a. On the occasion of the Sermon on the Sacrament of the Body of Christ published by Luther.
84. D. Martin Luther's Sermon on the Reverend Sacrament of the Holy True Body of Christ and on the Brotherhoods.*)
December 1519.
A sermon, of the reverend sacrament of the holy true body of Christ and of the brotherhoods, Doctoris Martini Luther Augustiners.
First, the holy sacrament of the altar and the holy true body of Christ also has three things to be known. The first is the sacrament or sign.
The other, the meaning of the same sacrament. The third, the faith of the two; as then in any sacrament these three pieces must be. The sacrament must be external and visible, in a bodily form or shape. The meaning must be inward and spiritual, in the spirit of man. Faith must bring the two together into use and custom.
*This sermon, which belongs closely together with the two other sermons "On the Sacrament of Penance" and "On the Sacrament of Baptism" (Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 1230 and 2112), first appeared in Wittenberg at the beginning of December 1519 with Johannes Grunenberg under the title: "Ehn Sermon von dem Hochwirdigen Sacrament, des hehligen waren Leychnams Christi. And of the brotherhoods. D. M. L. A. (Woodcut For the Fiefdoms." In the same Officin again in 1519 and in 1520 the same "Anderweht gecorrigirt". The corrections in this edition refer only to individual expressions; in addition, a short epilogue is added. These three editions just mentioned have a monstrance on the title and on the back of the title also a monstrance with a chalice in the middle. In a short time a large number of reprints appeared: in 1520 by Wolfgang Stöckel in Leipzig; by Valentin Schumann in Leipzig; by Jobst Gutknecht in Nuremberg; by Silvanus Ottmar in Augsburg; by Hans Froschauer in Augsburg; by Jörgen Nadler in Augsburg; by Martin Flach in Strasbourg; in 1522 (without indication of the printer) in Augsburg; in 1523 in Wittenberg (in octavo) and in 1525 in Zwickau. In 1524 a Latin translation was published by Thomas Wolf in Basel under the title: Ve sacramento sueUaristiae eontio cliAnissima. Item: äe kratsrnitatidus, ant soäalitiis Quatenus et Huomoäo Ü8 utendum. DIar. Imtk. Vn. v. XXIIII. Furthermore, this sermon is found in "Martini Luthers mancherley büchlin und tractetlin," edition of May 1520, p. 133 a, and edition of October 1520, p. 126 a, without the epilogue; then in the editions of Luther's works: in the Wittenberg (1554), vol. VII, p. 17d; in the Jenaer (1564), vol. I, p. 201 d; in the Altenburger, vol. I, p. 331; in the Leipziger, vol. XVII, p. 272 with the epilogue; in the Erlanger, vol. 27, p. 25 and in Löscher's Reformations-Acta, vol. Ill, p. 902 without the epilogue. Finally, in the Weimar edition, vol. II, p. 738 with the epilogue; according to this we have included the text.
The first piece of this sacrament. 1)
Secondly, the sacrament or outward sign is in the form and shape of the bread and wine, as baptism is in the water; so, however, that the bread and wine are drunk with food and drink; just as water is drunk with baptism and poured or poured into it. For the sacrament or sign must be received or ever desired, if it is to bring benefit. Although both are not given to the people every day, as in former times; nor is it necessary: nevertheless the priesthood shall eat them every day before the people, and it is enough that the people desire them daily, and receive them at the time of one form, as much as the Christian church ordains and gives.
Thirdly, it is considered good by me that the church in a common concilio again decreed that all men should be given both forms, like the priests. Not because one form is not enough, but only the desire of faith is enough, as St. Augustine says: "Why do you prepare the belly and the teeth? Only believe, and thou shalt have already partaken of the sacrament"; but that it would be quite and fine if the sacrament's form and shape or sign were not given piecemeal in part, but whole: just as I said of baptism that it would be more fitting to immerse in water than to pour with it, for the sake of the wholeness and perfection of the sign. Since this sacrament signifies a whole union and undivided communion of the saints (as we shall hear), which is shown badly and unpleasantly with a piece or part of the sacrament. Nor is there so great a danger with the chalice as is considered, because the people seldom go to this sacrament; especially because Christ, who knew all future danger well, yet willed to use both forms for all his Christians.
The other piece of this sacrament, namely the meaning of the same. 3)
Fourth, the meaning or work of this Sacrament is communion of all the Hei-
1) This caption is from the Jena edition.
2) nießen-serve a thing, use it.
3) This caption is from the Jena edition.
