The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

ody was given for us, but His true body itself was given, it and it alone,
and neither one nor other of all the objects substituted for it, is the first
sacramental object.
By His true blood, we mean that blood which was the actual seat of
His human vitality, that "precious blood" wherewith we are bought. It was
confessedly His true blood which was shed for the remission of sins; but
Christ, in the Lord's Supper, says: "This is My blood, which is shed for the
remission of sins." Now, as neither a doctrine about His blood, nor the
efficacy of His blood, nor the Holy Spirit uniting us with His blood, nor a
sign, symbol, nor memorial of His blood, nor faith in His blood was shed
for sins, and as His true blood alone was so shed, it, and none other of all
the objects substituted for it, is the second sacramental object.
Hence the objection is groundless that our Confession adds to
Scripture by saying that Christ's true body is the sacramental object, for
although that adjective true, is not used in the words of the institution, the
idea is there, if the body which was broken for us is Christ's true body, and
His blood shed for us His true blood. Calvin, and even Zwingli, were
compelled to concede so much.
Hence also falls to the ground the charge of conflicting
representations, when our theologians speak sometimes of the natural
body, and sometimes of the glorified body of Christ as present. Christ's
true body, His natural body, and His glorified body, are one and the same
body in identity. The words true and natural, refer to its essence; the word
glorified refers to its condition. The glorification of His body neither made
it cease to be true nor natural. That is, it was no more an unreal, ideal, or
imaginary body, after the glorification than before. It was identically the
same body, but with a constant and plenary exercise of glorious properties.
What He possessed, but did not ordinarily use in the days of His
humiliation, He now constantly and fully exercises, and this new condition
is called His glorification. Though His natural and true body is present, its
condition is glorified. But though its condition is glorified, it is not in virtue
of that glorification, but because of, and through its union as one person
with God, that it is