The Colloquy at Marburg.
1. ZWINGLI. At the same time that Luther issued his powerful theses
against popery a man lived in Switzerland whose eyes had also been
opened to the corruption of the church. This was Ulrich Zwingli, pastor
at Zurich. He also wished to help the church, but did not abide by the
pure Word of God. In many things he followed his own reason. Assisted by
the city council he changed the church service at Zurich after his own
fashion. The processions were abolished. Pictures, crucifixes, and
altars were removed from the churches. Communion was celebrated in both
kinds. The bread was carried about the church upon plates, and the wine
in wooden chalices. Concerning Holy Communion Zwingli taught that the
breaking and eating of the bread was a symbolic action. He maintained
that the words of Christ, "This is my body," meant nothing but, "This
represents my body." Of Baptism he likewise taught erroneously. Here
also he followed his reason. He would not admit that the person baptized
was in any way affected by Baptism; Baptism was to him only an external
sign of membership among God's people. He taught many strange things
concerning Christ's work of redemption, and called original sin a mere
infirmity of human nature.
Of these false doctrines the one concerning Holy Communion spread
rapidly and found many adherents. Earnestly and fervently Luther waged
war against this error both in his sermons and in his writings. But the
Zwinglians stubbornly adhered to their error and pursued their own way.
2. THE COLLOQUY AT MARBURG. In 1529 Landgrave Philip of Hesse succeeded
in arranging a colloquy between the Lutherans and the Zwinglians. It
occurred on the first, second, and third of October, at Marburg. Before
the doctrine of the Lord's Supper was taken up several other articles of
faith were discussed. In these points the Zwinglians accepted
instruction and counsel. When, finally, the doctrine of the Lord's
Supper came to be discussed Luther took a piece of chalk from his pocket
and wrote these words upon the table, "This is my body." These words
were his sure, firm ground, and upon it he determined to stand unmoved.
He demanded of his opponents to give all glory to God, and to believe
the pure, simple words of the Lord. However, they clung to their opinion
and cited especially John 6, 63, where Christ says: "The flesh profiteth
nothing." Clearly and unmistakably Luther proved to them that in this
passage Christ does not speak of His _own_, but of _our_ flesh. It would
also be an impious assertion, to say that Christ's flesh profiteth
nothing. Then they maintained: "A body cannot at the same time be
present at two places; now the body of Christ sitteth in heaven, at the
right hand of the Father, consequently it could not be present, upon
earth in the sacrament." Luther replied: "Christ has assumed the human
nature, which, therefore, according to the Scriptures, partakes of the
divine attributes and glory. Wherefore the human nature of Christ is
omnipresent; hence His body and blood is capable of being present in
Holy Communion." When Luther saw that his opponents grew more stubborn
in their opinion he closed the colloquy on his part. With the words,
"You have a different spirit from ours," he refused the hand of
fellowship offered him by Zwingli. Already in 1531 Zwingli perished in
the battle of Kappel. The false doctrines, however, which he had spread
have remained to this day the doctrines of the Reformed church.