Therefore it is also called by its daily name synaxis, or communion, that is, fellowship, and communicare in Latin means to receive this fellowship, which we say in German: to go to the sacrament; and comes from the fact that Christ with all the saints is a spiritual body, just as a city people is a community and body, every citizen of the outer member and of the whole city. So all the saints are members of Christ and the church, which is a spiritual, eternal city of God, and whoever is taken into the same city is called taken into the congregation of the saints and made members of Christ's spiritual body. Again, excommunicare means: to do away with the community and to separate a member from this body, and that means in German: to put under ban, but differently, as I will say in the following sermon about the ban.
So this sacrament received in bread and wine is nothing else but a sure sign received of this communion and incorporation with Christ and all the saints. Just as if a citizen were given a sign, handwriting, or other slogan that he is certain to be a citizen of the city, a member of the same community. So St. Paul says 1 Cor. 10, 17: "We are all one bread and one body, partakers of one bread and of one cup."
Fifth, this communion consists in the fact that all spiritual goods of Christ and his saints are shared and become common to the one who receives this sacrament; again, all sufferings and sins also become common, and thus love is kindled and united against love. And that we remain on the rough sensual likeness: Just as in a city every citizen has in common the name, honor, freedom, commerce, custom, manners, help, assistance, protection, and the like of that city; again, all danger, fire, water, enemy, death, damage, essays, and the like; for he who wants to enjoy with, must also apply with 4) and compare love with love. Here it is seen that whoever does harm to one citizen, does harm to the whole city and to all citizens; whoever does good to one, deserves from all.
4) to apply, that is, to give a consideration, to perform something in return.
other's favor and thanksgiving. So also in the bodily body, as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 12, 25 26, when he explains this sacrament spiritually: "The limbs are careful for one another; where one suffers, the others all suffer with it; where one is well, the others rejoice with it." Thus we see that if a person's foot hurts, or even the smallest toe, the eye looks at it; if the fingers grasp it, the face bows, and the whole body bends over, and all have to deal with the small limb; again, if one is well, all the limbs are well. These parables 1) must be kept in mind if one wants to understand this sacrament. For the Scriptures require them for the sake of the simple.
Sixth, in this sacrament a sure sign is given to man by God Himself through the priest, that he shall be united with Christ and His saints and that all things shall be common, that Christ's suffering and life shall be his own, and the life and suffering of all saints. So that whoever does him harm, does it to Christ and all the saints, as he says through the prophet [Zech. 2:8], "Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye"; again, whoever does him good, does it to Christ and all his saints, as he says Matt. 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Again, man must also let be common to him all the afflictions and accidents of Christ and his saints, count them equal with them, and eat them. Let us look at these two in a different light.
To the seventh, now suffering does not do us the same counterpart. First of all, there is the remaining and lingering sin in the flesh after baptism, the inclination to anger, hatred, pride and unchastity, 2c. which affects us while we are alive. Not only do we need the help of the church and Christ to fight against it with us, but we also need Christ and His saints to stand up for us before God, so that sin will not be imputed to us according to the strict judgment of God. Therefore, to strengthen and strengthen us 2) against
1) In the Weimarschen: gleichnüß.
2) Thus the Weim. Edition. In the Wittenberg and Jena: "ermanen"; in the Erlangen: "ermahnen".
God gives us this sacrament as if He were saying: "Behold, you are afflicted with many sins; receive this sign, that I may assure you that sin does not afflict you alone, but my Son Christ and all his saints in heaven and on earth. Therefore be thou refreshed and confident; thou art not alone in thy strife: great help and succor is upon thee."
Thus King David speaks of this bread [Ps. 104, 15.]: "The bread strengthens the heart of man"; and the Scriptures also give this sacrament the kind of strengthening in more places than Apost. 9, 19. of St. Paul: He was baptized, and having received the food, he was strengthened. Secondly, the evil spirit torments us without ceasing with many sins and repulsions. Third, the world, which is full of wickedness, provokes and persecutes, and is not good on any side. Lastly, our own evil conscience of sins committed; item, the fear of death and the torment of hell, all of which make us weary and faint, if we do not seek and have strength in this fellowship.
Eighth, whoever is despondent, weakened by his sinful conscience, or frightened by death, or has some other affliction of the heart, if he wishes to be rid of it, he should go cheerfully to the sacrament of the altar and lay his sorrow before the congregation, seeking help from the whole body of the clergy. In the same way, 3) as when a citizen in the countryside suffers damage or an accident at the hands of his enemies, he complains to his councilors and fellow citizens and calls for help. Therefore, in this sacrament we are given the immeasurable grace and mercy of God, so that we may lay all sorrow, all affliction, on the church, and especially on Christ; and man may cheerfully strengthen himself, comfort himself, and thus say: "If I am a sinner, if I have fallen, if this or that calamity befalls me: well then, I will go to the Sacrament and take a sign from God that Christ's righteousness, His life and suffering are for me, with all the holy angels and blessed in heaven and pious men.
3) i.e. in the same way.
