THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMPHASIS ON THE ...

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with respect to the Holy Spirit, which makes it ambiguous, just as well taken to mean "non-corporeally," or "not carnally," as "by the Spirit." In September 1536, Bucer published anew his gospels commentary, entitled In Sacra Quatuor Evangelia, Ennarationes. Its various changes included four sections headed with the term Retractatio: "retraction," or, to render it more moderately, "reconsideration." 924 As in the Defensio, Bucer is adamant that the signa exhibitiva are non nuda. 925 According to the fathers, these are sacramental signs, and as such they are exhibitive signs: the id is sisted with—such that the hands, so to speak, carry—what is 924 A Retractatio de Coena Domini is inserted into his commentary on Matthew 26:26; a Retractatio is inserted at the outset of his commentary on John; a Retractatio is inserted at the outset of his exposition of John 6:63; and, finally, a Retractio is inserted into his De sacro baptismate tractatio found in his commentary on Matthew 3. Bucer eventually published "an enlarged German version of his retractions under the title Corrections (Verbesserung)" (Martin Greschat, Martin Bucer: A Reformer and His Times, trans. Stephen E. Buckwalter [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004], 141). 925 "Obiiciuntur. hic à nonnullis S. Patres. maxime. D. Aug. qui subinde panem signum corporis Domini vocent, & rem sacramenti huius signi ipsam faciant communionem, & concorporationem cum Domino, qua vivit ille in nobis, & nos in eo, qui denique affirment neminem revera corpus, & sanguinem Domini edere, nisi qui manserit in Domino, & habeat illum manentem in se. Scribunt quidem haec Patres, & clarissime omnium D. Agustinus: quòd enim ex pane, & vino aliud quam signa corporis, & sanguinis Domini faciant? Et cur id non potissimum in tractatione, huius sacramenti exprimant, cuius causa dicuntur et geruntur in sacra coena omnia? Totus sane sacramentorum usus huius gratia institutus est, ut Christo incorporemur, & in hac eius communione cotidie proficiamus. At ubi faciunt S. Patres signa sacramentalia signa Christi absentis, aut dicunt ita exhiberi hic nobis communionem Christi, eiusque incrementum, ut ipse nobis absit? Vocant S. Patres signa sacramentalia signa, sed intelligunt signa exhibitiva, quibus id sistitur, et quasi in manus traditur, quod illa significat. Quale signum non erat manuum impositio, & sufflatus in discipulos, quibus signis suam exhibebat benedictionem, & spiritum sanctum. Praecipuum cur se Dominus nobis in coena exhibet, docent merito S. Patres communicationem esse naturae eius, vitae eius, sed ob hanc ipsam communicationem ut vivat ille in nobis, & nos sibi incorporet, illi pleno ore praedicant, nos accipere in sacra coena carnem & sanguinem Domini, ipsumque se nobis in sacra coena vere exhibere. Cum itaque Dominus ipse dicit, Accipite, manducate, hoc est corpus meum, non hic est spiritus meus, virtus mea. Et Paulus. Panis quem frangimus nunquid est communicatio corporis Domini, non spiritus aut virtutis? Et omnis iam inde à tempore Apostolorum Ecclesia idem credit & praedicat cur non & ipsi crederemus & confiteremur simpliciter, in Eucharistia duas res esse: alteram coelestem corpus ipsum, & sanguinem Domini, Dominum ipsum: alteram terrenam, panem & vinum quae non nuda hic signa absentis Christi traduntur, sed cum quibus sistitur, traditur, & percipitur corpus, & sanguis Domini, Dominus ipse. Est. scribit. D. Augustinus, secundum quendam modum sacramentum corporis Christi, corpus Christi: Sacramentum sanguinis Christi, sangunis Christi. At secundum quem modum? ut significet tantum corpus & sanguinem domini absentia?" (Bucer, In Sacra Quator Evangelia, Ennarationes (1536). This is the passage here discussed, taken from the opening dedicatory letter, rendered exactly as it appears in The Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts (Copyright © 2005 Alexander Street Press. L. L. C. and partners; www.alexanderstreetpress.com). 282
signified. Christ himself is encountered in the sacrament, and his body and blood are se nobis in sacra coena vere exhibere, "for the Lord himself said, 'hoc est corpus meum, non hic est spiritus meus, virtus mea.'" 926 Furthermore, he emphasizes that while the confirmation and increase of faith is the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit, 927 Christ uses the sacraments as instrumenta to this end: Christ alone by his Spirit effects the whole of salvation in us, which he does not by some alien power (virtute), but by his Spirit alone. However, to this very end he uses with us the word, whether the visible word in sacraments or the audible word in the Gospel. These offer and exhibit (adfert & exhibet) the remission of sins, communion in him, and eternal life. 928 These, of course, are the very themes Calvin sounds in his doctrine, though Calvin's repeated riff—which Bucer very nearly presents here—is that Christ accomplishes the nourishment of souls with his body and blood "by the power of the Holy Spirit," or "by the power of his Spirit." So, clearly Calvin's pneumatological view is compatible with, perhaps even an assimilation of, Bucer's view, at least as Bucer presents it here in this one, compact passage. 926 See footnote 925. 927 ". . . confirmare & augere fidem esse opus Christi per spiritum sanctum" (Bucer, "Retractatio de Coena Domini" at Matthew 26, En Sacra Quator Evangelia, rendered as it appears in The Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts: www.alexanderstreetpress.com). 