Andrew of Carlstadt, because of the sacrament. *)
Towards the end of 1524.
D. Urbanus Rhegius [wishes D. Andreas Carlstadten true knowledge of Jesus Christ!
(1) You testify highly and earnestly that you will no longer be silent, but that necessity and Christian faithfulness compel you to report the right custom of Christ's supper, and that you are very grieved that until now the bread and the cup of Christ have not been used properly according to the will of Christ our Lord. You punish the Wittenbergers and all of us who preach the gospel, as if we had gone astray and did not understand Paul. We have taught that our Sacrament should be received with the highest inward and outward reverence, for there is the Body and Blood of the Lord: but you come with a new fiddle and teach that it is nothing but bread and wine, of course, and you swear on your insanity some Scriptures, suppose that the whole of Christendom should mop up and eat bread with D. Andreas Carlstadt and his seducing prophets for the reverend Sacrament. You use a lot of heated mocking words, call our Sacrament idolatrous bread, and us dog-slaughterers 1): God forgive you your unchristian anger and monstrous words, of which in such excellent matters a libertine should be ashamed, let alone a doctor of the Scriptures, who takes upon himself to reform the whole world and to diminish Christianity's comforting sacrament, where it finds peace of conscience. I do not know what kind of spirit drives you to pour out such things so freely; but this spirit shall soon be tested, whether God wills it. You desire that you should soon be taught another, where it is a fact that you have erred; this will undoubtedly be done by those whom you call princes of the Scriptures. If thou hadst heartily desired to receive instruction, and hadst written for the love of truth, thou shouldest have abstained from bitter words of shame. But you write with such
1) In Carlstadt's Gesprächbüchlein, No. 3 in the appendix of this volume. This word is rendered in Luther's writing "Wider die himmlischen Propheten": "Hundschlaher", i.e. dog beater.
Joyfulness, that perhaps you can notice how you already prove yourself right and despise all people's judgment, who would like to tell you better from the word of God.
(2) I will do my duty, and hasten to show the church, as I now preach the gospel, how weak and unsound your reason is: lest the simple be confounded and led astray by the colored appearance of your pretended reason and some mirror causes, but stand firm on the foundation of sound doctrine, which, for the sake of this sacrament, according to the right understanding of divine Scripture, they have now heard from me for some years.
Your two booklets 2) hold three points in sum.
The first: [The] Sacrament does not forgive sin.
The other: In the Sacrament there is neither body nor blood of Christ, but one bread like another bread, and one natural wine like another wine.
The third: The Sacrament is not an arrha or pledge or assurance that sins are forgiven.
Now see only manly, with what reason you tractirst these three points.
I worry, my Carlstadt, that your mind is prevented here with envy or vain honor, otherwise there would have been no need for the first point.
For no one has taught that the sacrament forgives sin, actually speaking of it. Who does not know that the forgiveness of sin belongs to God alone? Isa. 43, 25: "I am, I myself am, the one who takes away sin for my sake." Some have attributed such power to the sacraments as if from the same [external use the same
2) One of these "two little books", against which this writing is directed, is "Carlstadts Gesprächbüchlein" (No. 3 in the appendix of this volume). The other one is the previous writing (No. 3 in this volume), in which mainly the first and third point made by Rhegius is asserted.
*) Compare the note to § 2 of this writing. The determination of the time is according to Jäger, Carlstadt, p. 448. - It is probably this writing that Luther asked Spalatin to send on December 29, 1524. Walch, old edition, vol. XV, appendix, no. 119, is this letter with the wrong year 1525.
Forgiveness of sin] 1) worked in man and would justify him, which, however, has long since been dismissed and rejected in the schools as an unfounded thing. Nor have people been deceived, as you suppose, into attaching their hearts and trusts to any 2) visible thing or sign.
(6) But when they were exhorted to the sacrament, they spoke of it in a different way than you claim here. It has been said: "If someone's conscience is troubled by sin, he should go to the Sacrament, having God's word to be gracious and merciful to him. From such a joyful message, when he hears the eternal unchanging truth that the precious sacrifice, the innocent body of Christ, was completed for us on the cross, the pure blood shed for the washing away of sin (Rom. 3, 25. 1 Petr. 1, 19. Eph. 1, 7.), the 3) conscience becomes joyful and receives confidence; through which faith sins are forgiven and man is justified, and for a stronger continuance of this faith he receives the reverend sacrament of the body and blood of Jesus Christ; which sign certainly reminds us of the grace that is given to us through Christ 4) and assures us as a seal of His spirit 5) (Eph. 1, 14. f. 2 Cor. 1, 22.).
(7) Here you hear that we do not teach how the sacrament itself makes pious and quiets the conscience. Who, then, would hideously desecrate the precious treasure of Christ's suffering and give it to a creature 6) that is the Creator's alone? One gives to God what is God's, and to the Sacrament also what may be given to it without dishonoring Christ our Lord. Therefore, is anyone who exemplifies to himself anything else than the word of faith may suffer, he has not learned it from us; therefore you would have saved many words. We have never given any teaching in this matter, unless it is well founded in divine Scripture, of which you truly boast too highly, but often use against Christian love.
(8) Because you also pretend to be a great Pauline, we would have had no way to come to you for such a war of words, each one of us.
1) This insertion is made by us to give meaning.
2) So put by us instead of: iendert.
3) So put by us instead of: the.
4) Christ alone is our peace and righteousness. (We have taken this note from the old edition, because we do not know whether it comes from Walch or from Rhegius).
5) So put by us instead of: his figure.
6) So put by us instead of: one created.
