July 3, 1530.
Translated into German by M Aug Tittel.
We have waited, most just Emperor Charles, with desire that also we, who preach the gospel in the cities of the Christian community and cantons, would be required to confess the faith that we have and recognize. And since we keep ourselves so calm, we hear, more by uncertain rumor than certain message, that many have already written a sum or content of faith and religion, which they wanted to hand over to you. So we know neither advice nor help; for on the one hand, the love of truth and common peace drive us to do what we see others doing; On the other hand, the fleeting opportunity makes us anxious, both because, due to your alacrity, of which we have also heard the rumor, everything would have to be done quickly and immediately, and because we, who are preachers in the towns and villages of said cantons, are too far away and remote to be able to come together in such a short time and discuss what might be necessary to write to Your Highness. Since we have now seen other confessions, and even refutations of the very same opponents, who seem to have been ready before anything was demanded of them, I thought it would now be time for me to make my confession of faith [for] myself alone, but without detriment to my countrymen. For where otherwise it has been slow to proceed, it has at least been necessary to hasten in this, lest, if the bargain were missed, there should be danger either of suspicious silence, or of a
defiant carelessness would fall upon me. I therefore hand over to you, Lord Emperor, my summa of faith, that I at the same time testify that I want to trust and leave the judgment not only of these articles, but also of everything that I will ever write or write with God's help, not to one or a few alone, but to the whole Church of Christ, insofar as it judges according to God's holy Word and His Spirit's government.
(2) First of all, I believe and know that there is one God and that he is by nature good, true, powerful, just, wise, a creator and governor of all things visible and invisible. That the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three persons, but one and simple being. And hold throughout in all things of the Godhead itself and of the three names or persons according to the declaration of both the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds. Of the Son I hold and believe that He is flesh, that is, human nature, indeed, the whole man, consisting of body and soul, truly assumed by the immaculate and ever pure Virgin Mary, and in such a way that the same whole man has been assumed into the unity of the independence or person of the Son of God in such a way that the man has not constituted a person of his own, but has been assumed into the inseparable, indivisible and indissoluble person of the Son of God. Although both natures, namely the divine and the human, retain their nature and characteristics in such a way that both are found to be true and natural in him, the particular nature of the Son of God separates them from each other.
*This writing was written by Zwingli in Latin and appeared, even before it was sent to Augsburg, in print in Zurich under the title: Oarolum Uomnnorum imperntorem, OerMuniae eornitin ^uKustne oelebrnntkM, üäei Hulärwüi L^inZIii ratio. On the third of July, 1530, Zwingli sent a copy of the same to Augsburg. In the same year it was reprinted in Zurich with the Dpistoln aä Ulustrissirnos Oermanine Principes in cornitiis ^uAustnnis conAreZutos, in which he defends his confession of faith against an attack by Eck. In Zwingli's works, this writing is found Dorn. II, p. 538. In addition, this writing is appended to Oecolampad's vinloZus wider Melanchthon, Basel 1590, and printed in the "Unterricht von kirchlicher Vereinigung der Protestanten" by Ernst Saloin. Cyprian, Theil 2, p. 1. The authors of the "Historie des Sacramentstreits" report p. 128 that Zwingli's special confession "was printed in Latin and German at Zurich on July 3, 1530, and soon arrived at Augsburg. Walch, because he could not get the old translation, had the Scripture translated anew. We reproduce this translation.
The fact that the qualities and works of nature do not in any way affect the unity of the person, just as body and soul do not make two separate persons in the human being. For as these are by nature quite distinct, so they also have different qualities and effects. The human being, however, who consists of them, is therefore only one, but not two persons. Thus God and man are One Christ. Son of God from eternity; Son of man from the order of time in eternity: One Person, One Christ, perfect God, perfect man; not that one nature becomes the other, or is mixed under itself, but that each remains its own and only the unity of the person is not separated by such quality. Accordingly it happens that after the human nature the same some Christ whimpers as a child. He grows, increases in wisdom, hungers, thirsts, eats, drinks, has heat, freezes, suffers pranks, sweats, is wounded and killed, is afraid, becomes sad, and suffers more such things, which belong to the punishment and chastisement because of sin, although he remains far away from sin itself. But according to the divine nature, together with his Father, he rules heaven and earth, penetrates everything, sustains and carries it; he makes the blind see, the lame walk, the dead live, he terrifies and strikes down the enemies with one word, even when he has died, he comes to life again, goes to heaven, sends down the Holy Spirit from there; so that all this is done by the same one Christ, although in a different way and nature, and remains in one person of the Son of God. In the same way, what is merely of the divine nature is sometimes attributed to the human nature because of the unity and perfection of the person, and what is human is sometimes said to be of the divine nature. He said that the Son of man was in heaven at the time when he had not yet touched or entered heaven with his body. And Peter says that Christ suffered for us, since mankind can only suffer. But because of the unity of the person, it is rightly said that the Son of God suffered and the Son of Man forgave sin; for he who is both the Son of God and the Son of Man in one person suffered according to human nature, and he who is the Son of God and the Son of Man in one person forgives sin according to divine nature. As we say that man is wise, although he consists of both body and soul, and the body has nothing at all to do with wisdom, indeed, is poison and hindrance to wisdom and understanding. Again, it is also said of him that he is wounded, since the body alone can receive wounds which
But soul by no means. Here no one says that two persons become from the human being, if each part is assigned its own. Nor does anyone say that the natures are mixed, if that is said of the whole man, which belongs to the whole (being) because of the unity of the person, but because of the properties of the natures is only one of them. Paul says, "When I am sick [weak], then I am strong." But who is it that is sick? Answer: Paul. Who is healthy (and strong) at the same time? Paul. But doesn't that sound unequal, contrary and self-contradictory? Not at all. For Paul is not one nature, though one person. Now when he says, "I am sick," it is true that the person who is Paul is speaking; but what is said does not refer to both natures, but only to weakness of the flesh. And when he says, "I am strong and healthy," it is certainly Paul's person speaking, but only the soul and his spirit are meant. In this way also the Son of God dies, namely he who is God and man at the same time according to the one and simple person; but he dies only according to humanity alone.
