can there be, since many different parts of the person of Christ are present at the same time as a dot, as they confess in the articles sent to me by E. Achtb.
But what may it be of many words? M. Philip confesses that the Body of Christ is thus with the Sacrament, as Christ gives us according to these his
promises is present: "We will make our home with him. I will be in their midst. I am with you until the end of the world." Item: "Christ dwelleth in you." This we also confess, and understand the sayings now mentioned, as they are understood by the holy fathers. Now since M. Philip holds the authority of the fathers so high, what wonder is it that methinks he agrees with us as far as the matter of it itself is concerned? For I say this again, and therefore do not make a blue haze before people's eyes, that the words: contemplatione fidei, through contemplation of faith, mean much more to us than a mere remembrance of the absent Christ, which Oecolampad also sufficiently testifies in his Dialogo. But I am surprised why they are not satisfied with the fact that I wrote: "But ours extend such presence much further than that which exists through the uninterrupted word of God and the powerful action of the Holy Spirit, since they themselves speak in this way that the body of Christ is brought into the Lord's Supper through the word, and the Fathers testify now and then that Christ is present through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now if I understand the presence here only from the power and effect and from the Holy Spirit, then they must also understand the same, because they need the same words. But what need of many words? Oecolampadius has testified enough and left enough that the true body of the Lord is also presented to us in the Lord's Supper, but thus, as Chrysostom and other fathers believed, only to the soul and the pure heart, which is exalted to heaven through faith.
We also believe that all things are possible to God; but since the holy Scriptures prove the body of Christ, both after the resurrection and before, always in one place, bodily, and never in many places at the same time, I cannot hold otherwise. That the body of Christ is nowhere else but spatial is not our opinion, because one understands "his" according to the quality of a body. For we confess that the true and whole Christ is everywhere where Christians are, for he dwells in them. But that he should be bodily in one place, and yet not give or take place, we say, is contrary to the nature and characteristic of a true body.
4 So we say that against the nature of a true body is to be at the same time in many places, like Augustine, like Thomas, like Bonaventure and many others, whom no one has ever, as far as this opinion is concerned, considered other than [for] right teachers.
(5) These words of Augustine, that Christ is in one place in heaven, by reason of a true body, we believe to be true. And that in the same way as he is in heaven, he should also be elsewhere in the bread, or with the bread, we are accustomed to deny according to the Scriptures, with all the fathers and teachers. But since this is the opinion of St. Augustine, from which we do not deviate a hair's breadth, and since St. Philip recognizes him as the one who is to hold the Holy Supper in agreement with him, because he often says that the body of Christ is truly present in the Holy Supper, how is it that they do not recognize us for holding this in agreement with them, since we confess the same as Augustine?
6 As far as the quality of the body of Christ is concerned, I confess that we do not hold with some who defend Luther's opinion; but I do not know whether M. Philip also holds with the same. I now want to speak only of the controversy over the Lord's Supper.
(7) We believe that the words of Christ concerning the Lord's Supper are true, and we confess that Christ is present in the same way as the words are understood by the ancient fathers, namely, truly and essentially. What reason have yours for rejecting us?
(8) But of the attributes of human nature in Christ, and of his departure into heaven, we believe that the holy fathers, as many of them as are left, have all written them, and the teachers have followed them. Some of yours do not agree with them. But since they do not therefore consider them unbelievers, why do they not have patience with us in this matter either? But let not your Eighth Eighth doubt that the holy fathers would not have tolerated any of these, as your thesis thinks, as their writings testify; nor have I any doubt, where this controversy about the Lord's Supper did not arise, that they would never have come out of the same opinion, for D. Luther taught much differently about this article in his postilion, which is his best book.
9 But that E. Achtb. write that it would be burdensome for them if such great disagreement were to flow from a quarrel about words alone: that is an indication of a Christian mind; but it has, unfortunately, also happened to many holy people in the past.
(10) But that our people no longer speak of this matter in the same way as they did before that time should not surprise E. Achtb.
and attributed to bread what is due to the Lord Christ. At first, ours alone wrote against the error and superstition of the common people; but because it was thought that they fell in with Carlstadt, and apostatized from D. Luther, D. Luther and others wrote against them. Luther and others wrote against them; which writings, that they were refuted by ours, especially in the understanding, as the rabble accepted them, E. Achtb. and all the godly will recognize for themselves one day. The last writings of Luther and Brentii also speak more purely and thoughtfully of this mystery than the first. Therefore, it is not surprising that the last writings show more unity. But it has pleased the Lord that we should now dispute with one another in this way. The day will come, however, when the part of Christ's honor will be more purely defended and Christ will be more rightly followed; I thank him that he has let me try all the means that would always be useful for unity. He will also give hope that I will testify in my life or death that I have truly followed Christ's opinion. Let yours see what spirit they follow, that they refuse to converse with us, and lay upon us many things of ground which no one can explain. May Christ preserve E. Ächtb. and the evangelical princes to the honor of his name, and grant that you may once recognize in us and in this whole matter what Christ is. If he gives this, you will confess that we have believed and taught nothing wrong in this. About this I would that your scholars would be so sincere that they would not accuse us of other doctrines and practices, for they know this to be true. E. Achtb. want to take this letter for good. For Christ knows that I have written this [for] no other cause than to spread the glory of Christ, in which E. E. Achtb. may live healthy and blessed in body and soul, and let me be commanded in the Lord. Date Augsburg, August 1, 1530.
52 Philipp Melanchthon's letter to Martin Görlitz, preacher at Brunswick, in which he clearly opens his thoughts on the Sacramentarians and their doctrine. About March 1530.
From the eonk. tidsi ds Hueduristiu 8axon. eeelesiar. 1557 transcribed in the 6od. OottiÄN. 188, ex. 2. Printed also in Ilospininni tust. 8Ä6rurn6Nt., ?. 11, p. 198 and in the thorough and truthful Historia of the Augsb. Conf., p. 153. in the 6orp. cec. Vol. II, 24. after this our determination of time.
To the venerable man, excellent in doctrine and godliness, Martin Goerlitz, pastor at Brunswick.
As far as the Zwinglian mob is concerned, you should be of good cheer; I myself have experienced, when their most prominent ringleaders (in Marburg) were together, that they have no Christian doctrine, but only childish and ridiculous philosophizing and juggling; therefore they will not be able to survive. For every plant that is not from God will be eradicated. Even if they argue for six hundred years, they will not bring more than this: "The flesh is of no use. And these words they force upon the flesh of Christ. What my opinion is, you have seen from my booklet, from the sayings of the fathers. I would rather die than stand with them and say that the body of Christ must and can only be in one place. Therefore, I want to punish them confidently, publicly and especially, when and where the opportunity arises. Let this also be punished in them, that they teach nothing right about the use of the sacraments. In all the Zwinglian books there is not a single mention of faith, by which we are justified before God. Even if they call it faith, they do not understand the faith that believes in the forgiveness of sins, and is certain that we are accepted in grace, heard, and protected and preserved by God, but they understand only a historical faith (which the devils also have), a poor, mere knowledge. But Christians should know the custom and practice of faith. God commanded. May the Lord Christ govern your preaching ministry.
Philip Melanchthon.
Luther's letter to Duke Ernst of Lüneburg, in which he refutes the comparison with the Zwinglians and shows that it is not merely a dispute of words. Feb. 1, 1531.
This letter is found in the Altenburg edition, vol. VIII, p. 973; in the Leipzig, vol. XX, p. 345; in the Erlangen, vol. 54, p. 212 and in-De Wette, vol. IV, p. 219. Latin in Ludäsus, p. 217 and in Hospinian, List, kuerurnent., k. II, x. 204.
Grace and peace in Christ. Sublime, highborn prince, gracious lord! At E. F. G.'s request, I have long since replied to M. Bucer in the most friendly manner; but that I should consent to such an interpretation or opinion of his, I have also informed him most glimpfully.
most lichste knocked off. For it is not possible to compare us on such his given opinion; would not be good either. It should truly become worse from such comparisons than it is now. E. F. G. himself can well recognize that. For, should we allow ourselves to be taken in by such a union, we would have to allow both parts that, if our people came to them and wanted to receive the sacrament, or again, their people came to us, the unpleasant error would arise that our people received vain bread and wine, and yet believed that it was the body and blood of Christ, and their people received the body and blood of Christ with us, and yet believed that it was vain bread and wine; and the abomination much more. But that M. Bucerus pretends that the strife is in words alone, I would gladly die for it if it were so. Such strife should not last long, nor have it ever begun. I am so fond of the union, as I have talked with him in Coburg. Therefore, I consider that now enough has been done until God gives further grace, namely, that we stand quietly on both sides of the writing against each other, as those on both sides have sufficiently admonished and understood each other. If God has given the grace that they allow Christ's body to be bodily present to the soul in the sacrament, I am of good hope that they will in time also cease to allow it to be bodily present to the mouth or externally present to the bread, because I can truly see no difference, nor can I see any difficulty. Summa, we want to pray and hope until [it] becomes completely good, and not fish before the name, nor speak at Hui, before we become thoroughly one. I have answered E. F. G. this humbly; and E. F. G. should believe that we are all in agreement. F. G. should believe that nothing better could happen to me next to Christ, my Lord, than that these people would be thoroughly one with us; there should be no death so bitter to me that I would not suffer over it. And if God will give it, then I will die happily and take my leave, if God wills it. Christ, our Lord, be with E. F. G. forever, Amen. Prima Februarii 1531.
54 Wolfgang Musculus wrote two exhortations to Bucer to refrain from too much zeal for the Concord.
The first of these letters is found in des Scultetus annai. s.4 arm. 1532, x. 182; the second the same s.4 nun. 1533, x. 187.
Translated from Latin by M. A, Tittel.
a. First letter, dated 1332.
My greetings, dearest Bucer! We know how Luther taught in his Confession that the flesh of Christ is eaten with the mouth, because one can rightly attribute to the body of Christ what happens to bread, namely, seeing, touching, taking into the mouth, chewing, and eating; Not that this is done to the body of the Lord, as it is done to the bread, but that such things are fitting for the body because of the sacramental union; it always remains the true and undoubted body of Christ, and is neither seen, nor touched, nor eaten with the mouth.
(2) We might also suffer them to say that the body of the Lord is eaten by the ungodly when they eat the bread of the Lord sacramentally united with his body. But those with whom we argued did not speak of this in this way, but insisted that the body of the Lord is really eaten with the mouth and chewed with the teeth, not only by believers but also by unbelievers. When we held up Luther's words from his confession book to them, Frosch answered: Luther is not our Christ. That is why, dear Bucer, we could not accept the opinion of the same two people. For what pious person would allow this blasphemous speech against Christ to be applauded among the people of the faithful? Therefore, my Bucer, I do not see how we can become one with such people. You, who do everything according to your integrity, bring nothing from those who do not seem to seek both concord and discord, except that you are called a cunning and crafty deceiver. And such things should be accepted and revered because they come from such respectable Christians who could not err?
3 You write to me about what should be admitted among them because of the eating of the ungodly. You think that it is already to be admitted that those who do not completely deny God, but believe that Christ is given to them, like the Corinthians, eat the body of Christ. But what will you
Do they say, if they also come with the example of Jude the betrayer, of whom they say that he not only ate the bread of the Lord, but also of the bread the Lord, against the express words of Augustine? And because they also confess that Christ is not spatially under the bread, you think that it is only a dispute of words among us; since they nevertheless forcefully teach that the body of Christ is truly enclosed under the bread, even if not spatially, but in a miraculous way, which they themselves do not know, by virtue of the words. And since this is the case with us, do you still wonder why I ask you this? Luther promised to keep the beginning of unity warm, as you write. But why did Philip write to Wenceslas Link, a Nuremberg preacher, among others? Luther did not approve of Bucer's writing. Therefore, you will let the preachers in Augsburg, Nanä [Frosch] and Agricola, know that they do not approve of Bucer's poem. You can easily judge according to your prudence why Bucer should do with such fictitious concord. Under the conditions that Bucer still proposes at this time, the concord cannot happen. And even if they yielded everything, one would still have to worry that they only made this change or interpretation of Zwingl's doctrine for a while as a sham. So far Philip. That means to cherish and keep warm the beginning of unity. Does it not rather mean fleeing from harmony and cherishing discord?
b. Second letter, dated Nov. 10, 1533.
My greetings, dear Bucer! I have looked through a little (gustavi) the writing on church harmony that you have had printed there, translated from Latin, by Geryon. I do not like your presumption. Who would want to suffer such a concord, one would then be sensible to return again to the spied? I have not yet read everything, but I will read it diligently and mark out what seems to me to run counter to the truth. I fear very much that you will not, out of too great a desire for harmony, fall into a trap where the truth that has been recognized, preached, publicly issued and inculcated will not be helped at all; which God forbid. You have a church that is very famous everywhere. You are higher than you think. See to it that you do not cause any trouble to God's elect. Even though we are not so learned in worldly matters, I still think that through God's special gift of grace, we have so far completely understood the truth of Christ's kingdom, even with your help.
We have clearly understood that through Christ's grace we intend to remain unchanged with you and all the elect until the end, and to confess and suffer what is pleasing to the Lord. We see, my Bucer, who they are with whom we are to be united; for neither their corrupt doctrine nor their life has yet caused them to change their minds one iota. What then shall we hope for? Let us stand firm on the truth and willingly accept the company and harmony of all those who have sought the truth from the heart. Whoever does not want it, let him be given over to the Church of Satan! I speak from the heart, because I know to whom I speak. Cursed be the concord that cannot be made without harming the truth and the kingdom of Christ. Blessed Oecolampadius said very well and Christianly in the disputation at Bern: 1) One must see that one is rather in the church of Christ's elect, which he will one day recognize, than in the one in which one cannot remain with a good conscience. Who would not like to have unity? But who does not see that the situation of the popes today is such that one cannot become one with them without detriment to the truth? I see that Erasmus wants to show out of all his power that no one can be saved apart from the unity of the church. If such unity is to be taken in such a way that it goes to the external church, what do we want to do in our place, where for many years now so many believers have been different? Are they to be lost because they did not adhere to the external Roman church? That would be right for Ecken, but it would certainly be difficult for you. We also say that apart from the body of Christ, that is, His church, there is no salvation. But by this we do not mean an external church gathered in a special place, but that which makes up the elect, of which Christ is the head. For as we become members of Christ through faith, so also such a united, sanctified, and purified church of Christ, apart from which there is no salvation, is united and governed by the gathering together of believers through the Holy Spirit. And it does not give salvation, but has only Christ, who is the only Savior of his body, from whom life and blessedness flow out to all the members; to be without this head is as much as to be without all blessedness; but you have known all this better long ago. I beg you, dear Bucer, not to take it amiss, and, as soon as possible,
1) The speech of Oecolampad Col. 1632 in this volume will be meant.
to respond to this. I wish that such writings would finally come to an end. Farewell, and greetings to your husband. Augsburg, November 10, 1533.
Musculus.
B. How Luther wrote to the council of Frankfort, Augsburg, and Münster, and how the preachers of Frankfort and Augsburg explained the doctrine.
M. Martin Luther's warning to the people of Frankfurt am Main to beware of Zwinglian doctrine and teachers, together with an instruction on confession. Written in the last months of 1532, issued in January 1533.
The first edition of this work appeared under the title: "Ein brieff an die zu Franckfort am Meyn. D. Mart. Luther. Wittemberg. HXXXXIII." At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg durch Hans Lufft. M.D.XXXIII." 5 quarto sheets. A reprint under the same title was published by Friedrich Peypus in Nuremberg without a year. The above title was set by Walch after the Jena edition, and under the same title our writing was reprinted in 1589 at Laugingen by Leonhard Reinmichel. With a changed title: "sich vor der Calvinische" Lehr und Lehrern zu hüten", at Frankfurt in 1615. This writing is found in the Wittenberg edition (1551), vol. II, p. 249; in the Jena edition (1568), vol. VI, p. 105; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. 112; in the Leipzig, vol. XXI, p. 66; in the Erlangen (1st), vol. 26, p. 294 and-in the second edition, vol. 26, p. 370. Only in the latter is the correct date given. From the year 1533 on the title, Seckendorf concluded, nist. Imtk., lib. Ill, p. 61, that it was written after the Easter Mass of 1533. But Luther learned already in 1532, at the time of the autumn fair, how things stood in Frankfurt. Around that time, Johann Cellarius, who had given way to his opponents, had come to Wittenberg, and Luther began to write it that same year. It was already known in Frankfurt in the second half of January 1533 and was read in the council on February 13. The apology of the Frankfurt preachers against it (the following scripture) is dated March 1.
To the honorable and prudent, the council and community of the city of Frankfurt am Main, my favorable lords and friends.
Grace and peace in Christ our Lord and Savior.
Respectable, prudent, dear gentlemen and friends! It has come to me through much,
2008 Erl. (2.) 28, 372-374. sec. 4. Wittenberg Concord. No. 55. W. xvn, 2435-2438. 2009
that come out of your Frankfurt fair, how in your city the holy sacrament should be taught in the Zwinglian way, but under the pretense and with such words, as if it should be the same and one thing with our and our like doctrine. And I have often heard it said that it is done in such a way that no one is sure what and how it is meant or believed. All this I have let remain in its dignity, and have accepted nothing at all, as nothing is commanded to Frankfurt, and know well that for this not I, but your preachers and you yourselves all must give account to Christ.
2. But because I am most earnestly requested to give my counsel to some who stand with you in error and doubt, or perhaps are certain that your preachers do not teach nor believe how the body and blood are truly in the bread and wine, whether they should go with the multitude to the sacrament, or avoid and abstain from it for such a cause; For their service I have sent this open letter to all of you, because I do not know the names of these false persons, nor do I desire to know them, for I have nothing to do with your preachers and their followers. They have heard and seen enough what I and ours teach and believe about the Sacrament; and as they speak and refuse us, so we let them go. If they do well, they will find it well.
3. Therefore I kindly ask you to keep this necessary writing for me, which at the same time shall also be a testimony to me before God and the world, whether some of you are under the delusion that your preachers are one with us and teach the same way about the holy sacrament; that they know from this how we are not at all one, and no one may rely on them to hear our doctrine, which they also mock and reject in many ways, as all the world that comes from Frankfort testifies in unison; which we do and let them keep to their judgment.
4th For there are now in many places (as I am put off) who are now teaching away even with us. But some others, now they have seen that the cart is led too far and deep into mud
When the time has come, and their former cry of vain bread and wine in the sacrament is no longer true, they wipe their mouths, and turn their words differently, but nevertheless retain the former opinion in mind and custom. They say with their mouths that Christ's body and blood are truly present in the sacrament. When the simple man hears this, he thinks that they teach the same as we do, and then they go to the sacrament, and yet they receive only bread and wine; for their teachers also give nothing more, and mean nothing more. But the secret gloss and understanding is that the true body and blood of Christ is indeed present in the sacrament, but only spiritually, and not bodily; is also received in the heart alone with faith, and not bodily with the mouth, which receives the same bread and wine as before.
(5) Behold, is not this a devilish jugglery wrought with the words of Christ, and the simple hearts thus shamefully defrauded and robbed of their sacrament? That is, as St. Jerome writes of the Arians, how their bishops preached that Christians understood something different from their words than they meant. For they had also taken the cart too far, that their cries were no longer valid, namely that Christ was a vain creature and not God. Then they also shut their mouths, kept silent about the creature, and called Christ a God, yes, a true God. But the secret mind was this: Christ would now be a God, that is, he would have the name of God and would be called God; and that he would be called a God, that would be true, but would not be a natural, eternal, united God with the Father, just as John is called an angel [Matth. 11, 10.], true, and it is true that he is called an angel, but is nevertheless a man, and not a natural angel. So they secretly kept in mind that Christ was a creature, but with their mouths they said he was God.
6 So also now our papists. Having noticed that their abominable abomination has come to light, since they have purely condemned the Savior Christ and his faith, and have taught and almost shouted to build on their own work, they now draw in the pipes, and also take the word "faith", and preach
Of faith and good works; but secretly they abide in their old abomination, under the word "faith." For they say: It is true, one must be justified by faith, provided works are with it; for before and without works faith is nothing. With these words they call faith righteousness, but at the same time they give righteousness to works, and nothing at all to faith alone, and yet they preen themselves: faith makes righteous if works are present, but it is nothing. That is, blowing hot and cold out of one mouth, when I say: Faith makes righteous, and yet is nothing without works. For if it alone is nothing without works, then the works must be nothing, if the same nothing (that is, faith) is included. This is their secret opinion, and the old, former abomination, brought forward under new words, and a new skirt put on the old idol.
(7) This is what this two-faced mob does; they say that Christ's body and blood are true in the sacrament, but that they are spiritual and not corporeal, and thus persist in their previous error, that the sacrament is only wine and bread. They then pretend that it is not necessary for the common Christian man to know what Christ's body is like in the sacrament, but that it is enough for him to believe that it is the body that Christ meant. If then you believe according to this doctrine that Christ's body is corporeal in heaven and spiritual in the sacrament, then you have in spirit and faith the body that Christ meant, even though in bread and wine you receive nothing but the same bread and wine.
(8) Therefore they make the Lord's supper desolate, and accustom the people to go and die without the sacrament, saying: Why should I have the sacrament (that is, the same bread and wine), since I have Christ's body and blood spiritually in my heart? What is the point of such false hypocrisy and lies, in which they not only deny the truth, but are also not allowed to freely confess their own faith? What kind of Christians are these to me, who thus assassinate, and shun to be freely known of their doctrine, and sell it under strange appearance and cover! To this belongs a twofold hell: one, that they lie against God's word; the other, that they deny their own doctrine, which they boast of God's word, and do not freely confess.
(9) What thinkest thou then, when a pious heart knoweth such wickedness and falsehood in his pastor, or thinketh him suspicious of it, what shall it do? Do you think it can satisfy his heart on his sacrilegiously false word, when he says: Believe the body that Christ means, and ask no more? No, dear fellow, he believes this before he comes, if he does not already go to the sacrament, but he asks this, and that is why he comes, he wants to know if he receives vain bread and wine with his mouth? He does not ask what he should believe about Christ and his body in his heart, but what he should be given with his hands. Here it is not a matter of rolling the porridge in the mouth and saying mum mum. He does not have to be taught: Believe the body that Christ means, but spit out the pulp, and let the mum say, freely and dryly, whether he receives with his mouth the vain bread and wine. For how he is to believe the body that Christ means is to be saved for the pulpit or for another time. Here one should tell him what bread and wine are in the sacrament, and not sell him in sackcloth; for it is not valid here to play under the little hat and to mouse in the dark.
Therefore, this is my faithful advice, which I owe before God, both to you in Frankfurt, and where it is needed more: Whoever knows publicly that his pastor teaches Zwinglian, he should avoid him, and deprive himself of the sacrament for the rest of his life, before he should receive it from him, yes, even rather die over it, and suffer everything. But if his pastor is one of the two-faced, who pretends with his mouth that in the sacrament the body and blood of Christ are present and true, and yet is suspicious that he sells in sackcloth, and thinks otherwise, neither the words are true: Then go or send freely to him, and let him tell you plainly what it is that he gives you with his hands, and you receive with your mouth, putting aside what you believe or do not believe in your heart; badly asked, what hand and mouth grasp here.
(11) If it is a sincere man who wants to deal with you sincerely, he will tell you that he will give you all bread and wine, and you will think and believe the body and blood of Christ etc. But if it is the juggler one who
he will say mum mum, and throw the porridge around in his mouth, and thus slobber: "It is enough that you believe the body that Christ means. This is called a fine answer, and a proof of the hope that is in us, as St. Peter teaches [1 Ep. 3:15].
(12) According to such high spirits' art I want to play with all articles of faith, and say that it is not necessary that I believe that three persons are one divine being, and that each one is the true God, but it is enough that you believe the holy Trinity, which Christ means, "that is": which I mean Arianus; but he does not mean a Trinity. Item, it is not necessary that you believe that Christ is true God, but it is enough that you believe the God whom Christ means, that is, whom I, Arius, Sabellius, Mahomet etc. mean; but they mean none. Item, [it] is not necessary that you believe that Mary is a true mother and virgin, but [it] is enough that you believe the virgin whom the evangelist means, that is, whom Caiphas and the Jews mean; but they mean that she is a free harlot.
(13) Such preachers, when they want to joke, should do something else and leave divine things in peace, so that even the thunder does not strike. But if they are serious, then they should also be expelled from office and the pulpit to the country. For what is this terrible jiggery-pokery, in which they want to teach the people, and yet tell them nothing, but send them into the dark hole, and say: Believe what Christ means. But what Christ means they will not say, for they fear that if they should say it, all the world would say, "Christ does not mean that, but you mean it yourself, and your father the devil with you, and both of you use the name of Christ as a cover of shame over your lies, so that you may deceive and destroy us.
14 Wherever there are such preachers, they have found a very good way to preach, and an easy way to preach; they have no more need of Scripture and study, for they can say to the people in all things, "Dear people, be satisfied in this; believe what Christ says, that is enough. So who could not preach? Who would not like to be a disciple here?
We want to take the trouble to preach and to teach, and to command Christ the trouble both, and to say: I believe what Christ believes; or, that would be much better: I let Christ believe for me, and let him take care of what I should believe. Ah, those would be the finest Christians and the most golden brethren to me! So even now the papists say they believe what the church believes, and as it is said of the Poles, that they should say: I believe what my king believes. Why not? How could be a better faith, which would have less trouble and worry, than this!
15 So it is said that a doctor asked a charcoal burner at Prague on the bridge, out of pity, as about a poor layman: Dear man, what do you believe? The charcoal burner answered: That the church believes. The doctor: What does the church believe? The charcoal burner: That I believe. After that, when the doctor was to die, he was so severely challenged by the devil in his faith that he could neither remain nor have peace anywhere until he said: I believe that the charcoal burner believes. As it is also said of the great Thoma Aquino, that at his end he could not remain before the devil until he said: I believe what is written in this book; and he had the Bible in his arms. But God does not grant us much of this faith. For where these have believed nothing else but thus, both doctor and charcoal burner have believed themselves into the abyss of hell. There also such spirits believe, who say: Believe the body, which Christ means, that is enough. Oh yes, it is fine and well believed, such faith does not harm the devil.
16 And how can a people be kept in error better than with such a speech? For when they are sure that they must not worry whether they are taught rightly or wrongly, they sleep and snore safely, and henceforth ask neither for doctrine nor for preaching; they have learned enough at once that they know and believe that Christ believes for them; what more do they want, the free, happy, secure Christians? Unless they also wanted to teach that it is not necessary to do good works and suffer evil, it is enough that Christ does and suffers; let him also be pious for you, and do everything, then you must neither believe nor do good. And
What harm would it do to let the devil be unbelieving and do evil for us, so that he would have to go to hell for us, just as Christ had to go to heaven for us, but we would remain good fellows on earth, eating and drinking, sure that we could go neither to heaven nor to hell; that would be a praiseworthy church for me, built in the sow's stall!
(17) But I do not hope that such Christians or preachers will boast or pretend that Luther himself advised and taught such things. For if I were to become aware and certain that they were sucking such poison out of my books and placing the blame on me, I would not have to go to the trouble of scrubbing their eyes a little and putting glasses on their noses, and not reading my books through a painted glass. For I know how to trust the devil and his apostles, where they can pervert my words, and then seduce people with my name, so that they do not lack good will, as some of the same mob have often done to me, and have taken my words into their own opinion, and finally had a sermon 2) (preached by me before the Sacramenter Rotte was heard, thought or named) printed again, and because they found the words "bread and wine" in it, Luther should have spoken ill of them, regardless of the fact that the sermon itself is sufficiently justified.
18) Thus I have counseled and taught in the booklet Against the Enthusiasts: 3) If a Christian were challenged by the tropists and figurists, he should remain firm and steadfast on the words of Christ, and believe that, as the words themselves read, the body and blood of Christ are in the bread and wine, and should confidently dare to believe in Christ. If the same had deceived him (which is impossible), he would probably answer for it at the last judgment; however, the Christian would be safe with his faith, that he remained with the words, and meant by his faith the body, which the
1) In the original: "den".
2) Perhaps "Luther's Sermon of the Reverend Sacrament" etc. is meant. St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, 426.
3) In "Luther's Confession of the Lord's Supper," St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 894 ff. Here especially the words in § 362 ff. are meant.
Give the word and read. Behold, that is not taught to believe the body which Christ means. For with such a speech of theirs the words of Christ are put out of sight, and freely believed, without a word, in the air, according to their own thoughts. But I will have the words, and put faith in them "as they sound," that I may not believe the body which Christ means apart from and without his word, but the body which his words mean, as they stand and sound. For this is his right opinion, and he has told and shown us his opinion in the words and through the words. Apart from his word, and without his word, we know of no Christ, much less of Christ's opinion. For the Christ who gives us his opinion without Christ's word is the wicked devil from hell, who bears Christ's holy name and sells his infernal poison under it.
(19) I have said this now, out of concern, as a warning to all who desire it, whether anyone might be offended by my books or names. For although I do not know whether anyone does such a thing, nor can I or will I accuse anyone of it, I must nevertheless beware of the cunning dragon and his scales of malice and deceit, as I am now so often cunning that he might well do it. However, I should hope that no one could be so insolent and impudent as to strengthen and maintain his error with me, because my confession stands before the whole world in public, and my books bear tremendous witness to the great seriousness with which I have fought against error: that a fanatic should be ashamed in his heart to lead or use a letter of Luther for his error. Moreover, the glorious Confession and Apologia, freely confessed and received before the imperial majesty at Augsburg by many of the highest estates of the Roman Empire, has now come before the world, in which even the papists, although they are dangerous to us beyond all measure, 4) can nevertheless blame us for no article of error. We have not said mum mum, nor played under the little hat, but there stand our
4) "gefähr"(gefehr) - hostile (Dietz). The Erl.Ausg. offers: "gefahr".
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bright, dry, free word, without all darkness and mousing.
20. and in sum, that I come from this piece, it is frightening to me to hear that in one and the same church, or at one and the same altar, both parts should fetch and receive one and the same sacrament, and one part should believe that it receives vain bread and wine, but the other part believes that it receives the true body and blood of Christ. And I often doubt whether it is to be believed that a preacher or pastor could be so obdurate and malicious, and keep quiet about it, and thus let both parts go, each in fine delusion, that they received the same sacrament, each according to his faith etc. But if there is one who must have a heart harder than any stone, steel or diamond, he must certainly be an apostle of wrath. For Turks and Jews are much better, who deny our Sacrament, and freely confess, because with that we remain undeceived by them, and do not fall into idolatry. But these fellows would have to be the right high arch-devils, who give me vain bread and wine, and let me take it for the body and blood of Christ, and thus deceive me miserably. That would be too hot and too hard; God will throw in a short time. Therefore, whoever has such preachers, or who is willing to listen to them, be warned against them, as against the devil himself in the flesh.
I am also asked for advice on the matter of confession, how the good, pious hearts should conduct themselves, because their preachers completely condemn and ridicule it, especially the way in our catechism, where we teach the young people to say to the priest or priest: Worthy Lord etc. Now we gladly let our doctrine, catechism and all our ways be condemned and desecrated by those who do not want to leave it alone, but we comfort ourselves before God and all the world that such our witty judges and condemners have not yet produced and made anything better (not even in one piece). On the other hand, they have caused enough great and much misfortune; if it were time to stop, we would like to see that. They are bad masters to me, who can do nothing more than condemn other people's works and make nothing better in return. That is the
right Master Klügel, who can bridle the horse in the butt, and backwards rides his course, his bagpipes reverberate is the very best sound.
22 We do not force anyone to go to confession, as all our scriptures testify; if anyone does not want it, let him go, just as we do not ask anything of anyone who does not want our catechism and doctrine. Here no one holds the other. For we (praise God!) are abundantly taught that Christ, our Lord, does not want to suffer a proud, stubborn head in His kingdom. Why then should we force such hopeful spirits into his kingdom by force? Let them go, like the chaff that the wind weaves; their fire will find them. Our teaching concerns those who are serious about their salvation. Serious about their salvation, and seek something higher in the gospel than carnal freedom, eating meat, eggs, butter, not fasting, praying etc. Which is the highest art and spirit of the fanatics; although they did not invent it first, nor did it flow from their spirit, nor do they understand it rightly, nor do they know how to prove or defend a single thing thoroughly, so that they rant, shout, tear down, and make churches desolate and a mad mob that learns neither this nor that, as St. Paul says [2 Tim. 3:7]: "They are always learning, and yet cannot come to the right knowledge of the truth."
23. Therefore, those who desire our counsel in this matter should hear us say that there are two parts to confession: first, to tell the sin; in which piece we also have the consciences (before anything could have been dreamed of by the enthusiasts in this) redeemed by God's grace and made free from the infallible burden and impossible obedience of the papal law, in which he gives to tell all sin, and thereby caused such anguish and distress to the stupid consciences that they had to despair, and yet did not let it be called anything better than a work of obedience, by which they were to earn forgiveness and satisfaction for sin, and yet it was nothing else than a great, eternal torture, because the work was impossible; so he comforts the wretched consciences. We should be content with such great, glorious freedom, and thank God for it without ceasing, as for a great, unspeakable freedom.
This is a pleasant, comforting gift. For if the pope had known such freedom, and had then offered and sold it at his fair (as he otherwise sold everything), how should it have rained from kings and princes with a thousand florins, from counts and nobles with a hundred florins, from citizens and peasants with florins and pennies; he would have gotten three worlds' worth of gold and silver in one year. 1) But now that we have them for nothing, we thank God that he must strike with infernal fire or with the last days.
(24) In addition to this liberty, we keep the way that a confessor may tell some of the sins that oppress him the most. And we do not do this for the sake of the intelligent; for our pastor, chaplain, M. Philipps and such people who know well what sin is, we do not require any of them. But because the dear youth grows daily, and the common man understands little, for their sake we keep such ways, so that they are educated to Christian discipline and understanding. For such confessions are not only made for the purpose of telling sins, but also for the purpose of interrogating them as to whether they know the Lord's Prayer, faith, the Ten Commandments, and whatever else the Catechism gives. For we have well experienced how the rabble and the youth learn little from the sermon, if they are not particularly questioned and interrogated. But where is it better to do this, and where is it more necessary, if they are to go to the sacrament?
(25) It is true that where preachers offer vain bread and wine for the sacrament, it matters not much to whom they offer it, or what they can and believe who receive it. There one sow eats with another, and they have such trouble: for they want to have desolate, mad saints, they also do not think to educate Christians, but want to make it so that for three years everything is destroyed, neither God, nor Christ, nor Sacrament, nor Christians remain. But because we intend to educate Christians and leave them behind, and in the Sacrament we offer Christ's Body 2) and Blood, we do not want to, and cannot, give such a Sacrament to anyone, because he will be forgiven beforehand.
1) "kriegen" - got. Jenaer: "krieget".
2) "Body" is missing in the original.
hear what he has learned from catechism, and whether he will refrain from the sins he has committed against it. For we do not want to make of Christ's church a stable of sows, and let every one run unheard to the sacrament, as the sow to the trough. We leave such churches to the enthusiasts.
26 And this we have received from the beginning of Christianity. For there we see and grasp that the faith, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments are set forth as a short form and teaching for the young and foolish people, and was also called Catechism from the beginning. For catechism (say the Greeks) means a doctrine that is questioned and interrogated, as a schoolmaster makes the pupils recite their lesson, whether they can do it or not. So one should interrogate and recite before the rude people whether they know the parts of the Catechism, and whether they understand the sin against which they have sinned, and henceforth want to learn more and improve themselves, and otherwise not let them to the Sacrament. For since a priest is to be a faithful servant of Christ, he must, as much as he can, not throw the Sacrament to the sows or dogs, but hear who the people are. If they deceive him and do not tell the truth, he is excused, and they have deceived themselves.
27 And such is also the old German word "Bejicht", hence the holy bishops are called Confessores, Bejichter, that is, confessors; for bejichten means to confess, as also in the court the word is still in use: "Urjicht", and one says, das jicht er, das hat er bejicht etc. And there are two different j's in the word Bejicht, which with time has been transformed into an i, and through misuse "Beicht" is written and spoken as with an i, as many other old German words have thus been corrupted. Therefore, confessors, or confessors, should not only know how to recount sin, but also recite what they have learned from the faith and Christ, and what they have done against it, so that they may be accustomed to confess this before parents, schoolmasters, and priests, and if necessary, also before the judge, and die for it; therefore St. Cyprian also calls the martyrs confessores, that is, confessors.
