Anabaptist: Hubmaier's "A Form For Christ's Supper" (1527) Part I

The liturgy below is of an Anabaptist group in Waldshut. Unlike other Anabaptists, this community was not on the run, but settled in a place where the people enjoyed greater freedom of worship. These Anabaptists were also led by a minister who was a liturgical scholar.

Introduction Balthasar Hubmaier (circa 1480–1528) was the most highly trained of Anabaptist theologians. He matriculated under Johannes Eck at the University of Freiburg and then assumed his mentor's chair in biblical studies in 1510. In 1512 he followed Eck to the University of Ingolstadt where he earned a doctorate. In 1516 he became dean of the cathedral in Regensburg where he developed a reputation for fiery preaching. In 1521 he became the parish priest in Waldshut. Hubmaier's interest in liturgy flourished in his years there. He refers to the ceremonial which he added to the Mass during that time. Waldshut lay in the Austrian-controlled territory of south Germany where mass movements in favor of local political and religious autonomy were afoot. By 1523, Hubmaier had embraced the Reformation and was caught up in Zwingli's reform initiatives at Zurich. His contributions to the Zurich Disputation of 1523 on worship and images show that he was by then an articulate participant in the radical movement. He and several younger thinkers, like Conrad Grebel, pushed the reform of the church beyond what Zwingli would sanction. But unlike the other Anabaptists, Hubmaier held that a believers' church could still be a territorial church, publicly sanctioned and supported. This fact is significant for the present discussion because it means that Hubmaier was creating liturgies for a church in which the majority of the population participated, though, according to his plan, only if they personally confessed Christ and accepted the responsibilities of membership. In addition to this service of the Lord's Supper, Hubmaier also wrote a baptismal service and one for fraternal admonition. While the Anabaptist community at Waldshut was part of a new order trying to overthrow an old one, it was not a band of refugees worshiping on the run or at least on the sly. Nor were they, like most other Anabaptist congregations, made up of people whose intensely personal piety burst the framework of any formal structure of worship. It is probably that this difference in liturgical expression was due not only to the more settled character of Hubmaier's churches but also to the fact that they were led by a liturgical scholar. It is evident from "A Form for Christ's Supper" that Hubmaier was aware of what he was doing and that is expressed the unusual political and theological commitments he had made. A fixed liturgical form is nicely woven together with an openness to charismatic expression. And repeated references to the inward disposition of the worshiper show the decisive significance the author attributed to the faith of the participant. From references throughout Hubmaier's writings at the time, it may be assumed that his service for the breaking of bread was created at Waldshut, though it was not published until he moved to Nicolsberg, Moravia to give his experiment of a territorial church of believers a second chance. Waldshut was located in the middle of the area where the Peasants War was fought. So, even though the Anabaptists were for a time officially tolerated, the population was constantly under threat by its worried Austrian overlords. Thus, the people must have come to church with a mixture of excitement and insecurity. On the one hand, the common people were really determining their own religious destiny; on the other hand, their radical experiment and the movement of which it was a part were viewed by the Austrian crown not only as heretical but also as seditious. Hubmaier's community was apocalyptic in that the intensity of faith asked for by Hubmaier knew no limits: Every baptized believer was asked to be faithful unto death. Just as Christ gave up his life for us, so we ought to give up ours for others in suffering love. That is the promise that makes the bread and wine into a true Lord's Supper, according to Hubmaier. Though the circumstances, initially, were outwardly settled, Hubmaier (and perhaps those with whom he made common cause) knew that the experiment of the common folk went against everything the people on top stood for. He knew that wolves would soon come to prey on his sheep. Radical peasant protests were in the air during Hubmaier's years as an Anabaptist leader in Waldshut. So, people came to church to reenlist in the cause of Christ as the cause of the common person. The liturgy was theirs in two significant ways. Personally, each one was free to speak after the sermon as the Spirit gave utterance. Socially, the form of worship was determined locally by a pastor the people had chosen. Text: The brethren and sisters who wish to hold the table of the Lord according to the institution of Christ, (Matt. 26:26ff.; Luke 22:19ff.; Mark 14:22ff.; 1 Cor. 11:23ff.), shall gather at a suitable place and time, so there may be no division, so that one does not come early and another late and that thereby evangelical teaching is neglected. Such the apostles desired when they asked Christ, "Master, where wilt thou that we prepare the Passover lamb?" Then he set for them a certain place. Paul writes, "When you come together … etc.," (1 Cor. 11:20ff). Then they should prepare the table with ordinary bread and wine. Whether the cups are silver, wood, or pewter, makes no difference. But those who eat should be respectably dressed and should sit together in an orderly way without light talk and contention (1 Pet. 3:3; Eph. 4:29; Heb. 12). Commentary: Hubmaier is in the process of socializing the people to their new worship life. At the beginning, and throughout the liturgy, there are admonitions about everything from promptness to the disposition of the heart which should accompany each part of the service. Hubmaier's own commentary is woven together with rubrics and the text itself. Since everyone should begin by accusing himself and confessing his sins and recognizing his guilt before God, it is not inappropriate that the priest first of all should fall on his knees with the church and with heart and mouth say the following words:

"Father we have sinned against heaven and against thee" (Luke 15:21). We are not worthy to be called thy children. But speak a word of consolation and our souls will be made whole. God be gracious to us sinners (Luke 19:1ff). May the almighty, eternal and gracious God have mercy on all our sins and forgive us graciously, and when he has forgiven us, lead us into eternal life without blemish or impurity, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Commentary: Once the congregants are settled, the "priest" leads them in confessing their sins. He prays with them and together with the people asks God to "have mercy on all our sins." Here it is not a priest offering absolution to a penitent congregation, but a fellow believer seeking absolution in their company. This was a revolutionary experience for sixteenth century Christians. Text: Now let the priest sit down with the people and open his mouth, explaining the Scriptures concerning Christ (Luke 24:31), so that the eyes of those who are gathered together may be opened, which were still somewhat darkened or closed, so that they may recognize Christ, who was a man, a prophet, mighty in works and teaching before God and all people, and how the highest bishops among the priests and princes gave him over to condemnation to death, and how they crucified him, and how he has redeemed Israel, that is, all believers. The priest shall also rebuke those who are foolish and slow to believe all the things that Moses and the prophets have spoken, that he may kindle and make fervent and warm the hearts of those at the table, that they may be afire in fervent meditation of his bitter suffering and death in contemplation, love, and thanksgiving, so that the congregation with its whole heart, soul, and strength calls out to him.

Stay with us, O Christ! It is toward evening and the day is now far spent. Abide with us, O Jesus, abide with us. For where thou art not, there everything is darkness, night, and shadow, but thou are the true Sun, light, and shining brightness (John 8:12). He to whom thou doest light the way, cannot go astray.

On another day the servant of the Word may take the 10th or 11th chapter of Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, or the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, or 17th chapter of John. Or Matthew 3 or Luke 3 on changing one's life, Sirach 2 on the fear of God, or something else according to the opportuneness of the time and persons. No one shall be coerced herein, but each should be left free to the judgment of his spirit. But there must be diligence so that the death of the Lord is earnestly proclaimed, so that the people have a picture of the boundless goodness of Christ, and the church may be instructed, edified, and led, in heartfelt, fervent, and fraternal love, so that on the last day we may stand before the judgment seat of Christ with the accounts of our stewardship (Luke 16:8), and shepherd and sheep may be held together.