4) i.e. I have made a case.
on earth. If I die, I am not alone in death; if I suffer, they suffer with me. All my sorrow has become common to Christ and the saints, so that I have a sure sign of their love toward me." Behold, this is the fruit and custom of this Sacrament, from which the heart must become joyful and strong.
Ninthly, if you have enjoyed this sacrament or want to eat it, then you must also bear the community accident, as has been said. But what are they? Christ in heaven and the angels with the saints have no accident, but only if the truth and God's word are harmed. Yes, all the sorrow and love of all the saints on earth befalls them (as I said). Then your heart must surrender to love and learn how this sacrament is a sacrament of love, and, as love and assistance have happened to you, show love and assistance to Christ in his neediness. For here you must be sorry for all the dishonor of Christ in his holy word, for all the misery of Christianity, for all the unjust suffering of the innocent, of which there is so much in all places of the world; here you must defend, do, ask, and, if you can no longer do so, have heartfelt compassion. Behold, this is then again bearing Christ's and his saints' calamity and adversity; there then Paul's saying [Gal. 6:2], "Bear one another's burdens, and ye shall fulfill Christ's commandment." Behold, thus thou bearest them all; thus again they all bear thee, and all things are common, good and bad. Then all things become light, and the evil spirit may not stand against the church. So when Christ instituted the sacrament [Luc. 22:19], he said, "This is my body, which is given for you; this is my blood, which is shed for you: as often as ye do this, remember me." As if he said, "I am the head, I will be the first to give myself for you, I will make your sorrow and your calamity common to me and bear it for you, so that you also in turn may do so to me and to one another, and let everything be common to me and with me, and let this sacrament of all this be a certain sign to you that you do not forget me, but practice it daily and remember what I have done.
I have done and do do for you, that ye may strengthen yourselves, and that ye may bear one another.
Tenthly, this is also a reason and the first reason why this sacrament is used many times, when baptism is needed only once. For baptism is a lifting up and entrance into a new life, in which many adversities are hurled at us with sins and sufferings, both our own and those of others. There is the devil, the world, his own flesh and grapes, as I said, which do not cease to chase and drive us without ceasing. For this reason we need the strength, support and help of Christ and His saints, which is promised to us in this, as in a certain sign, by which we are united and incorporated with them, and all our suffering is placed in the church.
Therefore, this sacrament is of no use or little use to those who do not have an accident, or are without fear, or do not feel their misfortune, because it is given only to those who need consolation and strength, who have dumb hearts, who carry frightened consciences, who are tempted by sins or have fallen into them. What effect should it have on the free, secure spirits who neither need nor desire it? For the Mother of God says: "He only satisfies the hungry", and comforts the afflicted.
For the eleventh reason, so that the disciples would ever be worthy and sent to this sacrament, he makes them grieve beforehand, holding out to them his departure and death, in which they suffered pain and sorrow. He almost frightened them by saying that one of them would betray Him [Matth. 26, 21. f.]. Since they were so full of grief and anguish, grieved with sorrow and sin of treachery, they were worthy, and he gave them his holy body and strengthened them again. From this he teaches us that this sacrament is a strength and consolation to those who 1) grieve and fear sin and evil. St. Augustine also says: "This food is sought only by a hungry soul, and nothing so nearly as a full and sated soul, which must not be. So
1) d. i. which.
the Jews had to eat the paschal lamb with bitter lactuces 1) hurriedly and standing [Ex. 12, 8. 11.], which also means that this sacrament snows eager, meager and sorrowful souls. Now, whoever wants to and should make Christ and all Christians' misfortunes common to him, whoever stands by the truth, fights injustice, asks for the misery of the innocent and the suffering of all Christians, will find misfortune and repugnance enough; without which the evil nature, the world, the devil and sin will be put on him daily. And God's counsel and will is also that He chases and drives us with so many dogs and prepares bitter lactuaries everywhere, that we should long for this strength and become glad of the holy sacrament, so that we may be worthy (that is, eager) of it.
In the twelfth, he will have used it many times, so that we remember him and practice his example in such fellowship. For if the example were no longer held up, the fellowship would soon be forgotten; as we now unfortunately see that many masses are held, and yet the Christian fellowship, which should be preached, practiced, and Christ's example held up to them, is completely lost, so much so that we almost no longer know what this sacrament is for and how it should be used; indeed, unfortunately, through the masses the fellowship is often destroyed and everything is perverted. This is the fault of the preachers, who do not preach the Gospel nor the Sacraments, but their human poems of various works and ways of living well. But in the old days this sacrament was practiced so well, and the people understood this fellowship so well, that they also gathered the external food and goods into the church and distributed it to those who were poor, as Paul writes in 1 Cor. 11:21. Hence the little word Collecta in the mass, that is, a common collection, like one collects a common money to give to the poor. There were also so many martyrs and saints. There
1) i.e. lettuce, salad. In the explanation of the 2nd book of Moses, Walch, old edition, Vol. Ill, 1254, § 28 it says: Salsen or bitter Lactuken". In the Weimar Bible rst to "Salsen" the interpretation is given: "a tunke, made from bitter herbs".
were fewer masses and much strength or fruit of the masses. There, one Christian took care of another, one stood by another, one had compassion on another, one bore another's burden and accident; this has now faded away and are only many masses and much of this sacrament reception without all its meaning, understanding and practice.
