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Ulrich Zwingli was born in the Alpine village of Wildhaus, Switzerland. Seven weeks younger than Martin Luther, he came into this world on New Year's Day, 1484. His parents were of highly respectable stock. His father was a mayor; his mother, the sister of one of Switzerland's leading churchmen. From them, Ulrich inherited a strong body, a keen mind, refined manners, and a remarkable faciility for music.
His upbringing was exemplary. His parents were pious, hard-working, honest, and devoted to the welfare of their son. He proved worthy of their hopes. As a child, he evinced a high regard for the truth, calling "deceit the mother of all vices". Like Washington, it was said about Zwingli, "He could not tell a lie". But he was more than upright. He was also highly intelligent. By the age of 10, he knew more than his local teacher, and so was sent away to a superior school in Basle, one of his country's leading cities. There too, he excelled academically, and at 14, was ready for college.
He first attended the College at Berne, where he studied under Heinrich Wolfin who was thought of as Switzerland's best classical scholar and Latin poet. Here Zwingli acquired his lifelong taste for the antiquities and poetry. At 18, he left for Vienna, which then boasted Central Europe's finest and most progressive university. Finally, he returned to his native land where he took his Master of Arts at the Universty of Basle. Here, he came under the influence of Professor Thomas Wyttenbach, who was not only brilliant--but more importantly--Evangelical. For the first time, young Zwingli was exposed to the Gospel in all of its purity, being urged to "not rely on the keys of the Church, but to seek the remission of sins alone in the death of Christ, and to open access to it by the key of faith". This truth Zwingli heard before Luther ever put on the cowl. And it deeply influenced him, but not savingly...as of yet.
Upon graduation, Zwingli was ordained to the priesthood and assigned to the city of Glarus. There he continued his studies and preached well, but not evangelically. At the time he preached chiefly morality and patriotism, rather than the Gospel. He attacked the abuses of the Church, holding up ignorant and immoral priests for public ridicule. But he was especially upset by the old Swiss tradition of hiring out for mercenary service. He thought it wrong that the young men of his country would go into distant lands to fight battles unrelated to their own welfare. He was equally disturbed by the great sums of money they made and spent, often on gambling, drinking, and whoring. His attack on "killing for money" made him most unpopular among the inhabitants of Glarus, whose whole economy was based on it. And so, under threat, he moved to Einsiedeln.
Einsiedeln was then famous for a "Black Madonna" which--legend had it--fell down from heaven and was capable of performing miracles. Thousands flocked each year to this holy shrine in the hope of being healed or receiving some other heavenly favor. In fact, above the image was this rather aduacious inscription: "Here the full remission of sins may be obtained".
Zwingli was horrified by this superstitious fraud and sought to oppose it with all of his might. But how could this be done? What could refute such a popular tradition? Zwingli had but one answer: The Word of God! And so, he turned to the Bible with renewed interest. And in the Bible, he found a passage which--all by itself--could overthrow this entrenched idolatry. It was Luke 5:24: "The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins". The people were shocked--and delighted--by this good word. They learned it was unnecessary to travel to this town and venerate this Madonna. They could--wherever they were--look directly to Jesus Christ and receive the remission of sins. Such preaching demonstrated an increased clarity in the Reformer's thought and a growing greatness of character. For in preaching against the Madonna, Zwingli was impoverishing himself and lessening his own influence. If, after all, no one needed to make a pilgrimage to the city, then he would have fewer hearers and less money. But he scoffed at such considerations. The important thing was not personal promotion, but the exaltation of Christ alone. But more than his reputation or the revenues of his church, Zwingli put his life, no less, in the gravest peril. Like the Ephesian silversmiths, the monks of Einseldeln "brought no small gain" to themselves by promoting the veneration of this image. Anyone who would oppose it, therefore, would hurt them where they felt it most: the pocketbook. And so, Zwingli received many anonymous letters, threatening to poison him or in some other way silence his preaching. But he continued his work with great effect, rallying the city behind him and no doubt ushering many into the kingdom of heaven.
He became so popular, in fact, that the citizens of Zurich demanded his services. And so, amid many tears, he left his beloved people for the city to be forever associated with his name. And so, by the grace of God, ancient Zurich would become "Zwingli's City".
There the "Swiss Reformation" got in earnest. But that seemed most unlikely at first. For upon his arrival, Zwingli was directed by his Church superiors to the following duties: "You will make every exertion to collect the revenues of the chapter without overlooking the least. You will exhort the faithful, both from the pulpit and the confessional, to pay all tithes and dues, and to show by their offerings their affection to the Church. You will be diligent in increasing the income arising from the sick, from masses, and in general, from ecclesiastical ordinance..."
But Ulrich had other ideas. After thanking them for their counsel, he announced what he would instead do: "The life of Christ has been too long hidden from the people. I shall preach upon the whole of the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter after chapter, according to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, without human commentaries, drawing from the fountains of Scripture, sounding its depths, comparing one passage with another, and seeking for understanding by constant and earnest prayer. It is to God's glory, to the praise of his only Son, to the real salvation of souls, and to their edification in the true faith, that I shall consecrate my ministry".
