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

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dream), nor locally (as some calumniously assert we believe)...Ours have<br />

often, <strong>and</strong> at large, testified in express words that they in no manner<br />

attribute local space to the presence of the body of Christ in the bread. We<br />

are therefore unjustly accused of drawing down Christ's body from<br />

heaven, or including it locally in the bread, or of making a Christ of many<br />

bodies <strong>and</strong> of many places." 481 “We do not deny that there is a sense in<br />

which it can be truly said that Christ is on the earth, or in the Supper, only<br />

according to (juxta) the divine nature...that is, though Christ, true God <strong>and</strong><br />

man, fills all things both by His divinity <strong>and</strong> humanity, yet He has not the<br />

majesty originally from the humanity itself, which by its own nature can<br />

only be in one place, but has it alone from the divinity, from which<br />

however the humanity is in no place separated." 482 "As a thous<strong>and</strong> years<br />

before God are scarce one day, nay rather, not one moment, so a thous<strong>and</strong><br />

places are before Him, not a thous<strong>and</strong> places; but rather the minutest<br />

point." 483 “All places above <strong>and</strong> beneath are to Iim one place, nay, no<br />

place, nay, no point or place...Such terms applied to Him, as 'filling' the<br />

heavens, 'being everywhere,' ‘dwelling,' 'descending,' 'ascending,' are but<br />

transfers of metaphor." 484<br />

Formula of Concord, 1580.<br />

<strong>The</strong> FORMULA OF CONCORD 485 (1580), in defining its own<br />

position, quotes <strong>and</strong> indorses Luther's words: "Christ's body has three<br />

modes of presence: First. <strong>The</strong> comprehensible, corporeal mode, such as He<br />

used when He was on earth,--the local. To this mode of presence the<br />

Scripture refers when it says, Christ has left the world. Second. In another<br />

incomprehensible <strong>and</strong> spiritual mode it can be present illocally. Moreover,<br />

it can be present in a divine <strong>and</strong> heavenly mode, since it is one person with<br />

God." <strong>The</strong> current error about this view of our Church is, that she holds<br />

that the body <strong>and</strong> blood of Christ are present in the first of these modes,--<br />

481 De personali Unione, Tübingae, 1561, 4to, 1, 2.<br />

482 Sententia de Libello Bullinger, Tübingae, 1561, 4to, XII. See also his book: "De Majestate Domini et de vera<br />

praesentia Corp. et Sang. ejus Francofort, 1562, 4to; "<strong>and</strong> his "Recognitio Prophetic. et Apostol. Doctrinae,<br />

Tübings, 1564."<br />

483 In Lib. I Sam. Horn. XIV.<br />

484 Contra Asotum. Peric. II.<br />

485 667, 98-103.

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