To the thirteenth, one finds them well, who gladly want to eat with, but do not want to apply with: that is, they gladly hear that in this sacrament they are promised and given help, fellowship and assistance of all the saints; but they do not want to be mean in turn, do not want to help the poor, tolerate sinners, care for the miserable, suffer with the suffering, pray for others; Nor do they want to help the truth, to seek the betterment of the churches and of all Christians with body, goods and honor for the fear of the world, so that they do not have to suffer disfavor, harm, dishonor or death, if God wants them to, so that they are urged to desire such great grace and strength of this sacrament for the sake of truth and neighbor. These are selfish people, to whom this sacrament is of no use, just as the citizen is untrustworthy, who wanted to be helped, protected and liberated by the community, and yet he in turn does nothing for the community, nor does he serve it. No! We must let the other's evil be ours again, if we want Christ and his saints to let our evil be theirs, then the community will be whole and the sacrament will be done enough. For where love does not grow daily and change a man so that he becomes common to everyone, this sacrament has no fruit or meaning.
For the fourteenth, to signify such fellowship, God has also instituted such signs of this sacrament, which are everywhere added to it, and with their forms provoke and move us to such fellowship. For just as the bread is made from many grains that are pushed together, and many grains become the body of one bread, in which each grain loses its body and form and takes on the common body of the bread: in the same way, the grains of wine, with the loss of their form, also become the body of the bread.
The body of a common wine and drink; so shall we and are we, if we use this sacrament aright: Christ with all the saints by his love takes our form, contends with us against sin, death, and all evil, whereof we, being inflamed with love, take his form, rely on his righteousness, life, and blessedness, and are therefore by communion of his goods and our misfortunes One cake, One loaf, One body, One drink, and are all things common. O! this is a great sacrament, says St. Paul [Eph. 5:32], that Christ and the Church are One Flesh and One Bone. Again, by the same love we are to transform ourselves and let ours be all other Christians' infirmities, and take their form and need upon us, and let theirs be all the good we are able, that they may enjoy the same: this is right communion and the true meaning of this sacrament. Thus we are transformed into one another and become common through love, without which no change can take place.
To the fifteenth, he has set these two species of bread and wine before others, further indicating the same union and communion that is in this sacrament. For there is no union more intimate, more profound, more sacred than the union of the food with the one who is fed. Since the food goes and is transformed into the nature and becomes one being with the fed. Other unification than by nails, glue, tape, and the like, do not make one being unseparated from the united things. So also we are united with Christ in the sacrament and incorporated with all the saints, so that he takes care of us, does for us and leaves for us, as if 1) he were who we are; what affects us also affects him and more than us; in turn, we may take care of ourselves as if we were who he is, as then it will also finally happen that we are conformed to him, as St. John says. John says [1 John 3:2], "We know that when he shall be revealed, we shall be like him": so deep and complete is the communion of Christ and all the saints with us. So our sins fence him; again, us his righteousness shields. For the
1) Thus the Wittmberg and Jena editions; Weim.: also.
Unification makes it all common, until he completely eradicates sin in us and makes us like him on the last day. So also we are to be united in our neighbors and they in us by the same love.
Sixteenthly, over all this he has not merely instituted these 2) two bodies, but has given his truly natural flesh in the bread, and his naturally true blood in the wine, that he might ever give a perfect sacrament or sign. For just as the bread is changed into his true natural body, and the wine into his true natural blood, so we also are truly drawn and changed into the spiritual body, that is, into the fellowship of Christ and all the saints, and through this sacrament are placed into all the virtues and grace of Christ and his saints, just as it is said above of a citizen who is drawn and changed into protection and freedom in the city and whole community. For this reason he has not only put on one form, but has put his flesh under the bread and his blood under the wine, so that not only his life and good works, which he displayed through the flesh and did in the flesh, but also his suffering and torture, which he displayed through his blood, in which his blood was poured out, are all ours, and we, being drawn into it, may eat and use it.
The seventeenth, from all this it is now clear that this holy sacrament is nothing other than a divine sign, wherein is promised, given and assigned Christ, all the saints with all their works, sufferings, merits, graces and goods for comfort and strength to all who are in anguish and distress, persecuted by the devil, sins, the world, the flesh and all evil, and to receive the sacrament is nothing other than to desire all of the same, and to believe firmly that it is thus done.
