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

"little sallow tawny man" who excelled neither in
breadth of judgment, nor in clearness of ideas, nor
in force of eloquence, might be seen daily
haranguing the people, on theological subjects, in
an inflated and mysterious language, which, being
not easily comprehensible, was thought by many to
envelope a rare wisdom. His efforts in the main
were in the right direction. He objected to clerical
and monastic celibacy, he openly declared against
private masses, against the celebration of the
Sacrament in one kind, and against the adoration of
the Host.
Carlstadt took an early opportunity of carrying
his views into practice. On Christmas Day, 1521,
he dispensed the Sacrament in public in all the
simplicity of its Divine institution. He wore neither
cope nor chasuble. With the dresses he discarded
also the genuflections, the crossings, kissings, and
other attitudinisings of Rome; and inviting all who
professed to hunger and thirst for the grace of God,
to come and partake, he gave the bread and the
wine to the communicants, saying, "This is the
body and blood of our Lord." He repeated the act
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