Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
PROTESTANTS PAY
HONOR TO zW|NGL|
Swiss Reformation Leader
Was Slain in Lost Battle
400 Years Ago.

HWllSll, IIe IelOIIl-T Oh ScIIIld1l OWiIA-
GRAND, who was killed in battle at Cap
pal near Zurich, on october II, 1881.
Regarded as one of the gentlest and
least doctrinaire of all the great lead
ence has remained a guiding factor in
the councils of Swiss and German Prot
estantS during four centuries. It IS
one of the ironies of history that he
should have been slain on a field of
carnage.
Zwingli was born on January l, 1894,
IN house still standing in the hamlet
of Lysihaus, near Wildhaus, about 40
miles from Zurich. Martin Luther came
into the world just seven weeks pre-
Viously at Eisleben, in Saxony.
Huldreich went to school to his IA
theirs brother, priest. Later he at
tended classes at the academy of st.
Theodores Church, Klein Basel, where
Gregory Buenzli was director. Still later
he studied at the Universities of Vienna
and Basel. At the latter institution
he took his B. A. in 1904 and his M. A..
in 1906.
Meets Wyttenbach.
Leaving school he accepted a call to
be rector at GlaruS. near Wesen, q post
which he retained for 10 years. But he
was not destined to be village pastor.
In 1905 he had met Thomas Wytten-
bach of Tuebingen, who labored for
emancipation from the bondage of
scholasticism and had in his classes the
future reformers Capito, Jud and Pei
1ican. zWingli reverenced him.
Just when and where zwingli was
ordained is uncertain, but he is known
TO have preached his first sermon at
20 u-yr1 ha al 70 nf in
1906. He read his first mass in the
parish church at Wildhaus on Michael
mas day of the same year.
Much of the young priests time at
Glarus was spent in study. 1t is said
That he made three journeys into Italy,
in 1912. 1913 and 1915, as chaplain of
the village contingent of mercenary
troops. Presumably he was present at
the battles of Ravenna, Pavia and
Novara. For his zeal in the papal in
terest the Pope granted him a pension
and made him his agent in the canton
of Glarus. But the reformer already
had rejected the doctrine of indul-
gences. He was deeply interested in the
literary events. It is said that he adj
mired. Erasmus. Correspondence of the
two men is still extant.
Began to Study Greek.
The study of Greek was so unortho-
doX at this period that Zwingli felt he
ought to apologize for attempting it.
We find him writing in 1913. II am ap-
plying my ignorant self to the study of
Greek and Latin. I do not know who
has stirred me up to the study of Greek
unless it is God" His object was that
he might learn the teaching of
Christ from the original sources"
He wrote: LED by the Scriptures and
Of -nI -
conclusion-you must leave them (the
Earring philosophy and theology of
orthodox doctrine) all alone and learn
the meaning OF the word out of the
word itself"
At Glarus his growing reputation was
due to his stand in respect to the mer-
cenary traffic, whereby the manhood of
the land was exported to fight in for
e-gn wars. He condemned the traffic
in toto, not making any exception with
regard to papal service.
ZWlngN, IN 1916, announced his inten-
ton to remove to Einsiedeln, in which
place he hoped to be exempt from the
wilcs of the French" He did not re-
llnqu-Sh his passionate at Glarus. Rec
ords show payments to "vicar" or
substitute left in charge.
Called to Zurich.
In his new home he preached SER
mons markedly liberalistic. 1T never
left the pulpit" he said, without tax
ing the words of the Gospel used in
the mass service of the day and ex-
pounding them by means of the Scrip
lures" AS time passed he grew holder
and more celebrated But up to 1918
the idea of separating from the Roman
Church never entered his head"
In December, 1918, he was called to
the most Of l0pOrla'S f1rjact OF fI,a orroa+
minister or cathedral. at Zurich. He
returned to Glarus. resigned his Office
as pastor there and set out for Zurich,
where on January /, 1919, Zwingli's
35th birthday anniversary, he pre-
scented himself before the assembled
canons and was formally indicted into
his new office. He announced that he
would preach according to the scrip
lures, not according to the fathers of
the church.
Stalwart, above middle height, of a
rudy countenance and pleasing ex-
preston, he made good impression
upon spectators. All Switzerland rang
with his praise. He preached in the
market place as well as in the cathe-
oral and treated practical themes.
breaches as Patriot.
He was emphatically the patriot in
the pulpit, and preached to the times
against pensionarieS and mercenaries,
against the war spirit, against oppres-
sion of the poor, against the destruc-
ticn OF Swiss freedom and honor.
When the plague hit Zurich in 1919
he hurried back to the town from his
holiday at Pfaefers. In the Autumn
he fell i'll of the current pestilence. 1t
was not until late in the Spring of
1920 that he was well again. Mean
time, he was reading the Greek classics
and studying Hebrew.
AS natural consequence of his
study Zwingli became increasingly lib
eraI regarding theological matters
his position gradually changed. BY
1922 the reformation had begun in
earnest at Zurich; by 1924 mass was
abolished. In November, 1922. Zwingli
resigned as peoples priest, but con-
tlnued to preach. In 1924 he publicly
married Anna Reinhard, widow of Hans
Meyer Won Gronau, scion of the prin-
cital patrician house of the city.
.zWingli was the most powerful per-
s11age in Zurich. He ruled the city
In every important respect.
( But the city was threatened. The
reformation was MT fated to dominate
al Switzerland. The Five Forest Can
tons were opposed. For long time the
Shadow Of civil diSSension hung over
the land. In the early Fall of 1881 the
Forest Cantons modified at zug and
crossed the border only IL miles from
Zurich. With the Zurich forces which
went out on October IL to meet the
Invaders was Zwingli, chief pastor of
the little army. He bore the city ban
ner, a helmet, shirt of mail, a sword
and handgun.
Killed and CHARTERED.
| zwingli anticipated the result of the
!bFttle. He marched to his fate con-
WINGED that he would die in the struggle.
The 0Zurichers were hopelessly out
numbered. But at first they stood firm.