not voluntarily consent to that, which would call into action a violent and unreasonable prejudice, and cause the doctrine of Christ to be rejected without examination.

Much has been written on the question of the priority of Luther or Zwingle as a reformer. Their independence one of the other this passage must be allowed to establish; which is the point of much the greater importance, not only as it may concern their honour, (for which we ought not to indulge too much jealousy,) but especially for the purpose insisted upon by Zwingle himself at the close of the passage-leading us to admire the wonderful works of God in raising such mighty instruments of his grace to cooperate, without mutual communication; and, “the consistency and uniformity of his Spirit,” in leading them "to teach the doctrine of Christ in perfect harmony," the one with the other. With respect to the question of priority, between them, those, who would deprive Luther of the honour of taking the lead in the great work of reformation, do not appear properly to distinguish between knowing and even teaching the truth in a comparatively quiet way, and publicly raising the standard against reigning error, so as to draw general attention, and commence a revolution. In the former way Zwingle might perhaps precede Luther; in the latter Luther certainly took the lead of Zwingle. Both of them had the knowledge of divine truth-of the doctrine of justification,' in particular—before the year 1517: in 1516 Zwingle preached the gospel at Glaris, and Luther, no doubt, taught it in his lectures at Wittemberg for some time, Zwingle perhaps had the advantage in point of knowledge, and possibly he had done more to disseminate it previously to the month of September, 1517, than Luther had done:

1 Lutheran Reformation, vol. i. p. 23, 24.

2 Gerdes, Hist. Ref. i. 129.

but at that period Luther blew the blast which resounded throughout Christendom, when Zwingle's sentiments had been little heard of beyond the immediate sphere of his own labours; and thus he caused the astonished world so firmly to affix the name of Lutheran to the new doctrine, whether taught by Luther in Germany or by Zwingle in Switzerland, that for many years after no other distinctive appellation could obtain currency.

But, though Zwingle “began to preach the gospel in 1516," we must not suppose that he as yet went all the length of the noble passage which we have quoted from him, written in 1523. He was rather preparing to be a reformer, than had actually become such. His ministrations at Glaris were however doubtless very useful; and they proved the means of raising up some persons who afterwards became serviceable to the reformation.

In the years 1513 and 1515, according to the custom of the Swiss, Zwingle, as pastor, accompanied the troops which marched into Italy to assist the pope and the emperor against the French, in the wars of Milan. On the former of these occasions he witnessed a signal victory of his countrymen at "Novarra, and on the latter a great disaster at the famous battle of Marignano. Here he at least attempted to render important services, and himself received considerable honours: but he obtained such views of the consequences of the practice prevalent among his countrymen, of letting out their troops to the different parties in quarrels which belonged not to them, as decided his own future conduct, and through his means produced a renunciation of the practice on the part of several of the cantons.

It was soon after his return from his second Italian expedition, that Zwingle received an invitation which removed him to a new and somewhat extraordinary scene of labour. In the canton of Schweitz there exists a rich and magnificent founda

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tion of the Benedictines, which was then, and is even to the present day, the grand resort of superstition in Switzerland. This is the abbey of Einsidlin, or of "our Lady of the Hermitage." It may be called, says Ruchat, "the Ephesian Diana," or "the Loretto of Switzerland." It is asserted that when, about the end of the tenth or the beginning of the eleventh century, the bishop of Constance, the abbot of S. Gallen, and other dignitaries, were about to consecrate this convent, they were forbidden to proceed by a supernatural voice, declaring that God himself had already consecrated it; or, as other versions of the story give it, that the Redeemer, assisted by a choir of angels, fathers, and martyrs, had performed the service in person, according to the rites of the Roman church;" and, as a proof of the fact, had left the print of the fingers of his right hand miraculously impressed upon a stone. This stone continued to be the object of adoration till the year 1802, when a part of the chapel was destroyed. In commemoration of the extraordinary event thus recorded, a festival, styled “the Angels' Consecration," was observed once in seven pears, to the time when archdeacon Coxe visited the place, about fifty years ago, and probably is observed to the present day. The great object of attraction, however, was and is a miraculous image of the Virgin, by which unnumbered cures are said to be performed, and to which, in consequence, crowds of pilgrims resort from all quarters, to pay their devotions and present their offerings, and to receive that "full remission of all their sins, both guilt and punishment," which an inscription, supported by the figure of an angel, assures them is thus to be found. Dr. Coxe tells us that he himself saw "several hundreds, in groups of different numbers," approach the place, and that some of them" consisted of a whole parish, attended by their spiritual pastor." "It is computed," he Bays, that, upon the most moderate calculation,

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their number amounts yearly to a hundred thousand." Such is popery, even to the present hour, where it is dominant; and that in a free country, surrounded by an enlightened population, and within sight of protestant establishments!

The administrator of the abbey at this time was Theobald baron Geroldseck, and the abbot, (by office a prince of the empire,) Conrad of Rechenberg. The former was a zealous patron of men of learning and piety; and the latter a man averse to superstition; who had so little opinion of the sacrifice of the mass, that, when urged by the visitors of the convent to celebrate it, he replied, "If Jesus Christ is really present in the host, I am unworthy to look upon him, much less to offer him in sacrifice to the Father: and, if he is not there present, wo unto me if I present bread to the people as the object of their worship, instead of God!" These distinguished persons, influenced by the fame of Zwingle's zeal and learning, invited him to accept the office of minister of the abbey church. Zwingle did not hesitate to accept the call, as it presented to him the prospect of extended usefulness among the multitudes of persons who visited the place from all parts, and at the same time would afford him peculiar advantages for prosecuting his studies, by the aid of the library, and in conjunction with the learned inmates of the house. Accordingly he removed thither in the autumn of the year 1516; to the great regret of the citizens of Glaris. The fame of Zwingle, and the character of the administrator, drew a number of learned men to Einsidlin. Several of these united with him in the diligent study of the learned languages and of the fathers, of the writings of Reuchlin, or Capnio, the reviver of Hebrew literature, and of Erasmus. He kept up also a regular correspondence with Wolfgang Fabricius Capito (then of Basle,) and Caspar

1 "A large and magnificent building." Coxe.

Hedio-men whose names are famous in the history of the reformation; as well as with Erasmus, Beatus Rhenanus, Glareanus, John Faber, grand vicar of the bishop of Constance, and many others. The letters of these learned men are full of commendations of his knowledge, and of the services which he rendered to the church. They bear unequivocal testimony, therefore, to the general estimation which he had conciliated, and to the hopes which were entertained from him.

Striking accounts are given of Zwingle's preaching in his present extraordinary situation, and of the degree of reform which, supported by the administrator, he was enabled to introduce. He taught his audience" to seek the pardon of their sins, not from the blessed Virgin, but in the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ." He proclaimed to the multitudes of pilgrims, selecting especially for that purpose the festival of the consecration, "that little account was to be made of indulgences, pilgrimages, vows, and offerings presented to the patroness of the Hermitage ; that the grace of God was equally attainable in one place as in another: and that he was as ready to hear prayer at their own homes as at Einsidlin; that the honours rendered there and elsewhere to the Virgin were derogatory to the honour of God; that there was no such place as purgatory; and that the merit of the monastic life was nothing but a vain imagination." A modern writer, who has exhibited perhaps a somewhat embellished representation of the reformer's discourses to this effect, thus describes the impression made by them. "Language so unexpected produced impressions difficult to describe. Admiration and indignation were painted alternately on every face while Zwingle was speaking; and, when at length the orator had concluded his discourse, a confused murmur betrayed the deep emotions he had excited. Their expression was restrained at first by the holiness of the place; but, as soon as they could