The outward act of the Lord's Supper does not give grace...

We showed in our Confession our belief that the Lord's Supper does not give grace by the outward act (ex opera operato) and that, when applied on behalf of others, alive or dead, it does not merit for them the forgiveness of sins, guilt, or punishment by the outward act.  This position is supported by a clear and firm proof.  It is impossible to receive the forgiveness of our sins because of our own work by the outward act.  The terrors of sin and death must be overcome through faith when we comfort our hearts with the knowledge of Christ and believe that for His sake we are forgiven and that His merits and righteousness are granted to us, "since we have been justified by faith, we have peace" (Romans 5:1). These things are so sure and so firm that they can stand against the gates of hell.
~BOC, AP, XXIV (XII)11-12

Even the Prophets and the Psalms teach free mercy and forgiveness of sins by faith...

Throughout the Prophets and the Psalms this worship (this latreia) is highly praised, even though the Law does not teach the free forgiveness of sins.  The Old Testament Fathers knew the promise about Christ, that God for Christ's sake wanted to forgive sins.  They understood that Christ would be the price for our sins.  They knew that our works are not a price for so great a matter.  So they received free mercy and forgiveness of sins by faith, just as the saints in the New Testament.  To this point belong those frequent repetitions about free mercy and forgiveness of sins by faith that appear in the Psalms and the Prophets.  For example, Psalm 130:3 says, "If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"  Here David confesses his sins and does not list his merits.  He adds, "But with You there is forgiveness" (v.4). Here he comforts himself by his trust in God's mercy, and he refers to the promise, "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope" (v. 5).  This means, "Because You have promised the forgiveness of sins, I am sustained by Your promise."  Therefore, the Fathers also were justified, not by the Law, but by the promise and faith.  It is amazing that the adversaries diminish faith to such a degree, even though they see that it is everywhere praised as a great service.  For example, Psalm 50:15 says, "Call upon Me in the day of troubles; I will deliver you."  God wants Himself to be known.  He wants Himself to be worshipped, so that we receive benefits from Him and receive them because of His mercy, not because of our merits.  This is the richest consolation in all afflictions.  The adversaries band such consolation when they diminish and disparage faith and teach only that by means of works and merits people interact with God.
~BOC, AP, IV (II), 57-60

Those who condemn the Word of Absolution in favor of their own words are enthusiasts...

All this is the old devil and old serpent, who also turned Adam and Even into enthusiasts.  He led them away from God's outward Word to spiritualizing and self-pride.  And yet, he did this through other outward words.  In the same way, our enthusiasts today condemn the outward Word.  Yet they themselves are not silent.  They fill the world with their babbling and writings, as if the Spirit could not come through the apostles's writings and spoken Word, but has to come through their writings and words.  Why don't they leave out their own sermons and writings and let the Spirit Himself come to people without their writings before them, as they boast that He has come into them without the preaching of the Scriptures?
~BOC, SA, III, VIII, 5-6

Preaching and faith are our daily sacrifice...

They also cite the daily sacrifice.  Just as there was a daily sacrifice in the Law,  so the Mass should be a daily sacrifice of the New Testament.  The adversaries have made out well if we allow ourselves to be overcome by allegories.  Clearly allegories do not produce firm proof.  We readily allow the Mass to be understood as a daily sacrifice, as long as that includes the entire Mass:  the ceremony with the preaching of the Gospel, faith, invocation, and thanksgiving.  Joined together, these are a daily sacrifice of the New Testament because the ceremony of the Mass, or the Lord's Supper, was set up because of these things.  The Mass is not to be separated from them.  So Paul says, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (I Corinthians 11:26).  But it cannot be shown from this Levitical type that a ceremony justifying by the outward work (ex opere operato) is necessary, or should be applied on behalf of others, that it may merit the forgiveness of sins for them.

The type represents appropriately not only the ceremony, but also the preaching of the Gospel.  In Numbers 28:4-8, three parts of that daily sacrifice are represented:  the burning of the lamb, the drink offering, and the offering of wheat flour.  The Law had pictures or shadows of future things.  So Christ and the entire worship of the New Testament are shown in this picture.  The burning of the lamb illustrates Christ's death.  The drink offering illustrates that everywhere in the entire world, by the preaching of the Gospel, believers are sprinkled with the blood of that Lamb, that is, sanctified.  Peter says, "In the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood" (I Peter 1:2).  The offering of wheat flour means faith, prayer, and thanksgiving in hearts.  Therefore, in the Old Testament, the shadow is discerned.  In the New, the thing illustrated should be sought, and not another type, as sufficient for a sacrifice.

Although a ceremony is a memorial of Christ's death, it alone is not the daily sacrifice.  The memory itself is the daily sacrifice, that is, preaching and faith.  Faith truly believes that, by Christ's death, God has been reconciled.  A drink offering is required, that is, the effect of preaching, in order that, being sprinkled by the Gospel with the blood of Christ, we may be sanctified, as those put to death and made alive.  Offerings are also required, that is, thanksgiving, confession, and troubles.
~BOC, AP, XXIV (XII), 35-38