3. in this way I do not believe alone, but all the old orthodox teachers, as well as the new ones, have believed in this way about the Godhead and the persons and the assumed nature; and all who know the truth are still of this mind.
4. secondly, I know that the supreme being, who is my God, decides freely about all things, so that he does not rely and depend with his counsel on any creature opportunity; for this is the characteristic of lame human wisdom, that it decides something by a previous consideration or example. But God, who overlooks everything from eternity to eternity with a single and simple glance, does not need any reasoning or consideration at all, or that something has happened beforehand (to act according to it), but as an always equally wise, prudent, kind etc. Being he decides freely about all things, because his is everything that is there. Hence it came about that, although he created the man who would fall with knowledge and good consideration, he also thereby decided to clothe his Son with human nature, that he raised up the fallen one. For thereby his goodness was revealed in all things. Inasmuch as it carries with it both mercy and justice, and therefore made justice manifest, since, when he sinned, it drove him out of the blessed dwelling of paradise, and put him into the dungeon of human misery and the bondage of toil and sickness, and with the
He was not only in the midst of a double misery, but also in the midst of the fear of the transgressed law. For here he learned in double misery not only that the flesh would be in misery, but also that the mind would be afflicted with the fear of the transgressed law. For since he saw in the spirit that the law was holy, just and a message of the divine will, because it required nothing but what was in accordance with equity, but at the same time he also became aware that he was not fulfilling the law with works, he condemned himself, gave up all hope of attaining salvation, and fled from God's presence in despair, thinking only of how he would endure eternal torment. Thus, the justice of God was revealed. But since it was also necessary to reveal the goodness that He had decided from eternity to show as well as the justice, God sent His Son to accept our nature in all things, except in so far as it is inclined to sin, that he might become a mediator as a brother and equal to us in all things, who would be sufficient for us to the divine justice, which had to remain completely holy and unbreakable, just like his goodness, so that the world would be assured that justice was reconciled and that God's goodness was present. For since he gave his Son to us and for us, how should he not give us everything with him and for his sake? What should we not hope for from him who condescended so far that he not only became like us, but also ours? Who could admire enough the riches of divine goodness and grace, since he so loved the world that he gave his Son for its life? I consider this to be the right source and streams of the Gospel, the only remedy and strengthening of the languishing soul, by which it is brought back to God and to itself; for nothing can make him certain of God's grace but God Himself. But He has poured out such grace upon us so mildly, abundantly, and wisely that we can desire nothing more than the highest and overflowing abundance.
Thirdly, I know that there is no other sacrifice to atone for sin than Christ, for even Paul was not crucified for us, and that there is no more certain and undoubted sign of divine goodness and mercy than the same; for nothing is so certain as God. And there is no other name under the sun whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ.
(6) Thus are set aside here both the justification of our own works and satisfaction, and that of all the saints who may be in heaven.
or earth, their satisfaction or intercession, to procure the goodness and grace of God. For this is the only mediator of God and men, namely the God-Man, Christ Jesus. But God's choice remains firm and unchanged. For those whom he chose before the foundation of the world was laid, he so chose that he united them to himself through his Son. For as he is merciful and kind, so he is also holy and just; thus all his works contain mercy and justice. Therefore also the election of the same has in itself. This is goodness, that he chooses those whom he wills; and this is righteousness, that he unites and binds the elect to himself through his Son, who became a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice for us.
Fourthly, I know that our forefather, the first man, out of self-love, since the devil had wronged him out of envy, fell so far as to want to become like God. Since he decided to commit such a sin, he ate the forbidden and harmful apple, thereby deserving death as an enemy and insulter of God. Since God was able to destroy him according to all law, He, out of kindness, changed the punishment into a state and made him a servant whom He could have executed. Neither he nor anyone born of him could change this status (because no servant can beget anything other than servants), and consequently the entire descendants fell into servitude through this harmful food. Here is my opinion of original sin: it is rightly called sin because it is against the law; 1) for where there is no law, there is no transgression, and where there is no transgression, there is no sin in the true sense, inasmuch as sin is vice, evil, crime and debt.
(8) I therefore confess that our father sinned in the right sense, that he committed an evil, wickedness and wrong. But those who are descended from him have not sinned in the same way; for which of us in paradise reached for the forbidden apple and ate it with his teeth? Must we therefore admit, even without our will, that original sin, as it is in Adam's children, is not really sin, as has already been shown; for it is not a deed contrary to the law.
1) This sentence seems to us to be erroneous, and it cannot be brought into agreement with what is said in the following paragraph. We suppose that it should be read: "it is not rightly called sin, because it is not contrary to the law. For Zwingli also teaches in other places (as in the following) that original sin is only "an infirmity" (Prest).
the law. It is actually only a disease (infirmity) and state. A disease, because, as he fell out of self-love, we also fall in the same way. A state, because, as he became a servant and guilty of death, so we are also born as servants and children of wrath and consequently are subject to death. Although I do not deny that such a disease and state, according to Paul, is called sin, yes, such a sin that all who are born in it are God's enemies and adversaries; for the state of their birth brings them to this, not the actual act of wickedness, insofar as the first man once committed such. Is therefore the wrong and sin committed by Adam the true cause of the divine insult and death? And this is truly sin. But the sin that is attached to us is also truly a plague and state, or necessity to die. But this would not have happened according to birth, if sin had not corrupted birth; thus human misery comes from sin as a cause, but not from birth. From birth, however, not unlike something that flows from the source and cause.