Commentary: Next the Scriptures are opened to the people concerning Christ so "that they may be afire in fervent meditation of his bitter suffering … " A puzzling comment concerning the procedure follows. What does the text mean when it says, "On another day the servant of the Word may take [another chapter]"? It might mean, in line with Mennonite tradition, that the first gathering is a preparatory service on the day before communion. It might also mean that on another Sunday a different set of suggested texts would be appropriate sources for the proclamation. Text: Now that the death of Christ has been proclaimed, those who are present have the opportunity and the authority to ask, if at any point they should have some misunderstanding or some lack (1 Cor. 14:26ff); but not with frivolous, unprofitable, or argumentative chatter, nor concerning heavenly matters having to do with the omnipotence or the mystery of God or future things, which we have no need to know, but concerning proper, necessary, and Christian items, having to do with Christian faith and brotherly love. Then one to whom something is revealed should teach, and the former should be quiet without any argument and quarreling. For it is not customary to have conflict in the church. Let women keep silence in the congregation. If they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home, so that everything takes place in orderly fashion (1 Cor. 11:14). After the sermon, anyone who lacks understanding may ask for it, and anyone who is given a revelation may teach it. Commentary: Apparently, this freedom for spontaneous expression had been taken advantage of: People had turned to chatter, speculation, and quarreling; Hubmaier saw fit to warn them against this abuse of freedom. One can imagine the thrill, if not also the bewilderment, of being invited to speak in church as an individual with particular needs and insights when formerly only conformity had counted. It would not be hard to get carried away! Text: Let the priest take up for himself the words of Paul (1 Cor. 11), and say: Let every one test and examine himself, and let him thus eat of the bread and drink of the drink. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment upon himself, as he does not discern the body of the Lord. And if we thus judge ourselves, we would not be condemned by the Lord. Now such examination comprises the following: First, that one believes, (Matt. 26:26ff.; Mark 13:22ff.; Luke 22:19f.; 1 Cor. 11:24ff.), utterly and absolutely that Christ gave his body and shed his crimson blood for him on the cross in the power of his words, as he said: "This is my body, which is given for you, and this is my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of his sins." Second: Let a person test himself, whether he has a proper inward and fervent hunger for the bread which comes down from heaven, from which one truly lives, and thirst for the drink which flows into eternal life, to eat and drink both in the spirit, faith, and truth, as Christ teaches us in John 4; 6; and 7. If the spiritual eating and drinking does not first take place, then the outward breaking of bread, eating and drinking is a killing letter (2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:29), hypocrisy, and the kind of food and drink whereby one eats condemnation and drinks death, as Adam did with the forbidden fruit of the tree in Paradise (Gen. 3:6). Third: Let one also confirm himself in gratitude, so as to be thankful in words and deeds toward God for the great, overabundant, and unspeakable love and goodness that he has shown him through his most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Rom. 8:32). Namely that he now gives praise and thanks from the heart to God. Further, that he be of an attitude and ready will to do for Christ his God and Lord in turn as he had done for him. But since Christ does not need our good deeds, is not hungry, is not thirsty, is not naked or in prison, but heaven and earth are his and all that is in them, therefore he points us toward our neighbor, first of all to the members of the household of faith, (Matt. 25:34ff.; Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 5), that we might fulfill the works of this our gratitude toward them physically and spiritually, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, consoling the prisoner, sheltering the needy. Then he will be ready to accept these works of mercy from us in such a way as if we had done them unto him. Yea, he will say at the last judgment, "I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was naked, in prison, and homeless, and you clothed me, visited me, and housed me" (Matt. 25). He says, "I, I, I, me, me, me." From this it is certain and sure that all the good that we do to the very least of his, that we do to Christ himself. Yea, he will not let a single drink of cool water go unrewarded (Matt. 10:42). If one is thus inclined toward his neighbor, he is now in the true fellowship of Christ, a member of his body, and a fellow member with all godly persons (Col. 1:4). Fourth: So that the church might also be fully aware of a person's attitude and will, one holds fellowship with her in the breaking of bread, thereby saying, testifying, and publicly assuring her, yea, making to her a sacrament or a sworn pledge and giving one's hand on the commitment that one is willing henceforth to offer one's body and to shed one's blood thus for one's fellow believers. This one does not out of human daring, like Peter (Matt. 26:33), but in the grace and power of the suffering and the blood shed by our Lord Jesus Christ, his (i.e., meaning Peter's) only Savior, of whose suffering and death the human being is now celebrating a living commemoration in the breaking of bread and the sharing of the chalice. This is the true fellowship of saints (1 Cor. 10:16). It is not a fellowship for the reason that bread is broken, but rather the bread is broken because the fellowship has already taken place and has been concluded inwardly in the spirit, since Christ has come into flesh (John 4:27). For not all who break bread are participants in the body and blood of Christ, which I can prove by the traitor Judas (Matt 26:25). But those who are partakers inwardly and of the spirit, the same may also worthily partake outwardly of this bread and wine. A parable: We do not believe because we have been baptized in water, but we are baptized in water because we first believe. So David says: "I have believed, therefore I have spoken" (Ps. 116:10; Matt. 16:16; Acts 8:30). So every Christian speaks equally: "I have believed, therefore I have publicly confessed that Jesus is Christ, Son of the living God, and have thereafter had myself baptized according to the order of Christ, the high priest who lives in eternity." Or: "I have fellowship with Christ and all his members (1 Cor. 10:16), therefore I break bread with all believers in Christ according to the institution of Christ." Without this inner communion in the spirit and in truth, the outward breaking of bread is nothing but an Iscariotic and damnable hypocrisy. It is precisely to this fellowship and commitment of love that the Supper of Christ points, as a living memorial of his suffering and death for us, spiritually signified and pointed to by the breaking of bread, the pouring out of the wine, that each one should also sacrifice and pour out his flesh and blood for the other. Herein will people recognize that we are truly disciples of Christ (John 13; 14; 15; 16; 17). All of the words which Christ spoke about the Last Supper tend toward this. For just as water baptism is a public testimony of the Christian faith, so is the Supper a public testimony of Christian love. Now he who does not want to be baptized or to observe the Supper, he does not desire to believe in Christ to observe the Supper, he does not desire to believe in Christ nor to practice Christian love and does not desire to be a Christian. How much someone cares about the flesh and blood, that is about the suffering and death of Christ Jesus, about the shedding of his crimson blood, about the forgiveness of sins, about brotherly love and communion in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, yea the communion of the whole heavenly host and the universal Christian church outside of which there is no salvation, just this much he should care about the bread and the wine of God's table. Not that here bread and wine are anything other than bread and wine; but according to the memorial and the significant mysteries for the sake of which Christ thus instituted it. If now one had no other word or Scripture, but only the correct understanding of water baptism and the Supper of Christ, one would have God and all his creatures, faith and love, the law, and all the prophets. So whoever makes a mockery of the Supper of Christ, the Son of Man will mock before God and his angels. So much for self-examination. Commentary: It is interesting that the self-examination is not concerned with a long list of proscribed attitudes or behaviors (as might be expected from the rigor of the Pledge of Love we find later in the service) but with matters of the heart. Do I believe "utterly and absolutely" that Christ gave his body and blood for me? Do I hunger for that bread which comes down from heaven? Am I grateful for the fact that I am loved?

• Anabaptist: Hubmaier's "A Form For Christ's Supper" (1527) Part II