The following Sunday, he put his plan into action, and over the course of the next few years, preached through the whole New Testament (except Revelation). His preaching at Zurich can be characterized as follows:
1.It was Scriptural. Most men of that day preached legends, be they ever so ludicrous and unprofitable. Zwingli, though, aimed to preach the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible. To that end, he wrote out (by hand) the whole New Testament in Greek--and memorized it! Moreover, he would not "pick and choose" his texts, at his own leisure, but preach through it consecutively. And lest he should superimpose his own ideas on the Bible, he made it a rule to: "neglect philosophy and divinity, and look for God's will in His Word alone. I began to earnest entreat the Lord to grant me his light, and although I read the Scriptures only, they became clearer to me than if I had read all the commentators".
2.It was positive. Had he come to Zurich and immediately attacked the abuses, he would have antagonized his hearers who, then, would have never given him a fair hearing. But he was too wise for this. He described his preaching like this: "If the people understand what is true, they will soon discern what is false". In doing this, he not being a "compromiser" at all. He was only obeying His Lord, who urged his preachers to "Be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves".
3.It was simple. Zurich was a commercial center, not a university town. Its people, according to Zwingli, were largely uncouth. This Master of Arts, therefore, refused to parade his learing at the expense of their understanding. And so he preached simply. So simply, in fact, that children were among his most ardent admirers.
4.It was substantial. His simplicity should not be confused with a lack of content. For Zwingli, not only gained the ears of the ignorant, but the most learned as well. He was the sun around whom a galaxy of brilliant men revolved. The great Henry Bullinger, Ecolampadius, and Leo Judae were among his disciples. Even Erasmus, the most learned man of his age, admired Zwingli's work.
5.It was impartial. "In the pulpit--said one of his contemporaries--"he spared no one". He would attack the vices of the rich as well as the poor. He would offer the Gospel to the lowly as well as the mighty. He was, in short, "No respector of persons".
6.It was Christ-centered. "It is my chief object to preach Christ from the fountain, and "to insert Christ into the heart". The Christ he preached was not "Christ the moral teacher or example, but Christ, `The Lamb of God': "Wherever sin is, death of necessity follows. Christ was without sin, and guile was not found in his mouth; and yet, he died! This death he suffered in our stead! He was willing to die that he might restore us to life; and as he had no sins of his own, the all-merciful Father laid ours upon him."
As might be expected, such preaching had a profound effect upon those who heard it. One man exclaimed "We never heard the like of this before!"
Another said, "Never had we heard a man speak with such authority." But the effect went beyond mere words of praise. Under God's blessing, it converted the City Fathers, who in turn, reformed Zurich in a most striking manner.
1.Most importantly, they abolished idolatry. Zurich, of course, had been nominally Christian for centuries. But their Christianty, alas, was of the Catholic variety and prominently featured images, paintings, and the like in every church. The rulers, following the lead of Zwingli, knew such things promoted idolatry. And so, they rid themselves of them. Schaff records: "In the presence of a deputation from the authorities of church and state, accompanied by architects, masons, and carpenters, the churches of the city were purged of pictures, relics, crucifixes, altars, candles, and all ornaments, with the frescoes effaced, and the walls whitewashed, so that nothing remained but the bare building to be filled by the worshipping congregation. Henry Bullinger, who saw it firsthand, would write, "Within thirteen days, all the churches of the city were cleared; costly works of painting and sculpture, especially a beautiful table at Waterchurch, were destroyed. The superstitious lamented; but the true believers rejoiced in it as a great and joyous worship of God."
2.They replaced the mass with "the Lord's Supper". Roman Catholicism, of course, teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation. This means that the bread and wine, by priestly manipulation, become--literally--the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, quite logically, the elements are worshipped. Zwingli, however, knew better. He knew that the Supper, rather than a recurring sacrifice of Christ was only a reminder of His one-time sacrifice. And so, in Zurich, the Lord's Supper (as we know it) replaced the abominable mass.
3.All ministers of the city were ordered to preach the Word of God alone. This, of course, terrified most of the priests, who had never even read it, no less understood it. Eventually, this led to the purging of ignorant and ungodly men from the ministry in Zurich.
4.A theological school, called the Carolinium, was established for the training of men for the Gospel ministry.
5.The poor were relieved. The Church had been largely built by the sweat of the common people, who were thereby, greatly impoverished. And so, taking the principle "an eye for an eye", the Church's wealth was confiscated and pooled as a welfare fund for the indigent.
