CENTURY XVI.

CONTINUED.

REFORMATION IN SWITZERLAND.

IN the history of the Reformation, Switzerland holds the next place to Germany, in importance and in order. 'The two grand instruments of the Reformation on the Continent, during this period,' says Milner, were undoubtedly Zuingle and Luther.' But though cotemporaries in the work, it has always been a disputed point,-whether the Swiss, or the German Reformer first began. Historians differ on this subject, according perhaps to their prejudices; and I do not think it of any consequence to endeavour to collect their opinions for you. It seems to me, (and I think Milner agrees in that opinion,) that Zuinglius, though as early, or earlier, convinced of the errors of Popery as Luther, did not attack them with the same daring hand, until that great man led the way. However, I shall now try to give you an account of his proceedings, without dwelling longer on a point so immaterial.

At the commencement of the Sixteenth Century, Switzerland, like the rest of Europe, was sunk in superstition, and seems to have been pre-eminent in ignorance and vice. Clergy and people were alike ignorant and immoral; the Bible was a book almost unknown to either; and though renowned for their love of freedom, the Swiss were held in the strongest chains of Papal tyranny. About the same time that Tetzel promulgated indulgences in Germany, Samson, a Franciscan, followed the same vile scheme of extortion, with the same indiscreet rapacity, in Switzerland. Nay, in some respects, his impudence seems to have surpassed that of the Dominican. The poor ignorant Swiss listened and believed, and flocked round him to obtain the blessings he promised; but fearing that the most they could give for the redemption of their souls or those of their departed friends would not be much, he called on the rich to come first, who could buy salvation at a more costly price,— promising that the poor should be attended to afterwards. How admirably opposed was the preaching of indulgences to the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation!" To the poor is the Gospel preached," says our Lord.

The Franciscans, however, met the same opposition in the prosecution of this iniquitous traffic in Switzerland, that the Dominicans did in Germany. Zuinglius, like Luther, had read the Bible; he knew that such things had no foundation there, but were destructive of men's souls,

and opposed to the Gospel of Christ: his exhortations, his preaching, and warnings had a good effect in Zurich, and the minister of papal fraud was not only expelled from that city, but obliged to quit Switzerland altogether. Zuinglius had not to contend with the obstacles that Luther had, and he advanced with boldness and rapidity in the work of reformation. As the opinions of Luther had circulated so quickly in Germany, the adversaries of Zuinglius represented to the Bishop of Constance the propriety of putting a stop to those of this reformer in time. A meeting was accordingly held, in which his enemies, aware perhaps of the sentiments of the people, diligently avoided all discussion on controverted points: at length the worship paid by Roman Catholics to the Virgin Mary was discussed, and led to a debate, in which Zuinglius, by adhering to Scripture, confounded his opponents, and the conclusion was, that the council passed a decree, allowing him free liberty to preach the Gospel, as he had done, and granting the pastors of Zurich authority to take the Scriptures only as the foundation of their discourses.

The Reformation thus begun at Zurich, meeting none of the obstacles it did in Germany, spread rapidly. Numbers, at the conference I have mentioned, became converts to the opinions of Zuinglius, and forsook the Romish faith. And though it met with some enemies, yet the protection afforded to Zuinglius by the Civil Government, contributed

to shield him and his followers from the censures of the Ecclesiastical.

Zuinglius had made himself many enemies by persuading the Canton of Zurich not to join the other Cantons in assisting Francis I. against the Emperor of Germany: and as Francis had been defeated, and the Swiss consequently sufferers by their alliance with him, they were greatly irritated at this, and resisted the promulgation of the reformed doctrines; so that they were confined principally to Zurich, and some places in its vicinity.

The peace which had prevailed between the parties was interrupted by the zeal of some of the reformed citizens of Zurich, who tore down a crucifix from the gate of the city; the judges appointed to try these offenders were divided in their opinions, some thinking that death, and others a slight punishment, ought to be the penalty of such a transgression. This led to a conference respecting image worship, and the observance of the mass. The bishop of Constance was the only person who defended the doctrine of the mass, and he was so ably answered by Zuinglius that the mass and the worship of images were abolished by order, A. D. 1524. Pictures and statues were taken from churches and burned, images were broken, and some disputes respecting the nature of the Lord's Supper, alone prevented the abolition of the doctrine of the mass.

These vigorous proceedings against popery in the canton of Zurich alarmed all the others, and

they entered into a mutual compact never to allow the establishment of the new faith in Switzerland. This confederacy threatened a persecution, and the council of Zurich saw some danger of being obliged to defend their religion by arms.

The enmity of the Romish cantons against the reformers was displayed in their cruel treatment of a man named Wirth, who was bailiff of the village of Stammheim, which had thrown off the papal yoke: and not only so, but disowned their allegiance to their tutelar saint, whose images and pictures they had destroyed. Wirth was accused of this crime, and proceeded against by the grand bailiff of Thurgau, who not being able to apprehend him, seized the pastor of a neighbouring town during the night, and carried him away. The people flew to his rescue, and enraged at his being detained, set fire to a convent, which was burnt to ashes. The cantons would at once have proceeded to destroy the guilty village and town, but the council of Zurich requested to try Wirth and his sons themselves, promising, if found guilty, they should be punished; they were accordingly tried and satisfactorily proved their innocence, but their cantons still insisted on their being delivered up, and though Zuinglius opposed this measure as unjust and ungenerous, the council gave up Wirth and his sons, who were thrown into a dungeon, tortured, and at last put to death.

Meantime the reformation spread, and the