In this sacrament there are two things to know and to preach. First, what one should believe, which in Latin is called objectum fidei, that is, the work or thing that one believes or to which one should be attached. Secondly, the faith itself, or the custom of using what one believes in the right way. The first is outside the heart, held outwardly before our eyes, namely, the sacrament in itself, of which we believe that in the bread and wine is truly Christ's body and blood. The other is inwardly in the heart, cannot come out, and stands in it, how the heart is to hold itself against the outward sacrament. Now up to now I have not preached much about the first part, but have dealt only with the other, which is also the best. However, since this is now being contested by many, and the preachers, who are also considered to be the best, are dividing and blushing over it, so that already in foreign countries a large number are falling for and holding that Christ's body and blood are not in the bread and wine, the time demands that something be said about it as well.
2 To begin with, however, I say that if anyone is of the opinion that he is caught in such error, I would faithfully advise him to stay away from the sacrament until he hears the word of God.
and become strong in faith. For we have for ourselves the bright, dry text and word of Christ: "Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you; drink ye all of it, this is my blood, which is poured out for you for remission of sins; this do in remembrance of me." These are the words we insist upon; they are so plainly and clearly spoken that even they, the adversaries, must confess that it takes effort to draw them elsewhere, and yet they leave such bright words, and go after their thoughts, making darkness for themselves in the bright light.
(3) But if any man will ride aright, and not tarnish, let him beware of the sharp thoughts which the devil stirreth up in the world, that he may drink up the egg, and leave us the husks; that is, take the body and blood of Christ out of the bread and wine, that it be no more than bad bread, as the baker bakes. And mocked us, as they longed to do, that we were carnivores and blood-drinkers, and worshipped a chopped-up God, just as the apostate desperate wretch Averrois, who had also been a Christian, mocked the believers and blasphemed: "There is no worse people on earth than Christians, because they worship their own God.
*This text was published in 1526 in Wittenberg by Hans Lust under the title we have given, and also in another edition, without place and printer. In the collections: in the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, p. 109 b; in the Eisleben, vol. I, p. 234; in the Altenburg, vol. Ill, p. 340; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, p. 374 and in the Erlange, vol. 29, p. 328. A Latin translation of this sermon is found in the Wittenberg edition, loru. VII. fol. 334b. The title of the scripture is repeated again before the beginning of the sermon, but instead of "Schwärmgeister'' it is written: "Schwärmer. We reproduce the text according to the Erlangen edition, which has the text of the first original edition mentioned above, with comparison of the Wittenberg.
which no other people had ever done. Wasn't that a delicious, pointed word? This is what the devil is doing against us everywhere in the world.
Now God is such a man, who delights in doing what is foolish and unprofitable in the sight of the world, as Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:23: "We preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles"; item v. 21: "Because the world through its wisdom did not recognize God in His wisdom, it pleased God to make blessed through foolish preaching all those who believe in it 1). Well then, whoever does not believe, let him believe that it is only bread or a bowl of water. He that lacketh faith, let him believe what he will; the same is true. As he that is drowned, if he drown in a brook, or in the midst of a river, he is as well drowned. So I say of these spirits, if they drop the word, let them always believe and divide as long as they want; as has already happened, that six or seven sects have risen above the Sacrament, but all in the delusion that Christ's flesh and blood is not there.
(5) This makes, I say, first of all, that they have not abode by 2) the words of 3) Christ; then that they have followed and seen with their 4) thoughts: Should Christ be in the bread and wine, and be spread so far in the world, and every man eat the Christ? that would be an unskilful thing. This is the first thing they have conceived, and they have a painted glass before their eyes, and the words must be called what they think. This is what all the spirits of the mob do; they make up their own minds beforehand, and when they like them, they are obliged to force the Scriptures on them as well. But he who draws the right faith from the words, the
1) So the Bible and the Wittenbergers. Erlanger: to him.
2) Erlanger: in.
3) Wittenberger: Christi.
4) [Variant of the Wittenberg edition:] fall into their reason threefold, and think about the matter, thus: If Christ's body and blood should be in the sacrament, and should be distributed throughout Christendom as often as the year, and everyone, as often as he goes, should eat Christ's body and drink his blood; what would that be for an awkward, inconsistent thing?
believes thus: God gives, Christ crawls into the bread or cup, or into what he wants; if I have the 5) words, I will neither see nor think further; what he says, that I will keep. Thus he wraps himself in the word, does not let himself be turned away from it, is also preserved by it.
6. for we are ever not so great 6) fools that we do not understand the words. If such words are not clear, I do not know how to speak German. Shall I not hear what it would be if someone put a roll in front of me and said: Take, eat, this is a white bread? Item: Take and drink, this is a glass of wine? So when Christ says, Take, eat, this is my body, even a child understands that he is speaking of what he is offering.
It is a natural speech when one points to something, that one knows what one says. If I were to make such a word even more obscure to myself, and think up something pointed about it, I would be making a mistake. They are all clear and plain words: to take bread, to give thanks, to break, to give, 7) to eat, to drink, this is my body, this is my blood. They break themselves with great difficulty over it, come with their conceit before; according to it the words must interpret, what each one has conceived. Therefore we stick to the words and close our eyes and senses, because everyone knows what it means: "This is my body", and especially that he adds: "Which is given for you. We know what Christ's body is, namely, born of Mary, who suffered, died, and rose again.
(8) Now they have two principal things which they bring against us. First, they say that it is not fitting that Christ's body and blood should be in the bread and wine. Secondly, that it is not necessary. These are almost their best reasons on which they build, and we will see them.
5) Wittenberger: his word.
6) "large" is missing in the Erlanger.
7) "geben" ("give"), which is also in Latin, is taken from Walch's old edition; it is missing in the Erlangen edition. The Wittenberg edition has instead of this sentence: "There are always clear and distinct words: 'Take and eat, this is my body'; item: 'Drink from it, all of you, this is my blood'".