The city, in short, had been revolutionized by Zwingli's preaching. But Ulrich was more than a brilliant preacher. He was also a tender-hearted pastor. Early in his Zurich ministry, he was on vacation in a city known for its healthful waters. There, he was enjoying himself immensely when he heard the worst possible news: the plague had struck Zurich. This was the same "Black death" that had raged through Europe 150 years earlier, killing about one-third of its population. Thus, every Zuricher who could "get away", understandly did. Everyone, that is, but Zwingli. For when he heard the sad report, rather than staying where he was, he immediately returned, over the protests of his friends. There he saw hundreds dying. And to them he ministered with the tenderest care. And, as you might guess, he too soon came down with the plague and nearly died of it. "No greater love has any man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends". Thankfully, though, he recovered, and commemorated this great deliverance with a poem, entitled "The Plague Hymn".
"Help me, O Lord, my strength and rock,
Lo, at the door, I hear death's knock.
Uplift thine arm, once pierced for me,
That conquered death, and set me free.
Yet if thy voice, in life's midday,
Recalls my soul, then I obey.
In faith and hope, earth I resign,
Secure of heaven, for I am thine.
My pains increase, haste to console;
For fear and woe seize body and soul.
Death is at hand, my senses fail;
My tongue is dumb, now Christ prevail.
Lo! Satan strains to snatch his prey;
I feel his grasp, must I give way?
He harms me not, I fear no loss;
For here I lie beneath thy cross.
My God! My Lord! healed by thy hand;
Upon the earth once more I stand.
Let sin no more rule over me;
My mouth shall sing alone to thee.
Though now delayed, my hour will come;
Involved perchance in deeper gloom.
But let it come; with joy I'll rise,
And bear my yoke straight to the skies".
The plague was finally stayed and Zwingli, and his city at length recovered. The Reformation started there quickly spread through roughly half of Switzerland, the other half remining Catholic.
The Sixteenth Century was marked by wars and political intrigues, often related to religion. Zurich and the other Protestant cantons were, as you might expect, greatly outnumbered by the neighboring Catholic states especially France and Austria, who were ever threatening to impose the "old faith" at the point of a sword. Thus, it behooved the Protestants in Switzerland to form military alliances to resist the threat. And what people, do you suppose, would be better suited to join the alliance than the states of Lutheran Germany? In hopes of making the connection, Philip of Hesse called for a meeting between the leading figures of the Reformation, Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther.
This was called "the Marburg Colloqy". There Zwingli went, anxious to meet Luther, the man he admired so much and nicknamed "The Saxon Hercules". He longed for a religious/political alignment with the Lutherans, saying, "There is no one on earth I rather join than the Wittenbergers". Luther, however, was a bit more hesitant. A list of 15 propositions were drawn up. On the first fourteen, there was complete agreement. But #15 proved a bit more prickly. It concerned the Lord's Supper. Luther maintained that the Lord's words "This is my body" should be taken literally. Zwingli believed them to be figurtive. "This--in other words--"represents my body". The two could not agree. Zwingli cried. Luther stormed out, refusing to even shake Zwingli's hand, saying, "He is of another spirit". This, I think, shows the true character of Zwingli. You notice that he had much to gain by compromise. He would be esteemed by the greatest man on earth. His church would gain much respect. His nation would gain greater security. But he could not corrupt the Bible for the sake of unity. Luther, of course, was just as uncompromising. But in one other point, Zwingli outdid Martin. Though strongly disagreeing with his view of the Supper, Zwingli still counted Luther a brother and "esteemed him very highly in love for his work's sake". He combined, in short, what so many of us have trouble with: zeal for the truth and love for the brethren.
Ulrich Zwingli is now 45 years old. One more event awaits him. A man named Kaiser was sent out by Zwingli to preach the Gospel to a Catholic City. There he was arrested and burned at the stake. The Zurichers and their allies took this act (correctly) to be a threat to the very existence of Protestantism in Switzerland. And so, they mustered 5,000 men and marched on the Catholic Cantons. At the last moment, however, the city of Berne, one of Zurich's allies, "got cold feet" and counseled an embargo instead of war. This incensed Zwingli, for he knew that it would starve innocent civilians and give the cities more incentive to fight. Yet the counsel of Berne was followed. And Zwingli proved to be a prophet. For the Catholics used this respite to prepare themselves and the embargo to stir up a lust for war among their people. They marched toward Zurich. The Protestants were unprepared and outnumber three-to-one. And on the field of Cappel, about five-hundred Zurichers were killed, including their leading chaplain, Ulrich Zwingli.
He was hit in the head by a rock and wounded in the leg. Upon seeing this, a Catholic soldier approached him and urged him to pray to the Virgin. He refused. For this, the soldier drew his sword and ran Zwingli through. But they were not done with the good man. As an "arch heretic", Zwingli must be abused even more. And so, in public, his body was quartered, burned, mixed with the ashes of a pig, and thrown to the winds.
But, not to worry, Zwingli died as he had lived: in faith. For his last words were these. "They can kill the body. They cannot kill the soul." And so, Ulrich Zwingli died, 1531, aged 47 years.
But his influence did not die with him. He is, by God's grace, the Father of the Reformed Churches in Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and to some degree, Canada, and the United States.
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