28. because such a way is an old, praiseworthy, Christian, necessary discipline, in which one can
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If you practice and prepare Christians to live rightly, to learn Christ, and to confess him before the world, you will notice how unlearned, unskilled teachers they are, who condemn such things as being unbidden by God, just as if they knew so well what God's commandment is. It is undoubtedly God's commandment that one should teach and learn His word, both publicly and specifically, and as best one can. Although he does not specify the place, person, manner, or time 1) in which his word is to be taught and learned, yet such rude teachers should have learned from their ignorance that he wants his word to be practiced in all kinds of ways in all places every day. As he also commanded in Moses (Deut. 6, 7-9), they should remember his commandment walking, standing, sitting, and write it in all places. Because a pastor cannot teach God's word at all times, places and persons, and if he were to take this time, place and person in question before himself: "Oh devil! how he acts without and against God's commandment, and how holy are the enthusiasts who prevent us from teaching God's word at this place and time, when we are obligated to teach it at all places and times (where we can). They are useless criers who know nothing at all, neither what they say nor what they say [1 Tim. 1, 6. f.]. Therefore, every devout heart should beware of them; they will teach no one nothing, because they themselves know nothing.
(29) Behold, such a noble part of the confession the papists have utterly subdued, and have made nothing of it, but to count the false, intolerable torture with sin; and have made all this a good work, that God might be propitiated, and that enough might be done for sin. This carried money and goods until it became an idol to the whole world, and yet there was no teaching, interrogation, or anything else to report or confess Christ. Now that we have brought them on again, the devil and his apostles want to strike them down once more. But not to me! Whoever does not want them for himself, let them go - but for that reason he should not give them to us and other pious people (who need them and understand their benefit).
1) In the original: "stimmet".
nor destroy. It is said: Qui ignorat, ignoret. If a thousand and a thousand worlds were mine, I would rather lose everything, because I would let the smallest piece of one come out of the church. Yes, I would rather be the pope's tyranny of fasting, celebrations, clothes, places, plates, caps, and whatever I could wear without damaging the faith, than that the church should be taken away from the Christians. For it is the first, most necessary and most useful school for Christians, in which they learn to understand and practice God's Word and their faith, which they do not do so powerfully in public lectures and sermons.
The other part of the confession is the absolution, which the priest pronounces in God's stead, and therefore it is nothing other than God's word, so that He may comfort and strengthen our hearts against the evil conscience, and we should believe and trust it, as God Himself. But he who is so blind that he does not see it, or so deaf that he does not hear it, certainly does not know what God's word and Christian faith and comfort are; what good can he teach? But if he sees it and hears it, and thus knowingly condemns the faith in this matter, then he is a pure devil and not a man, as he who knowingly sets himself against God, and refuses that God's word should not be told to the people, nor should the hearts be comforted and strengthened in the faith; he may justly be considered an enemy of God and of all men, especially of holy Christianity. And where there are such preachers, let all devout Christians beware of them, as of the devils in the flesh; for the word of God shall be free and shall go, and both shall publicly and especially teach and comfort every man.
(31) And this piece is not only useful and necessary for the youth and the rabble, but for everyone, and no one should despise it, no matter how learned and holy he may be. For who is so high that he does not need or despise God's word? And for the sake of this, I need the truth most of all, and do not want to and cannot do without it, because it often and still daily gives me great comfort when I am sad and distressed. But the enthusiasts, because they are safe, and know nothing of sadness and temptations,
they easily despise the medicine and comfort, and also want to take it away from those who need it and must have it. If they are full, they should also let the hungry eat; if they are holy, they should also let the sinners become holy; if they are no longer allowed by God and his word, they should also let those who are still allowed to do so. But (as I said) they show with such bluster their great blindness and foolishness, as they have never yet learned what God's word, faith, consolation, Christ, and conscience are, and so one blind man leads another, and both fall into the pit. Therefore let them go, and always fall, beware of them.
32 So now we need the affirmation as a Christian exercise. In the first part we practice the law, in the second the gospel. For in the first part we learn to use the law properly (as St. Paul says), namely to recognize sin and to hasten. In the second, we practice the Gospel, learn to grasp God's promise and comfort, and thus put into practice what is preached in the pulpit. For even if a preacher teaches the law and the gospel in the pulpit, he leaves it at that, does not practice, does not ask, does not inquire how he grasps it, cannot see where it is lacking, whom he should further comfort or punish, because he has no particular person before him whom he can practice. And although the listener hears both in the sermon, he still fasts much more strongly and more surely when it is said to him in particular, as to a single person; as we have otherwise much and sufficiently deleted this other part.
33 But that they so mockingly reverse us, since we have learned the children in the catechismo to speak thus to the Bejichtvater: Worthy Lord etc., that we want to suffer. Who does not want to say "worthy Lord", say: dear Lord or dear Father. We do not force or condemn anyone with such words. We have God's commandment, which is to teach discipline and honor to the young, and to show respect to the old, especially to the priests 1) and to humble ourselves against them, as he says through Moses to the Levites: ut faciant filios Israel reverentes, you shall teach the children of Israel to be honorable etc. How then also such the worldly
1) Jenaer: "Honor erbieten".
The first thing that is required is that the youth and the rabble should be ashamed and respectful of their elders and teachers. But because the enthusiasts mock such necessary discipline, one can well realize that their high spirit is nothing but a malicious, deliberate hatred and envy, not only against our teachings and God's word, but also against all worldly discipline and honor. They are fed up with rebellion, and would like to have everything the same, and suffer no difference, but so far that they alone would be called worthy lords, and no one else, as Muenzer wanted to kill all lords, and be lord alone.
34 I would like that the youth and the populace should not only be accustomed to say: Worthy Lord, but also: Holy Lord, Holy Father, and that the confession should be called holy, the absolution holy, the sermon holy, and everything that belongs to the word holy, as St. Augustine and Jerome, and other fathers called themselves holy among themselves. I hope it will not break their legs, nor cause great heresy, since such honor is not done to the person, but to the office and the Word of God. If there were no error in the papacy, but that the pope was called the Most Holy, I would call him the Most Holy three times.
35 Oh, they are and remain blind litex, mixing the outward and the inward together. They have seen the smoke, but do not know where the fire burns. They have heard from us (for what can they have that they have not heard from us?) how we are all equal before God in spirit. They interpret this into the outward being, and want to make everything equal there as well. But the devil should educate us by such blind ladders, so that the young step on the necks of the old, and the mob tramples on the authorities and obedience! There is already too much courage in the youth and the rabble, therefore they think to put lice in the fur, and to untie the tail of the chickens, 2) as their father, the liar and murderer, drives them.
2) According to Wander, Sprüchwörterlex. II, 808: to make oneself unnecessary work, the chickens carry their tails high anyway; likewise one does not need to put lice in the fur, they grow there by themselves (idiä. Ill, 1824). iErlanger edition.)
2024 Erl. (2.) 2", 388-391. sec. 4. Wittenberg Concord. No.L5f. W. XVII, 2456-2458. 2025
36 And because I see such mischief coming forth, I beseech and exhort you all, especially, both council and congregation, to keep my instruction and faithful counsel favorable to me; I mean it well, I am now so eastwardly wicked that I must take all kinds of care. Take good care of the game, and do not put your eyes in bags, lest such preachers be with you, nor come to you; the devil is a mischievous one. Before the riot, I also warned the people of Mulhouse against the coiner, as I had the same copies printed for your and all the cities' warning. But whether the council could not do it at the time, or how it remained otherwise, I do not know; what followed is now, unfortunately, all too well known. I do not like to prophesy, and yet I do not foresee anything good in my heart from the impudent spirits: for they have not yet done anything good, but much evil. God forbid them, and keep you and all pious hearts in his pure word and right faith, in Christ our Lord, to whom be praise and glory forever and ever, amen.
Your willing
Doctor Martinus Luther. 1)
56. apology of the Protestant preachers at Frankfurt am Main, against a respectable council there, to the above letter of D. Matt. Luther. March 1, 1533.
The original of this document, written in Bucer's hand, is found in the archives of St. Thomas in Strasbourg and is entitled: "Eyn Bericht was zu Frankfort am Meyn von christlicher Religion vnd in sonders vom heyligen Sacrament des lehbs vnd bluts Christi gelert vnd geprediget, mit warhaffter Verantwortung des so die Prediger doselbst vor D. M. Luther in seyuem Brief an Ein Erb. Rath vnd gemeyn der stadt Frankfort vngütlich beschuldigt seynd." The title that the writing subsequently bore in print was added in the margin of the original by Bucer's amanuensis, Hubert. The first printing went out under the title: "Entschuldigung der diener am Evangelio Jesu Christi zu Francksurt am Meyn, Vff einen Sendbrief Martin Luthers im truck ausgegangen, An den Rath vund Gemeyne der Stat Francksurt. I. Thessalon. V. Check everything, and keep what is good." At the end: "Printed at Franckfurt am Meyn, by Christian Egnolff." 7 leaves. This manuscript was reprinted
1) This is followed in the original edition by "Luther's warning to the council and the congregation of the city of Mühlhausen", which has already been communicated in the 16th volume of our edition, Col. 2.
in 1615 on the occasion of the dispute between Lutherans and Reformed in Frankfurt. It is also found in tom. I. uator. eeales. couveutus Fruneok.; in Ritter's Evangelisches Denckmahl der Stadt Franckfurth am Mahn, p. 203; in the Supplement zur Leipzigischen A. C. Historie, Neustadt 1584, and in the second edition of the Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. 26, p. 390 after the first printing. According to the latter, we have corrected Walch's very erroneous text, which is probably printed from Ritter.
To the honorable, wise and prudent, to the council and the honorable community of the city of Frankfurt am Main, our favorable dear lords and friends, we wish grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord JESUS CHRIST, with the rendering of our submissive, completely willing service always ready beforehand.
Honorable, wise gentlemen and dear friends! The Holy Spirit teaches us in many places of Scripture how it is God's great wrath and heavy plague when He lets godless children and fools rule, as it is also a special great grace and blessing of God when He gives us godly authority. We therefore praise God, our most gracious Father, that He has so graciously preserved you until now, that you have by no means allowed yourselves to be moved to persecute the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Savior (although sometimes, especially by the aforementioned clergymen, much of this has been worked on with you orally and in writing2) ), but has given you an inclined, good-willing heart to His holy Word, which daily shows itself more and more in true Christian deeds. May the Lord, who works in all, both in will and in deed, carry out and complete his work begun in you, namely, the knowledge of his most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. For "this is eternal life," as Christ Himself teaches, "that we may know His Father, that He alone is true God, and whom He has sent, Jesus Christ" [John 17:3]. Therefore, since God and Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord, are nowhere better known than in the Word of God Himself, out of Christian zeal for the glory of God and the betterment of the people, you have called and commanded us to preach the holy gospel clearly and purely and faithfully; which command, as much as God has graciously given us, we have hitherto complied with, and desire to do further with God's grace, as long as it pleases Him; have also publicly offered ourselves many times, and still, as God has commanded us and all believers through Peter the Apostle [1 Petr. 3, 15.], to be ready to give up our faith.
2) Erlanger: "have".
To give an account to anyone who desires it. However, such a request did not take place with all of them, but some of them, our unfavorable ones, did not seek us out, did not seek an account of our faith, nor did they show us any error. And yet with fabricated words, or lying letters, Martin Luther has moved against us without necessity to advise them and, previously unwarned, to write against us. So that it may now be understood 1) what we have taught in matters of which we are accused, so that no one may be deterred from the teaching of Christ done through us, we want to report this as briefly as possible, and not excuse ourselves to anyone's harm. Therefore, it is our humble and most diligent request to you and all believers in Christ that you 2) receive our letter in the best possible way, based on Christian opinion, and that no one be turned away from the eternal, certain, salvific word of God, and that nothing be condemned in an unheard matter, nor that the persons be considered.
2: And first of all, we cordially ask all those who stand with us in error and doubt, 3) whom Martin Luther does not know nor know names, nor desires to know, which we also do not know that they will yet come to light, to ask us. Here we stand, and want to give them and all our doctrine based, reason and cause in all humility and truth. If they can teach better things from holy scripture, we want to accept it from them with gratitude and be gladly overcome by the truth. So let those who come from the Frankfurt Mass 4) tell us how we teach about the Holy Sacrament, and unitedly testify how we mock and reject Martin Luther's teaching in many ways, and see how they answer for it before God that they may lie so brazenly. For we have never kept the Lord's Supper at Mass, have not preached the Holy Sacrament, but have interpreted what the order of Scripture has given, nor have we thought of Martin Luther or his teaching in any way. Therefore, it is not always good to believe what is said, because unfortunately there are many useless talkers in the world who would like to cause trouble with untruth. May the Lord forbid them, improve them, and forgive them, for we have taught otherwise than has been taught. But that it is written that Luther's teaching is not heard from us; answer: We preach Christ crucified, offering
1) Erlanger: "kumm"...
2) In the original: "wöllen".
3) See K 2 of the previous paper.
4) Compare s 3 of the previous paper.
us also, as before, to responsibility of everyone who demands reason of the hope that is in us.
The sheep of Christ hear the voice of Christ; if we do not preach Christ, or an angel from heaven or a man on earth, it is not to be accepted; if we are proved to be in error by the word of God, let us be rebuked and desist.
(4) Of the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ we have taught, as prescribed by the holy evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luca, and St. Paul, and most salutary to the congregation of God, namely, that the Lord, as in his last supper, so also to his disciples, when they hold such his holy supper, according to his words, "Take, eat, this is my body," 2c, and "drink ye all of it, it is my blood," etc., in this sacrament he truly gives his true body and true blood to eat and drink, for the nourishment of their souls and eternal life, that they may abide in him, and he in them; having thereby with all diligence directed the people from all quarreling and unnecessary and forward disputing in this business to that which is useful, and is also meant and intended by Christ our Lord alone.
5 From this, E. W. and Lieb, also all believers in Christ, that we have not at all taught that in the Sacrament there is only bread and wine; Nor have we led carts or wagons too far or too deep into the mud, 5) but have exhorted in truth with the utmost diligence and earnestness, to accept the words of the Lord of simple faith, putting aside all false human glosses, and to remain undoubted in what they contain, also to receive the holy Sacrament, as the Lord has instituted it, devoutly and with grateful remembrance of his dying and shedding of blood. Thus we have taught that in the Lord's supper bread and wine are not changed in their nature, and that there is no change in the nature of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, as the Pontiffs taught; and that in the supper the bread and wine are not vain or bad, but sacramental, holy, yea, the Lord's bread and cup a holy sacrament of his true body and blood, and that for the sake of the custom and institution of Christ. It does not follow, however, that in our supper we have nothing but bread and wine, but as the Lord said, "Take, eat; this is my body, this is my blood.
5) See § 4 of the previous writing.
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his true natural body, and his true natural blood, and that to a true, right, essential food of our souls.
(6) With such teaching we have also shown and kept the right custom, also the fruits of the supper, abstaining from all quarrels of the sacrament, as we were also asked to do by E. E. 1) W., and letting each party remain in its respect. 1) W., abstain from all quarrels for the sake of the sacrament, and let each party remain in its respect and dignity; therefore have no other opinion, secret gloss, nor understanding in mind, which is knowledgeable to no man, but to God alone, testify this before Him and JEsu Christ our Lord and Judge, to whom nothing is hidden, that we have never thought to let ourselves be heard otherwise than we hold and believe in the truth; Nor has it ever been our purpose and opinion to deprive the Christian community of the precious treasure, the true presence of Christ, but that the faithful may have this treasure rightly and truly present and in them, we direct them first of all to Christ Himself, our one and only Savior, through a true faith, without which neither Word nor Sacrament can help, and all servants' words and deeds are a forgiven planting and watering; they also point not only to Christ, but also to his words, his and no man's opinion in his own words, teach, also believe, not what men, charcoal burners 2) or others believe, but what God means to believe, his holy true word; contains and is able to do. This and other things we have said freely without any falsehood, as much as God has let us know, nothing restrained, and where God would give us to know something weather in his word, we would like to teach it for his glory. We cannot learn it all at once, so we cannot teach it, but as God gives it to each one. Many a spirit cannot be put into a book at one time, but can be put into it later. Therefore, much writing, which, as we have heard, does not concern us, could have been spared, for which reason we also let it go, so that we can go to confession.
(7) Because we are accused of condemning and delaying it completely, which needs no excuse from your W., because we have answered for it about seven years ago, when it was written to you under the name of the bishop of Mainz that we teach that one should not confess; as you then, as we respect, have it in your office, so:
8. we have shown many confessions from the holy scriptures.
1) Erlanger: "E. F. W.", but one can see the signature.
2) Compare § 15 of the Hearing Scripture.
and taught, as there is the confession of the praise of God, confession of faith, confession or confession of sin against God, the heavenly Father, against the highest priest who can absolve in all cases of guilt and penance, namely Jesus Christ; against the neighbor who is offended; also in recounting of sins, for counseling and instruction: this we may testify with God and God-fearing people who have heard it. That is why we have taught to whom and how one should confess, and not: one should not confess. So much at the same time.
(9) If the false ones among us had heard our sermons on confession, they would have understood that their preachers do not entirely condemn and ridicule confession, nor should they have asked for advice on how to conduct themselves in it. But it is to be feared that hope, avarice and envy have blinded some, so that with open eyes they see nothing, which appears in that they are the cause that it is written against us: their preachers condemn and mock confession altogether. 3) True and divine confession of sins is not condemned by us, but we have taught that it should not be made by anyone except those who are driven to it by their repentance of sins and fear of divine wrath, for which reason it is not possible to demand it by commandments, for which reason neither the Lord himself nor the apostles commanded it. They also teach that it must not be done to the priest (by which word the papal priests are commonly understood), but whoever needs and desires counsel, comfort, or instruction, let him seek a truly Christian man of understanding, who can counsel, comfort, teach, and admonish, and that man, whether he be a preacher or any other man of understanding in God's Word, will faithfully inform him from the Scriptures of the right physician, who alone takes our sins, and will give counsel, comfort, and the like.
10. So we teach and keep it, but without prescribing what man or woman, young or old should say for sins, leaving it free, as one is driven by need, so he seeks help and counsel; We do not wish to act in such a way that everything is destroyed for more than three years, and neither God nor Christ, sacrament nor Christians remain any longer. 4) God protect us from this, because we would have to give an account of it before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ; indeed, God would demand the blood of those who perish because of our sin from our hands.
11. therefore we desire to testify that with JEsu
3) See § 21 of the previous writing.
4) See § 25 of the previous writing.
We do not want to have mad saints, but we think to educate Christians, as much as God gives us grace; and we do not want to make a sow stall out of Christ's churches, nor do we want to let anyone run to the sacrament like a sow to the trough, nor have we ever done so. For whoever desires to go to the Lord's table with us must first show himself; if he desires comfort, instruction and the like, no one will be denied it, but we do not require anyone to tell us about sin, because everyone does it voluntarily for the sake of comfort. We ask the young whether they can examine themselves before they go to the table of the Lord; also when we have the Lord's supper, we lay out the Lord's Prayer, the faith, the ten commandments, the word of holy sacraments of baptism and supper, read it to them, and admonish the parents that they instruct the youth as they are obliged to do; admonish also, as E. W. and Lieb well know, that they are to be instructed. W. and Lieb are well aware of, that they want to see to it that the schools are provided with learned, diligent and pious schoolmasters, so that the authorities in the city, the preachers in the church, the schoolmasters in the schools, and the house fathers at home may all act in such a way that it is pleasing to God and better for the people.
(12) Thus we teach of absolution, or remission of sins, that it is, to speak briefly of it, the preaching of the grace of God, or of the Gospel, whether it be to the multitude, or to one, or to some, that with the keys of the divine word one proclaims to the faithful forgiveness of their sins, and to the unfaithful that the wrath of God remain upon them. Why should we despise the preaching of God's grace, that is, absolution? Blessed is he who hears and believes, for through faith his sins will be forgiven in the sight of God, if all the world were to reserve it for him. Again, whoever binds himself through unbelief, who can absolve him of sins? There is no need to write much about this here; we have taught it abundantly enough, and we practice it in our sermons as well, when at the end of the sermon we tell the believers from God's word that their sins are forgiven, and reserved for the unbelievers; we instruct each one to examine himself to see if he believes it; for where God does not teach inwardly in the heart, the outward sermon alone is of no use.
13 From this we do not confirm the popes' auricular confession, condemn the doctrine, comfort or
Council research of confession, or the absolution that one should not tell people God's word, also does not mock even necessary discipline. If some (some of whom have never seen us or heard our sermon, have not read our books, if we have not let any go out, for otherwise there is no end to bookmaking) judge our spirit as if it were nothing but a malicious, deliberate hatred and envy, not only against Luther's and God's word, but also against all worldly discipline and honor; the rebellion stinks to our throats, and we would like to have everything the same, and suffer no difference, and be compared to coins etc., 1) we command Almighty God and Father, to whom nothing is hidden, but is a knower of hearts, to be judge between them and us, who is right or wrong, guilty or innocent. In the eyes of the world, however, a respectable council, who have heard our sermons; likewise a respectable congregation, as well as other lovers of the divine word, who hear us in and outside of the mass, know that this is not the truth. For we have taught nothing against God's word, against worldly discipline and honor, but we have admonished with earnest diligence to God's word and worldly discipline, also, as much as in us, diligence has been applied to prepare a pious people before God and an honorable, disciplined people before the world; even if some enemies of the truth say otherwise of us, there is no reason and no continuance.
14 We take comfort in knowing that the Pharisees call the gospel heresy, the worldly wise men rebellion, and we are not the first nor the last to whom it has happened or will happen. We are no better than Christ, who was brought before Pilatum and accused of turning the people away, and forbidding to give the emperor's lap, also: He has aroused the people, [to] say nothing of what happened to the holy apostles and others. We have, praise be to God, seen no rebellion in Frankfurt, have not preached rebellion, but have taught and exhorted with all diligence and faithfulness to the obedience of God and His word, even to the authorities ordained by God. For he who opposes the authorities opposes God's order, as St. Paul tells the Romans and God's word in many places. Why then should we resist God's order, because we would receive judgment against ourselves? There is no need to incite evil and love against us, for their goodness by the grace of God is not ours.
1) See § 33 of the previous paper.
2032 Erl.2s,3S8f. Section 4: Wittenberg Concordia. No.56f. W. XVII, 246S-2467. 2033
res of us, 1) and now some friends of the council have been ordered by an honorable council to do so, have excused us for the sake of 2) the bequests, and have also given a credible letter and seal of our innocence, that we have preached the word of God purely, well and rightly, and have not lived seditiously, which we do not report to you. But that some, annoyed by many letters and fabricated speeches, would be corrected, we let it be known here with this excuse, and as a respectable council and respectable congregation or Christian assembly testifies of us, we also do to them, as is fair. But whether there are still some unruly ones among us, we must tolerate them out of Christian love, and ask God for them, yet provide us to God, our gracious Father, that He will act Fatherly with us, and be with us through His Holy Spirit, that we walk and teach in such a way that [it] 3) serves His glory, for our comfort and the betterment of Christendom. This we desire from the bottom of our hearts with all of God's elect, that He may preserve us in the pure teaching of His Word, for His glory, the preservation of Christian discipline and obedience to the authorities, and that He may graciously protect us from false, perverse teachings, even from sneaks and secret, against the prohibition of the authorities, angle preachers. 4) We also hope in God through Jesus Christ that He will be our Father and will not abandon His children here on earth. In this, E.W. Lords and dearest friends in the Lord, we want to leave it at that, so that it is not necessary to answer for all words, and our innocence against you and all believers in Christ is shortly enough demonstrated. For we have not given anyone cause to write against us, nor do we want to prevent the diligence of the faithful in reading the Holy Scriptures with this writing; we sincerely request that this writing be received by us in the best possible way, as it has been done. May God, our merciful Father, through our Savior Jesus Christ, abundantly grant His Holy Spirit to E. E. W. and love, to grasp His holy Word rightly, to bring forth fruit from it, and thereby to remain and persevere firmly for the certain welfare and blessedness of their and their subjects. Amen. Command us here
1) Erlanger: "know".
2) "Beziegs" will probably be as much as Bezicht, accusation.
3) Erlanger: "that" instead of: that [it].
4) Allusion from Cellarius, who after his dismissal from St. Peter's Church continued to preach to the conventuals in the Catharine Monastery, administering Sacrament etc., whereas the other preachers complained to the City Council on August 29, 1532, "that Master Johann Cellarius was preaching secretly and in corners"; cf. Steitz, p. 250 f. (Erl. Ausg.)
with E. E. W. and love as willing and obedient servants, as far as our fortune in body and soul stretches, and we may answer for it with God. Given at Frankfurt am Main, on the first day of March, in the year 1533.
E. E. W. and love
willing and obedient Dionysius Melander. John Bernard. Peter Chombergius. Matthias Limpergius.
57. D. Martin Luther's letter to the Augsburg City Council that their preachers, who were not pure in the doctrine of the Lord's Supper but Zwinglian, were falsely adorning their doctrine with Luther's name. August 8, 1533.
The original of this letter can be found in the city archives of Augsburg (sealed in green wax with paper strips, the seal with the rose "in" shield, the size of half an inch, oblong, with the letters M. 4...), printed in: "Zwölfter Jahrs-Bericht des historischen Kreis-Vereins für den Regierungsbezirk von Schwaben und Neuburg. For the year 1846." Augsburg 1847, p. 69. Subsequently printed (with retention of several reading errors of the "Jahrs-Bericht") in the Erlangen edition, vol.56, p. 185 and (with improvement of the errors) in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 145. Previously already after a copy in the Weimar archive in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 71; in De Wette, vol. IV, 472 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 21.
To the honorable and prudent gentlemen, mayor and council of the imperial city of Augsburg, my favorable lords and friends.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, respectable, careful, dear lords and friends. It seems so respectable and credible to me that your preachers stand up and pretend to be in agreement with us in Wittenberg in the doctrine of the holy sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; they should also turn and quiet their words in the pulpit and elsewhere, so that one may take both opinions from it, and not say out of thin air 5) one opinion; that I could not refrain from requesting and warning your prudence with this writing. It is after all
5) Year report: "seyen".
It is indeed a burdensome thing that they let the common man walk in the false delusion that one believes this and the other that, and yet both parts hear the same word in the same disgusting faith and go to the sacrament in the same way, when in fact they neither hold anything different nor offer anything to the people but vain bread and wine; and it is also a heavy burden for us that they do this under our name and appearance, as if they could not deceive the people without us. Is therefore to E. For Christ's sake, you should keep your preachers to refrain from such a burden, and not boast to the people that they teach and hold the same with us, for we say no to this, and know all too well that they teach Zwinglian; They have never attributed a word to us, nor have they ever offered a word as to how they have become our doctrine and opinion, although it is well known, and can be heard from their printed catechism, that they have been, and still are, against us. If they want to teach and lead the people, let them leave our name in peace and use their own or their master's name; for we want to be innocent of their teaching and of all the souls that are deceived by them. Carefulness; and where it will not be enough, I must also testify to this by public writing before God and all the world, for it is (as Carefulness itself well recognizes) an unpleasant trade for us that we should know how people are deceived under our name, and remain silent about it, and thus confirm their deception. And I think that the F. must wonder themselves how they can be so bold, and boast of our name and doctrine, when they know otherwise, and are also enemies of our doctrine and name. Christ, our Lord, grant E. F. his grace, that you may bring and keep your city in the right pure doctrine of the Christian faith, Amen. The eighth day of August 1533.
Martinus Luther, Doctor.
1) Year report: "yeglichen".
The preachers at Augsburg wrote a letter to the council there, in which they showed how far they and the preachers at Strasbourg agreed with Luther about the Lord's Supper. September or beginning of Oel. 1533.
This writing is not addressed to Luther, but to the council of Augsburg, which Walch later realized and improved in the table of contents. The council sent it with an accompanying letter (Burkhardt, p. 216) to Luther on October 16, to which Luther replied with the letter in No. 59 on October 29. The letter is found in German in Hist. des Sacramentsstreits, p. 180; in Latin in Hospinians dist. suerani. k. Luther's letter to the Augsburg council was not delivered there until Sept. 2 (De Wette, VI, 145); according to this, our approximate time determination.
It is not without reason that we let ourselves be heard, and also hold it before God, that in the doctrine of the reverend Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ we are fundamentally in agreement with those at Wittenberg, and all who hold it with them, as we hear D. Luther in his last great confession of this Sacrament, and also their confession, which the Emperor's Majesty has given us at the Imperial Diet. Majest. delivered at the Imperial Diet allhie, according to D. Luther's letter in his great confession, in which he expressed his faith in the reverend sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most constant and abundant way, that the bread and the body of our Lord are two different beings, and that in the sacrament the two beings become one, which he called sacramental, and wrote these words: 2) It is not a natural and personal unity, as in God and Christ; so it is also perhaps a different unity, as the dove has with the Holy Spirit, and the flame with the angel. Nevertheless, there is also a sacramental unity, for it is indeed rightly said that when one points to the bread and says, "This is the body of Christ," he who sees the bread sees the body of Christ; just as John also says that he saw the Holy Spirit when he saw the dove, as has been heard. And so from now on it is rightly said that whoever attacks this bread attacks Christ's body, and whoever eats this bread eats Christ's body, and whoever crushes this bread with his teeth or tongue crushes Christ's body with his teeth or tongue; and yet it is always true that no one sees, grasps, eats or bites Christ's body, as one visibly sees and bites other flesh. For
2) In Luther's great Confession of the Lord's Supper, St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 1032, § 348 f.
What is done to the bread is rightly and properly appropriated to the body of Christ for the sake of sacramental unity etc.
2 These are D. Luther's own words in his Confession, ubi tractat de praedicatione iden- tica et opinione Wiclefii, in which, as in many others, he clearly and brightly confesses that the bread and the body of Christ are and remain naturally and essentially distinct, and are united only sacramentally. Item, the seeing, grasping, biting, which is oral eating, actually happens to the bread, and not to the body of Christ, but is assigned to the body of Christ for the sake of sacramental unification, just as the bodily seeing of John, which actually went no further than to the form of the dove, is assigned to the Holy Spirit, and John wants to say: I see the Holy Spirit, and points to the figure of the dove with which the Holy Spirit appeared: This is the Holy Spirit etc. And a little after this D. Luther writes: 1) This bread is the body of Christ, as the dove is the Holy Spirit, and the flames the angels. Item: 2) Such a way of speaking of different beings as of one is called the grammatici synecdochen, and is almost common, not only in Scripture, but also in all languages. As when I show or present a sack or bag, I say, "This is 100 guilders"; the sign and the little word "this" go to the bag; but because the bag and the guilders are, to some extent, one being, as a lump, it also applies to the guilders. According to the manner, I touch a barrel and say: This is Rhenish wine, this is Welsh wine, this is red wine. Item, I touch a glass and say: This is water, this is beer, this is ointment etc. In all these speeches, the little word "that" points to the vessel, and yet at the same time, or even primarily, it refers to the beverage etc.
3 These are once again D. Luther's words, in which we cannot see otherwise than that he always lets the bread and body of our Lord Jesus Christ remain a different being; But because the Lord has joined them together, and so far makes one being of them, that he gives and hands over to us his body and blood with these visible things (for thus speaks the Saxon Apologia), bread and wine, there is a sacramental unity between the body and bread of the Lord, and the little word "that" points not only to the bread, but at the same time and primarily to the body of the Lord, which is also primarily given to us there.
1) Ibid. Col. 1033, tz 380.
2) Ibid. Col. 1034, p 354.
will give. Well, such opinion we find also in all holy fathers, who all confess that there are two things: an earthly and a heavenly one, as Irenaeus, a present and unpresent one, as Chrysostom, a sign and designated one, as Augustine says.
(4) We also hold and teach this, and always instruct the people to seek Christ our Lord in the holy supper, and to recognize in these words, "Take, eat, this is my body," (etc.) that the true offering and gift of the Lord is not the bread and wine, (etc.) but the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, he himself, Christ our Lord, who is ever whole and undivided, in order to remind us the more and to awaken our faith better, has willed to do this giving and giving of himself, not only with words, but also with and through the signs of bread and wine, besides and with his words; Just as in baptism the new birth takes place not only with his words, which we hear, but also with the visible pouring or dousing, which St. Augustine calls the visible word; for our manner is thus to use such our signs, or clear pre-speaking and presenting, in all important presentations and promises.
(5) St. Chrysostom writes of this: Since the Word says, "This is my body," let us accept it and look at it with the understanding eyes of the mind; for Christ did not give anything sensible, but that which is done outwardly is sensible; the right things about it are all understandable or spiritual. So, in baptism the gift is obtained by this sensible of water 3); but that there the regeneration or renewal is effected, that the same is intelligible or spiritual, νοητόν. For if thou hadst not been bodily, he would have given thee the insufferable gifts merely; but since the soul is united with the body, he has given thee the that is, the intelligible or spiritual things in the sensible. Haec ille. Cyril, Dionysius, and also the great Concilium held at Nicaea, and all the Fathers, speak in this way. Thereby we also admit that one would like to say: I have seen Christ, and have taken him in my hand, and have gnashed my teeth, when I have seen the sacraments, and have taken them in my hand, and have gnashed them in my teeth, as the ancient fathers used to pretend to praise divine goodness.
3) In the old edition: "the gift of water is obtained through this sensitive".
have. But since such words may bring about something else than the opinion among the unbelievers, as they have also brought about, we wanted such words to be explained in the way that Luther himself explained them, namely, that these things: taking into the hands and mouth, biting, and the like, actually happen to the bread, and are added to the body of the Lord only because there is a sacramental unity between the bread and the body of the Lord, that is, that the body of the Lord is given to us with the bread. On this view, then, such sayings as, I see, I eat, I take in my hand and mouth the bread, which is a sacrament of the body of our Lord, that the body of the Lord may be given to us, are rightly used. As the Lord uses us servants for this purpose, as for other spiritual gifts he gives us here on earth, we can also say that we give the body and blood of the Lord to Christians; as St. Paul says to the Corinthians, "I have given you a new birth through the gospel"; to the Galatians, "Dear children, I am giving you back until Christ is formed in you," and the like. But all this is not done by the one who plants and grows, but it is God who gives the flourishing etc. And in the first book of the Sacrament 1) Luther writes these words very finely: We know that it is the Lord's Supper, and it is not called the Christians' Supper; for the Lord not only instituted it, but also makes it and keeps it, and is the cook, waiter, food and drink Himself. Haec ille.
How we can work with D. Luther's one.
(6) So far we cannot recognize anything else, except that we are in agreement with Luther. First, he confesses that two things are given in the Lord's Supper, distinguished by their nature and essence, namely, bread and the body of the Lord, wine and his blood. This we also confess.
(7) Secondly, he confesses that these two things have one nature and one unity with each other, which he calls sacramental, and this because the body and blood of the Lord are given to us in the sacrament, that is, with these visible things, as their Apologia says. This we also confess.
8 Thirdly, he confesses that for the sake of this sacramental unity, one would like to admit something to the body of the Lord, which is actually to be said to the body of the Lord.
1) Luther's writing, "Daß diese Worte etc. noch fest stehen," St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 884, § 305. - In the following, the old edition has "Leib" instead of: "HErr".
Body of Christ does not happen at all, but to the bread alone, as seeing, grasping, eating orally; as one says one has seen the Holy Spirit, or angels, since one has seen only the form of the dove, or flames of fire, so that the Holy Spirit and the angel have appeared etc. This we also confess.
9) Fourthly, he confesses that the Lord gives Himself first and foremost, and the servant ministers the Body and Blood of Christ by ministering to this offering with the presentation of the Word and Sacrament etc. This we also confess.
(10) Now count your own prudence, and all Christians, whether we unreasonably say that we are in agreement with Luther on the substance of this matter; for let all be accursed from us who say that in the Lord's Supper there is only bread and wine, and do not confess that the true gift and offering is the true body and blood of the Lord, even the Lord Himself wholly and completely, true God and man.
Where we do not celebrate one with D. Luther.
(11) But we might not find one thing in some of the secondary things and words. And first, inasmuch as our Lord Jesus ordained this his holy sacrament, as well as baptism, and all things which present his salvation to us, unto his disciples, upon whom these his words proceed: "This is my body, which is given for you; this is my blood, which is shed for you, for the remission of sins." Item, who are one bread and one body with one another, and have the true fellowship of his body and blood, that they are his members, 1 Cor. 10. From this we hold that no one receives the true body and true blood of the Lord, who does not truly believe in the Lord and is his member; for if we ministers recognize anyone who does not truly believe in Christ our Lord and is his member, we must not administer the sacrament to him, and that because Christ does not will it. If then Christ the Lord himself is the true priest and noble handler here, who also does not bind his actions to our works and knows everyone well: How then shall we say that he doeth what he hath promised us, when we know them, and they also do not desire his body, as indeed all unbelievers are, who also therefore are not clothed with Christ in baptism, though we baptize them like the good; neither do they receive forgiveness of sins, if we absolve and absolve them already on their false repentance. We are not the ones who primarily speak or act here, but Christ.
The Lord, who knows everyone and gives his gifts to everyone who believes, through us.
