The Practice or Use of the Supper, Remembrance, or Thanksgiving of Christ as it is instituted at Easter in Zurich in the year, as commonly reckoned, 1525.

We entreat all Christian people inhabiting Zurich to be obedient to and serve the word of God. May God grant his grace and peace.

After a long and error-filled era of darkness we are overjoyed, dearest brothers, that God our heavenly Father has revealed the proper way and light through his grace. This was also esteemed so highly by us and was accepted and received with much desire, because the error was all the more damaging and dangerous to us. In spite of the fact that very many errors have arisen and brought harm to faith and love, we realize that not the least have occurred in connection with the celebration of this supper. Just as the children of Israel at the time of Hezekiah [cf. 2 Kings 18:4] and Josiah [cf. 2 Chronicles 34:3-7]1 conquered the kings after a long imprisonment, so we have conquered the Passover lamb again with God’s help, as we hope, and have established it in accordance with its proper use, and we have done so with regard to the essence of the Supper. With regard to the accompanying ceremonies, some should be observed and respected less and others more. Each congregation has an opinion about these ceremonies, and so we, therefore, wish to argue with no one regarding them. Without doubt, all believers certainly know what harm and leading away from God have occurred until now as a result of many of these ceremonies. Therefore, we have been occupied in instructing our people in the use of this Supper (which is also a ceremony, but one instituted by Christ), even though we are disinclined to prescribe ceremonies and ecclesiastical customs through which the old error could eventually again be permitted. However, since the matter is dealt with so poorly and meagerly and in order to acknowledge human ignorance, we have (as they are here specified) established such ceremonies that are useful regarding this matter. We have considered them to be somewhat beneficial and fit for the human heart in fostering the spiritual remembrance of Christ’s death, the increase of faith and brotherly fidelity, the improvement of life, and the prevention of depravity.

However, we do not want to condemn the ceremonies of other churches, such as singing and others (which may all be suitable to them and conducive to fostering devotion), for we hope that all leaders everywhere always endeavor to nurture hearts and to win many people.

We also desire (because this remembrance of the suffering of Christ and thanksgiving for his death should become commonplace among Christians and that an innocent and pious life should follow) that this supper, given by God to us according to his will, reminds us that as members of the body of Christ our irremovable stains and spots have been cleansed and removed. However, how this will happen (because we have little time now) will be explained later in another little book.2

The grace of Christ be with you all.

Notes


  1. The second edition of the pamphlet reads “Ezekiel and Joshua.”
  2. Zwingli means his Ratschlag betreffend Ausschliessung vom Abendmahl für Ehebrecher, Wucherer …. (Huldrych Zwinglis Sämtliche Werke, 4: 25-34. [Number 52]).