March 13, 1522
Dr. Martin Luther
Preacher at Wittenberg
We have heard of the things that are necessary, such as the mass, which is regarded as a sacrifice, 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.
You have heard how I preached against the foolish law of the pope and opposed his regulation, 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 a 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.
Against such fools’ laws we have preached, and set forth that no sin is involved in these foolish prescriptions of the pope, 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 allowed you to do, but to make this a matter of compulsion; He cannot allow it at all. If you do not back away from this, neither the emperor nor anyone else need drive me from you, I will go without urging. Yes, 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. They handled the body of Christ, I think, when they had him nailed to the cross and put to death.
No, my dear friends, the kingdom of God consists not in outward things, which can be touched or perceived, but in faith. (Luke 17:20, 1 Corinthians 4:20) 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.” (Matthew 26:36) 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 therefore 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? (What does “Take” mean?) No, 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. (Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23) You must admit that the Lord did not touch or handle it with His hands, for His hands were nailed to the cross.” (Luke 23:36) This verse is a strong argument against me. Again, he cites the passage: Et accepit omnes timor , —”And fear took hold on all,” where again we must admit that fear has no hands. (Luke 7:16)
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 offense everywhere. For the universal custom is, to receive the Blessed Sacrament directly from the hands of the priest. Why will you not serve in this way also 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, for 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.
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 everyone 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 today and falls into his heart, tomorrow 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 someone 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 run ahead and want to force everyone to do it. Dear friends, you will not succeed in that way. And if you desire to be regarded as better Christians than others, because 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 without being asked, and I shall regret that I ever preached as 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 drunk.” 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 offense 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 today. We will continue tomorrow.
Copyright: Public Domain
Translated by A. Steimle. Edited and Language Modernized by Robert E. Smith
From: The Works of Martin Luther. Philadelphia: A. J. Holman, 1915, 2:387-425.
