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Luther - Works of Martin Luther Vol. 6 - Righteousness is Love

Luther - Works of Martin Luther Vol. 6 - Righteousness is Love

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20The Formula m<strong>is</strong>sae <strong>is</strong> a quite different document. It <strong>is</strong> <strong>Luther</strong>’s best andoutstanding liturgical writing. Issued but a few months after the release <strong>of</strong>the Von ordenung, it reveals a <strong>Luther</strong> who has had to think these mattersover seriously and carefully and who <strong>is</strong> now ready to write about them inthat spirit and at length.The movement for liturgical reform has become widespread. Section aftersection <strong>is</strong> attempting an “Evangelical Mass,” with many varieties resultingand many spirits evident. Thomas Munzer has added h<strong>is</strong> contribution (not apoor one at that! — but from the Reformer’s point <strong>of</strong> view a contaminatedsource). <strong>Luther</strong>’s friends are ins<strong>is</strong>tent that he declare himself and givedirection. The call for help, for definite direction, <strong>is</strong> ins<strong>is</strong>tent; thoseespousing the Reformation want the reformed Mass, but they want it as theFaith alone will dress it. f4 The Formula m<strong>is</strong>sae <strong>is</strong> the answer to th<strong>is</strong>.It <strong>is</strong> a conservative, helpful, constructive document. Here <strong>is</strong> revealed thesometime son <strong>of</strong> the Church treading h<strong>is</strong> new found Way but still valuingthe treasures <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> heritage, purposing to cleanse it <strong>of</strong> the impure anduseless and to glorify the worship <strong>of</strong> God with that in th<strong>is</strong> heritage whichalways has been and still <strong>is</strong> expressive <strong>of</strong> the age-old experience <strong>of</strong>Chr<strong>is</strong>tendom. That he alludes to the genes<strong>is</strong> <strong>of</strong> certain rites or to certainliturgical antiquities will at least quiet the assertion that he was altogetherwithout h<strong>is</strong>torical knowledge <strong>of</strong> these matters. There are critic<strong>is</strong>ms whichcompared with others in other writings are quite mild; there are suggesteddepartures from current practice; but for both critic<strong>is</strong>m and departure there<strong>is</strong> apparent good reason. These are harmonious with the evangelicaldoctrine, and, yet, they are expressive <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong>toric continuity: the very thing<strong>Luther</strong> quite evidently set out to prove not only possible but as being trulyindicative <strong>of</strong> every edifying rite and practice. He again writes about unity <strong>of</strong>practice and the Chr<strong>is</strong>tian’s liberty as related thereto. Of course there areweak spots and not all that he has suggested <strong>is</strong> worth while, but,nevertheless, th<strong>is</strong> writing <strong>is</strong> the high point reached in h<strong>is</strong> liturgical activities.It <strong>is</strong> a pity he was not sat<strong>is</strong>fied to stop with th<strong>is</strong>, for h<strong>is</strong> last major liturgicalwriting, the Deutsche Messe, rivaled the conservative spirit <strong>of</strong> the Formulaand nour<strong>is</strong>hed another “tendency” which found living strength and its“authority” for ex<strong>is</strong>tence in the Messe.The Deutsche Messe arrived three years after the two foregoingdocuments. If one were looking for a descriptive phrase that wouldd<strong>is</strong>tingu<strong>is</strong>h it, in contrast with the other conservative writings, th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>

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