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 ZWINGLI

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ZWINGLI

devote himself to clerical reforms. So far he had no faith, as he asserted in his second writing, "Arche-

intention of introducing doctrinal innovations; such teles". Through the niediiun of a delegation the

an idea occurred to him first in Zurich after 1519. Bishop of Constance exhorted the town to obedience

Luther had already hung up his ninety-five theses on 7 April. On 29 Jan., 1.523, the council, on whose

against indulgences at the church of the castle in decision everything depended, held a religious dispu-

Wittenberg, 31 Oct., 1517. tation at ZwingU's instigation, and agreed to base its

On 1 Jan., 1519, Zwingli preached for the first time action on the result of the debate. In sixty-seven theses

in the ctitheciral at Zurich. He began with the exposi- (his most extensive and important work) Zwingli now

tion of the Bible, taking first the Gospel of St. Mat thew, and by going back to the sources showed him- self especially a Humanist. Of doctrinal innovation he had still scarcely any thought. Even his stand

proposed a formal programme for the innovations; according to his view the Bible with his interpretation was to be the sole authority. The arguments brought against this view bj' the most important champion of

against the indulgence preacher, Bernhardin Sanson, the old Faith, the vicar-general Johaim Faberof Con-

at the beginning of 1519, was taken with the consent stance, who appealed to the teaching and tradition of

of the Bishop of Constance. The transformation of the early Church, were disregarded; the council in

Zwingli the Humanist and politician into a teacher of whose hands Zwingli reposed the government of the

the new faith was facilitated by the ecclesiastical and Church, forthwith declared in favour of the imiovation.

political conditions of the people and public authori- A second rehgious disputation in Oct., 1523, dealt

ties at Zurich and in Switzer- with the practical institution of

I a state chm'ch, the veneration

land in general. The populace displayed great religious zeal externally, e. g. in pious founda- tions and pilgrimages. This zeal, however, was insufficient to counteract the decay of morals, which resulted especiall\ from the mercenary army sy^^- tem. The clergj- to a great ex- tent neglected their obligations, many of them lived in concubin- age, and joined in the shameless pursuit of spiritual prebends, thus damaging their prestige. Worthy clerics, however, were not wanting. The Bishop of Constance, Hugo von Hohen- landenberg, was a man of stain less conduct; he endeavoured to do aw-ay with abuses, and issued various mandates, but unfortu- nately without permanent re- sults. This failure was due to the lack of co-operation on the part of the civil rulers, who then enjoyed in ecclesia-stical matters

of the saints, the removal of iiiinp-f^s, good works, and the -Hi III I Ills. No notable repre- -Hiii:iii\(' of the ancient Failh I-. jjii.sent. Zwingli urged the iption of liis doctrines so suc- sfuUy that even his devoted lerent. Commander Schmid Kusnacht, warned him against !■ too sudden abohshment of lient customs and usages. The -t steps having been taken in -2-23, the reforms were car- ■ 1 into effect in Zurich in ■_'l-2."i. About Easter, 1524, indulgriices and pilgrimages were Penance and Extreme Unction rejected, .and pictures, .statues, relics, altars, and organs de- stroyeil, ri'g;u-clless of their .arlis- t ic value. SaiTcd vessels of great value, such as chalices and mon- strances, were melted into coin. Church property was seized by very extensive rights acquired, especially by Zurich the State, which gained most by the suppression of the and Berne, from the popes and bishops in consequence monasteries; the Fraumiinster Abbey, founded in S53, of the Burgimdi.an, Sw.abian, and Milanese wars was voluntarilv .surrendered to the secular authorities (1474-1516). Rome, like France, had endeavoured to by the last abbess. Celibacy was rejected as contrary secure, by the outlay of much money, the services of to Holy Writ, and monks and nuns were married. As Swiss mercenaries. In Zurich, the "foremost and early as 1522 Zwingli with ten other ecclesiastics as- Bupreme place", the council espoused the cause of the sembled at Einsiedeln and addressed a petition to the pope, and opposed the French party. ZwingU did Bishop of Constance and to the diet asking freedom the same and came into prominence fir.st as a pohti- for priests to marry; "Your honourable wi.sdom",
 * iholished, the sacraments of

they declared, "has already witnessed the disgraceful and shameful life wc have unfortunately liitherto led with women, thereby giving grievous scandal to everyone." From 1.522 the marriage of iiriests in Zurich became ever more frequent; ZwingH hini.sclf on 2 July, 1.524, married Anna Kcinhard (tlie widow of Hans Meyer von Knonau), who bore him his first

cian, a fact which makes his case es.sentially different

from that of Luther. It was only in 1.520 that he

volunt.arily renounced his papal pension. He then

attacked the rviinous mercenary system, and through

his efforts Zurich alone of all the cantons refused to

enter the alliance with Fr.ance on 5 May, 1521.

However, 2000 mercenaries entered the sers'ice of the

pope. On 11 Jan., 1.522, all foreign services and pen- daughter on 31 Julv. A new marriage law of 10 May,

sions were forbidden in Zurich. By the publication, 1.525, regulated these innovations. In the spring of

16May, 1.522, of his"VermahnungandiezuSchwyz, 1.525 the Mass was abolished; in its place was

dass sie sich vor fremden Herren hiitend", Zwingli introduced the memorial service of the Last Supper.

succeeded in extending his influence beyond Zurich, The new doctrines were not introduced without

although only temporarily.

Owing to his success as a politician his prestige and importance increased. From 1.522 he came forward as sponsor of the religious innov.ations. His first reformatory work, "Vom Erkieson und Fryheit der Spysen", appeared when the book.seller Froschatier and his aasociates puWicly defied the ecclesiastical law of fasting, and a controversy concerning fasts broke out. Zwingli declared the fa-sting provisions mere human commands which were not in harmony with Holy Writ; and the Bible was the sole source of

opposition. The first opponents of the Reformers were from the ranks of their own party. The peasants could find no reason in the Bible, the sole princi[)le of faith, why they .should contribute to their lords' taxes, tithes, and rent, and they refused any longer to do so. The greatest unrest prevailed everywhere, and was only quelled after long negotia- tions and some concessions by thcGovernment. The Anabaptists were not so e.asily silenced. From the Bible, which Zwingli had placed in their hands, they had deduced the most marvellous doctrines, much