ZUlNGLt. 



with perfons of learning, and of contributing to the edu- 

 cation of candidates for the miniftry. Whilft he was at 

 Glarus he expofed feveral fuperftitions of the cliurch of 

 Rome ; and at Eiiifidlin he gained additional reputation by- 

 preaching againft vows, pilgrimages, and offerings. Here 

 he employed his influence fo effeftually, that he ordered the 

 infcription over the abbey-gate, " Here plenary remiffion 

 of fins is obtained," to be effaced, and the relics to be 

 buried ; and, among other rules which he eftablifhed in a 

 convent of females under his direftion, he introduced one 

 for obliging the nuns to read lefTons in the New Tellament, 

 inftead of reciting their hours. He was alio intrepid and 

 zealous in propagating rational fentiments of religion, and 

 with this view he availed himfelf of a public occafion, when 

 a crowd was affembled, to deliver a fermon defigned to 

 fhew that no fuperior fanftity refided in any place fo as to 

 confer peculiar merit on vows addreffed from it, but that their 

 acceptance depended upon the purity of the heart and life 

 of the worfhipper. Declarations of tliis kind, whilll they 

 gained the approbation of fome of his auditors, excited the 

 indignation of others, and alarmed the monks of this and 

 neighbouring convents. Althoughhe was regarded with jea- 

 loufy and terror by thofe vvhofe interefl led them to oppofe 

 reformation, he was fo much refpefted, that his ecclefiaflical 

 fuperiors manifefted no difpleafure againll him ; and by his 

 correfpondence with Erafmus, Glareanus, Hedio, Rhe- 

 nanus, and other learned perfons, heeftablifhed a reputation 

 ■which enabled him to encourage liberal ftudies. In 1518 

 he was invited to occupy the vacant poU of preacher in the 

 cathedral of Zurich, and before he was inftalled he an- 

 nounced his propofed plan of preaching, which differed from 

 that which had been before praftiled, and which gave him 

 an opportunity of explaining the books of the New Tefta- 

 ment in an uninterrupted feries, without regard to texts 

 that were marked for each Sunday and Saint's-day in the 

 year. This plan was approved by the majority of the 

 chapter, and drew together a crowded auditory, who ex- 

 preffed in high terms their admiration of tlie preacher. A 

 circumllance occurred which afforded him a complete vidlory 

 over an emilfary of pope Leo X., who was employed in the 

 fale of indulgences, infomuch that he was obliged to quit 

 the city and retire into Italy. Some writers, efpecially 

 among the Catholics, have referred the origin of the re- 

 formation, and of the oppofition of both Zuingle and 

 Luther to the papal authority, to the difputes about indul- 

 gences J but, although this quarrel might have contributed to 

 the promotion of it, the people were previoufly prepared for 

 the event by the preaching and conduft of Zuingle, and by the 

 judgment and prudence with which he had planned and pur- 

 fued his meafure for this purpofe. Luther proceeded very 

 flowly to that exemption from the prejudices of education, 

 which Zuingle, by the force of an adventurous genius, and 

 an uncommon degree of knowledge and penetration, eafily 

 got rid of. And we learn from the moft authentic re- 

 cords of hiftory, that he had explained the Scriptures to the 

 people, and called in quellion the authority and fupremacy 

 of the pope, before the name of Luther was known in 

 Switzerland. In procefs of time, after Luther had taken 

 np arms againft Rome, Zuingle, being then minifter of the 

 chief church in Zurich, concurred with him ; preaching 

 openly againft indulgences, then againll the intercelTion of 

 the faints, then againft the inafs, the hierarchy, the vows and 

 celibacy of the clergy, abftinence from flcfh, and alfo many 

 things which Luther was difpofed to treat with toleration 

 and indulgence ; fuch as images, altars, wax-tapers, the 

 form of exorcifm, and private confeflion, &c. Zuingle, at 

 an early period of his miniftry, had declared his decided 



