Translated from Latin by M. Aug. Tittel.
Joh. Oecolampadius [wishes] Bernhard Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden, canon in Augsburg, his patron and friend in Christo, Heil!
According to old custom, [I] should have received you with some reverence when you came back from the bath. Since I do not know anything else to offer this time, I ask you to accept this speech as a bad gift, even though it hardly deserves the rain of veneration. And if you like its content, let it enjoy the honor of your protection, and thus come into the hands of others; or else keep you assured that I will not lack the duty to wish you happiness, as much as is in me. Given from the monastery of St. Alton. 1)
Joh. Oecolampadii Speech of the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Since the most precious and incomparable and holy treasure, namely the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, is always presented to us for a daily sacrifice and spiritual meal, or even for the special joy of some feast, we must take every care, my beloved, that Solomon's parable about fools does not also apply to us, namely: "What good are riches to a fool who has not so much wit and understanding that he possesses them?Or the well-known proverb: "What shall the cow do with muskets?" or according to the evangelical saying (Matth. 7, 6.): "What shall the pigs do with pearls?" or that we are not scolded by the apostle (which is terrible to hear) "guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 11, 27.) We must therefore take heed.' For this is where our much come into great danger, yes,
1) Oecolampad lived two years in the Brigitten Monastery Altmünster in Augsburg 1520-1522, then he went to Franz von Sickingen and from there still in 1522 to Basel, where he received a letter from Luther, dated June 20, 1523. (De Wette, Vol. II, p. 352.)
even get lost, as the apostle says (v. 30): "That is why there are so many weak and sick among you, and a good part sleep. And is this no wonder. For it is a secret (sacrament), and the most secret of all, covered with many blankets, and above all human understanding, and a medicine (or antidote) very harmful to evil hearts. We will speak something about it (as the present feast and your desire requires). But you will be willing to listen and pay attention.
(2) It will therefore be well worth the effort to hear and remember my opinion, and indeed the opinion of all pious men and scholars, as in everything else that Jesus Christ, our Master, either taught or appointed, and to accept it well and willingly; not, however, what comes to us first, as most people do, but what Christ primarily had in mind, and what he primarily intends for us. But I take care (as is usually done in a wrong way in all matters) that in this holy action the right purpose is met by very few.
(3) For since there are three things to be observed here: (1) the proper use of the sacramental signs, namely, the bread and wine; (2) the due worship of the present Christ; (3) the secret (or spiritual) incorporation and care for the spiritual body which is given to us through the bread and the true body of Christ; and since each of these things is to be well observed, how many are there who take all this to heart? Many can be found who have to do with godly opinions, business and ceremonies, as often as this holy custom is celebrated, but are not provided with proper faith toward Christ and due love toward their neighbor. There are also many who, in the use of the sacraments, adhere to the head, but do not seem to respect the members at all, i.e., who are completely devoted to the worship of Christ, but neglect the brethren and sometimes even hate them, and thus ridicule Christ more than they venerate him. Behold, this is a perverse
*) This sermon appeared in a single edition in 1521 under the title: 8vrrno äs kucranwuto "uoüarlstias, then also in the same year added to the sermons vs vera rssurrsetioue and vo Auuckio FuuxsrtÄtis. We reproduce the text according to Walch's old edition.
Trade, there the sincere love, as the purpose of such a high mystery, is not perceived. We want to talk about these three pieces properly, and as much as serves the matter. And first of all of the sacramental custom, namely, what to think of bread and wine, and with what unity1) one must come to this table.
(4) Therefore, we need a special and deaf simplicity here, so that we avoid presumption and trust in the omnipotence of the Word of God more than in the weakness of our intellect. Our presumption is always repugnant to God and dangerous everywhere, but [in God's word and divine things]2) is the most dangerous. Weak eyes are blinded by the sight of the sun; and he who investigates majesty (or high things) is oppressed by the glorious clarity. In vain we try to add a cubit to the measure of our intellect given by God. Our mind is like the Ark of the Covenant, which is made not by the whole cubit, but by the half cubit. God has also set limits to the mountains and hills of the mind, beyond which they do not rise. We may be elevated like hills by the pinnacle of reason, or as high as mountains, but we cannot go beyond the set limits. Therefore we believe without a doubt that under this bread the true body is present and under the wine the blood is contained. It should be enough for us to know as much as we learn from the Holy Scriptures. But otherwise our mind must be captured for the service of faith.
(5) How he who sits at the right hand of the Father above the heavens is also present on the altars is incomprehensible to us, but it need not mislead or distress us. Although the Almighty holds the throne of His Majesty in heaven, He is not lacking in presence in the mysteries and in our faith. Even the lineaments 3) do not leave my face, and yet they give their full and complete form in many mirrors, in which way Basil calls this mystery a counter-image or pattern.
6) Whether, by the way, the essence of the bread and wine ceases to be, and the accidental qualities exist for themselves, or whether it is transformed into the body of Christ according to its greatness 4) and perishes, or whether it contains Christ in itself, so that it can at the same time
1) Instead of "unity", according to what is said in § 7, it should probably read "purity".