The third piece of this sacrament. 3)
Here comes the third part of the sacrament, that is, the faith in which the power lies. For it is not enough to know,
2) Thus the Wittenberg and Jena editions; the Weimar edition: dißer zwo gestalt.
3) This caption is from the Jena edition.
what the sacrament is and means. It is not enough that you know it to be a communion and gracious change or mixture of our sin and suffering with Christ's righteousness and his saints; but you must also desire it, and firmly believe that you have obtained it. This is where the devil and nature struggle the most, so that faith will not stand. Some practice their art and snobbery, seeking where the bread will remain when it is changed into Christ's flesh, and the wine into his blood, even as under such a small piece of bread and wine the whole Christ, his flesh and blood, may be decided. It does not matter if you do not seek this. It is enough that you know it is a divine sign, since Christ flesh and blood is truly inside; how and where, let it be ordered.
To the eighteenth, here see that you practice and strengthen faith, that when you are distressed or driven by your sins, so go to the Sacrament or hear Mass, that you heartily desire this Sacrament and its meaning, and do not doubt it, If thou dost not doubt the meaning of the Sacrament, let it be done to thee, that is, let it be certain that Christ and all the saints come to thee with all their virtues, sufferings, and graces, to live, do, leave, suffer, and die with thee, and want to be all thine, to have all things in common with thee. If you practice and strengthen this faith, you will feel how a joyful, rich, wedding feast and good life your God has prepared for you on the altar. Then you will understand what the great feast [of] King AhaSveri means [Esth. 1, 5. ff.]; then you will see what the wedding is, when God has taken away His oxen and fatlings, as it is written in the Gospel [Matt. 22, 2. ff.]; then your heart will become quite free and secure, strong and courageous against all enemies. For who would be afraid of all accidents, if he were sure that Christ was with him with all the saints, and had all things in common with him, whether evil or good? So we read, Apost. 2, 46, 47, that the disciples of Christ broke this bread and ate it with great gladness of heart. Since the work is so great that the littleness of our souls could not desire it, let alone hope for it or wait for it, it is necessary for us to be able to do it.
and it is good to go to the sacrament many times, or to practice and strengthen such faith daily in the mass, in which everything lies and is also instituted for his sake. For if you doubt this, you do God the greatest dishonor and consider Him an unfaithful liar; if you cannot believe, then ask for it, as is said above in the other sermon 1).
To the nineteenth, then see that you also yield yourself to be common to everyone, and never separate anyone in hatred or anger; for this sacrament of fellowship, love and unity cannot tolerate discord and disunity. You must let others' afflictions and needs go to your heart as if they were your own, and offer your wealth as if it were their own, just as Christ does to you in the sacrament. This means to be transformed into one another through love, to become one bread and drink out of many pieces, to leave one's form and take on a common one.
Hence it comes about that offenders, judges of iniquity and other people's despisers must receive death in the sacrament, as St. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 11, 29. For they do not do to their neighbor as they seek with Christ and as the sacrament shows, do not grant them anything good, do not have compassion for them, do not accept them as they want to be accepted by Christ. Then they fall into blindness, so that they know no more to do in this sacrament than to fear and honor Christ with their prayers and devotion. When this is done, they think it is well done; but Christ gave his body for the purpose of practicing the meaning of the sacrament, communion, and the walk of love, and he gave less importance to his own natural body than to his spiritual body, that is, to the communion of his saints; he is also more concerned, especially in this sacrament, that the faith of his and the saints' communion should be well practiced and strong in us, and that we should also practice our communion well according to it. They do not see this opinion of Christ, and go daily, keep and hear mass in their devotion, remain
1) Of the Sacrament of Penance, Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 1241, § 18.
One day like the next, yes, they get worse every day and don't feel it.
Therefore, look up! It is more necessary for you to pay attention to the spiritual than to the natural body of Christ, and more necessary to have faith in the spiritual than in the natural body; for the natural without the spiritual is of no use in this sacrament, a transformation must take place and be practiced through love.
