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From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

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<strong>the</strong> thirteenth century. According <strong>to</strong> this tenet, <strong>the</strong><br />

body and blood <strong>of</strong> Christ are really and corporeally<br />

present in <strong>the</strong> elements, but <strong>the</strong> substance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

bread and wine also remains.<br />

Lu<strong>the</strong>r held that in, under, or along with <strong>the</strong><br />

elements was Christ's very body; so that, after<br />

consecration, <strong>the</strong> bread was both bread and <strong>the</strong><br />

flesh <strong>of</strong> Christ, and <strong>the</strong> wine both wine and <strong>the</strong><br />

blood <strong>of</strong> Christ. He defended his belief by a literal<br />

interpretation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> words <strong>of</strong> institution, "This is<br />

my body." "I have undergone many hard<br />

struggles," we find him saying, "and would fain<br />

have forced myself in<strong>to</strong> believing a doctrine<br />

whereby I could have struck a mighty blow at <strong>the</strong><br />

Papacy. But <strong>the</strong> text <strong>of</strong> Scripture is <strong>to</strong>o potent for<br />

me; I am a captive <strong>to</strong> it, and cannot get away."<br />

Carlstadt refused <strong>to</strong> bow <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

great doc<strong>to</strong>r on this point. He agreed with <strong>the</strong><br />

Lu<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> 1520, not with <strong>the</strong> Lu<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> 1524.<br />

Carlstadt held that <strong>the</strong>re was no corporeal presence<br />

<strong>of</strong> Christ in <strong>the</strong> elements; that <strong>the</strong> consecration<br />

effects no change upon <strong>the</strong> bread and wine; that <strong>the</strong><br />

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