This is a little word that may be well and truly understood, as if one were to say: one finds grace and forgiveness of sin in the sacrament; this sounds quite bad to your ears, for you must always think of something special. But it does not sound bad to a believer, for he knows well the value and esteem in which he should hold the reverend suffering of Christ, through which alone salvation came, Rom. 3, Eph. 1. He also knows that God alone forgives his sin through the merit of Christ, without any preceding merit of his own, and that no creature in heaven or earth forgives his sin and gives him grace. But because in the sacrament the believer has a word and a sign, namely a word of faith, in which, if he truly believes, his sins are forgiven, and because a sign has been instituted and ordained by God, the believer may well speak such words, and every right-minded person may easily understand them. For what we attribute to this sacrament, as forgiveness of sins, consolation, peace of conscience and the like, is not attributed to visible things, but to the invisible power of God, which is hidden here.
It is not almost Christian, dear Carlstadt, to consider that a speech, which may be spoken and understood in a Christian way, should cause such a hue and cry 7) throughout the world. You should not consider us or our listeners so childish that we should put such a high thing on a creature as forgiving sin, bringing peace to the conscience, and the like. Therefore, if you had loved peace and unity, this first article of yours would have remained at home.
(10) Secondly, you pretend that the sacrament is nothing but wine and bread, of course, and you use a lot of swear words that are terrible to hear, but you bring scripture very clumsily.
First, you suppose that Christ gave only bread to his disciples, and not his body, and almost torture yourself over the text, speaking Greek for a while, then Latin, and changing into all shapes, like the slippery Proteus, if you want to get the text on your side. You say that these little words "this is my body" are a separate speech, closed with dots differently, and say only about his natural body, as it was promised by Moses and the prophets as a sufficient sacrifice for our sin, so that Christ pointed to his body and spoke: This is
7) i.e., blubbering.
I gave them bread and drink, commanding them to enjoy it in remembrance of him when they ate and drank.
But I say, dear Carlstadt, that this opinion of yours is such an inconsistent thing, that every peasant sees how you force the bright words and opinions, and by the hair of your head you point to your insanity. Then, looking at the words as they are attached to each other, it does not rhyme at all that Christ begins to give his disciples bread to eat, and immediately in the middle of the speech falls on something else and says, "This is my body," as if they had never known before that this was his body, which they saw before their eyes. If the text is taken with all circumstances, he connects these words "this is my body" etc. with the previous words, namely: when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: "Take, eat, this is my body! (Matth. 26, 26.) Here no one can see or understand anything else, except that the speeches about the bread and his holy body are so intertwined that you have to confess that he did not point to his sitting body, but to the bread, which is his body.
Here Carlstadt has forgotten his philosophy, and what he admitted some years ago in his Scoto 1) he does not want to understand here, how the body of Christ may be, especially at many ends. But that you make a great feast out of the Greek word ôáàô, and show yourself on the verse ôïàôü Ýóôéí τό σώμά μου, it is good to see that you are struck on the hands with the Greek tablet alone. 2) Then you speak of it so childishly that there is no need to answer you about such things; although you still have to suffer enough ridicule for your graces, because it is very bad for you. But that you say: Luc. on the 22nd this verse, that is my body etc., begins with a capital letter, does not help you: for nevertheless the clause is attached to the preceding verse.
1) "Although a Thomist," says Jäger, Carlstadt, p. 3, "yet in the Minorite Convention -during the year 1514 he explained Scotus in the sense of his adherents for an hour every day, and worked out concordances for the Scotists to their master." From Carlstadt's Novas 6onoor<tantiu6 ssu eonvkuientias mi torum eontsntlosurn p6rtin6nt68, juris tana oanonwi guarn olvllis 6t äootorurn 8oüo1u8tioorum 8. Hioinao 6t suktilissirrü 8ooti, in guiftu8 N66688itnsiin6in 6t H6xurn äuorum 8tuäioruin 80. ti^oloZiei 6t juriciioi c>8t6näit says Jäger 1. o,: "they were not yet printed in 1514 and never appeared."
2) He did not quite appreciate the point of H^podia8tol6 nature, which often distinguishes attached sentences of One ?6rioäi. (This note is taken from the old edition).
He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body. etc.
14. now say, how do you like that he says: when he took the drinking vessel, having given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: drink from all this, for this is my blood etc.? What did Christ point to here? Is not clear enough what Christ says? He commanded them the drink, saying: Drink, this is my blood! Now what kind of strange sophist speech would this have been if Christ had offered them the drink and pointed to his body, saying, "This is my blood"? You have been writing with great earnestness for many years about the intrigues of the Sophists, and only now do you want to make a Sophist out of Christ? You yourself make such great use of the sophists' wiles and ways in your two little books that one can well see how you have lost clear writing. Therefore, dear Carlstadt, you and your prophets have now been otherwise angry that everything does not go according to your will. Look at the text carefully, it will turn out much differently.
15) Do you say, "Who gave you authority to bring the body and blood of the Lord 3) into the sacrament? Answer: The very one who first did it himself; for thus says Paul 1 Cor. 11:23 ff: "I received it from the Lord, which I also taught you; that the Lord Jesus, in the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and after he had given thanks, he broke it, saying, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you.
16 Then we see how the holy apostle of his Lord holds up the word and work of Christ to the church at Corinth and teaches them by the power of the words: "This do in remembrance of me! If then all these things take place in the church in order, that there be ministers who in faith do the worthy supper of Christ, the same have command enough of Christ to do his body and blood, and to present it to the church, for he saith, "This do!" What "this"? Here, see what comes before, and you will find that this little word "this" even shows the above-mentioned action. Therefore do not be surprised to death, when the figure of our Lamb Christ has been eaten, that Christ also gives himself to his church to eat out of incomparable love.