To the twentieth, there are many of them who, in spite of this change of love and faith, rely on the fact that the mass or sacrament is opus gratum opere operati, that is, such a work as is pleasing to God Himself, although those who do it are not pleasing, from which they conclude that it is nevertheless good to have many masses, however unworthily they are kept; for the harm is to those who keep or use them unworthily. I let everyone have his own mind, but I do not like such fables. For so to speak, there is no creature nor work that is not pleasing to God from Himself, as Gen. 1:31 is written: God has looked upon all his works, and they have pleased him. What fruit comes from using bread, wine, gold and all other goods badly, even though they are pleasing to God in themselves? Yes, condemnation follows. So also here: the more noble the sacrament is, the greater the harm that comes to the whole community from its misuse. For it is not instituted for its own sake, that it may please God, but for our sake, that we may use it rightly, exercise faith in it, and through it become pleasing to God. Nothing works anywhere if it is opus operaturu alone, for harm; it must become opus operantis. Just as bread and wine do nothing but harm if they are not needed, they please God in themselves, however much they may: so it is not enough that the sacrament be made (that is, opus operatuui); it must also be used in faith (that is, opus operantis). And it is to be feared that with such dangerous glosses of the sacrament strength and virtue will be turned away from us, and faith will perish altogether through false certainty of the sacrament made.
This all comes from the fact that they regard Christ as the natural body in this sacrament, rather than the community, the spiritual body. Christ on the cross was also a work done that was pleasing to God, but the Jews have fallen to this day, because they did not make it a useful work in faith. Therefore see to it that this sacrament be to you an opus operantis, that is, a useful work, and [that it be] pleasing to God, not for its own sake, but for the sake of your faith and good custom. The word of God is also pleasing to God in Himself; but it is harmful to me where it does not please God in me also. And in short, such chatter, opus operatum, opus oporantis, are vain words of men, more hindering than helping. And who would like to tell all the cruel abuses and misbeliefs that multiply daily in this reverend sacrament, some of which are so spiritual and holy that they could tempt an angel? Finally, whoever wants to recognize the abuses, let him only set before him the aforementioned custom and faith of this sacrament, namely, that a sorrowful, hungry soul should sincerely desire the love, help, and assistance of the entire congregation, of Christ, and of all Christendom, and not doubt to obtain the same in faith; after which, in the same love, he also makes himself common to everyone. Therefore, whoever does not hear or read mass and receive the sacrament in a proper manner, errs and does not need this sacrament for salvation. For this reason the world is overrun with pestilence, wars and other dreadful plagues, so that with many masses we only arouse more disgrace.
Now, for the first and twentieth time, we note how necessary this sacrament is for those who are to give themselves body and soul in death or other danger, that they may not only be left therein, but be strengthened in the community of Christ and all the saints. For this reason Christ also instituted and gave the same in the last trouble and peril of his disciples. Since we are surrounded by all dangers every day and must die in the end, we should thank God with all our strength, sweetly and humbly, that He gives us such a gracious sign, in which He gives us a sign of peace.
leads and draws (if we hold fast to it by faith) through death and all peril to Himself, to Christ and all the saints.
For this reason it is useful and necessary that the love and fellowship of Christ and all the saints be hidden, invisible and spiritual, and that only a physical, visible, outward sign of it be given to us. For if the same love, fellowship and assistance were public as the temporal fellowship of men, we would not be strengthened by it, nor would we be trained to trust in the invisible and eternal goods, or to desire them, but would rather be trained to trust only in temporal visible goods, and would become so accustomed to them that we would not gladly let them go, and would not follow God any further, for as far as visible and comprehensible things were before us, they would prevent us from ever coming to God; For all temporal and sensible things must fall away, and we must be completely deprived of them, 1) so that we may come to God.
Therefore, the Mass and this Sacrament is a sign/by which we practice and become accustomed to leave all visible love, help and comfort and to seek invisible love, help and assistance in Christ and His saints. 2) For death takes away all visible things and separates us from men and temporal things; so we must have the help of the invisible and eternal ones, and these are given to us in the sacrament and signs, to which we cling with faith until we also receive them sensibly and publicly.
Thus the sacrament is for us a ford, a bridge, a door, a ship and a stretcher, in which and through which we pass from this world into eternal life. Therefore, it is all a matter of faith: for he that believeth not is like unto a man that should pass over water, and is so despondent that he trusteth not the ship, and so must abide, and never be saved, because he sitteth not down, and would not pass over. This is what sensuality and unpracticed faith, to whom
1) wean - to become unweaned.
2) Here is to be bold - to trust.
the journey becomes sour over the Jordan of death, and the devil also helps cruelly to it.
The second and twentieth. This is Joshua 3, (v. 7 ff.) when the children of Israel had passed through the Red Sea with dry feet, wherein baptism was evidenced, 3) they also passed through the Jordan; but the priests stood with the ark in the Jordan, and the waters under them flowed away; which rose up above them like a mountain, wherein this sacrament is evidenced. The priests carry and hold the arca in the Jordan when they preach to us and give this sacrament, Christ and all the saints fellowship in dying or perishing. If then we believe, the waters that are under us pass away, that is, the temporal visible things do not do us harm, but flee from us. But those that are above us rise up high; these are the horrible shocks and images in death from that world; [they] frighten us as if they wanted to overtake us. But if we do not turn away from them, and pass by with a firm faith, we shall enter into eternal life with dry feet and without harm.