difapprobation of all wars, excepting thofe that were under- 

 taken for the defence of the country ; and fuch was the in- 

 fluence of his opinion, that the canton of Zurich refufed to 

 concur with the other cantons in a fubfidiary treaty with the 

 French king. The refult of his arguments and remon- 

 flrancestothis effeft was a law pafTed by the affembly of the 

 canton in 1522, abolifhing all alliances and fubfidics for the 

 term of 25 years. He laboured at the fame time to enforce 

 a regard to the rules of the gofpel in preference to the re- 

 fpedf that was generally manifefted to thofe of ecclefiaftical 

 difciphne. Accordingly he defended thofe perfons who 

 had been denounced to the magiftrate for infringing on the 

 " faft of Lent" without a difpenfation ; and pubhflied on 

 this occafion his treatife " On the Obfervation of Lent," 

 which contained fome free opinions on the obligation of 

 fafting and keeping particular days. When the bifhop of 

 Conftance remonftrated againft his proceeding, and en- 

 deavoured by his charge and letters to excite apprehenfions 

 among the people, and in the council and chapter of 

 Zurich, that he would fpread through Switzerland fuch a 

 flame as Luther had kindled in Germany, Zuingle ob- 

 tained permifTion to reply ; and compofed a traft to prove 

 that the gofpel alone is authority from which there is no 

 appeal, and that the decifions of the church are binding only 

 inafmuch as they are founded on Scripture. When the bifhop 

 of Conftance had prevailed with the deputies of the Helvetic 

 diet to order the arreft of a paftor accufed of preaching the 

 " new doftrine," Zuingle, who had now adopted and openly 

 avowed tlie principles of the reformation, addreffed to the 

 heads of the cantons, in his own name and that of his friend, 

 a fummary of his doftrine, annexing an intreaty that they 

 would allow liberty for the preaching of the gofpel. In a 

 conference before the deputies of the bifhop of Conftance, 

 in the prefence of the great council of Zurich, held in 1523, 

 Zuingle gave an account of his doiftrine ; and the colloquy 

 terminated in the following declaration of the council : 

 " That Zuingle, having been neither convicled of herefy, 

 nor refuted, fhould continue to preach the gofpel as he had 

 already done ; that the pallors of Zurich and its territory 

 fhould reft their difcourfes on the words of Scripture alone ; 

 and that both parties (hould abftain from all perfonal re- 

 fleftions." Zuingle, having been thus fupported by the 

 magiftrates, and having obtained a pubhc fandlion of the 

 principles of the reformation in this canton, has been 

 charged, both by Catliolics and Proteftants, with allowing 

 to the fecular power an undue degree of authority in eccle- 

 fiaftical matters ; however it has been urged in his defence, 

 that he did not intend to transfer to government the abfo- 

 lute power over confciences claimed by the popes ; but 

 that, for the prefervation of order and tranquillity, he 

 thought that the depofitories of lawful authority ought to 

 have a fhare in the dirtdlion of ecclefiaftical affairs. 

 Zuingle, though thus fupported, proceeded with caution 

 in promoting alterations in the ceremonies and modes of 

 pubhc worfhip, and was principally anxious to lay a proper 

 foundation of change by enlightening the underftanding and 

 convincing the judgment of the people. When fome zea- 

 lous reformifts iiiftigated a niob to pull down a crucifix that 

 had been erefted at the gate of the city, and the culprits 

 were brought before the council to be tried and punifhed, 

 Zuingle interpofed ; and whilft he vindicated the oifenders 

 from the charge of facrilege, he gave it as his opinion, that 

 they deferved fome punifliment for.having pulled down the 

 crucifix without the authority of the m3giftracy._ This 

 difpute led to a general colloquy, which was held in Oc- 

 tober 1523 ; and the refuk was, that all the culprits, except 

 Hottinger their ring-leader, and the perfon who had ac- 

 ° tually 