17 Further, if our sacrament should be bread alone, as other bread, why then did Paul say, "As often" and "ye eat THE bread" and "drink of THE drink," proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes. Why
3) "Blood" put by us instead: Brod.
Did he just say: "the bread", "of the drink"? If it had no difference from other bread, he would have said badly, "As often as you eat bread and drink wine. But he makes a fine distinction and says: "the bread", "of the drink", since it is insurmountably decided that it is a much different bread and drink than the common bread and wine.
(18) For this purpose he attaches the bread and wine to the body and blood of Christ, saying, "Whosoever eateth the bread, or drinketh of the crockery of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Now if it were bad bread and wine, as another, Paul would not have said that it is so dangerously tampered with, with disorderly feeling, that it costs loss of salvation. Also he wants "that one should try beforehand", which diligence and seriousness it would not need, if it were only bread, like another bread.
19 Is it not serious enough that he says, "He who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord"? What does Paul mean here by the body of the Lord? Why does he so precisely link the bread and the body of the Lord? How blind would we have to be if we did not understand this? How would we have to be so ungrateful and unbelieving, if we let ourselves destroy the super-delicious joyful testament, the super-delicious meal of Ahasueri, 1) in this way? One knows well how you deal with the Scriptures, and how you hold your particular face and opinion. It is now two years, your companion Thomas Münzer wanted to swallow my bibles, and thought he wanted to teach a peasant the faith from natural things. I noticed at that time that he was carrying rotten fish; God grant him a spirit of love and gentleness, so that he may be able to preach the peaceful gospel with ease! Paul then goes on to say how the unworthy recipients of this holy bread were punished with death, which would have no sense or meaning if it were only natural bread and wine.
20 You also make much of the image of the Crucified, which is imprinted on the host; you think that Christ shuns it and therefore does not come into the Sacrament, because all images are an abomination to the Lord. One knows well how you are an enemy of images; therefore, one must take this anger to me. It is ridiculous to hear and needs no condemnation. You mean, I hear, that if one wants to drive Christ out, then
1) In the old edition: Assveri.
If one should take a crucifix, he will flee because of it. O Andrea! such a great article must have much other probation.
(21) It also seems improper to you that every priest should bring Christ into bread with his silent talk from heaven, saying that there are only two futures of Christ from heaven into this world: the first when he came in a sorrowful and humble form; the other when he will come gloriously and immortally on the last day; the two ways of coming are public, and the Scriptures know nothing of the silent future of Christ into the sacrament; therefore it is nothing but deceit.
(22) My Andrea, if it is a deception to you, what you do not grasp and what you do not bump your head against, then the whole faith should be a deception to you, because it is the foundation of things that we do not see. You do not see Christ in the sacrament; so I hear that you do not want to believe that he is there. Nor do you believe that there is a soul and that God exists, for you do not see either the soul or God. Behold, how carnally thou speakest of things! But that thou wonderest how Christ, who is long and tall, may be under the small stature, methinks it is thy jest. For thirteen or fourteen years ago you brought your understanding out of your cat-bellied theology to such an extent that it allowed itself to be talked into such a thing, and it is shameful to report such a thing and to set a goal for God's power.
(23) But you have undertaken to write something strange, for which it was necessary to seek strange reasons and causes. Thou imaginest, as Christ sitteth up in heaven, and holdeth heaven in abeyance, take not so much care of us on earth, as to come unto us, until the voice of the archangel shall declare the last day. Is not Christ our head, not only of those who reign in heavenly glory with him without remnant, 3) but also of us who still fight on earth with blood and flesh? Eph. 1, 7. Did he not promise to be with us always, even to the end of the world? Matth. 28, 20. Did he have the ability in his mortal body to be with his disciples so quickly on land and water, where he wanted, without hindrance, and now, according to Carlstadt's opinion, he should not be able to do this, if he is glorified? We are his temples (1 Cor. 3, 16.); we have his spirit (1 Cor. 6, 17. 2 Cor. 6, 16.); and where his spirit is, he is also. And does it seem strange to you that he is with us in his bread? This his constant attendance with the sons
2) If not perhaps "more bodily" should be read, "more suffering" is in the meaning of "suffering".
3) Bresten - infirmity.
of man does not hinder his other glorious future. Therefore it is pitiful to hear you speak of the power of Christ as dishonestly as if a peasant were doing it.
24) Further, you think that Christ commanded his disciples all things that were necessary, but to put his body into bread is nowhere 1) not a command. This is so childish that I must ask you where your Paul is? Does not the apostle say with bright words, "I received it from the Lord, and taught you"? 1 Cor. 11, 23. Is not this command enough? There he writes [the] institution, word and work of Christ, also worthy preparation to God's table, in which no one has ever had any fault or doubt; for you are now beginning a doubt at these last times, since purer; have taken enough little to heart, how many simple-minded people you would fall into doubt and grief with your strange writing.
(25) What you have drawn from the knowledge of Christ in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah is a good, noble, true thing; also what you have from memory and proclamation.
26. but you want the examination before receiving the sacrament to be too narrow; you reject that one goes to the scribes for instruction; which is your opinion against God, because he also wanted that one learns his will from the priest's mouth, Mal. 2, 7, Haggai 2, 12. and Paul Tit. 1, 9. and in other places wants a bishop or pastor to be composed with sound doctrine, so that he may exhort, teach and silence the opponents.