Thus we have that two principal sacraments are in the church, baptism and bread. Baptism leads us into a new life on earth; bread leads us through death into eternal life. And these two are signified by the Red Sea and Jordan, and by the two countries, beyond Jordan, and this side Jordan. Therefore the Lord said in the supper, "I will drink this wine no more, till I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matth. 26, 29.): so even this sacrament is directed and ordered for strength against death, and for entrance into eternal life.
To conclude, the fruit of this sacrament is fellowship and love, by which we are strengthened against death and all evil, so that the fellowship is twofold: one, that we enjoy Christ and all the saints; the other, that we let all Christian men enjoy ours also, as they and we may, so that the selfish love of himself, eradicated by this sacrament, may let in the charitable love of all men, and thus
3) to show - to indicate, to model.
through the transformation of love become One Bread, One Drink, One Body, One Community, that is, the true Christian brotherly unity. Therefore, let us now see how the great, glittering brotherhoods, of which there are now so many, resemble and rhyme with each other.
From the brotherhoods.
First, let us look at the evil practices of the brotherhoods, one of which is that they make eating and drinking, have a mass or several masses; then the whole day and night and other days are given to the devil; nothing more happens than what is displeasing to God. The evil spirit has brought in such a furious way, and lets it be called a brotherhood, so that it is more of a hooliganism, and quite a pagan, even an evil being. It would be much better that there were no brotherhoods in the world than that such mischief was tolerated. Secular lords and cities should work with the clergy to stop such things, for it does great dishonor to God, the saints and all Christians, and makes a mockery of God's service and the holidays to the devil. For the holy days should be celebrated and sanctified with good works; and the brotherhood should also be a special assembly of good works: so it has become a collection of money for beer. What should Our Lady, St. Anne, St. Bastian or other saints' names do in your brotherhood, since there is nothing more than eating, drinking, wasting money, yelling, screaming, chatting, dancing and wasting time? If you put a sow as a patron of such a brotherhood, it would not suffer. Why then are the dear saints so highly tempted that their name is misused for such disgraces and sins and their brotherhoods are defiled and blasphemed with such evil plays? Woe to those who do this and impose it!
Secondly, if one wanted to keep a brotherhood, one should join together and feed a table or two of poor people, and let the same serve for God's sake, fasting the day before and staying sober the holiday, with prayers and other good works.
The brotherhood of the brotherhood of the saints would be a good example to others, or the money that one wants to waste should be pooled and a common treasure collected, each craft for itself, that one could help and lend to a poor fellow craftsman in need, or a young couple of people of the same craft from the same common treasure could be set apart with honor; These would be true brotherly works, which would make the brotherhood pleasing to God and his saints, and they would gladly be patrons. However, if one does not want to do this and follow the old pattern, I urge that one does not do this on the feast of the saints, not even under their or the brotherhood's name. Let another working day be taken, and let the saints and their brotherhoods be named in peace, so that they do not even sign. 1) Although no day is spent without dishonor with such beings, one should nevertheless spare the names of the festivals and saints more. For such brotherhoods let themselves be called the brotherhood of the saints and do the devil's work among them.
Thirdly, there is another evil habit in the brotherhoods, and is a spiritual wickedness, a false opinion, which is that they think their brotherhood should benefit no one but themselves, who are listed in their number and register or give to it. This damned evil opinion is even worse than the first wickedness, and is a cause why God decrees that the brotherhoods become such a mockery and blasphemy of God with eating and drinking and the like. For therein they learn to seek themselves, to love themselves, to mean themselves alone with faithfulness, to disregard others, to think themselves better than others, and to presume greater advantage with God over others. And so the communion of saints, Christian love, and the thorough brotherhood instituted in the holy sacrament, goes among them: thus selfish love grows in them, which is nothing else than that one with the same many
1) zeychen" is probably as much as "to testify, to bear witness". But it may also stand for "to accuse", i.e. to accuse.
The first is the one that strives for and interferes with the one, inward, spiritual, essential, common brotherhood of all saints.
If then God sees the perverse being, He also perverse it again, as in the 18th Psalm, v. 27.It says: "With the perverse you consort," and thus sends them to make themselves a mockery and a disgrace with their brotherhoods, and to cast them out from the common brotherhood of the saints, which they resist and do not work in common with, into their devouring, lewd brotherhood, and lewd brotherhood, so that they may find their own, who have sought and meant no more than their own, and yet blinded them, so that they do not recognize such displeasure and disgrace, adorn such mischief under the saints' names, as if it were well done; And they let some fall so deeply into the abyss that they openly boast and say that whoever is in their brotherhood may not be condemned, just as if the baptism and sacrament instituted by God Himself were less and more uncertain than what they have devised out of their blind heads. So let God disgrace and blind those who revile and blaspheme His feasts, His name, His saints, to the detriment of the common Christian brotherhood, which flowed from Christ's wounds, with their madness and the sour customs of their brotherhoods.