This opinion is confirmed by testimony and example. Paul, Rom. 5, speaks thus: "For if death has prevailed through one for one sin, rather" etc. Here we see that sin is actually taken away. For it is Adam alone through whose guilt death hangs over our necks. In the 3rd chapter he thus speaks: "For all have sinned and lack glory", that is, the goodness and grace of God. Here sin is taken for sickness, state and birth, so that it is said of us that we all sin even before we are born, that is, that we are in the state of sin and death even before we really sin. Which opinion is quite irrefutably confirmed by the very same words of Rom. 5, thus: "But death reigned and prevailed from Adam to Moses, even to them that sinned not in like manner as Adam transgressed." Behold, we have death, though we have not sinned in the manner of Adam. Why? Answer: Because he sinned. But why does death come upon us, who have not sinned in the same way? Answer: Because he died because of sin, and thus begat us dead, that is, condemned to death. So we also die, but through his fault, only according to our state and sickness, or sin, if it is taken in the unqualified sense. Now I will also give an example: A prisoner in war has, through disloyalty and enmity.
deserves to be kept as a servant. Now those who are born of him, as members of the household or those born at home, become bond servants; not through their guilt, crimes and misdeeds, but through the state that is descended from guilt. For the father from whom they were born deserved it through his guilt. The children are without guilt, but not without the punishment and penance of guilt, namely, serfdom, servitude and penitentiary. If one wants to call this misdeed (or sin), it must be because one suffers it for the sake of no actual sin.
(10) This original sin, I further believe, is inherent in all men by the natural pestilence and estate, which are derived from the lust of man and woman. And I know that we are children of wrath; but by grace, which through the other Adam, Christ, has helped our fall, we are undoubtedly made and accepted again as children of God. But this in the following way.
(11) Fifthly, it is evident from this that if in Christ, the other Adam, we are brought to life again, as Adam's, the first man's, fall brought us to death, we wrongfully condemn the children of Christian parents. For if Adam by sinning corrupted the whole human race, but Christ by dying did not redeem the whole race from the harm done by him and make it alive again: so the salvation obtained by Christ is not equal to corruption, and so (which God forbid!) wrong (what Paul says): "As in Adam we all die, even so in Christ shall we all be made alive again." But be it as it may with the children of the Gentiles, we assert this, because of the power of the salvation acquired through Christ, that those judge falsely who condemn them to eternal damnation, both because of said redemption and because of the free election of God, which does not follow faith, but precedes it; of which in the following article. For those who are chosen from eternity are necessarily chosen before faith. Therefore, those who do not yet have faith by age must not be condemned by us so quickly; for even if they do not have it, God's election is still hidden from us. Which, if he has chosen them, we judge too soon from what we do not know.
(12) But of the children of Christians we say another thing, namely, that the children of Christians, as many as they are, belong to the church of God's people, and are parts and members of the same church. Which we thus prove: It is almost through all
The prophets promise that the church will be gathered from the Gentiles to the church of the people of God. And Christ himself says: "They will come from morning and evening, and sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Likewise, "Go ye into all the world" etc. But to the Jewish church also belonged their children as well as the Jews themselves. Therefore, our children also belong to the church of Christ, as well as to the Jews themselves; for if it were otherwise, the promise would be null and void, for we would not sit at the table with God as Abraham did. For he also was reckoned to the church with those who were also born of him according to the flesh. But if ours were not so reckoned with the parents, Christ would be meager and envious toward us, since he denied us what he gave to the ancients. But this is ungodly to say, for then the whole promise of the prophets concerning the calling of the Gentiles would come to nothing. Since the children of Christians belong to the visible church of Christ as well as the adults, it is also clear that they belong to the number of those whom we call the elect as well as the parents. Therefore I believe that those act presumptuously and ungodly who curse the children of Christians. For so many clear testimonies of Scripture are against this, and say that the church of the Gentiles will not only be equal to the Jewish church, but will be much greater. All of which will now become clearer when we present our faith in the church. (13) Sixthly, we hold of the church in this way: that the church is taken in Scripture in various ways; a.) from the elect, who are ordained by God's will to eternal life, of which Paul speaks when he says: "It has neither wrinkle nor spot," Eph. 5. This is known to God alone, for He alone knows, as Solomon says, the hearts of the children of men (1 Kings 8). However, those who are members of this church know well that they themselves, because they have faith, are the chosen and most distinguished members of such a church; but other members than they do not know it. For thus it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, "And as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed." Now those who believe are ordained to eternal life. But those who truly believe know no one but the one who believes, for he is already certain that he is God's chosen one; for he has the pledge of the Spirit, according to the word of the apostle, by which he is betrothed and sealed, and thus knows that he has been set free and has become a child, but is no longer a servant. For the same Spirit cannot deceive. If then he says to us that God is our Father, and that
we call him Father with all confidence, and are reconciled that we shall inherit eternity: then it is certain that the Spirit of the Son of God has been poured into our hearts. It is therefore certain that he is chosen who is confident and secure in this way, for those who believe have been ordained to eternal life.
(14) But since many are chosen who do not have faith; for the Holy Mother of God, John, Paul, when they were children and little ones, were they not chosen from the beginning of the world? But they knew it neither from faith nor from revelation. Likewise Matthew, Zacchaeus, the thief, and Magdalene, were they not chosen before the world began? And yet they did not know it until they were enlightened by the Spirit and drawn to Christ by the Father. Thus it is concluded that the same first church is known to God alone, and that only those who have a certain and unaltered faith know that they are members of this church.
