Consolation_ above, p. 149.

A TREATISE ON THE NEW TESTAMENT

THAT IS THE HOLY MASS

1520

INTRODUCTION

The _Treatise on the New Testament, that is, on the Holy Mass_,
was published in the year 1520[1] In the beginning of August of
that year, Luther's Address to the Christian Nobility of the
German Nation had appeared, in which he had touched upon the
subject of the mass,[2] but refused to express himself fully at
that time, promising to take up this question later, a promise
which he had already made in his _Treatise on Good Works_, of
May, 1520.[3] He must have begun the preparation of this
_Treatise on the New Testament_ while the _Address to the
Christian Nobility_ was still in press, because on Aug. 3 it was
already finished and ready for publication.[4] The treatise,
therefore, takes its place between Luther's two famous writings,
the _Address to the Christian Nobility_ and the _Babylonian
Captivity of the Church_, which appeared in Oct, 1520. Its tone
is remarkably quiet, and its aim predominantly constructive. It
is one of those devotional tracts which Luther issued from time
to time between his larger publications, and which appear like
roses among the thorns of his polemical writings.

The doctrine of the Lord's Supper was one of the most corrupt
doctrines of the Roman Church, and it was, therefore, but natural
that Luther should have written extensively on this subject, even
at the beginning of the work of reformation. From this period,
when the opposition of the Sacramentarians[5] to the doctrine of
the Real Presence had not yet arisen we have four writings of
Luther in which he makes this sacrament a subject of special
discussion. These are (1) his mild-toned _Sermon von dem
hochwurdigen Sacrament_, etc., of 1519; (2) the present _Sermon
von dem neuen Testament_, etc., of Aug., 1520; (3) the
_Babylonian Captivity of the Church_, of Oct., 1520; (4) the
strongly polemical tract _On the Abuse of the Mass_, 1522.[6] We
shall have occasion to refer to some interesting points of
comparison among these works.

This treatise is divided into sections, ending with number 40,
but section 32 is omitted, so that there are only 39 in all.
Section 1 contains the introduction, section 40 the conclusion.
Sections 2-15 are the positive, constructive part of the
treatise, dealing with the question. What is the Lord's Supper?
In sections 16-34 the sacrificial theory of the Roman Church is
rejected; sections