LUTHER, CALVIN & THE MASS
In this post I will cite from both Martin Luther and John Calvin admitting that the Eucharist was viewed to be Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice by the Church universally, with Calvin virtually admitting that this has been the belief from time immemorial. Calvin even dared to claim that this was due to the work of Satan who somehow managed to obscure and obliterate what he thinks was the true meaning of the Mass, keeping Christians in the dark for ages without God bothering to do anything about it until the time of the reformation!
MARTIN LUTHER
2.37 The third captivity of this sacrament is that most wicked abuse of all, in consequence of which there is today no more generally accepted and firmly believed opinion in the Church than this — that the mass is a good work and a sacrifice. This abuse has brought an endless host of others in its wake, so that the faith of this sacrament has become utterly extinct and the holy sacrament has truly been turned into a fair, tavern, and place of merchandise. Hence participations, brotherhoods, intercessions, merits, anniversaries, memorial days, and the like wares are bought and sold, traded and bartered in the Church, and from this priests and monks derive their whole living.
This excerpt is taken from Luther’s work, which can be accessed here:
A Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520)
Martin Luther – The Babylonian Captivity of the Church 1520
JOHN CALVIN
Chapter 653. Of The Popish Mass. How It Not Only Profanes, But Annihilates The Lord’s Supper.
1. By these and similar inventions, Satan has attempted to adulterate and envelop the sacred Supper of Christ as with thick darkness, that its purity might not be preserved in the Church. But the head of this horrid abomination was, when he raised a sign by which it was not only obscured and perverted, but altogether obliterated and abolished, vanished away and disappeared from the memory of man—namely, when, with most pestilential error, he blinded almost the whole world into the belief that the Mass was a sacrifice and oblation for obtaining the remission of sins. I say nothing as to the way in which the sounder Schoolmen at first received this dogma.654 I leave them with their puzzling subtleties, which, however they may be defended by cavilling, are to be repudiated by all good men, because, all they do is to envelop the brightness of the Supper in great darkness. Bidding adieu to them, therefore, let my readers understand that I am here combating that opinion with which the Roman Antichrist and his prophets have imbued the whole world— viz. that the mass is a work by which the priest who offers Christ, and the others who in the oblation receive him, gain merit with God, or that it is an expiatory victim by which they regain the favour of God. And this is not merely the common opinion of the vulgar, but the very act has been so arranged as to be a kind of propitiation, by which satisfaction is made to God for the living and the dead. This is also expressed by the words employed, and the same thing may be inferred from daily practice. I am aware how deeply this plague has struck its roots; under what a semblance of good it conceals its true character, bearing the name of Christ before it, and making many believe that under the single name of Mass is comprehended the whole sum of faith. But when it shall have been most clearly proved by the word of God, that this mass, however glossed and splendid, offers the greatest insult to Christ, suppresses and buries his cross, consigns his death to oblivion, takes away the benefit which it was designed to convey, enervates and dissipates the sacrament, by which the remembrance of his death was retained, will its roots be so deep that this most powerful axe, the word of God, will not cut it down and destroy it? Will any semblance be so specious that this light will not expose the lurking evil? (John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion)
The view of Luther and Calvin basically mean that the Devil triumphed over the risen Christ by managing to lead the Church astray from the very beginning about the true nature of the Mass. This because all of the extant historical sources are basically unanimous in affirming that Christians from the very beginning viewed the Eucharist as Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice.
Therefore, if Luther and Calvin are right then Satan defeated Christ by deceiving believers the world over into thinking that they were receiving the once and for all perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus every time they went to the Mass.
Suffice it to say, such a view is utterly blasphemous and an assault against the sovereignty and faithfulness of the Triune God who promised in his inspired Word that he would never fail the Church. Rather, the risen Lord of glory swore that he would always remain with his Body until the end in order to guarantee that the Church would always be empowered to be the very pillar and foundation of the truth, being the very mechanism and vehicle that the Triune God would employ to make sure that his incorruptible truth could always be found and accessed for the salvation of mankind:
“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Matthew 16:15-19
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you… But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:16-17, 26
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:12-13
“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church… And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:17, 25-32
“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” 2 Timothy 1:13-14
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:1-2
“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:14-16
The fact is that it was Luther and Calvin who were deceived by Satan, being inspired by him to deceive countless numbers of innocent lambs to embrace false, heretical doctrines to their everlasting destruction.
All Scriptural references taken from the New King James Version (NKJV).
FURTHER READING
What the Early Church Believed: The Real Presence