SACRAMENTARIAN, the name given in the 16th c. to the party among the reform ers who separated from Luther on the doctrine of the eucharist. Luther (q.v.) taught the doctrine of the real presence of the body and blood of Christ along with the bread and wine (see LORD'S SUPPER; REAL PRESENCE). The first of his followers who called this doctrine in question was Andrew Carlstadt;-and notwithstanding the protest of his leader, Carlstadt had many followers, the most active of whom were Capito and Bum.. The party became so considerable, that in the diet of Augsburg they claimed to present a special confession distinct from that put forward by the general body. The sacramen tarian confession is known in history by the name of the tet•apolitan confession—so called from the four cities, Strasburg. Constance, Lindau, and Memmingen The tetra politan confession rejects the doctrine of a corporeal presence, and although it admits a spiritual presence of Christ which the devout cool can feel and enjoy, it excludes all idea of a physical presence of Christ's body. Simultaneously with this German Move
ment, yet independent of it, was that of the Swiss reformer Zwingli, whose doctrine on the eucharist was identical whh that of Carlstadt, and who himself presented a private confession of faith to the Augsburg diet, in which this doctrine is embodied. The four cities named above continued for many years to adhere to this confession presented to the diet of Augsburg in.their name; but eventually they accented the so-called confes sion of Augsburg, and were merged in the general body of Lutherans. On the contrary, the article of Zwingli upon the eucharist was in substance embodied in the confession of the Helvetic church.