15. b) But the church is also taken to mean all those who are called by Christ's name, that is, those who are called Christians, many of whom recognize Christ outwardly through confession and the communion of the sacraments, but do not respect or know him in their hearts. To this church we count all who confess Christ's name. Thus Judas was of the church of Christ, and all those who afterwards departed from Christ. For the apostle counts Judas as belonging to the church of Christ as well as Peter or John, since he was nothing less than a member of it. But Christ knew who were his own and who were of the devil. This, then, is the outward church, even though it does not come together (or is not united) in this world, namely, all who confess Christ, although there are many reprobates among them. For Christ delicately portrayed it in the likeness of the ten virgins, some of whom were wise and others foolish. For she is sometimes called elect, though she be not the first that hath neither spot nor wrinkle: but as she is a church of God according to the opinion of the people, according to the outward confession, so is she called elect, because we hold them to be faithful and elect which call themselves after Christ. Thus Peter said, "To the elect," he says, "who are in various places in Ponto," etc., where by the elect he understands all who belonged to the churches to which he wrote, not only those who were actually chosen by the Lord; for as Peter did not know such, he could not have written to them.
16. c) At last, the church is also used for a
Each separate cluster of this general and external church is taken as the Roman, Augsburg, and Lyonian churches.
(17) But there are other meanings of the church, which it is unnecessary to mention now. Now here I believe that one church is those who have one spirit, so that they are assured that they are true children of God; these are the firstfruits of the church. This may not err in faith, namely in the first reasons of faith, on which the main work consists. I also believe that a general external one is, if it holds to the confession of which we have already said. I also believe that those belong to the Church who profess it according to the precept and promise of the Word of God. I believe that the children of Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and all who were of Abraham's seed, as well as the children whose parents became Christians at the beginning of the church, at the time of the apostles' preaching, belong to such a church. For if Isaac and the rest of the ancients had not belonged to it, they would not have had the sign of the church. Since they were of the church, the children and infants of the first church were also of it. Therefore I believe and am sure that they are also marked with the sacrament of baptism. For even children make their confession when they are presented to the church by their parents, yes, when they present the promise, which is so abundantly made to our children, yes, more abundantly and more often than to the old children of the Hebrews.
(18) And these are the reasons why children should be baptized and given to the church, against which all the arrows and armor of the Anabaptists are useless. For not only those who believe are to be baptized, but also those who confess, who belong to the church according to the promise of the word of God. Otherwise no apostle would baptize anyone, since no apostle knows for sure whether the one who professes to belong to the church has faith. For Simon the Magician, Ananias, Judas and who else is not baptized, since he outwardly professed Christianity, even though he did not believe. Isaac, on the other hand, was circumcised as a child, since he neither professed nor believed, but the promise drew him to the church. Therefore, since our children are as good as the Hebrew's, the promise also gives the name to our church and confesses (for them). Does baptism as well as circumcision (but we are talking about the sacrament of baptism) really require nothing but one of the two, either confession or outward accession, or the covenant and promise. All of which will become clearer from the following.
Seventh, I believe and know that all sacraments do not confer grace at all, that they do not even extend or withhold it. In this I might seem to you, most great emperor, to be all too freely excusing myself. But it remains so. For grace is wrought and given by the Holy Spirit (but I speak in Latin when I use the word grace, and understand it to mean pardon, kindness, and benevolence without merit or reward), and therefore this gift belongs to the Spirit alone. The Spirit, however, does not need an escort or a chariot, for he himself is the power and the carriage by which everything is led, and does not need to be led; nor do we ever read in sacred Scripture that external things, such as the sacraments, certainly bring the Spirit with them, but if external things have ever come with the Spirit, it was the Spirit who brought it, not the external things. So when a violent wind came, the languages came with it by the power of the wind, but the wind was not carried by the power of the languages. Thus the wind brought quails, and carried away the locusts; but never were quails or locusts so sufficient and fleeting as to bring the wind. So, since such a great wind, that it could also carry away mountains, passed by Elijah, yet the Lord was not in the wind. In short: "The spirit (wind) blows where it will", that is, blows in such a way as it is its kind, "and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from and where it becomes still. So is every one that is born of the Spirit"; that is, is enlightened and drawn in an invisible and unnoticed way. Truth has spoken this; therefore, is not the grace of the Spirit brought about by this immersion or that potion or anointing; for if it were, one would know how, where, whither, or upon what the Spirit came. For if the presence and power of grace is bound to the sacraments, they work where they are brought; and where they do not come, everything becomes dull and miserable. And here theologians do not have to talk about the matter or person who receives them, that such must be in good condition, that is, that the grace of baptism or the Lord's Supper (so they say) is given to him who is first sent to it. For he who receives such grace through the sacraments (as they will) either makes himself fit for it, or is prepared by the Spirit. If he does it himself, we are also able to do something by ourselves, and the grace that occurs is nothing. But if he is prepared by the Spirit for the reception of grace, I ask: whether it also happens under
the guidance of a sacrament, or apart from the sacrament? Where it happens by means of a sacrament, man is prepared for the sacrament through the sacrament, and this will always go on indefinitely, so that a sacrament is always necessary for the preparation of the sacrament. But where he is prepared for the reception of the sacramental grace without the sacrament, the spirit with its grace is also present before the sacrament, and thus grace has happened and is present before the sacrament comes. From this the conclusion is drawn (which I readily admit and permit in the sacramental trade) that the sacraments are given as a public testimony to that grace which is already present in each individual person beforehand. Thus baptism is given before or in the presence of the church to those who, before receiving it, have already confessed the Christian religion, or have the word of promise, by which it is known that they belong to the church. Therefore, when we baptize an adult, we ask if he believes. If he says, "Yes," then he receives baptism. But when a child is presented, we ask: do the parents present it for baptism? And if they answer by witnesses: they want it to be baptized, then the child is baptized. And here God's promise has gone before, that he will count our children to the church as well as the children of the Hebrews. For when those who are of the church present it, the child is baptized, with the condition that, because it is born of Christians, it is counted among the members of the church by divine promise. Thus, through baptism, the Church receives the one who is first received by grace. Therefore, baptism does not bring grace, but only testifies to the Church that the one to whom it is given has already received it.