2) These bracketed words are inserted by us instead of the word: "everywhere".
3) i.e. the trains.
4) So put by us instead of: become.
Bread is what it seems to be, and must be called bread, is none of our business; idle schools may deal with this. What if we do not know how this bread is transformed into the flesh of Christ, since we do not even understand how common bread, which we eat at home, becomes our flesh? Yes, what wonder is it that our dull senses are also astonished at the denial that the essence does not perish, and that the accidental qualities cannot endure or take place without a body, and on the contrary say that the body of Christ is present, although the essence of the bread remains? What, I say, is the miracle, since we do not know how the child Christ was born without violation of the virgin womb, or how he came to his disciples with the doors closed after his resurrection? This, I say, does not concern us; it may be possible in whatever way it wants. To ask in unbelief about the sacraments, how they are done, deserves a very hard answer, as the examples show enough: namely to Nicodemo, who did not understand the mystery of regeneration; and the Jews, who quarreled about it: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (Joh. 6, 52.) Let us have enough of the angel's word, who said to Mary, who asked him, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you," for here also everything insists on the power or might of God, who speaks, so it is done, and who does everything he wills in heaven and on earth according to his good pleasure. So then our presumption must not prevail here. There may always be bread and wine, but here we seek nothing less than bread and wine. We do not ask here for that which feeds and satisfies the body, but for that which refreshes and fills the soul. We do not look at the visible, but at the invisible. What we worship, what we hunger for, what we see with the eyes of the mind and in faith, a blind Homerus sees as little as one who has lynx eyes. They are fools who want to run from one altar to another and make noise. Such bread may or may not remain wheat bread after the blessing, but it is not wheat bread for us, but heavenly bread; whether it is leavened or unleavened, we still have an unleavened Easter, namely Christ. We leave aside here everything that the servant of God puts on the altar, and stick only to that which is from heaven, and which the Holy Spirit has blessed and sanctified. Whatever it may be, it is only for us, instead of a sign and image, that the true body of the present Lord is to be found.
Christ covered with a sheath. I do not mean a mere image or figure, such as the first sheaves of Abel, or the sacrifice (offering) of Melchizedek, or the paschal lamb, the manna, the shewbread, the toasted bread of Elijah, and other figures of the Old Testament. Away with such blasphemy, that we should attach as much to the shadow as to the light and the truth, and to the same figures as much as to this most holy mystery. For this bread not only signifies the body of Christ, but is really the body itself. In this we believe Christ, the supreme truth, who cannot deceive, and has said, "Take and eat, for this is my body." So we confess badly that Christ's body and blood are present and contained, but how and in what way we leave unasked, because it is neither necessary nor useful. Every Uzzah [2 Sam. 6, 6.] must not touch the ark with unholy hands, nor must every one (of the people) come to the smoking mountain.
The rest, which the mind worships with devout silence and holy wonder, a joyful heart should accept and embrace with all inward and outward adoration. Let us bring to this sanctuary a chaste heart, and a body free from all impurity. This custom must be celebrated with respectable modesty and an adornment that befits Christian modesty. For everything that is blessed and sanctified must be acted upon in a holy and godly manner, how much more so that which the Lord Himself has blessed (or consecrated) in such a way that the One who blessed it is Himself present and revered. Therefore, where something unworthy takes place, it undoubtedly brings contempt and disgrace on Christ. Therefore the fathers have justly decreed punishments against those who do wrong in this. For he who is dissolute and careless in these high things will certainly be of no use in any good work.
(8) That Christ did not actually command us anything about ceremonies in this use is because he brought to our minds the higher and more important things, against which the enjoyment or use of this sacrament and the reverence to be paid to it, as well as our zeal and effort to send the heart to it through confession, fasting, and the like, are to be regarded as quite insignificant. Not as if this should be put aside, but because the more important things must come first and not be omitted. Therefore Origen in Matthaeum counts the frequent communicating among the tithes of cumin, mint and anise, which the Pharisee takes away. For the more important thing, which must never be refrained from, is judgment, barm-.
Cordiality and faith. That is why the customs and ceremonies are not always the same in all churches, and many things are and will be changed in the following years. In former times, when St. Jerome was still alive, they ate the body of the Lord in common (or individual) houses. Today, however, it would be a great abomination to take such things other than in the temple or from the altar, unless sickness or some other need required otherwise. Before this, communion was held after the Lord's Supper, and especially on Green Thursday, which was still held this way at the time of the Carthaginian Concilii. Today, healthy people must enjoy this heavenly bread only sober. Before this it happened every day, now of the year any time. This is certainly a great sign of cold love, and a proof of a terrible ingratitude. Unfortunately, the priests are usually blamed for this; while they should call the guests to frequent visits to this holy table with godly exhortations, they often push them away, and thus grieve the eager souls, who are so eager for it, as unworthy, who are not subject to any canonical punishments and are excluded from it. On the other hand, at Easter, they let the most diverse people join them together with the saints without distinction. But each one may bear his own judgment!