12 We hold more, as all the holy fathers and teachers hold, that the Lord spoke in the Lord's Supper, as of no other body and blood than John 6, so also of no other eating and drinking of his flesh and blood; except that in the Lord's Supper he gave this with signs of bread and wine, as he speaks in John 6, badly a sign or giving of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood. So the Christian church has always been in the act, and it has been witnessed by all the fathers, as many as we have, none of them excepted. The words of the Lord, spoken in both places, also give it. For what is the difference between this, "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world," and this, "Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you; take, drink, this is my blood, which is poured out for you for the remission of sins"? except that, as I said, in the Lord's Supper only the signs are more, and the giving over. So then, according to the words of the Lord himself, and according to the understanding of the same, which the Christian church has had from the beginning, as all the holy fathers testify, we consider the eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ in himself to be the same as that of which the Lord spoke in John 6 and that of which he spoke in the Lord's Supper, and John 6 says: "He that eateth my flesh, eateth my blood. 6 says: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him, and he has eternal life," which is none of the unbelievers' business. In this way, we cannot give the unbelievers anything more than the sacraments, but the partaking of Christ our Lord, which always brings eternal life, and so we keep it like St. Augustine. The same writes de de civitate Dei, libr. 21, cap. 25, that all who are not in the body of Christ do not eat the body of Christ; and the Lord himself taught Jn. 6, where he says: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." With these words, says St. Augustine, the Lord indicated what is not only sacramento tenus, that is, until the sacrament, but revera, that is, truly and distinctly eating the body of Christ and drinking his blood. For this is abiding in Christ, that Christ also abideth in him: for he spake thus, as saying, Whosoever abideth not in me, and in whom I abideth not, let him not say, nor think, that he eateth my body, or drinketh my blood. These are the words of Augustine.
(13) Now it may be that D. Luther and his followers hold differently, and the body and the blood
of the Lord among the evil and the good, believers and unbelievers. They say that God's promises are based on themselves and not on the faith or unbelief of men; we admit this. But if a promise of the Lord is made by name and expressly to believers, we cannot make it common to unbelievers. Now the words of the Lord's Supper were spoken to disciples, and to the disciples to whom these words also apply: "This is my body, which is given for you; this is my blood, which is poured out for you for the remission of sins. Thus Luther writes: "The false believers have nothing in their supper but bread and wine, because they pervert the words of the Lord. Now the wicked think nothing of it at all, and pervert these and other words of the Lord: what then shall they receive but bread and wine? Some others say that he who believes nothing receives nothing from Christ, as little as a mouse that eats the bread of the Lord. But those who nevertheless have a historic faith eat the body of Christ together with the bread, but to them for judgment. Hereby, however, the matter is also bound to faith. People can also be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, who even then eat nothing but bread and wine, if they do not want the body and blood of the Lord, and reject and do not want to accept such a precious gift of eternal life, which is offered to them through Word and Sacrament. Even the orthodox, who truly reject Christ, can still be guilty of the heavenly gifts if they do not receive them with proper devotion, as the Corinthians did, who were nevertheless dear brothers and members of Christ to Paul.
Comparison of the first piece.
14 In this we have put the comparison on this. We are servants of the churches, that is, of the orthodox (those who are outside do not concern us, so also the sacraments belong only to the faithful). Since God has given that we (as far as believers are concerned) are fundamentally one in this trade, what should we do with the ungodly on account of what they receive, since this trade is none of their business and we should have nothing to do with them in this matter? In Marburg, if they could otherwise have come to an agreement, Luther and his followers did not want to let anything stand in the way of Christian peace.
15. the other in which we do not want one
If we are asked how we receive Christ our Lord in the Lord's Supper, and have Him present, and eat Him, we say from the 6th chapter of John, 1 Corinth. 10, and then with all the holy fathers: that though this presence and partaking be inexpressible, yet so much may we know and teach it, yea, even find it, that we thus receive, have present, and eat Christ our Lord, that we be carried away in him, and increase, that we be in him, and he in us; that we be members of him, of his kind, flesh of his flesh, bone of his bones. This is what St. Paul wants to clarify when he says: "The cup in which we give thanks, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" For he proves this word at the same time, "For we are One Bread and One Body, for we all partake of One Bread." In this every one can see that St. Paul intends the fellowship of the body and blood of the Lord, which all who have part in the bread and cup of the Lord receive and have, to be such a fellowship, by which and through which we are One Bread and One Body; which we cannot be otherwise than in Christ, our common Head, as He now communicates His nature and life to us. Luther thus lets himself be heard as if he would say, if one asked him, "How is the Lord present in his supper? how is he not?" that it would be enough for him to know that the true body and the true blood of the Lord are present in the supper and are partaken of; but what form and measure he would command Him and would not inquire. But if one asked him, for what purpose it was present and was partaken of, he would say, as a pledge and assurance that he died to redeem us, and offered up his body and blood for us to the Father. etc. The fellowship that we have with Christ our Lord, that we are his members and he is our head, is based on spiritual usufruct, that is, faith in Christ. This is found, therefore, in the fact that we declare wherein the true presence and usufruct of Christ our Lord in the Lord's Supper stands and is to be recognized, namely, in the true communication of the nature and kind of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he now lives and dwells in us naturally (as Hilarius writes), and bodily (as Cyril says). And because Luther does not want to explain this, some disagreement has arisen between us and him, especially from the foregoing, that Luther does not want to explain the true presence of Christ in us. Luther also admits the true presence and use of Christ to those who take his word for it,
who do not have the spiritual use, which he also confesses otherwise, and therefore the true incorporation into Christ, since there is no Scripture that shows how those who do not truly believe in him truly receive and eat Christ in the sacrament.
Comparison of the other piece.
Now, however, as we observe, a comparison can also be made in this. Luther confesses with us that the sacramental use of Christ is for the sake of the spiritual use. Thus, at Marburg, he did not want to reject Christian peace on the grounds that we could not admit, for the above-mentioned reason, that anyone would truly receive or eat Christ our Lord, the food of eternal life, in himself, without faith. Thus, as I said before, we have nothing to do in these sacraments with those who do not have spiritual nourishment. Since I believe and confess the true presence and use of Christ among the faithful (for whom this sacrament is ordained by the Lord) to be full and perfect, as do Luther and someone else, and since our aforementioned declaration does not in any way interfere with this true and full presence and use, would Luther ever have reason to say that he does not believe and confess the true presence and use of Christ among the faithful? Luther would have reason to credit such a declaration to us, as he credits it to the holy fathers, who make all such declarations; for of course such a declaration does not detract from the true presence and enjoyment as the fathers make it. Thus D. Luther is often heard to say that he is concerned that one should not keep only bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, but that the true body and the true blood of the Lord should also be there and be partaken of,
(17) Thirdly, we are also not at one in this, that D. Luther and his followers always want to say badly without explanation. Luther and his followers always want to say badly without explanation, and have said of others: one has, eats and drinks the body and blood of the Lord bodily and orally, which we do not know how to say without explanation, since neither the holy Scriptures nor the dear fathers have spoken in this way. For although we recognize Luther's understanding in what is right and Christian, such words nevertheless want to give birth to a misunderstanding on the part of the common man. Luther does not want more from such words than that the true body and the true blood of the Lord be truly presented and partaken of with the bread and wine; he freely allows and writes it himself, as stated above, that the bodily and oral eating of the body and blood of the Lord does not suffice, but, if it does, then it is not to be taken away from the body and blood of the Lord.
If the bread and wine are actually given, they are given to the body and blood of the Lord for the sake of sacramental unity. Such an opinion is right, and we hold it so, and therefore we have not condemned these words in the sense in which they are now spoken; but the common man, namely among us, always wants, if one says that one eats the body of Christ in the Lord's Supper bodily and orally, or that the bread is the body of Christ bodily, as if there were something of natural unity between the bread and the body of the Lord, which D. Luther himself does not want. Luther himself does not want. Therefore we speak plainly, as the Scripture speaks, that the Lord gives us his body and blood to eat in the Lord's Supper; let this remain bodily and verbal; and so that we are not thought to be only setting up a pretended presence and eating of Christ in the Lord's Supper, we add the word: And again, lest anyone should think that the body and blood of the Lord are given to us for a destructive stomach food and drink, we also add that we receive this food and drink meant by believers, but in such a way that the whole soul and body of the Lord have true fellowship, and thereby become partakers of eternal life and the resurrection. Lutherum, for they themselves say that neither sense nor reason can attain to this food; just as it has also been said that faith should compensate for the lack of the senses: Praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui; and: Quod non capis, quod non vides, animosa firmat fides, praeter rerum ordinem; dys is, that you do not grasp, do not see, that 1) confirms the most confident faith, about the order of things. Moreover, in the matter of Irenaeum, Hilarium, and others, they also speak in the same way. Now for the sake of this point, if it is only a matter of words, and the little word "truly" is capable of and entails everything that may always be believed and confessed here, and is most unobjectionable for this, we do not see that there is any reason why someone could say that we are not one in principle etc.
The fourth thing in which we are divided, which is also the greatest and most difficult thing for us, and only a true division, is that D. Luther does not want to recognize our unity (which is the basis of this trade between us) and always says a straight "no" to it, since we must always say a straight "yes" to it, because we want to surrender differently than we recognize before God. But in doing so
1) "that" put by us instead of: "yet".
We have always complained that D. Luther does not want to recognize unity and has never let himself be heard against any man that he has a pleasure in us and wants to be united with us, whether he should certainly be one with us and is also united in the fundamentals of things. But it is also not new that people cannot understand each other out of affection, since they are of one mind. In Saxony, two people once fought with each other, one wanting Luther to be the most learned, the other Martinus to be the most learned, and yet they meant one man. But E. F. and all Christians are judges in the matter, whether we are basically one or not.
Decision of this article.
D. Luther sticks to the words of Scripture. So do we. He sticks with the fathers. Also we. Believe and teach, as the Saxon Confession reads. Also we. He wills that [we] in the holy supper, of the Lord first of all, of the servant, with bread and wine, receive the true body and the true blood of our Lord JEsu Christ, and truly drink it. We also.
(20) But we do not compare ourselves, first of all, in that we let this trade, which never belonged to an unbeliever, remain with the believers. There D. Luther speaks as if he wanted to make it common to unbelievers, although when we actually consider that he says how neither sense nor reason reach Christ, and unbelievers have nothing more than sense and reason, it seems to us that if the quarrel did not come so far, it would be easy to say, because of the sacrament (as Augustine and the ancients say), that there would be as much offered to the wicked as to the good; but in truth they feel nothing of our Lord Christ.
21 Secondly, if we explain with Scripture and the Fathers the presence and partaking of Christ in the Lord's Supper, that it is true fellowship with Christ, and such a sharing of His life and manner that we live in Him and are His members, Luther may want to leave this unexplained and not say any more, for the Lord is there and is partaken of.
22 Third, that he uses the words "oral" and "bodily" and wants to have used them, since we want to prevent misunderstanding. To prevent misunderstanding, let us stick to the word "truly" and speak as Johann Brenz does (who, after all, is primarily like Luther): "The mouth of faith eats the body of Christ, the mouth of the body eats the bread" etc.
(23) But if we have nothing to do with the ungodly, and believe and confess the promise of our Lord made to believers, and if the declaration we make in the Lord's Supper does not in any way detract from the true presence and enjoyment of Christ of our Lord, and if the word "truly" expresses all that we are to confess in the Lord's Supper, and if we let Luther's "bodily" and "verbal" remain in the sense he himself uses, we see no dispute in the truth of the matter, but only in words. Luther's "bodily" and "verbal" in the sense he himself sets, we see no dispute in the truth at the bottom of things, but only in words, and, most difficult for us, in his, D. Luther's, mind. Luther's mind: if our hearts and minds are inclined to true peace and right love toward him, we see that he preaches Christ to be our Lord and our one and only Savior, and that he does not set in the reason and conduct of the sacred sacrament (our mind) anything that we do not also hold and teach in truth. From all this, as far as we understand it before God, we cannot see otherwise than that we and D. Luther, as otherwise in all matters of Christian doctrine, thus also in the doctrine of the holy reverend sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, are one in substance, but not in words.
59. D. Martin Luther's short letter to the Augsburg city council concerning the preachers' response to his above letter. October 29, 1533.
From the Weimar Archive in the Leipzig Supplement, No. 122, p. 72; in De Wette, Vol. I V, p. 490 and in the Erlangen Edition, Vol. 55, p. 33.
To the prudent gentlemen of the city of Augsburg, my favorable lords.
60. D. Martin Luther's warning to the council of Münster against the Zwinglian and Schwärmer doctrine of the Sacrament. Dec. 21, 1532.
This letter is found ex ^.po^r. Vdd. lVIolani in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 72, no. 123: in Walch with the erroneous date 1533; in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 424; in the Erlangen edition, vol. 54, p. 345 and in Jvchmus' Geschichte der Kirchenreformation zu Münster etc. (Münster 1825), p. 79, without citation of the source. A Latin translation is found in the Provinzialarchiv zu Münster, Ns8. I. 231 d, Lol. Seidemann, "Lutherbriefe," p. 69, considers our writing to be a retranslation into German.
To the honorable and wise, mayor and council of the city of Münster, my favorable gentlemen and good friends.
Grace and peace in Christ our Lord and Savior. Honorable, wise, dear sirs! We have learned with joy, and also thank God from the bottom of our hearts, that God, the Father of all graces, has given us His dear Word and the knowledge of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and has stirred and warmed you by His Spirit, so that you have accepted it willingly and continually; therefore we are concerned (as the old enemy always creeps after your pure words) that a deceitful spirit might come to you, as happened to the Corinthians and Galatians after Paul's sermon. Therefore we ask you cordially for the sake of the known Christ, to take care of yourselves diligently and with all worries and to beware of the Zwingler and Schwärmer doctrine of the Sacrament. For even though God Himself has condemned them in the Coiner, the Agitator, the Huth, Balthasar, 1) and last of all also in the Zwingel himself, and thereby indicated how He is hostile to such teaching, there are still some reckless unrepentant spirits who despise such punishment and warning of God, but nevertheless run to and fro and blow out such gist, and confuse the simple-minded people. God has given you (as I have heard) fine preachers, especially M. Bernard; 2) nevertheless, it is necessary to admonish and warn these preachers faithfully, so that they may keep a careful watch.
1) Ludwig Hetzer, a follower of Zwingli, then an Anabaptist, was beheaded at Costnitz in 1529; Johann Huth was executed at Insbruck, Balthasar Hubmaier in Vienna.
2) Bernhard Rothmann.
2048 Erl. 54, 346. 55, 73. sec. 4. Wittenbergische Concordia. No. 60 f. W. XVII, 248S-2487. 2049
and pray to protect themselves and their people from such false teachers. The devil is a mischievous one, and can certainly seduce fine, pious and learned preachers, of which we have (unfortunately!) experienced many examples up to now. Those who have fallen away from the pure word, and have become Zwinglian, Münzerian or Anabaptist, have also become rebellious, and have always occasionally taken hold of the worldly government, as Zwingel himself also did; and it cannot be otherwise, for the devil is a lying spirit and a murdering spirit, John 8. Therefore, he who falls into lies must also come to murder in the end. Therefore, if you desire to have spiritual and temporal peace, 1) beware of false spirits. We have advised many people to do this, but you can see what happened to those who despised our advice. But we would gladly avoid both your danger and harm to body and soul. May our dear Lord and Savior help you, who will keep your faith in his pure word until his blessed and glorious future, amen. At Wittenberg, on the day of St. Thomas the Apostle [Dec. 21] 1532.
D. Martinus Luther, with his own hand.
C. Von Dum's and Melanchthon's meeting in Cassel Anno 1534. Luther's inclination to the Concordie and Bucer's proposed formula for it.
61 D. Mart. Luther's concerns about the union in the doctrine of Holy Communion sought by the Zwinglians, given to Melanchthon for the action at Cassel.
December 17, 1534.
This writing is found in the Hist. des Sacramentsstreits, p. 213; in the Supplement to the Leipzig A. C. Hist., p. 46; in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 329; in the Leipzig, vol. XXI, p. 92; in the Erlangen, vol. 55, p. 73 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 570. Latin in. of Heinrich Peter Rebenstock OoIIo^uia ete. D. Mart. Imtk., tom. II, toi. 43, without the first and the
1) In the old edition:'"Therefore was dear to them, have spiritual and temporal peace. So" etc.
both last" paragraphs, with many very gross errors (cf. St. Louiser Ausg., vol. XXII, Eint., p. IId ff.); in Seckendorf, Hist. I,utü^ lik. Ill, p. 79, from des Valentin Bavams oollsetan. LIss., tom. II, p. 557, with many changes; the last paragraph here is first there; the penultimate is missing, as in Rebenstock. The 7th Dec. at Seckendorf is a misprint; on the following page (x. 80a) the time is correctly given. Already De Wette correctly assumes that the Latin text is the original. The text given in the editions and here is a translation of the one given by Rebenstock. Since the Ooä. Keimst, 107. Libl. Kuelpk. is not available to us, we have left it at the old, good translation.
Translated from Latin.
My concern as to whether or not unity can be made between us and the Zwinglians of the Sacrament half is this:
First, we can in no way allow that one should say of us that we did not understand each other before both parts; for this expedient will be of little use in such a great matter, because we ourselves do not consider such things to be true in both parts. Others would also think that it was only made up for a sham, and thus our cause would only become worse and more doubtful. But because it is a matter that concerns everyone's conscience, it would not be good to cause such an uproar.
(2) Secondly, since this has hitherto been the discord, that they have held the sacrament to be a sign alone, while we have held it to be the true body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and have thus been at variance in the matter, it seems to me that it would not be expedient in any way to put forward a new and middle opinion for the sake of unity. As if they should allow the true body of Christ to be there, and we should give in that nothing would be eaten but the bread. I will be silent now and of conscience, as this would be fitting.
So one must nevertheless also mean this, that the middle opinion in such a trade, which concerns everybody, would make many a thought to the people, and many a thousand questions and opinions would arise from it; that it is therefore much safer that they remain with their sign, as before; for neither they would make theirs, nor we our part, much less we both
2) Instead of "before to", which is according to the Latin, De Wette offers: "from".
together could bring the whole world to this opinion, but would only provoke people to all sorts of strange thoughts. Therefore, I would much rather that the disagreement should remain in these two opinions than that there should be a cause for all kinds of innumerable questions, by which people would finally come to believe nothing at all.
Third, on our side we have, first of all, the clear, bright text of the Gospel for us, which not only moves the pious, but also others, not without cause. Then we also have for ourselves many sayings of the fathers, which one cannot so easily reject, nor with a good conscience interpret differently than they read, because the kind of language (grammatica) sounds so strongly with the text 1). Thirdly, it is also dangerous for us to conclude that the Church has not had the true understanding of the sacrament for so many hundreds of years throughout Christendom, because we all confess that the sacraments and the Word, though covered with many abominations, nevertheless remain.
Fourthly, the sayings of St. Augustine about the sign are not strong enough to overthrow these three pieces, as now told, especially because from St. Augustine's books it can be clearly shown and proved that he speaks either about the present body (as he says against Adamautium), or about the present body. Augustine's books it can be clearly shown and proven that he is speaking either of the signs of the present body (as when he says against the Adamautium: The Lord may call it his body, when he gave them the sign 2) of his body), or full of the sign of the spiritual body (corporis mystici), as he often uses, especially in John, where he indicates with many words that to eat the flesh of Christ is to eat the spiritual body, that is (as he uses to speak), to be in the fellowship, unity and love of the church; for these are his words.
Fifth, the strongest saying of Augustine against us is this, that he says: You will not eat the body that you see, and yet the heart remembers the clear words: "This is my body" etc. This saying can easily be interpreted that Augustine speaks of the visible body of Christ, as the words
1) Vine: tsxtns instead of: textni.
2) Thus the Latin. De Wette: "the sign as sign" etc.
In this opinion, Augustine does not argue against the clear words of Christ. Above all, Augustine is much too weak to turn us away from our opinion with this uncertain saying, which rhymes well enough with the words of Christ 3).
Sixthly. I cannot understand Augustine in any other way, as I also believe that he understood the Fathers before him, because he had to teach against the Jews and pagans that with Christians the body of Christ is not eaten visibly or bodily; and thus he had to defend the faith of the Sacrament. Again, against the false Christians he also had to teach that eating the Sacrament is in vain if one does not eat it spiritually, that is, if they are not incorporated into the Church and in agreement with it; and thus he urged and required love in the Sacrament, as may be clearly seen in Augustine. And there is no doubt that he would have taken this from the patriarchs before him and from the common custom of his time.
To the seventh. If I am allowed to keep all these pieces, as they are told now, I will not let myself be asked 4) much. For, God be my witness, I would gladly, if it were possible, buy off this disunity with my body and blood (even if I had more than one body). But how shall I do it? They are perhaps out of good conscience 5) caught with the other mind, therefore we want to tolerate them gladly. If they are pure, then 6) Christ the Lord will save them. On the other hand, I am truly imprisoned with the other mind out of a good conscience, unless I do not know myself; therefore let them tolerate me again, 7) if they cannot keep it with me.
If, however, they want to stick to their opinion on the point of the presence of the body of Christ with the bread, and ask that we tolerate one another, then
3) Vine offers: euni sono instead of: eonsono verkis Christi.
4) non is absent from vine.
5) Vine: snxlentin könn instead of: eonseientin könn.
6) Vine: nos instead of: eos.
7) Changed by us according to the Latin. In the editions: "darum dulden sie mich wieder nu".
I will gladly tolerate them, in the hope that we will come together in the future. However, I cannot be of one faith and mind with them. But where agreement is sought in worldly matters, this does not prevent the disparity of faith, as we know that marriage and other worldly matters can also exist among people of different religions. According to 1 Cor. 7, Christ help that Satan may be trampled under our feet perfectly, amen. 1)
And this is our opinion that the body of Christ is truly eaten in and with the bread, so that everything that the bread does and suffers, the body of Christ does and suffers, so that it is distributed, eaten, and bitten with the teeth. Anno 34, the 17th day of December. 2)
62. D. Martin Luther's Concerns Concerning the Lord's Supper. October 3 (?), 1529.
This concern is found handwritten in Dresden in the Ooä. Kolter, 0. 351, Bl. 107k, written by Veit Dietrich's hand, who placed it among pieces concerning the Marburg discussion. Seidemann had it printed in the Zeitschrift für hist. The arrangement (which we have followed) differs from that in the previous printings in that in the latter No. I to III form the beginning of the reflection, and only after the first paragraph the superscription: Ikrrna uotztrae 86nl6n1iÄ6, while Dietrich has provided the numbers I to I V with Latin headings. In addition, our writing is found (as belonging to the meeting in Casse! in Dec. 1534) in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 330; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. 336; in the Leipzig,. Bd. XXI, p. 93; in the Erlanger, Bd. 55, p. 76 and in De Wette, Bd. IV, p.573. In the determination of the time, we have followed the Erlanger Briefwechsel, Bd, VII, p. 164.
On the other hand, the fundamental and thorough opinion is this: that Christ's body must be in one place, iocaliter, spatially, that is, according to width and length, and cannot be otherwise.
1) This paragraph is missing from De Wette.
2) This last § reads according to the original Latin text thus improved: But our opinion is this: The body is thus with or in the bread, that it is truly eaten with the bread, and that everything which the bread works and suffers also belongs to the body of Christ; so that one says with truth that the body of Christ is carried, handed out, received, eaten, when the bread is carried, handed out, received, eaten. This is what the words mean: "This is my body" etc. (Walch). - What original text is meant, we do not know.
The body cannot be in many places at the same time, because it is local, according to width and length. Nor can it be that many other bodies are present to the body, which are not in the same place, and which are not themselves with one another.
On the other hand, we hold that Christ's body does not have to be in one place only locally, spatially, according to width and length, but that Christ's body may also be in other ways in more places at the same time; and we hold that Christ's body and blood are truly and substantially present in the other places and bodies where he has committed himself to be, as with bread and wine in the sacrament. And is this not true, that the body of Christ cannot be otherwise than locally, spatially, according to breadth and length.
Positum propter adversarios.
I. We hold that Christ is not alone thus present with the bread in the Sacrament, by its effect, or as some speak, virtuuliter 6t ollsetivo.
Positum propter adversarios.
II. We also hold that Christ is present with the bread, not according to the Godhead alone.
Nostra sententia.
III We hold that the Body and Blood of Christ is also substantially-Iiterally and essentially-present with the bread and wine in the Sacrament.
Nostra sententia.
IV. We also hold that by virtue of this Pacti the Body of Christ is present with your bread and wine in the Sacrament, even though the unworthy use and eat the Sacrament.
xxx xxxxxxxxxxx [Philip designed it].
Martinus Luther.
63 Martin Bucer's Opinion of the Holy Communion. After Dec. 17, 1534.
From a Strasbourg manuscript - The content of this document indicates with certainty that it refers to Luther's Instruction for Melanchthon (No. 61). After that, our time determination.
Translated from Latin by M. A. Tittel.
1. when D. Luther asks: What do I answer to his thoughts? my faith is this: and that is.
First of all, I confess that it seems to me as if Luther unites the body and the bread in a natural way, and I know that the most distinguished of this part are of the same opinion. But he teaches only a sacramental union of the bread and the body of the Lord, and not a natural one. On the other hand, he has judged us to recognize in the Lord's Supper only a presentation of the signs, but not a true presentation and eating of the body and blood of Christ through the signs. But if we are aware otherwise, and have testified to the same in public books, I am therefore assured that we have not yet rightly understood what we believe in both parts, especially before Luther's great confession.
(2) But that we did not yet understand each other, I do not want to interpret to the offense of the churches; but it could be interpreted in such a way that it was useful to promote the glory of Christ, but not to hinder it. But one can deal with this in the learned conversation.
3) Secondly, since we do not recognize that we are only bringing an empty sign onto the path, nor do we desire that D. Luther admits that one eats only the bare bread: so we must not bring up a new or middle opinion, but that we only give from us in such words those which we already have on both sides, so that one sees that it is the same. Which we think we can do so well that, since we are both following the words of Christ: "Take, eat, this is my body," and thus admit that here not only bread, but also and especially the body itself is given, received, and eaten, we would also add to this the explanation of such words, together with that which the Lord Doctor has set forth in his great confession, namely, that eating with the mouth, chewing and gorging after the sacramental union, is attached to the body of Christ, just as it is said of the fathers that they saw the Lord, and of John that he saw the Holy Spirit; although the eyes only saw the pillar of cloud and the form of the dove. We admit on both sides that the bread and the body of Christ are in their nature quite different things, and that the body of Christ is free from suffering (scil. eat, chew etc.); for on our side there is nothing at all in the way that we cannot, as far as most people are concerned, make ourselves out to be the Lord Doctor's party in this. For
They 1) teach that to the body of Christ happens and comes without interpretation and in a bad way just what happens and comes to the bread. Therefore, if it seems that under the bread and body of Christ a natural union is taught, and that in these words, "This is my body," one is as much as the other, it is necessary to explain with the ancient Fathers in what way the body of Christ is actually received; and that when one says that one takes the body of Christ in the hand, puts it in the mouth, chews it, and the like, this expresses the sacramental union. That is, to say that with the bread the body of Christ is truly presented and received, is actually added to the bread and body of Christ by a synedoche. This, because it is in accordance with Scripture and all orthodox believers hold it so, can undoubtedly go on without any offense from the churches.
(4) Thirdly, fourthly, fifthly, and sixthly, I answer, that we also badly abide by the words of Scripture and of all the ancient fathers, and need them all the more, because, if we are satisfied with them, the peace of all the churches will soon be established.
In the seventh place, our conscience seeks to prevent only three things in trade: 1) that no natural union of the body of Christ with the bread and wine be kept; 2) that the body of Christ not be subjected to the food of the belly or to the effects of the same; 3) that the sacramental union not be extended so far that whoever receives or has the sacrament not be regarded immediately as enjoying and having the food of eternal life, just as the food of bodily life. This error is abused by the popes, who ask little about faith and regard only the sacrament as something salvific, which in many ways brings and confers grace.
If these three things are excluded and we are allowed to exclude them, which we hope the doctor will do, then we must not refuse to say in this disputation that we truly and certainly believe such a presence of Christ here. If, however, Luther's conscience thinks that it is better that what actually happens to the bread should be attached to the body of Christ without any explanation of this kind of combination (synecdoche), we ask that he may see how our conscience does not accept the explanation of such combination.
1) That is, Luther's party.
2056 Erl.88,86, Sect. 4: Wittenberg Concordia. No. 63 ff. W. XVII, 2494-2497. 2057
The new method of recording with good reason, especially in our churches, is required.
7. Since the papal error is still going on in the world, by which Christ is so bound to the figures of bread and wine that they promise a salvific presence wherever they are, and do not remember a word about faith, by which Christ is salvifically received: It seems to be necessary to explain clearly how and to what purpose Christ presents himself to us in these signs, and that he is given, received, and eaten through these signs in such a way that he does not suffer anything from our body, if one really wants to speak.
8 For the rest, I do not doubt that we have the same opinion as the doctor. Therefore we claim that we stand together in the same faith and doctrine. And if the Doctor is not yet able to take it sufficiently from our words, we ask that he tolerate us a little in Christ, for we hope to finally make it clear to him.
64. D. Martin Luther's Opinion of Bucer's Statement.
This writing, which belongs to the year 1531, does not refer to the previous document. It is duplicated by Walch and already communicated to Col. 1975.
65. "Bucer's Opinion." Extract from a letter of Philipp Melanchthon to Agricola. Ans. Feb. 1535.
This document is by Walch from the Strasbourg manuscript. With a completely changed entrance, but otherwise verbatim (with very slight deviations) in the Oorv. Rec., Vol. II, 827, as part of a letter to Joh. Agricola, which is printed from Melanchthon's original in the 6od. Dresden, is printed. Walch's caption reads: "Extract of a letter from Philippi Melanchthonis to the Elector of Saxony, from Casse! For further illumination of this matter, the following should be said here: Melanchthon had addressed the letter to Agricola and others on behalf of the Elector and the Wittenberg doctors, because Luther not only wanted to judge the matter, but also to hear the opinion of others. The question was to be answered: whether those who held as indicated in the enclosed document could be tolerated without having to condemn them? The first sentence of this document is therefore to be understood as an interrogative sentence. The following is exposition of Bucer's opinion, and Peucer has rightly written about it: Kentientia Buwri. We do not know what is the meaning of Melanchthon's letter to the Elector. Agricola's letter has no date, but it belongs to the same time as No. 69, 70 and 71. See De Wette, Vol. IV, D. 588 and Oorx. Vol. II, 835.
Whether Bucerus and others are to be tolerated so that they are not damned? If they offer to teach according to the Confessio and Apologia in the whole of Christian doctrine and of the Sacrament, and so that no deceit is sought or meant from the Sacrament, they declare themselves thus from the true presence, that they confess 1) that the body of Christ is truly and essentially received, and that bread and wine are signs, signa ex hibitiva, which, when they are given and received, the body of Christ is given and received at the same time, and thus hold that the bread and the body are thus with one another, not with a mixture of their essence, but as sacrament, and that which is given together with the sacrament. Quo posito aliud ponitur. For since it is held on both parts that bread and wine remain, they hold such sacramentalem conjunctionem.
66 D. Martin Luther's objection to the Concordia, issued on the prince's orders. End of January 1535.
This concern is found in the Hist. des Sacramentsftreits, p. 216; in the Altenburger Ausgabe, vol. VI, p. 434; in the Leipziger, vol. XXI, p. 94; in the Erlanger, vol. 55, p. 85 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 589 after the original. The latter has confirmed our time determination, which Köstlin, Martin Luther (3.), vol. II, p. 666 ad p. 340, but Burkhardt, p. 230, by: "oa. 12. January" would like to know.
In Bucer's opinion, which Magister Philippus of Cassel has brought, this is my discretion. First, because it states that the preachers want to and should teach according to the Apologia or Confession, I cannot and do not know how to refuse such a Concordia for my person.
On the other hand, because they clearly confess that Christ's body is truly and essentially served, received and eaten in the bread of the Lord's Supper, etc.: Where their heart stands, as the words read, I do not know how to punish the words this time.
1) The preceding reads in Walch as follows: "Mr. Bucerus has been in Augsburg five weeks, has preached there, and reports that the preachers promised the authorities to teach about the Sacrament and other articles of the Confession and Apology in accordance with them; which they also promised beforehand at the request of the authorities, as they reported to him, and that no fraud was sought or meant. Of the truthful presence he reports that they confess" etc.
Thirdly, now that this matter has been torn far and wide from the beginning, so that it is still hard to believe among our people that they mean it as sincerely as the words are written, and the concern is still so strong that some of them are almost hostile to our name and faith, I consider it useful and good that the Concordia should not be closed so suddenly, so that it is not overhasty and no discord arises among our people. For they also belong to the matter that is not mine or anyone else's alone, but if one were to begin to act more kindly toward one another from the words that have been spoken, it would in time become clear 2) whether their opinion was pure and right, or whether they had something behind it, so that such concordia would subsequently become worse discordia etc.
In this way, however, ours could let go of the suspicion or grumbling for the fifth time, then finally drop it, and when the murky waters had settled on both sides, a right permanent unity could be decided upon, which, with everyone's consent, would be accepted by all willingly and unnecessarily without suspicion for the right reason, which cannot be done well or easily without further discussion and knowledge.
67 Appendix to a statement by Luther about Bucer's opinion. Perhaps Dec. 17, 1534.
Walch brings this as an "appendix" from the Strasbourg manuscript under the following title: "Appendix to the Declaration of Luther on the above Opinion of Buceri, written after the Return of Phil. Metanchthonis from Cassel", but De Wette says that it is not found in the original in the Weimar archives. The fact that it is not written in German, but in Latin, also makes it suspicious as an "appendix to a concern for the Elector". It seems to us that, as much as can be discerned from the content of the poor translation, this document must be set earlier or perhaps at the same time as Luther's Instruction for Melanchthon, of Dec. 17, 1534 (above no. 61), with which it coincides in some respects, but was not written only after Melanchthon's return from Cassel. Possibly it is an appendix to the same instruction.
Germanized.
1. look 1) at the present, past and future peoples. You have to see the
1) In the original: "begonst".
2) "ereigen" - to behold, to set before eyes.
2) to the scriptures; 3) to the sayings of the fathers; 4) to the custom of the church.
(2) If then the contrary sayings [of the fathers] take place, how do they prove that Christ's body is essentially there? rather, such sayings do not admit that Christ's body is there, saying rather that it is only a sign; consequently, he himself must not be there. Therefore it is only deception, and they do not really admit that Christ is there, only that they receive that it is a sign; in time they will change again. That is why they admit it for a while, out of necessity: 1) because they are already obviously lying, since they say that they have not understood us. This cannot be admitted. 2) Because others at Augsburg, Ulm etc. do not agree at the same time. And so they will afterwards cry out that we have given in, that they have remained firm; and the latter will become worse than the former if the agreement is not reached honestly.
If we then fall and God... awakens against us, the world may perish, if only the right is preserved.
There are two lies: 1) that they say that they have not understood us; 2) that they say that the body of Christ is not there, because the sayings of the fathers are to this effect, leading the figure or meaning, that is, indicating the absence of the body and blood. If we have no other reason to defend ourselves against the enemy, it is better not to defend ourselves. The text of the Gospel is clear; the sayings of the Fathers are unanimous, and the Church's applause is true and useful.
5 On the other hand, one or another adverse place or testimony does nothing, since they are obscure and uncertain, and can be interpreted quite well. Therefore, one must not rely on the uncertain and throw away the certain places. For the conscience will not suffer it afterwards, if I have drawn so many peoples with so weak sayings against so many strong ones into a new opinion. But the explanation is that the fathers speak of the meaning of a thing that is present at the same time, and thus do not deny the present, contrary to the carnal ca-.
1) against the hypocrites who worship without love, from the secret thing for love's sake, which is signified by the sacrament, 2) for they also thought of the sign of the absent body, as we and the Fathers do. How Origen indulges in allegories and flowery things. Therefore the figures prove nothing. Although so far only One figure has been tolerated, but who can conclude to the prohibition of all of them? For the prohibition itself is a new sin and blasphemy, and surpasses the sin of a mere suppression, or rather robbery of both figures. For it is as much as denying God and rejecting the gospel of Christ.
68 Melanchthon's letter to Johann Brenz, who admonished him from the Concord. The 12. 3) Jan. 1535.
This letter is found in Melanchthon's exist. no. 114 according to the London edition. In the 6orx. Lok., vol. II, 823 with the time determination set by us.
Translated into German.
To Johann Brenz, teacher of the Gospel in Schwäbisch-Hall.