27 Thou sayest, Let Paul lead every man unto himself, and not unto other men. It is true that each one must be led into his own heart before receiving, but this leading cannot always be done without means. For I suppose that there is a simple man who does not know much about the knowledge, effect and fruit of Christ's death, because of which he would have a bad memory of death, since he has no knowledge of these things: Truly there it will be necessary for him to be well informed from the prophets and evangelists about the surrendered body of our Messiah, and after that he may be fruitfully led into himself and there heartily realize the greatest innocence and love of the surrendered Lord for the sake of our sin, from which then comes a right effect of repentance, if he sees his sin in the bloody wounds of Christ; after that he may rightly measure the highest obedience and love, from which living thoughts then comes the manly prayer.
1) In the old edition: niendert.
know the death of Christ by heart, Rom. 10, 9.
28) But if everyone must have such a certain knowledge of himself before worthily receiving this sacrament, and that everything must be as plain as glass beforehand and perfect, as you suppose: how then did Christ's disciples receive the sacrament? was Peter also, as Christ would have him, completely perfect in faith and knowledge of himself? I think not. For he did not know his own ability at all, and thought he would defiantly join the heap and go to his death with his Lord, but soon after he fled and denied his own. Item, when he struck Malchum, he wanted to have prevented the surrender of the Lord's body, as much was in him. Therefore you should have written more with difference.
29 Thirdly, you teach how the Sacrament is not an arrhabo, pledge or assurance that sins are forgiven. Here I say: Dear Andrea, if you say this about your Sacrament, it is true. Your Sacrament is not a pledge or assurance, or certainly a sign, because your Sacrament is only a bread 2) or a piece of bread, like other bread. But our Sacrament may well be called an arrha, pledge, or certainly sign in the faithful that they have a gracious God and their sins are forgiven.
Your reason for the third article is that in sum: one must be sure beforehand; ergo, one does not need to get it at the Sacrament, according to the words of Paul: "Let man examine himself and then eat" etc.
Answer: It is true that there should and must be a test in man before he goes to the Sacrament; this is so that he may know why he wants to go to the Sacrament. Namely, God gave me His only begotten Son without my merit (Joh. 3, 16.), that He might become a sacrifice for me on the cross, and His holy blood shed for the washing away of sin (Tit. 3, 4. Eph. 1, 7. Rom. 8, 3.). What was necessary for the redemption of the human race, our dear Lord Jesus Christ accomplished in true innocence, highest obedience and greatest love, [was] obedient to the best will of His heavenly Father even unto death and the most despicable death of the cross (Phil. 2, 8.).
32 I shall and must remember this with the highest gratitude, such kindness never again.
2) "Weck" put by us instead of "Werk" according to § 1 in this writing: "Wecke essen".
3) "Before" put by us instead of "before and". The same "ehe und" is repeated in § 63 of this scripture.
forgotten. The murderous damage of my sin should always be before my eyes, for which I would have been eternally condemned; but Christ, my Savior, has done divine justice enough for me, and has atoned for me again through his great death to God, my Creator and Lord (Rom. 5:6, 8). And that I may never forget the supreme death and unspeakable love, he has given me a comforting sign of it, namely, under wine and bread, his own body, which has killed my death; his own blood, in which I am washed from dead works.
See, this is the test, so that one recognizes himself as a wretched sinner, worthy of all punishment, and also recognizes God's love and grace, and thus a test and a faith in the heart of such great things precedes. But not the less, with the sign we also have an assurance that in some way helps and strengthens our faith in the words: all out of the causeless mercy of God, who has provided and helped our weakness not only with the inward testimony of the spirit, but also with outward, visible signs.
34 Further, you say: Let the Spirit of Christ bear us witness and assure our inward spirit that we are assured of the forgiveness of sin through the death of Christ. This opinion of yours is based on Romans 8:15, Ephesians 1:14, so if your mind is to assure the human heart that we are certain of God's gracious will, this belongs to the Holy Spirit alone and not to any creature.
Answer: We all confess that the Spirit of God alone anoints us inwardly, 1 John 2:27. From Him alone is the right knowledge of Christ our Savior; from Him alone is the right constant assurance. He bears witness to our spirit that we are God's children (Rom. 8, 16.), God's medicine and help for our infirmities. His fatherly will towards us, all truth and all good teaches us the anointing. The Spirit of God alone makes us know what things are given to us by Christ, 1 Cor. 2, 10. He alone is the one who seals us. He alone is the certain pledge of our heavenly inheritance, Eph. 1,14. 2 Cor. 1, 22. For we must be taught by God, not by a creature alone (Joh. 6, 45.). Therefore we confess that assurance of forgiven sin is actually a work of the one Spirit of Christ. It has also never been our opinion to attribute to any creature that which belongs to divine power alone.
36. nevertheless, without all disgrace to the spirit, the reverend Sa.
crament of its form may be called an assurance of forgiven sin. For man may be assured in two ways that his sin is forgiven and that God is now gracious. First, inwardly, as has been said above, through the Spirit of Christ Himself; and this is the right assurance, by which the conscience comes to right peace and rest; this is the inward assurance, which is necessary above all things. For if the heart is not satisfied by the Holy Spirit in true faith, and assured that God is gracious to it, a thousand sacraments by heart would not help.
(37) Therefore all your arguments do not enforce more than that the right, constant, and most necessary assurance of consciences comes without any means from within from the Holy Spirit, without which there is nothing to assure our consciences rightly and constantly of the forgiveness of sin. We say all this, and confess it no less than thou. Therefore we want you to exalt us in your words of reproach. We are neither thieves nor murderers; we enter by Christ, as by the right way, truth, life, and peace. And though we seek in the sacrament which Christ hath ordained for us, yet we get no other entrance but by Christ.
