Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Feb/77

Contributor - Harvey Vanfarowe

Title - The Reformation In Switzerland

Topic - Church History

In God's Sovereign grace the Reformation was not confined to one country or nation. It was not limited to Luther and Germany, as great as was its blessing there. One of the several countries where it also took strong root and bore abundant fruit was Switzerland, a small country but not small in historical significance.

Christianity had come to Switzerland far earlier, beginning, according to Philip Schaff (himself born in Switzerland) in the fourth or third centuries. Other sections of the country were evangelized somewhat later, for example in the seventh century through Irish missionaries. In the Middle Ages, the nation was Roman Catholic and the great Swiss Reformation leader, Ulrich Zwingli, was himself born and raised in that persuasion. However, the existing church became weak, many of her leaders were guilty of immorality, and conditions were become ripe for reform. It is said that many priests had children apart from marriage, indulged in gambling, and drank to excess. However, others, like Thomas Wyttenbach, a teacher of theology, were courageous for reform. The influence of Erasmus and the Renaissance also were threatening to the status quo and caused some to go back to the Scriptures to see what they said. Zwingli, for one, was blessed through Erasmus and went back to the Hebrew and Greek Bible.

Zwingli was born on New Years Day in 1484, just "seven weeks after Luther". He was born in a village whose people raised sheep.

His own father was a magistrate and he had a good education in many ways. One whose lectures he heard was Thomas Wyttenbach, mentioned earlier, "who opened his eyes to several abuses of the church, especially the indulgences, and taught him not to rely on the keys of the church but to seek the remission of sins alone in the death of Christ, and to open access to it by the key of faith".

Zwingli did not have such a dramatic conversion as Luther or Paul. Schaff pictures it in terms of "diligent seeking and searching" and a "gradual intellectual process" but after making the decision to let the Scriptures be his standard, "he easily shook off the traditions of Rome which never had a very strong hold upon him." He had been ordained, however ' to the priesthood and continued in that role in Glarus, where he served for ten years, thereafter moving to Einsiedeln.

At Einsiedeln he progressed in the Scriptures as well as studying writings of men like Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine in the convent library there. There too he began to be more outspoken against indulgences, popery, and the worship of Mary, etc. In this connection many historians date the Swiss Reformation from the year 1516, a year before Luther nailed his theses to the church door in Wittenburg. Thus, God was effecting needed reform in different places at the same time. Zwingli and Luther were not close friends. Though they espoused the same great truths they worked quite apart from each other and different in personality and manners. Zwingli was more gracious and mannerly, Luther more blunt and independent. At one time when the two met in a debate concerning the Lord's Supper, Luther said to Zwingli, "we have another spirit than you". They differed over the Supper, Luther teaching that the words, "this is my body" were to be taken at "face value" (Latourette) while the Swiss reformer stressed the Supper in its memorial aspect. Nonetheless, their total teachings had very much in common as they both believed that the Scriptures were supreme and both preached against abuses and wrongs. Both were great servants of God. Both let Christ be central.

In 1518, Zwingli was called to Zurich. This city was "the most flourishing city in German Switzerland" and had prestige and influence. This fact, no doubt, spread Zwingli's reformation preaching, yet that preaching was not without opposition. In one sermon during Lent he preached that it was unbiblical to forbid the eating of meat. Departing from tradition, some of his friends soon after partook of meat during Lent. This brought a delegation from the bishop of Zurich speaking against the new freedom and, as a result, penalties for non-compliance were threatened by the magistrate. Zwingli didn't yield to these threats but published a tract teaching Christian liberty as the apostle Paul taught it. In the same year he also requested of the bishop more liberty for priests to preach the gospel and for permission for priests to marry. On the latter issue he pointed out that marriage was of divine origin and "right" as taught in the Bible and that non permission for clergy to marry was a large reason for immorality among them. However, these petitions were not granted and Zwingli then suggested a public disputation or debate which suggestion was accepted and ordered by officials of the government.

For the disputation, Zwingli drew up sixty-seven articles which gave expression to his earnest conviction. Schaff calls them "the first public statement of the Reformed faith" and compares them to Luther's Ninety-five Theses. I quote a sampling of them:

"Christ is the only way to salvation to all who were, who are, who shall be." "Whoever seeks or shows another door errs-yea is a murderer of souls and a robber."

"I know of no greater scandal than the prohibition of lawful marriage to priests, while they are permitted for money to have concubines. Shame!"

"The Holy Scripture knows nothing of a purgatory after this life,"

"All spiritual superiors should repent without delay, and set UP the cross of Christ alone, or they will perish. The axe is laid at the root."

Actually, the public disputation was only the first of three disputations and they had a marked effect in furthering reformation in Switzerland. People attending included lay people and the disputations were conducted in the common language. Audiences of up to six hundred and -nine hundred attended. Zwingli was masterful from the Scriptures and though some church authorities did not become willing to alter former rules and customs many people saw the truths of reform and God's truth triumphed.

Around the same time there took place, through the work of Zwingli's assistant, Leo Jud or Judae, a translation of the Bible into the vernacular, a fine translation which was used even into our century. This, along with translations of books like Thomas a' Kempis's Imitation of Christ and the First Helvetic Confession and catechisms, were instruments in God's hand to bring about a lasting reform among the Swiss people and beyond.

What a blessing this must have been for thousands and what "joy in heaven" it must have brought. Ought this not remind us to ever teach and make known the inspired Scriptures and make them known courageously and without apology, applying them vigorously to our time.

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.