Hail! God be happy, your brother is traveling to you, a fine young man, who is well worth loving, both because of his natural affinity and because of his exceedingly lovely manners. As often as I look at him, methinks I see your mind and your face portrayed. Therefore I wish you happiness with such a brother, and I wish you from the bottom of my heart that you may happily enjoy your brotherly love towards each other! He will soon have to lay the foundation in worldly wisdom and the sciences that he has the opportunity to learn here with us. For I want him to be instructed in worldly wisdom.
You have written several times about the Sacramentarians and advise against unity, even though they lean toward Luther's opinion. My dear Brenz, if there are people who do not know rightly about the Trinity or other articles
1) pro äekoQsiooo ratiovis, or of reason. (Walch.)
2) What is meant by the immediately preceding will be found in No. 61, § 6 (Col. 2051).
3) Peucer has January 21, as does Melanchthon's Oonsil. tat. The Strasbourg copy has March 21.
I will have nothing to do with them, but consider them to be those who must be condemned. But I hope that there are none among those who preside over the churches in the cities that are connected with ours. If you know anything about it, report it.
I heard Bucer complain a great deal about Sebastian Frank in Ulm, and he assured us that the righteous men in Ulm, especially Frecht, were displeased with him. And the landgrave promised us that he would write to the people of Ulm to keep him in check.
But nothing has yet been said about unity. I have only brought Bucer's opinions here. But I wish I could speak to you orally about the dispute. I do not set myself up as a judge, and gladly yield to you who govern the church, and assert the true presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper. I did not like to introduce or defend a new doctrine in the church; but I see that there are many testimonies of the old scribes who undoubtedly explain the mystery by a sign (figure) and in an obscure way. The contrary testimonies are either more recent or spurious. You must also see if you defend the old opinion. But I wish very much that the godly church would judge and settle this dispute without falsehood and tyranny!
5 In France and other places, many are executed because of this opinion. And many call such sentences justified in the carousal, and strengthen the anger of the tyrants. This matter, I confess, offends me greatly. Therefore I ask you only this, that you do not go too fast in this, but consult the old church about it.
I would like the unity to be established without some deceit and guile. But I also wanted that honest people could act in love with each other about such an important matter. In this way, a true and firm unity could be achieved without deception. For I do not doubt that the adversaries would gladly abandon their opinion if they thought it was new. For you know that there are many righteous people among them.
They are now leaning on Luther's side, and they are moved to do so by some testimonies of the church scribes. What do you think we should do here? Will you also forbid us to talk with them? I, for my part, wish that we would often talk together about this as well as many other things!
You see that in other articles both they and we now present many things in a better way, after we have diligently dealt with them. But I
I close, and ask you to interpret this letter for the best, and when it is read, tear it up immediately and show it to no one. I also ask you to answer me in a roundabout way. But in any case I will discuss it with you once. Farewell. January 12, 1535.
69 Philipp Melanchthon's other letter to Brenz, to which he enclosed Bucer's opinion of the Lord's Supper. Beginning of February 1535.
This letter is from Melanchthon's epist., lid. Ill, D. 565 according to the London edition. Also in the Oorp. Lei, vol. II, 843.
Germanized.
To the esteemed Johann Brenz, teacher of the Gospel at Schwäbisch-Hall, his friend.
Hail! I send you the essay (formula) of Bucer's opinion, which he now clearly confesses in public writings. Luther does not condemn it completely, but he has not yet reached a verdict. He does with it, as you also consider it good, that we consult the time. But I am commanded to write to you and many others, and to inquire your opinion: whether you think that those are to be tolerated who thus 1) hold and teach?
About this I ask you to answer, and not too vehemently. For I do not argue with them. But I think, as Achilles says to his Phoenix, "It is for you to grieve with me the one who grieves me, for I may well joke with you in this way.
70 Melanchthon's letter to Bucer, in which he told him of Luther's inclination to purge Nach
issued. Feb. 3, 1535.
This letter is found in Melanchthon's epist., lid. Ill, x. 545, vo. 73 of the London edition; in the Oonsiliis Llel. latin., ?.. I, p. 250; in Peucers traet. trist., p. 57; in Hospinians tristor. Sacrament. k. II, p. 235; in Pezel's narrative of the Sacrameutsstreit, p. 28 and in the. Oorx>. Lei, vol. II, 841.
Translated from Latin.
1) In the old edition: "different".
To the worthy man, Mr. Martin Bucer, preacher of the Gospel at Strasbourg, his worthy friend.
Hail! I have handed over to our people the formula you prepared, and I have also given Luther your letter and your other writings. First, however, I assure you that Luther now judges and speaks of you and your colleagues quite kindly.
2 Then he does not condemn your formula or opinion, but still does not want to enter into a comparison, but thinks that one must first deal with Osiander and Brenz and others, so that they will like the same. In addition, he thinks that we should also inquire about the attitude of the preachers in your cities, although I have told ours what you have told me about the Swabian preachers.
He is therefore now more lenient, but still wants to have the deal postponed, which I am very happy to see for many reasons. For it is also very useful for you to take time, both to discuss the matter and to make it easier. And now meetings will be held all over Germany, and this will give us the opportunity to consider the matter more diligently.
Now I will have to write to Luther's followers. In the meantime, you will not need to do anything with yours until I have written to you again about our opinion. This short delay will hopefully not cause any trouble.
You can be assured that you and the other righteous people, your co-workers, are warmly loved by me. It is easy to see what my intention was from the beginning, namely, that after common consultation both truth would be revealed and harmony would be strengthened. And I do not think that it is useful for the church that each one starts something new with disregard of the judgment of the brothers, and I wish again with all my heart that the pious and learned men could once discuss with each other in love and freedom.
With knowledge and will, the truth shall not be darkened by me, or the "scattered" churches even more disturbed, but rather I seek, as much as I can, to unite the churches and to counsel the doubtful consciences. My writings bear witness to how much I have explained in doctrines of faith, which were previously dealt with in a confused manner by our people. Would to God that I could also help the Church in this trade to some extent. I have all the testimonies to-
I have been able to find in this, so that we could discuss it. There is an extraordinary disparity in it. In Epiphanius I have found nothing but these words of the baptism and supper of the Lord: Christ became truly man and was baptized, so that those who come may also receive the power of his humiliation and be enlightened by his illumination, so that the word of the prophet may be fulfilled here: for the change of power, for the presentation of salvation, the power of the bread received from Jerusalem and the strength of the water. Therefore we are made strong here in Christ through the power of the bread and the strength of the water; but in such a way that the bread itself is not the power for us, but the power of the bread. For the food is indeed the bread, but the power is in it to make alive. And the water cleanseth not 4ms alone, but the strength of the water by faith, and the saving effect, and hope, and perfection of the mysteries and names of sanctification, prospereth us unto the perfection of salvation. Fare well. February 3, 1535.
Melanchthon's letter to Urban Rhegius, to whom he also sends the copy of Bucer's opinion of the holy night meal. Beginning of February 1535.
Complete in Walch from Melanchthon's epist., lid. Ill, p. 566; in the Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 217 and in your Strasbourg manuscript. Incomplete, with omission of the beginning and conclusion, in Oorp. Uet., Bb. II, 843 according to Pezel's Nel. Oonsii. tat., u. I, p. 252; Peucers traotat. dist., p. 56 and Hospinians tust. Kaorauaent., II, p. 235.
Germanized.
Both you and I are excused because of constant work or rather afflictions, that we are not considered impolite because of tardiness in writing. Now, however, there is an important reason why I must write to you, and I am glad that I have found a faithful messenger in our Georg. At Cassel I talked with Bucer about the controversy of the holy night meal, and I have taken the copy of his opinion with me, which I am sending to you. He assures me that he and his fellow clergymen in Strasbourg believed and taught so from the heart; he also said that the preachers of the upper cities, in Ulm, Augsburg, Costnitz, and those around there, would be of the same opinion. He therefore requests that
that there will be unity among us, so that even if ours still suspend something, they will not condemn them, and will moderate their opinion until the whole matter is compared even more at some meeting. Luther's answer is quite mild, but he refers the matter to the other teachers of the Gospel. He wants you and others to be heard as well, so that a common agreement can be reached. I have therefore sent you a copy of the opinion and ask you to tell me whether those who teach in this way are to be tolerated and not condemned, since there is finally hope for complete harmony. I fully believe that they are not far from the opinion of ours, indeed, that they are one with us in the matter itself, therefore I do not condemn them. But I am waiting for your answer. Do not let the copy become known (or printed) until the whole deal is settled. Farewell. Wittenberg, 1535.
Phil. Melanchthon.
D. Of the efforts of the preachers at Augsburg, Alm and Strasbourg to promote Concord.
The letter of D. Urban Rhegius to the preachers of Augsburg. July 14, 1535.
From a Strasbourg manuscript.
Translated into German by M. A. Tittel.
To the righteous and learned gentlemen, preachers of the church at Augsburg.
The excellent Lord D. Gereon, 1) my most esteemed friend, has given me, dearest brothers, your letter of July 10 in Zell, from which I can see both the condition of your churches and your love for me, which is dear to my heart. For since I lived five years ago in Augsburg as a legally appointed servant of the churches, and have never forgotten such a holy congregation until this very hour, nothing more pleasant could have been written and reported to me at this time than what the Herr Doctor brought before me by your council's order, and you also wrote that all seeds of discord have been dampened among you, and on the other hand a godly and firm harmony has been established; and that you have also brought your Urban, who is in the outermost border of
1) D. Gereon Seiler, physician at Augsburg.
You have not only remembered, but you have also persuaded a noble council and people in Augsburg to call him back to his former teaching position by means of a noble message. Which you are doing by such strong persuasion that I cannot doubt in the least whether I would have liked everything to have been written by you in the first place.
Therefore, dear lords and brothers, I must also reveal my thoughts to you and assure you that I still love the Augsburg Church to such an extent that I would dare and take upon myself everything to increase its pure faith and doctrine and to preserve it. So neither the discomfort of such a dangerous journey, nor the inordinate costs, nor my weak physical condition would have prevented me in the least from coming back, if I had otherwise been able to obtain everything that belongs to the journey. For several of you who know me better know that I did not undertake many dangerous journeys during the fourteen years without great damage to my household for the sake of the Gospel of God's grace, that it is no wonder that a person who is now 46 years old and blessed by God with many children, once sees where he may remain permanently. Because the Lüneburg Church has now, by the grace of God, attained the desired peace in the secular as well as in the spiritual congregation (in foro et choro), I have again come to my most Christian prince, whom the Lord V. Gereon will describe to you in such a way according to the truth that you will have to love and revere him highly even absent and unknown, to whom I also recently committed myself to serve for life, so that I am no longer my own or free; and the prince, who is otherwise very favorable to the common people of Augsburg, has not been able to live here to please you. The duchy is very large, and in it the bishops of Hildesheim, Bremen, Verden, and Marienburg have been deprived of all jurisdiction or rule, and the superintendence over all in the entire duchy has been imposed on me, which the wolves, who are stalking the sheepfold entrusted to me from all of Friesland in the vicinity, as well as Westphalia and Denmark, make very sour. So take it well, and excuse me to all the pious, that I do not come, but still want to stay in these horrible and dangerous places, although as a bad or evil tool of a good hand, as despising the reputation. But you, chosen brethren, in the meantime have watchfulness, as you are wont to have. Take care of yourselves and your
Army, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops to govern the Church of God, which He redeemed with His precious blood, and remember what trouble Athens and Corinth also gave to the so highly learned apostle. Enough has been said for the wise. Pray for me. In haste, at Zell in Saxony, July 14, 1535.
D. Urbanus Regius, Superintendent of the Duchy of Lüneburg.
73 Des D. Justus Jonas Schreiben an die Augsburger Prediger, im Namen der Universität zu
Wittenberg. July 19, 1535.
From the Strasbourg Manuscript.
Translated from Latin by M. A. Littet.
Grace and peace in Christ.
That in these lands the hope of establishing peace and harmony in the trade of the Lord's Supper has been received with great joy and rejoicing will be told to you by the ambassadors of the high noble council of Augsburg and the deputies of your church, Mr. D. Gereon and Mr. Casp. Huberinus, will tell you orally. And I would have written to you, beloved lords and brothers, about this important matter with more, if the wandering (or fleeing) of our school had not occurred, of which Mr. D. Gereon will report.
What, however, D. Martinus here replied to the peace proposals made and the means of reaching agreement, as well as to your printed book and church order, and how warmly he promised that he would not harm you and the Augsburg church if only Christian peace and unity were earnestly sought, will be reported to you by D. Gereon and Huberinus, who were most kindly received in Luther's innermost chamber, in the presence of Philipp Melanchthon and myself. As for me and others of our church here, we ask our Lord Jesus Christ to assist the churches with His Holy Spirit and to make Mr. Bucer a horn 1) of God's salvation and strength against all the strength of the adversaries. He equips him mightily in all godly and wholesome undertakings; but he hinders and destroys Satan's thoughts (or plots) and the counsel of the adversaries, which have previously caused terrible harm. Would God that M. Bucern and others had been granted some years ago to act familiarly and fraternally with us,
1) I read cornu for corum. (Walch.)
that the minds were not embittered and irritated on both sides by the writings of the absentees.
It will happen that Urbanus Rhegius, whom you are calling again out of special love and zeal for the Christian church, will be granted to you for at least a year; and he will certainly try to support you with all his might for a while because of such important matters. The noble and wise Prince Ernst has answered the noble council of Augsburg, as much as it can be done, quite graciously for now, and has promised all the willingness therein, as you will hear from D. Gereon.
As for us Wittenbergers, we promise (if one earnestly seeks Christian harmony) your church and you lords, as brothers, all services, and no effort or danger to life shall seem too difficult to us, in order to promote salvation in such important matters of the churches throughout Germany, yes, throughout all of Europe. [And we pray to God that He may govern all this, which cannot be done happily by any human power; and 1) on this occasion (if it could be obtained from Your Serene Highness, the Elector of Saxony), because otherwise we would have to part because of the epidemic that is about to break out, I would gladly, dear God, travel to you for a month or so, although, because we have to deal with the Prince's affairs, there is nothing certain about it, as D. Gereon will inform you. Gereon will report to you in detail. May the Lord Christ strengthen and sustain you! Given in Wittenberg, as the flight of our university is about to begin. July 19, 1535.
Justus Jonas.
74 D. Martin Luther's Response to the Augsburg Council's Advertisement Regarding the Union
in the doctrine of Holy Communion.
July 20, 1535.
This letter is found in the Wittenberg edition (1559), vol. XII, p. 2015; in the Jena edition (1568), vol. VI, p. 325; in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 487; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 95; in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 96 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 612. Latin in Hospinians tust. Weruiu., k. II, x. 141 and in Luääeus, x. 246.
To the most honorable, prudent gentlemen, mayor and council of the imperial city of Augsburg, my favorable gentlemen and dear friends.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, prudent, dear gentlemen! I have received your F. Credenz-
1) st seems better than ut. (Walch.)
letter, and from it Doctor Gereon's and Caspar Huber's? 2) Advertisement, am also heartily pleased with such good news. God, the Father of all comfort, joy and unity, be praised for eternity, and accomplish such a fine work to the blessed end, until that day, amen.
And E. F. should comfort all of us in Christ, that we will not let ourselves be lacking from now on, but to strengthen and maintain such dear unity with all our will and ability, because we realize (praise God!) that you are in earnest, and thus a heavy stone from our hearts, namely suspicion and mistrust, 3) has been taken away, which should not come back again (whether God wills it). Further, E. F. D. Gereon will probably indicate, as we have revealed our whole heart.
We have also written diligently for D. Urbanum Regium 4) and would have liked to return him to you, but he has not been raised by the pious prince. However, we do not want to refrain from looking for a skilful man, E. F. Anzuferstelligen. 5) Dentt E. F. and the whole Christian community and city, we want to be found willing, in Christ our Lord and dear Savior, to whom I hereby entrust E. F. and the whole city, Amen. Tuesday after Margarethä [July 20] Anno 1535. D. Martin Luther.
75. D. Martin Luther's letter to the Augsburg Ministry, the one from Augsburg to
Wittenberg. July 20, 1535.
This letter is found in Seckendorf, nist. Imtsi., lid. Ill, p. 1245; in the Oent. Dxist. ucl liuna, p. 239; in Ktrodel - Uunner, p. 246 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 613. German in des Elias Frick Uebersetzung von Seckendorf, p. 1493 and from it in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 95. Another, better translation is, according to a copy in the Kreis- und Stadtbibliothek zu Augsburg mitgetheilt in der Erlanger Aus-
2) or Huberinus, preacher.
3) Thus: "mistraw", which is mistrust, in the Jena. The Wittenberg offers: "mistrew" (Mißtreu), which the other editions have taken up.
4) Since the Imperial Diet in Augsburg, he had been in the service of Duke Ernst of Lüneburg, who had taken him from there.
5) This was already fulfilled in August 1535 by sending 21 Johann Förster, an Augsburg, dkhin.
gäbe, vol. 56, p. XXXV (with two reading errors). The same is also found here in Walch after the Strasbourg manuscript. However, we have preferred to make a new translation according to the Latin, which is the original.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To the most honorable men in the Lord and exceedingly dear brethren, the upright and faithful servants of the Church at Augsburg.
Grace and peace in Christ! With how great joy I, dearest brothers, received your letter, you shall, according to my wish, rather learn from the living letter, which is your D. Gereon and Caspar Huber, than from these written and dead letters. For in the whole course of our Gospel, I have encountered nothing more joyful than to hope, 1) indeed, to see, after this sad discord, at last a louder unity among us. For, as D. Gereon himself tells us, your letters are so loud and penetrating that my wound, namely my suspicion, is completely healed, and not even a scar remains. Therefore, for the sake of Christ, who began this work in you, I beg you to continue and persevere in this fruit of the Spirit, embracing us with the arms and hearts of pure love, as we embrace and receive you in the bosom of sincere faith and harmony. And be sure of this in Christ, that nothing may be laid upon us by you which we will not cheerfully do and suffer to establish this harmony, and, if need be, all things. For after this harmony is established, I will sing joyfully and sweetly with tears: Now, O Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for I will leave peace to the churches after me, that is, the glory of God, the punishment of the devil, and vengeance upon all enemies and adversaries. Christ rule you and make you 2) complete in this opinion, so that my joy will be complete, and after so much cross and hells, I will at least have a happy dying hour, amen. Pray for me as I pray for you. July 20, 1535.
Your 3) Martin Luther.
1) Erlanger: "verschaffen" instead of: verhoffen.
2) Erlanger: "also" instead of: "you".
3) Probably only by mistake is written in Latin: D. (tuus) instead of: V. (voster).
Melanchthon's letter to the preachers at Augsburg. July 21, 1535.
From the Strasbourg manuscript. In Oorp. kok., vol. II, 892 after an inferior translation in the 6oä. Ootb., no. 91, x. 93 b.
Germanized.
To the venerable and well-respected men and shepherds of the churches of Augsburg who teach the Gospel of Christ, his dear friends.
Our warm greetings. Venerable and well-respected gentlemen! Your letter has not only sounded godly to me, but also very learned, therefore it has been very pleasant to me for the sake of both causes, and D. Gereon will assure you of my respect and love in this. He will also tell you about D. Urban's trade. The Prince has apologized to Luther for this in a personal letter.
My mind and opinion concerning the unity of our churches will hopefully be known to all honest men, and I do not respect the inexperienced's unreasonable and evil judgments of me at all, if only there is some fortune in us and we have good inclination. And I hope that the door to harmony will be opened. May Christ reign and promote the nobility of the pious! I also ask you to be gentle and moderate toward the weak, because I also think this is good, and hopefully it will benefit the church of Christ. I do not know whether it is also good for the churches in these last times 4) that the so true and necessary tests (or characteristics) of love among us are so put off, and one hinders the scholars' conversations together, as it were, with diligence. Nevertheless, we want to discuss by correspondence, where it is not otherwise possible. I judge you kindly and hold you in high esteem. Be well. July 21, 1535.
Philip Melanchthon.
The Strasbourg Theologians' Letter to Martin Luther. August 19, 1535.
From the Strasbourg Manuscript.
Translated into German by M. A. Tittel.
1. Desiring grace and peace, and our owing obedience, we hereby testify to you, venerable Father in the Lord, and most honoring
4) taustum I read for kuotum. (Walch.)
Teacher. The Augsburg authorities have sent Gereon, a peculiar friend of all the servants of the Lord Christ, here to make known to our authorities and to us, who preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ here, both their inexpressible joy and that of all those who love Christ righteously, which they have derived from the so kind and loving letter of your venerable fatherhood. And because they are so fervent in the matter, they have not been able to keep this joy to themselves for more than two days, but have immediately urged the pious Gereon, even though he has long been absent from his home, his wife and his sick children, to hurry straight on to you. For this man knows very well with what trouble and labor, also with all kinds of blasphemies and malicious gossip from many, we have taken upon ourselves for the whole of five years, both our superior and we, the servants of the Word, that the harmful disunity of the churches would finally be lifted, which it has now attained, praise and thanks be to God forever in our Lord Jesus Christ, through the desired answer and pronouncement of the effective peace and love from your venerable Fatherhood. For the confession, which your venerable fatherhood received (or accepted, recepit) from the Augsburgs, as prescribed to them by our Bucerus, has been signed by all our ministers and co-workers in these imperial cities, Costnitz, Frankfurt, Ulm, Esslingen, Memmingen, Lindau, Kempten, Landau, Weißenburg, Biberach, Isny, partly long ago, partly only recently. The preachers in the Swiss church also accept it, although not all of them have signed it yet, because of the zeal against those who have preached Christ with great diligence, and the people's hard noses, and one or the other's vain suspicion or fear. But there is good hope that this too will soon come about through the grace of God and our efforts, and that a few who are not yet completely satisfied with such a confession will be brought by your venerable fatherhood to the point where they will not make any further foolish scruples. Therefore, our authorities did not receive this cheerful newspaper from your venerable fatherhood's kind and loving will as soon as they dispatched the Capito to Basel and Zurich, and other Swiss churches, most of which have long since agreed with us, that he should present your venerable fatherhood with such peculiar love and inclination for holy harmony.
They would like to praise them and see to it that everything is done to bring about and strengthen such unity in these churches as well. Together with Gereon, they have sent "Bucer" to Brenz, who is now in Stuttgart, so that they may unanimously, if the Lord would grant it, also remove all scruples from this otherwise pious, learned man. For these godly men consider how necessary it is, especially now, that the churches agree quite cordially, since the Popes are coming upon us, not only with violence, but also with threats of a concilii; also so many and horrible sects, and besides that, epicuric insolence is breaking in everywhere. Therefore they also judge that if ever a spiritual meeting was necessary, it is now; and were doubly pleased when they reported to Gereon that your venerable fatherhood desires just such a thing. We therefore ask your godliness (devotion), most venerable and beloved father, that, as you embrace us and our churches with heartfelt love of our Lord Jesus Christ, you also diligently commend and command us to all who rightly mean Christ. God has already given this, and will also encourage us to do everything in our part that can be done for the sake of evangelical purity, as in other things, so also in the doctrine of the saints, so also in your and your ministry, in which we recognize and praise how much God has done, with all seriousness.
2 Brenz and a few others are still making a futile fuss about us. We wish and desire that the churches, but not we alone, or only one or the other, attain to complete agreement on the truth. Therefore, we must especially do those things which all recognize as necessary, that is, which lie even in the words of our Savior. We must also avoid the suspicion of falling back into papal vanities. Hence it is that we endeavor to give the true presence of the Lord in the Lord's Supper in a bad way, and with the words of Scripture and the Fathers, and keep silent about what the ungodly eat; but at the same time testify that the true presentation of the body and blood of the Lord takes place without any merit on the part of men, and is based solely on the institution of Christ; who, however, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and brings death on those who eat unworthily. By acting in this way, and adding what is still lacking in some to what they have already accepted, so that all truth may be in harmony with truth, we see that, even with the admission of the complete truth, we have not been able to make the truth of the world known to all.
We are always advancing in the knowledge of this mystery, both here and in other churches.
Some, however, do not consider this enough and do not trust us properly anyway, which is why they do not want to recognize us as unanimous with them if we do not publicly condemn everything we taught earlier and use such idioms or formulas everywhere that are appropriate to them, and which are not displeasing or repugnant to us per se, but which we nevertheless consider questionable to use everywhere because of the "weakness" of the common people. We hope, however, that even these will be alleviated when they hear how kindly and fatherly your honorable fatherhood has received us. And your honorable fatherhood will respect the sense of our churches according to the confession and order of the authorities, according to the public doctrine and what the preachers always hold; but not according to the mad ideas of a few individual people who always slobber against the truth and disrupt the common being. We want to do the same and take care with all diligence that we do not cause any harm to the reputation of your honorable fatherhood by praising such your benevolence and right fatherly goodwill towards us, and want to direct and use everything for the benefit of harmony in Christ and the honor and praise of your most holy ministry. May the Lord keep your venerable fatherhood of his Church healthy for a long time, so that a true form of the Catholic Church may come forth among us, and all that is ours may be well guarded and firm against Satan, who may rage in the popes or in other heretics. Given at Strasbourg, August 19, 1535.
78 D. Martin Luther's response to the above letter from the preachers in Strasbourg. Oct. 5, 1535.
This letter is found handwritten in the Strasbourg Manuscript and in the Ood. Idelnmt. 107. lidl. Onelpü. Printed in Oent. epistolur. tsieol. ad 1o. 8eticv6d6linm,p.229; in Buddeus, x. 248; in Hospinian, nist. Sacrament., ?. II, ko!. 1405 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 636.
' , Newly translated from Latin.
To the venerable men in Christ, the pastors, teachers and servants of the church in Strasbourg, his extremely dear brothers in the Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ! Your letter has pleased me very much, most worthy men, brothers, which has easily led me to the conviction that your mind is sincere and pure towards the
I ask you again to be convinced that I accept this harmony as eagerly as I wish that the Lord Jesus Christ will always be gracious to me. Therefore I ask you to be convinced again that I accept this harmony as eagerly as I wish that the Lord Jesus Christ will always be gracious to me. And do not doubt that, as much as there is in me, nothing can be demanded of me, or even commanded of me, that I would not gladly and cheerfully do and suffer for this cause. Let us only continue, and God will complete what He has begun, softened by our supplications and fervent entreaties, that it may be a firm and everlasting harmony, without any misgiving or offense, amen.
It remains, dearest brothers, because this matter concerns many and great people, both princes and peoples, that we consult about some meeting in which we can settle everything verbally in mutual conversation about this and other matters, and that as soon as possible. For the matter is worth it that we lose as much expense and trouble in it, that I speak in this way, as you yourselves easily employ. If I must also be present, it is necessary that a place either in Hesse or in our Coburg be designated for this purpose. For our prince will perhaps not let me leave his territory. Therefore, consult with the brothers of your part about the time and place, and write to us again, so that we can come to an agreement about this matter with our Prince, and also inform our other brothers in Saxony, Pomerania, Prussia etc. that they should either send one in their name, or commission someone from us. For I do not want a large number of people to come together. May the Lord Jesus be with you, and may his grace and peace increase in you among us all, amen. 1) Wittenberg, October 5, 1535.
Yours in all things in Christ Martin Luther.
1) Here Walch, probably from the Strasbourg manuscript, still has this sentence: "Your messenger has returned late; he will report the cause himself, what the robbers have done against him. In a letter to Caspar Huberinus in Augsburg of the same date (De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 642), Luther writes: "especially if the messenger has been away so long. For the messenger fell among the robbers, who took everything from the messenger and thus left him tied to a tree.
Luther's letter to the preachers at Augsburg concerning the Concordia. Oct. 5, 1535.
The original can be found in the city library of Zofingen. Manuscript in the Strasbourg manuscript and in the Bruckerische Sammlung at Augsburg. From the latter printed by Schütze, vol. II, p. 354; compared with the original by De Wette, vol. IV, 637. German in Frick's translation by Seckendorf, p. 1499 and from it in the Leipzig edition, vol.XXI, p.96.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To the venerable men in Christ, the pastors and rulers of the church at Augsburg, his most revered brothers in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! I thank my Lord JESUS CHRIST, most worthy men, who has delighted me with your letter and strengthened my heart in regard to you, so that I now dare to firmly hope that this harmony of ours will be a more sincere and lasting one. May he who began it, God the Father, the God of peace and harmony, bring it about for the sake of Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord, amen. Furthermore, it seems advisable to me that we also have some small meeting as soon as possible, in which we can discuss these and other things verbally, so that we get to know each other inside and out, and if there should be anything 1) that should still be tolerated, conceded or passed over with silence, let us report it and decide together, so that the adversaries do not make a mountain out of a molehill and seize the opportunity to make a big noise about our still existing discord or about the badly mended harmony, unless something else seems good to you. Therefore, consult with yourselves and consider the matter with each other. I have written to the gentlemen of Strasbourg about the same matter, so that they may negotiate with you, and then you may all inform us, so that we may also come to an agreement with the princes and the preachers of our part.
Be at ease in Christ, and be persuaded that as much as I can
1) Instead of fit at De Wette we have adopted sit.
I will faithfully and cheerfully do and suffer everything possible to complete this Concordia. For I desire (as I also wrote before) nothing more than to conclude this life, which must come to an end in a short time, with you in peace, love and unity of the Holy Spirit. Christ Jesus, the author of life and peace, unite us by the bond of his Spirit to a constant unity, Amen. Wittenberg, 5. 2) October Anno 1535.
In everything, yours, Martin Luther, unworthy servant of Christ.
Luther's letter to the preachers in Ulm concerning the Concordia. Oct. 5, 1535.
This letter is found in the Strasbourg manuscript. From Aurifaber's unprinted collection in Schütze, Vol. II, p. 353 and in De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 639. German in Frick's Seckendorf, p. 500 and in the Leipzig edition, Vol. XXI, p. 96.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To the men to be highly honored in Christ, the rulers of the church at Ulm, his brothers who are exceedingly dear to the Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ! Very pleasantly and exceedingly pleasingly, most worthy men, your letter came to me at the same time as letters from the Augsburgers and the Strasbourgers, and I not only gladly accept the unity of spirit with you, but also thank you that you have made me very confident through your letter that this unity of ours will be a sincere and fair one. Only continue in Christ, as you have begun, to act and pursue this matter in the sings with faithful effort and watchful care, and do not doubt that I will do and suffer everything that is always possible with God's help. Nor will I allow anything to be lacking in me: so may Christ love me, as I sincerely desire, before my death (which, as I know, will be a long time).
2) In the original: quarta. But this letter is written after the previous one. Luther may have made a mistake (De Wette).
I hope and believe that it is not far off) to see this unity of ours after so long a discord or banishment of our unity in Christ. Well then, as you have begun at Christ's instigation, so may you complete it under his direction, that we may all be filled with spiritual joy in one faith, hope and love. About any meeting that should be held, I have written to the lords of Augsburg and Strasbourg, who will act with you about it if it seems necessary to them; with them you will also indicate your will [to us] in times. Christ, our light and our salvation, enlighten us and make us blessed to his glory, Amen. Wittenberg, October 5, Anno 1535.
Yours in the Lord Martin Luther.
Luther's letter to Gereon Seiler in Augsburg. October 5, 1535.
This letter is the answer to Seiler's letter, which is enclosed below No. 95. It is found in the Strasbourg manuscript. From the Brucker collection in Augsburg in Schütze, Vol. II, p. 356 and in De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 641.
To Gereon Seiler, Doctor of Medicine and highly renowned physician at Augsburg.
Grace and peace in Christ! Your letter was highly desired and exceedingly pleasant, dearest Doctor, not only by its merit, but because it brought so many and cheerful comrades also from other cities. Therefore, they are honorably and cheerfully received by me, as it were, as very honest and wholesome legations. May Christ, who began this good work of peace and harmony, also complete it and build it up to the end, amen.
I answer all, as you have requested, as much as I have been able, respectfully and amicably, so that all may recognize how I heartily wish to see this harmony strengthened. For what concerns our meeting, yours will discuss with the others whether it is useful or not. Then they will make it known to us, so that we can also inform our princes and people.
The Lord Philip stands from the journey to
Luther's letter to Nicolaus Gerbel. November 27, 1535. 3)
This letter is found in the Strasbourg manuscript (whether the Strasbourg copy compared by De Wette is the same, we do not know) and in the Ooä. Hslnast. 107. lid! Ousipd. Printed by Luäüsus, p. 249; in Hospinians dist. saeraw., xart. II, p. 237 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 654.
Newly translated from the Latin.
1) This sentence is missing in Walch.
2) Walch: "den 6. October".
3) Kolde, Analecta p. 267, remarks on one": Schrei
Gerbel's letter to Luther, which according to Düss. Lauua. dated October 25, 1536: "There seems to me to be no doubt that this (namely our letter) is the answer to Gerbel's letter, which is only understandable through this (se. Gerbel's request that Luther eradicate the passages against the Sacramentarians from the Postille for the sake of Concordia). In other respects, too, it is clear from Luther's letter that it is set a year too early by De Wette and earlier, for it presupposes the conclusion of the Concordia." That our letter is the answer to Gerbel's letter seems correct to us. But that it presupposes the conclusion of the Concordia in 1536 is highly doubtful to us. For after the conclusion Luther would have written (in the text De Wette's Z. 4) euxivisssru instead of: oupsrsrn and (Z. 7) potuit instead of: posslb. In addition, it should be noted that Gerbet says that there is a rumor that Luther will have the Postille reprinted soon. Now, however, the reprinting was already begun in 1535 by Peter Seitz and continued and completed by him and Hans Lasst in 1536. See St. Louis edition, vol. XI, Borrede, XIV f. and Walch, old edition, vol. XI, preface, p. 15a. Accordingly, it seems more advisable to us to look back at Gerbel's letter, which has only one witness, to the year 1535, than to advance Luther's letter, which is authenticated by many witnesses and which also agrees in its entire content with the next following letters (No. 83 and No. 84) of the same date, to the year 1536.
To the highly respectable Mr. Nicolaus Gerbel, Doctor of Laws in Strasbourg, his most beloved brother in Christ. 1)
Grace and peace in Christ! I thank you, my dear Gerbel, for your exceedingly sweet and pleasant letter. And I want you to believe that you have highly pleased me by this quite sincere zeal of yours for our concord; if I too did not desire (cuperem) the same from the bottom of my heart, I would not have gone so far. For what could (possit) be more cheerful to me, who have already fulfilled all the obligations of this life, who am exhausted by so many labors and temptations that I do not say, even already enfeebled by age itself, than to see the Concord at the time of my dissolution, which I desire and expect, and to leave it behind after me? Therefore, it is not necessary for you to ask so earnestly; indeed, I charge you that you promise your own there for my sake, what you only ever want to promise for yourself. I will keep your promise and mine (if God allows me to live) to a greater degree than yours may believe.
You have a more honorable opinion of the Postille than I do. For I would like to see this entire book eradicated. And I deal with it by placing the burden on Caspar Cruciger to bring the whole thing into a new and better form, which can be of use to the whole church everywhere. It is this man, if love does not deceive me, such a one as would make an Elisha, if I should have been an Elijah (let me be permitted to compare with so great things small ones), a man who loves peace and is calm, to whom I shall command the church after me; so does Philip. I say this so that you may not doubt that there are willing hearts among us for concord, and whatever may seem to hinder the same, I am ready, even after your decision and at your command, to renounce, to change, to do anything and to suffer. For I too wish to be found a faithful (if I cannot be a wise) servant of Christ and His Church. Be well
1) This inscription is missing in De Wette. Walch probably got it from the Strasbourg manuscript.
Be well in the Lord, my dearest Gerbel, and do what you can among the people. Pray also for the church and for me. Christ be with you and with all, Amen. Wittenberg, November 27, 1535.
Mart. Luther.
Luther's letter to the preachers of Strasbourg. Nov. 27, 1535.
This letter is found in Strasbourg manuscript; copies are also in the Basel University Library and in the Ooä. Holm8t. 107, Lidl. Ouslpü. From the Kraftische Sammlung at Ulm in Schütze, vol. Ill, p. 185; from the epmt. u<l 4o. Keürvsdslium, p. 233 at KtrodelRauusr, p. 241, and at De Wette, vol. IV, p. 652.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To the servants of the Word of the Lord at Strasbourg, his beloved lords and brothers in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ! I notice from your letter, dearest men, brothers, that in my last letter 2) I was understood by you as if I had placed our meeting entirely in the will of our princes and cities, whereas I did not want this, but that it should be done more conveniently; I thought that if they also knew about it, it could be done better. But I am so minded that I wish you to come together, even though the princes or the cities did not want to help. For I, who am now gray, worn out, and dead to all things and sick of them, have nothing more at heart than that this harmony, as much as it can be done, be strengthened before my passing. If the princes want to help, good; but if not, I will nevertheless endeavor to obtain that they at least let us, and suffer our meeting; but I hope something much better, especially from our prince. You are also right about the time, that it can hardly be held before Easter, already because of the changing state of health of my body. But I will do what I can, and will be ready at any time, whether the meeting is held before or after Easter.