(38) Another is also an external assurance or pledge, to which is attached [in] its measure, that it may admonish, assure, or testify, as there are the signs which God has commonly set for His promise.
(39) Here, dear Carlstadt, you will not make angels out of us for a long time yet, as you think you will do away with all visible things and signs and make them null and void, and live only as angels in all things of the spirit. 1) Because body and soul are with one another in this visible world, and we use the service of the five senses, we can accomplish nothing without outward things and signs. We must have outward signs beside words, by which we may keep ourselves and come together; understand, then, that such signs are outward, and yet have and signify spiritual things, that we may be drawn by the outward into the spiritual, and comprehend [the] outward with bodily [eyes], the spiritual 2) with inward eyes of the heart.
(40) Now the Scriptures abundantly show you how God the Lord, in addition to the word of promise, has also given you signs by which Our Lord has made a sign.
1) In the old edition: geleben.
2) In the old edition: "and external comprehension with bodily, the spiritual with" and so on.
faith will be strengthened in some way, and we are thereby assured. In the first book of Moses on the 9th, God promised His servant Noah that He would no longer destroy the world with a river of sin, and gave him a visible sign, saying [v. 13 ff.]: "I will set my bow in the clouds, and I will remember my vow with you. He promised the archfather Abraham the inheritance in his seed, and gave him the bodily circumcision for a seal of the righteousness of faith, Gen. 17, 10. Rom. 4, 11. To Gideon God gave the dry and wet lamb skin as confirmation of the promise that he should overcome the Midianites. Judg. 6, 37. ff.
(41) So Christ also dealt with us here. In the New Testament we have a great word of promise, namely, that the comforting body of Christ, promised by the prophets, has been given for us; the blood, not of an unreasonable animal, but of the Son of God, shed for the forgiveness of sins. So that this divine promise might be absolutely certain, and our faith might not waver in any way, Christ attached to it the most noble pledge, the most certain and most precious seal, namely the ransom itself of the promise, his own body and blood under the bread and wine; by which offering he merited that the abundant riches of the promise might be given to us.
Now as the circumcision admonished Abraham in Genesis 17 of the promise, and was for him also a certain testimony of the divine will towards him (for the text speaks [v. 11]: "That it may be a sign to you of the vow between me and you". Note the little word "vow," by which it is understood that the thing is certain), so also, when I receive the reverend Sacrament, which God has ordained for me as a sigil and sign, I am reminded of the death of the Lord, and what has been acquired for us through it. And although inwardly faith brings assurance and peace, nevertheless, since here we have only the beginning of the Spirit (Rom. 8:23), we also have great need of what is due to us from the outside for admonition and strength, so that one may help the other; for this also faith in the promise and word of God is strengthened through the sacrament.
43) Do not let it seem strange to you, 1) whether some strength and certainty is due to the internal through the external; for thus Peter speaks (2 Petr. 1, 10.): "Dear brothers, be diligent to make your calling and election firm.
1) In the old edition: gedünken.
to make." Here you see, although the election and eternal providence of God is firm enough in itself, and through true faith you are a child of God, who now cries out in the spirit: "Father, Father! Gal. 4:6, so that there is already an inward testimony of the Spirit: nevertheless, from the outside there should still be some 2) assurance and fortification. There is still a deficiency here, that you must first establish such calling and election with good works.
(44) Therefore, if we seek such assurance in the Sacrament that God has given it, and your Holy Spirit does not interrupt its work, we will not turn to your error at all, but will speak of our Sacrament with the highest reverence, as is fitting. And because we firmly believe that Christ gives us his body and blood under bread and wine, which body and blood is our salvation, we must not fear that it is unjust, although we say: it is all sweet grace, comfort and life in our sacrament. We also say: whoever considers such our Christian speech as an addition, falls into the judgment of which Paul writes 1 Cor. 11, 29: "For he does not distinguish the body of Christ."
One thing I cannot forget is that you write of the body and blood of Christ, even of the Lord's supper, and yet you do not remember the New Testament with a single word. But it has not served you in your opinion, therefore you are bravely silent, as if the Scriptures had no word of it. For if thou hadst remembered the testament, thou shouldest indeed have spoken much differently of the pledge and assurance than thou hast done.
That much is answered to you now, dear Carlstadt, to which I would much rather have nothing answered. But I was driven by my official duty; for I saw that this opinion of yours was beginning to eat away at the Christian assembly where I was evangelizing; so I had to counter the insanity with haste.
Now I must speak to you, to whom I have written this short report in great haste. You know, dear devout Christians, as I have often faithfully admonished you, that you see before you in these last perilous times, and try the spirits whether they are of God. This has truly never been so necessary as now, when the evil spirit is taking it upon himself not only to awaken persecution, which is to be respected as small, but he would also like to make the word of our faith uncertain to us, abusing it with great speed to confirm his
2) In the old edition: "naiß was".
Irrsale, that it is truly frightening to hear. But it cannot be otherwise, we must send ourselves into this dangerous time with weapons of Christian knighthood, faith, love and hope, and never let the double-edged sword of the Holy Spirit out of our hands, so that we may defend ourselves against the prince of the world.
48. cling to the word of the Lord with a humble heart, that he may give us understanding according to his word, and he will not let you go astray. St. Paul writes just now in the chapter to Corinthians, where he speaks of the Lord's supper [1 Cor. 11:19]: How there must be divisions among us, so that those who have been proven may be revealed among us.
