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

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a view she entirely rejects. Though she denies that this presence is merely<br />

spiritual,--if the word spiritual means such as is wrought by our spirit, our<br />

meditations, our faith,--yet, over against all carnal or local presence, she<br />

maintains that it is spiritual. “When," says the Formula of Concord, 486 "Dr.<br />

Luther or we use this word 'spiritually,' in reference to this matter, we<br />

mean that spiritual, supernatural, heavenly mode, according to which<br />

Christ is present at the Holy Supper...By that word 'spiritually,' we design<br />

to exclude those Capernaitish imaginings of a gross <strong>and</strong> carnal presence,<br />

which, after so many public protestations on the part of our Churches, the<br />

Sacramentarians still try to fix on them. In this sense we say that the body<br />

<strong>and</strong> blood of Christ in the Supper is received, eaten, <strong>and</strong> drunken<br />

spiritually....<strong>The</strong> mode is spiritual." "We reject <strong>and</strong> condemn, with<br />

unanimous consent, the Papal Transubstantiation." “We reject <strong>and</strong><br />

condemn with heart <strong>and</strong> mouth, as false <strong>and</strong> full of fraud, first of all, the<br />

Popish Transubstantiation." "It is said that the body <strong>and</strong> blood of Christ<br />

are 'under the form of bread <strong>and</strong> wine,' <strong>and</strong> 'in the Supper,' not to imply a<br />

local conjunction or presence, but for other <strong>and</strong> very different reasons."<br />

"Our first reason for using the phrases, that the body of Christ is under,<br />

with, in, the bread, is by them to reject the Popish Transubstantiation, <strong>and</strong><br />

to set forth that the substance of the bread is unchanged." <strong>The</strong> words<br />

"under" <strong>and</strong> "in" are meant to teach that "the bread which we break, <strong>and</strong><br />

the cup we bless, are the Communion of the body <strong>and</strong> blood of Christ;"<br />

that is, communicate that body <strong>and</strong> blood to us,--or, in other words, we<br />

receive the body <strong>and</strong> blood, with the bread <strong>and</strong> wine, or "in" or "under"<br />

them as a medium. By, in, with, <strong>and</strong> under the act of receiving the<br />

sacramental bread <strong>and</strong> wine truly <strong>and</strong> naturally, we receive the body <strong>and</strong><br />

blood of Christ, substantially present, truly <strong>and</strong> supernaturally, after a<br />

heavenly <strong>and</strong> spiritual manner.<br />

Chemnitz, 1586.<br />

CHEMNITZ ( d. 1586): 487 "All these passages of Scripture with<br />

wonderful accord show, prove, <strong>and</strong> confirm the proper <strong>and</strong> simple doctrine<br />

that the Lord's Supper consists not only of the outward symbols of bread<br />

<strong>and</strong> wine,<br />

486 670, 105, 108; 641, 34; 541, 22.<br />

487 De Fundam. SS. Coene. ch. IX.

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