First fanatical reason. 1)
(9) In the first place, I would just as soon say: It does not rhyme that God should descend from heaven and give Himself in the womb of a mother, that He who feeds, sustains, and gives breath to all the world, lets Himself be fed and given breath by the virgin. Item, that Christ, a king of honor, to whom all angels must fall at His feet, Ps. 97, 7. Hebr. 1, 6. Phil. 2, 10. and all creatures tremble before Him, throws Himself down among all men, and is to be hanged on the cross for a most heinous transgressor, in addition by the most desperate of men. So I also wanted to conclude that God had not become man; or that the crucified Christ was not God. So they say that it is not fitting that God should do so many miraculous works in the sacrament as He does nowhere else. For that we believe that the one body of Christ is in a hundred thousand places, as much bread as is broken, and 2) that the great legs are to be hidden there, so that no one sees them or feels them, they consider this to be an unskillful thing, and they make great miracles of it; but they do not see that they are vain thoughts. For if one would measure it this way, one would not have to let any creature remain.
(10) For if I should and could measure the creatures and mark them out with words, you should see as great, even greater wonders in them than in this sacrament. Take before you the soul, which is a single creature, and yet is in the whole body at the same time, even in the smallest toe; so that if I prick the smallest member of the body with a needle, I strike the whole soul, so that the whole man wriggles. Can a soul be in all the members at the same time, which I do not know how it happens: should Christ not be able to be in all places in the sacrament at the same time?
Item 11: My soul can think, speak, see in speech, hear, feel, 2c. at the same time, and also digest food in blood, flesh,
1) This caption is taken from Walch's old edition.
2) Wittenbergers: and that with the bread and wine the body and blood of Christ is truly and essentially present, presented and received, they consider this to be an incredible thing.
Leg, urine and dung: no one thinks this is a miracle, because we see it every day and are used to it. People lack nothing, except that they have never really looked at any creature, as we shall hear further.
012 Behold a grain of corn in the field, and tell me how it is that the stalk grows out of the ground from a single grain, and bears so many grains in the ear, and gives form to each one.
(13) There are many, many wonders in one grain, which they neither perceive nor respect. Item: How does this happen? I have only two eyes, and yet I take all the heads in my eyes at once; indeed, I can do it as well with one eye as with both. Thus one eye can aim at a thousand grains, and again at one grain a thousand [eyes] 3) can aim.
14 Further, take an example of the very word that I speak; it is a poor miserable voice, and so to reckon the least creature, nothing more than a wind; as soon as the mouth ceases, it is over and nothing more, that no weaker, more perishable thing can be: nor is it so mighty that with the voice I could rule a whole country. Now where does it come from that I capture so many hearts with words? I have a small voice, so there are hundreds or thousands of ears; nor does each ear catch the whole and perfect voice; I do not divide it so that one ear has a piece of it, but each has it completely. They see this and think it is no miracle; indeed, if we had never seen it, it would be the greatest miracle.
15) Now if my voice can fill all ears, and each takes as much of it as the other, and the word spreads so far, should not Christ be able to do it much more with his body? 4) How much more enlightened is the transfigured body than the bodily voice? 5) You will find many more such things.
3) "eyes" in the Wittenberg, also in Latin.
4) Wittenberger: Wie viel ein leichter Ding ist's 2c. Latin: illuminatior.
5) Wittenberger: If you cannot understand this, how it happens, which you experience daily: Dear, give Christ the glory that it is true that he says here: "This is my body" 2c., even if you do not understand how it is possible.
Miracles in the creatures, that, who looks at a creature rightly, this article will let nothing err.
Item 16: I preach the gospel of Christ, and with the bodily voice I bring Christ into your heart, that you may form him in you. If then thou thinkest rightly that thy heart receiveth the word, and the voice dwelleth therein, say unto me, What hast thou in thine heart? Then you must say that you have the true Christ, not that he sits in it as one sits on a chair, but as he is at the right hand of the Father. How this is, thou canst not know; but thine heart feeleth it well, that it is surely there, through the experience of faith. But if I can tell you in one word that the one Christ comes by voice into so many hearts, and everyone who hears and accepts the sermon grasps him completely in the heart, for he cannot be divided into pieces, and yet he is spread out completely in all believers, so that one heart receives no less, and a thousand hearts no more, than the one Christ: we must ever confess, and is a daily miracle, yea, as great as here in the Sacrament; why then should it not rhyme, that [we received his body and blood, according to his words, in the Lord's Supper?1) He also distributes Himself in the bread?
(17) Now if I bring Christ into the heart, what will happen? Is it so, as they think, that he comes down on a ladder and climbs up? Christ is still seated at the right hand of the Father, and also in your heart, the one Christ who fills heaven and earth. I preach that he sits at the right hand of God, ruling over all creatures, sin, death, life, the world, devils and angels: if you believe this, you already have him in your heart. So your heart is in heaven, not in a semblance or dream, but truly. For where he is, there you are also: so he dwells and sits in your heart, John 17:23, nor does he fall from the right hand of God.
18 The Christians experience this and feel it publicly. But those who see things
1) The bracketed words are from the Wittenberg edition. The following words "he - austheile" are missing there.
not how great it is that Christ thus dwells in the heart, and divides himself completely in every heart, and is spread out through the word. Therefore, whoever can believe this, it is not difficult for him to believe that his body and blood are in the sacrament. For if you were to measure the miraculous sign 2) with reason and thought, you would eventually come to the point where you would also have to say that Christ does not dwell in the hearts of believers.