(9) Before this, these mysteries were not offered in gold and silver, for Peter said, "I do not have silver and gold" (Acts 3:6). Therefore Exuperius, bishop of Toulouse and martyr, carried the body of Christ in a basket and the blood of Christ in glass chalices to the sick. Today (namely in the papacy) this is almost the most noble concern, that only the vessels are pure and precious, about the souls it may stand, as it will. In the past, everything that was precious was sold to feed the hungry and redeem the captives. Today, church property is increasing because the poor are suffering from hunger, and it is distributed least among those to whom it belongs most. Before this, both figures were given; which custom has nothing criminal, and still takes place in some places. Today, however, the laity must make do with one figure when enjoying this great mystery. Yes, it is desired that, with the permission of the popes, 1) the northern peoples use only the one form of bread in the Lord's Supper. The northern peoples take only the single form of the bread in the Lord's Supper. 2) From this it is clear that the main work of godliness is neither in the constant sacrifice (mass),
1) Should probably mean: arrangement.
2) As it seems, both priest and people. (Walch.)
nor in the reverence that one otherwise has to show to these high mysteries, but in faith in Christ and in love towards one's neighbor. "I want," he says, "mercy, and not sacrifice." (Matth. 9, 13.)
(10) From this, then, let us move on to what is more necessary and what we want to say about the other. Let us then consider more closely what the high, majestic, holy, inestimable thing is that is hidden under such a cover. It is, however, the highest thing, to be admired before heaven and earth. For here is the pearl, which we all must use our possessions to buy. Here is the box of graces and truth, so full of these jewels. Here is the most precious fruit, not from the cursed earth, but sprouted from the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is here of which David says, "There shall the little wheat stand on the height of the mountains." 1) Or as the .Ours 2) read, "There shall be a stronghold on the earth, on the heights of the mountains, its fruit shall be exalted on Lebanon." It is here the living, life-giving bread, "the bread that came from heaven," thus bringing us into heaven and making us heavenly. It is here the sacrifice of all sacrifices, the chief burnt offering (or whole sacrifice) of the most pleasing and sweet savor before God, pleasing Him above all, thereby making sufficient for our sins, and thereby pleasing to God what is pleasing to Him. And what the same is, we have said, and say it again:
It is "the true body and the true blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Body, which in Mary, the virgin, was assumed by the Word into the unity of the Person, thus suffered and died for us, also afterwards transfigured again by the triumph of the Resurrection and Ascension. What higher thing can be said or considered? The body of Christ is there, therefore Christ himself, God and man, is there. We worship him, we bend our knees before him, we long for him. Him we praise on earth, whom the heavenly hosts praise in heaven; and whom they behold in glory, him we have before our eyes in faith. He is with them with his face unveiled, but with us with his face veiled. He feeds them and us with the same bread, and there is no other difference between them and us, but that they have come to the full glory.
1) Ps. 72:16: The grain will stand thickly on the top of the mountains.
2) The preceding is Oecolampad's translation. By "ours" he refers to the Vulgate.
We are assured of the same glory through such a pledge. We are both incorporated into Christ through eating. We both enter into the Spirit of the Lord, that no other will of the Lord be but in us. We are conformed to Christ through grace here, as they are through glory there. We are conformed to Christ here by virtues, those there by rewards. But we still have to wait for bliss until we finally, after this life, enjoy it with others, as is right. This is the right heavenly bread and heavenly drink, when one gulps down the recognized God in certain and undoubted faith into the bowels of the heart. Who will always give us such bread? Who will give us (or would God!) that we are always satiated by His flesh? Away with all small faith! "Believe (says Augustine), and you have eaten." Faith makes God present before us; faith feeds, for one need not take Augustine's word, or the 6th Cap. Johannis, as if one had to believe that Christ is present and to be eaten only when we see or feel the holy bread present, but we eat Jesus, the Son of God and of Mary, the Savior of the world, always truly, as often as we believe in him at any time, no matter in which place it may be. St. Chrysostom also speaks to this effect in his interpretations of the Epistle to the Hebrews, when he says: "Do those enjoy the supper who come to it once or more or less in the year? No! Neither those who go once a year, nor those who go several times; but those who come with a pure conscience and chaste heart and blameless life, they always go to communion, but those who are not of this kind, never at all."
This is the most blessed meal, from which no pope will keep us, and from which only unbelief will exclude us. Of course, this is the greatest comfort for us, that God always dwells in us, if we are obedient to His word and willingly listen to it. It is well for us that we can become children of God if we believe in Christ. But if in the sacrament of bread the flesh of Christ is miraculously and supernaturally present (although the spiritual meal goes far beyond the sacramental), the spiritual meal becomes somewhat more respectable. 3)
(13) For how can it not be great that the most beautiful of the children of men should be present, and that the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, should present himself? Now if we always
3) Should probably mean exceedingly glorious.
say that if we had lived in Christ's time, when he visibly walked among the Jews, we would certainly have done everything to be worthy of his most gracious sight and to see him: what will we fail to do, since he is really present? Why do we not humble ourselves? why do we not worship him? why do we not implore his help and mercy? Do we regret that we do not see him with bodily eyes? Oh, it does us no harm; we have no harm but benefit. By faith we see much more blessedly, even more surely, than the Jews with bodily eyes. Those who have not seen and yet believe are more blessed than those who have seen and believed, not to mention those who have seen and yet have not believed. For they are wretched and miserable.
