# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_December 1855_S370
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

370 The Lutheran Formula of Distribution, etc.

fraternal correction in matters of doctrinal presentation is to him a mote
in the eye or a matter for amusement. In any case he feels himself
above it, although he naively enough betrays to us, in the very essay
cited, that he "did not know at all that the formula 'Our Lord Jesus
Christ says' was the formula of the Union Church!" and that he had
therefore himself proposed this "beautiful formula." Given, by his own
admission, such fabulous ignorance in this gentleman regarding the
history of the liturgy, it certainly appears strange enough when he places
a piece of the liturgy which the orthodox Church has now used for 800
years on the same level as the Baptists' botching of the Bible and the
Rationalists' profanation of the most holy mystery.

But let us leave this "American theologian" and turn to the matter
itself.

In order to arrive at clarity on the point raised, it will be useful if we
first seek the answer to the question: did Christ himself prescribe a
formula of distribution — does, then, some particular formula of
distribution belong to the essence of the Sacrament? Once we have found
the answer to this question, it will not be difficult also to answer this
second one: which formula of distribution may be regarded as admissible,
and which may not.

As for the first question, we believe we can best serve our readers in
finding the correct answer to it if, in this matter, we let our old
theologians — who possessed so deep an insight into the coherence of
doctrine as is scarcely to be found now — speak in our stead.

The Wittenberg theological faculty writes (in the year 1619), on the
question whether, in the administration of the Holy Supper, these or

other similar words — "The body and the blood of Jesus Christ preserve
your body and soul unto eternal life" — must necessarily be spoken, and
must be traced back to where Christ says, "This do in remembrance of
me," as follows:

"This indeed rests upon the institution of the Holy Sacrament, made
by Christ, and in particular upon the words cited along with it: 'This do,
etc.,' inasmuch as thereby regard is had to the final cause of this
administration. In consideration of this it is in the first place quite
certain that, for a wholesome and proper administration of the Holy
Supper, the Lord Christ shall and must be gratefully remembered and his
death proclaimed. Alongside this, however, it stands beyond doubt that
such a commemoration and proclamation of the Lord's death can also take
place without this or an identical formula being repeated for each
communicant — as, for instance: through a preceding admonition;
likewise through recitation of the words of institution; Christian hymns
performed during the distribution; and also indeed the proper and fitting
devotion of each Christian. For this reason one — those in
the question

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