19 Now, behold (as I said), the weak bodily voice is able to do all these things, that it first brings the whole of Christ into the ears, and then into the heart of all who hear and believe: should it be so strange that he brings himself into the bread and wine? Is not the heart much more subtle than the bread? That you now want to measure such things, how it happens, you will probably leave. Just as you cannot say how it is that Christ is in so many thousands of hearts, and dwells in them, as he died and rose again, and yet no man knows how he gets himself into them, so here also it is incomprehensible how it is. But this I know, that the word is there, "Take, eat; this is my body, given for you; this do in remembrance of me." When we speak the words 3) about the bread, 4) he is truly there, 5) and yet is a bad word and voice to be heard. Now as he cometh into the heart, and breaketh not a hole in it, but is taken by word and hearing only; so also he cometh into the bread, that he may make no hole in it. [Just as he came to the disciples after the resurrection through a closed door, and yet made no hole through the door]. 6)
20. Take another example: How did his mother, Mary, become pregnant? Although it is such a great miracle that a woman becomes pregnant by a man, God has reserved for him that he should be born of a virgin.
21 Now how does the mother come to this? She
2) In the Wittenberg instead of: "the miraculous sign" - "the miraculous works so done in the Sacrament." In Latin: Vo6 miraeulum.
3) "Words" is missing in the Erlanger.
4) Wittenberg: and wine.
5) Wittenberger: his body and blood are truly there.
6) The bracketed words are switched on from the Wittenberg edition; they are missing in the Latin.
knows of no man, and her whole body is decided; nor does she conceive a natural child, with flesh and blood, in her womb. Is there not more wonder than in bread and wine? Where does it come from? Gabriel the angel brings the word: "Behold, you shall conceive in the womb and bear a son" 2c. With these words Christ comes not only into her heart, but also into her womb, when she hears it, grasps it and believes. No one can ever say otherwise than that the power comes through the word. Just as it cannot be denied that she becomes pregnant through the word, and no one knows how it happens, so it is here. For as soon as Christ says, "This is my body," his body is there through the word and power of the Holy Spirit, Psalm 33:9. If the word is not there, it is bad bread; but if the words come, they bring that with them, of which they are called.
22. item: We believe that Jesus Christ is set over all creatures according to mankind, Eph. 1, 20. f., and fills all things, as Paul says in Ephesians 4, 7. ff. Is not only according to the Godhead, but also according to mankind a Lord of all things, has everything in his hand, and is present everywhere. If then I am to follow the spirits that say it is not fitting, I must deny Christ. We read from Stephano Apost. 7:55 that he said, "I see the heavens open, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father." How does he see Christ? Must not cast his eyes high up. He is around us and in us, in all places. They do not understand this and say that he sits at the right hand of God, but they do not know what it is to see Christ ascend to heaven and sit at the right hand of the Father. 1) They do not know what it is to see Christ ascend to heaven and sit at the right hand of the Father. It is not as you go up a ladder into the house, but that he is above all creatures, and in all creatures, and apart from all creatures. But that he was taken up bodily was done for a sign. Therefore he now has all things before his eyes, more than I have you, is nearer to us than any creature.
1) These bracketed words, which are also in the Latin, are from the Wittenberg edition. Because such additions are often repeated in this writing, we will no longer indicate them by notes, but only by square brackets.
the other. So they speculate that he must go up and down from heaven through the air, and be drawn down into bread when we eat his body. Such thoughts come from nowhere but from foolish reason and flesh. 2) Our words, when we speak, must not draw him down, but are given us as a safeguard, that we may know to find him assuredly.
For though he is everywhere in all creatures, and I would find him in the stone, in the fire, in the water, or even in the rope, as he certainly is there, yet he does not want me to seek him there without the word, and throw myself into the fire or water, or hang myself on the rope. He is everywhere, but he does not want you to grope after him everywhere, but, where the word is, grope after it, and you will seize him rightly, otherwise you will tempt God and cause idolatry. Therefore, he has given us a certain way how and where to seek and find him, namely the word.
(24) The wretched people do not know or see this, who say that it is not true that Christ should be in the bread and wine, because they do not understand what Christ's kingdom is, sitting at the right hand of God. If Christ were not with me in prison, torture and death, where would I stay? He is present with the Word, although not in the same way as here in the Sacrament, where he binds his body and blood with the Word in the bread and wine, to be received also bodily. If we believe this, it is easy to grasp and believe. Heaven and earth are his sack: as the grain fills the sack, so he fills all things. And as a grain bears such a stalk, ears, and many grains; item, as a few cherry stones, thrown into the earth, bring forth such a tree, bearing so many flowers, leaves, shells, bast, cherries; item, my voice is given in so many ears: much more can Christ divide into so many little pieces, whole and undivided.
25) Because those 3) do not see this, they start with their human arrogance, what it is that God is doing with it such 4) illusion. Well, let them only confidently fool;
2) Wittenberger: carnal thoughts.
3) Wittenberger: the Rottengeister.
4) Wittenberger: Wunderwerk. Latin: delirst.
But let it be said that Christ does all these things by the word, as he has said; and as there are innumerable wonders which he works daily by it, shall he not know how to do them by the same power? He has taken hold of the word, and by the word he also takes hold of the bread. If he can travel into the heart and spirit, 1) and dwell in the soul, then the bodily thing can be much less 2) open to him, since the heart is much more subtle. But he keeps the small miracles, so that he reminds us of the greater ones. For it is much greater that he comes into the heart through faith than that he is in the bread; yes, 3) he needs the very bread or sacrament for the sake of faith.
(26) If we saw this, we would not speak so highly of miracles. But if one wants to think about it with reason, 4) then we must also say of faith that no man could believe; for it surpasses all reason too far. Summa Summarum, therefore, that those 5) who say that it does not rhyme, therefore it is not so, let us turn around and say the contradiction: God's word is true, therefore your conceit must be false. Should it therefore not rhyme, that you think it does not rhyme, and think that the word must not be right, and your conceit should be valid?
