The
THE HESSIAN
CHANCELLOR FEIGE: My gracious prince and lord [Landgrave Philip of Hesse] has
summoned you for the express and urgent purpose of settling the dispute over
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.... And let everyone on both sides present
his arguments in a spirit of moderation, as becomes such matters.... Now then,
Doctor Luther, you may proceed.
LUTHER: Noble prince,
gracious lord! Undoubtedly the colloquy is well intentioned.... Although I have
no intention of changing my mind, which is firmly made up, I will nevertheless
present the grounds of my belief and show where the others are in error....
Your basic contentions are these: In the last analysis you wish to prove that a
body cannot be in two places at once, and you produce arguments about the
unlimited body which are based on natural reason. I do not question how Christ
can be God and man and how the two natures can be joined. For God is more
powerful than all our ideas, and we must submit to his word.
Prove that Christ's
body is not there where the Scripture says, "This is my body!"
Rational proofs I will not listen to.... God is beyond all mathematics and the
words of God are to be revered and carried out in awe. It is God who commands,
"Take, eat, this is my body." I request, therefore, valid scriptural
proof to the contrary.
Luther writes on the
table in chalk, "This is my body," and covers the words with a velvet
cloth.
OECOLAMPADIUS [leader
of the reform movement in
ZWINGLI: I insist
that the words of the Lord's Supper must be figurative. This is ever apparent,
and even required by the article of faith: "taken up into heaven, seated
at the right hand of the Father." Otherwise, it would be absurd to look
for him in the Lord's Supper at the same time that Christ is telling us that he
is in heaven. One and the same body cannot possibly he in different places....
LUTHER: I call upon
you as before: your basic contentions are shaky. Give way, and give glory to
God'
ZWINGLI: And we call
upon you to give glory to God and to quit begging the question! The issue at
stake is this: Where is the proof of your position? I am willing to consider
your words carefully-no harm meant! You're trying to outwit me. I stand by this
passage in the sixth chapter of John, verse 63 and shall not be shaken from it.
You'll have to sing another tune.
LUTHER: You re being
obnoxious.
ZWINGLI (excitedly): Don't you believe that Christ was attempting in John 6 to
help those who did nor understand ?
LUTHER: You're trying
to dominate things! You insist on passing judgment! Leave that to someone else!
. . .
It is your point that must be proved, not mine. But let us stop this sort of
thing. It serves no purpose.
ZWINGLI: It certainly
does! It is for you to prove that the passage in John 6 speaks of a physical
repast.
LUTHER: You express
yourself poorly and make about as much progress as a cane standing in a corner.
You're going nowhere.
ZWINGLI: No, no, no!
This is the passage that will break your neck!
LUTHER: Don't be so
sure of yourself. Necks don't break this way. You're in Hesse,
not
.
http://www.thecaveonline.com/APEH/reformdocument.html#anchordebate