2) No. 79.
I would like to be there myself. We will announce the place as soon as our prince has returned. For it will be difficult, if not impossible, for me to be permitted to stay outside our duchy. I will propose to our prince in Thuringia either Eisenach, Gotha or Weimar, and I will obtain one of these cities. In the meantime, I will see to it that I receive the votes of the churches and the consent of the preachers everywhere, so that not much noise is necessary. I am glad to hear that you have done the same. Be at ease and pray, and do not doubt that this concord is also dear to us, unless we want to take the Lord Christ for a fairy tale, for which I, as one of his unworthy confessors, have suffered and still suffer so much cross from Satan and from the world. For we also pray diligently for you, both in public and in special prayers. To God be the glory, amen. Wittenberg, November 27, 1535.
Your Martin Luther.
Two 1) Letters from Luther and Melanchthon to Martin Schalling, preacher at Strasbourg. Nov. 27, 1535.
These two letters are found in the Strasbourg manuscript. Only the former in the following locations: in the Ooa. Hslmst. 107. lidl. Ouslpk. From Aurifaber's unprinted collection in Schütze, vol. II, p. 366 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 651. In Walch with the wrong date: "den 26. December 1535." According to Walch, the second letter is also found in the vorp. Lei, vol. II, 977.
I. Luther's shouting to Schalling.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To Martin Schalling, servant of the church at Strasbourg,
Grace and peace in Christ! I received your letter with joy, my dear Martin, and I want you to believe that the inclination and the effort for concord is not less with me than I find it with you. Witness to this and judge be the,
1) Because Walch does not have the word "two", and De Wette Wohl has only glimpsed it, he makes the erroneous remark: "Walch gives it as Luther's and Melanchthon's joint writing."
whom no one deceives. Therefore, do not refrain from asking God the Lord, just as we do, that this Concordia (thanks be to God), which has begun so happily, may continue even more happily and be completed in the happiest way possible. If there should be a delay and obstacle in me, may God not be merciful to me: that is how much I wish the peace of the Church to be restored before the end of this life of mine. I am writing about this to the servants of your Church.
What you write at the end about the blessing in the Lord's Supper (since you do not indicate this with more words than these. (Since you do not indicate this with more words than these: "what you think of the blessing in the Lord's Supper, write me one or two words"), 2) I do not understand sufficiently. I will give a conjecture; 3) you may see whether I have met your meaning. We teach for certain that bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ, not through the blessing minister, but since Christ so wills it by his institution, and that it is to be eaten and drunk, but not kept in a food box (cibario) or carried around in processions. We do not care whether the body of Christ is in the sacrament that is carried around and enclosed. Let the papists watch. This question is not necessary for us, who eat and drink according to Christ's institution. Fare well in Christ. Wittenberg, November 27, 1535.
Your Martin Luther.
II Melanchthon's letter to Schalling.
To the venerable and excellent learned Mr. Martin Schalling, Protestant teacher in the church at Strasbourg, his friend.
Our greetings! Your letter was very pleasant to me. For I have seen from it not only your love for me, 4) but also a warmly good disposition toward the Church of Christ. Therefore I wish you much good in return, and wish that
2) In De Wette the parenthesis and the speech marks are, as we think, incorrect, already closed after eosua (supper).
3) ariolari a word formed by Luther from uriolus, one who pays attention to birdcalls, Deut. 18:10, Vulg. - In Walch, "Rathen I do not like."
4) amorem meuln ersa t6 instead of: tuum ersa ras. (Walch.)
E. How the Concordia finally came about in Wittenberg, since the Convention could not be held in Eisenach or Grimma due to Luther's weakness.
85 D. Martin Luther's letter to Martin Bucer, in which he reports to him that the Elector has designated Eisenach for the meeting.
March 25, 1536.
This letter is found in Ritter's evang. memorial of the city of Frankfurt, p. 345; in Ktrodsl-Uannsr, p. 253 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 682. German from the Ulm archive in the German Seckendorf, p. 1525 and in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 96.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To the venerable man in Christ, Mr. Martin Bucer, the faithful servant of Christ, his exceedingly dear brother.
Salvation and peace in Christ! I am compelled to write in a few words because for the last fortnight I have been completely ill due to unbearable pain.
1) This letter will be simultaneous with the previous one.
in the left hip; I am barely recovering now. This is our opinion about our meeting. As a place for it our prince has determined Eisenach, in the neighborhood of Hesse, 28 miles from Wittenberg, where Justus Menius administers his bishopric. A suitable time would seem to me to be the fourth Sunday after Easter. Therefore, consult about it with your own and answer. If the third or the second Sunday should be more convenient for you, we will not find it difficult to accept the same. You only see to it that Brenz, Schnepf and others learn about it through you, whom you think should be there. I will inform Osiander and others in Nuremberg 2) and no one else in the upper part of Germany, because this concern is left to you. Be well in Christ and pray for me. On the day of the Annunciation [March 25] 1536.
Your Martin Luther.
86 Letter from Elector John Frederick to Martin Luther concerning the Concordia. May 14, 1536.
From the Strasbourg Manuscript.
Johann Friederich, Elector.
1. our greeting before. Venerable and learned, dear devotee. When you wrote and informed us that the one from Strasbourg had answered that they wanted to be in Eisenach today, Sunday, and that it was impossible for you to travel there because of the time and your body, you wrote to them again through your own messenger that they were going to Grimm and that they would be in Eisenach on Sunday, Vocem Jucunditatis.
wanted to come there. We have heard this together with the attached request that such a place and the town of Grimm be granted and conceded, and we hereby graciously grant the same place and town of Grimm for the said meeting, and also know how to make an order to that effect.
(2) But since you consider that Concordia is to be of little comfort and hope, we truly do not like to hear this. But we are undoubtedly hopeful and confident that the
2) Frick offers "Nurembergers", so seems to have read XorimberZensibus instead of: XorLmbyrgana.
Almighty God will graciously send it to His praise, honor and glory, and also to the preservation of His word, according to His divine will and providence.
3. We hereby graciously request of you that you remain steadfast against the preachers mentioned on our Augsburg Confession and Apologia, and first of all on account of the reverend Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior JEsu Christ, and stand firm on this, and do not deviate from them in any way, and certainly not even in the least point and article, as we know you without our reminder of steadfastness that there will be no lack of you. But for the sake of the others, we have ordered D. Gregorio Bridges to continue talking to you about it. For since you are concerned that there is little consolation for the sake of Concordia, it will also be considered burdensome for us to take place. But if the almighty God has provided for a concordia to come, then he will know how to send it. But in all ways, be mindful of our gracious request, and do not pass over it, as we graciously provide for you.
4th After you have also written to us about the preacher who is to be ordered to Freiberg at the request of our dear mother, the Duchess of Freiberg, and for this reason, according to the note sent to her, we have had our regional bailiff speak to you, that the same preacher must not be married, nor consecrated, but that you do not know how to find one in Wittenberg: so let our mother write again and give an answer for the sake of this preacher. For since it should have the opportunity to do so, their loved ones will not be shown any kindness. All this we have not wished to do in your gracious opinion, and prove ourselves graciously pleased with it, and are also inclined to you with grace and good. Date at Torgau, on Sunday Cantate [May 14] Anno 1536.
Johann Friederich, Elector.
87. Excerpt from a letter from Elector Joh. Friedrich of Saxony to his Chancellor Gregorius Brück, with the same content as the previous one..
From the History of the Sacrament Controversy, p. 218.
After the things big, brave and important, we would like you to be also yourselves to Grimm with and beside the conversation. Because it
but for the sake of the other appointed day cannot happen, then we want to take care, after D. Martinus himself is on site, that nothing will be given or conceded to the prelates of Upper Austria. We also hereby request that you, by virtue of this order of ours, indicate to D. Martino and the other theologians that he will remain steadfast and hold fast to our Augsburg Confession and Apologia, as well as to the holy and reverend Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that he will not deviate in any way or in any way, even in the least point and article. For since the preachers of the Upper Countries have let such books go out, and also consider Zwinglium and Oecolampadium to be holy, we can well consider that there is little comfort or hope in Concord. But this is in God's will and providence, who will undoubtedly know how to graciously send it according to His praise, honor and glory.
88 Formula Concordia or Articles of Concord, which have been compared, approved, and subsequently signed by both theologians. Presented on May 26, 1536.
This writing is found in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 360; in the Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 1048; in the Leipziger, vol. XXI, p. 100; in the Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 229; in des Chyträus lllst. VuZ. Oonk., p. 180; in des Garthius Belicht vom ReligionsWesen in Hessen, p. 23; in Hospinianus in Inst, saeram. part.II, p. 145; in Bucer's tom. p. 666; in Wigand, äs saaramolltariismo, x. 356; m Seckendorf's nist. I,utk., lib. Ill, p. 132 a (only the first article on the Lord's Supper); in Strassburg's Kirchen-Agende, p. 32; in Ritter's Frankfurtisches Denkmal, p. 236; according to Martin Frecht's own copy in the Ulm Archives in the German Seckendorf, p. 1533 and in Rudelbach's "Reformation, Lutherthum und Union," p. 669. Latin also in the 6orp. We have set the time determination according to No. 89, § 19.
Of the Holy Communion.
They confess, according to the words of Irenaei, that in this holy sacrament there are two things: a heavenly and an earthly one; therefore they hold and teach that with the bread and with the wine the body and the blood of Christ are truly and essentially present, offered and received.
The other article.
And although they do not hold transubstantiation, neither do they hold that the body of Christ is localitsr, that is, spatially enclosed in the bread, or otherwise.
1) outside the use of the holy sacrament, they confess and hold that for the sake of sacramental unity 2) the bread is the body of Christ. That is, they hold and believe that together with the bread the body of Christ is truly present and truly administered. etc. For outside of the use and consumption, namely, when the bread is put aside and smuggled into the monstrances or sacramental huts, or carried around and shown in processions and cloisters, as is done in the papacy, they hold and believe that the body of Christ is not present.
The third article.
Accordingly, they hold that the institution of this sacrament, done through Christ, is powerful in Christendom, and that it does not depend on the worthiness of the one who administers it or receives it himself. Therefore, as St. Paul says that even the unworthy do not partake of the sacrament, so they also hold that the body and blood of Christ are truly presented to the unworthy, and that the unworthy truly receive it, where the word and institution of the Lord Christ are kept. But such receive it to judgment, as St. Paul says, because they abuse the holy sacrament, receiving it without true repentance and faith. For the holy sacrament is instituted for this purpose, that it may testify that to all those who do true repentance, and again comfort themselves through faith in the Lord Christ, the grace and benefits of Christ are conferred, they are imparted to the Lord Christ, and they are washed by the blood of Christ.
Of Holy Baptism.
They all agreed without a doubt that infant baptism is necessary for holy baptism. For since the promise of salvation also belongs to children, but not to those who are outside the church, it is necessary that such a promise be applied to them through the ministry of the church, and that they be added to the other members of the church. And because the Lord Christ said of such children as are in the church that it is not the Father's will that any of them should perish, let it be certain that the washing away of original sin is imparted to the children through baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is also powerful and active in them according to their measure. Therefore, they reject the error of those who deny them bodily.
1) permanent. (Walch.)
2) through sacramental unity. (Walch.)
and dream that the children will please God and become blessed, without any special effect of God in them, yet Christ brightly says John 3:5: "Unless one is born again through water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. And although one cannot really know in what form and in what way such an effect of God takes place in them, it is certain that new and holy movements are awakened in them, as also happened in John when he was still in his mother's womb.
And although one should not think that the children understand it, the movements and inclinations to believe in the Lord Christ and to love God are somewhat compared to the movements that both faith and love otherwise have. And this is what they want to be understood when they say and teach that children have their own faith. For thus they speak, so that one might understand that the children do not become holy or blessed without a special effect of God in them.
Although it is the custom in some places to baptize in public on certain designated days, people should be reminded of this in all places where they should be concerned about their children and their lives, so that they can have them baptized, and the ministers should then communicate the baptism to them.
From absolution.
Here everyone wishes and desires that private absolution be received in the church; not only because of the comfort that consciences have in this, but also because in all ways this discipline, in which people are especially questioned and the uninformed are instructed, is useful to the church in many ways. So it is also necessary for the rude and unintelligent in all ways to talk to them in this way and to question them. However, the old and papal confession, together with the recounting of sins, is neither to be approved of nor to be instituted, but such a friendly conversation and council questioning is to be preserved for the sake of absolution and also for the sake of instruction.
From the Communion and Common of the Churches
They have agreed to exhort men to the communion of the church with the utmost earnestness, and to make every effort to do so, so that such communion may be maintained in word and sermon, in the holy sacraments, and in prayer, earnestly and as is proper.
Names of those who have signed such articles.
Wolffgangus Capito, Doctor and Servant of the Word at Strasbourg.
M. Martinus Butzer, servant of the Church in Strasbourg.
Martinus Frecht, licentiate and servant of the church at Ulm.
Jacobus Otther, licentiate and servant of the church at Esslingen.
Bonifacius Wolffart [Wolfhardt], M. and servant of the church at Augsburg.
Wolffgangus Mäußlein Musculus], servant of the church at Augsburg.
Gervasius Schüler, M. and pastor of the church at Memmingen.
M. Johannes Bernhardt, servant of the church at Frankfurt.
Martinus German, preacher at Furfeld. 1)
M. Matthäus Alberus, pastor at Reutlingen.
Johannes Schradinus, deacon at Reutlingen.
Martinus Luther, Doctor.
Justus Jonas, Doctor.
Caspar Creutziger, Doctor.
Johannes Bugenhagius, Pomeranus, Doctor.
Philip Melanchthon.
Justus Mönius, pastor at Eisenach.
Fridericus Myconius, Gotha pastor. 2)
This is the first time that the author of this book has written a book on the subject.
June 11, 1536.
This writing is written in Latin. Nicolaus Selneccer had it specially printed in 1881; Wigand, äs saerarnkntariisrno, brings it p. 351. Translated into German in the Altenburger Ausgabe, vol. VI, p. 1050; in the Leipziger, vol. XXI, p. 101; in Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 221; in DoWwutWok, vurrutio äs eonio, p. 56 and in Tentzels suppl. di "t. Ootü. 3.114. The time determination we have set after Köstlin, Martin Luther- (3.), vol. II, p. 667 ud p. 345, note 3. The same notes that with Walch the last sections are missing. Myconius was no longer sure in his memory; he had
1) Kolde, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 428, offers: "Furfeld"; likewise in Oorp. RsL, vol. Ill, 76. In Walch: "Surfeld.
2) In the Oorp. Rsk., vol. Ill, p. 77 is added: D. Urban Regius, superintendent of the churches of the Duchy of Lüneburg; Spalatin, pastor of the church at Altenburg, and Dionysius Melander, minister of the church at Cafsel, and many others.
confused in the counting of the days, Tuesday, May 23, correct, skipped Wednesday, counted Thursday as the 24th, moved the negotiations on baptism to Friday instead of Wednesday.
Grace and peace through Christ. Your letters, beloved Mr. Veit, were handed over to me by Flidner, our citizen, and he praised your and others' kindness. I also thank you very much that you did not complain about writing to this friend. And I pray to God that this virtue may always remain with you. For there are many of them today, even among the scholars, who are so negligent that they do not answer a word again, even if one always stops at them with letters. But you are right to follow Luther and Philip, who are steadfast in this.
As for our meeting in Wittenberg, of which you would like to be informed, although I have no doubt that you will have heard everything from those in Reutlingen who have come to you on their way home and from others, but I also want to prove my good will to you here.
3 Doct. Luther's weakness caused the Eisenach Convention to be moved to Grimm; but because the foreign guests wanted to see Wittenberg, they sent a messenger beforehand, and called Creutzigern and Philippum to stay at home; for they would rather deal with the fathers there, for whom they had longed so long, all things to excess, than to advise elsewhere on many things more than they actually understand.
On May 17, Wolffgangus Capito, Martinus Bucerus from Strasbourg, and Bonifacius Wolfhardt (Lycosthenes) from Augsburg came to me in Gotha, and I received them in a friendly manner according to my ability. And because I had known Bucerum before in Marburg, had heard him, and had also led him somewhat to school (exercueram etiam), but knew Capitonem only by name, and saw that he was easy to deal with, we began, after supper, to talk about the controversy of the present body of Christ in the holy supper, since I had briefly and clearly explained to them our opinion, from which we did not want to deviate, because we wanted to despise the Scriptures; And it seemed to me that Capito learned some things about which he had previously been in doubt, and thus some points became clearer to Bucer than they had been before. For this reason, so that I might be of some help to them, I put it all down on paper very early and sent it to them, so that they might consider it with diligence. Since they have only read it, they must freely confess,
that our doctrine agrees with the holy scriptures and with the holy fathers of the pure churches. After these, the others also arrived, and I and Justus Menius departed with them straight for Wittenberg, and on the way, one part gave the other an adequate account of its faith and our hope. Not an hour has passed since we did not declare and bravely contend that the bread in the Lord's Supper (not because of the worthiness or unworthiness of those who take it or those who give it) is and is called the true body of Christ given for us, but by the power and authority of him who took the bread in his hand and said: "This is my body. But why am I annoying you by telling you what happened on the way? I hereby send you an example 1) of my teaching, which they all accepted with me before we came to Wittenberg. Although it is not my doctrine, but the doctrine and opinion of Christ's church.
We arrived in Wittenberg on Sunday, which is called Vocem Jucunditatis [May 21], Philip, who had been on his way to Grimma, first came to us and was glad that I and Menius were present. But, the arrival of Bucer and his companions was not pleasant to him, because he had dropped all hope of unity, and Zwingli's and Oecolampadius' epistles had just then gone out publicly in print, which so harshly challenged the pious Elector and D. Lutherum so harshly that we could hope nothing less than that they should believe that a true concordiam was sought and desired with earnestness, or that only a hope of it might be. But when Menius and I told Philippo what we had heard in Gotha and on the way from the foreign guests themselves, he again took heart in telling us to go to D. Luther himself. Luther himself that we should tell him what had happened. Luther kept us with him for supper, since we talked with him almost until midnight about the whole business and clearly reported what had happened on the way, since we had discussed it with each other. But we could hardly get so much that he wanted to believe that all this was said and done from the heart.
On May 22, early at seven o'clock, Bucerus and Capito went to Luther alone; but what they talked about in the first Congressu was revealed afterwards from the action.
1) Exemplar (exemplar) - copy.
7. at three o'clock after noon are on our side in D. Luther's dwelling come together: Luther, Pomeranus, Jonas,. Cruciger, 2) Menius and me. There was also Weller, together with M. Georgio Rorario, Diacono. On the other side, only Bucerus and Capito were present. Now that they were seated, Bucerus was supposed to respond to what Luther had spoken to him about earlier. The beginning of his speech was long and rambling, namely that he was very happy about this meeting for himself and also for others, because it was held especially in Wittenberg and not elsewhere. After that, he told how he was now working into the fourth year so that we would all be united and have one opinion with each other about the Lord's Supper and teach it. Item, that we also establish the same form and manner of church ordinances.
Luther answered to this: he does not desire more than that a true, steadfast, right unity among us be established again. But because the epistles of Zwingli and Oecolampad recently went out in print with Bucer's knowledge and will, and thereby many ungodly, horrible false teachings were spread, and before that also Bucer's epistle was printed, and above that other little books came out in which the doctrine that we defend with the apostles and with the church was rejected, he could not see how a lasting, true unity could be established among those who teach and practice such completely repugnant things, since we, namely, all here at present, must hear and speak another thing, and again do another and even a repugnant thing in the books. Whether they do this for the sake of the cause, because they do not agree with us in the doctrine of the presence of the body of Christ in the Lord's Supper, or whether they are not allowed to speak differently at home because of the unrest of the common people, who are seduced by them, let them see. But he thought it would be better to let the matter rest and remain in its present state, than to make the trade, which was bad and evil, a hundred times worse by a fictitious, colored concordiam. Thus the descendants would not be so blind and dumb that they should not notice and discover this fraud. And even if we were able to deceive the world, they would still not be able to see the
2) Here we have deleted "Philippus", because Melanchthon was not present at this first joint meeting. See I^omwutLsad, narrutio cks kr Uveoiiic", p. 65 "o.; Köstlin, M. Luther (3.), vol. II, p. 345 and Kolde, Walther, vol. II, p. 429.
Do not deceive the eyes and ears of the Lord, who hears all things.
(9) Bucerum was greatly dismayed and frightened by this speech, to which he also began to answer at length, but in a very disorderly or odd manner; namely, that there was neither fucus nor deceit, since they had testified to their opinion before the authorities and in the churches, as well as in the councils of Upper Germany and in the councils of the teachers, and had testified to it again with words, books, writings and in sermons. He also told what he had answered to those at Münster last year, and also to Episcopo Abrincensi the same year. Declares that the epistles of Zwingli and Oecolampad were not printed without his knowledge, but against his prohibition, and that his epistle, so prefixed by the printer, was not a preface, but a letter, which was written by him to others in the previous year, and was not meant to ever go out in print, which he had never dreamed of. The fault would be the printer's, who was so stingy and bad. And Capito also says the same thing.
Luther repeated, as he is wont to do, with great seriousness, 1) that either a true unity or no unity at all takes place. For this, however, he held that two things were especially necessary. First, that they should recant their strange opinion, which is not of the Lord Christ, the apostles and the church, and which they have hitherto presumed to teach, and to imagine and persuade others to believe, and publicly speak unjustly. Secondly, that they would henceforth unanimously teach the true opinion with us. For he, Luther, and his fellow helpers could not do otherwise than condemn Zwingli's and Oecolampad's opinion of original sin and of the sacrament, since even from their books these dreadful speeches would still be known and resounded, "the cruel God, deus impanatus; the flesh of Christ is of no use; that means my body; this alone is a figure and sign of my body, and the like," all of which are used to say and hold that the bread of the Lord's Supper is not the body of Christ, and the wine of the supper is not the blood of Christ; and though the persons might be committed to the judgment of God, yet he would have to curse and condemn this blasphemy. Until now, they have always been closer and closer to us, and to us
"let the two men, of whom Capito was older than him by twelve years, be harsh and hard". (Köstlin I. e. p. 667.)
returned in a leisurely manner. For first they confessed that the bread of the Lord's Supper was not like any other bread, nor the wine like common wine, but that it was a signification and memorial of the absent body of Christ. After that, they would come even closer by declaring that the body of Christ and the blood of Christ are present, but in a spiritual way, that is, he sits at the right hand of God, but still the Spirit, by his speculation and remembrance, makes the body present to the bread and the blood to the wine, just as if one were to represent Hector in a tragedy play by another person. Finally, you (says D. Luther) come still closer to us, because you at Coburg freely confessed with me, and now in several books write just the same, that the bread is the true, natural, essential body of Christ etc., and is received with the mouth of those to whom it is offered or given, but so, if they are believers and disciples of Christ, but if it is given to unbelievers, it is no more than bread and wine. And so the body of Christ must be with you, not by authority or power of Christ, who thus decreed and said it, but rather by power of our faith and according to our thoughts, which provide that Christ, who is at the right hand of the Father, should be present to our faith if we believe, but if we do not believe, he cannot be present, but is only an empty, mere sign to those who do not believe. Now therefore it is necessary here, that no doubt nor suspicion may remain on either side, that ye, and the rest of you which are sent hither, declare unto us whether ye teach and hold that the bread is the body of Christ given for us, and the wine is the blood of Christ shed for us, by the power and appointment of Christ, who hath so ordained it, whether the minister that offereth it, or he that receiveth it, worthy or unworthy. For the evangelists testify with these words, "This is my body," and, "This cup is the blood of the new testament," etc. that the Lord Christ himself thus spoke, dicens (he said). Now is what he says true, or is it false? or does it only become true when we believe it? or must it be false and lie if we do not believe? You must also confess that the sacrament is administered without distinction to the pious and the wicked, to believers and unbelievers, to saints and hypocrites, or, as Paul says, to the worthy and the unworthy, and is received by them, and yet the worthiness and unworthiness of those who receive it does not change anything about the institution of Christ, the
has thus said it etc. That therefore in the hand also of the unworthy servant, and in the mouth also of the unworthy, which eateth and drinketh it, may be true that which Christ saith, even his body and blood, not for this cause, or that it should be given, or believed, but because Christ commandeth it, saying, Of these things consult ye one with another, and tomorrow, what ye may confess, and teach us, answer after good counsel.
On May 23, 1) at three o'clock in the afternoon, both parts of us met in D. Luther's house. Luther's dwelling. When we were all seated, Luther recently repeated what he had propounded the previous day, and at the same time asked whether they (the messengers) wanted to recant, each one, what he had taught and spouted against the Lord Christ, the Scriptures, and the churches' doctrine and opinion? Then whether they would teach the opinion of the true presence of the body of Christ in or with the bread of the Lord's supper with us constantly and unanimously? They should declare this and reveal their minds to us honestly.
(12) Bucerus first confessed here that before this time he had not understood some things sufficiently clearly and distinctly, nor had he taught them sufficiently purely and correctly, but as soon as he had learned and grasped them correctly, he had corrected his error, recanted it, and confessed it unjustly, and he also wanted to recant again (so that he would not lead anyone into error), and revoke it with his mouth and in writings, and in whatever way such things could be done. Thereafter, concerning the declaration of the true opinion of the true presence of the body of Christ in or with the bread of the Lord's Supper etc., he confesses for himself and also in the Swiss and Plaureri [Blaurer's] stead and rains, that the bread in the Lord's Supper is truly the body of Christ, and the wine is truly the blood of Christ, and the body and the blood are given through the minister of Christ, without distinction to all who take it, unless the institution and words of Christ are falsified. The body and blood of Christ are also truly received, namely, the natural, substantial body etc., not only with the heart, but also with the mouth of those who receive it, worthily unto salvation, unworthily unto judgment. But when he says that the God-
1) This date is correct. Compare § 21 of the following number. (Against Köstlin, M. Luther, vol. II, p. 667 ad p. 345, note 3. These negotiations took place on Tuesday. Therefore, it is not Tuesday that is cancelled (by Myconius in this writing), but Wednesday, and what was negotiated on that day is transferred to Friday.
He did not want to understand more than this, that if a Turk, or a Jew, or a mouse, or a worm eats the hosts that the papists keep (since none of the things that Christ commanded and instituted happen), that this happens to the bread alone, and is only bread, and not the body of Christ, and neither does this happen to the body of Christ. And only this gross, spatial and natural eating of the body of Christ he had wanted to deny. But the meal, which takes place according to the institution and order of Christ, as he had declared above, he confesses and teaches, and always wants to teach. If he did not teach something clearly enough, he should only be asked about each part in particular, so that he would explain himself and his opinion more clearly.
According to this doctrine, Luther asked the other strangers one by one, in the presence of all, and each answered for certain that he confessed, held, taught, and defended exactly what and how he, Bucerus, had declared, and had now taught a whole year in this way, and would continue to teach it in this way, and asked that no suspicion be cast upon them, nor that they be guilty of any fraud. Some also said that their authorities in their churches had, by public edict, inflicted certain punishments on those who denied the true presence of the true body of Christ with the bread. They also asked all very humbly and earnestly, because they recognized that the Augsburg Confession and Apology, delivered to the Emperor, was right and true, so that they, as members in Christ, would also be accepted and admitted to such concordia and bonds of one faith and right brotherly love. For since we recognize one head and unanimously honor the teachings of the Lord Christ, it would be fair for one of us to consider and confess the other as a member.
Luther then went into the chamber with his companions to talk with them about what else should be done. When each of them asked and gave his opinion, Pomeranus, Jonas, Cruciger, Weller, Philippus, Menius, and I Fridericus Myconius, we finally answered out of one mouth: if they believed with their hearts, confessed with their mouths, and also taught the church in this way, and henceforth wanted to teach in this way, then we could be satisfied with them. However, they should again state roundly and clearly: whether they confess that the very bread which is given to the unworthy through the servant of Christ with the words of Christ who instituted it (as Paul calls it) is true-
How the name of the Lord, which an ungodly man abuses against the other commandment, is the name of God, and is not abolished by the abuse; or, how Judas embraces and kisses the Lord Christ in the garden, and yet is and remains the Lord Christ, and is not changed by the abuse and ungodly desecration.
When we came out again and everyone was seated, Luther told all things with great spirit and courage, which could also be seen in his eyes and whole face.
(16) Therefore, when they had confessed that which was in the matter, namely, that the bread was the body of Christ, by the authority and power of Christ, who instituted it, and thus by divine majesty said and promised it, abusing it as the unworthy do, or needing it the worthy, etc. peace and unity were made between us who were together. And Capito and Bucer began to weep, and we both thanked God the Lord with folded hands and godly gestures. They were also commanded to carefully and calmly remove from their churches the counter doctrine that was still in some hearts, and to present the certain true opinion that they had now heard and confessed, and, as much as the Spirit of the Lord comes to the aid of our weakness, to explain it clearly. If this saying, "the ungodly received the true body of Christ," would be considered offensive by those of you who have understanding, 1) then they should use the word that Paul uses, namely, the unworthy, and yet explain the matter rightly in itself, or they should use the word "unbelieving" for the word "ungodly. Then we shook hands and went back to our inn.
17) On May 25, 2) the day of the Ascension of Christ, nothing more was done, except that the sermons of Wellers, Myconii and Menii were heard. At Vespers Luther preached, quite gloriously and spiritually, from the words of Marci: "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creatures" etc. I have heard Luther preach many times, but at that time I was not different.
1) "Understand" here will mean this much: who have one mind with them.
2) "25." put by us instead of "24.", because the day of the Ascension of Christ was May 25 in 1536. Cf. De Wette, vol. IV, p. 691, where the Sunday Vocem JucumMutis is resolved by: "May 21". See § 5 of this writing. Hence also § 19 is set by us May 26 instead of: "Den 25." Also Guericke, Kirchengeschichte (7. Anst.), vol.II, p. 202f. has these wrong dates of Myconius.
to sense, for as if he did not speak alone, but thundered from heaven itself in the name of Christ.
18) The same day 3) the form of Concordia in the doctrine of the Lord's Supper was dealt with, and it was imposed on Philip that he should grasp and set it.
19) On May 26, 4) the Forma Concordiä, or the copy of the Confession, which we were to accept on both sides, was held up to Bucer and his companions in the inn, at Christian Goldschmied's widow. However, since both our sides were not much together, and the matter was not only common to us, but also to the princes, churches, and other pastors of the Lord's army, we concluded that, as we are now united in a true Catholic or Christian opinion, so we also wanted to set an example by writing such an act to the absent ones, so that they will also find such unity with us; which we hope to easily obtain. They shall do likewise on their side. Then two of them can be sent to us, or two of ours to them, so that our concordia in this dispute may be signed and publicly issued in the common name and commanded to all churches.
Finally, they have testified that they want to defend, teach and keep all articles contained in the Augsburg Confession and Apologia (of the electors and princes) most diligently. etc.
90 Synodus Witebergensis, or circumstantial account of all the actions of the theologians at Wittenberg and the preachers from the towns in the upper country in matters concerning Holy Communion and other articles of Christian doctrine, at the convention held at Wittenberg in 1536, by M. Johann Bernardi, preacher at Frankfurt. Jointly written by the preachers of the upper regions at Frankfurt, by the
June 2-5, 1536.
This document was, as we can see from § 53 of the same, written jointly by the Upper Germans on their journey home from June 2 to 5, 1536 at Frankfurt,
3) Melanchthon received this request to write the article on the Lord's Supper on Tuesday, May 23. See § 28 of the following number.
4) Köstlin, Martin Luther (3.), vol. II, p. 351 has here correctly: "On the morning of Friday." Kolde, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 430 brings the correct date the "26. May".
to report to the rulers from whom they were sent. Bucer and Capito will have the greatest share in the drafting. To this report, each legation could then make its additions for its specific circumstances, as this was done in our writing by M. Bernardi for Frankfurt, and by Bucer in his tu8torin äs ooneoräin in his Leripta ^nZlio., p. 648 ff. for Strasbourg. Bucer always speaks of himself in the third person in his report, because it is a common one, and these reports are therefore mostly identical. Besides the report of Myconius (in the previous number) and the two just mentioned, there is a fourth one by Wolfgang Musculus, which is found in Kolde, ^nnleetA, p. 216, and is especially interesting because of the description of the church services. Our writing is taken from Ritter's Frankfurt. Denkmal, p. 345. In the entrances of the same is found a letter of Luther to Capito, May 12, 1536, printed in Latin by Ktrobel-Runner, p. 255 and by De Wette, vol. IV, p. 690. We have retranslated it according to De Wette.
Honorable, prudent, favorable, commanding, dear* gentlemen! E. F. W. is well aware that after the Almighty God gave His holy Gospel in Germany, soon thereafter a schism arose from the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our dear Lord JEsu Christ, into which schism and strife we ministers of the Gospel here in Frankfurt never enter (just as E. F. W., our dear lords, seriously commanded that we never accept such things as quarrels), however, some restless spirits have been found, who do not like the unity of our churches. Have therefore been accused by our Lord and Father, D. Martin Luther, in the most outrageous and severe way, as if we should teach that Christ's body and blood were never truly in the holy supper, were rebels etc. They also moved the pious, noble man to write against us, even though he had never seen or heard us before, according to his own writing. To put an end to such suspicion of Luther and the untruthfulness of our detractors, an honorable wise council of this city, my dear commanding lords, has dispatched me with the highly learned and faithful ministers of the gospel of the cities of the upper country, who were under greater suspicion than we at Frankfurt, to Luther; but how and when we now come to the same, and what has been done to each other, I will tell E. F. W. as much as I have heard and remembered.
First, we rode out here in Frankfurt on the tenth day of May and came to Eisenach on the 13th day of the same month, where we waited for Sunday, Monday, the interest day of D. Martin Luther. Received first of all on the 17th day of May D. Luther's letter at Eisenach, in which he excuses his illness, and requests that we go to Grimma. His letter reads thus:
[Luther's letter to Capito, May 12, 1536.]1 )
To the man highly esteemed in the Lord, W. Capito, servant of the church at Strasbourg, his brother in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ! Your letter, my dear Capito, dated April 22, was delivered to me on May 11, and therefore three days before the fourth Sunday after Easter, which I had determined as the day of our meeting in Eisenach. Therefore, even if I were healthy, I could not be present there on that day. There remains only this: since I am still exhausted from the illness I recently overcame and cannot undertake a longer journey, I ask (if it is possible and you are willing) that all of you, as many of you as have come together there, make haste to come a little closer here, namely to Grimma, which lies three miles behind Leipzig. For there I will either be myself on the fifth Sunday after Easter, or at least (if my health does not prevent it) I will be able to exchange letters with our people within a day's time. Otherwise, I have absolutely no way or possibility to appear. It is God who forces us to arrange things in this way, against our will, and by thinking of completely different things than we are capable of. M. Philip was absent, therefore he could not answer. Christ give his blessing that it may be a true and firm concord, amen. May 12, 1536.
1) From this writing we found in the council with ourselves, and also the other good gentlemen and friends, that we asked D. Luther to stay at home, we wanted to come to him to Wittenberg; reason would be that Grimma is only a day's journey from Wittenberg and on the side of the road, 2) and D. Luther still put us off uncertainly to come there. Luther still put us off uncertainly from coming there, so we were concerned that we would have had to go to Wittenberg later, if we had moved to Grimma now; which is what happened. For although D. Luther prepared himself for the way to Grimma, and finally planned to come, his illness had increased to such an extent that he had to stay. For this reason, he has sent to us in Grimma D. Caspar Creutzigern and
1) The location of this letter is given above.
2) Grimma is located 3-1/2 German miles southeast of Leipzig.
M. Philipp Melanchthon, who also came as far as Dorga [Torgau], but to act alone with us, so that we would go completely to Wittenberg, as much as pns would be too courageous to act seriously for the sake of Concordia. So we came to Wittenberg, and on the 21st day of May we moved into the hostel that had been ordered for us by the Elector, and one part of us greeted Luther and the other nobles in Wittenberg that same evening, the other part in the morning.
2 The same morning, D. Capito and Bucerus handed over the writings they had brought from all places to D. Luther. Luther the writings that they had brought from all kinds of places, and requested to speak with him about 1) the order of action that we had considered in such a way that D. Luther would consider with his own what points he meant to deal with us, and if he gave us these in writings, we would first discuss them among ourselves; and what we would like to know from the Scriptures to be answered, we would then have one or two present to D. Luther and his own, and give and receive a report about it, until all such articles and questions were well explained: accordingly, it should be decided according to each person's conscience and faith.
