be difficult [for them] to affirm that Christ's body is also present to the mouth, or to the body, or in the bread and given to the mouth.
If now God would abundantly give grace (which we wish from our hearts) that they also would be one with us on this issue, and together with us affirm and teach this, then unity among us would indeed be a reality, and a great work and miracle of God would be completed.
Wittenberg, January 22, 1531 In this letter Luther once more discusses the document mentioned in letter No. 237.1 He expresses his joy that the matter has progressed to the point that he and Bucer can agree on Christ's presence in the Lord's
Supper. The condition which for Luther has to be fulfilled before unity could be proclaimed, however, is the securing of Christ's real presence in the Lord's Supper. This could be accomplished only by affirming that in the Lord's Supper Christ's true body and blood are distributed to the believer and also the unbeliever. If Bucer cannot join in this affirmation—and Luther envisions this as a real possibility—then unity could not be established, argues Luther, and this for two reasons: (a) Luther's own conscience demands affirmation of the confession that Christ's body and blood are offered to believers and unbelievers alike; and (b) a minister's responsibility for the faith of the communicants permits no yielding at this point, since unity means altar fellowship. To establish altar fellowship before agreement on the manducatio oralis impiorum2 had been reached would mean that communicants could receive something other than what they believed they were receiving. Luther pleads with Bucer to interpret his stand not as a matter of stubbornness, but as a matter pertaining to conscience and faith. This plea is underscored by Luther's statement that unity among the evangelicals is a matter highly desirable, even necessary, for the promotion of the gospel. In conclusion Luther assures Bucer of his continuous prayers for Christ's guidance and grace that unity may indeed come.
On Martin Bucer, see LW 48, 247, n. 13.
Text in Latin: WA, Br 6, 25–26.3
To the venerable Mr. Martin Bucer,4 a minister of God's Word in the church at Strassburg, my superior5 Grace and peace in Christ. We have read the small confession6 which you, my Bucer, have sent, and we approve of it. We give thanks to God that we agree at least, as you write, insofar as we both confess that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the Lord's Supper, and that together with the Words [of Institution] they are distributed as food of the soul. I am amazed, however, that you think that Zwingli and Oecolampadius also share this opinion or position. But now let me speak to you.
If, then, we confess that the body of Christ is truly distributed7 to the soul as food, and if there is no reason for us not to say that the body of Christ is also distributed in this way to the unbelieving soul, although the unbelieving soul does not receive it—just as the light of the sun is offered equally to the seeing and to the blind—I am wondering why it bothers you people to confess also that the body of Christ is offered, together with the bread, externally to the mouth of the believer and unbeliever alike; for through the concession that the body of Christ is distributed to individual souls it is, of course, necessarily granted that the body is present and can be distributed in many places at the same time. If this thought has not yet matured among you people, however, then I think this matter should be postponed and further divine grace should be awaited. I am unable to abandon this position, and if, as you write, you do not think that this position is demanded by Christ's words, my conscience nevertheless holds that it is required.
Therefore I am unable to confess with you that total unity exists between us, if I do not wish to harm my conscience, [or] rather, if I do not wish to sow among us the seed of far worse turmoil for our congregations, and of more dreadful future dissension among us. [This would be the result,] if we had created unity among us in this way. I ask you, therefore, for the sake of conscience and peace in your congregations and in ours, not to let it go so far that we stir up more disturbances and scandals through this remedy for schism, but to entrust this matter to God. In the meantime let us be guardians of whatever peace and agreement thus far has been established, as we declare that the body of the Lord is truly present and distributed inwardly to the believing soul. For you people can easily understand that, if unity were established between us, some of your people would commune in our congregations,8 and also some of