De participatione mensae Domini

De participatione mensae Domini

The sign of grace is certainly the participation in the Lord's table, which means eating the Body of Christ and drinking the Blood. Thus, it is said in Luke. This is the cup of the New Testament, etc. Item I. As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me; that is, when you do this, remember the gospel or the forgiveness of sins.^✦ Therefore, it is not a sacrifice, since he wrote: the Mass is regarded as a matter of profit, the sacred heart of the Lord is the burning question in Wittenberg. Therefore, it is necessary to remind the heart of the promises of grace and to affirm that the promises of grace, which are without the word, are useless for the Mass. And always, the sign is incomparably more important than the word. You can be without a sign, but you cannot be without the Word. On participation in the Lord's table. This is established so that it may certainly remind us of the promises of the Gospel. Participation in the table does not remove sin, but faith does; and this is confirmed by that sign. Just as the sight of Christ did not justify Stephen when he was already to be killed, but confirmed his faith by which he was justified and brought to life, so too, participation in the Lord's table does not justify, but confirms faith, as I said above. Therefore, all unholy Masses are worthless, except those that uplift the conscience to strengthen faith. A sacrifice is when we offer something to God; however, we do not offer Christ to God, since He offered Himself once for all. Therefore, those who celebrate Masses for this purpose, as if they were doing some good work, to offer Christ to God for the living and the dead, thinking that this will make their pleas more effective, are gravely mistaken. I believe that many of these errors should be attributed to Thomas, who taught that the Mass benefits others besides the one who receives it. The significance of this Sacrament is to strengthen us whenever our consciences waver and whenever we doubt God's will toward us. This happens often, especially when we are faced with death; therefore, those who are about to die need to be strengthened. A Christian life isn't possible unless we die continually. I believe that confirmation is the laying on of hands. I believe that anointing is what it is about, as the sea. But I don't see that these signs have been handed down to clearly signify grace. Marriage is not an institution meant to signify grace; this is not something we should doubt. But what comes to mind for those who numbered the order of grace among the signs, when the order is nothing other than to choose from the Church those who teach, baptize, bless the table, and distribute alms to the poor? The bishops or presbyters were those who taught, baptized, and blessed the table, while the deacons distributed alms among the poor. Nor were the functions of these distinct, so that it would be fitting for a deacon to teach, baptize, or bless the table. Indeed, these things are permitted to all Christians. For all are guilty of sin that needs atonement. Digitized by Google claves Matth. XYIII. But their management was required by certain individuals, so that there would be those who understood that the ecclesiastical matter needed to be administered and to whom it could be properly referred if anything happened. And just to mention this in passing, the term 'bishop' or 'priest' or 'deacon' does not correspond with the term 'priest'. A priest is called so in Scripture because of the sacrifice and intercession. All Christians are priests, because we offer the sacrifice, which is our body. For there is no sacrifice in Christianity, and we have the right to call upon God, indeed, to appease Him. This refers to Peter's statement: A holy nation, a royal priesthood. For we are kings as Christians, because we are free through Christ, and we have dominion over all creatures, life, death, and sin, as I mentioned above. We, as priests, offer ourselves to God and intercede for our sins. This teaches more broadly. To the Hebrews. Bishops, priests, and deacons are not those who teach, baptize, bless the table, or distribute alms, unless they do so; rather, they are the ministers of the priests of Jezebel, that is, they are in Rome.