3. we also wanted to record such things, and hand them over to them articles, of which we are to act with care; for we thought, based on D. Luther's letter and the need of the churches, our action in this convent should be directed so that we thoroughly report to each other our faith's doctrine and attitude about everything that concerns our ministry and preaching office, so that we may unanimously and for the true betterment of our churches serve each other in all ways, rightly confront all the annoyances of the popes, the mobs, and the laziness and disorder of our own, and obtain true discipline and serious adherence to Christian life. For the sake of Holy Communion, they say, God has now granted grace that D. Luther had heard about this sacrament from their articles and confessions that had gone out before, that he had attributed it to them as their dear brothers, and that he had also appointed a minister of the Word to the church at Augsburg, from which they had heard that they should not complain about the same in their articles and confessions, and that they should be satisfied with them in this matter; but if they also desired further explanations, they would be willing to faithfully provide them.
Luther read the letters at first; this was delayed until noon. At
1) "of" we have put instead of: "and".
2) "for one" - first.
The three came to him again D. Capito and Bucerus; the same D. Luther reproached with great seriousness, 3) how he knew nothing to act of changing points of Christian doctrine, the Concordia consisted before in articles of the holy Sacrament. He would have had a good hope of this Concordia from some of its writings, beginning with the booklet to those of Münster, and then from the action of D. Gerson; but he received letters that indicated far otherwise, and could not hear them otherwise than that they [boasted] everywhere in the country, 4) they were one with them, and yet taught as before that there was only bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, or at least left the people in such error. If they also spoke of the presence of Christ, they would do it with one word or two, and then lead to the spiritual use. In this way the people would remain as before, holding that there was nothing but bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, only that the Lord was remembered, and that he was present only in an empty imagination. But because they always claim that they agree with him, he must be guilty of all the error of the people and the perversion of the sacrament; he cannot or will not suffer that.
5 Secondly, they state and write that it was only a dispute over words: he could not or would not suffer that either, because it was not, and no one could believe it. He had fought for the truth of Christ's words that his body was in the Lord's Supper; so Carolstadt and Zwinglius had taught that the body of Christ was not there, but only bread and wine; to them they had fallen out. Therefore, if they are serious about true concordia, they must revoke the previous teaching and freely confess with him that the bread in the Lord's Supper is the body of Christ, given and received in hand and mouth, both to the ungodly and to the godly; and if they do not do this, they show that they are not serious. So he did not want to make a concordia, because it is true and constant, so that the last is not worse than the first. In doing so, he reproached them that Henricus Bullinger had first let a booklet by Zwingli go out, which he claimed to be Zwingli's 6) essence and best writing; in it, there would be more unfortunate 7) error than in Zwingli's previous writings, not only of the sacrament, but also of the sacrament itself.
3) Compare the note to ? 10 of the previous number.
4) Added by us.
5) "them" put by us instead of: "ihme"; immediately following "him" instead of: "them".
6) "Zwingli" put by us instead of: "Zwinglisten".
7) "unleidlicherer" put by us instead of: "unteudlicher".
also for the sake of the whole Christian doctrine; [Luther] threw before a place of the Gentiles' blessedness apart from Christ.
Item 6: He also accused Bucerus, with an indication of a very troubled mind, of having thought that Zwingli's epistles had been printed and that a preface had been made about them, because in the same epistles the Sacrament had been written in the grossest terms. All this could not be seen otherwise than as if one assumed a lot of peace against him, but intended to keep the previous errors for the best; in this he could not and did not want to heal and make himself partaker of other people's sin; he could do enough for them himself, so he set the Concordia to two pieces:
(7) The first, that they had recanted and condemned the former doctrine, 1) which he [Luther] said was that in the supper there was nothing but bread and wine.
8) That they should take care to impress upon the people that in the holy supper one truly has and receives, even in the mouth, the true body and blood of Christ, and the ungodly as well as the godly, and not always practice the spiritual usufruct, from which there has been no part. People are still in error, he said, that the body of the Lord is not in the supper; they must be helped. If they could not do that, it would be much better if they let God take care of it and go as it goes, because he did not want to grant any concordia, because it was full and accepted from the heart. He also wanted to confess his error; that he had not been too harsh and hard in his writing against Zwinglium and Oecolampadium, as well as others, whom he otherwise wanted to have committed to the judgment of God and not condemn on account of their person, God could have made them blessed in another way, which he did not know; but he could not give in to the teaching that he had led of the true presence of Christ, against the error that there should be nothing but bread and wine; then he also attracted Bucer's writings to them.
(9) To this, D. Capito and Bucerus answered: First, they complained that they trusted them so badly; and indicated, if we had known this, and not more of the opposite, that all suspicion against us should be dead and gone for them, by D. Luther's letter. Luther's letter, we wanted our churches and superiors, and also ourselves, to be unconcerned about these journeys of ours.
1) So put by us instead; "that they would have revoked and condemned the former doctrine".
We could not allow unruly people to write falsehoods about us; they would always be found. Therefore, if they were always to give credence to them, if they did not listen to us, there would be little hope of peace.
(10) For the sake of two books, Zwingli's Confession and the Epistles, they said that Bullinger had let Zwingli's Confession go out, and vowed before our last act with them to Basel, in which act we would have first reported to them their error in speaking of the Sacrament and confessing the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, which they violated in Zwingli's writings, also that his, D. Luther's, speeches did not place Christ in natural unity with bread, or that they did not place Christ in the power of the ministers. Luther's speeches do not place a natural unity of Christ with the bread, or that the transfer of spiritual goods depends on the power of the ministers. Thus, for the sake of the Confederates, they had not yet promised anything, but had only given hope for their action, which they still wanted to take with them; and pointed to the unkind action committed against Bucer by the printers, and their preparation of 2) the preface and other things, as such an action would also be heartily sorry to the authorities and all good-hearted people in Basel.
11) Secondly, concerning the recantation, they said that they were ready to recant orally, brightly and publicly, all that 3) which one would bring forward that they had preached unjustly in public; in writing, that they had preached unjustly in writing; but one would never show from their sermons or writings that they had taught, or anyone else, in the churches, from which we had promised them the same understanding, that only bread and wine were given in Holy Communion, and not also the true Christ. But they confessed this, and wanted to confess it further, that they had thought that Luther's writing and his were giving too much to the sacrament, and were bringing about a greater union of Christ with the bread than the Scriptures were able to do. Such an attitude 4) would have been the reason for denying all tropum 5) and writing that the meaning of Christ's words: "This is my body" should be: this bread is my body essentially and bodily, or in the bread he is bodily.
Item 12: To offer a special explanation of this sacrament as a channel of God's grace, and not to let it be good for them; the Spirit of Christ brings and increases faith and all good things.
2) "Anrichten" put by us instead of: "Anrichtern".
3) "public" put by us instead of: hopefully".
4) "Such an attitude" Such an opinion.
5) "all" put by us instead of: "the old". See 816.
with us. From this, they said, the matter looked to us as if, by their talk of sacraments, the papal error would be reintroduced and confirmed, by which people should get salvation by external action in the sacraments, without true faith.
But after they had heard from their subsequent writings that D. Luther and his followers expressly deny the natural unity of the body of the Lord with the bread. Luther and his followers explicitly deny the natural unity of the body of the Lord with the bread, and do not want to include it in the bread, and make the sacraments as such a channel of God's grace, that the whole work of Christ our Lord and the servant is nothing but the service: They have also freely confessed this, in writings and otherwise, and are now in their eighth year, to bring others to this understanding, 1) with all diligence, and have commanded God, and have not yet sent a retraction to anyone; that their writings and teachings might have been interpreted and challenged far differently than they held their opinion, and that they might also have been moved with other difficult things, of which nothing would have come into their hearts.
(14) But they would have retracted all that they could always know to have erred in doctrine or in some person, as every true Christian is entitled to do, and as St. Augustine and all the other truly holy fathers have undertaken to do. But that they should revoke a doctrine which they had not recognized or taught, that they could not do. But there is nothing in their writings that they taught that there should be nothing but bread and wine in Holy Communion.
15) Thirdly, that they should not say that there was only a dispute between D. Luther and them. Luther and them, and that neither part understood the other rightly: they answered that they do not speak of all of them, but they nevertheless know this well, that they did not understand him, 2) and here his, since they denied all tropum, and exaggerated the bodily and carnal eating of the body of Christ so much; so they also know well that he did not understand them, and still does not understand them, because he wanted to attribute to them that they denied the true presence of Christ. For all of us who were here, they said, 3) would not have done so; but if things were otherwise rightly compared to themselves, they did not want to weigh him down at all with such a defense, and also wanted to
1) Here we have deleted "and"; immediately following we have put "alone" instead of: "all".'
2) "him" put by us instead of: "them".
3) "said they" put by us instead of: "says he, she".
say that this would be an error, that only bread and wine are served in the evening meal, and condemn their error most severely; but to condemn persons who neither confess nor confessed the error, they could not testify to it, it was not to be done; they also hoped that D. Luther would not desire it.
16. To the fourth, concerning the trade of the sacrament in himself, they have given this answer: That theirs and all ours, and in churches of the free and imperial cities preachers 4) (of the churches of the confession of the Confederates they wanted to hand over later) is the faith and doctrine of Holy Communion, that there, by institution and the work of the Lord, truly, as his words of the Lord read, his true body and his true blood with the visible signs, bread and wine, are presented, given and received; as has been confessed before in the public confessions of the upper churches and in other writings.
17) D. Luther kept to himself with regard to the oral meal. Luther wrote himself, that the mouth could not touch the body of the Lord for itself. But as the Scripture says that John saw the Holy Spirit, who with his bodily eyes could see no more than the dove, and not the Holy Spirit, who is invisible in himself: so we all confess that because of the sacramental unity between the body of the Lord and bread, one could well say, as the holy fathers are wont to do, that one takes the body of the Lord in hand, mouth, and stomach, when in fact neither hand, mouth, nor stomach can be spoken of. Stomach to the body of the Lord. But because some of us always want to understand something greater from these speeches than his own, Luther's, or the old fathers' understanding, we do not need this speech, but say that with the bread and wine the body of the Lord is truly presented, in a divine and heavenly, but still true and essential way. And leaving it at that, they diligently exhorted to the true believing partaking, so that the fruit of the sacrament might be tasted. 6) The Lord's body was not offered in this way, but in a divine and heavenly, but nevertheless true and essential way.
(18) Concerning the eating of the ungodly, they said that we do not speak about it in the church, because if we knew the ungodly at Holy Communion, we should not give them the sacraments. But when we are confronted with this question, we say that the ungodly do not eat the sacraments.
4) In the old edition:. "Preaching".
5) "Dove" by us gesetzi instead of: "baptism".
6) "believing" put by us instead of: "believing".
Those who do not believe the words of the sacrament and receive nothing but bread and wine, because the institution and the word of the Lord are not directed to them, nor given to them. But those who believe the words of the sacrament, but have other faults, because they do not pervert the institution and the word of the Lord, and bring to the sacrament no more than sense and reason, who know nothing but bread and wine, even the belief that the Lord gives them his body and blood there; these also receive the body and blood of the Lord. But because they do this without right devotion and living acceptance of these graces with true and godly faith, they become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, just as the Corinthians were guilty of it, whom the holy apostle chastised, yet did not cast down as ungodly.
19 They also said that it would cause much trouble in our churches if we were to say that the ungodly eat Christ's suffering as well as the godly. For against the papal errors and also the negligence of our people, we diligently exhorted to the true and faithful partaking of Christ in the Sacrament, that we might always live in Him and He in us, which we called, with the holy Fathers, the true and right eating of Christ, since the Lord has ever ordained the Sacrament for this purpose; Therefore said we with the dear Augustine, that to others, who have not this faith, the body of the Lord is both offered and presented in the Lord's Supper, as to those who have all faith.
20. But that they eat it only sacramento tenus, that is, because of the sacrament, for they do not receive it rightly, that is, for the food of life, therefore they do not eat it rightly, that is, as Augustine calls it, re vera, for which the Lord has ordained this sacrament, for eternal life, for which guidance this food is given; just as the beatific gospel is preached to the wicked as well as to the good, although the wicked do not accept nor find the beatific power in the gospel.
In the discussion of this opinion, all kinds of speeches and counter-speeches took place to explain the trade, whether D. Luther (as he is very stupid) became so weak that he had to stop, even if he did not trade anything in the morning. So there was only further trading on interest day afternoon at three o'clock. There Mart. Bucerus, in the name of all of us and in the presence of all of us, reiterated the 1) opinion now put forward with further explanation, and with serious-
1) "pre-set" put by us instead of: "continued".
We have never denied the true presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, even by what we have written and said, that the body of Christ is eaten spiritually, or that it is offered to the mouth of faith, that is, a fictitious presence and enjoyment, but only to exclude the grosser sacramental presence, which has led the world to believe that the Lord is bodily present in the sacrament, as long as only the forms of bread and wine are present; That such sacramental presence is good for itself, and averts all misfortune, as is also believed, because they have ever, without teaching and driving to the true faith, made the seeing alone and carrying about of the sacrament so high and great. They confessed that they had not understood such presence, if not always so fully expressed, nor their words with which they present the presence in the supper of Christ. They also said that some of them had thought that their 2) speeches about the strengthening of faith through the sacrament, 3) the strengthening of the external action and reception of the sacrament, were in themselves ex opere operato, which is why he himself, Bucerus, and others had challenged their speeches. But recently, with his brothers in Strasbourg, he would have heard the same speeches better, and would then have endeavored to bring others to such understanding as well, now in his eighth year; he would also have freely confessed all this in public writings in Latin and German, also in the pulpits in Augsburg and elsewhere; Although, he said, our speech has been interpreted much differently than we wrote and spoke it, and much has been added that had never entered our hearts, which we nevertheless entrust to God, and, as reported before, therefore do not ask anyone to recant.
22) And when it came to the article of the reception of the ungodly, and Bucerus reports that we are of one faith, namely, that no one says that those who keep the word and order of the Lord in the Sacrament receive more than bread and wine in Holy Communion; but those who keep the word and order of the Lord and believe the Sacrament, even though they do not practice the true living faith in Christ our Lord, and thus receive the Sacrament unworthily and are therefore guilty.
2) Luther's and his.
3) "the same" put by us instead of: "the same".
in the body of the Lord, that they nevertheless received not only bread and wine, but also the true body and blood of the Lord; as they also believe that the same is given to them with the bread, according to the words of the Lord; which also D. Oecolampad himself confessed and described in his last Dialogus, that it is quite abominable in our churches to say that the ungodly eat the body of Christ JEsu, and the people take something far different, than someone means with such words.
(23) Then Pomeran said: the unworthy, as Paul says, receive the body of the Lord; (1) to which Bucerus answered: Yes, as long as one adheres to the word and institution of the Lord; which "condition" is also in Luther's writings. Luther's writings; for unfortunately many who nevertheless believed in the institution badly distinguished the body of the Lord, and thus unworthily received the body and blood of the Lord in the sacrament.
(24) But those who have no faith at all, but only let their mind and reason bring them to the Lord's Supper, we consider them to accept only the bread and the wine, whether the true body and the true blood are presented to them with the bread and with the wine by the institution of the Lord and the service of the church; for the institution of the Lord does not depend on any man's faith or unbelief, but on itself, as God's word and order.
After this narration and explanation by Bucerus, D. Luther asked us about the order of our faith, that we have all confessed, each for himself, that we hold and teach as Bucerus has narrated and explained. And this has been my confession: Dear lords and fathers, we ministers of the gospel at Frankfort believe completely, you have no doubt about our doctrine, for we have not taught otherwise than that the true body and the true blood of Christ is in the supper; to this I am not of origin as an actor of this action, but a hearer and spectator, as you all compare yourselves with one another. Before I made my confession, M. Philippus Melanchthon also said to me: "We know very well that you are innocent in Frankfurt in the action concerning the supper.
26 It was also said that in some cities it was customary that no one should be allowed to
1) Here we have deleted the word "not" after Köstlin's process (Martin Luther, Vol. II, p. 667 aä p. 348).
2) "by order" - after her row.
It is forbidden to teach or to say that only bread and wine are in the Holy Communion, and in some cities even to say this is counted among blasphemy, and severe punishment is inflicted; but we all teach faithfully that the true body and the true blood are offered and received. Luther then left with his own, M. Philippo, D. Jonah, D. Pomerano, D. Creuzigern, and two other doctors, the pastor of Eisenach and Gotha, and several preachers of Wittenberg, who were all present, and talked.
27 After that, when we were sitting together again, D. Luther began to speak and stand very friendly. Luther began, spoke and stood in a very friendly manner, saying: "Worthy sirs and brethren, we have now heard all of you answer and confess that you believe and teach that in the Lord's Supper the true body and blood of the Lord is given and received, and not only bread and wine; also that this giving and receiving is done truly, not imaginarily. But confess, as St. Paul says, that the unworthy receive the body of the Lord, where the institution and the words of the Lord are not perverted; for this cause we will not quarrel. Because it is thus with you, we are one, recognizing and accepting you as our dear brothers in the Lord, as far as this article is concerned. But we will speak of the public announcement of this Concordia later, when the other articles have also been discussed.
28 Philip is now to write this article; and when it was late, this time he bade us come to the inn, and in the morning again to him, to treat of the other noble points. Baptism, absolution, schools and the like. For the Latin psalm singing, he says, and other ceremonies, the children's work, it has no need.
Baptism.
When we came together in the morning, D. Luther held up the baptism to us: Since there were those who did not want children to walk, and also those who baptized children, but considered baptism an empty sign, and therefore often let the children die without baptism; yes, there were also those who baptized children without water: so we should also show our faith on account of these things. And before that he told his faith, that one should baptize the children, and that baptism is powerful, brings the sonship of God, and should be done in water etc., as they have written about it in the Confession, Apology and elsewhere.
(30) To this Bucerus replied (from what we had previously decided with one another) that we have all most faithfully contended against the opponents of infant baptism and are still contending, as our writings also testify;
Item: that we recognize and offer holy baptism, not at all as an empty sign, but as the true bath of regeneration, which is offered and given with water from the work of God and through the ministry of the servant.
(32) In this, however, some people have had a problem, because faith in Scripture is commonly taken to mean keeping and accepting the word of God that one hears, according to the saying of Paul: fide ex auditu, we have certainly said and written with St. Augustine and other fathers that the children have no faith in this way. But if one wanted to take faith more broadly 1) for all surrender to God, then one would also call the children believers, because we completely believed and taught that the true rebirth is imparted to the children all around and that they are true children of God, and that the Holy Spirit works in them according to their measure, as we read of St. John that he was full of the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb; But so that one does not fall into the opus operatum, we gladly explain it in such a way that one recognizes here to be the work of the Lord, the service of the servant.
(33) But of this, they said, we have not been able to discern from the Scriptures why some would say that infants understand the words of the gospel when they are baptized, and believe the same act, and so be saved.
To this Luther said: "This is not their opinion, but how we, when we are asleep, are still counted and are believers, even though we do not actually think or believe anything about God, so there is a beginning of faith, and a work of God in the children, in their measure, which we do not know; this is what he called faith, and he did not want there to be much dispute, consideration, or discussion about how the work of God was done in them.
35 Bucerus further pointed out that when they said that baptism was necessary, they did not believe that the Lord had thus bound salvation to baptism, so that no one could attain it, and that all children who were not baptized, since baptism was not abandoned out of contempt, should be condemned, as the old teachers held. But we admonish.
1) "take" put by us instead of: "name", which will probably be read from "nemen".
He told the people to bring all their children to be baptized, so that the authorities would stand by them and not allow anyone to leave their child without being baptized.
(36) It is true that in some churches we have the custom of baptizing only on Sundays, or even on certain other days; but we do this only to restore baptism to its dignity, and to put an end to the annoying customs that have arisen in connection with it, and to counter the blasphemers, the rebaptizers; but at the same time no one is baptized at other times.
(37) D. Luther and his followers were well pleased with this. Luther and his followers were well satisfied, but they requested that we admonish people not to let their children die unbaptized. The children belonged to the church and to baptism, therefore, so much to us, baptism should also be administered to them. This we have gladly accepted to do, as we have faithfully preached against all contempt of baptism, and have earnestly exhorted the people to bring their children to baptism. Baptism is the bath of regeneration and the impartation of the blood of Christ, which we should and will desire and impart to our children with all devotion, but always with the faithful declaration that the work of baptism is Christ's alone. So we have also compared ourselves to this.
38 It was also brought about that the children were wrapped up when they were baptized. To this Bucerus replied that it had been the custom of some before, even in the papacy, to begin baptizing in winter for the sake of the cold, by people themselves, without our teaching; because the water itself was only prescribed as a sign, the ancients also baptized, not only by dunking, as the word baptizare graece and taufen are called in German, but also by sprinkling, so we would not have known how to make this difficult for the people: One discovers the head of the children and sprinkles it. In this way, nothing further was thrown at them.
Claves. For the sake of the keys and absolution, Luther considered how useful and necessary it would be for young and coarse people to receive special instruction in the faith; also how comforting it would be for confused, shattered 2) consciences to hear evangelical consolation and absolution in particular. There must also be a ban in the church, so that those who openly taught and lived against the Word of God could be removed from the congregation.
2) In the old edition: "slain".
tes separated. He showed us what improvement such a custom brought to them. The people respect all church activities more highly, like to gather for the Word of God and the sacraments, have the ministers of the Word before their eyes, and are easily protected from all error.
40 To this Bucerus answered again that they all might well recognize what St. Paul had done, and that they had commanded each of their pastors to report, admonish, and warn in particular at times. So we also know well, they said, what consolation there is in it, when the consolation of the gospel is given to a troubled conscience in its special request. For this reason, they said, we also admonished our own people to do this; they had also had this in their people at first, that no one went to the Lord's Supper, because he had first shown himself, and sought teaching and comfort. But they had slackened in time. They were not able to urge them on; however, they wanted to 1) seek a way with all diligence and seriousness, so that those who were officially commanded to do so would be brought to proper church discipline, and would teach in general and especially according to need.
41 I have nothing to answer for here, because public and special absolution is used here, and no one is allowed to have supper unless he has indicated the time and place.
(42) For the sake of excommunication, in many cities there is some brave discipline and punishment of vices, but we all do not want to let anyone come to the sacrament who is known to us in vices and unrepentant life.
43 Luther and his followers were also satisfied with all of this and spoke to each other about church discipline and keeping the community of God together; for this reason, M. Philippo was ordered to write short articles about it.
From schools.
44 After this, the schools were discussed; if they showed how they were doing, they were well satisfied as far as the schools were concerned, but they complained that in some places the young people were not led to churches, sermons and spiritual exercises and practiced as they were. As all art and skill, where it is without true godliness, does the greatest harm in the world; but where there is true godliness, church discipline and earnest attendance on the word of God and all church exercises will follow.
1) "hinfür" put by us instead of: "hievor".
45 Because the other preachers had all the schools with them, and we, unfortunately, had none, especially for the use of the gospel and church exercises, I said, if we wanted to use the youth in church exercises, we would have no school for that; for only two priestly schools did not serve us in the gospel. M. Philip answered: "That is not good, what is Moser doing? Is he not appointed by an honorable council? I answered, "No, he has no publicum stipendium; he will soon be with you here in Wittenberg. Then said M. Philippus: He shall not do that, one shall give him one or some; how is it that you get tired of the people from Frankfurt so soon? I then requested, as M. Philippus promised, to write to your church and to seek out learned people, as Carolus Figulus also offered to do, with counsel and will, as he says to me, M. Philippi; truly, according to my low judgment, a fine, pious, learned man, with whom the most distinguished boys, whom we now have from Frankfurt in Wittenberg, study and are educated.
(46) Nothing more was said on the evening of the Ascension of Christ; but on the day after it, after the sermon, we discussed with D. Pomeran that they still kept the images, vestments, lights, lifting up and worshipping; at which ours were somewhat annoyed, because these things are hardly misused, and to fear that they might still receive some superstition from their own; it also gives the papists some strength in their error. Answered D. Pomeran: They had thus fought against the misuse of these things, and were doing this for and for that the papists should have no help from them, or keep their own in superstition; what then were the images that one wanted to worship, they had done away with, and were doing away with them; that they let some candles be lit, and used the old chasubles to some extent, had so far been done to the service of the pious simple-minded among them.
(47) But that it might be seen that they thought not of these things for themselves, they kept the Lord's Supper often without candlesticks, vestments, and lifting up, and as simple as we always keep it.
(48) Neither do they do away with the sacrament, that it should be worshipped, although Christ is worshipped everywhere, which is also proved by outward bodily manifestation, where one
2) "Need" here has the meaning: to instruct in such a way that it would become a custom or habit among the youth.
The first time this was done, it was remembered in a special way, so we left it as an old custom.
49) For this purpose, we should give thanks to the Lord that he has given us the sacrament, and at the same time such a glorious promise. When, however, we pointed out the danger of the old abuses among our people, and the strengthening of the papists [as] something ominous 1), D. Pomeran and his confessed that they wanted the abolition to be over with fugues, as there was no word nor command for it; they also gave comfort that it would improve with time, as the abolition is not in use in many churches. In Hesse, it has been completely abolished along with the chasubles; only in some places is it still permitted to use the chasubles at festivals.
50 Because in all this they alone defend Christian liberty, faithfully denounce and refute the abuse, and in so doing do not impose such things on others, so that they also confess to having made their correction, we do not know how to press these things so seriously on them this time, especially since nothing in particular should be closed in this collection of ours. However, we have faithfully warned them of the secret abuse and the danger of superstition, which may be maintained and promoted by many.
On Saturday, Capito and Bucerus presented the Confession of the Confederates preachers and superiors, and told of their inclined will to the Concord in detail and quite faithfully; they were also excused for being regarded as if they considered the sacraments only empty signs and also the service of the Word not in its value. Item, that because of the short time they did not send anyone to this convention, which they would have liked to do.
Luther answered kindly to this, and that he had not known that so many would have wanted to come, and before that, that also Confederates would have wanted to come, otherwise he would have attributed the time of the Convention earlier; he said that they wanted to look at the Confession, 2) and give their answer about it. Which they did only on Monday, and said that the Confession was right in itself, but they might have some disagreements; therefore he asked that they be dealt with in a friendly manner, whether they also approved the article that we had approved, so that all scruples would be over. Has come down to the
1) "Dräuliches" (threatening) conjicirt by us instead of: ,.trüglichs".
2) "seen" put by us instead of: "exist".
He indicated, however, that the outgoing epistle [Bucer's] had so completely misled him that he had already written to the court, that all his hopes of concord had fallen away, and that he had not meant that we would have responded to his letter.
53) But after we had burdened the whole school in Wittenberg, because the most distinguished were always with us, we did not want to persist there, to put our action from each recording in order, and to make our farewell with each other; so we did the same here in Frankfurt, whereupon we turned Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
54 Now, so that we deal with everything that is necessary for the confirmation of the Concordia, we have compared these following points:
First of all, that we, as Luther has also requested of us and we have promised him to do, do not particularly boast of our Concord until it is generally decided, and in the meantime say that we, who were at Wittenberg, are well satisfied with Luther and his followers of the same mind, as he is also with us, and have a good hope that the general Concord of the churches will now continue and be confirmed.
56. Secondly, that in the preaching of the Sacrament we also fully and completely confess the true presence and presentation of the Lord in the Lord's Supper, and that this consists in the Lord's word and institution, and not at all in the dignity of men, either the ministers or the recipients; But in doing so, one should always diligently exhort to the right true believing use, with the indication that those who receive the sacraments without true faith will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and will suffer judgment and condemnation.
(57) Thirdly, that each one should take care to explain and present the articles, as they are true and according to Scripture, to his superiors with preachers and others to whom this action is to be taken, so that they may be recognized and approved as they are, true and according to Scripture, and their contents faithfully promoted in sermons and otherwise, so that the Lord may one day help us to a whole and common concord. For no one shall be bound by the words of the articles, nor shall anyone be deterred from presenting the truth of these articles in such a way and with such words as may best serve to promote such truth.
58 Fourthly, when D. Luther asks to be included in the approval of the articles among our people, that each one should promote this among his own, so that Satan will not interfere further.
Nevertheless, public tendering can be forgiven until the articles are also approved by the Confederates.
59. Fifth, that our concern is the public announcement: If now the consent of all the churches is obtained, that this be placed solely on the Confession and Apology, and no special article; with the report that our superiors and we have now long since let ourselves be heard to have no fellowship with the error that in the holy supper nothing but bread and wine, and not also the true body and the true blood of the Lord is offered and received; which we have testified of ourselves in the outgoing Confession and other writings.
60 Since this was granted by God, we wanted to make it known to all Christians that they should thank God for His grace, with faithful exhortation to interpret everything for the best, and to call upon God to graciously protect His Church from all errors and divisions.
61 We have agreed to all this out of the word of God and our duty to promote the concord of the churches and to put an end to and prevent all disturbances, as we have stipulated, and we want to comply with this with all our faithfulness. The Lord give his grace, amen.
Martin Bucer's exhortation to his comrades to subscribe to the Concordie. May 29, 1536.
This writing is found in Melanchthon's Oovsil. Int., N. I, p. 253 and in the Oorp. Rsk., Vol. Ill, 78 attached to the articles of the Concordie (No. 88). In Walch German according to the insufficient translation in the Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 229. We have retranslated according to the 6orx. Kek. newly translated.
Now the Concord will be confirmed and made firm if we hold in truth as these articles [No. 88] (namely, of the Lord's Supper, of baptism, and of absolution) read, and each one of us faithfully teaches this. And as far as the article of the Lord's Supper is concerned, it will have to be condemned with a full mouth as error if it is taught that nothing but bread and wine are given and received in the holy supper, if it is celebrated according to the word of the Lord; likewise it must be testified and taught that it is the truth of Christ that in the holy supper the true body and the true blood of the Lord are truly given.
and received, but, as has been said, not naturally united with the bread, nor spatially enclosed in the bread, nor the food of the belly. Finally, that the truth of this sacrament, like that of the word of God and all sacraments, is based on the word and institution of the Lord, not on the merits of men, either of those who take it or of those who administer it; but that all who receive the sacrament unworthily receive judgment.
Whoever now acknowledges that this is true and has decided to teach faithfully in this way, let him sign and do what he has taken upon himself to do; but whoever is not yet ready to do so, against him we offer to answer kindly to everything that can hold him back from signing.
92 D. Martin Luther's letter to the Council of Strasbourg, in which he asks for their approval of the Concordia, so that the matter can be published in print. May 29, 1536.
This letter is found in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 367; in the Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 1064; in the Leipziger, vol. XXI, p. 106; in the Erlanger, vol. 55, p. 136 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 692. According to Burkhardt, p. 252, the original is in the Strasbourg archive.
To the honorable, prudent gentlemen, mayor and council of the city of Strasbourg, my 'favorable gentlemen and friends.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, prudent, dear gentlemen! What we have done here with God's grace, He Capito, Doctor, and M. Bucer E. F. will well report. Since God the Father has given you the primary task of promoting such unity, I ask Him, our dear Father, through Christ our Savior, to mercifully accomplish the grace He has begun in you, for His praise and the blessedness of us all, Amen. And if this unity of ours, which we have begun, will be pleasing to you and to all preachers, you should make it known in writing in due time; just as we also want to make it known to you in our favor, so that we may let it go out publicly in print. For (if God wills) I shall lack nothing as much as I am able,
what I should do and suffer, to a right, thorough, constant unity. Experience has taught us almost well what disunity of the churches means, alas! Christ our peace and comfort be with you all to the end, Amen. Monday after Exaudi [May 29] Anno etc. 36. 1) Martinus Luther, D.
93. D. Wolfgang Capito's letter to Martin Luther. July 20, 1536.
From the Strasbourg Manuscript.
Translated from Latin by M. A. Tittel.
My greetings! Your honorable Father's deeds toward us are becoming more glorious every day, so that through Christ's grace you see what is happening among us. For what you do for the opinion of truth with a little, that is spread by us to the highest. The mayor of Basel, the most distinguished man in the same community, rejoices over your letter as much as worldly men over a treasure they have found, for he holds it no differently than a treasure. He wanted to write to you with great honor, but we advised him first of all to see to it that the right of harmony is strengthened among his own, and then among the other Swiss churches. We often remember the words in which you hinted to us that things would not go as well as we had thought. For we learn daily that some young people's heads are making us angry, and that Satan himself is destroying by his cunning that which serves for peace. And there is no place from which we have more to worry about than Augsburg. The cheeky merchants love to quarrel. Förster with Michael 2) is full of gruesome quarrels, to the greatest detriment of the churches, because both's reputation falls with the pious, but they will probably start the quarrel again. Michael is attached to the people, but he is not as popular with the best people as he thinks. One of them misinterprets the other's affairs, which the people notice, and the pious suffer for it. For it is a great annoyance.
2 We want to take care here that nothing so easily causes a noise. But I ask your Fatherhood for Christ's sake, that if anything, so un-
1) Walch and De Wette have here the year "34.", but in the heading correctly: "1536".
If anything happens that might make our will doubtful toward you and Christ, you freely hold it against us. For we may do something out of ignorance, but not in the least with will, since we believe that we owe this service to Christ, which we take upon ourselves and use for the sake of unity. The sovereigns and rulers of the commonwealths (rerumpublicarum) have favored unity. Among the Swiss, those of Mulhouse and Basel. At our presentation, they have sent here two of their preachers, the most distinguished, who are now in consultation with us until the third day because of the whole action of the Gospel. For you, my father and teacher, know perfectly what we still lack, which we already want to obtain through the grace of Christ and your holy prayer. In the future, more and more certain!
When I left for the meeting, the plague seemed to be manifesting itself, for two young people and a son had died to Bucer, of whose death I first reported to him in Frankfurt. For he had just traveled from Augsburg to Eisenach. Therefore, we could not do what we were willing to do. I understand that you have a son who is well suited for study and the learned arts, whom you will not raise at home with such good hope; we would have asked you to trust us. You have here D. Gerbel, who reveres your fatherhood, Bucer, Dasipodius, and formerly your pupil in the divinity and knowledge of Christ, Jacob Bedrottus, also me and some others. We would all faithfully see to it that he would be well instructed. For here, too, the study is carried out very diligently. So consult with each other, dear sir, and decide to send him abroad once; at home, I will see to it that the young man's good head does not get so far away. Gerbel is extremely skilled at leading young people. I do not have the time to spare, but if he were entrusted to my trust, I would take good care of him. Jacobus Faber Stapulensis has blessedly ended his life in the past months, likewise Erasmus of Rotterdam gave up the ghost on July 11 after midnight, in the presence of Grynäi, and often let Christ, God, grace, as much as one can hear, be heard from him in sighs. He is said to have provided well and abundantly for the poor by means of a will. He died in Basel among the Lutheran heretics, for that is what we must always call our enemies.
4. methinks I note the papal counsels and intentions, that they are among the two mo-
I am sending here a protestation to the pope, so that the Lutherans may be brought back to the church through war, as the emperor promised the Roman pope that he would do. I am sending here the emperor's protestation to the pope, whether you will have read other copies of it before. For this one seems to some to be the most probable. Fare well in the Lord! May God preserve you for many years to come, and may you remain with us, your disciples, with kindness. Strasbourg, July 20. Consider these my incursions (gossip) as good, and know that they flowed from love and esteem for you. May the Most High let you live long and happily.
Yours sincerely
W. Capito.
94. D. Martin Bucer's Letter to D. Mart. Luther. July 21, 1536.
From the Strasbourg Manuscript.
Translated into German by M. A. Tittel.
Grace and peace! Most venerable father and teacher in the Lord! God has brought us home again in good health. On our journey we spoke to the ministers (or preachers) at Frankfurt, Worms, Landau and Weißenburg, who accepted all articles of unity with joy. The same thing happened at Esslingen, Augsburg, Memmingen, Kempten. The brothers have written to me. Here we have first of all opened everything to our secret concilio (and spiritual assembly), then to all the bailiffs and those elders of the church, who are attached to us by the councilors and from the people in the church matters; finally to the whole and completely assembled council, who have all accepted the articles and have given thanks to the Lord. They want to sign them, as do those whom we have only mentioned. The brethren from the country have not yet met in Ulm, but I expect daily that the answer will be sent to me from here. From Costnitz, Zuiccius has also stayed with us for a whole month, who will be faithfully concerned with us and at his superior's command that the confession of the truth is finally fully accepted among the Swiss. I hope that they will send the signatures of the churches whose ministers (preachers) were with us in Wittenberg to the Frankfurt fair. The Lord gives the desired progress in this matter, and we are also seriously concerned about it. This is also done by Zuiccius
with all diligence, so we do not dispute the fact that he did not sign there right away. He had already accepted everything there, so we had no doubt that he would sign. He also said afterwards that he had received orders from his council not to sign until he had reported everything, whatever it was, to them. I certainly think that we want to send the signatures to the fair. At least we are acting honestly, and nothing offends us so much as that they always do not believe us. The world will see in my retractions, 1) which I have included in my interpretations of the evangelists, whether I am acting honestly or falsely in this matter.
