We have heard of the things that are necessary, such as the mass,
which is regarded as a sacrifice[17], and of the unnecessary things,
such as the leaving of monasteries by monks, the marriage of priests,
and the images. We have seen how we must treat these matters, that no
compulsion or law must be made of them, and that no one shall be
dragged from them by the hair, but that we must let the Word of God
alone do the work. Let us now consider how we must observe the blessed
sacrament.
[Sidenote: Foolish Law of the Pope]
You have heard how I preached against the foolish law the Pope of the
pope and opposed his precept[18], that no woman shall wash the
altar-linen on which the body of Christ has lain, even if it be a pure
nun, except it first be washed by a pure priest. Likewise, when any
one touches the body of Christ with the hand, the priests come running
and scrape his fingers, and much more of the same sort. But when a
priest is incontinent, the pope winks at it. If the woman bears a
child, he lets that pass, too. The altar-linen and the sacrament,
however, dare not be touched.
[Sidenote: Handling the Sacrament]
Against such fools' laws we have preached, and set forth that no sin
is involved in these foolish prescriptions of the pope, and that a
layman does not commit sin if he touch the cup or the body of Christ
with his hands. You should give thanks to God that you have come to
such clear knowledge, which many great men have lacked. But now you
have become just as foolish as the pope, with your notion that you
must handle the sacrament; you would prove that you are good
Christians by touching the sacrament with your hands. You have dealt
with the sacrament, our highest treasure, in such a way that it is a
wonder you were not struck down by thunder and lightning. The other
things God would have suffered you to do, but to make this a matter of
compulsion. He can in no wise tolerate. And if you do not recede from
this, neither the emperor nor any one else need drive me from you, I
will go without urging; yea, I dare say, none of my enemies, although
they have caused me much sorrow, have wounded me as you have wounded
me in this matter. If you would show that you are good Christians by
handling the sacrament, and boast of it before everybody, then indeed
Herod and Pilate are the chief and best Christians. Methinks they
handled the body of Christ when they had him nailed to the cross and
put to death.
[Sidenote: What does "Take" mean?]
Nay, my dear friends, the kingdom of God consists not in outward
things, which can be touched or perceived, but in faith [Luke 17:20].
But you may say: We live and should live in accordance with the
Scriptures, and God has instituted the sacrament in such a manner that
we should take it with our hands, for He said: "Take and eat, this is
my body." [Matt. 26:26] Answer: Though I am convinced beyond a doubt
that the disciples of the Lord took it with their hands, and though I
admit that you may do the same without committing sin, nevertheless I
can neither make it compulsory nor prove that it is the only way. And
my reason therefor is this: when the devil, in his seeking after us,
argues, Where have you read in the Scriptures that "take" means
"seizing with the hands"?--how shall I prove or defend it? Nay, how
will I answer him when he cites, from the Scriptures, the very
opposite, and proves that "take" does not mean to receive with the
hands only, but also to convey to ourselves in other ways? "See, my
good fellow," so he says, "how the word 'take' is used by three
Evangelists in describing the taking of gall and vinegar by the Lord
[Matt. 27:34, Mark 15:23, Luke 23:26]. You must admit that the Lord
did not touch or handle it with His hands, for His hands were nailed
to the cross." This verse is a strong argument against me. Again, he
cites the passage: _Et accepit omnes timor_,--"And fear took hold on
all," [Luke 7:16] where again we must admit that fear has no hands.
Thus I am driven into a corner and must concede, even against my will,
that "take" means not only to receive with the hands, but to convey to
myself in any other way in which it can be done. So you see, dear
friends, we must be on firm ground, if we are to withstand the devil's
attack. Although I must acknowledge that you committed no sin when you
touched the sacrament with your hands, nevertheless I must tell you
that it was not a good work, because it caused offence everywhere.
For the universal custom is, to receive the blessed sacrament directly
from the hands of the priest. Why will you not herein also serve those
who are weak in the faith and abstain from your liberty? It does not
help you if you do it, nor harm you if you do it not.
Therefore no new practices should be introduced, unless the Gospel has
first been thoroughly preached and understood, even as it has been
with you. On this account, dear friends, let us deal soberly and
wisely in the things that pertain to God, or God will not be mocked.
You may mock the saints, but with God it is vastly different.
Therefore, I pray you, give up this practice.
[Sidenote: Both Kinds in the Sacrament]
Let us now speak of the two kinds. Although I hold that it is
necessary that the sacrament should be received in both kinds,
according to the institution of the Lord, nevertheless it must not be
made compulsory nor a general law. We must occupy ourselves with the
Word, practice it and preach it. For the result we should look
entirely to the Word, and let every one have his liberty in this
matter. Where that is not done, the sacrament becomes an external
observance and a hypocrisy, which is just what the devil wants. But
when the Word is given free course and is not bound to any observance,
it takes hold of one to-day and falls into his heart, to-morrow it
touches another, and so on. Thus quietly and soberly it will do its
work, and no one will know how it all came about.
I was glad to know when some one wrote me, that some people in this
city had begun to receive the sacrament in both kinds. You should have
allowed it to remain thus and not have forced it into a law. But now
you go at it pell-mell, and headlong force every one to it. Dear
friends, you will not succeed in that way. And if you desire to be
regarded as better Christians than others, by this that you take the
sacrament into your hands and receive it in both kinds, you are really
poor Christians indeed! In this way even a sow could be a Christian,
for she has a big enough snout to receive the sacrament outwardly. We
must deal soberly with such high things. Dear friends, this dare be no
mockery, and if you would heed me, give it up. If you will not heed
me, no one need drive me away from you--I will leave you unbidden, and
I shall regret that I ever preached so much as one sermon in this
place. The other things could be passed by, but this cannot be passed
by; you have gone so far that men say: "At Wittenberg there are very
good Christians, for they take the sacrament with the hands and handle
the cup, and then they go to their brandy and drink until they are
drunken." Thus are the weak and simple-minded men driven away, who
would come to us if as much instruction had been given to them as was
given to us.
But if there is any one so stupid that he must touch the sacrament
with his hands, let him have it brought home to his house and there
let him handle it to his heart's content. But in public let him
abstain, since that will not bring him harm and the offence will be
avoided which is caused to our brothers, sisters and neighbors, who
are now so angry with us that they are ready to kill us. I may say
that none of the enemies who have opposed me until now have brought so
much grief upon me as you.
This is enough for to-day; we shall continue on the morrow.