(20) I therefore believe, Lord Emperor, that the sacrament is a sign of a holy thing, namely, of the grace that has taken place. I believe that it is a visible form or image of the invisible grace, which was given and bestowed out of God's benevolence, that is, a visible example, which is quite similar to the thing done by the Spirit; in short, that it is a public testimony. For example, when we are baptized, the body is washed with the purest element (or earthly substance), but this also indicates that (such people) are accepted by the grace of divine goodness into the community of the church and the people of God, in which one must live purely and innocently. Thus Paul explains the mystery in Romans 6, testifying to the one who receives baptism that he is a member of the Church of God.
who serves their Lord by healthy faith and holy life. And for this reason the sacraments must be held in great honor as holy ceremonies (for the word comes to the element and then becomes a sacrament), so that they are held in high esteem and treated honorably. For even if they do not give or confer grace, they still visibly add us to the church, which before we were only invisibly received into it; which, if it is proclaimed and made known at the same time as the divine words of promise, must be accompanied and venerated with the greatest devotion. But if we think otherwise of the sacraments, as if they, when used outwardly, purified inwardly, there is already a new Judaism, according to which it was believed that sins were atoned for by anointing, smearing, offering, eating, and the like, and that grace was, as it were, purchased. Which the prophets, and especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, have always rebuked, and taught that the promises and benefits of God are bestowed by pure grace, and not because of any merit or outward ceremonies. For I hold that the Anabaptists, when they deny baptism to the children of believers, are terribly mistaken, and in many other things as well as in this; but now is not the time to speak of them. But I, by God's help, have first taught and written against them, not without danger, that one should avoid their foolishness or wickedness, so that. Thank God! their pestilence among our people has abated very much. So I have been far from accepting, teaching and claiming the slightest thing from this rebellious mob.
Eighth, I believe that in the holy supper, that is, the thanksgiving supper, the true body of Christ is present in the vision of faith, that is, that those who give thanks to the Lord for the benefit shown to us in his Son recognize him in this way, that he truly took on flesh, truly suffered in it, truly washed away our sins with his blood, and thus everything that Christ did is, as it were, presented to them through the eyes of faith.
22) But that Christ's body is essentially and really, namely the natural body itself, either present in the Lord's Supper or chewed and eaten with the teeth, as the Popes, and some who look back to the Egyptian fleshpots, have pretended: we not only deny this, but also constantly hold it to be an error in conflict with God's word. Which, with God's help, I have told Your Majesty, Mr. Emperor,
in a few as clear as the sun is in the sky. And that a) with sayings of the holy scripture; b) afterwards with conclusions from the same, which I want to let loose like storm goats against the adversaries; c) finally with attraction of old divine teachers, who have also been on our side.
23 But You, Creator Holy Spirit, help us and enlighten the minds of Your people. Fill the hearts you have created with grace and light! Christ Himself, a) God's mouth and wisdom, therefore speaks aa): "You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me" (John 13). Here it is only denied that he will not be present with your body, because according to the Godhead he is present everywhere, because there he is everywhere at all times, as another saying testifies: "I am with you until the end of the world", namely according to the Godhead, power and grace. Augustine agrees with us. And the opponents must not object: the humanity of Christ is everywhere where the divinity is, otherwise the person would be torn apart. For in this way the true humanity of Christ would rather perish, for nothing but God can be everywhere. And the fact that mankind is in one place, but the Godhead everywhere, separates the person as little as it separates the unity of the essence that the Son assumed mankind. Indeed, it would be more necessary to separate such unity of essence by the fact that one person accepts the creature, which the other [persons] do not accept, than that the person should be separated by this; for mankind is in one place, but the Godhead is in all. For We also see that among the creatures there are bodies which are bound to one place, but whose power and authority extend very far. We have the example of the sun, whose body is in one place, but whose power travels everywhere. The human soul travels above the stars and into the lowest world, and yet the body remains in one place.
24. dd) Again he says: "Again I leave the world and go to the Father." Here the word "leave" is written, as above "have", that the opponents must not say: We have him not visibly. For when he speaks of visibly taking away his body, he thus speaks, "Over a little, ye shall not see me." And would it come out great if one wanted to argue that his natural body was present, but invisible. For why should he not be seen who would be present, since he showed himself to his disciples so often after the resurrection? "But it is good for you," he says, "that I go." If
But if he remained here, it would not be good that he should not be seen. For as often as the disciples fell into error at the sight of him, he evidently showed himself that neither the senses nor the thoughts were deceived. "Take hold of me and feel me," he says. Likewise: "Do not be afraid, it is I." And: "Mary, do not touch me" etc.
25. cc) When at his going he commanded the disciples to the Father, he said, "I shall henceforth be no more in the world," ÷áß υύχ ετι etc., here the verbum substantivum is: "I am henceforth no more in the world," as in these words: "this is my body," so that the adversaries cannot say here either that it is a vague speech (or word-form), since they deny that in substantivis such a thing takes place. Although we do not need this here either, for it follows: "But these are in the world" (John 17). This contrast shows that he would not be in the world at that time, according to human nature, if the disciples were in it.
26. dd) And that we know when he departed, not, as they more clear than declare, made himself invisible, so Lucas saith, "And it came to pass, when he departed from them, that he departed from them, and was received up into heaven." He does not speak: he disappeared etc., or: made himself invisible.
