[1733] “Werke,” Weim. ed., 26, p. 507; Erl. ed., 30, p. 371. Cp. p. 582 ff.
[1734] Ibid., p. 508=371. In the passage, Erl. ed., 21, p. 140, immediately after the portion of the sentence cited by Köstlin: “The third sacrament which has been called Penance,” there follows: “Which is nothing else but baptism; for,” etc.
[1735] Dec. 15, 1524, “Werke,” Weim. ed., 15, p. 394; Erl. ed., 53, p. 274 (“Briefwechsel,” 5, p. 83). On the pair, see Enders, “Briefwechsel,” 3, p. 412.
[1736] P. 393 f.=273 f.
[1737] Above, p. 410.
[1738] K. Jäger (“Luthers religiöses Interesse an seiner Lehre von der Realpräsenz,” Giessen, 1900) examines the writings dating from the period previous to the Sacramentarian controversy and rightly comes to the conclusion, first, that Luther had above all an ethical interest in regarding as he did the Sacrament of the Altar as a means of strengthening faith by making known the redeeming death of Christ; secondly, that he held fast to the Real Presence on the strength of the traditional faith of the Church without going any deeper into its grounds. Faith in the Real Presence was, however, no suitable means of strengthening the certainty of salvation, because the Presence there does not appeal to the senses nor does it serve as a sign of the forgiveness of sins as Luther supposed. To postulate it primarily on the authority of the Church was to contradict the principles of Lutheranism.—P. 27: According to Luther, by partaking of it we are to be convinced in a “peculiarly vivid and lively manner of God’s Grace.” The partaking of these “signs” was, according to Luther, necessary for us, “because we are still living in sin and our certainty of salvation is ever exposed to attack, and it is useful or suitable because here the Grace of God is offered to each man in a manner that appeals to the senses. Thus the assurance arising from sensible perception is to serve to strengthen and support religious certainty of salvation.” “This is the sole religious importance that can be attributed to the sacramental Body and Blood of Christ.” Nevertheless, “from that very point of view of the religious interest involved in the Supper, which we have seen above to be Luther’s main concern (p. 28), we are forced to deny the Real Presence.” “What is to strengthen our faith in God’s grace must not itself be the object of faith, but, as is evident, must force itself upon our mind by a higher certainty, or to speak more correctly, by a clearer certainty, such as attaches to sensible perception.... A fact which in the last instance itself calls for confirmation, and which in every instance is perceptible only to faith, cannot reasonably serve to support another fact which is of the utmost importance to our life of faith.”
[1739] “Werke,” Weim. ed., 23, p. 143; Erl. ed., 30, p. 65, in the writing “Das diese Wort Christi ‘Das ist mein Leib etce.,’ noch fest stehen.” 1527.
[1740] Ibid., p. 151=69.
[1741] Mathesius, “Tischreden,” p. 341.
[1742] See the passages of Buchholzer and Trabe, two Protestants, in Köstlin-Kawerau, 2, p. 694.