Erasmus died on July 11 at 12 o'clock in the night, and while dying he called upon the name of Jesus and the mercy of God, namely in Basel, where he was also buried with a Christian light burial. They also say that he made a Christian will; the administrators (and executors) of the will are D. Bonifacius Amerbach and Hieronymus Frobenius. Grynaeus has almost always been with Bonifacio in his dying days. He is said to have bequeathed many things to the students and the poor and the maids for dowry in Basel. He died more of old age than of any illness.
You know that a concilium has been announced, for this is the good peace that was expected. The emperor, who is coming with a large army, has not yet crossed the Alps. The Frenchman wants to have all the things that the emperor has against him judged by the imperial estates. Incidentally, he does not load himself with many warriors, as he might well do, and does not seem to want to march against the enemy. He has all his food supplies gathered in solid cities and places strong garrisons in them. May the Lord grant peace to the Church and the good progress of the Gospel! Capito and all the brethren here wholeheartedly commend themselves to your venerable fatherhood. Strasbourg, July 21, 1536.
Your venerable fatherhood
most devoted servant
Martin Bucer.
Capito and I, dearest Doctor, wish the sweetheart of your fatherhood, as well as children and all members of the household, especially D. Pomerano, all health and well-being.
1) retractionibus should mean retractationibus. (Walch.)
F. From the letters of the cities of Augsburg, Ulm, Biberach, Strasbourg and Asny to Luther, because of their acceptance of the Concordie.
95. D. Gereon Seiler's letter to D. Mart. Luther. September 8 (?), 1535.
From the Strasbourg manuscript. Walch has with this letter the time determination: "Anno 1536", and also Burkhardt, p. 267, assumes the same year, with the addition: "perhaps beginning Octobers". But already Köstlin, M. Luther (3.), vol. II, p. 666 sä 341, recognized that this letter does not belong to the year 1536, but to the year 1535, "because with the 'Concordie' here not yet to the Wittenberg, but to the Cassel unification formula is to be thought". With certainty it can be seen from this letter, which Luther answered on October 5, 1535 (above No. 81), that it was written in September 1535. It seems likely to us that it was sent to Luther at the same time as the letter of the Augsburg Council of Sept. 8, 1535 (Burkhardt, p. 240f.). In July 1535, Seiler and Caspar Huberinus were in Wittenberg as Augsburg's envoys (see No. 74, July 20, 1535). Returning to Augsburg, he was again dispatched by the Council as envoy to the cities of Strasbourg, Ulm and others, for the sake of the Concordie. Meanwhile, in the month of August
Johann Förster, whom Luther had sent to the Augsburgs at their request, arrived there. After completing his journey to the Upper German lands, Seiler returned to his home country and reported first to the council, but then also to Luther in our letter about the success of his mission. The council then made the same report to Luther on September 8, 1535. In his reply to Seiler (No. 81), Luther informed him that Melanchthon would not go to France, since Seiler so urgently advised against it in our letter.
Venerable, Reverend, dear Father and Preceptor in Christ! I do not know sufficiently in words with what great joy my message, so that I may return from Your Reverence, has been received and heard by an honorable council of Augsburg, also by other cities, and also what has subsequently been done and acted upon by the same. I know well how difficult it is for a city and municipality to renounce its previous opinion; but in this I have found by my own experience that God Himself has governed and guided these matters, and given such grace through Christ our Savior that what I write here is actually true, although I cannot obtain it all in words, as it is in Himself; and if Your Honor will not be so kind as to give me the opportunity, I will not be able to do so. Venerable had been with me personally in Augsburg, Strasbourg, Ulm, Esslingen, and other large cities before I departed from you, Venerable would have had such an inclination both against Venerable Peter and against me.
I am sure that you would have been astonished by this and would not have been able to thank God enough for the diligence and earnestness that both secular authorities and ministers of the Word are applying everywhere to further the cause of Christian unity. However, in order that Your Honor may be informed to some extent as to how the matter occurred, I will make a brief report; and the matter is as follows:
After I returned from you to Augsburg, my lords received me kindly and gladly listened to my report, and are highly pleased that they have received hope from Your Honor's writings of a righteous Christian concord between us, and also heard how Your Honor's mind is inclined toward them. For this reason, they have held council for several days on how and by what means and ways such a Christian undertaking should be permanently carried out, and how the gentlemen should diligently take care that no one is allowed to hinder such divine work. They have also called together all their pastors and preachers, and have earnestly requested of them that each one of them should endeavor to keep this Concordia, as it has already begun, more and more in accordance with it, so that they would faithfully assist the same and protect them, but the others, so difficult and slow to do so, would [they] 1) stop, and drive, but who wanted to oppose it, control and resist with proper force.
The preachers and pastors have gladly accepted such an order from an honorable council and have promised to promote such things with all diligence. And in sum, here in Augsburg, praise be to God, things are quiet everywhere, sects and divisions have ceased, and there is nothing more to complain about, unless we cannot yet be without the ministry in all things, for even among our own there are some who would gladly defend it; but we hope that God will grant further grace, after the divisive matters among us have been quieted, so that the remaining weeds will also be completely rooted out etc.
4 In order that such concordia might be further spread, my lords have also given this cheerful message to other surrounding cities that are related to us, in the hope of obtaining from them that they would gladly accept and maintain such concordia and friendship with us, and have thereupon dispatched me to Strasbourg, Ulm, and other notable cities, with orders to cooperate most diligently with them in this regard.
1) "would they" put by us instead of: "would".
to act. When I first came to Strasbourg and then to other cities and presented the order to my lords, they quite willingly offered to help with such work, which in these arduous times requires the great need of their fortune. And especially the people of Strasbourg, together with their preachers, have requested that we both take care not only to compare opinions and beliefs, but also to speak of them in the same way and with the same words as much as possible. They have also sought this from their neighbors in Switzerland, and for this reason have sent D. Capito to them, from whom I have not yet received any writing, but hope to please His Honor with it in the near future. In addition, those of Strasbourg have dispatched Mr. Martin Butzer next to me to the Principality of Würtenberg; there we followed Mr. Ambrosia Blaurer through mountains and forests until we found him at Balingen in the Black Forest. He gladly accepted this Concordia and our confession and offered to help to promote it faithfully.
From this we went to Stuttgart to address Johann Brenz, who in his absence and instead of Magistri Schnepffen (who traveled with the Duke of Würtenberg to King Ferdinando) requested to appoint the churches in addition to Ambrosius Blaurer; there we also requested the preachers of Reutlingen, Magister Matthias Alber and Schradinus, to come to us, and presented all of them to Your Honor. This pleases Johann Brenz in particular, as he considers such a concordia to be of great need, and he has agreed to carry it out. However, he indicates how in some cities the Lord's Supper should be held, and also how some should deny it to the sick in mortal need; 1) these should not be accepted for this concord, since they had previously compared themselves with us and others in this. Thereupon Butzer promised to write to the authorities of the same place. Because of this, Brenz has shown himself to be most friendly toward us, which is why I am writing that His Honor will not allow himself to be challenged that those from Strasbourg write how Brenz has false suspicions of them; for the same letters had already been written to Strasbourg before we came to Brenz. So Brenz acts with all diligence to further the cause. But Magister Matthias at Reutlingen was somewhat vehement, for he thought that we placed the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament upon our faith, as if we should
1) "would be failed" put by us instead of: "would be said".
Christ's body and blood would not be present if someone did not believe. To this we answered clearly that Christ's body and blood were truly present, not because of our worthiness or unworthiness, but because of and by virtue of Christ's institution. So he was well satisfied as far as the matter was concerned; but we noted that there was still some secret antagonism between those at Reutlingen and those at Esslingen, who are neighbors after all. For this reason, we thought it would be good to take the preachers of Reutlingen with us to Esslingen, along with Mr. Brenz, in order to put an end to the disagreements they had with each other, or to ever calm them down. When we arrived there, it was found that such antagonism arose from the speeches of several loose people, and neither party could blame the other for anything. So we agreed between them that no part should be moved against the other by evil tongues, but that they should discuss things amicably among themselves, if one had something against the other. Which they also promised to do, and are thus, in praise of God, completely united against each other. The people of Esslingen are also very pleased after we have presented the matters to them, as Your Honor will hear from their letters. Likewise, the Ulm City Council has offered its highest support to everything that concerns the promotion and preservation of Concordia, both with them and with their neighbors, those of Bibrach; as Mr. Martin Frecht, a learned and pious man, will sufficiently make clear to Your Honor. All in all, we no longer have to be particularly concerned about any fanatic, although the Schwenkfeld still creeps around now and then in the country of Würtenberg and several imperial cities, but, praise God, he can do nothing and has had no mercy from the authorities, so that he either has to remain completely secret, or not stay long in one place.
6th So I returned from this journey to Augsburg, found Magistrum Forster there, whom my masters kept until my return, but nothing less honestly; and as soon as I came home and made a report, they ordered me to find out about his skill and to give them an understanding, and to help advise how he could most honestly be appointed and provided for His Honor. And if I thought it would be good, I should negotiate with the pastors that they mix up their parish churches, so that Magister Forster would be directed to a church where he could be heard best, because he would have a somewhat softer voice. When I had discussed this and informed my masters of my concerns, it was decided that Magister Forster should be assigned to one of the churches.
I have received an order from the Council that an honorable councilor has a special favorable will towards him, and wanted to command him the highest parish of St. John (which was previously the canons'); and have given him an assistant, or diaconum, a learned and honest man, Mr. Johann Ehinger; I have also been ordered to provide him with a dwelling for my lords' sake. It pleases him well everywhere here; so my lords are also well pleased with him; so I will gladly be of service and benefit to him and others who are sent by you, and may say that none of our preachers has been held more kindly and honestly. For my lords would like to show themselves not only with words, but also with deeds, as those who want to leave nothing to be lacking in them, which they would know how to do for the promotion of Christian concordia between His Honor and other Christian communities.
(7) Furthermore, I cannot refrain from indicating to Your Honor how many pious people are highly concerned how Dominus Philip, required by the King's writings in France, is willing to travel in France, as if such should be intended to calm the discord of religion. For since both France and the king are well known to those of Augsburg, they think that much more harm and misfortune would result from it, for they are well aware that the king of France is in the hands of the king of France; For it is well known that the king does not ask much about religion and respectability, and it does not matter to him which part teaches right or wrong, but he is concerned that both pretend to the pope, as if he wanted to defend the papal religion, and also smear the Germans with the pretense, as if he wanted to protect them in their faith and freedom, and thus draw them to himself, so that they become disparaging to the emperor, or ever be silent and help nothing against him; so that he may nevertheless maintain his intention, namely to press the emperor, whom he must now fear, and to stir up Welsh territory again. This is his mind and opinion, which he adorns with the appearance that he wants to make a concordia of religion, when in his kingdom he is raging and raging against pious people whom he considers to be Lutheran, not unlike the fact that he has sworn an oath to completely eradicate the Christian doctrine, which is also beginning to come to light in his kingdom. Which is to be felt that after the date of the Scripture to Mr. 1) Phi-
1) In the old edition: "D.", which is: Dominum.
lippum (which stands June 28), in which he pretends to be very serious about promoting religion, he has only since then, on July 19, exercised new cruel tyranny against pious people; and we learn daily how religion is persecuted in France, both by our and other merchants, who have themselves endured such tyranny, some on their goods, some also on their own bodies.
8 And so that Your Honor may know all things more thoroughly, I have sent you and Domino Philippo copies of some writings which a scholar and message of the poor people, who were plagued and murdered as Lutherans in France, brought to Strasbourg, whom I myself heard advertise his message and read the writings myself, and immediately had Your Honor copy them. None of us who heard this could refrain from weeping, not only because of the inner lamentation, but rather because those who had suffered such things were present. And disgrace those of high and low rank, pious and sensible, who know what tyranny the king exercises against everyone, but especially against those on whose account, in the pretense of taking care of them, he has now sent the excellent legate to you for the third time. He pretends to great religion and faith, but he is not serious about any religion and pursues it to the highest degree among his own. He pretends to make union or unity, when he himself is a great enemy of union and all religion, and thinks that you should not understand such things; thinks you are good, pious people who can be easily deceived. For we all see and know, both of us who know the king's man, Barnabam, and also the king himself, that your piety is tried and mocked, otherwise the king would not have dispatched this Barnabam, but a proper legate, that is, an honorable, brave man, who would have some standing, and would be needed for a time in the king's court. For I can tell your honor that this Barnabas, who has been with us secretly and secretly for three or four months, is not at all respected by those who know him, so that all the merchants who have to trade in France did not spend 20 crowns on him, so that he could do something for them.
I and others have considered it necessary to write to your honor, so that you may move these things well and with diligence. First, that D. Philip would not create anything fruitful in France. Second, that the king is not serious about these matters of religion. Thirdly, that his intentions are fundamentally different, because he
He pretends to you with words, that is, he plagues and persecutes innocent, pious people as a tyrant, and yet he pretends to great piety against them. Fourth, that he hypocrites to the pope as well as to you. Fifth, that he will not keep faith with D. Philippo. Sixthly, that he herewith highly aggrieves the whole cause, concerning the gospel and evangelical estates, not only against the emperor, but against all who know of his tyranny; that not only our adversary, but almost all sensible people must say: Behold, our emperor has never practiced such tyranny against the gospel as the king of France practices daily, and yet we have never wanted to grant him so much as this one, who rages and rages against all our freedom.
Your Honor will not hold such a letter against me in this matter, since so much is at stake and great danger is involved, for I know how skillful the king is and what he always practices against the Christian religion, against the emperor and the union of the German nation, and how he corrupts the freedom and power of other nations. Also how mild he is with great words and faith, which he does not intend to keep. Summa, how he takes it upon himself to do everything against everyone, so that he brings many people, not to Christ (like St. Paul), but under his fiscum.
For this reason, I ask that Philip consider many people, indeed all who are devoted to the gospel, who would be greatly offended by this, and that great harm would come to the whole cause if he obeyed the king. He should also hear the advice of other people beforehand, who can tell him the right reason for these things. I also request that His Honor send these complaints of the Protestants in France (copies of which have been sent to His Honor) to Philip, so that he may know what good trust is to be placed in the King. And what scourge has the king given you? Nothing but this Barnabam, or the mere Scriptures! But I think that the Jews themselves would never call for this Barnabam to be given to them, even if they knew how to redeem it with a penny. But if ye have no other scourge than the king's letters, what will ye build upon them? Do you think he will believe you when he has never believed the emperor himself or anyone else? Therefore, if you will consider the matter diligently, you will undoubtedly come to much different conclusions. I also ask that Your Honor would send a copy of this writing of the poor people in France to my gracious Prince and Lord, the Duke of Lüneburg, and Doctor Urban Regius.
by this messenger, and meanwhile, before the messenger comes to you again, prepare your answer to the imperial cities. 1)
12 Johann Brenz has considered it good that His Holiness should set a form for a common concord that could be publicly issued; but I do not know whether it is advisable to interpret it differently for the sake of those to whom nothing can be set so well and so carefully that they do not find something; therefore I consider it better that His Holiness should sometimes write a booklet, now to this imperial city, now to another, so that everyone can see that we are united for the sake of religion; but I give this to His Holiness. Therefore, I consider it better that your honor sometimes ascribes a booklet, now to this, now to another imperial city, so that everyone can see that we are united for the sake of religion; however, I give this to your honor better to consider. The people of Strasbourg, as well as Brenz himself, consider it best and most useful in this matter that a convention of Protestant preachers be held by Your Honor, where we could discuss all kinds of matters as necessary, so that we would stand together all the stronger against our adversary. Your Honor wanted to give us an understanding of your concerns, so we want to keep to all rules. And herewith let me be commanded to Your Honor, as the one who means you and the whole matter with faithfulness. Anno 35. 2)
E. Hon.
Gereon Seiler, Doctor.
96 Letter from the Augsburg Ministry to Luther stating that it had accepted the Concordia.
July 23, 1536.
This letter is found in Latin in Wigand, 6s saaramentArilsrno, x>. 357.
Translated into German by M. Joh. Frick.
Grace and peace in Christ our Lord and Savior. Esteemed Doctor! We have understood with great joy from their own diligent and credible narration how lovingly and kindly our beloved brothers in Christ, M. Bonifacius Lycosthenes and Wolfgang Musculus, whom our council with our foreknowledge had dispatched to the Eisenach Convention from here, were received and kept in Wittenberg, and we thank them for this.
1) Luther fulfilled this by the letters No. 78, 79 and 80 in this volume and to the council of Esslingen, De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 640.
2) Here we have put the correct year instead of "Anno 36th".
Therefore, first of all to the Lord, but then also to Your Fatherhood from the bottom of our hearts. May God only grant that the hope of the Concordia, which we have well founded and which, through His grace, is becoming greater and greater, will not turn into water, but rather that the union will indeed come about and reach its desired end, to which end, as we initially assured and subsequently actually kept to the best of our ability, we still now offer all of our, albeit small, yet faithful services both to Ew. Fatherhood, as well as to all the blessed who love peace, and will also faithfully fulfill our promise by means of divine help. We have received the formula of the Concord, which has been accepted and signed by those who have gathered at Your Father's house, but which is also to be read and accepted by other church servants and authorities, so that the complete Concord, which has been unanimously established among us, can be made known through printing. Above all, we accept the sensible, reasonable and very helpful advice for a lasting union. Thereupon we have carefully, but without all pretension, read through the articles several times in the presence of our godly church leaders, approved them, and without the slightest doubt accepted them as good and Christian, and we also want to confirm the signature of our brothers and fellow servants with our own hand, so that no one among you would cast any evil suspicion on one of our own. And indeed we write this not only in our name, but also in the name and with the foreknowledge of our superiors. How our council, which is not at all averse to such concord, is minded and what its opinion is, Your Fatherliness shall learn in a special letter.
Accordingly, dearest Doctor, we see from these clear characteristics that this Concordia does not come from men, but from God, so we ask Your Fatherhood in the Lord that you, according to the honest and sincere sense recognized by both cords, prevent everything by which the cunning Satan can harm this godly undertaking. We are not unaware that some are not well disposed toward this Concordia of ours, whose incessant efforts to cause trouble cause many honest men no little trouble; but we want to make the work of these, partly through patience, partly through steadfast and undaunted agreement to carry it out straight, futile, or at least to mock them, and ask God that He, through His Spirit, may everywhere make our entire administration of the office
for the glory of his name and for the benefit of the churches, and especially to keep your fatherhood of his church healthy for the best, and to give courage and strength against Satan's cunning and various attacks. Greet in our name also other our masters and teachers, as Mr. Philippus, D. Pommer, D. Justus Jonas, D. Caspar Cruciger and the other servants of your churches, our brothers to be highly honored in the Lord. The peace of Christ be with you all, and with your congregation. Augsburg, July 23, 1536.
Most devoted parish priests and deacons of Augsburg:
D. Michael Weinmar.
M. Bonifacius Wolfart. M. Michael Cellarius. Wolfgang Musculus. Johann Heinrich Held. Leonhard Rögellius. M. Johann Förster. Johann Ehinger.
M. Jakob Dachser. Caspar Huberinus. Johann Mockhärt.
The entire preachers of the city of Ulm wrote a letter to Luther on their behalf and on behalf of the city of Biberach, in which they professed their support for the Concord. October 31, 1536.
From the Strasbourg Manuscript.
Translated from the Latin by M. Joh. Frick.
Salvation and our services in the Lord. Venerable in Christ Father and Teacher, also other honored parish priests and brothers in office! As soon as Mr. Martin Frecht, our dear colleague and brother in office, returned in good health through the goodness of the Most High, he carefully told us everything that had been done there with you in the Concordia matter, and what had been compared, and praised very much how lovingly you and all the other colleagues had received him; how faithfully you presented your opinion and doctrine of the whole household of the churches with what modesty you listened to our explanation and what is given to us to believe, teach and hold, and how you finally, after the articles of their faith and doctrine had been told by both parts, made it known that you were above the whole evangelical doctrine and ministry of the church among yourselves.
united in the Lord, so that you have both signed the articles of Holy Communion, of baptism, of the office of the keys, and of the communion of the churches. Accordingly, we are most happy about this long desired news, and praise the Lord for the so high and necessary benefit to the church; however, we do not only want to testify to this our constantly grateful mind, but especially to our faithful and inclined mind towards the certain and definite Christian doctrine and economy of the church, which is contained in the articles delivered to us and signed by you with your own hand, to you and to all the blessed at present, as has already happened before. For we are certain in the Lord that the accepted articles are primarily in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, the Protestant Princes' Confession and Apology, and thus also the printed church order of our authorities. Therefore, we promise once again with this letter, to which we have signed ourselves, that we will, with the help of God, steadfastly adhere to the unified and pure Christian doctrine as expressed in the aforementioned articles and more extensively elaborated in the Confession and Apology of the Princes, that we will defend it to the best of our ability, that we will fight for it, and that we will regard whatever stands in opposition to it as a harmful and dangerous error, and that we will seek to bring it out of human hearts as much as possible. And herewith we accept the articles of the Concord, as they read, and approve them also with our own signature; which we would gladly have done with others, had it not been for this delay, which, however, has no cause in negligence, distrust, or even shameful contempt, either on the part of the authorities or on our part. But you, according to your great love, will excuse our slowness in the best possible way. May the Lord grant that we, through this teaching of His and through the service of the church, may be of as great use as we honestly and sincerely mean it. May He, the Lord, sustain you by His Spirit, to whom we commend our city and congregation, and also us servants of Christ in the city and in the country, in the Lord. Fare well. At Ulm in Swabia, October 31, 1536.
Johann Mayr, Ulm minister of the word. M. Johann Wurm, church servant there. Ulrich Wieland, minister of the Word of God. Johann Wolkenstein, church servant there. M. Georg Fies, minister of the divine word. Johann Waldhals, servant of the divine word.
Andreas Köllin, from Costanz, servant of the Word and Christ at Ulm.
Martin Frecht, licentiate, church minister of the word, in the name of the brothers who preach the gospel in Ulm, 36 in number. For there are preachers on all sides in the city.
In addition, we ask you, dear teachers and brothers in Christ, to let our dear neighbors and brothers in Biberach be in the Lord's command. For, as they assure us in writing, they are in agreement with us in all matters; however, they have not been able to write to us at this time, because their authority was previously below ours, and they have not been able to write to us now because of the rapid departure of the messenger, so it will undoubtedly happen as soon as possible. Again, God commanded.
98 Martin Luther's letter to the Ulm City Council concerning the acceptance of the Concordia. November 14, 1536.
From the Mmischen Archiv in the German Seckendorf, p. 1540; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 106; in the Erlangen, vol. 55, p. 154 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 31.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, prudent gentlemen, good friends! I have received your writing, and have heard all of your thoughts on Concordia, and will also send it to my most gracious Lord, and S. C. F. G. will probably let it go on where it should go. May our dear Lord Jesus Christ grant His abundant grace that the Concordia may be faithfully and thoroughly confirmed in all, amen. Therefore, for God's sake, ask Your Honor to persevere with your people, both prebendaries and other subjects, and to ensure that they help with all diligence and prayer, and resist Satan, who would like new must to be put into old skins, that everything would finally become worse, and that both must and skins would be torn and spilled. May God resist him and accomplish the work he has begun. Amen. Tuesday after St. Martin's Day s14. Nov.] 1536.
D. Mar. Luther.
The Strasbourg Ministry's letter to Luther and the other church servants at Wittenberg, almost identical in content to the manuscript. January 18, 1537.
This letter is found in the Strasbourg ChurchAgenda in Latin and German.
To the venerable father and lord, Doctor Martin Luther, as the most distinguished teacher of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, our most honored preceptor, and the other church servants at Wittenberg, our honored dear brothers.
Grace and peace and our service in the Lord. Venerable in God Father and Preceptor, and you other fellow servants and honoring brothers! Soon our dear fellow servants and brothers, Doct. Wolfgang Capito and M. Martin Bucer, arrived with us again by the grace of God, they told us how kindly you received them, and with what faithfulness you held out to them your opinion and doctrine of the whole dispensation of the Gospel and the stewardship of the churches, but especially of the faith and use of the sacraments, of the keys, of the discipline and fellowship of the churches; Likewise, with what modesty you heard them, when they again told you what is given to us to believe, teach and keep on these points; as you also finally, after both sides have declared your and our faith and doctrine of the Gospel and the discipline of the churches, truly agree, so that you also signed the common articles, of Holy Communion, of baptism, of the keys, of the discipline and fellowship of the churches, in both parts. Which articles our brothers also handed over to us and reported that all those who recognize and hold the same doctrine of Christ, which is contained in these articles and more extensively in the Confession, handed over to the Emperor by pious princes and cities, and contained in the Apologia of the same Confession, with right faith, and who endeavor to defend and propagate it according to their ability, will have a constant unity with you.
After we have heard this so desirable and blissful action, and have considered these articles with great respect, we have thanked the Lord for this so excellent and so useful good deed for the church with great joy of heart. For we recognize the doctrine contained in these articles as the doctrine of Christ Himself, which is found in the Holy Scriptures and in the Princes and the Church.
This is a confession of the Holy Spirit, which has already been accepted by our church. So that of our faith and inclined will against this united and most certain doctrine of Christ no doubt may remain, either with you or with anyone else: We promise with this letter of ours, to which we have all signed, that we will steadfastly persevere in this unified and correct doctrine of Christ, which is understood in the Articles, signed with your hands and ours, as well as those of several other brethren, and which is more extensively declared in the Confession of Princes and Cities, by Christ's help, and will defend and propagate the same with the utmost diligence, and will hold what is contrary to this doctrine as a harmful error, and will remove it from the hearts of men to the best of our ability. Therefore we accept the articles, plainly, and as they are worded, and confirm them with our signature. May the Lord grant that with such pure doctrine and stewardship we may be of as much benefit to the church as he has given us to be sincerely minded toward it. May the same preserve you, to whom we also commit ourselves in the Lord. Be well. Date Strasbourg, January 18, 1537.
Yours, honorable men and preceptors in the Lord, willing to serve, the servants of the churches of Strasbourg:
Wolfgangus Capito, Doctor, parish priest to the young St. Peter.
Caspar Hedio, Doctor, Preacher in the Cathedral of Strasbourg.
Matthew Zell, of Kaisersberg, pastor at the cathedral.
Martinus Bucerus, servant of the church at St. Thoman.
Symphorianus Pollio, Theobaldus Nigri, of Strasbourg, preacher to the old St. Peter.
Antonius Firn.
Jöhannes Stemlin.
Johannes Lenglin.
Melchior Cumanus, pedagogus of the theological Collegii.
Helpers:
Johannes Schmidt, of Augsburg, helper in the minster.
Martinus Schalling, helper. Anastasius Meyer.
Georg Mornhinweg, helper. Johann von Buchsweiler, helper. Conradus Huprechtus, helper.
100. D. Martin Luther's answer to the mayor and council of the city of Isny. The
December 26, 1536.
This letter is found in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 369; in the Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 1115; in the Leipziger, vol. XXI, p. IIO; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 89 and in the Erlanger, vol. 55, p. 194. In all these editions as well as in Walch with the wrong year 1537. Already Köstlin,- M. Luther (3.), vol. II, p. 668 uä p. 354 has drawn attention to this.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, prudent, dear lords and friends! The copied notes, Latin and German, which you have now attributed to me, sent to you from other cities, for the sake of the trade that has been set up between us here in Wittenberg by the Sacrament, I must confess that everything has occurred and happened in this way. But that you also indicate in your letter, among other words, that you should be reported as if I had compared myself with them, the preachers of the Upper Countries, something even more contradictory: I do not understand what those who indicate this to you meant by it. Moreover, it is also strange that you write how you have not been affiliated with any part etc.
As for the first, I add, according to your desire, to know whether some would boast or pretend with you or around you that I have departed from my former opinion, against the 1) Zwingel, whom I ask to keep silent about such boasting, so that the concordia that has begun is not prevented, and perhaps a worse discordia will result from it. For I can well suffer that whoever wants to boast of high art, spirit and holiness, not only about me, but also about St. Paul, without that he should not drag me with him into his glory, or say of me: he is still standing; I have left. Nevertheless, I hope that some of them mean the Concordiam from the heart and with seriousness. God may also bring the others here according to His will when the time comes. You must believe me, and I (with God's help) will not speak or do otherwise. Hereby commanded by God, Amen. On St. Stephen's Day in Christmas, Anno etc. 37. 2)
1) In the editions: "the".
2) This is December 26, 1536, because it was customary to begin the counting of the new year with Christmas.
101 Letter from the Preachers of Augsburg to D. Martin Luther. September 8 (?), 1535.
From the Strasbourg manuscript. The time Burkhardt gives, p. 275, is: "1537 (in January?)"; Walch also has the year 1537. However, this letter, like the letter of D. Gereon Seiler of September 8, 1535 (No. 95), belongs to the year 1535, and is probably simultaneous with it. Our letter is, as can be seen from the citations in it, the answer to Luther's letter to the clergy of Augsburg of July 20, 1535 (above No. 75);> it must have been sent to Luther at the same time as Seiler's and the council's letter. Luther's answer to this letter of the Augsburgers took place on Oct. 5, 1535 (above No. 79).
Grace and peace in Christ our Savior. Venerable, dear Doctor! We may justly say with the apostle St. Paul: "Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord JEsu Christ, the Father of mercy and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions," for since, as we have written to Your Honor before, nothing more troublesome has happened to Christianity than this discord between us, who would not want to take comfort and rejoice in this new blessed beginning of a Christian concord? Therefore, Your Honor should certainly consider it that not only we, but also a whole council of this city, which without this is highly inclined to establish peace and unity at all times, are highly pleased, both from Your Honor's writings and also from the relation between D. Gereon and Caspar Huber. Gereon and He Caspar Huber have given orally. Our Lord Christ, who is our peace, and who came to reconcile us with His Father, and to make the two one, may He continually increase and maintain this mind and heart, so that we may be united with one another, which He Himself, through His Spirit, out of mercy, has bestowed upon His Christianity, until the end. And we thank Your Honor from the bottom of our hearts, who has pleased us with such a friendly and Christian answer for the benefit of the whole of Christendom.
Because of our letter, Your Honor should not doubt that we have not sent a dead letter, but our living heart to Your Honor; as we also consider it so certain that we have not received dead letters, but the living heart of Christian love from you, as Your Honor's words are also clear and expressed, as when Your Honor writes to us: 3) "You want to
3) Siebe No. 75. The following two quotations are word for word in Walch's old edition, Col. 2511, as they are found in the Strasbourg manuscript. For that writing, like this one, is German in the Strasbourg manuscript.
You must also show such heartfelt and righteous Christian love toward us as we receive you with true love and faithfulness. Item: "You should certainly take care in Christ that you cannot impose anything on us that we do not want to do gladly and with joy, and that we do not want to suffer to confirm this concord. When we read this, we felt that we had received a special sweet taste of a very kind heart, and we wish from God that whoever would dare to turn or disturb such a Christian heart and mind in His honor would be rejected by God again; on the other hand, whoever helps to promote this Christian concord, by which he can, would be repaid by God again. We want, if God wills it, to stand with our brethren in this, and also to diligently exhort other brethren to do so, and we ask Your Honor, through Christ our Lord, that you will not let this concord that has begun and such heartfelt joy of ours and of many pious people be disrupted by any poisonous tongues that may occur; for the devil will undoubtedly not sleep or celebrate in this either. But we know that His Honor, as a well-tried man, is not unaware of what he has in mind. If God wills it, we shall not be found wanting (as we have no doubt about His Holiness), so that we may always rejoice in this Concordia among ourselves. However, both sides should beware of those who, in these matters of the Gospel, do not seek the honor of Christ and the truth, but rather their own, and who like to make quarrels, who also do not like to hear about any concordia.
Magister Johann Forster, our beloved brother in Christ and fellow minister of the Gospel, although he is without that an Augsburg and Wittenberg, yet he shall be all the more dear to us and to an honorable council through His Honor's testimony and commendation, and indeed he has already proven himself so well, of his nature and special skill, that he is not praised in vain by His Honor. May Your Honor have us and our congregation, which is challenged in many ways, in His prayer and command. Hereby commanded by God, may His Holiness graciously strengthen and uphold us. Anno 35. 1)
E. Hon. willing
Preacher and servant of the Augsburg congregation.
1) "35." set by us instead of: "37.".
G. About Luther's dealings with the smiths, especially the seven cities, because of the Concordia that had been set up.
102 Phil. Melanchthon's letter to the seven Swiss cities, issued by order of the prince. March 5, 1537.
This letter is found in Wolf's Historie von der Augsb. Conf., p. 444; in the Historie des Sacramentsstreits, Theil II, p. 274 and in the 6c "rp. Lei, Vol. Ill, 312, Latin in Ilospirtiuni ttist. kAersMentar., Il, p. 274. The date set in the letter: "March 15," is wrong, because on that day Melanchthon was already back in Wittenberg. Therefore, we have adopted Bretschneider's conjecture: "March 5". This was the last day of his stay in Schmalkalden.
To the noble, honorable, honorable, wise lords, mayors, sheriffs and councilors of the cities of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Mulhouse and Much, my favorable lords.
God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Noble, honorable, honorable, wise, favorable gentlemen! After E. E. and honorables sent a common writing here to the worthy Lord D. Martino Luther, in which you told and explained the doctrine of the Holy Sacrament, which is preached in your churches, D. Luther would have been willing to answer; but it happened that he was prevented by illness and became so weak from the stone that he could not undertake this excellent business, and after necessity write you an answer. And although the most illustrious, highborn prince and lord, Johann Friedrich, Elector of Saxony, my most gracious lord, after something was done to improve D. Luther's weakness, sent the worthy Mr. M. Bucer to him, D. Luther has not been so strong that he could not have been able to do it. Luther has not been so strong that he would be able to write. My most gracious lord, the Elector of Saxony, has ordered me to report this to your honor and respectability, and I hope that as soon as we return home and D. Luther is healthy and strong, he will be able to write. Luther becomes healthy and strong, he will answer E. E. and Ehrbarkeiten according to the length, as he grants them all good, and desires most of all from God that we all in Christian unity call upon and honor God and our Lord Jehovah Christ, and live blessedly, which God graciously grant us. Date at Schmalkalden, the 15th day of March, Anno 1537.
103 D. Martin Luther's conversation, held with Bucer at Gotha, in the first days of March 1537.
This writing is found in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 1074; in the Leipzig, vol. XXI, p. 106 and in the Erlangen, vol. 65, p. 93. -.The oldest source of our writing is the Altenburg edition, which did not begin to appear until 1661, and must therefore be based on older material. It seems to us that the foundation for it lies in the far more complete and detailed account in Luther's Table Talks, Cap. 19, 8 42, St. Louis edition, Vol. XXII, 586, which is repeated almost word for word by Mathesius in his sermons (St. Louis edition of the same, p. 196 f.). Mathesius appeals to the fact that "such talk is excellent from good people." Aurifaber's Table Talks were first published in 1566, Mathesius' sermons in 1576. It is noteworthy that Seckendorf, nist. Outir., lid. Ill, p. 62, refers to these table speeches after the oolleotuueis Luvari, tom. I, p. 889, as an important letter from Luther to Bucer and Wolfhart, dated February 29, 1532, in which De Wette, Vol. I V, p. 344, followed him. But Seidemann in De Wette, vol. VI, p. 483, note 4, has already corrected this. We must still point out that, if the statement of our writing, Luther arrived in Gotha on March 1, is correct, both De Wette, Vol. IV, p. VI, and the 6orp. kei., Vol. Ill, p. XI have a wrong determination of time, in that they report under February 28: "Luther leaves Gotha"; and vioe versa.
At that time, Bucerus was unable to come to Schmalkalden to see Etc. Luther because of his weakness, that he could have further discussed the Concordia with him, therefore he had arrived. Therefore, since D. Lutherus traveled from Tambach (where he had gone from Schmalkalden because of the stone, and by God's grace, with great joy of all princes, estates and theologians, and otherwise of the people, recovered again), and Thursday after Reminiscere [March 1] come to Gotha, Bucerus and Lycosthenes follow him in the beginning of March, and meet him in Gotha, where he also, although still weak, calls them to him, hears them and answers them kindly. That would be (he says to Bucero) the best thing for the matter, if your people taught right, and confessed srei and roundly: Dear friends, God has let us fall, we have erred and taught false doctrine, let us now become wiser, be careful and teach rightly. For it is truly not possible to do so by concealing and covering up, just as neither one's own nor other people's conscience can be satisfied by it. For such circumlocutions are not pleasing to God, who is especially the
The teaching will demand a sharp judgment from us. Therefore, we must not forgive God and His word in our ministry and life, be it as glittering, beautiful, glorious, powerful, artificial, wise, as ever more can be thought and put forward etc. Diligent you (he says further), your populous congregation, for that you must answer our God, not with heavy, high and hidden words, nor strange questions, but to teach most faithfully and clearly etc.
