to-morrow we shall break up, and proceed to Schleitz in the Voigtland whither his Electoral Grace
has ordered us.
"Tell Herr Pommer [Bugenhagen] that the best argument of Zwingli was that corpus non
potest esse sine loco: ergo Christi corpus non est in pane. Of Oecolampadius: This sacramentum
est signum corporis Christi. I think God has blinded their eyes.
"I am very busy, and the messenger is in a hurry. Give to all a good night, and pray for us.
We are all fresh and hale, and live like princes. Kiss for me little Lena and little Hans (Lensgen
und Hänsgen).
"Your obedient servant,
"M. L."
"P. S.—John Brenz, Andrew Osiander, Doctor Stephen [Agricola] of Augsburg are also
here.
"People are crazy with the fright of the sweating plague. Yesterday about fifty took sick,
and two died."^871
At last Luther yielded to the request of the Landgrave and the Swiss, retired to his closet,
and drew up a common confession in the German language. It consists of fifteen articles expressing
the evangelical doctrines on the Trinity, the person of Christ, his death and resurrection, original
sin, justification by faith, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the sacraments.
The two parties agreed on fourteen articles, and even in the more important part of the
fifteenth article which treats of the Lord’s Supper as follows: —
We all believe, with regard to the Supper of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, that it ought to
be celebrated in both kinds, according to the institution of Christ; that the mass is not a work by
which a Christian obtains pardon for another man, whether dead or alive; that the sacrament of the
altar is the sacrament of the very body and very blood of Jesus Christ; and that the spiritual
manducation of this body and blood is specially necessary to every true Christian. In like manner,
as to the use of the sacrament, we are agreed that, like the word, it was ordained of Almighty God,
in order that weak consciences might be excited by the Holy Ghost to faith and charity.
"And although at present we are not agreed on the question whether the real body and blood
of Christ are corporally present in the bread and wine, yet both parties shall cherish Christian charity
for one another, so far as the conscience of each will permit; and both parties will earnestly implore
Almighty God to strengthen us by his Spirit in the true understanding. Amen."^872
(^871) De Wette, III. 512 sq.
(^872) I add the German original in the antiquated spelling, from the archives in Zürich (as published by Usteri in 1883):—
"Vom Sacrament des leibs und bluts Christi."
"Zum fünnffzehennden Gleuben unnd hallten wir alle | vonn dem Nachtmale unnsers lieben herrn Jhesu Christi | das
man bede gestallt nach Innsetzung Christi prauchen soll | das ouch die Messe nicht ein werck ist | do mit einer dem andren tod
oder lebendig gnad erlangt. | Das auch das Sacrament desz Altars | sey ein Sacrament desz waren leibs unnd pluts | Jhesu
Christi und die geistliche Niessung desselbigen leibs unnd pluts | einem Iden Christen fürnemlich vonn nöthen | deszgleichen
der prauch desz Sacraments | wie das wort | von Gott dem allmechtigen gegeben | unnd geordennt sey | damit die schwachen
Gewissen | zu gleuben | zubewegen | durch den heyligenn Geist. Unnd wiewol aber wir unns | ob der war leyb unnd plut Christi
| leiplich im prot unnd weinsey | diser Zeit nit vergleicht haben | so soll doch ein theyl gegen den anndern Christliche lieb | so
fern Idesz gewissen ymmer leiden kan | erzeigen | unnd bede theyl | Gott den Allmechtigen vleyssig bitten | das er unns durch
seinen Geist den rechten verstanndt bestetigen well. Amen."