Second fanatical reason. 6)
The other reason they give is that it is not necessary. Then Christ must be led to the school and mastered: the Holy Spirit has not done it right. For so they say: If I believe in Jesus Christ, who died for me, what need is there that I should believe in the baked God? Well, he will also bake them once, so that the bark will burn. Who says this? God or a man? A man says it. Why? Because Satan has possessed them; have not learned more than the
1) Wittenberger: come.
2) i.e. lighter. Latin: kaoiliors. "
3) "yes" is missing in the Erlanger.
4) ömen - to make assumptions, to make up one's mind.
5) the gushers.
6) This caption is taken from Walch's old edition.
Words speak and preach that Christ died for us [rose from the dead, and the like] 2c., but in the heart they feel nothing of it. Do you now want to master God, what is necessary and what is not necessary, and let him conclude according to your conceit? It is much cheaper to turn it around and say: God wants it that way, therefore your conceit is wrong. What God considers necessary, who are you to speak against it? You are a liar, so he is true.
28) Tell me also, because faith alone justifies that Christ is not necessary, let us say to God: You had sin, death, the devil and everything in your power, what was the use or need that you sent down your Son, let him act so abominably and die? If you could have let him stay up there, if you had not cost you more than a word, sin and death would have been wiped out with the devil, because you are ever omnipotent?
29 Let us conclude, then, that Christ was not born of a virgin, and say, "Why was it necessary? Could not God just as well have caused him to be born of a man, and yet have created him in such a way that he was conceived without sin and remained innocent? Yes, further we want to say: it is not necessary that Christ is God, because he could just as well have resurrected from death by God's power and redeemed us, if he had been a real man. Thus, the devil blinds people so that they cannot see God's work properly.
(30) Secondly, that they also regard not the word, but will search out all things with their head. If you search out a grain in the field, you should be surprised that you stumble. God's works are not like our works.
31 Therefore you say, "What is it to me whether it is necessary or not? God knows well how or why it should and must be so. If he says that it is necessary, then all creatures are silent. Because Christ says here with clear words: "Take, eat, this is my body" 2c., it is mine to believe the words, as firmly as I must believe all the words of Christ. If he has only one straw
7) Thus the Wittenbergers. Erlanger: kunnten.
746 Erl. SS,L41-S4S. II. writings Against Zwingli and his followers re. W. LX. 9M-SM. 747
If a man were to reach out and speak such words, 1) I would believe it. Therefore one must restrain mouth, eyes and all senses and say: Lord, you know better than I do. It is the same with baptism: the water is baptism, and in baptism is the Holy Spirit. You might also say, "Why is it necessary to baptize with water? But the Spirit says: "Listen, here is God's will and word, stay with it and let go of your arrogance.
(32) These are the two reasons why they say that it is not to be believed that Christ's body and blood are in the sacrament; which are also the best, and especially the other they leave out by far. Now these are such reasons, which nevertheless would move pious hearts, and have also moved them in the past. I myself have also been concerned about what is needed, and how in such a small piece of bread 2) there is such a large body, undivided and whole in each piece. But if they look at a grain or a cherry stone, it can teach them 3) morals. For why does God feed us by bread or under bread, when he could just as well do it by the mere word, without bread?
(33) Why does he not make man, as he made Adam and Eve, in a moment, so slowly that man and woman must be together, and bring up the child so long with toil and labor? But he says thus, "What is it to thee?" Joh. 21. I have done so from the first 4) Adam and Eve, now I will do so. Once I let a son be born of a virgin, I will not do it again. So people want to bind God with their laws, which is just as much as if I said, "Why did you give this one a large body and me a small one? Why did you give this one black hair, and the other yellow; this one brown eyes, and that one gray?
1) Thus the Wittenbergers. In the old edition of Walch and the Erlanger: sollts ichs.
2) Wittenberger: the truly essential body of Christ.
3) Wittenbergers: to lead to school, and to remember that they could not wonder enough about it.
4) Instead of: "from first" the Wittenberg edition has: "in the beginning".
34. Therefore this is the summa: See that you pay attention to God's word and abide in it like a child in the cradle. If you let this go for a moment, you will fall from it. And this alone is the devil's way of pulling people out and making them measure God's will and work with reason.
35 These, I say, are still sensible hearts, which grieve over the two things touched; such are still to be advised. But the others are vain enthusiasts, who go on, and break and stretch the words of Christ 5); yes, they are real arch-enthusiasts, and have not one reason for themselves; they have a standing before reason. But as these tear and force the words, reason can still well see that they are fools. There are only three words: "This is my body. Someone gives the little word "this" a nose, and tears it from the bread, so that it should be interpreted this way: Take, eat. This is my body; just as if I said: Take and eat. Here sits Hans with the red jope. 6) The other takes the little word "is," which is supposed to mean as much to him as the word "means. The third says, "this is my body" means as much as, this is a figure of my body; set such own dreams without all reason of the scripture.
(36) These enthusiasts do not challenge me, nor are they worth fighting with; they are crude grammatical enthusiasts; the others are subtle philosophical enthusiasts. Therefore let them depart, and let us stick to the words as they are, that in the bread is the body of Christ, and in the wine truly his blood. Not that he is not elsewhere also with his body and blood; for he is wholly with flesh and blood in the hearts of the faithful; but that he will make us sure where and how thou shalt fast him. There is the word that says: when you eat the bread, you eat his body, given for you. If this were not there, I would not look at the bread either. That is enough of the first part.
5) Wittenberger: to interpret and stretch differently than Christ spoke them.
6) Jope - jacket. - The first interpretation is Carlstadt's, the second Zwingli's, the third Oecolampad's.
The other part.
37 Since we have now received the treasure, lest we should take the kernels out of the husk, and keep the chaff for the grain, it is now necessary to preach of the other part, how the sacrament is to be used and enjoyed. For it is not enough that we know what the sacrament is, namely, that Christ's body and blood are truly there; but it is also necessary to know why it is there, and why or for what purpose it is given to us to receive.
