# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1875_S17
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 17 —

took place also with the sacrament of the Old Covenant, the Passover lamb, for no stranger, no one who was not of one faith with the people of God, was allowed to be admitted. The Apostle says (1 Cor. 11) of Christians that by eating and drinking in the Holy Supper they proclaim the death of the LORD. If now partaking of the Holy Supper is a proclaiming of the death of Christ, then everyone thereby enters into confessional fellowship with us. If now those of another faith take part in it, it is deceit and hypocrisy, and the preacher who takes part in it sins grievously. That altar fellowship is confessional fellowship, which a Lutheran simply cannot hold with those of another faith, St. Paul also testifies, 1 Cor. 10:18: "Are not those who eat the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?" That is: whoever eats of the sacrifice on the altar enters into fellowship with the religion in which the sacrifice is offered; for the altar is the symbol of the worship and of the religion. If now someone enjoys the Holy Supper with us and through the actual confessional fellowship becomes a member of our congregation, but in mouth and heart does not in truth hold the same confession, then preacher and member of the congregation dissemble together and mock the Holy One terribly at the altar. Luther gives a powerful testimony against this when he writes to those at Frankfurt: "And in sum, that I come to this matter, it is terrible to me to hear that in one and the same church, or at one and the same altar, both parties should receive one and the same sacrament, and the one party receive mere bread and wine, the other party believe that they receive the true body and blood of Christ. And I often doubt whether it can be believed that a preacher or pastor could be so hardened and wicked as to keep silent about this, and let both parties go on so, each in its own delusion, that they receive one and the same sacrament, each according to its own faith, etc. But if there is such a one, he must have a heart harder than any stone, steel and diamond, he must truly be an apostle of wrath. For Turks and Jews are much better, who deny our sacrament and confess (this) freely; for thereby we remain undeceived by them and fall into no idolatry. But these fellows would have to be the real high arch-devils who give me mere bread and wine and let me take it for the body and blood of Christ, and so miserably deceive. That would be too hot and too hard; God will strike in short order. Therefore whoever has such preachers, or expects such from them, let him be warned against them as against the devil in person." (Warning Writing to those at Frankfurt. 1533. XVII, 2446.)

Luther says here: He falls into idolatry who goes to the Holy Supper with a Zwinglian, because he takes for the body and blood of Christ, the Son of God, what is only bread and wine. Still