928 "Efficit quidem omnem salutem in nobis unus Christus, idque nulla aliena virtute, sed suo solius spiritu. Interim tamen ad id ipsum utitur ad nos suo verbo, tam visibili in sacramentis, quam audibili in Evangelio. His remissionem peccatorum, communionem sui, & vitam aeternam adfert & exhibet." (Bucer, "Retractatio de Coena Domini" at Matthew 26, En Sacra Quator Evangelia, rendered as it appears in The Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts: www.alexanderstreetpress.com) Stephens, The Holy Spirit in the Theology of Martin Bucer, writes of this passage: For Bucer, "there is nothing automatic about the sacrament. Its effectiveness comes not from the symbols, but from Christ acting through the Holy Spirit. Not until now does Bucer link the work of the Holy Spirit unequivocally with the elements, without making the primary reference to the work of the Spirit in the heart. The confirmation of faith rests not on the power of the symbols themselves, but on Christ's power which is dispensed 'by his Spirit through word and sacred symbols'" (Stephens, The Holy Spirit in the Theology of Martin Bucer, 255). "Unequivocally" is perhaps too strong a qualifier here. 283
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THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMP
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THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMP
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For Paul, Liesl, & Annemarie. Witho
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CONTENTS Acknowledgments...........
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply indebte
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ABBREVIATIONS BDS Bucer, Deutsche S
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INTRODUCTION With respect to one of
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and secondary source material to my
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among humanists who dwell deeply on
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of the Greek Fathers for whom the i
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Optima ineundae concordiae ratio (1
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in the Supper," 13 Calvin refers to
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To make his point even more forthri
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I come to close quarters at once wi
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ends. 33 Read critically it becomes
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purpose, 'My flesh is meat indeed,'
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eality" (rei exhibitionem). 51 That
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themselves, because of their "natur
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locally present on earth, at least
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that there is a medium between thes
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another to receive." 85 The "nature
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the mouth of faith, 91 are truly fe
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concordiae ratio of 1560, "raises u
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1.4 Coda under the symbols of bread
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CHAPTER 2 A STUDY OF CALVIN'S REFER
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a historical development." 108 As J
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The chapter itself unfolds as a chr
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instructs us by his Word, confirms
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and blood in the Supper, he does no
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In light of his first treatment of
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y which under bread and wine he rep
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under the bread, or of the blood un
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participation we are fed on eternal
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François Gilmont conclude, "If it
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enclosed under some corruptible ele
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paragraphs before in this very trea
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preaching, as far as God uses the i
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moved and our souls opened for the
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ody, spirit, and soul with him. The
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In this passage Calvin concerns him
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order that they might truly receive
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minister and catechumen. He publish
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exert his energy (virtutem) by his
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same year Calvin published a liturg
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the vital role of the Holy Spirit w
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communicated in the sacrament, and
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(per spiritum), even although it is
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sacramentally, is Calvin's emphasis
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The nub of disagreement between Cal
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are three: "that the signs are not
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seemingly conceded the use of the t
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Spirit still figures as the "agent"
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truly fulfils what he figures, he t
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CHAPTER 3 A NARRATIVE, BIOGRAPHICAL
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with another, one must not simply i
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Paris were reading, appreciating, a