38. But they have the heartache to inflict; the devil cannot leave it, he must defile what God makes and speaks; if he cannot even tear it away, he makes a hollow nut out of it. The pope has taken one form from us; but these leave us both forms, but make a hole in the nut, so that we shall lose the body and blood of Christ; for this they leave the right custom standing on both sides.
39 So we say: In the past, we have labored and worried over how to go worthily to this sacrament. We now call this "worthy going" the custom of the Sacrament. There we were taught to purify ourselves with many hard works, fasting, confession, and to prepare ourselves in such a way that we needed it only for one work. So far the papists have done it, and yet it has remained constant, and still a grace that evangelion, scripture, baptism, sacrament, and the thing has remained, 1) as it is in itself. But the custom they have torn and taken away from us, we must bring it up again and preserve it, as we have done before. For when I preached against the abuse, I did not take care of the heresy that is now rampant, and only struck with those above the right custom.
40 I have now taught that one should not use the sacrament as a work; as they have said, whoever has confessed and knows no mortal sin on him, and thus goes to the sacrament, does a deliciously holy work, so that he deserves heaven. Whoever wants to use his right, does not have to receive in this way,
1) Wittenberg instead of: "and the thing remained" - "remained in the custom".
That he should say, I have done this, as though thou hadst fasted or watched; but thou shalt believe, not only that Christ is there in body and blood, but also that he is there given unto thee, and always rest upon the words, "Receive, eat, this is my body which is given for you; drink, this is my blood which is shed for you; this do in remembrance of me." In these words His body and blood are given to us. So that there are two things to believe: that it is truly there, which the papists also believe; and that it is given to us, which they do not believe, and we should use it as a gift.
(41) Then you hear that it is spoken clearly and in German; he commands you to take his body 2) and blood, for what or why? That the body may be given for thee, and the blood shed for thee. Our new preachers have such misery to inflict on us, that they also take it away from us; they deal with it in such an abominable way that I think the devil is trying his utmost, and that the last day is not far off, that I would rather be dead than hear Christ reviled and blasphemed by them.
They say that it is only a sign to recognize and judge Christians, that we should have nothing but the husks. Then they come together, eating and drinking, because they are considering his death. In the remembrance shall be the power, that bread and wine shall be no more than a sign and a paint, that we may know that we are Christians. Why do they do this? Because they throw the words to the wind: "This is my body, which is given for you. The words mean nothing to them, they rumble on above. Nothing shall be valid anymore, but to proclaim and preach death. Yes, of course, one should proclaim his death; we have also preached it, more gloriously than they always do, and if they had not heard it from us, they would probably know nothing about it; the papists have never spoken anything about it. Therefore they must not teach it to us and boast about it as if they had invented something new.
2) Wittenberger: to eat and drink his blood, and to do this in his memory. For what or why? That thou mayest be saved, and believe, and be comforted, that his body is given for thee 2c.
(43) Therefore we also preach the death of Christ, according to the words, "This do in remembrance of me. But there is a difference: when I preach his death, that is a public sermon in the congregation, in which I give to no one in particular, whoever grasps it grasps it; but when I offer the sacrament, I give it in particular to him who takes it, giving him Christ's body and blood, that he may have forgiveness of sins, obtained through his death, and preached in the congregation. This is something more than the common sermon.
44 For although in the sermon there is just that which is in the sacrament, and again, the advantage is that here it points to a certain person. There one does not point to and paint a person; but here it is given to you and me in particular, that the sermon comes to us as our own. For when I say, This is the body which is given for you; this is the blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins: then do I remember him, and declare and speak of his death, not that it is done publicly in general, but that it is drawn to you alone.
45 Christ has decreed that when we come together, each one should take of the bread and cup, and then preach about 1) him. Why? Because this is not to be given to anyone except Christians who have heard Christ preach before. But the preaching or proclamation applies generally to everyone, even to those who are not yet Christians. The Christians alone should enjoy it, but still remember that you will become more.
46 For this reason it should be proclaimed publicly and such a public commemoration should be held, so that those who do not yet know it will also come. But that they make such remembrance alone in the corner is of no value; it is to be done publicly before the congregation, and to be preached at mass at all times. Therefore the word "do this in remembrance of me" means as much as this: As often as you do it, preach about me; as Paul interprets it in the first [epistle] to the Corinthians on the 11th, v. 26, when he calls it "proclaiming the death of Christ. He uses the word "proclaim" to indicate that [there is]
1) Wittenberg: the death of the Lord.
not in a corner among Christians alone, who know it beforehand, and are not allowed to preach, but only to exhort, but publicly in crowds for those who do not know; so that both, remembrance and proclamation, mean nothing else than doing the public preaching of him; as is done in all preaching.
(47) This, I say, is to be done always when we receive the sacrament. But those who go to the sacrament should believe and be sure, not only that they receive Christ's true body and blood in it, but also that it 2) is given to them and is their own. For what purpose? Not for the sake of money or merit, as a work, as the monks and priests keep Mass; but "for us for the forgiveness of sins". Now we know well what forgiveness of sin means. When he forgives, he forgives everything completely, leaving nothing unforgiven. If then I am free from sin, I am also free from death, the devil and hell, and I am a son of God, a Lord of heaven and earth.
48. So let every man know how to answer, especially when he is challenged and persecuted, that he may say, I understand the words, that his body and blood are given me for the remission of sins; therefore every Christian must know these words from letter to letter [that he may say from the heart]: Then hath my Lord given me his body and blood in bread and wine, that I should eat and drink, and be mine, that 3) I may be sure that my sins are forgiven me, and that I may be loosed from death and hell, and have everlasting life, and be the child of God, and an heir of heaven. Therefore, I go to the Sacrament to seek such things.
2) Wittenberger: this treasure.
3) "damit" taken by us from the old edition of Walch. Erlanger: "so that I may be sure." Wittenberger: "shall be sure of it." Latin: ut seeurus siru.
