Chapter XVII: Part 17

Oswald, strengthened by these words, followed the noble counsel of the Reformer, but all his efforts were useless. The witness to the truth behoved to quit his country. His enemies in Lucerne were so loud against him, that the magistrates would not allow any one to give him an asylum. Broken-hearted at the sight of so much enmity, the confessor of Jesus Christ exclaimed, "All that now remains for me is to beg from door to door to sustain my miserable life."[899] Shortly after, the friend and most powerful assistant of Zuinglius, the first man in Switzerland who had united literary instruction with the love of the gospel, the reformer of Lucerne, and at a later period one of the leaders of the Helvetic church, was obliged, with his sickly wife and little boy, to quit this ungrateful city, where, out of all his family, the only one who had received the gospel was a sister. He crossed its ancient bridges, and bade adieu to those mountains which seem to rise from the bosom of the lake of Waldstetten up to the clouds. Canons Xylotect and Kilchmeyer, the only friends whom the Reformation yet numbered among his countrymen, followed shortly after. And, at the moment when this poor man, with two feeble companions, whose existence depended on him, with his eye turned towards its lake, and shedding tears for his deluded country, took leave of those sublime scenes which had surrounded his cradle, the gospel itself took leave of Lucerne, and Rome reigns in it to this day.

[899] Ostiatim quærere quod edam. (Ibid., p. 245.)

Shortly after the Diet itself, which was assembled at Baden, stung by the petitions of Einsidlen, (which, being printed, produced a great sensation,) and urged by the Bishop of Constance to strike a blow at innovations, had recourse to measures of persecution, ordered the authorities of the villages to bring before it all priests and laymen who should speak against the faith, seized, in its impatience, on the evangelist, who happened to be nearest at hand, Urban Weiss, pastor of Filispach, who had been previously released on caution, made him be brought to Constance, and then gave him up to the bishop, by whom he was long kept in prison. "Thus," says the Chronicle of Bullinger, "the persecution of the gospel by the confederates commenced, and that at the instigation of the clergy, who have at all times delivered Jesus Christ to Herod and Pilate."[900]

[900] Uss anstifften der geistlecten, Die zu allen Zyten Christum
Pilato und Herodi vürstellen. (MS.)

[Sidenote: ZUINGLIUS TO HIS BROTHERS.]

Zuinglius was not to escape his share of trial. Blows to which he was most sensible were then struck at him. The rumour of his doctrines and his contests had passed Santis, penetrated the Tockenburg, and reached the heights of Wildhaus. The pastoral family from whom the Reformer had sprung were moved. Of the four brothers of Zuinglius, some had continued peacefully to occupy themselves with their mountain toils, whilst others, to the great grief of their brother, had quitted their flocks and served foreign princes. All were alarmed at the news which rumour brought as far as their chalets. They already saw their brother seized, dragged perhaps to Constance to his bishop, and a pile erected for him at the same place which had consumed the body of John Huss. These proud shepherds could not bear the idea of being called the brother of a heretic. They wrote to Ulric, describing their sorrow and their fears. Zuinglius replied, "So long as God permits, I will perform the task which he has entrusted to me, without fearing the world and its proud tyrants. I know the worst that can happen to me. There is no danger, no misfortune which I have not long carefully weighed. My own strength is mere nothingness, and I know the power of my enemies, but I know also that I can do everything through Christ strengthening me. Were I silent, some other would be constrained to do what God now does by me, and I would be punished by God. Cast far from you all your anxiety, my dear brothers. If I have a fear, it is that I have been gentler and more easily persuaded than is suitable for this age.[901] What shame, you say, will be cast on all our family if you are burnt, or put to death in some other way![902] O, dearly beloved brethren! the gospel derives from the blood of Christ this wondrous nature, that the most violent persecutions far from arresting, only hasten its progress. Those only are true soldiers of Christ who fear not to bear in their body the wounds of their Master. All my labours have no other end than to make men know the treasures of happiness which Christ has acquired for us, in order that all may flee to the Father through the death of his Son. If his doctrine offends you, your anger cannot stop me. You are my brothers, yes, my own brothers, the sons of my father, and the offspring of the same mother ... but if you were not my brethren in Christ, and in the work of faith, my grief would be so extreme that nothing could equal it. Adieu. I will never cease to be your true brother, provided you do not yourselves cease to be the brethren of Jesus Christ."[903]

[901] Plus enim metuo ne forte lenior, mitiorque fuerim. De semper
casta Virgine Maria. (Zw. Op.i. p. 104.)

[902] Si vel igni vel alio quodam supplicii genere tollaris e medio.
(Ibid.)

[903] Frater vester germanus nunquan desinam, si modo vos fratres
Christi esse perrexeritis. (Ibid., p. 107.)

[Sidenote: PRAYER OF ZUINGLIUS.]

