The Lord's Supper in the Theology of Martin Chemnitz Bjarne - Logia

The Consecration |
himself who baptizes, though it be through the minister, and through
His Word brings it about that the baptism is a washing of regeneration
and renewal. Therefore we use the words of institution as an ordinance,
command, promise, and prerogative from our Mediator Jesus Christ, in
order that we may be reminded and made sure with respect to what is
done and believed in the Lord’s Supper. (Ex, 2, 229),
207 Even as early as 1528 Melanchthon privately expressed doubts that
the consecration effected the presence of the body and blood of Christ.
He writes to Balthasar Thuring in January 1528 that Oecolampadius
had been pressing him strongly with the questions as to whether it
was possible that Christ could be called down from heaven: Does this
occur through the merits and prayers of the priest or the people, or, as
they say, by the power of the words? Melanchthon answers in the letter
that he himself has finally come to the opinion that Christ gives us His
body and blood not through the merits and prayers of the priest or the
people, nor by the power of the words, for that, as it is said, is magic. 55
208 Subsequently it became the position of the Philippists that the recitation
of the Verba do not effect the presence of the body and blood
of Christ in the sacrament, but rather, they are merely a general proclamation
of the Gospel. In 1563 Erhard Sperber records an incident
where a Philippist insists that it is “magic” to teach that through the
Words of Institution which the officiant speaks the bread and wine
are consecrated to be the true body and blood of Christ, and that the
Words of Institution are not a part or a quality of the sacrament but
only public proclamation to the people concerning the use and the
fruit of the sacrament. 56
209 The answer of the Gnesio-Lutheran to this doctrinal stance of the
Philippist is precisely that which Chemnitz asserts (see p. 79), namely,
that it is not magia because what is done is done at the command and
through the word of God, and what takes place is precisely what God
says, because it is a powerful word. It would be different if evil people
said something without the command of God. That might be termed
the devil’s magic. But there is no similarity of such activities to the
institution of the Lord’s Supper. 57
210 It should also be noted that the answer which the Gnesio-Lutheran
gave to the Philippist is identical with Luther’s answer to the
fanatics. The consecration was not superstition or “magic.” Luther
says: