The same disposition prevailed extensively in Germany in the latter third of the sixteenth century.
But during the first quarter of the present century, the conviction that the Reformers did not purge away the whole of the Romish error from this doctrine, gained ground universally until the great mass of the whole Lutheran Church, before the year 1817, had rejected the doctrine of the real presence.

During the last twenty years the doctrines and writings of the Reformation in general have been the subject of extensive study by the reviving church in Germany, and as is natural, a small portion of the churches have embraced the symbolic view of this doctrine in full, and have become known as Old Lutherans, whilst others, both there and in this country, have embraced various modifications of it.

But the great body of the ministers and churches regard the real presence of the _body_ and _blood_ of the Saviour, in any proper sense, which the words convey, as a misapprehension of the word of God.
_The supposed special Sin-forgiving Power of the Lord's Supper_.
On this subject, important as it is, especially to the masses of the less educated, who are most liable to these erroneous views, but little need be said in addition to the principles established on the subject of the sacraments in general.

The word of God clearly inculcates the doctrine, to which Luther and his coadjutors gave such prominence, that no one can be justified or pardoned except by a living faith in Christ, and such a faith is found only in the regenerate mind.

And whenever the sinner exercises this living faith in Christ he is justified, that is, his sins are pardoned, he is in a _state of justification_, and continues in it, until by deliberate, voluntary violation of God's law, he falls from grace.