We must suffer temptation, but we want to pray to God that He will not let us be led into it too deeply. God allows us to be tempted, as Moses writes in the 5th book, Cap. 13, 1. ff: "If a prophet appears in the midst of you, and says to you, 'Come, let us serve foreign gods,' then you should not follow the words of that dreamer; for God, your Lord, is tempting you, so that it may be revealed whether you love him or not, with all your heart. So the Scripture has also warned us against the false teachers of the future, that we should beware of their hell. We will be challenged; but "blessed is he who perseveres" (Matth. 24, 13.) and says with the prophet David: "Lord, your word is a light unto my feet" (Ps. 118. Vulg. or 119, 105.).
50 Now, so that you may be all the more wary of the above-mentioned insanity, I will briefly run over for you in one sum the teaching I gave you a year ago and recently some weeks ago concerning the reverend Sacrament, and ask you, for the sake of God's mercy, to form it in your heart and never forget it.
51. first. Damnable sin has separated us from God and made enemies of God out of us, therefore we would have been justly condemned (Rom. 5, 18.).
52) Secondly. But God does not show His mercy 1) in the midst of wrath, but through which He created us, through which He wanted to bring us back from Adam's heavy fall (Eph. 1, 4. Col. 1, 14. Hebr. 1, 3.); but as the fall was great, the sickness unspeakably heavy and deadly, so the remedy had to be great, expensive and powerful.
53 Thirdly. So now the Father of all mercies has given a help immediately after the fall.
1) In the old edition: Erbärmde.
The same seed was to become a sacrifice of temptation, through which innocence would be brought back to God, which before had turned away from God through guilt.
54. fourth. This seed is promised even more clearly to the archfather Abraham, as: in him shall be given all nations that were corrupted and destroyed by original sin in the first birth, Gen. 22, 18. After that (2 Sam. 7, 12. f.) it was promised to King David with the indication of his glorious kingdom that will last forever.) he was promised to King David, indicating his glorious kingdom that shall last forever; whom Isaiah Cap. 9, 6. calls a prince of peace, as the one through whom a true eternal peace is established between God and the elect.
55. fifth. The seed is now the pledge of God's mercy and our salvation. All those who are mortally wounded by the poisonous bite of sin must look upon it with the eyes of true faith, and they will be cut off from death, just as the Israelites were cut off by the serpent of brass, Deut. 21:8, 9. The seed given is our only way to God, our only peace and salvation (Eph. 2:14); through it alone sin is ended, wickedness is eradicated, and an eternal righteousness is established. (Dan. 9, 18.)
56. sixth. This is the great prophet, of whom Moses says (in the 5th book, Cap. 18, 18.), to whom God has put his words in his mouth; whoever does not follow him, God will avenge. Moses and the prophets point to the One as the goal and fulfillment of the Law; all promises go to Him (Heb. 7). So many sacrifices of the Old Testament prefigured this Righteousness Maker (Heb. 9 and 10). The law does not make us perfect, their sacrifices did not purify properly, it was all a previous shadow. But John pointed to the rightly cleansing sacrifice, saying: "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world", Joh. 1, 29.
57. seventh. Therefore, in the time provided by God, when the confidence of Israel was to be sent, God sent His angel from heaven to a virgin of the lineage of David, named Mary (Luc. 1, 30. f.), fulfilled the prophecy of Jesse on 7, 14. and 9, 6., proclaimed the birth of the true Messiah, gave Him a name above all names, said [through the angel v. 32.]: He will be a son of the Most High, His
2) In the old edition: to the cunning snakes his u. s. w.
Kingdom for ever and ever, by the name of Jesus, that is, the Beatificator; for His ministry is to save the people from sin, Matth. 1, 21. Then the angel announced to the shepherds the true joy of the world, that the Beatificator had already been born and was lying in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, Luc. 2, 8. ff.
58. to the eighth. What Isaiah saw in the prophetic spirit as future, we sing and say with joy, as already happened, namely: "A young child is born to us, a son is given to us", Is. 9, 6. The promised seed has already come, the sweet message of the reconciliation of man with God has rung out into the whole world: "Blessed is he who hears it and keeps it", Luc. 11,28.
59. ninth. Yes, he is not only our Messiah, but he has already completed all the tasks and commands which his heavenly Father has laid upon him for the redemption of the human race, in true innocence, unpretentious obedience and the greatest love. He was ordained in death to overcome our death with his death. He was to become a sacrifice on the cross for us, so that we might be redeemed through him. As Isaiah described him in the 53rd chapter, so he became: "He became the most despised, he truly bore our pain, he was smitten by God and humbled, wounded for our wickedness, contrite for our vices. We have all strayed like sheep, but God has laid on him all our sin. He was sacrificed because he willed it; he gave his soul to death and was numbered among the wicked." And all that was prophesied of him by the prophets was fulfilled in him. And as Micah Cap. 7, 19. 20. says: "He hath put away from us our wickedness, and cast into [the] depth of the sea all our sin; he hath given the truth to Jacob, the mercy to Abraham, which he sware unto our fathers from the days of old."
60. to the tenth. Therefore we do not wait for another, we do not accept another Christ, but we now cheerfully speak with the Samaritans, Joh. 4, 42: "We know that he is truly the container of the world, Christ." And with Petro and the disciples, Jn. 6, 9. "We believe and know that you are Christ, a Son of the living God." Also with Martha, Jn. 11, 27. who said, "I believe that you are the Christ, a Son of God, who was to come into the world." The light has come, the shadow is gone, one no longer sacrifices unreasonable
Animals; the long awaited host, 1) the right paschal lamb has come. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was offered for sin, blood was shed for purification; the priest offered for his own sin, then for the sin of the people (Hebr. 7, 27.): such is all dead and gone; the imperfect gives way to the perfect, the figure of truth.