27. of which Marcus thus says: "The Lord, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God. He does not say: He stayed here, but made his body invisible. Likewise Lucas says in the Acts of the Apostles, "When he had said these things, he was lifted up and taken away in their sight; but a cloud took him away from before their eyes." The cloud covered him, which it would not have needed if he had only withdrawn his sight from them, but had otherwise been present. Nor would he have needed to be lifted up and moved away.
28 There it is written: "This Jesus, who was taken up into heaven before you, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. What is clearer than this? "Before you," he says, "he was taken up." So then he has not been with them, either visibly or invisibly, according to human nature. When we shall see him come again, as he went, we shall know that he is there. Otherwise, according to human nature, he sits at the right hand of God the Father until he comes again to judge the living and the dead.
29) But there are some who deny the place of the body of Christ, saying that it is in no place.
II. writings against Zwingli and his followers etc. W. xx. issd-E. 1563
place, let them see how they shut their eyes to the truth. He is in the manger, on the cross, at Jerusalem, where the parents were on the way, in the tomb, apart from the tomb, as the angel says, "He is risen, and is not here; behold the place where they laid him." And lest they should say that his body is everywhere, let them hear what follows: "Jesus came when the doors were shut, and stood in the midst of them." What would he have needed to come if his body had been there before, yes! invisibly present everywhere? It would have been enough that he had not come, but, because he was already there, had only shown himself. But away with such lying gossip, by which the truth of Christ's humanity and of the Holy Scriptures is destroyed!
(30) These testimonies prove that the body of Christ is not present everywhere except in heaven, if one speaks in a canonical way, that is, as much as the Scriptures teach us about the nature and quality of the assumed body, and as much as self-contradictory things enforce, since we would never have to twist and exalt the power of God, no matter how great we imagine it to be, in such a way that we would have to believe that God does something contrary to His word. For that would be more powerlessness than power.
31) But that the natural body of Christ is not eaten with our mouth, he himself shows, when he says to the Jews, who disputed about his bodily food, "the flesh is of no use," to indicate that it does not serve for natural food, but for spiritual food, because it gives life.
32. that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. If therefore the natural body of Christ is eaten with our mouths, what else can naturally eaten flesh become but flesh again? And that this conclusion may thin no man small, we may hear but the other piece: "That which is born of the spirit is spirit." So then, what is spirit is born of the spirit. Now if the flesh of Christ is wholesome to the soul, it must be enjoyed spiritually and not bodily. And this also belongs to the matter of the sacraments, that the spirit is begotten of the spirit, but not by anything corporeal, as we have already touched.
33) Paul dd) also remembers that even though he once knew Christ according to the flesh, he no longer knows Him according to the flesh.
34 By such passages we are forced to confess that the words "this is my body" are not natural but significant.
as the: "This is the passover" (or paschal lamb), was to be understood. For the lamb, eaten annually, with the celebration of the feast itself, was not the passage (or pre-passage), but only meant that such a passing or leaping had happened. In addition, there is also the succession, namely that the Lord's Supper followed the paschal lamb, so that Christ would certainly have used the same words; for such a succession is of one kind. In addition, the words are used in the same way; likewise, the time when in the Lord's Supper first the old Lord's Supper is mentioned and then the new thanksgiving (or thanksgiving meal) is instituted. In addition, there are all the memorials 1) property, which tend to be called after the thing that they mention or bring back to mind. Thus the Athenians called óåóÜ÷&åéáí; (?) not that all the
The reason for this is that Solon's debts were paid off every year, but because what Solon did was always celebrated; and they called such celebrations after the thing itself; so it is also called Christ's body and blood, which are signs of the true body (and blood).
35. d) Now follow the conclusions, aa) As the body cannot be nourished by a spiritual thing, so also the soul cannot be nourished with something physical. But if the natural body of Christ is eaten, I ask: does he feed the body or the soul? Answer: He does not feed the body, but the soul; if the soul, then the soul eats flesh, and so this would not be true, that the spirit is born only of the spirit.
36. bb) Secondly, I ask this: what does the naturally consumed body of Christ do? If forgiveness of sins, as one part says, then the disciples have already received forgiveness of sins in the Lord's Supper, consequently Christ died in vain afterwards. If it presents the power of Christ's suffering through eating, as the same part says, then the power of Christ's suffering and redemption has been shared before these come to pass. If it is eaten for the resurrection, as another even unlearned one claims, it will rather heal our body and save it from diseases. But Irenaeus wants it in another way, how our body is fed by the body of Christ to the resurrection, because he wants to show that our hope of the resurrection is strengthened. Ei! of the beautiful efflorescence!
37. oo) So also, if Christ's natural body was given to the disciples in the Lord's Supper, it must necessarily follow that it is eaten as he was at that time. But at that time he was suffering.
1) In the margin: xxxxxxx, the memories, commemorative
sign.
If they say that they ate the same body, but not as it was wounded, but just as it was after the resurrection, we object: either he had two bodies, one that had not yet been transfigured and another that had already been transfigured, or one and the same body was both corporeal and incorporeal at the same time. And so, since he was so afraid of death, he did not want to suffer, but to use the gift of the body, so that he did not feel pain. Thus, he did not really suffer, but only in appearance, so that Marcion is brought back to us by our opponents in a very fine way. One could draw many hundred other conclusions, dear Mr. Kaiser, but these may be enough for this time.
38. o) But that the ancients (which is the last part of this article) believed the same with us, I will prove with two witnesses, which are probably the most distinguished among the others.