4) So in the Wittenberg edition. In the old edition of Walch and the Erlangen edition: caught. Latin: eaptivus.
that I am weak in faith, cold in love, whimsical, impatient, envious, sin clings to me behind and in front; therefore I come, finding and hearing Christ's word, that forgiveness of sin [through his blood and death] should be given to me. Therefore, when we have received the gift, let us proclaim it, that we may bring other people also to it. Behold, so should the children and the simple be instructed of the Sacrament, that they may know what they should seek.
(50) This is what we call the right custom, not that it is only done and obedience to the church is performed. For in this way a sow might well go. It is not to be done for the sake of the work, but that your heart 1) may be strengthened, as the words are, "Which is given for you, which is poured out for you." And even if the words are not there, as Paul leaves them, you still have the body that died for your sin and the blood that was shed for it. But if Christ is given to you, forgiveness of sin is also given to you, and all things 2) acquired through the treasure. If you have grasped this with your heart, as it cannot be grasped anywhere else, and believe, you must say: No work, no deed helps me from sins, but I have another treasure, my Lord's body and blood, given to me for the forgiveness of sins. This is the only treasure and forgiveness, and no other in heaven or on earth. Apost. 4, 12.
(51) For this reason he has given himself to us, and will be with us and remain until the last day, Matt. 28:20, not only because he is as the papists have him, and carries about [against the command of Christ] without fruit; or as others say, ut siZnum, that is, as only a slogan, which would bring us neither improvement nor fruit. Should Christ use such a great thing in vain, without benefit and piety? But this shall be the fruit, that thou mayest strengthen thy faith, and make it sure, that thou mayest preach thereunto.
52 They say it is a useless concern that is of no use to you or anyone else.
1) Wittenberger: Trost empfahe and.
2) Wittenberger: what Chrrstus has and is.
be. Therefore, God still protects us, as before. The devil 3) has nowhere to go, except to come and smite where the gospel has begun. Therefore we must base ourselves on the words and insist on them, so we can answer the heretics well, for they are clear and German enough, and the summa is in them: First, that we receive forgiveness of sins as a gift. Secondly, to preach and proclaim the same afterwards.
(53) Thus you have the distinction of what memory is, and how it is to be used and enjoyed; namely, not otherwise than that we amend our infirmities and defects. With other people we have common infirmities; for ourselves each has peculiar ones; for their sake one comes to seek strength here. For this reason, this sacrament is called the food of hungry and poor souls who feel their sorrow and want to be helped from death and all misfortune.
(54) Then the papists taught, Beware, go not thou, but be pure, and have no evil conscience; that Christ might have a pure place. With this they made the poor souls so stupid and frightened that they fled from the sacrament, and yet had to take it out of compulsion, with such trembling that one would have liked to go into a furnace of fire.
(55) So let us be pure, that we may be sorry for our sins, and be glad to be rid of them; and (5) let us be grieved that we are so poor, so far from being in earnest, without fencing. But that we should be free from sin, no one will bring it about. Even if we were, you would not be allowed to go there. It is just for the sake of the weak. This is the custom of the sacrament, to strengthen the conscience against all adversity and temptation.
56 Now there is left the piece of the fruit of the sacrament, of which I have otherwise given much.
3) Wittenberger: strives with great diligence to get him there, and to throw the doctrine of the gospel, since it has begun.
4) Wittenberg: thirsty. Latin: egentiuna.
5) Wittenberger: should be sorry for us from the bottom of our hearts.
6) Thus the Wittenbergers. In the old edition of Walch and Erlangen: dürfest. Latin: nulla ts urZsrst 6NU8N.
and which is nothing other than love, which the old fathers also practiced highly and most of all, and therefore called the sacrament communion, that is, a community. Now this is also held up to us in two ways or teachings. First, with an example; then with a likeness or sign of the bread and wine, so that every Christian, however coarse he may be, may grasp in the sacrament all the Christian doctrine, what he should believe, and 1) what he should do by faith. For this is necessary for every man to know, that Christ gave his body, flesh, and blood, on the cross, that it might be a treasure to us, and help us to forgive sin, that is, that we might be saved, redeemed from death and hell.
This is the first main part of Christian doctrine, which is presented to us in words and given to us as a sign and safeguard of his body and blood, which we receive in the flesh. He had indeed done it once, arranged it and acquired it on the cross, but every day he has it recited to us, distributed and poured out with sermons; he commands that we always remember it and not forget it. The other part is love, first of all indicated by the fact that he gives us an example; just as he gave himself for us with his body and blood to redeem us from all distress, so we should also give ourselves, as much as we can and can, for our neighbor. He who knows this and lives in this way is holy, must not learn much more, and will find nothing more in the whole Bible, for the two pieces are painted here in a heap, as on a tablet, so that they should always be before our eyes and in daily use. 2)
(58) Secondly, about the example there is also the figure or model, which the teachers have diligently shown, that he has given his body and blood under the form of things, which have such a nature that they are made of many things into a house. As, a loaf is made up of many grains, out of which one makes a dough, or
1) Wittenberger: and according to what fruit is to follow faith.
2) Thus the Wittenberg. Erlanger: is. Latin: strsnus sxsruuntur.
A loaf of bread is nothing else than many grains baked into one another: "So we also are many (says Paul 1 Cor. 10:17), but all are one loaf and one body. So that as every grain loses its shape, and becomes one with the others, so that you cannot see or separate one from the other, all are the same, and yet all are distinct in themselves: so also Christianity should be one without sects, that all may be one, as faith, gospel, baptism, one heart, mind and will, Eph. 4:5.
(59) Thus does a Christian, and knows no other way, but that the good that is his is given to his neighbor; makes no distinction, helps everyone with life and limb, good and honor, as he can. Such a picture is also painted in the wine; there are many berries pressed together, from which one juice becomes, and each loses its shape. All the berries are in the wine, but there is no difference, so that one can know one for the other, has flowed all too often and become a juice and drink.