61. to the eleventh. For now is already come, who alone is innocent among the sons of men, Jesus Christ, a sacrifice and a priest, "hath offered himself for our sin once upon the cross [for a sacrifice that] endureth for ever," for "with One sacrifice hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified" [Heb. 9:12, 10, 14.]. He is our dear Melchizedeck, our King of righteousness and peace; he is our chief priest and bishop according to the order of Melchizedeck, set in 2) eternity and consecrated by God the Father, Ps. 110, 4.: "Who once entered into the 3) holy things by one offering, which endureth for ever; not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood," namely, into [the] heavens, that he might now appear before the face of God for us (Heb. 9, 12.). That if we sin, we have with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous; who is a "propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1, 2), yea, for sins past, present, and to come. Notice, believer, your abundant riches! 4) But be afraid, you wretched, miserable, desperate enemy of God, because of your more than devilish blindness! Recognize Christ, your only Savior, because eternal death is dragging on your back, like a shadow on a fine body.
62. to the twelfth. See how the Gospel proclaims such great things! We were in ourselves poor forsaken sinners; now by the sacrifice we become pious, for enemies of God and children of wrath now children of God and the dear sons of grace; for damned now blessed. By what? Truly, "not by our works, but by the mercy of God" (,Tit. 3, 5.), as Paul writes Rom. 3, 23. ff.: "They are all sinners, and are justified without merit by His grace, through the redemption that came by Christ, whom God presented to a mercy seat."
63. to the thirteenth. Here now lies our
1) üostia - sacrificial animal, atonement.
2) In the old edition: in dre.
3) Old edition: the.
4) In the old edition: your überfchtvenkliche Reichtung!
Treasure and all, therefore all thoughts must be drawn to this, so that with a grateful heart one may earnestly and fervently contemplate this wonderful gracious transaction of our redemption through this most worthy and precious sacrifice; how God ordained for us His beloved only begotten Son, before 1) the foundations of the world were laid (Eph. l, 4.), out of grace and love, for the "restoration" of the lost man, and after that, regardless of the manifold horrible sin of the world, according to His promise, He sent the promised one and delivered him into the hands of sinners for the sake of our salvation. This good deed of our redemption through his body and blood, ordained from eternity, and graciously accomplished and conquered in time through Christ, we should and must not forget, even if we lose our eternal blessedness, but rather 2) believe, remember and proclaim.
64. fourteenth. For from right knowledge and proclamation of such love of God in this delivered body and shed blood comes to us all our righteousness, life, peace and salvation, according to the words of the prophet Isaiah, 53:11: "The righteous in his knowledge shall justify many of my servants."
65. fifteenth. Whoever believes in Christ (who is promised in the prophets, John 3, and given in the New Testament), that he was born to us, suffered for us, was raised from the dead, and glorified by the sanctifying Spirit, etc., will be saved (John 3:16, Romans 4:24), and through right faith Christ's death with all its fruits becomes ours, his sacrifice ours, and his priesthood also ours. For "he that spared not his only begotten Son, but delivered him up for us, how shall he not give us all things with him?" Rom. 8, 32. Behold! who would harm us, if by faith we are surrounded with such great unspeakable goods of Christ? What need is there of much [words]? Christ's body once offered and blood once shed has brought us redemption and forgiveness of all sin, holiness to us all who know and desire such things.
66 To the sixteenth. Therefore it is necessary above all things that we have a right knowledge of our salvation, a constant and fervent remembrance in true living faith, a cheerful and undaunted confession. "For if one believes with the heart, he becomes godly; and if one confesses with the mouth, he becomes blessed", Rom. 10, 10. So truly and not otherwise God will
1) Old edition: marriage and.
2) Old edition: special.
We are known to ourselves who we are, and here comes faith in God and love for our neighbor, without which we are nothing. Now proclaim this. No one is right, if he believes before; but he does not believe, if he knows before from the word of God. But how can he know them, if he does not hear them preached and proclaimed? Therefore it is necessary that the death of the Lord with its fruits be diligently preached and publicly proclaimed. He who conceals this deed wants to make us forget God's fatherly mercy, to blaspheme God and to bring about our eternal ruin.
67 To the seventeenth. Therefore, since Christ now wanted to completely fulfill the will of His Father with the work of redemption, He earnestly commanded that such a remembrance of His sacrifice and death should never be forgotten, gave a consoling pardon, promised remission of sins (Matth. 26. Marci 14. Luc. 22. 1 Cor. 11.). And because the human heart was well known to him, as it is foolish in faith, he gave, to strengthen faith in the promise and word of God, outward signs as a seal, by which he would help the weakness of our faith, prepared a table, where faith was nourished, love was kindled, hope was supported; to which his words and deeds we take heed and obey this command, as he has ordained.
68 To the eighteenth. This institution of the reverend supper of Christ was described by Paul, as he had learned it from the Lord himself, with all the pertinence, in the first Corinthians at 11. Accordingly, when we want to celebrate the supper of the Lord, we take before us the words of Christ, as he uses them, and speak them over the bread and wine; and if they are spoken rightly in faith, there is no doubt in our minds that there is the body and blood of JEsu Christ. And so after his business 3) we eat the bread, that is, his 4) body, and drink the wine, that is, his blood, proclaiming the death of the Lord signified by the signs, which was done for the payment and atonement of sin, by which we have obtained victory over sin, death, and hell, that we might put away the works of death, serve our Savior in the joy of our consciences; Even though sin still rages in us, and we are exercised under the cross and bear the death of the Lord Jesus in the body, so that His life may also be opened in our body. Whoever then would change and despise the custom of this supper, would have us
3) d. i. according to its order or foundation.
