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

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

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<strong>The</strong> Biblical Foundation |<br />

Concord, however, which was <strong>the</strong> product <strong>of</strong> several re-writ<strong>in</strong>gs by<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>ologians besides <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, did conta<strong>in</strong> a ra<strong>the</strong>r elaborate<br />

exposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sacrament which employed <strong>the</strong> Aristotelian term<strong>in</strong>ology<br />

such as that already mentioned (par. 56). When <strong>the</strong> formulators<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Formula met <strong>in</strong> May 1576 at Torgau, <strong>the</strong>y did not accept<br />

this section <strong>of</strong> over four hundred words <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> Torgau Book. 7 This<br />

elaboration on <strong>the</strong> Aristotelian model was found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Swabian-Saxon<br />

Concord immediately after what is now SD VII, 90. This explanation<br />

can be correctly understood, although one might <strong>in</strong>fer that <strong>the</strong><br />

consecration is conditional so that <strong>the</strong> Real Presence is not <strong>the</strong>re until<br />

<strong>the</strong> oral sumption completes <strong>the</strong> “action” <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sacrament, <strong>the</strong> causa<br />

formalis (see p. 91 and note #65).<br />

60 John Warwick Montgomery, on <strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> J. Fritschel, recognized<br />

Chytraeus as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chief authors <strong>of</strong> Article VII <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Swabian-Saxon Concord. Chytraeus, act<strong>in</strong>g as <strong>the</strong> secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Rostock faculty, “preferred to rewrite two articles, <strong>the</strong> second and <strong>the</strong><br />

seventh [i.e., <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> document that was f<strong>in</strong>ally presented as <strong>the</strong> Swabian-Saxon<br />

Concord].” 8<br />

61 On March 1, 1577, at <strong>the</strong> Elector’s request, Andreae, <strong>Chemnitz</strong> and<br />

Selneccer cloistered <strong>the</strong>mselves at <strong>the</strong> Bergen Abbey to revise <strong>the</strong><br />

Torgau Book, tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to consideration <strong>the</strong> reactions that <strong>the</strong> Elector<br />

had received to its circulation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> preced<strong>in</strong>g year. By March 14,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y had completed <strong>the</strong>ir work and were ready to report to <strong>the</strong> Elector.<br />

9 Not only did <strong>the</strong> Aristotelian elaboration rema<strong>in</strong> excised, but<br />

for good measure <strong>the</strong> committee elim<strong>in</strong>ated about 1500 more words<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Aristotelian paradigm. 10 This latter section was devoted<br />

to refut<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> standard Sacramentarian objections to <strong>the</strong> Lu<strong>the</strong>ran<br />

doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord’s <strong>Supper</strong>, all <strong>of</strong> which had <strong>the</strong>ir orig<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

denial <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> communication <strong>of</strong> attributes result<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> personal<br />

union <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two natures <strong>in</strong> Christ. <strong>The</strong> Bergic Book (<strong>the</strong> present Formula<br />

<strong>of</strong> Concord) substitutes for all this what is now SD VII, 91:<br />

All <strong>the</strong> imag<strong>in</strong>ary reasons and futile counter-arguments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Sacramentarians concern<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> essential and natural properties <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> human body, concern<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> ascension <strong>of</strong> Christ, concern<strong>in</strong>g His<br />

withdrawal from this world,and <strong>the</strong> like,have been thoroughly,extensively,<br />

and def<strong>in</strong>itively refuted on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> God’s Word by Dr. Lu<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> his<br />

polemical writ<strong>in</strong>gs, Aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> Heavenly Prophets, That <strong>The</strong>se Words “This<br />

is My Body” Still Stand Firm, his Great and Small Confessions Concern<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> Holy <strong>Supper</strong>, and o<strong>the</strong>r writ<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> his. <strong>The</strong> Spiritualists have advanced

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