Thus Christ has beautifully 3) painted and carved 4) the whole Christian essence, so that no more books may be written without it being further outlined, so that it may ever be well understood and grasped. There we have a lesson, on which we have enough to study all our lives; you must not worry about something that others do not know, as our new sects always think up something new. There you have it all: learn as long as you want, but it will always remain flesh and blood that you are not perfect in faith, love and patience. So that this sacrament is a disciplinarian, by which we judge ourselves and learn as long as we live.
(61) What is it, then, that you want to know a particular thing before others, if you do not know that, in which it all lies? And he who knows this knows all that he ought to know, without which all other things, as much as can be known, are nothing. 1 Cor. 13:2: "If I could prophesy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, 2c. and have not love, I am nothing."
3) Wittenberg: bodily. Latin: amablliaäumlrrations.
4) Wittenberger: Fürgebildet.
(62) Thus the devil leads men by the nose, so that they do not look at the main thing, want to go above, and bring forth something special, and thereby lose the highest and only treasure. Behold, it is most plainly spoken of, that the simple may well know how to use it, and also the fruit, that they may see whether they have used it aright. Let every man see what he lacks, and let others speak and talk as they will.
The third part. 1)
From confession.
63. about this also confession is to be preached, to teach the simple again, because one knows how we have let ourselves be tortured and disgraced with confession up to now, with such trouble that there has been no severe commandment, because the world has confessed. First, I think the word "confess" comes from the little word jahen, from which is made confess, besähet, that is, confessed; hence we have made it into one syllable, and call it confession, that is, a confession. As some saints were also called in Latin: Confessores, in German: Beichtiger; as Beichter, that is, Bekenner.
But, as I have said before, there are three kinds of confession. One before God. For first of all, it is necessary that I recognize myself as a sinner before God, as the Gospel reveals, Rom. 3, 23; and Joh. 3, 5: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. He who confesses that he is born of woman must give glory to God and say, "I am nothing but a sinner," as David sings in Psalm 51:7: "Behold, I was brought forth in sins, and in sins did my mother conceive me." As if to say, I must be a sinner, it is inborn in me; as soon as I was made in my mother's womb, I was a sinner, for flesh and blood, of which I was made, was sin; as it is said, Where skin and hair are evil, there is no good fur. So is
1) This third part is missing in the Wittenberg edition; however, it is in the Latin.
The clay of which we are made is not good; what mother and father do and bring to it is already sin.
Whoever does not want to confess this, nor be a sinner, but still have a free will that something good should still be in him, blasphemes and punishes God with lies, and must be eternally damned; how just. For he wants to be right and not suffer God's judgment. Therefore the prophet says again, Ps. 51:6: "Against you alone have I sinned, and done evil in your sight; therefore you will remain right in your words, and be found pure when you are judged." As if to say, "I will not quarrel with you, but let your word be right, and confess me wrong, that you are true; but those who punish you want to have a reasonable light, and something by which they may obtain mercy; before them you will be found pure.
Now this confession we must make forever, 2) as long as we live, that we may always say, Lord, before thee I am a knave in skin. But there is a difference. For even a knave and an unchristian can say this, but he certainly denies it. No one speaks it from the heart but a true Christian, as the 32nd Psalm v. 5 says: "I said, I will confess my transgression against me unto the Lord; and thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sin: for this shall all the saints pray before thee in due time." All the saints, as much as they are, have the virtue in them that they confess their sin to God and ask for it. Therefore, no one makes such a confession except the Christians, who are holy.
Now it is a strange thing that he who is pious before God and has the Holy Spirit should say that he is a sinner. But it is right; he confesses what he has been, and what he still is. He has the Holy Spirit, but is still a sinner because of the flesh; therefore all the saints cry out against the flesh. Nor is the devil far from it, who stirs up that he may bring the flesh into sin; therefore it is a high and great confession.
68. others also say they are sinners; but when other people say it of them, 2) "immerdar thun" put by us instead of: immer darthun. Latin: eitra Lutsrnüssionsua taeisnäs. est.
they do not want to hear it. But the saints, when it is said to them, or when God punishes them for sin, they say: Yes, it is right. Those hypocrites can well deceive themselves, but stop when they want to: but from other people they want to be unpunished and unlearned 1); as now clergymen and monks do, they also say they are sinners, but do not want to hear that we say it. Therefore God does not ask for such confession. This confession is now commanded and necessary, and the whole world is obliged to do it; but no one does it except the Christians.
69 The other confession is that which is made not to God but to one's neighbor, of which Christ speaks in Matthew 5 and 6; Jacob also writes of it in the epistle, chapter 5, 16: "One confesses his sin to another," that is, keep yourselves thus, that each one may humble himself before the other, and confess his guilt where he has offended someone. Offense, however, is of various kinds, common and special.
We are all in the community (I am concerned), and the Lord's Prayer interjects into us. This is that we do not help our neighbor as much as we owe to help him, with words, preaching, advice, comfort, money, goods, honor, life and limb; this is so high that no one is so holy, he remains in debt; therefore we must all say among ourselves: I am indebted to you, you are indebted to me, but especially to whom God has given much, he is also indebted much. I also owe more than perhaps twenty or even a hundred; he will also demand it of me, nothing else will come of it, it will count to the last penny, as I have invested it and advertised it. This debt now passes through in general, that it affects no one in particular: I am indebted to everyone; so everyone is indebted to me again for comfort and assistance where I suffer hardship and need help. But we are not diligent enough to seek out the people who need us; and offering service is also too much for us.
71. now when we look at the register how much we owe, we have to fidget
1) So taken over by us from the old edition of Walch; Erlanger: "and honored". Latin: nolunt oulpari st rexrekendi.