4) In the old edition: be.
130I- Luther's writings against Carlstadt. W. xx, iW-iss. 131
certainly deprive our hope and some comfort of the soul.
69. to the nineteenth. For here is the new testament, the new irrevocable gracious covenant, the promise of all promises, a summa of the whole gospel, namely remission of sins, and bestowal of the Holy Spirit. Here no calf's blood is sprinkled, 1) as in confirmation of the old covenant, but the innocent most precious blood of the righteous Christ, a seal of the new testament. Paul, Gal. 3, 16. 17., says: "To Abraham the promise was made, and to his seed"; and soon after: "the testament is confirmed by God." Here it is clear that he calls the promise a testament. Therefore we may call the Lord's supper, since the head of all promise is inside, a testament, and Christ also called it so Luc. 22. the 2) drink, the new testament etc. For Christ, as a testator, has procured for us remission of sins, the Father's favor, and eternal life, which inheritance no one obtains except through the death of the testator. But now he has already died for our sins, and has risen again for the sake of our piety (Rom. 4, 25.); the testament is therefore confirmed, and we are heirs who come with right faith to receive the inheritance.
(70) Here, for the comfort of your fearful conscience, notice a great assurance, which is shown to us in the outward signs, and sums up all things. Just as a covenant was made between God and Abraham and his seed (The Lord promised Abraham and his seed that he would be their God and give them the land of Canaan, but asked them to circumcise every child, Genesis 17:12), so too we have a promise from Christ that our sins will be purged and washed away through his body and blood. But this we are to know and believe, for by faith the heart is cleansed (Acts 15:9), which faith, of course, is the science of God, according to Jeremiah 31. And this is not without the Spirit of God, which Spirit is the law that God wants to write in our hearts, as promised in the same place [Jer. 31:33]. Again, we are required to do this in remembrance of Him as often as we do it. Now here you see sufficiently what belongs to a testament. The new and everlasting covenant is made; now therefore see that thou come into it, and therein
1) In the old edition: ausgesprenzst.
2) Old edition: that.
remain. Redemption and remission of sins are due to the merit of the blood of Christ and the grace of God, but only through faith, as Paul testifies Rom. 3, 28.
71 The twentieth. For the purpose of decreeing that the Lord's Supper be properly celebrated, there are five things in particular:
The first is the supper, the food and drink, the body and blood of Christ; after the words have been expelled. Now the flesh alone is not useful (Joh. 6, 63.); "but the spirit makes alive" (2 Cor. 3, 6.). Therefore, the body and blood only become the proper food and drink for the hungry, thirsty soul when they are consumed in faith. For the right food of the soul is that the soul is certain that Jesus Christ, the innocent, is its Savior before God; His flesh was given into death for the life of the world. Whoever then firmly believes that the body of Christ, as an eternally paying sacrifice, is given into [death for] our sin, His blood shed for our cleansing, to him the death of Christ is bread and drink, makes him alive, and keeps him in spiritual life, as the body is kept in natural life by material bread and wine. Although everything depends on faith in the Word that became flesh, even though no sign would be received, God, for the sake of our weak faith, also wanted to give His body and blood under visible signs, so that such good deeds would be pressed into the mind from within and imagined in the senses from within.
73. the other: Guests who eat and drink. These are those who hunger and thirst after godliness; they, invited to this supper, become heirs of this testament. Luc. 1, 53: "He has filled the hungry with good things."
The third is preparation. For this meal, of course, requires a wedding garment. So Paul commands: "Let the man try himself, and then eat" etc. The rehearsal and preparation is in the right discernment of the body and blood, so that you may recognize in faith the body, that it is the very body and blood which Moses and the prophets promised would pay for our sins and wash them away, and now, according to the evangelists and apostles, has already done so. His body is the sufficient sacrifice, his blood your cleansing: whoever rightly recognizes and remembers this in faith, has what belongs to the preparation. He recognizes himself as a wretched sinner, for whom such a great atonement by God's Son is necessary. He recognizes himself as a wretched sinner for whom such a great atonement had to be made by God's Son. He alone recognizes the one and only Son of God, his physician, his righteousness maker.
and salvation through his bitter death. He desires to become pious; there is now repentance and sorrow for his sin, and a heartfelt confession to God, so that he says: "Lord, I am a sinner and you alone are righteous; have mercy on me through Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for me. Immediately, realizing how things stand, he willingly surrenders to the cross of Christ to put his flesh to death and be conformed to Christ his Savior; this is now the Christian life.
The fourth is time. There is no hour appointed. It is food and drink; therefore, if you thirst and hunger for godliness and want to comfort your conscience, come to God's table. Here no one shall be forced, but through the
Word to be driven into his own knowledge, that the fear of his conscience may drive him, and believe in the Word.
The fifth: Those who prepare the table of the Lord, these are servants of Christ, ordained by the church, who act and execute the word and command of Christ in right faith, as and for what He has chosen, so that according to the business of 1) Paul all things in the church may be done duly and properly, 1 Cor. 14, 40.
That is enough in a hurry now. Soon, if God wills, I will write more about it. May God's grace be with you. Amen. 1524.
1) i.e. according to the order.