There are three kinds of people who have either seen Christ blessedly or still see Him. Blessed are they who have seen with their eyes that which kings and prophets were not privileged to see. Blessed are those who look closely at the Word made flesh and turn their eyes to the heavenly things. But the most blessed and perfectly happy are those who see and praise the King in His adornment, as He is more glorious than all angels, with unwavering and tireless eyes. Our condition is like that of the middle window: we are worse off than those in heaven, but better off than those who have followed the body after Christ. They surpass us in glory, but we surpass them by faith, if we have but hoods, and are not more drowsy in them than they, and do not fail in our duties on occasion. We hear how eagerly and cheerfully the shepherds from the neighboring pastures or drifts ran to the child who had just been born in Bethlehem, and even the wise men hurried from the distant Orient, and how cheerfully, eagerly and hurriedly the people followed him, with great effort and difficulty, in the villages and towns even into the solitude, and almost before the sun had gone out, when he taught and performed miracles, so that they were sometimes in front of him, sometimes behind him, sometimes at his side, pressed him, fell at his feet, listened to him, and asked partly for themselves, partly for their own; some have been carried to him on beds, others have been lowered through the roof to his feet with the ceiling torn open; some have asked him to come to them, others have been afraid to ask him. But we also have such love and desire for Christ. Immanuel or God is also with us. Ex
Will also do wonders for us. Why are we so unmerciful and unjust to ourselves that we do not seek our own salvation through spiritual attendance (or submission)? Why do we not go to the invisible One because of our weakness? Do we doubt that this is his body, which he himself confesses with his mouth that it is his body? Do we want to cook the lamb by parables or interpretations, and (which would be sin) burn the bones of the king of Edom?
(15) Let us gladly make ready an inn for Christ, and let us often prepare a feast for him. Let us invite and refresh him often. Christ, in turn, will be hospitable and will feed us splendidly. He invites us and calls: "Come to me, all you who labor" (Matth. 11, 28.). He sends his servants and even forces us with threats to stay with him (Luc. 14, 23.). He prepares a meal (Matth. 22, 2.) and offers Himself to us as a fatted calf. He refreshes us so that we neither hunger nor thirst forever. How shall we depart from the Lord? "He has words of eternal life" (John 6:68). Let us be impudent with Magdalene, and pass through to his feet, fall down there, wet them with tears, and kiss and anoint them in godly devotion. Let us at least touch the garment with the bloody woman, and power will come from her (Luc. 8:46). Through the touching, which we either do in faith or which happens to us out of his mercy, we will be healed. He will heal leprosy by touching, enlighten the eyes by touching, drive out all diseases, cast out all devils, raise all the dead. Let us touch the Lord in faith, and he will touch us in mercy. The Lord thirsts for our faith, that he may water uys with the water of life. He hungers for our righteousness, that he may feed us with the fruit of his merits, which his hands have made. Our righteousness creates faith; I say freely, faith is our justification. Our faith makes this mystery either powerful or ineffective, wholesome or unwholesome. For the Lord also calls it especially the mystery of our faith. Without a pledge, you would not have believed that your wounds would be healed, your wrongs cleansed, your sins forgiven. Therefore he gives his body as a pledge, so that all doubt and unbelief may be removed from the mind. It matters not how fatal, how various, how obsolete the disease may be. Whether thou
If you already stink and rot and perish, believe, for then you will live for the sake of this bread. So by the treasure of faith we can become more blessed than those with whom Christ walked on earth. For this cause he hath withdrawn himself from before our eyes, and hath gone to the Father, that our faith might be strengthened thereby, and not weakened or diminished. But if we have neither, and see him neither with the eyes of the body nor of the mind, we are justly counted more wretched than they. We must therefore see that our mind becomes purer from day to day and increases in faith in such a way that it not only sees more than they do, but also attains to the glory of the angels and heavenly spirits, from which we remain so far removed as we are or deviate from the worthy knowledge of Christ, the God. For when this cover is removed, that is, when the imperfect knowledge is transformed into the complete vision of God, we will also be like the angels. Since we must strive at all times, but especially at the hour when we are awaiting such high mysteries, that not only Christ may descend to us from heaven, but also that we may seem to ascend to him in heaven, in order to praise him all the more fervently among the angelic hosts and to extol him with blessed songs, His light is presented to us more clearly, and we are permitted to see the splendor and glory of the most beautiful body, which was formerly so disfigured that nothing beautiful was seen in it, and suffered so much shame and disgrace of the worst death, but is now endowed with the highest glory and blessedness. And since this is the greatest joy, to see such things, one may also get to know the most wise soul of him, since the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God are no longer hidden, but are revealed and shown. And through this, as through a door or way, one comes to truth and life, yes, the same is suitable for life, through which we are gradually brought to higher things. There, however, everything attracts our eyes in the highest perfection and makes them so happy that then all the glory of our great Master lies clearly before our eyes and is discovered. He shows Himself to His creatures without all mystery and darkness, namely in that which we have neither known nor 1) recognized of God, or have only guessed, as the source of all being, yes, the being itself, and the source of all life, the life itself, the origin.
