# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Februar 1857_S49
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Lutheran-theological Pastor's Library. 49

authors, give the most certain testimony against themselves. In these very books one sees that a man cannot be moved to write even by a seemingly plausible cause." Luther's writing against the Heavenly Prophets is also especially important because in it the doctrine of Christian liberty with regard to matters of indifference — the use of images and the like — and the distinction between the Old and New Testaments, particularly with regard to the observance of the Sabbath, is set forth so splendidly, so clearly, and with such freshness of faith as one does not find again in his other writings. — The second writing is the following: "Writing that these words of Christ, 'This is my body,' still stand firm, against the fanatics." Luther published this writing in the year 1527. Its distinguishing feature consists in this, that Luther in it, first, from the mere words "This is my body" shatters everything that the sacramentarian fanatics — namely Zwingli and Oecolampadius — had brought forward, with a great expenditure of words and artifice, against the simple biblical doctrine of Holy Communion; second, that he thoroughly demonstrates how John 6 does not deal with sacramental reception; third, that he also rescues the testimonies of the church fathers that had been cited against the pure doctrine. The writing is composed with the fiery zeal of Elijah, who mocked the priests of Baal and fought against them with fire from heaven. Luther himself, however, says at the same time in this writing concerning this: "God knows that with such coarse comparisons I do not wish to speak too harshly of Zwingli, and especially not of Oecolampadius, to whom God has given many gifts above many others, and for whom I am truly and heartily sorry as a man. Nor do I look at them in such words, but only at the proud, mocking devil, who has thus deceived and led them astray, so that I in turn also vent my displeasure upon him, to God's honor, and mock him back in his loutish buffoonery of this kind. For he shall and must yield to God's Word." — The third writing is: "Great Confession Concerning the Supper of Christ. Motto: Keep me simple and upright. Ps. 25." It dates from the year 1528. It consists of three parts; in the first, Luther refutes the objections of Zwingli and Oecolampadius; in the second, he expounds at length all the scriptural texts that deal with Holy Communion; and in the third, he makes a short and complete confession of all the chief articles of the Christian doctrine. Much that Luther had treated more briefly in the writing named under no. 2 is here worked out so thoroughly that not even a single straw is left for his opponents to cling to. Here it is demonstrated, victoriously and irrefutably, that it is impossible for a trope to occur in the recorded words of institution. It is further shown that the doctrine of the God-man person of Christ, far from requiring the Zwinglian rationalistic interpretation, in fact wonderfully and gloriously confirms the plain, simple meaning of the words of the sacrament. It is shown to his opponents that they have not only fallen away from the faith, but are themselves, without any natural logic at all,