proponenda, atque apud hos solos sit urgenda. impenitent, and to be urged upon these alone. Art. VII. Art. VII. >DE COENA DOMINI. OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. Etsi Cingliani Doctores non in eorum Theologorum numero, qui Augustanam Confessionem agnoscunt et profitentur [Augsburgische Confessionsverwandte], habendi sunt, quippe qui tum, cum illa Confessio exhiberetur, ab eis secessionem fecerunt: tamen cum nunc sese in eorum coetum callide ingerant, erroremque suum sub prætextu piæ illius Confessionis quam latissime spargere conentur, etiam de hac controversia Ecclesiam Dei erudiendam judicavimus. Although the Zwinglian doctors are not to be reckoned as in the number of those theologians who acknowledge and profess the Augsburg Confession, inasmuch as, when that Confession was set forth, they seceded from them; yet, since they are at this present craftily intruding themselves into their company, and endeavoring to disseminate their error as widely as possible, under cover of that godly Confession, we have judged that the Church of God ought to be instructed concerning this controversy also. Status Controversiæ. Statement of the Controversy. Quæ est inter nos et Sacramentarios in hoc articulo. Which exists between us and the Sacramentarians in this article. Quæritur, an in Sacra Coena verum corpus et verus sanguis Domini nostri Jesu Christi vere et substantialiter sint præsentia, atque cum pane et vino distribuantur, et ore sumantur, ab omnibus illis, qui hoc Sacramento utuntur, sive digni sint, sive indigni, boni aut mali, fideles aut infideles, ita tamen, ut fideles It is asked whether in the Holy Supper the true body and true blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are truly and substantially present, and are distributed with the bread and wine, and are taken with the mouth by all those who use this sacrament, be they worthy or unworthy, good or bad, believers or unbelievers, in such wise, nevertheless, as that believers
e Coena Domini consolationem et vitam percipiant, infideles autem eam ad judicium sumant. Cingliani hanc præsentiam et dispensationem corporis et sanguinis Christi in Sacra Coena negant: nos vero eandem asseveramus. derive consolation and life from the Supper of the Lord, but unbelievers take it unto condemnation? The Zwinglians deny this presence and dispensation of the body and blood of Christ in the Holy Supper, but we affirm the same. Ad solidam hujus controversiæ explicationem primum sciendum est, duo esse Sacramentariorum genera. Quidam enim sunt Sacramentarii crassi admodum: hi perspicuis et claris verbis id aperte profitentur, quod corde sentiunt, quod videlicet in Coena Domini nihil amplius quam panis et vinum sint præsentia, ibique distribuantur et ore percipiantur. Alii autem sunt versuti et callidi, et quidem omnium nocentissimi Sacramentarii: hi de negotio Coenæ Dominicæ loquentes, ex parte nostris verbis splendide admodum utuntur, et præ se ferunt, quod et ipsi veram præsentiam veri, substantialis atque vivi corporis et sanguinis Christi in Sacra Coena credant, eam tamen præsentiam et manducationem dicunt esse spiritualem, quæ fiat fide. Et hi posteriores Sacramentarii sub his splendidis verbis eandem crassam, quam priores habent, opinionem occultant et retinent: For a solid explication of this controversy, it is first to be understood that there are two sorts of sacramentarians. For some are exceedingly gross sacramentarians; these in perspicuous and plain words openly profess that which they think in their heart, to wit: that in the Lord's Supper there is nothing more present than bread and wine, which alone are there distributed and received with the mouth. But others are astute and crafty, and thereby the most harmful of all the sacramentarians; these, when talking of the Lord's Supper, make in part an exceedingly high-sounding use of our mode of speaking, declaring that they too believe in a true presence of the true, substantial, and living body and blood of Christ in the Holy Supper, which presence and manducation, nevertheless, they say to be spiritual, such as takes place by faith. And yet these latter sacramentarians, under these high-sounding phrases, hide and hold