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Faculty and Parlement censured Berq
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devotio moderna" who longed for his
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Beyond the foregoing detail, little
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"brilliant classical scholar" 332 o
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oyally endowed lectures in the 'thr
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In May 1532, Calvin returned to Orl
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writes: "Like most of the humanists
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possibility exists, to which father
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which offered scholars opportunitie
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Oecolampadius' death in 1531 (just
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communes theologici, the first edit
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What of patristic influence? Lane t
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open repudiation of the "papist" in
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the churches and the destruction of
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defended the evangelical position,
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to his complete vilification by the
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is wholly due to "the secret and mi
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intention of devoting himself once
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Among medievals: Calvin cites Thoma
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whether positive or negative, of Me
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sources—the exegesis of Origen, 4
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placing loci into their commentarie
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"confluence" of humanistic and scho
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And, of course, Calvin seems to hav
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specifically refers include Bernard
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By now, an emphasis on the Holy Spi
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traditions, rather than by way of h
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subsequent early expressions (prepa
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distinguished Calvin's earliest ins
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sacraments" as seals of promises).
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that "a static view of the eucharis
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Supper between the publication of t
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Davis continues just a little on: O
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Chrysostom and published it in one
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It was in a sermon which Erasmus ha
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Like van't Spijker, Wendel claims d
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up again the question of the proven
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CHAPTER 5 ASSIMILATION: CALVIN'S DO
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when Calvin concerns himself with "
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the Lord's Prayer, and the Sacramen
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creation, "we are never to doubt or
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We are persuaded that there is for
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Here, the "efficacy" of the Spirit
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length. While the doctrine of the T
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Calvin's Trinitarian conception of
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… our faith receives from baptism
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the Godhead into itself. Now who do
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As noted in Chapter 2, Calvin inter
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Calvin broaches the conception of d
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with respect to the person and work
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In his exposition of the confession
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So Christ, the Son, is appointed by
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us to seal the gift of a thing invi
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himself, not the Spirit, but Christ
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Spirit He consecrates us as temples
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This is evident from Calvin's prefa
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CHAPTER 6 ASSIMILATION: THE THOUGHT
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integrate his ideas into a powerful
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Bourges. 694 So it is not unlikely,
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Luther's own doctrine of the Lord's
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Luther's doctrine of the Lord's Sup
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Supper of 1528, 718 Luther employs
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proof that only a spiritual eating,
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ifurcation of these two views, not
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The point is then, that although Ca
Page 243 and 244: naturally'—vere et efficaciter ex