1) Thus set by us instead of: as.
of all pleasures and of all happiness, the most lovely happiness itself and the most abundant fullness of all goods, the most certain peace, the most constant truth, the most correct justice, the purest holiness, goodness and love itself. And what is said or thought to the highest, yes, quite incomparably more than can be said and thought. This is the true bread of angels, the manna, which Christ presents to the angels and the blessed, but gives to us in secret; but which, as faith grows, becomes more and more evident, and as we sigh for it more and more in our hearts, our hearts are more and more refreshed and filled with sweetness.
16 What shall we repay the Lord here? With what kind of submission does he want to be honored? What does he give in such a high matter? Here, too, one can feel the ordinary kindness of God. He is always equally kind, the sweet Jesus. He does not give anything heavy, nothing hard; he does not urge people not to eat for many days, to make heavy journeys, to cry out certain psalms (or songs), to confess and count their sins fearfully, or anything else that can make things difficult and discourage people. "Do this," he says, "in remembrance of me." What is easier? what is cheaper? what could he have asked for that is easier? Who also does not want to think of it once, what should he start once? Who does not like to think of a friend? What is easier than that? There is nothing more common among friends than that they always think of each other. And friends have a good memory of this, especially if they have become fond of one another through some strange virtue or good deed, as all such things are in Christ toward us. The remembrance is probably the least part of gratitude, and that is what Christ requires of us, nothing else in the least. But if we do our duty well even in this bad thing, we shall not fail in any other of our duties; we shall willingly take it all upon ourselves, and in no thing be tardy. We will, as it were, be forced to love him; we will thank him, serve him, and sacrifice ourselves to him completely and voluntarily, submitting to all danger, being joyful in adversity and affliction, going into death and all pain as it were dancing. Such a glorious and drunken cup is the cup of the Lord. "This shall ye do," saith Christ, "in remembrance of me." The benefits of Christ can be remembered with pleasure, but Christ Himself is remembered with even greater pleasure. The benefits would not be half so pleasant if they did not come from Christ: but Christ, without all such benefits, is not only to be remembered, but also to be remembered.
worthy of all love and honor; even if he showed the creatures nothing good (that we put such an impossible case), but all kinds of evil. Let us first remember [him,] through whose majesty and excellence it happens that his good deeds must be dearer to us, especially since he wanted them to be so great that through them he would be even dearer to us, and through their remembrance his memory would always remain fresh with us. And we should not forget any of them, because they are not only great in themselves, but also come from him who is the greatest of all.
(17) But we are always forgetful, especially when we are well; we do not remember Christ and his benefits. But the unceasing goodness of Christ has also counseled us in this. For in addition to innumerable good deeds, he has also done this unheard-of one, and has offered us the tokens of his miracles. For he has given us his flesh for food and his blood for drink. Therefore the ingrates' shame must be the greater, but the pious' fruit and benefit must be the richer. In such a great heap of good deeds, however, he especially wanted to solemnize the memory of his death, because even hearts as hard as a demant can be melted by it, and in it are many other great good deeds, such as the Incarnation, the Resurrection and the Ascension etc. Thus Paul says, "As often as ye shall eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, ye shall proclaim the death of the Lord, until he come."
18 He also established it in such a way that nothing would be lacking to preserve and promote its memory. At this time he chose the last supper, which bordered, as it were, on death and life. He calls it a new testament, so that the memory of death, which confirms a testament, would be all the more sacred and unbreakable. For this he uses strange words and signs; for the signs of bread and wine rhyme well with suffering. No bread is made but of ground grains, and before the flour is mixed (or kneaded) with water and baked by fire. Nor is any wine made except from pressed grapes, which therein are a true image of Christ and of those who belong to him. These signs may still be obscure, but Christ himself reveals the secrecy of them in his words, when he blesses the bread and says: "Take and eat of it, all of you; this is my body, which will be given for you. Likewise also he took the cup, saying, This is my blood, which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins."
Why does he commemorate the surrender and shedding ? namely that he pressed the memory of suffering firmly into our hearts.
