The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-02
A SWISS HERO.

on the same high plane, was Uric, OF Hui
dreich Zwingli, the great Swiss seceder from
the Church of Rome. Like Luther, he began
active life as Catholic priest, but his deep
researches in the original Greek of the New
Testament had convinced him of certain grave
errors in the methods of the mother church,
and these he was bold enough to pronounce
against with all the energy and fearlessness
that characterized him. He became promi-
nent man in the politics of his country, and
unqualifedly but Intellectually denounced the
service of Swiss soldiers in the armies of other
powers for consideration. While actuated
by much the same spirit that moved the great
German reformer to action in behalf of greater
liberty in the matter of religious form, Zwingl
derived his authority from personal research
into the history of the New Testament, the
whole of which, it is said he committed to
memory. At the village of Einsedeln, to
which place he was once compelled to retire
on account of political feeling hostile to him,
Virgin, of which miraculous stories were told
and over the convent gate was written: "Here
the full forgiveness of all sins is to be OBJ
tanned" The legend and the inscription
stirred Zwingli to indignation. He preached
Christ as the only sacrifice and ransom for sin.
To the Popes nuncio, who called him to ac-
count, he said: ''With the help of God will l
go on preaching the gospel, and this preaching
will make Rome totter." His efforts were
successful, and the Governor caused the in
sc1iption to be blotted out from the gate, the
relics which the pilgrims revered were buried
and the new doctrine prevailed.
II began, said zwingi, ''to preach the Cos
pei in the year of grace 1516-that is, at
time when the name of Luther had never been
heard among these countries. 1t was not from
luther that learned the doctrine of Christ;
it was from Gods word. If Luther
breaches Christ, he does as I do;
that is all" A worthy priest once
said to him: master Uric they tell me you
have gone into the new error, and that you
are follower of Luther" II am no Lu-
theran," said Zwingli, 'for l understood Greek
before I heard the name of Luther" intimat-
ing thereby that the study of the Greek Tes
lament had taught him the necessity of ref
ormation. Zwingi was as unyielding in his
demands against the Church of Rome as was
Luther, but unlike the latter, was not so.
dogmatic in the Interpretation of forms among
those who accepted the new doctrine. An at
tempt was once made to bring the two to-
gether so as to unite them in a common in
depreciation of Scripture. When it came to
the conservation of the sacramental bread and
wine, Luther stoutly maintained that the
bread became the veritable body of Christ after
it was blessed, while Zwingli held that it sig
nifed the body. A long discussion followed,
in which MelanchthoA warmly supported Luz
Their in his view. The conference was about
to break up. Luther refused Zwingli's prof.
fered hand. The eyes Of Zwingli filled with
tears, and finally reconciliation was made by
Zwingl acknowledging that Christ was spir-
itually present in the sacrament.
One great departure of Zwingli, common to
all who appeal from the tenets of the Catholic
Church. was to ask that priests might be per-
mitted to marry. In belief that marriage was
not hostile to the best interests of the priest
l. D., L. 6
distinguished magistrate, who proved to him
a pious and affectionate wife. In 1922 he
preached a sermon in which he said the church
had no authority to sell the right to indulge in
certain meats on feast days. A diet was as
sembled at Lucelne, in 1923, to consider his
heresies. The ''frst war of KappeP followed in
which the church army of Tug sought to over
come the reformed army of Zurich. Zurich
was the stronghold of the Swiss reformation.
zwingli died upon the battlefield His body
was burned by his enemies. His ashes were
mixed with the ashes of swine and scattered to
the four Winds
The belief of the Protestant Church to-day
is more nearly in accordance with the doc
trines of Zwingli than with those of Luther.
The former went further than did Luther
from the teachings of the Church of Rome.
Zwingli was a master in debate being fortified
by thorough theological education at the
schools of Basic and Berne, and was an orator
and a skillful musician Zwingh fell in de-
Tense Of his convictions giving the last and
best proof of his devotedness. He is worthily
honored in the memory of the Christian world
COL Villas, the ''matchless orator" Of Wis
consin, was denounced as liar by a Mr.