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

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act there was a natural vision of the natural hills around the city, <strong>and</strong> a<br />

supernatural vision of the supernatural hosts--the horses of fire, <strong>and</strong><br />

chariots of fire. So to the h<strong>and</strong> of the woman, by one objective act there<br />

was a natural touch of the natural garment of the Saviour, <strong>and</strong> a<br />

supernatural touch of the divine virtue, which the garment veiled. So to the<br />

blind man who washed in the Pool of Siloam, by one objective act of<br />

washing there was a natural removal of the clay, <strong>and</strong> a supernatural virtue<br />

which removed the blindness. In his Book: "That the words yet st<strong>and</strong><br />

firm," 477 Luther says: "How it takes place...we know not, nor should we<br />

know. We should believe God's word, <strong>and</strong> not prescribe mode or measure<br />

to Him."<br />

2. Colloquies with the Zwinglians.<br />

<strong>The</strong> true intent of our Church, in the language used in regard to the<br />

Lord's Supper, is shown in the definitions used in connection with the<br />

early efforts at producing harmony with the Zwinglians. When the<br />

L<strong>and</strong>grave of Hesse invited Luther to a Colloquy with Zwingle at Marburg<br />

(Oct. 1529), Luther replied: "Though I cherish little hope of a future peace,<br />

yet the. diligence <strong>and</strong> solicitous care of Your Highness in this matter is<br />

very greatly to be praised...God helping me, I shall not permit those, of the<br />

adverse part, to claim with justice that they are more earnestly desirous of<br />

peace <strong>and</strong> concord than I am." In that Colloquy, the parties were agreed:<br />

"That the Sacrament of the Altar is the Sacrament of the true body <strong>and</strong><br />

blood of Jesus Christ, <strong>and</strong> that the spiritual eating <strong>and</strong> drinking of the body<br />

<strong>and</strong> blood is specially (praecipue) necessary." When Melancthon drew up<br />

a brief statement of the points of difference between the view of the<br />

Zwinglians, he speaks of two general modes of the presence of the body of<br />

Christ,--the one local, the other the "mode unknown (arcano) by which<br />

diverse places are simultaneously present, as one point to the person<br />

Christ...Although we say that the body of Christ is really present, yet<br />

Luther does not say that it is present locally, that is, in dimension (mole),<br />

circumscriptively, but by that mode, by which the person of Christ, or the<br />

whole Christ, is present to His entire Church <strong>and</strong> to all creatures." <strong>The</strong><br />

comparison of views finally led to the<br />

477 Werke: Jena, III. 341.

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