19 This is also indicated by the customs and offerings of our sacrifices. For they are nothing else than souvenirs or memories of that one sacrifice, which was offered on the cross for us. It is always only one sacrifice through all times and oers, because it is only a memory of the one sacrifice. And this memory is our thanksgiving. For since we can do or offer nothing else, we at least do what is offered to us and what we can still do, so that for so innumerable and great benefits we only cherish one memory as grateful people. Hence the name Eucharistia, which means thanksgiving, has been attached to the mystery. So you see that everything depends on the fact that we hold the memory of his good deeds above all precious and valuable. Therefore, let us be careful and always keep the words of the testament in mind. If we now, like Moses (Deut. 6, 6. ff.) we are commanded by the commandments (that they should always be in our hearts and told to our children, that we should remember them when we sit in our houses and when we walk, sleep or watch, and bind them, as it were, as a sign on our hands, so that they may speak, If, I say, we also bear the good deeds thus engraved as it were on marble and indelibly inscribed in our hearts, the remembrance of them will not be idle or unfruitful for us. For under the spruce the fire will burn.... And Paul reminds his Timothy of these things: "Remember," he says, "that Jesus rose from the dead!" (2 Tim. 2, 8.) For it will compel us to love Christ, so much so that even death itself will not be as strong as our love; and if we can rid ourselves of everything, yet it will not be possible of the love of God. There we will be unspeakably willing to do all godly works. There we will burn with eagerness to give thanks. Sweet tears of joy will flow. Then the heart will become fiery with holy ardor, and a joyful mouth will utter these generous words: "My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready". (Ps. 57, 8.) "Thy will be done, O Lord." (Matth. 6, 10.) "O Lord, what wilt thou that I should do?" (Acts 9:6.) "What shall I repay the Lord for all that he has done for me?" (Ps. 116, 12.) Therefore they are not foolish, but everything earthly.
The man also denies himself and offers himself to God as a complete sacrifice; he does not want to keep anything from his former will; he tolerates everything that has to be tolerated and does everything that has to be done. Then the yoke will be easy and all the burden of the Lord will be light. He does not care much that the body is mortified, that the inheritance and wealth are distributed among the poor, that evil is repaid with good, that enemies are appeased with benevolence, that one rejoices in tribulation, that one suffers death for the sake of the truth and the confession of faith. Yes! He is thus united with Christ and One Spirit with him. In this way the blood of Christ adorns the chaste cheeks of the brides, as Agnes said. Thus the flesh of Christ makes strong arms of His fencers (or fighters), in that from the heart of Christ goes juice and strength into the veins of the souls, and moistens (or refreshes) the marrow of His joyful Spirit, and consequently also fortifies the bones. There the flesh drives away the leanness of the minds, and the blood the dryness (drought) of the same. The flesh makes fleshy, fat and strong, the blood makes moist, cheerful, fresh and drunk. There the unleavened bread of the heavenly Adam makes the dough (lump) pure and alive, which before the leaven of the earthly Adam had spoiled. And in such delicious and cute food the ingratitude of the people cannot be described. Oh, what stupidity and wickedness it is that they are disgusted and repulsed by it, as by something abominable, and almost have to be forced to this table, from which, if one were cast out, it would be as terrible as being cast out of paradise. Who are we? and what is the house of our fathers, that God acts so graciously and together with us and draws us to His table, but we, as a proud Vasthi, would rather not come to it than taste His love and kindness, would rather eat all the porters than be satisfied by the angel bread?
20 But let us proceed to the third part. There remains, then, what we need not pass over, which Christ may well have seen when he instituted the sacrament. For although the things of which I have spoken are great, namely, to treat the sacred signs with godliness and devotion, and not to leave out of memory the benefits of Christ and of Christ himself, still not enough has been done with such a high mystery. For this is still necessary, which is to be observed especially according to the times, namely the care for the secret body of Christ. Let no one reject this teaching as something new, which is nevertheless as Christian as anything else. For this is what bread and wine teach
with their images, and the body of Christ itself. For Paul says: "So we are all one bread and one body, who are partakers of one bread and one cup. Cup." (1 Cor. 10:17.) For as One Bread is made of many grains, and the true Body of Christ is made up of many members, so out of many believers there is One secret (spiritual) Bread, and One spiritual Body of Christ, of which He Himself is the Head. We do not deny (as someone might object) that Mary chooses the best part, and that the life that consists in looking is better than that which consists in doing. Which Paul also gives to understand, since he desires "to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which (as he says) would be much better. (Phil. 1, 23.) Nevertheless, he preferred to remain in the flesh for our good. Paul would rather miss the heavenly glory for a while and be satisfied with it, and we want to be annoyed about it, if we suffer a little misfortune in our Christian idleness (if I may speak like that) for the sake of our brothers? Christ is not deprived of his service, as he would rather have mercy than sacrifice. We never sit so close to Christ at table, and never serve Christ so sacredly, as when we lose something in Christian leisure (or rest) for the purpose of serving His spiritual body and brethren in Christ's name: As we deal with one of the least of His own, whether mercifully or cruelly, Christ will accept and judge it as well as if we had done it to Himself. Therefore we must not complain that Christ is not seen. We often meet a hungry man, and Christ himself meets us; why then do we not feed Christ? We meet a naked man, and Christ is before us; why then do we not clothe Christ? There is a sick man lying down, a prisoner in jail is all taken away. One of the brethren is mistaken; why do we despise Christ Himself? Christ so often appears to us, and is not respected. Then see if our whole life is not all hypocrisy and pretense of godliness. For true godliness and holiness must show itself in love and mercy. But what kind of love is this if we do not know and do not want to know the one for whom Christ did not refuse to die, in whose soul the image of the Godhead is expressed? He had his most holy flesh, which he took from the Virgin, beaten with rods and scourges and crucified, so that he might save and preserve the spiritual body. When the soldiers attacked him and wanted to capture him, he said: "When
If you seek me, let these go. (John 18:8) Think not, therefore, that Christ will be angry with us if we prefer to do godly business than to sit still, to think rather than to be silent, and to eat more holy food than to fast. Of this custom he says, "Do it in remembrance of me." But he does not give so lightly of our neighbor, for he wants us to love our enemies and to make them friends with good deeds. Therefore, one cannot deny anything to the fellow believers and right members of his body. He taught this when he washed the feet of all of them and preached the glorious sermon of love. This one commandment he gave, that we love one another as he loved us. But he loved us unto death: what shall we not do for brethren, for whom, according to Christ's commandment and example, we ought not to spare death itself? And as Cyprian says, "As often as we drink the cup of the Lord, we must always be ready to shed blood for the brethren.