quod videlicet præter panem et vinum nihil amplius in Coena Domini sit præsens, et ore sumatur. Vocabulum enim (spiritualiter) nihil aliud ipsis significat, quam Spiritum Christi, seu virtutem, absentis corporis Christi, ejusque rneritum, quod præsens sit: ipsum vero Christi corpus nullo prorsus modo esse præsens, sed tantummodo id sursum in supremo coelo contineri sentiunt, et affirmant, oportere nos cogitationibus fidei sursum assurgere, inque cælum ascendere, et ibidem (nulla autem ratione cum pane et vino Sacræ Coenæ) illud corpus et sanguinem Christi quærendum esse. fast the same gross opinion which the former have, to wit: that, besides the bread and wine, there is nothing more present or taken with the mouth in the Lord's Supper. For the term (spiritualiter) signifies nothing more to them than the Spirit of Christ or the virtue of the absent body of Christ and his merit, which is present; but they think that the body of Christ itself is in no way whatever present, but is contained above in the highest heaven, and they affirm that it behooves us by the meditations of faith to rise on high and ascend into heaven, and that this body and blood of Christ are to be sought there, and in nowise in union with the bread and wine of the Holy Supper. Affirmativa. Affirmative. Confessio sinceræ doctrinæ, de Coena Domini, contra Sacramentarios. Confession of the sound doctrine of the Supper of the Lord against the Sacramentarians. I. Credimus, docemus et confitemur, quod in Coena Domini corpus et sanguis Christi vere et substantialiter sint præsentia, et quod una cum pane et vino vere distribuantur atque sumantur. I. We believe, teach, and confess that in the Lord's Supper the body and blood of Christ are truly and substantially present, and that they are truly distributed and taken together with the bread and wine. II. Credimus, docemus et confitemur, verba Testamenti Christi non aliter accipienda esse, quam sicut verba ipsa ad literam sonant: ita, ne panis absens Christi corpus, et vinum II. We believe, teach, and confess that the words of the Testament of Christ are not to be otherwise received than as the words themselves literally sound, so that the bread does not signify the absent
absentem Christi sanguinem significent, sed ut propter sacramentalem unionem, panis et vinum vere sint corpus et sanguis Christi. body of Christ and the wine the absent blood of Christ, but that on account of the sacramental union the bread and wine are truly the body and blood of Christ. III. Jam quod ad Consecrationem attinet, credimus, docemus et confitemur, quod nullum opus humanum, neque ulla Ministri Ecclesiæ pronunciatio præsentiæ corporis et sanguinis Christi in Coena causa sit, sed quod hoc soli omnipotenti virtuti Domini nostri Jesu Christi sit tribuendum. III. Moreover, as concerns the consecration, we believe, teach, and confess that no human work, nor any utterance of the minister of the Church, is the cause of the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Supper, but that this is to be attributed to the omnipotent power of our Lord Jesus Christ alone. IV. Interim tamen unanimi consensu credimus, docemus et confitemur, in usu Coenæ Dominicæ verba institutionis Christi nequaquam omittenda, sed publice recitanda esse, sicut scriptum est (1 Cor. x. 16): 'Calix benedictionis, cui benedicimus, nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est?' etc. Illa autem benedictio fit per recitationem verborum Christi. IV. Nevertheless, we believe, teach, and confess, by unanimous consent, that in the use of the Lord's Supper the words of the institution of Christ are by no means to be omitted, but are to be publicly recited, as it is written (1 Cor. x. 16): 'The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?' etc. And this benediction takes place by the recitation of the words of Christ. V. Fundamenta autem, quibus in hoc negotio contra Sacramentarios nitimur, hæc sunt, quæ etiam D. Lutherus in majore sua de Coena Domini Confessione posuit: V. Now the foundations on which we rest in this controversy with the sacramentarians are the following, which, moreover, Dr. Luther has laid in his Larger Confession concerning the Supper of the Lord: Primum fundamentum est articulus fidei nostræ Christianæ, videlicet Jesu Christus est verus, The first foundation is an article of our Christian faith, to wit: Jesus Christ is true, essential, natural,