And we are afraid, and we find no counsel, because we say, One is indebted to me again, I have to reckon with others also, I want to give them all that; therefore I ask, Lord, that you also forgive me; so I make a line through it, and erase it. If we did not have this advice, we would be in a bad way; therefore it remains with this. Our Father, it is also necessary that we forgive our debtors, so that our guilt may be forgiven us; as Christ teaches in the Gospel Matth. 18, 22. ff. This is the one confession, that one must confess publicly before the people and confess the guilt; before God I am not pious, before the world, also after the common guilt, there each one has to promise the other, no one does enough. Therefore, one must ask the other to forgive him.
Now no other man than a Christian makes this confession. For the unbelievers do not suffer this, that they reckon such things to be sin; they lead the spiritual law, which says: To each his own is due; they think that they have the goods they have for their own sake, therefore they also need all kinds of goods only for their honor and pleasure, as Solomon says in Proverbs: "The wicked has food only for sin, but the righteous is mild. The wicked needs his goods, wisdom, art, honor, that he may have pleasure and use thereof; all this is sin, and so sin that he still thinks it is not sin, but right.
God created us for this reason, that we should be our neighbor's caretakers; but we are all guilty of this. But this we have before, that we recognize it and are sorry for it, striving to do more and more every day, fearing God, doing as much as we can and Adam allows; what we do not do about it, God puts a stop to it, as I said; not daring to pay it, it is too much, so we say: Forgive me, I will forgive again.
(74) Over and above this common guilt there is also a special guilt, as Christ speaks of it in Matt. 5:25. If a special person is insulted, lied to, damaged, scolded, or defiled by rumor, one should also confess and say that one has done wrong, and apologize to one's neighbor. Oh, that also hurts, the
To break Adam in this way, and to lower oneself against a poor man whom one despises, and to give him justice and the highest honor, and himself the greatest disgrace. This was also the custom in monasteries in former times, that the monks were forced to do this; but it was evil.
A wicked man does not humble himself so deeply that he disgraces himself, does not see that he would be greatly honored before God and before pious people. Christians can protect themselves from this guilt to some extent, both for themselves and for others, by covering it up and punishing it when one hears and sees it from others. But no one can defend against the common guilt. But we do not speak here of the two confessions; for these go on all the year round, and not only when you want to go to the sacrament.
(76) But here we speak of secret confession, which I consider to have come from public confession, which happened in this way: that the Christians made the previous two confessions together, so that each one confessed publicly before he went to the sacrament, before God and man. When the Christians were few, each one told it to the other. After this, it was decided that sins should be counted and numbered, but they will remain uncounted; you will never count how much you should do that you neglect.
Of this we now say thus: If these two are done publicly, one is not guilty of doing them. God knows your sin well; if you confess it to Him and then to your neighbor, your sins are forgiven. But it is by no means to be rejected for the sake of those who want to use it gladly; for in secret confession there is much that is useful and delicious. First of all, absolution, that your neighbor absolves you in God's stead, which is as much as God Himself would say; that should be comforting to us. If I knew that God was in one place, and wanted to absolve myself, I would not go there once, nor in one place, but as often as I could. This is what he has put into the mouth of man, so it is very comforting, especially to the afflicted spirit.
know to get such" there. Secondly, it serves for the simple-minded children. For because the common people are industrious, they always listen to sermons and learn nothing, and even in houses they do not stop anyone from doing it; therefore, even if it is not good for anything, it is good for instructing people and hearing them believe, pray, learn, etc.; otherwise they go like cattle. That is why I said that the sacrament should not be given to anyone, so that he knows what he is getting and why he is going. This can be done most easily in confession.
78 Thirdly, there is comfort in the fact that anyone who has an evil conscience or any other concern or need would like to have counsel, so that he can ask for it. Therefore, we cannot despise confession, for it is God's word that comforts and strengthens us in faith, teaches us what we lack, and gives us counsel in our needs. That is why no one does this confession properly except devout Christians. For it must be such people who feel that they would like to get advice and comfort. But this is the mistake, that one did not pay attention to the absolution, but to our work, how well and purely one confessed; in addition, one wanted to count the sin, which one cannot do, is also too much and great work with listening.
Therefore, this would be the best way to get away with it briefly: Dear brother, I come to lament my sin, that I am a sinner before God and man, especially I care about this and that piece 2c. Will you say it or not, is up to you. Then decided: Therefore I pray, give me good comfort, and strengthen my soul 2c. So it would have no trouble and work, without it being delicious work, which no one does, but a devout Christian.
80. From all this you see that the devil's commandment is that he presses everyone into obedience and mortal sin, and that those who do not do it give it to the devil, since it is not in our power either to take or to give, but it is a gift from heaven, Jac. 1. If I drive all to it, how many are they who gladly confess that they are driven to it?
762 Erl. SS, "58 f. II. writings Against Zwingli and his followers 2c. W. XX, S4A-S5I. 763
without all distress? Not one in twenty thousand. With the others they do no more than mock God and blaspheme abominably. For the priest pronounces a judgment in God's stead, which is lacking and does not come true. For he does not like to confess and to hear absolution, nor does he believe in it. The fault is not in the priest, but in the one who confesses, who confesses and does not desire absolution from the heart.
Now God is not pleased that one should keep His word in vain, Exodus 20:7. If you do not desire it, let it stand, even all three confessions. It belongs only to pious people; otherwise it is better to leave it pending; it is not righteous, but
damnable. So far we have only confessed to the pope for his service, not to our souls, and that is rightly called the pope's or the church's obedience; he has had benefit and honor from it, but the others have had their souls condemned.
So you have a short and clear instruction of the two, sacrament and confession, so that it all happens willingly and out of desire, so that you come from yourself, and present your sin, get comfort and strength, so it is useful and blessed. And it is necessary that the children and the simple people be taught and instructed in this way, not by force, but with good words. For it is especially, as has been said, also for this purpose, and for this reason it should be done in pregnancy. Amen.