This is the secret of the peace which the priest so often gives and receives in prayer; not the peace which the world seeks, but the peace which Christ bequeathed to His own, that neither by cunning nor by force, neither by fortune nor by misfortune, shall we allow ourselves to be turned away from the love of God or of our neighbor, nor shall we ever let go of such a principal commandment. The apostles and the first Christians, after they received the Holy Spirit and became citizens of the city of God, were always well aware of this, since they remained united in the temple, or broke bread in all the houses, and the multitude of believers was one heart and one soul. Where did such unanimity come from? Certainly, the hope of earthly gain did not bring them together, since they had abandoned everything and regarded their wealth as dung. Nor was it danger and its fear that brought them together, since they were glad to be considered worthy to endure danger for the name of Jesus. Nor were they bound together by any fleshly relationship, since for Christ's sake they knew neither father nor mother, brother nor sister, nor respected such things, but the founder of their friendship was Christ, who made all the members stick together among themselves. Therefore they knew of no deceit, trickery, mischievousness, arrogance, conceit, envy, strife, slander. They harmed no one and helped everyone. And this was no wonder, because honor and service were the same, everything was common with them; they did not seek to live tenderly and well; they did everything according to the law of love,
They sought only the common salvation. All their spirits burned with the same fervor, so that the number of believers increased. These taught, those prophesied, spoke with various tongues, healed the sick, or performed miraculous signs; the others served, and each contributed something to the common good; no one sought his own. For as we are so created by God's wise government that one needs another for help; one has wealth but no strength; the other has strength but no money; these are strong to serve, those wise to rule; and in a word, no one has enough in himself, no one is born for himself alone, so also no one is born again for himself alone, but each needs the other's help and support.
(22) This is the communion of saints, which is written in our creed; this is the most holy assembly, since those who live in the uttermost parts of India and Britain, whether they know Rome or not, whether they are pleasing to men or detestable to them, are nevertheless, if they only cling to Christ in faith and hold fast to the head, united also with us, if we are otherwise members of Christ. For Christ is common to all; he is the one head, and is of all One baptism, One faith, One sacrifice, One table, One inheritance, One city, toward which we are journeying: why then are not the lesser things equally and one to all? why have we not happiness and unhappiness, joy and sorrow, in common among ourselves? why do we not also put good and blood, fortune, counsel, and action, yea, all things together? If our love is without falsity, how should we begrudge earthly happiness to those whom we divine the heavenly? and how do we not want to help out those from our bodily goods to whom we heartily wish all good and well-being? Oh, it is all false and lying what many say: they wish all the salvation of souls to those whom they hate, but they would like to see them afflicted with some temporal misfortune. Such people, whoever they may be, either do not think enough about what great joy will be there one day, or they lie with a bold face. For envy cannot withhold or begrudge the lesser when it shares the greater. For it is far from true love to give the highest, and yet, if there is opportunity, to refuse the lesser. The apostle severely chastises the Corinthians that, since they should have shown the greatest equality, they were so unmerciful to the poor, and when others complained of hunger, they filled themselves with wine. When others complained of hunger, they filled themselves with wine and were heated by it.
would be. By what hardness they were not a little guilty of this so high mystery. True holiness is tested by love. This is a certain proof of a worthy communion, if after it one becomes more inclined to meekness, more willing and long-suffering to bear other people's vexations (or insults), and more ready to serve even one's enemies. On the other hand, it is safe to say that the meal will be unpleasant for those who still harbor resentment and suspicion, who carry bitterness and poison, who are slanderers, who love quarrels and strife, who cannot tolerate the weaknesses of others, and who are not willing to serve their brothers. Let it be, however, that at the renewed remembrance of the Passion of Jesus you felt a strange inward sweetness and shed the sweetest tears of joy, almost being enraptured like a Franciscan: it will be of no use to you if you do not extend yourself in love.