essentialis, naturalis, perfectus Deus et homo in unitate personæ, inseparabilis et indivisus. perfect God and man in unity of person, inseparable and undivided. Secundum, quod dextera Dei ubique est: ad eam autem Christus, ratione humanitatis suæ, vere et reipsa, collocatus est, ideoque præsens gubernat, in manu sua, et. sub pedibus suis, ut Scriptura loquitur (Eph. i. 22), habet omnia, qua, in coelo sunt et in terra. Ad eam Dei dexteram nullus alius homo, ac ne Angelus quidem, sed solus Mariæ Filius collocatus est, unde et ea, quæ diximus, præstare potest. Secondly: that the right hand of God is every where, and that Christ, in respect of his humanity, is truly and in very deed seated thereat, and therefore as present governs, and has in his hand and under his feet, as the Scripture saith (Eph. i. 22), all things which are in heaven and on earth. At this right hand of God no other man, nor even any angel, but the Son of Mary alone, is seated, whence also he is able to effect those things which we have said. Tertium, quod verbum Dei non est falsum, aut mendax. Thirdly: that the Word of God is not false or deceiving. Quartum, quod Deus varios modos novit, et in sua potestate habet, quibus alicubi esse potest, neque ad unicum illum alligatus est, quem Philosophi localem aut circumscriptum appellare solent. Fourthly: that God knows and has in his power various modes in which he can be any where, and is not confined to that single one which philosophers are wont to call local or circumscribed. VI. Credimus, docemus et confitemur, corpus et sanguinem Christi non tantum spiritualiter per fidem, sed etiam ore, non tamen Capernaitice, sed supernaturali et cælesti modo, ratione sacramentalis unionis, cum pane et vino sumi. Hoc enim verba Christi perspicue testantur, quibus præcipit, accipere, edere, bibere: idque ab Apostolis factum VI. We believe, teach, and confess that the body and blood of Christ are taken with the bread and wine, not only spiritually through faith, but also by the mouth, nevertheless not Capernaitically, but after a spiritual and heavenly manner, by reason of the sacramental union. For to this the words of Christ clearly bear witness, in which he enjoins us to
esse, Scriptura commemorat, dicens (Mark xiv. 28): 'Et biberunt ex eo omnes.' Et Paulus inquit (1 Cor. x. 16): 'Panis, quem frangimus, est communicatio corporis Christi;' hoc est, qui hunc panem edit, corpus Christi edit. Idem magno consensu præcipui ex antiquissimis Ecclesiæ, Doctoribus, Chrysostomus, Cyprianus, Leo Primus, Gregorius, Ambrosius, Augustinus, testantur. take, to eat, to drink; and that this was done by the Apostles the Scripture makes mention, saying (Mark xiv. 23): 'And they all drank of it.' And Paul says: 'The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ;' that is, he that eats this bread eats the body of Christ. To the same with great consent do the chief of the most ancient doctors of the Church, Chrysostom, Cyprian, Leo the First, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustine, bear witness. VII. Credimus, docemus et confitemur, quod non tantum vere in Christum credentes, et qui digne ad Coenam Domini accedunt, verum etiam indigni et infideles verum corpus et sanguinem Christi sumant: ita tamen, ut nec consolationem, nec vitam inde percipiant, sed potius, ut illis sumtio ea ad judicium et damnationem cedat, si non convertantur et poenitentiam agant (1 Cor. xi. 27, 29). VII. We believe, teach, and confess that not only true believers in Christ, and such as worthily approach the Supper of the Lord, but also the unworthy and unbelieving receive the true body and blood of Christ; in such wise, nevertheless, that they derive thence neither consolation nor life, but rather so as that receiving turns to their judgment and condemnation, unless they be converted and repent (1 Cor. xi. 27, 29). Etsi enim Christum, ut Salvatorem, a se repellunt, tamen eundem, licet maxime inviti, ut severum Judicem, admittere coguntur. Is vero non minus præsens judicium suum in convivis illis impoenitentibus exercet, quam præsens consolationem et vitam in cordibus vere credentium et dignorum convivarum operatur. For although they repel from them Christ as a Saviour, nevertheless they are compelled, though extremely unwilling, to admit him as a stern Judge. And he no less present exercises his judgment over these impenitent guests than as present he works consolation and life in the hearts of true believers and worthy guests.