Fourth, to learn a right understanding and custom of the brotherhoods, one must know and recognize the right difference of the brotherhoods. The first is the divine, the heavenly, the most noble, which transcends all others, as gold transcends copper or lead, the communion of all saints, of which it was said above, in which we are all brothers and sisters, so close that no closer can ever be conceived, for there is One Baptism, One Christ, One Sacrament, One Food, One Gospel, One Faith, One Spirit, One Spiritual Body, and each one the other's member. No other brotherhood is so deep and close. For natural brotherhood is one flesh and blood, one inheritance and one house; but it must divide and blend into other blood and inheritance. The partisan brotherhoods have one register, one measurement, one good and one bad.
Work, One Time, One Money and, as [it] now goes. A beer, a meal and a drink, and none of them goes so deep that it makes a spirit, for Christ alone makes brotherhood, therefore also, if it is greater, meaner and wider, the better it is. Let all other brotherhoods be so ordered that they always have the first and noblest in mind, esteeming it alone great and seeking nothing of their own with all their works, but doing the same for God's sake, asking God to preserve the same Christian fellowship and brotherhood and to make it better from day to day. So where a brotherhood rises up, they should let themselves be seen to be doing something special for other people for Christianity by praying, fasting, almsgiving, good works, not seeking their own benefit or reward, nor refusing anyone, but serving the whole community of Christianity as free servants.
Where there was such a right opinion, God would also give a right order so that the brotherhoods would not be disgraced by gluttony. Giving would follow, so that a common treasure would be collected, so that other people would also be helped externally; then the spiritual and physical works of the brotherhoods would be in their proper order. And whoever does not want to follow this order in his brotherhood, I advise him to jump out and leave the brotherhood standing, it will harm him in body and soul.
But if you say: Should I not get something special in the brotherhood, what does it help me? Answer: Yes, if you are looking for something special, what will the brotherhood or sisterhood do for you? If you serve the community and other people with it, as the kind of love is wont to do, then your reward for the same love will be found without your seeking and coveting. But if the service and reward of love be little to thee, it is a sign that thou hast a perverse brotherhood. Love serves freely for free, therefore God also gives it all good freely for free. Since all things must be done in love if they are to please God otherwise, the brotherhood must also be in love. But what is done in love
The way he does it is that he does not seek his own or his own benefit, but that of others and first of all of the community.
Fifth, to return to the sacrament, since the Christian community is now in a worse state than it has ever been, and is decreasing more and more every day, most of all in the rulers, and all the oters are full of sins and disgrace, you should not look at how many masses are said or how often the sacrament is administered. For from this it becomes worse rather than better, but how much you and others increase in the meaning and faith of this sacrament, in which the correction lies; and the more thou findest thyself incorporated in Christ and his saints, the better thou standest, that is, if thou findest thyself growing strong in the confidence of Christ and his dear saints, that thou mayest be sure they love thee, and stand by thee in all thy troubles of life and death, and again, that you may be concerned about the decrease or fall of all Christians and the whole community, and that your love may become common to every Christian, and that you may gladly help everyone, hate no one, suffer with everyone, and pray for them; behold, if the sacramental work goes right, you will mourn, lament and grieve many times over for the wretched state of Christianity today. But if you do not have such confidence in Christ and his saints, and if the need of Christianity and of every neighbor does not concern or move you, beware of all other good works, otherwise you will think you are pious and will be saved; they will certainly be all shine, pretense and deception.
because they are without love and fellowship, without which nothing good is. For Summa Summarum: Plenitudo Legis est dilectio, love fulfills all commandments [Rom. 15, 10.], Amen.
[Afterword in the Wittenberg edition of 1520.]
There are some who have rejected this sermon without any necessity, because I said in the third article: It seems fine to me, where a Christian concilium decrees to give both forms to everyone; they have also opened their mouths so much that they say it is error and annoying. May God in heaven have mercy on us, that we have lived to see the time when Christ, the noble Lord and God, is so publicly reviled and blasphemed by his own people that his order is called an error. It would have been enough to let it remain a restrained order, and if one did not want to make a commandment out of it, that it would not be considered a prohibition or error. But I ask you to take a good look at the other and third article, in which I clearly said that one form is enough. I have also learned that my writings are only rejected by those who have never read them nor want to read them; to them I send my greetings and let them know that I do not respect their blind, sacrilegious judgment and am not willing to suffer them to condemn and blaspheme my Lord Christ so insolently [as] an erroneous, angry, rebellious master, because God allows me life; they may judge themselves accordingly.