39 Ambrose, speaking about 1 Cor. and the words: "You shall proclaim the death of the Lord", says: "Because we are saved by the death of the Lord, we remember it and aim with food and drink at the body and the blood that was sacrificed for us". etc. But Ambrose speaks of the food and drink of the Lord's Supper, and pretends that we mean by it the true things which have been sacrificed for us.
40 Similarly, Augustino, tract. 30. in John asserts "that the body of Christ, raised from the dead, must be in one place," since in the printed copies it says "may" instead of "must," but quite wrongly, for one reads both in the Magistro sententiarum and in the canonical decrees where such a passage is referred to Augustini.
41 From this we must clearly see that the ancients understood it not of the natural eating of the body of Christ, but of the spiritual, they may otherwise speak so gloriously of the Lord's Supper. For since they knew that Christ's body must be in one place, and that it was at the right hand of God, they did not pull it down to give it to be chewed with the rotten teeth of men.
42. the same Augustine has also Wider Adimantum Cap. 12. the following three things: The blood is the soul; that is my body; and the rock was Christ, significantly, that is how he
1) "zwo" is wrong here. Because "zween" is used masculine, "zwo" feminine, "zwei" neuter.
a sign and a way of meaning. And among many others he finally comes to these words: I can also interpret that such a commandment is a sign. For the Lord had no hesitation in saying: 'This is my body' when he gave the sign of his body." So far Augustine.
(43) There then is the key by which we may unlock all the Old Ones' speeches about the Lord's Supper. He says that what was called "body" was merely the sign of the body. So let those who want to heresy us go and reproach us, but at the same time know that they condemn the highest theologian, Wider der Päbste Decrete.
44 From this it is evident that the ancients always spoke meaningfully when they spoke of the body of Christ being eaten in the Lord's Supper, namely, not that sacramental food could purify the soul, but faith in God through Jesus Christ, which is the spiritual food, of which the outward food is only an image and shadow. And as bread sustains the body, and wine strengthens and gladdens it, so (such food) makes the mind certain and firm of the mercy of God in giving us His Son. Thus it comforts the mind that the sins which offended it are blotted out by his blood.
45 With these passages we want to be satisfied this time, whether one could write out whole books to explain and prove that the ancients were of our opinion. And no one must be mistaken by the recently published writing of the opinion of the ancients, which he promises to assert with explicit words 8oi1. For we will soon see the refutation of it by our highly learned brother Oecolampadii's work, who has especially set himself to defend the ancients' opinion. But what is still required to explain these matters further or to refute the opponents, we, who are of this opinion, have already sufficiently explained and accomplished in many writings addressed to different ones.
46. d) I believe that ceremonies which neither come from superstition nor are contrary to the word of God (although I do not know whether such things are to be found) can be tolerated out of love until he, the morning star, rises more and more; but at the same time I also believe, as love teaches me, that such ceremonies are to be abolished if it can be done without great annoyance, whether those argue against it who are peacefully minded. For Christ did not forbid the Magdalene to perform her
The ointment was to be poured out, although Jude's avarice and disloyalty prevented them with great clamor.
(47) I do not count the images that are displayed for worship among the ceremonies, but among the things that clearly conflict with God's word. But those that are not displayed for worship, or where there is no danger that they will be worshipped, I do not condemn at all, but rather accept both painting and sculpture as gifts from God.
48 Tenth. I believe that the office of prophecy or preaching is sacred because it is most necessary before all other offices. For if one wants to speak canonically or correctly, we see that the outward preaching of the apostles and evangelists or bishops preceded faith among all peoples, which we attribute to the Spirit alone. For we see, alas, many who hear the outward preaching of the Gospel, but do not believe because they lack the Spirit. Where prophets, that is, preachers of the Word, are sent, it is a sign of God's grace, because he wants to reveal the knowledge of himself to his elect. And to whom such teachers are denied, it is a sign of impending disgrace. 1) As can be inferred from the prophets and Paul's example, who was sometimes called to some, but prevented from going to others and forbidden to do so.
(49) Even the laws and authorities for the administration of the common law cannot be better supported and established than by prophecy. For what is right is commanded in vain if those who are commanded do not observe justice and love equity. For this purpose the minds prepare the prophets as servants, but the spirit as the master, both of the teacher and the hearer. Such kind of people or servants, who teach, comfort, warn, care and watch, we recognize by faith in the people of God. Also those who baptize and in the Lord's Supper carry the body and blood of Christ (for so we also call the holy bread and wine by a change of name); who visit the sick. They feed the poor from church property and in their name; yes, also those who read, interpret and teach publicly, so that either they themselves or others may be sent by it and one day preside over the church. But the kind with high bishop's hats and staffs, which are only there to eat and drink and are a harmful plague of the fields, we recognize to be wrong, and that they
1) Should probably mean: "of the disgraced" i.e. that they are disgraced.
Nothing is better on the body of the church than the goiters and humps or humps on the human body.
Fifty-fifth. I also believe that the lawful authority is in God's stead, as well as the office of prophecy. For as the prophet is a minister of heavenly wisdom and goodness, as one who teaches by faith and brings error to light, so the authorities are ministers of goodness and justice. Goodness, that it may hear the grievances of its own in God's stead with faith and humility and help them for the best. Justice, that it may punish the wicked and protect the innocent. If the prince has such gifts, I believe his conscience has nothing to fear. But if he does not have them, and yet shows himself terrible and fearful, then I believe that his conscience is not free because of this, and has nothing to fear, because he has been rightly chosen and crowned. At the same time, however, I also believe that a Christian must obey such tyrants until the occasion of which Paul speaks: "If thou canst become free, much more must thou do so"; which, however, God alone must show, but not man, and that not in a dark, but in such a tangible and obvious way, as Saul was formerly rejected, but David was chosen as his successor. And because of the womb and duty that one must give up in order to be protected, I certainly agree with Pauli, Rom. 13.