The confederates seemed to rise against the gospel as one man. The petitions of Einsidlen had been the signal. Zuinglius, concerned for the lot of his dear Myconius, saw in this misfortune only the beginning of calamity. Enemies in Zurich: enemies abroad--a man's own relatives becoming his enemies,--a furious opposition on the part of monks and priests,--violent measures of the Diet and the councils,--rude, perhaps bloody, assaults on the part of the partisans of foreign service,--the highest valleys of Switzerland, the cradle of the confederation, sending forth phalanxes of invincible soldiers to save Rome, and, at the sacrifice of life, annihilating the growing faith of the sons of the Reformation--such was the prospect at which the penetrating mind of the Reformer shuddered when he beheld it in the distance. What a prospect! Was not the work, scarcely well begun, on the point of being destroyed? Zuinglius, thoughtful and agitated, spread all his anguish before his God. "O Jesus," said he, "you see how wicked men and blasphemers stun the ears of thy people with their cries.[904] Thou knowest that from my infancy I have hated disputes, and yet in spite of myself thou hast ceased not to urge me on to the combat.... Wherefore, I confidently call upon thee, as thou hast begun so to finish. If in any thing I have built up improperly, beat it down with thy mighty hand. If I have laid some other foundation beside thine let thy powerful arm overthrow it.[905] O most beloved vine, of which the Father is the vine-dresser, and of which we are the branches, forsake not thy offspring.[906] For thou hast promised to be with us, even to the end of the world!"

[904] Vides enim, piissime Jesu, aures eorum septas esse nequissimis
susurronibus, sycophantis, lucrionibus.... (Zw. Op. iii, p. 74.) For
thou seest, O most beloved Jesus how these ears are beset with
whisperers, sycophants, and lovers of lucre.

[905] Si fundamentum aliud præter te jecero, demoliaris. (Ibid.)

[906] O suavissima vitis, cujus vinitor, Pater, palmites vero nos
sumus; stationem tuam ne deseras. (Ibid.)

It was on the 22nd of August, 1522, that Ulrich Zuinglius, the Reformer of Switzerland, when he saw violent storms descending from the mountains on the frail bark of faith, thus expressed the troubles and hopes of his soul in the presence of his God.

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Transcriber's note: Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical error.

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=).

Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals.

Transliterated Greek words are enclosed like +this+.

Footnote 11: "Tunc desiit paululum" is unclear.

Footnote 110: "On this article of faith the Church is founded. (L. Op. Lat. i, p. 254.)" The number 254 is unclear.

Footnote 111: "Et, ut fama est, de hoc plurimum gratulantur. (L. Op. Lat. i, p. 250.)" The number 250 is unclear.

Footnote 224: "L. Op. (L.) xvii, p. 305, and Op. Lat. i, p. 32." The (L.) is unclear.

Footnote 148 "Præsens male judicat ætas; judicium menus posteritatis erit." (L. Op. Lat. i, 310.)" The number 310 is not clear.

Footnote 479 is unclear: "Quacunque iter faciebant, frequens erat concursus hominum, videndi Lutheri studio. (Cochlœus, p. 29)."

Footnote 485: There is possibly a digit missing before the number 6 in this footnote: "Lutherum illac transeuntem subsequutus ut pro honore ecclesiæ vitam suam....exponeret (Cochlœus, p. 6.)"

In footnote 506, "Bucerus eodem nit. (M. Adam, Vit. Buceri. p. 212.)" the transcriber has added "ve" to "nit" to make "venit".

The number in footnote 532 is unclear "L. Op. (W.) xv, 2286".

In footnote 582, "Per chalcographos multiplicata et in populos dispersa est ea epistola ... Cæsari autem et clericis odium populare, etc. (Cochlœus, p.386.)" The number 386 is unclear.

Footnote 859: The final number is unclear. "Wenn mir nicht wär' mit Todten wohl, So läg nicht mancher Acker, voll, ac. (Bern. Mausol. iv, Wirz, K. Gesch. 1. 3.)"

The transcriber has added footnote anchors for the following footnotes:

Page 21, footnote 66: First vol., p. 172.

Page 21, footnote 68: Si tecum non licet disputare, neque cum Carlstatio volo: propter te enim huc veni. (L. Op. in Præf.)

Page 53, footnote 167: Ego nihil quæro; est qui quærat. Stet ergo, sive cadat; ego nihil lucror, aut amitto. (Ibid. p. 418.)

Page 92, footnote 267: Olim janua cœli, nunc patens quoddam os inferni et tale os, quod urgente ira Dei, obstrui non potest.... (L. Ep. i, p. 501.)

Page 94, footnote 270: Ist nun das nicht eine fröhliche Wirthschaft, da der reiche, edle, fromme Bräutigam Christus, das arme, verachtete, bose Huhrlein zur Ehe nimmt (L. Op. (L.) xvii, p. 385.)

Page 116, footnote 334: Quo audito, Marinus et Aleander...

Page 118, footnote 337: Favent vero ferme boni omnes.

Page 159, footnote 466: Omnem nunc Germaniam quasi ad genua provolutum tibi.... (Ibid., p. 184.)

Page 160, footnote 468: L. Ep. i, p. 580.

Page 164, footnote 478: Iter faciente occurrebant populi. (Pallavicini, Hist. C. Tr. i, p. 114.)

Page 164, footnote 479: Quacunque iter faciebant, frequens erat concursus hominum, videndi Lutheri studio. (Cochlœus, p. 29).

Page 166, footnote 486: Dass der Keyser seinen Beichtvater und Ihrer Majest. Ober-Kammerling, zu. Seckingen schickt. (L. Op. xvii, p. 587.)

Page 203, footnote 593: Dejecto in solum auriga et verberato. (Ibid.)

Page 203, footnote 594: Longo itinere, novus eques, fessus. (L. Ep. ii, p. 3.)

Page 226, footnote 654: In den Schlachten sich redlich und dapfer gestellt mit Rathen, Worten, und Thaten. (Ibid.)

Page 240, footnote 699: Do er ehrlich und wol empfangen ward. (Bullinger, MS.)

Page 253, footnote 736: Ich mein der Tod, Syg an der Thür. (Zw. Op. ii, 2nd part, p. 270.)