Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/77

Contributor - Harvey Van Farowe

Title - The Last Years And Death Of Zwingli

Topic - Church History

Ulrich Zwingli, who had a profound impact on the Protestant Reformation movement, especially in Switzerland, did not get old. A religious war ended his busy and dynamic life at the age of forty seven in 1531.

With the spread of the reforming movement in his country there understandably came opposition and resistance. There was also impatience on the part of the reformers. Zwingli was "right", according to Schaff, in his effort to secure the freedom for scriptural preaching in every area and city of Switzerland, but wrong in trying to "coerce the Catholics". The latter didn't want the reformers to have the freedom to preach in certain areas and conflicts ensued and became intense.

In 1529 a minister from Zurich, Jacob Kaiser, who was on a preaching mission, was seized and burned at the stake. Emotions, tensions, and "fear" increased. Zwingli, not opposed to war, himself urged arms. "Let us be firm," he wrote, and "fear not to take up arms, we thirst for no mans blood but if we shun (war) the truth of the gospel and the ministers lives will never be secure among us". Opposing forces gathered.

Involved also in the while complex dispute was Zwingli's speaking out against Swiss soldiers serving as foreign mercenaries in return for large amounts of money. He saw this to be divisive Or the country and morally debasing to the soldiers who were spoiled by the extravagant funds it brought them and acquired bad moral habits in it. Having earlier been a chaplain, he knew this from close acquaintance. However, the Roman Catholics wanted this service continued for the money it brought in and for its fame or prestige. So, there was more than the differing religious views involved.

As war was immanent and after it had actually been declared, there occurred a temporary truce and treaty. Both sides compromised some, with the Catholics allowing (on paper) greater freedom, for the reformers preaching and the reformers backing off on their insistence that the mass and images be eradicated. The Catholics also agreed that the town where Jacob Kaiser had been martyred should pay his orphans a thousand guilders and they consented to the stopping of foreign military pensions, etc. The reformers had the upper hand in this treaty. But the opposing party didn't like it and didn't abide by it. And they undertook to reinforce their army.

During the time of this shaky peace, Zwingli engaged himself in considerable spiritual activity. It is said he "never lost sight of, his spiritual vocation". In the last two years of his life he wrote a commentary on "the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah", an exposition on providence, and prepared two Confessions of Faith, besides preaching regularly, attending synods, and strengthening discipline in Reformed churches.

Then war broke out again in 1531. Both sides were partly to blame. An immediate cause was a "blockade" of Catholic Cantons or geographical areas in the wake of another squabble involving a "international" difficulty. Zwingli himself was not for the blockade. He felt it more honest to have war and believed it would come to this anyway. It did and it was the war which took his life.

Though he personally did not use his weapons in the war, and endeavored only to encourage loyal soldiers he went to the fray believing he should not forsake his people at this time. On the battlefield he was first felled by a stone to his head, and later by other blows, then pierced by a lance. Badly wounded, he was heard to say, "they may kill the body but they cannot kill the soul". He didn't die right away and lay on his back with his eyes fixed towards heaven. As he lay there, two of the victors for the Catholics won the battle urged him to confess to a priest and pray to the saints. Shaking his head he kept his eyes toward heaven and was later dealt a death blow with a sword by a captain who didn't like his teaching against the mercenary traffic.

It was a dismal day for the reformers and an intensely sorrowful o ne for Zwingli's widow. She lost that day, in addition to her husband "a son, a brother, a son-in-law, a brother-in-law, and her most intimate friends". She was taken into the home of Henry Bullinger, another great reformer, who showed kindness to her. This reminds us of Jesus mother, Mary, being taken in by the disciple John. She lived seven more years.

It might seem that this was a very decisive and- tragic reversal for the reformation in Switzerland. Its greatest leader had been cut off at a time of great usefulness and fruitfulness in his. life. Other pastors were also slain in this battle which took place near Cappel around Zurich. Several leading persons lost their lives and moral could conceivably have fallen badly. Before this battle the reformation had been spreading and growing. What would happen now? Would it fade and die? Yet truth cannot die. As Bullinger, the successor to Zwingli, said following the defeat, "the victory of truth stands alone in God's power and will, and is not bound to person or time. Christ was crucified, and his enemies imagined they had conquered, but forty years afterwards Christ's victory became manifest in the destruction of Jerusalem. The truth conquers through tribulation and trial. The strength of the Christians is shown in weakness." (Schaff)

Indeed the reform went on and spread further into formerly Roman Catholic centers. God raised up other servants to carry on Zwingli's earnest labours. More liberty for preaching the glorious gospel was granted. The Second Helvetic Confession, a prominent Reformed Confession, was drawn up in the 1560's. John Calvin, in the providence of God, came to Switzerland. Temporary setbacks have never prevented God's plans and work of grace. He is still sovereign over them. A strong church continued.

It did take considerable time to have the freedom to which Zwingli so zealously aspired. In fact it wasn't until 1848 that the government assured freedom everywhere in the country for Reformed public worship. Before, such freedom or lack of it was decided for local areas by the majority opinion. But finally it was assured regardless of majority view.

Also, Zwingli's views on the Swiss soldiers serving in the morally infecting mercenary business were victorious, as this was discontinued.

May you and I remember always that God's truth cannot be vanquished and ever make use of that powerful truth. The "sword of the Spirit" is stronger in the long run than the physical sword. It will eventually conquer, where God so wills, whereas human constraint or human weapons will often backfire.

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