104 Martin Luther's letter to the cities of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Mühlhausen and Viel, in which he testifies to his joy at the Swiss willingness to enter into concord and urges them to take the matter seriously. Dec. 1, 1537.
This writing is found in the Wittenberg edition (1559), vol.XII, p. 204V; in the Jena edition (1568), vol. VI, p. 506V; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. III1; in the Leipzig, vol. XXI, p. 107; in the Erlangen, vol. 55, p. 190; and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 83. Latin in Hospinians Vist. saor., ?. II, p. 275; in Luäckeus, x. 288 and in Schütze, vol. ill, p. 189.
To the honorable, prudent lords, mayors, sheriffs, magistrates, councillors and citizens of the Confederate cities, Zürch, Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Mühlhausen and Viel, my special, favorable lords and good friends
1. grace and peace in Christ our Lord and Savior. Honorable, prudent, dear sirs and friends! I have now delayed more than too long in replying to your letter to me from Schmalkalden. I would like to apologize for this delay, but I hope that it is not necessary, because I think that E. E. himself knows how much is on my neck every day, because I am now weak and old, so that I had to steal away from people and business by force, so that I could finish this writing.
2 I have now read your writing again, and am first of all highly pleased that I have heard how, regardless of all the previous sharpness and suspicion that we had with your preachers, you are completely serious about keeping the con-.
2144 Erl. 55, 191-193, Sect. 4, Wittenberg Concordia. No. 104. W. XVII, 2594-2597. 2145
cordra and to promote it. May God and the Father of all unity and love graciously accomplish such a work well begun, as it is written in Proverbs 16:7: "When God pleases a man's way, he also converts his enemy to peace. Now it is true, and cannot be otherwise, that such great discord cannot be healed so easily and so soon without scratching and scarring. For there will be some among you and us to whom such concordia will not be pleasing, but suspicious. But if we diligently persevere on both sides, who are in earnest, the dear Father and God will surely give His grace, so that in time it will also bleed to death in the others, and the murky water will settle again. 1)
For this reason, it is my friendly request that Your Eminence do so, and seriously see to it that those who shout against us and Concordia abstain from shouting, and teach the people in a simple manner, so that these things of Concordia may be commanded to those who are called and capable of doing so, and do not hinder them. Just as we here, both in writings and sermons, keep very quiet and restrain ourselves from shouting against yours, so that we are not the cause of hindering Concordia, which we heartily like to see, and, praise God, we have had enough fencing and shouting so far, where it should have achieved something.
(4) And before that, I have asked most humbly that you would provide for me, as one who also means it with all my heart, and that what serves to promote concordia, as much as is always possible for me, should not be lacking in me: this is known to God, whom I take as a witness on my soul. For the discord has neither helped me nor anyone, but has done harm to many, that certainly nothing useful nor good could be hoped for in it, nor still is.
5th And so I come to your articles, fo I know no lack of the first, of the oral word. For we also do not teach otherwise. For the Holy Spirit must work inwardly in the hearts of the hearers,
1) So the Wittenberg and the Jena edition. De Wette: "blut" and "setzt".
and the external word alone does nothing. Otherwise, if the external word alone would do it, all who hear it would believe; which does not happen, as experience proves. And St. Paul says to the Romans on the 10th [v. 16]: "Have they not heard? But they do not all believe the gospel," but that the oral gospel is called God's word and God's power for salvation to all who believe in it, Rom. 1:16, as by which God calls and draws whom He wills by His Holy Spirit. And what may not be clearly understood in writings by you or by me in relation to one another (for we cannot use the same way according to our language), D. Capito and M. Bucerus will certainly know how to clearly and clearly remedy this, and to clarify everything in the best possible way; as I completely agree with them that they will do it with all diligence and faithfulness, as I have not yet done otherwise.
(6) Likewise, with regard to baptism, in the other article, I do not sense any disparity. For as we have now spoken of the oral word, so we also hold that water and word (which is the most important thing in baptism), without the Holy Spirit within, create nothing outwardly, but that such baptism is God's outward sign, even testimony and work, by which God works in us, etc. so that it is not a sign or watchword of man.
The third article. Of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ we have never taught, nor do we yet teach that Christ descends and ascends from heaven, or from the right hand of God, either visibly or invisibly, remaining firm in the article of faith: "Ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of God, to come, and let it be commanded by divine omnipotence, as his body and blood are given to us in the Lord's Supper, where we come together by his command, and his institution is kept. We do not think of any ascension or descent that should take place, but we remain pure and simple in his words: "This is my body; this is my blood. But, as said above, if we do not fully understand one another in this, it is best now that we be friendly toward one another, and
always provide the best to each other until the glum 1) and turbid water settles.
8 Thus, D. Capito and M. Bucerus can also advise everyone on this, if we only put our hearts together and let go of all ill will, so that the Holy Spirit is given room to continue to make love and friendly concordia perfect. For our part, especially for my part, we let go of all ill will from our hearts and mean you with loyalty and love. For even though we, if we are serious about it, do the highest, we may nevertheless rely on God's help and counsel, because Satan, who is hostile to us and to Concordia, will know how to find his own, and will throw trees and rocks in the way, so that it is not necessary for us to cause trouble and be suspicious of one another, but only to reach out our hearts and hands to one another, to hold them equally and firmly, so that things will not be worse afterwards than before.
(9) Of the ban or key, I do not remember if there has ever been strife or discord between us. Perhaps it is in this piece more closely with you than with us, and will, where it will otherwise be perfectly all, not meet nor fail to concord in this, if God wills, amen.
This time, I want to answer E.E.'s letter in the shortest possible way. Please, accept it as good. For in my head there are many daily trades, silent thoughts, so that I cannot act and speak each one as if I had nothing but one or two things to do. Hereby I command E. E. all, together with all yours, to the Father of all mercy and comfort. May He grant us both His Holy Spirit, who will melt our hearts together in Christian love and prayer, and cast out all the foam and rust of human and devilish malice and suspicion, to the praise and glory of His holy name, and to the blessedness of many souls, contrary to the devil and the pope, together with all his followers, Amen. Prima Decembris Anno 1537. Martinus Luther, D.
. 1) "glum"- dirty, dull. This is how the Jena edition reads; Wittenberger: "glüm". Dietz takes the former form and refers to the English gloom - dark, gloomy. De Wette and, following him, the Erlangen edition take "glüm" as a noun.
105: Martin Luther's letter to Martin Bucer, preacher at Strasbourg. Dec. 6, 1537.
This letter is found in Latin from the Börnersche Sammlung at Leipzig in Schütze, Vol. Ill, p. 51 and from Lidl. Lrem. 61u88. IV, x. 917 in Strobel-Lunubr, x. 263; and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 87. German from the Strasbourg manuscript in Walch at this point, and again vol. XXI, 1284.
Newly translated from the Latin.
Grace and peace in Christ! At last, my dear Bucer, I have answered the letter from the Swiss which you delivered to Schmalkalden. I apologize for my delay, since you know that I, who am almost a corpse, am burdened with worries for our church, in addition to illness and old age, which is already sluggish and cold in itself, and with many things that are both very burdensome and hateful, not to say repugnant. However, I am sending you the copy [of the letter] so that you have the rudder in your hands to steer this ship; for I have blamed everything on you and Mr. Capito, 2) since there was no other way to write so amicably and lovingly, since both of you have made things difficult for me (argumentum) by indicating that there were still some who were averse to Concordia, into whose hands and to whose knowledge my letter would come, as was entirely to be expected. But you will do everything according to the gift of God that has been given to you; I have certainly written simply and sincerely.
The Latin confession of the Swiss pleases me somewhat less than the German confession of the cities, especially with regard to the sacrament of the altar. The other pleases me quite well for this time. Give my respects to Doctor Capito and all the Sungen, for I cannot answer each one individually. Pommer is still in Denmark, and everything is going happily, which God is doing through him. He has crowned the king and queen as a proper bishop; he has restored the school. Fare well in the Lord. On the day of St. Nicolai [Dec. 6] 1537.
Your Martin Luther.
2) In § 8 of the previous item.
Martin Bucer's letter to one of Luther's table companions. January 10, 1538.
This and the following writing is found in History of the Sacrament Controversy, p. 276.
Grace and peace. What a treasure and how timely you have sent us (namely O. Luther's previous writing to the Swiss), faithful brother. The advocates of Concord in this nation were already in distress, and the few of whom I wrote to you rose up, full of evil hope that the venerable father (Luther) would not answer in writing. Now we find good hope that this action will be carried out happily. In which hope we are strengthened by the fact that it seems to us to have happened by special miracles of divine goodness that D. Luther has written again, and in addition so kindly, since he has encountered such annoying obstacles through the writing of Vadian and Leon Judah; although I cannot be sufficiently surprised on account of Vadianus. For he, above all others, helped us in the beginning to this work of concordia. And the city (St. Gall) through him, as legate at that time, and no doubt at his instigation, accepted the articles of the Concordia simply, and have held that this useless confused chatter, which was brought forward by others as an explanation, is to be omitted. He himself (Vadianus) accepted all of ours for his person, and confessed that he was sorry that we had not seen his book before it was printed, so that everything could have been conformed and improved, in which the true presence and dispensation of Christ in the Lord's Supper was not sufficiently revealed. For he alone had wanted to reject the papists' poem and this celebration of Christ, which drew Christ down from his heavenly glory.
(2) This, my dear brother, hinders many in this people and elsewhere, that they thus grope in this matter, because they do not really understand what the papists, or what we, think of the usufruct of Christ, but form for themselves such a rough opinion, which no one (I speak of the learned), neither among the papists, nor among us, has ever taught. Therefore, when they hear our opinion and the same declaration, that we expressly reject everything that might be contrary to the heavenly glory, or to the truth of his human nature, or even to his ministry, by the power of which alone he justifies us, they fall in with us in everything, that they boldly confess that it is the body of Christ in all things.
They are present at the supper and are eaten there, so that there can be no lack of their confession.
(3) But if they come into contact with a papist, or even with those who are not favorable to Concord, who reproach them for having departed from their opinion and returned to the papist poem, because they have accepted our way of speaking and that of the ancient fathers, by which the presence and enjoyment of the Lord is expressed somewhat more perfectly, they go astray and want to put off such disgrace. And since they want to separate themselves from the papist opinion, which they do not really understand, they began to speak and write in such a way that it seems as if they wanted to step back again from the accepted truth and confess nothing more in the Lord's Supper than only a reminder that one must eat Christ spiritually. The truth in this matter brings everyone to this point, if they are simply reproached for agreeing with it. For now no one wants to be regarded as if he were merely performing signs in the Lord's Supper.
(4) But if one contests what they have denied or disputed before, and shows them that such truth agrees little with their former doctrine, or comes somewhat closer to the papist doctrine, then all kinds of excerpts, errors and confusions, and what is more of the kind, arise, which pushes the doctor (Luther) and all defenders of the truth rightly before their heads. But there are very few of them who are sick in the hospital. The greater and best part freely confesses that he wanted to flee the one danger, so that he would not imagine a crude way of Christ's presence in the night meal, and got into the other danger, that he denied the presence (of Christ) and the sacramental meal. These teach the truth pure and true, and do not accept anything that was taught before. And that they are not yet in agreement with the papist poems, they prove by the fact that they do not recognize the transubstantiation (or transformation of the bread into the body of Christ) as right, and reject the confidence that is placed in the mere outward sensation, without true faith.
5 Leo Jud has always been one who broods unnecessarily. Thus Bibliander has also resisted us sufficiently by wanting to excuse his Zwinglium in all things. These are similar to Vadianus, and may have upset him somewhat. Also, the devil daily throws marvelous obstacles at this concordia.
Way. Before we came to Bern, they had talked a lot: if the Swiss churches entered into a concordiam with you, it would follow from now on that they would have to restore the images, the chasubles, and other things. But I and ours want to use good diligence, so that Vadianus and other good-hearted people remain our feien uyd etc.
6th Concerning Carlstadt, you should know that he was once called to Basel out of carelessness, and after that he could no longer be removed, and is not kept at all in this place, so that he is followed by almost all other pastors and professors. But I testify before the Lord Jesus Christ that he (Carlstadt) is friendly to us before others in this Concordia matter, and has often reported, since this long gossip has been quieted: the Lord Doctor (Luther) has sufficiently humbled himself against them, therefore they should not bring forward so many plots and excuses against him etc.
The council of Basel has always been eager for concord. And the godly mayor, to whom the Doctor (Luther) wrote, is the most distinguished one in this city etc.
8 Myconius is the most distinguished church servant there, who pursues this cause seriously and constantly, and others follow him, each according to his measure. Believe me, however, that Basel is not only of our opinion for himself, but also bravely helps us to bring others here and to keep them with us. This, dear brother, I wanted to tell you a little more extensively, so that you could make the doctor, far away from his father, all the more calm in his letter to the Swiss, according to his used modesty and simplicity; what you think should be told or read to him about this, that you should report and read, and, as you have done so far, promote the Concordiam diligently with us. The Lord Christ will reward you for your efforts. Order me to Philippo, Cruciger, the provost (Justus Jonas) and all the others. I cannot write any more now, for there is an Augsburg messenger waiting for letters. Strasbourg, January 10, 1538.
107: Letter from Petrus Concenus, preacher at Bern, to one of Luther's table companions. February 2, 1538.
See the previous number.
1. concerning the miserable tragedy of the night meal, since one now has a long time to look at the truth of the matter.
I can by no means describe in writing what we have had to endure and endure up to now for quarrels, intrigues and treachery, unfair backbiting, summa, the unpleasant impetuosity of Satan himself. Fortunately, the Lord has sent me a strong hero, D. Sebastianus Major by name, a God-fearing man and doctor of theology, highly experienced and much practiced in holy scripture, elderly and well-wrought in many matters by longstanding custom, who could and knew how to handle such matters with patience and good humility.
Now there was one in Bern, named Caspar Megander, a native of Zurich, who before that time was thought to be Zwingli's monkey, by whom he was also brought ten years ago from Zurich to Bern to preach. He was an unimpressive, splendid 1) man, not so trained in the liberal arts and philosophical disciplines as he was otherwise insolent about himself. This Megander, when at the same time, through faithful diligence and assistance of those of Strasbourg and Basle, all people's minds had a desire for unity (Concordia), I do not know by whom he was incited to instigate this sacramental war again, takes the Catechismum, which he, as a supreme man of authority, produced in print of his own will and pleasure, under his own hand again, exalts and praises the same; In which not everything is unjust and evil, but what should primarily serve the unity of the churches, as the holy preaching ministry and the power of the holy sacraments, he has done nothing perfect. Therefore, this catechism was reprinted, which he immediately defended stubbornly in public and in secret; he let himself be heard in all sermons, which were quite impetuous, even nonsensical, with his donkey braying: There are already in this region fellows who want to impose new and uncommon words on the church, who bring a God of bread, which has lain under the pew for a long time, back on track, who also finally prepare the way to give room to the papacy.
(3) Now when he had uttered such and such vile words against us, and would by no means let it go unchallenged, as he had done to us innocent ones, that the congregation, being exceedingly attached to the pure teachers, by such our disagreement, should have been made to believe in the truth, he said to us, "I am not a man.
1) "more splendid" - more lofty.
I say that this has caused us great distress. For what should we do? We wanted to reject some blasphemies, but overlook the rest; and we did so. But Megander did not become any the kinder because of our leniency. For we heard every day that he persisted in his wanton blasphemy.
4 Soon a murmur was heard among the people. Doubtful speeches were spread everywhere, indeed nowhere could people be trusted. When the council saw that all kinds of strange talk and opinions were going on among the men, he immediately ordered a meeting to prevent greater turmoil and disruption. This is where the tragedy really began. They fought with each other until the third day, when one party brought a great complaint against the other. But the Lord was on our side, so even though our trade could not be promoted at that time, it did not receive any damage from such a bitter fight. Before this dispute, Megander had an assistant named Erasmus, who was spiteful enough for us to have him called from Schaffhausen to preach in Bern a few days ago.
Thus we skirmished for almost the whole year, since on both sides our swords were almost miserably waving against each other, until finally Bucerus with Capito arrived at our place; who, after they had wiped off some blasphemers' extremely ugly stains, so that they, too, had been besmirched, with the reason of truth, they faithfully offered us their victorious hand.
When they wanted to leave us again, they left the Catechismum, which was mentioned above, to be printed. Immediately a new war arose: Megander resisted with all kinds of practices, insisting only that his Catechismo's authority remain inviolate. But he was so persistent in this action that the council, not yet forgetting his old knavery, deprived him of his office with great displeasure. This happened around Christmas Day of the next year. In the meantime, Luther's prophecy comes to us at the desired time, which, when it was delivered to the city of Basel by an appointed messenger on the 36th of June, was immediately followed by a meeting of the council, which is called the greatest, as it is called by 200 men. There, Luther's letter was read out, listened to with great diligence, and discussed.
But some thought that they would hear something far different from what they had found in the sweeping. We preachers also attended such a reading, but Megander was excluded, who, from the time he was deprived of his ministry, remained at home in his dwelling and communicated his prophecy to his friends, who opened their doors to him in droves, and who also worshipped and venerated him as an idol.
When now D. Luther's answer was read out, we were asked before all others by the mayor what our opinion was? Then they hear with special praise of these things, that this is the best and most advisable for the church, which may bring lasting peace. Thereupon, with unanimous consent and opinion of the entire council, Luther's answer was accepted, and with great rejoicing it was sanctified and honored, and immediately with joined hands thanked God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that this matter had finally been brought to the desired end.
Luther's wonderful short simplicity and innate honesty, which he used in his writing to make his faith, piety and faithfulness, all according to our wishes, pleased us beyond measure. We therefore have good hope that we will soon hear of good new newspapers from future unity.
On the day mentioned, the council has seriously forbidden that from this day on no one should touch the unification deal that has been made, neither with any slander nor with any lavish disgrace, otherwise he will receive his due punishment for it. It has also pleased a highly thought council that those of Basel should be notified in writing that they should schedule a certain day and meeting for the envoys of the Swiss churches in Basel, so that they can further and diligently discuss what else might be necessary to direct the future concordiam in its essential progress. There were some of us who, out of mistrust, were worried that if an agreement was reached among us, Lutherus would perhaps exaggerate a bit more on account of our victory, and attribute this triumph of victory to himself. Which, however, several heartier ones have refuted by means of present letters. Finally, so that I may be assured, dear brother, that you are my true friend, I ask you most earnestly to write to me often, so that both of us, I, who acted at Wittenberg, but you at Bern, may be understood on both sides.
may. But you shall also offer my greeting, friendship, and willing service, in my name and will, quite diligently and kindly to D. Martin Luther and Melanchthon, as my dear preceptoribus, and who have noticeably promoted my studia. Our inseparable confrere, D. Sebastianus Major, also sends his greetings and service to both gentlemen. You are also greeted by the noble and firm Johannes Jacobi of Wattweil, our city of Bern's prudent and highly knowledgeable mayor, together with Bernhard Telamonius, the excellent councilor. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen. From Bern, the 2nd of February, Anno 38.
H. About the convention held in Zurich in April 1638 and the renewed correspondence between the Swiss and Luther.
The Swiss letter to Luther concerning the agreement reached. May 4, 1538.
This letter is found in the Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 283, and from it in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 1112 and in the Leipzig, vol. XXI, p. 108. Latin in Hospinians üist. Worum., ?. II, p. 284.
Venerable, most reverend in Christ, most beloved Lord and friend! We have received your friendly and kind-hearted reply, which you sent to us several days ago to the letter which we sent to you in Schmalkalden, with the greatest joy and rejoicing to God, our heavenly Father; we bear neither displeasure nor indignation because of the long delay in it, and we want to defend your stupidity, age, and many incumbent affairs, so that E. E.., as we may well remember, has endeavored in many ways, gladly and good-willedly defended; with friendly request, if we would have been delayed with something with this our rewrite, as we also may not meet before due to pending runs and our business, also take such from us in the same opinion.
(2) And since we can understand not only from your letters, but also from the most esteemed, our especially beloved lords, friends and brothers, D. Capitonis and Buceri, who were with us that day, faithful opening and relation, but that you mean well and good the trade of this holy unity, and desire to promote it in faithfulness with the laying aside of all former sharpness and suspicion; likewise also un
We therefore give the highest thanks to God, the Father of all peace and unity, for His divine grace and goodness, that He so graciously has mercy on us, also so abundantly communicates His grace for this godly work, and graciously brings us together in this unanimous understanding. For we have always been, and still are, inclined to seek and promote the unity of Christ's church with all our hearts and all our faithfulness, and to have peace with E. E., as well as with all God-loving Christians. E. shall certainly take comfort in us.
(3) Because we also see in the article half of the outward word and baptism, that E. E. does not find any misunderstanding, as we may not feel any; and besides, in the article of the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, we understand that you have never taught, nor do you yet teach, that Christ descends and ascends from heaven, from the right hand of God his Father, neither visibly nor invisibly, and thus (as we also do) firmly hold to the article of faith: "Ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, from then on he will be" etc., and remembers neither the ascension nor the descent which is to take place, and therefore does not set up any presence or partaking of the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion, from which anything would follow that would be repugnant to or in some way contrary to the true incarnation and ascension of Christ, his heavenly glory, the articles of our Christian faith, or other places of Scripture; nor do we, on the other hand, wish that in the Lord's Supper alone mere and empty signs, but also the body and blood of the Lord be received and partaken of, so that this in Himself alone be truly understood and received by the believing mind, as a sound and legend, also according to the content, exposition and by virtue of the above-mentioned our Confession and Declaration, sent to you on the Schmalkaldic Day, in which we, for our part, again stand firm and unchanged: we cannot now see or decide otherwise than that we (God be praised!) are united with each other in understanding and right substance, and in good peace, and that there is no longer any dispute between us, and that God has helped us together in true unity, to whom we give praise and thanks for eternity.
(4) Therefore, since you are of a different opinion, we are very pleased with your answer, and we fully expect that the measure will be given to you.
We will not complain about the fact that we have to present it in the manner of our language and in the way that is most understandable to the people. We will do the same toward you, and we will do everything in truth and right fidelity that serves to preserve and increase true unity. On the other hand, we should diligently prevent and avert all that which would be contrary to God's wishes, and we should completely drop all ill-will that has occurred up to now in speeches, letters, or other ways, to the glory of God and to the betterment of all Christian hearts, and we should now mean one another with true loyalty and love from the bottom of our hearts. As then our scholars, if we had this day's performance present with us, have likewise offered themselves with heartfelt desire. The like, and all good things, we in turn certainly console ourselves to E. E., who also kindly asked to have commanded our churches all the way in fatherly care, love and faithfulness. And if anything should concern you that would be contrary or inappropriate to Christian concord and to our consolation, not to give it easy credence, but to hear our opinion against it in every way. This we are again obliged to do, and to make every effort of Christian love and faithfulness, to arrange the matter in such a way that the well-started concordia will stand with the grace of the Lord, and to kindly reject anything that might still err, and also to bring it to perfect agreement. May God our heavenly Father, who is the Lord of hosts, the Father of all mercy and comfort, kindle in us, on both sides, through His Holy Spirit, the fire of His divine love, so that we may blessedly attain the Christian work of this Concord for the sanctification and honor of His holy name, and also for the salvation of many souls, who are opposed to Satan and the world, together with all their attachments, by the grace of God. We are ready to prove our love and service. Date Zurich, May 4, 1538.
109: Summarisches Verzeichniß etlicher Fragen, die in der Versammlung zu Zürich von den Predigern daselbst vorgebracht worden wurden, nebst der Antwort Bucers.
From the Hist. of the Sacrament Controversy, p. 286.
Zurich. Luther has contested that there is a tropus in these words: "This is my body"; does he now admit a tropum?
Bucer. Yes, Luther rejected the tropuni in this speech of the Lord, and also confesses that there is a tropum. Luther rejected and still rejects the metaphorum or metonymiam, by which one wants to understand that the bread and wine in Holy Communion are called the body and blood of the Lord, because they are signs of the body and blood; but the body and blood of the Lord are not received here, but only bread and wine. But the tropum synecdochen, by which one combines different things and understands them in one speech, he allows, for he confesses and teaches that when the Lord says, "Take, eat, this is," etc. that he gives two things, one earthly and one heavenly, as the Wittenberg Articles read, and D. Luther also previously in his great confession of the Lord's Word. Luther also taught earlier in his great confession. Because the words "take, eat, drink" etc., and the indicator word "that" each understand two things, as you yourselves wrote to Luther, there is a synecdoche in these words. This tropum we confess with him.
Bucer. I also performed my small service at the disputation, and I know which synecdoches were rejected, namely those alone by which one wanted to understand that bread and wine naturally and spatially comprehend the body and the blood in themselves. Luther, however, does not use such inclusion and comprehension, for he leaves the Lord in the heavenly action 1) and unites him with the earthly signs not naturally, but only sacramentally (as you yourselves also do), namely, that the bread which we break is also a true communion of his body, the cup of his blood.
Zurich. Is not the body of Christ in One place in heaven, as St. Augustine writes?
Bucer. Yes, he has gone to heaven to the Father, abides in the glory of the Father, does not descend again into earthly activity, neither visibly nor invisibly, he has left the world. But because this heavenly glory, in which the Lord is and abides, cannot be seen by the eye, nor heard by the ear, nor enter into the heart of man, we know nothing further to say about the character of the Lord in heaven, except that he is in a divine, blessed action and being, which surpasses all human understanding, for he has ascended above all the heavens, Ephesians 4. 4, and for this reason, since we have no Scripture concerning locality, that is, the spatiality or comprehension of a place, we do not want to say anything about it.
1) In the old edition: "in the heavenly do".
Zurich. But at the disputation in Bern, and you yourselves, it was said with St. Augustine: the Lord has his own place in heaven?
Bucer. Saint Augustine writes according to the attributes of both natures in Christ, that he, according to whom he is a God, is everywhere, but according to whom he is a man, he is in heaven, and not everywhere, eikku8U8, poured out; item, he writes that the body of the Lord is always finite, and has its measure. All this we also confess, and gladly say, that the Lord, according to the form of the flesh, as St. Augustine speaks, is in his place in heaven, finite and measured, and with all the quality of human nature, that he has given immortality to his flesh, and has not taken nature. But of the further quality of this place, doing and being, that it is divine, and thus that it completes and fulfills everything in heaven and earth, neither you nor we know anything certain, because we have no Scripture about it, so reason may not reach there.
Zurich. But if the Lord is bodily in heaven, he is not bodily on earth.
Bucer. Yes, just as he is in heaven, so he is not on earth; there he is seen face to face, on earth in the mirror and dark word of preaching and sacrament, as St. Augustine also teaches.
Zurich. But may we not say that he is not on earth?
Bucer. In earthly doings, I would rather say, and in the world; for thus Scripture speaks, that he has left the world and earthly life and being; yet he is with us to the end of the world, and gives us the true communion of his body and blood in Holy Communion, but not in the way of this world, for there neither sense nor reason finds him; but in a heavenly and divine way, which we comprehend by faith; the believing mind, which alone sees and finds him.
Zurich. Do we not speak rightly when we say that the Lord is in heaven in the flesh, but with us on earth by his power and Spirit?
Bucer. One cannot speak of divine things more truly and more cheerfully and intelligibly for the faithful than the Lord Himself has spoken. The Lord says: "I (not my spirit or power) will be in the midst of you and with you until the end of the world. Item: "This is my body, this is my blood (do not say my power or spirit), the fellowship of my body and my blood" (not my spirit). We find in ourselves alone his power and work, but the believing mind, which then enters into the supernatural being, is not the same.
is exalted and set apart to the Lord, Eph. 2, that the same beholds and grasps in the mirror and aenigmate of the glorious and visible words, that is, in the promise and delivery spoken in words and modeled in sacraments, not only the power and work of Christ, but Himself, God and man, soul and body, power and spirit, and all that He is, has and does; thus He Himself dwells in us, and have Him Himself present, not only His power and work.
Zurich. So you want the Lord to be in the flesh in this world etc.?
Bucer. No, he has left the world and gone to the Father in heaven. No one ever sees and grasps him; only faith may see and find him. In the sacrament we receive two things, one heavenly and one earthly; the body and blood of the Lord is the heavenly, bread and wine the earthly: earthly, natural, unmixed, nor attached or enclosed, but sacramental, which is true and substantial, according to the promise of God, which cannot fail.
Zurich. What is this sacramental unity, what is the adhesion, so that the earthly bread is united with the heavenly gift of the body and blood of Christ?
Bucer. For the Lord's sake it is His appointment and promise; for ours it is faith, if we believe the appointment and promise of the Lord.
Zurich. Do the words and signs have more to do than to proclaim and teach?
Bucer. But this preaching and teaching is a work of the Lord, powerful and active, and therefore there is a true surrender. He ever says, "Take," and so we shall take; and, since we cannot lack, we take, and so we have. Further he says: "Eat and drink"; if we do this, we eat and have again; that we then have is given to us. Now what does he command us to take from him, to eat and drink etc.? He gives us bread and wine, so we are to take this from him, eat and drink. But shall that be the end of it? No, because the Lord adds: "This is my body", and the body "which is given for you"; "this is my blood", or "the new testament in my blood", and the blood "which is poured out for you".
Therefore, keeping to the institution of the Lord, we take, eat, and drink, and also partake, and have presently, certainly, and truly (for since the Lord's word and work is) His true body, and His true blood, and therefore Himself, true God and man; and therefore St. Paul says: "The bread," he says, "which we break, the cup by which we give thanks, is the communion of the body and blood.
2160 Erl. 55, 206, Sect. 4. Wittenberg Concord. No. 109 ff. W. XVII. 261S-2617. 2161
Thus speaks the Lord himself, and his dear apostles. Therefore, this must be the very brightest, darkest, surest and best way of speaking that can ever be devised by some creatures in this matter; it must be observed, and then, as far and as mightily as this can ever be done, it must be kept in mind that all this taking, eating, drinking, eating, having and being present of the body and blood of Christ is and is to be understood, so that in some way it does not break off from the truth of human nature and the ascension of Christ. D. Luther and all who hold it with him will gladly see this and receive it with thanks. But since in the words of the Lord the surrender of his body and blood is so clearly and brightly expressed as the most noble, that this should also be believed and confessed by you as the most noble, and taught with all fidelity, as you have freely declared and confessed in the Basel Confession, that you do not speak only, or primarily, of what we are to give and do in the Lord's supper, such as giving thanks, offering ourselves, and uniting in love with the brethren, all of which comes solely from the Lord giving himself to us beforehand; all this has long since been accepted in your confessions and scriptures. This is what the Scriptures say, this is what the old true holy Church believed and held, this is what we stand by, and, if God wills, and with His help, we will remain forever, amen.
110 Martin Bucer's letter to Martin Frecht, preacher at Ulm, with which he sends him the above summary list.
May 20, 1538.
From the Hist. of the Sacrament Controversy, p. 285.
Here you have the disputation at Zurich and the decision. They were very heated and did not like to hear; however, through the diligence and constancy of those at Bern and Basel, so much was accomplished that they heard us. And since they had no other proof to present (as you will see) than the true nature of Christ and His ascension, but we do not place any locality (or spatial confinement) there (in the supper), nor do we draw the Lord down from His heavenly glory, it was not difficult to answer their argument. Therefore, they repeated the same thing several times, and what they had admitted, they shrugged off again, until finally, from their confessionibus (or confessions) and our explanations, the town clerk of Zurich wrote a summa, which I am sending you herewith. Grynäus
and Vadianus have bravely and sincerely stood by us. Thus one compared oneself in the end to an identical form (according to the shape of the things), as one would like to write Luthero again. Those of Bern, St. Gallen, Basel and Mulhouse had brought with them a very simple and yet perfect form, such a rewrite to Luther, and also pressed hard for the same; but so that no new discord would arise between them, the envoys of the same city brought home to theirs the form that had been set up again at Zurich. I gladly allowed such (Zurich) form, because I noticed that the Zurichers are still so ill-disposed against the Concordia. I prefer that they promise little and keep it honestly. However, they have parted quite amicably, and I hope that the brethren in Zurich will come a little closer to the Concord in the future. They are afraid of the people's insults: they will say that they now teach differently; otherwise they will lose enough business etc. The twentieth of May, Anno 1538.
111. ". Matt. Luther's reply to the above letter from the Swiss (No. 108). The
June 27, 1538.
This letter is found in the Historie des Sacramentsstreits, p. 290 and from it in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 1114 and in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. IIO. From the original, which is in the RegierungsArchiv at Zurich, in De Wette, vol. V, p. 120, and after him in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 206. De Wette has the incorrectly resolved date: "June 9, 1538," and after him the Erlangen edition; but Burkhardt, p. 304, has corrected this error. Latin in Hospinians tust. sacr., k. II, p. 164; in Buddeus, x. 292 and in Peucers traetatus üistorieus, x. 62.
To the honorable, prudent gentlemen envoys, council messengers of the cities of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Mühlhausen and Viel, assembled at Zurich, my favorable lords and good friends in the Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, prudent, dear lords and friends! I have received your writing, given on the fourth day of May, in which I almost gladly heard that all your hearts are ready for concordia, and that my writing has pleased you, namely, that we do not teach here how in the sacrament an ascension and descent of our Lord should be kept, but that nevertheless the righteous body and blood of our Lord should be received there under bread and wine. What
but could not be given so clearly in writing, I assure myself that D. Martin Bucer and D. Capito will give it all better orally, to whom I have entrusted it all, and have also asked for it, because there is no doubt in my mind that there is a very pious people among you, who would like to do well and do right with earnestness, about which I have no small joy and hope in God, if there is still a hedge, so that in time, when we do neatly with the good, weak little group, God will help everything to the joyful lifting of all error, amen.
For even if I still considered some of them suspicious, moved by their writings, I have reported everything to D. Bucero. For as much as I can always tolerate, I will consider them good until they also come here. I therefore ask that you also, as you have begun, help to accomplish such a divine work for the peace and unity of the Christian churches, since I have no other feeling that you are willing to do it with all joy and pleasure. May the Father of all mercies confirm you and keep you in the work he has begun through his dear Son, our Lord, with his Holy Spirit abundantly, amen. Date Thursday after St. John the Baptist [June 27] 1538.
Martinus Luther, D.
112 The Strasbourg letter to the Council of Basel, in which they commemorate Luther's above reply. Aug. 26, 1538.
From the History of the Sacrament Controversy, p. 290.
Our friendly, willing services before. Honorable, wise, especially good friends and trusted dear neighbors! After you have sent us copies of your, and others of the Confederation, pending to the Holy Gospel. Letters to the Elector of Saxony, Landgrave of Hesse, and also D. Martinum Lutherum, and what they have answered again: we kindly inform you that the envoys whom our lords and friends, masters and councilors, have now had at the meeting in Eisenach, have arrived again, and report in their report that such letters of yours and those of your kinsmen have been sent to the Elector of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse, also to the Elector and Prince of Saxony, and likewise to Luther. Gn., as well as D. Lutheri's reply, have been read out before the message of the common estates; and that they are
of an honorable envoy of the Council, besides noted by the Elector's Councillors in the notification that the above-mentioned letter of yours and your kinsmen, addressed to both Princes of Saxony and Hesse, and also to D. Lutherum, has been received by their Princely Grace and also by D. Lutherum. Gn. and also D. Martin Luther, and has also been praised and received as an entirely Christian writing, so that the envoys fully believe that this letter of your kinsmen will bring much benefit and good will to the said princes and other states, as well as to their scholars. Now that we have noted this from the envoys, we have not refrained from reporting it to you out of special kindness, in the hope that you will be well pleased with it, and that you will also report it to other of your kinsmen. Date Monday the 26th of August, Anno 1538.
Capito's letter from Strasbourg to Wittenberg. Aug. 13, 1538.
From the History of the Sacrament Controversy, p. 291.
The Basians have sent us the letter of D. Luther these days, in which he again answers the answer of the Zurich meeting, at which we were also present. I cannot see that, if he had asked us for advice in such a letter, we could have added a few syllables. In it, one senses the highest contempt, along with friendliness, gentleness, and that he will gladly tolerate the weak. And in this way it has also been received by some others, before whom we were worried that they would think long and hard whether they wanted to join us completely from the opponents or not, because we have also received the same people's letter, besides the letter of the mayor of Basel, with this messenger.
The work of Concord also has this benefit, of which I often write that Luther's books are open to the Swiss churches, so that the uninformed may be instructed with pure doctrine, and the church servants may look more closely at the consciences than before. After that, those who before time kept right, but because of some tyranny were not allowed to be heard in public, now come to day unashamed, and are now allowed to preach this publicly with great benefit (if they receive it from the Lord), by whose suspicion alone they came into danger several times before. They no longer deny anyone the truth of spiritual doctrine, and the power of the Word and the Sacraments etc. From Strasbourg, August 13, Anno 38.