Page 245 and 246: Therefore just as the word is an in
Page 247 and 248: eading them." 760 Given its context
Page 249 and 250: this view in his definition of the
Page 251 and 252: the contemplation of faith" (adesse
Page 253 and 254: doctrine as an argument for Christ'
Page 255 and 256: physically." This fact seemingly mi
Page 257 and 258: He then proceeds to his exegetical
Page 259 and 260: sharers in all his blessings." 800
Page 261 and 262: century. 808 Oecolampadius had been
Page 263 and 264: Oecolampadius' treatment of the sac
Page 265 and 266: The extent to which Calvin had acce
Page 267 and 268: Clearly Oecolampadius is concerned
Page 269 and 270: Calvin's thought and expression is
Page 271 and 272: faithfully defending his predecesso
Page 273 and 274: which, being received spiritually b
Page 275 and 276: sacraments, as signs of things sign
Page 277 and 278: espect to the sacraments, at least
Page 279 and 280: eliever, operatio spiritu sancti. A
Page 281 and 282: The Zwinglian, even "Karlstadtian,"
Page 283 and 284: judiciously, distinguished his thou
Page 285 and 286: Bucer and Capito given that it was
Page 287 and 288: might have been picked up from Bren
Page 289 and 290: "Lutheran-leaning," or, as Amy Nels
Page 291 and 292: Confessionis Augustanae (1530), 912
Page 293: Spirit might incite confusion, migh
Page 297 and 298: The 1537 Synod of Bern was called,
Page 299 and 300: This is the confession Bucer ratifi
Page 301 and 302: Lausanne, but also the Pays de Vaud
Page 303 and 304: the disputation, the Lord's Supper
Page 305 and 306: By esprit, Viret is presumably spea
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Page 309 and 310: thought, though never in a direct q
Page 311 and 312: 1542, when he edited for publicatio
Page 313 and 314: efers to the Spirit as the nexus be
Page 315 and 316: Now, it cannot be declared definiti
Page 317 and 318: Charybdis of Zwingli's spiritualist
Page 319 and 320: Since Calvin's early interest in th
Page 321 and 322: "Calvin's use of the fathers (espec
Page 323 and 324: . . . quando hoc beneficii per spir
Page 325 and 326: the Spirit as the vinculum 1013 —
Page 327 and 328: Interestingly, in his presentation
Page 329 and 330: is likely spurious, its preparer be
Page 331 and 332: Once again Calvin's signature expla
Page 333 and 334: of the Institutio, and the expressi
Page 335 and 336: Even though such an expression is n
Page 337 and 338: Throughout the dialog between the K
Page 339 and 340: himself." So Butin, for one among o
Page 341 and 342: sacramental is equivalent merely to
Page 343 and 344: Spirit is not expressed in Augustin
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Ratramnus were monks at the Benedic
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as the papal legate designated to p
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Lord's Supper and Ratramnus'. 1089
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Here, as in the passage above, Ratr
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theological tradition of the church
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8.1 Calvin's Liturgy: Context and C
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himself and printed in Strasbourg i
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On the day of the Lord's Supper, th
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himself invites us to His Table: th
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one "disposes" one's soul "to be no
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edition of his Institutio, "suggest
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Their content is likewise distinct.
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lavishness of God's "peace, grace,
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Bürki suggests. And yet such a ric
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Bucer's rhetorical set-up of this c
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truly be for us the communion of Hi
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in true childlike trust, and always
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"Gott sei gelobet" or a psalm, afte
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The prayer of confession immediatel
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Calvin's Genevan and Strasbourg rub
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not only Germany, but also the Neth
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However, given their thematic struc
Page 389 and 390:
For all their resonance, though, it
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disposition could subscribe to it,
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and beyond? 1213 What is the measur
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CONCLUSION The front matter of this
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expositions of the sacrament—pres
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uniquely ordained for such proclama
Page 401 and 402:
Institutio christianae religionis,
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Hazlett, W. Ian P. "Calvin's Latin
Page 405 and 406:
-----. "Confession on the Eucharist
Page 407 and 408:
-----. De Trinitate, translated by
Page 409 and 410:
Battles, Ford Lewis. "The Sources o
Page 411 and 412:
-----. Revelation, Redemption, and
Page 413 and 414:
Farge, Benjamin W. Orthodoxy and Re
Page 415 and 416:
Guggisberg, Hans R. Basel in the Si
Page 417 and 418:
Koopmans, J. Het oudkerkelijk dogma
Page 419 and 420:
Macy, Gary. The Theologies of the E
Page 421 and 422:
Neuser, Wilhelm H., and Brian G. Ar
Page 423 and 424:
Partee, Charles. "Farel's Influence
Page 425 and 426:
------. "Philip Melanchthon." In Re
Page 427 and 428:
van Stam, Frans Pieter. "Das Verhä
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