(51) Twelfthly, I believe that the poem of the purgatory is as blasphemous a thing to the gracious redemption given by Christ as it is profitable and profitable to its poets. For if we have to redeem our sins and misdeeds with punishment and chastisement, then Christ will have died in vain, so grace is vain. And what more vain thing can be devised in Christendom? Or what kind of Christ do those have who let themselves be called Christians, and yet are afraid of this fire, which is more a vapor than a fire? But that there is a hell, where the faithless, the disobedient and the apostate are eternally punished with Jxion and Tantalus (in the fables), I believe and am sure of it. For the truth, when it speaks of the general judgment, reports that after such judgment some will go into eternal torment. So after the general judgment there will be an eternal fire.
52 For this reason the Anabaptists are all the less able to get away with their Olam, that is, eternity, which they need for the sake of their error, since they want the eternal not to go beyond the common judgment. For here Chri-
stus From the eternal fire that will burn after judgment, and will torment the devil with all his angels, with the wicked who despise God, with the cruel tyrants who suppress the truth with lies, and do not relieve the poor man's distress from the heart and in faith.
I believe, teach and defend this, as I have now stated it one after the other, not with my own words, but with the words of the holy Scriptures, and I promise that I will do it according to God's will as long as there is breath in me. Unless someone explains and explains the opposite from rightly understood sayings of the holy scriptures as clearly and distinctly as we do what is ours. For to submit ours to God's word and to the church, if it judges according to it in the spirit, we do so willingly and gladly, as it is fair and right. We could have done everything more extensively and abundantly, but since there was no opportunity, we have been satisfied with it and consider it to be things of the kind that can easily be touched, but not overturned, according to today's common way. But if someone wants to say it, he will not hunt much. For then we will fully bring forward and need our remaining rifle. For now, what we have witnessed may be far enough.
54. Therefore, most noble emperor and you other princes, lords, estates, and the envoys and heads of the free imperial cities, I beg and implore you through our Lord and brother Jesus Christ, by his goodness, justice, and judgment, in which he will give to each one according to his merit, before whom all counsel is revealed, who destroys the counsel of the ungodly-minded and evil-ruling princes, who exalts the humble and humbles the proud, that you 1) not spurn the speech of the lowly. For often also fools have said something useful, and the truth itself has often chosen weak and bad people to be proclaimed through it. For all men are liars. And unless they are taught by the Holy Spirit something other than what they themselves know and desire, there is nothing to be hoped for from them but that they will overthrow themselves by their wit and art. For the prophet Jeremiah said perfectly true: "Behold! they reject God's word, what further wisdom can they have?" Therefore, since you are the leaders of righteousness, no one needs more than you to know God's will. And from where can such knowledge come but from His holy Word? Therefore, do not be repelled by their opinions, which refer to God's word. For this is what we generally call upon ourselves.
so that the more the adversaries oppose it, the more it will shine out and the lie will be eradicated. If, however, as I am well aware, some are telling you much about our ignorance and even wickedness, consider also this among yourselves: 2) First, whether we who follow this way of the gospel and the Lord's Supper have led our lives in such a way that anyone could ever doubt whether we are to be counted among honest people? But we do not boast of anything, since Paul himself was also what he was by God's grace. But where a fresh and cheerful life has been given, it has never degenerated into revelry and insolence, nor has it been abused for cruelty, pride or defiance. So that the adversary's attempts, when truncated by the testimony of life, often receded. Scholarship is indeed greater than the enemies can endure or despise without conscience; but it is much less than those who persecute us in the day think. Nevertheless, in order to finally reach our goal, we have been practicing divine and secular sciences for so many years that we do not teach anything without thought.
But it will be granted to us to praise the grace and goodness of God, which He so abundantly shows to our churches. The churches that hear the Lord God through us have accepted the word of the Lord in such a way that lies and unfaithfulness are more and more perishing, but hopefulness and indulgence are inhibited, and useless gossip and blasphemy must completely give way. And if these are not true fruits of the Holy Spirit, what are they?
But consider, both of you, most noble emperor, and you princes and estates as a whole, what fruit the larva of the doctrine of men has produced for us. The purchased fairs have increased both the princes' and the mob's arrogance and insolence, introduced and spread the popes' revelry and the messmakers' drunkenness; indeed, what havoc have they not wrought! for who will penetrate the money heaped up by fairs if they are not clogged and strangled in the veins? 1)
57 Therefore, may God, who is much better than all of you together, whom we gladly recognize and praise as very good, destroy this and all other errors from the bottom up, and destroy Rome with its ash heap, which it has imposed on Christendom and especially on Germany.
1) It seems to go on eating and drinking. (Walch.)
and desolate, and that you let all the power, which you have used against the pure gospel, be used against the evil plots of the godless papists, so that righteousness, which has been completely driven out because of your negligence, and innocence, which has been completely darkened with false make-up and a false coat of paint, may appear again among us.
There has been enough raging, so it should not be anything wild and cruel to command, condemn, even murder, kill, rob, burn, and plunder without cause. Since it cannot be done in this way, it will have to be done in another way. If the council is from God, then do not fight against God; but if it comes from somewhere else, then it will perish through its audacity.
Therefore, O children of men, let the word of God sow and spring up freely, you are also as high as you want to be, so that you cannot prevent a grain from sprouting and growing. You can see that this fruit is moistened by the rain from heaven, and that no man's power can destroy it so that it withers. Do not think both of what you would like and of what the world demands in the trade or cause of the gospel. Let this, which I have presented here, please you in the best way, and prove by your actions that you are children of God. Given in Zurich, July 3. In the year 1530.
Your Majesty's and all the faithful's most submissive
Huldrich Zwingel.
d. of the confession of the four cities.