Now let those examine themselves who go down from the churches, as it were justified, and despise the humble with high eyes, harshly attack the miserable, and advance laziness and idleness to the beggars and the poor with defiant and threatening words. The preachers and teachers may be responsible for this, who much sooner and more forcefully persuade the people to build many altars, to come occasionally to supper in large crowds, to sacrifice often and much, to endow rich annual memorials of the dead and vigils, than to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to redeem the prisoners, and to give alms to others. O of avarice! O of the theft of the church! O of mischievousness and intrigue! Alas! to what does not the wretched and accursed avarice bring men! The fellow priests may hear this gladly or unwillingly, so it is all one. But I beg and beseech that they will gladly hear what is written there: "Mercy is better than sacrifice" (Matth. 9, 13.), even than the 1) fruits of the other kind, which the absent and the dead receive through our praising. And they do not have to make do with Iscariot's grumbling: the delicious ointment, which was poured out on Jesus by Mary, could have been sold for 300 pieces of silver (or pennies) and given to the poor, who nevertheless was punished because of it. For Judas would not only have been excused, but even praised, if he had been so minded in his heart as he was with his mouth.
1) So put by us instead of: "also to the fruits", which seems to us to give no sense. Our correction should say: mercy is also better than vigils and masses.
pretended. Our priests, however, take care of Christ just as Judas did of the poor, unless the latter had more faith. I do not like to say it in German; but what I conceal, their indulgence and laziness constantly speaks loudly enough, and almost the whole world sighs over it, and in such a way that it does almost nothing more about anything of the kind. But for now to be silent about the evil customs of this time, Christ does not speak against, but for the poor. "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me" (Matth. 26, 11.). For since this time he wanted to have something special because of his person, so that the memory of his death would be all the more famous and glorious, he only wanted to precede the poor in this and not always, and to be esteemed above them. But if he had said: "You will always have me" (as he said afterwards: "I will be with you until the end of the world" (Matth. 28, 20.), then one might have thought that he was pleased with such an effort. But he says: "You do not always have me. Be now always content with the woman's doing, henceforth I will deal with you no more. Henceforth the poor shall not be deprived of the least thing by me. And they will not suffer any particular harm, since I have so far commended them to you with such diligence. Do them good afterwards, as much as you want. I will not only gladly let it happen, but also praise and accept it, just as if it had happened to me myself. But did Christ say to the rich, "Go, sell all that you have, and give to the priests and monks, and follow me? Will he ask at the last day: How much did you hire priests? because they are pressed. How much money did you spend on the altars? Oh, how good it would be for us then! But now he does not remember the priests with a syllable. But he gives everything to the poor, and in the day of his wrath he will reproach those who have not fed him in the hungry.
(24) But the money-minded have their little helpers and their little bundles, and though they cannot do it in their own name, yet they gather together in the name of the poor, and in the name of Christ.
(25) This, too, does not belong here at all, which is otherwise said quite truly: there is nothing more precious than the sacrifice of Christ, and no higher merit; which we gladly confess and admit, and are also glad about it. But it does not follow from this that one always earns more with divine prayers than alms. I do not want to say anything about the causes now. But it is not at all proper to see to it that the people are
More impels to heap up the masses than to give alms diligently. Those who feed the hungry out of love and remembrance of Christ are nothing less fortunate, and often equal in merit to those who serve the altar.
(26) Let them likewise examine themselves who judge life and morals! What kind of equity is it among them to consider it a monstrous crime if some priest, who is not so careful, misses something in the ceremonies, or spills a drop, or a layman touches the chalice with his hand? But this must be a small mistake, if he does his work in arrogance, lust, envy or unbelief, and defiles the name and altar of God.
(27) Let all hear it and shun it, who at every little occasion or cause separate and separate themselves from the faithful, as unfortunately happens to the irreparable harm of Christendom. The world is divided, and most countries are torn into different sects. Their disunity is either because of different customs, or for the sake of some doctrines, which are neither sufficiently confirmed nor rejected in holy scripture. This country needs leavened bread in the blessing, that unleavened; this 1) communicates under one, that 1) under another form. The former keeps Easter according to the time and custom of the Jews, but the latter wants to have nothing in common with them. Such things and the like are not of such importance that a partition should be made among us. Those who are burning in true love will not be the ones who-
1) So put by us instead of: "these" and "those".
If they cannot put it on a better foot, they will tolerate and overlook it rather than let themselves be separated and divorced from someone who adheres to Christ in faith and love.
(28) Let our defectors and apostates tremble and be terrified, who seek their part with the false and heretics, and drink the wine of error from the vine of Sodom, and eat the bread of mourning, and go over to the secret body of their chief, the prince of darkness, but clothed with the sheepskin approach also to the holy table, that they may rage the more and do harm in the simple host.
29. We, however, who are nourished by the evangelical truth, do not want to rely on our works, but place our hope and salvation in Christ alone, holding nothing more dear than love, by which we stand in good understanding and harmony with him and all his people, that if we serve him under this excellent sacrament, or otherwise in right and godly faith of the Spirit, we also have his love toward all, and thereby become worthy to come to the heavenly table with all the blessed and saints, and to be conformed to his glorious clarity; In such a state we may not only see the very brightest, truest, and most spiritual body manifestly and clearly, but also recognize more closely its most blessed soul and most blessed Godhead, which it has in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit; to whom be glory and praise! Amen.