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Messalina emerged from her suite to share a light breakfast with her husband. It was not until he had finished munching his wine-soaked bread and cheese that Claudius finally responded to her careful pouting and asked what was wrong. Messalina's sulk darkened into a scowl. "I don't want to talk about it," she snapped.
"All right, don't then." Claudius shrugged.
Paul L. Maier,
The Flames of Rome, p. 21
Outline:
- Introduction (1-2)
- Why our Lord instituted this holy sacrament (3-6)
- Since in baptism we have entered God’s spiritual family, it makes sense for God to now nourish us with spiritual food (3-4)
- Christ is our only spiritual food (4-5)
- Christ is distributed to us by the word, but sometimes we are too weak to receive him when he is presented to us by simple doctrine and preaching (4-5)
- Three reasons (6)
- To sign and seal in our consciences the promises contained in his gospel concerning our being made partakers of his body and blood
- To exercise us in recognising his great goodness toward us, and thus lead us to laud and magnify him more fully
- To exhort us to all holiness and innocence, inasmuch as we are members of Jesus Christ; and specially to exhort us to union and brotherly charity
- What fruit and utility we receive from it (7-11; 17-19)
- Directs and leads us to the cross of Jesus Christ and to his resurrection (7-11; 17; cf. 12-16)
- We are presented Jesus Christ as the source and substance of all good (11)
- We are presented the fruit and efficacy of his death and passion (11)
- Helps us recognise our daily blessings, in order that we may ascribe to Jesus the praise which is due (18)
- Powerfully incites us to live holily, and especially observe charity and brotherly love toward all (19)
- How the visible elements are joined to the substance (12-16)
- Jesus is the substance and foundation of the sacraments (11-12)
- Our souls must feed on his body and blood as their proper food (13)
- The bread and wine represent his body and blood much as a dove represented the Spirit at his baptism (14)
- The sacraments should be distinguished from their substance, but one cannot exist without the other (15)
- The sacrament accomplishes what it signifies (16)
- The legitimate use of it (20-32)
- Examine yourselves before partaking (20-25)
- Perceive weakness in ourselves, and strength in Christ
- Dissatisfaction with our whole life
- Anxiety and fear
- Desire and love of righteousness, especially charity
- All are imperfect, but this should drive us to the sacrament (26-28; 30)
- Communion should be observed frequently (29; 32)
- Examine yourself, not your neighbors. It’s the church’s job, not the individual’s, to administer discipline. (31)
- The errors and superstitions with which it has been contaminated (33-52)
- Mass is a sacrifice (34-38)
- Transubstantiation (39-42)
- Carnal adoration (43)
- Infrequent (once per year) communion (44)
- Withholding the cup from the laity (45-46)
- The Word not accompanying the sacrament (48)
- Vain imitation of Old Testament rituals in the Roman sacraments (49-50)
- Recap of Roman errors (47; 51-52)
- Why so much discussion has arisen, even among the Reformers (53-60)
- I take no pleasure in these disputes, but I think it necessary to take part and describe them (53)
- God sometimes allows his people to err (54)
- Luther didn’t much alter the Roman doctrine of the corporal presence (55)
- Zwingli and Oecolampadius refuted the corporal presence but weren’t clear about believing in any kind of presence (56)
- Both parties failed in not having the patience to listen to each other (57-59)
- All agree that we truly partake the proper substance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ (60)
