“Add… the rejection of the sacramental element in the Reformed churches, and their bald worship will be sufficiently accounted for. They do not believe in the real, active presence of the Savior in His Church. They do not assemble to receive from the Lord, so much as to bring to Him their offerings. Their cultus is altogether sacrificial. Even the Lord’s Supper and Baptism are memorials.

Reformed Worship Requires One to Bring

“Whatever they have in the house of the Lord they are expected to bring with them. The whole cultus partakes, therefore, rather of a stirring, awakening, than of a quiet, solemn, soothing character. The sermon is more excited and exciting. So are also the prayers, and for this reason mostly extemporary.

The Romish Error of Natural Enthusiasm

“Thus, with all their endeavors to do away with all art and pomp as influencing the imagination, and to suit everything to the naked understanding, they fail into the Romish error again of trusting to natural enthusiasm, and this unquestionably from the unsacramental separation of the Holy Spirit from His chosen means of operation upon men’s souls. This depreciation of the sacramental exerted its influence also in preventing a proper development of the sacrificial. They received little, and therefore, had little to give. Hence the sermon, in lime, became not only the center, but almost the sum of their cultus. Upon their principles could it or can it ever be otherwise? – Matthias Loy

Book Contents

• The Lutheran Cultus.
• Forms and Order of Public Worship Are Not Adiaphora
• The Papal System: Rigid Ecclesiasticism
• The Reformed Churches: Start Fresh
• True Reformation Is Never The Destruction Of A Church And The Creation Of A New One
• The Church and Its Furniture
• Real Presence In The Church
• Worship Must Be In The Vernacular, And With Active Participation
• Objects to Extemporary Prayer
• Lutheran Church Has Never Lost Her Original Genius and Spirit
• Confession
• The Hymn
• The Sermon

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-09-16
• Updated: 2021-09-23
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0