Ulrich Zwingli - A Religious Reformer - Research Paper Example

?ULRICH ZWINGLI, THE REFORMER INTRODUCTION Nor was it by the ancient Church of the Swiss, until convents turned missionaries into monks, and monks turned the gospel into fables, and these fables led the people to believe that the pope was the Vicar of Christ, and that Mary should be adored as the Virgin and as the guardian Of the Church (REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN 1868, 12-20) It is by this lie, that Ulrich Zwingli stretched his dowel in the direction of reformation of the church. The flagrant corruption, and “the lie of celibacy” were a constant thorn in the belief that Ulrich held in his conviction to the true cause of Christ; But not without the controversy of expulsion and severing of the ties with Rome. In this period, and in the periods that had passed, there had been Turmoil in the church, of the celebrations and the Book of Christ. Many reformers of the time questioned the role of these celebrations and the controversy of them not being found in the Bible. The statement he makes in his works clearly indicates his feelings towards the papal conclave;  That Christ is the only eternal high priest, wherefrom it follows that those who have called themselves high priests have opposed the honor and power of Christ, yea, cast it out. (Meyer 1912, 2007 , 2007) By no means did he shy away from controversy, but in his belief in ‘truth’ and his understanding of humanity, did he engage in writings of change, and politics, and distributed them commonly even in Rome, where his works were proscribed, the prelates still treasured his books, devoid of true acquaintance that he indeed authored those works they so loved. 1.1 WHO WAS HE? ‘God has granted me,’ said he, ‘from my boyhood to devote myself to the acquirement of knowledge, both human and divine. ... I acknowledge myself to be a great sinner before God, though I have not lived an immoral life, and on no occasion has discipline been exercised upon me.’ (REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN 1868) Born in the Year 1484, in January at Wildhaus, Switzerland, Ulrich was named after his ‘Ammann’1 Father, Ulrich the senior. His Uncle Bartholomew Zwingli also the Dean of Wesen, came and baptized him. Ulrich was born in a family of eight sons and one daughter. Ulrich was the third. As a young boy, living in the mountains, and had the chance to feel the presence of God in his surroundings. He would watch the animals and the people, and listen to tales from his grandmother, until at nine, from a suggestion by his Uncles, his father took him to Wesen, and laid him in the hands of his Uncle Bartholomew with the words; “You have put lofty ideas into Ulrich s head, and now I have brought him, so that you may try What he can do” (REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN 1868) In the spirit of the school of the times in Wesen, Bartholomew Zwingli, seeing that the education at the common schools was not good enough, contacted his friend the master of St. Theodore George Binzli, at Basle. Here, Ulrich grew faster in knowledge that he made new enemies in the older boys, at the age of thirteen, he was sent to Berne, where later after there was a trial by the monks of Dominica to convert the young bright mind, he was sent to Vienna In Austria, where he met two new friends that would help him grow in leaps and bounds. In such dedication, Ulrich Grew a devoted catholic, raised in the values and commissions of the church, and it can be said that he never really faced the world of corruption and sin in such a way that salvation would to him make a big impact than another reformer, born only a few weeks earlier, Mr. Martin Luther of the Lutheran reformation. There is no saying, that in his “safety” at Basel, Bern and Vienna, from where upon receiving his qualification in Arts, he joined the service of the Roman Catholic Church, Ulrich was far protected from facing the temptations of this world in so much that his tilt towards the ‘females’ was strong enough when he faced the sleaze. This was one of the conflict points that Ulrich had with the Roman Catholic Church. At this point, a new parish priest is required in Glarus, and the young Ulrich having concluded his studies with one Thomas Wittembach, who in prophesy manifested the words; “The time is not far distant when the old scholastic theology will be swept away, and the ancient doctrines of the Church be revived. God's word is the foundation of all truth. Absolution by priests is a Romish cheat. Christ’s death is the only ransom for our souls.” Was posted at this parish, where he faced his real first test at corruption. Apparently a man by the name of Henri Goldli, seeking to benefit from the monies and contributions of the church, laid false claims on the priesthood of the church. Zwingli had to pay him off! At the very same time, it is known that Ulrich, at this parish, was “not converted” (Arnold 1999) It is not until the later years at Einsiedeln (1516-1519), after reading the New Testament in Greek that he gave his life to evangelical truth and was convicted of his immorality. In his conviction, and in the years to come, he started hitting out at the frontiers of celibacy and what he understood as the lie or pretenses of the seventh commandment. So what did this reformer represent? What in analysis does his works propel? Why was he pushing for change in the church? Was it to consummate his position in society, or was it a concentrated effort to truly return to the words of Thomas Wittembach? Many opinions have been formed about his character and conviction with both sides of the argument proposing causes and effects of this man’s troubles. The reformists in their writings believe in the conviction of reformation, while the proponents of the old church completely indulge in the thought that in his own deficiencies, Ulrich sort to corroborate his own failings by overthrowing the tenets of the church. 1.2 WHAT DID HE REPRESENT? The reformers world hails the work of Ulrich Zwingli as the work of God, for the liberalization and Christianization of the church. There are several factors though that conflict in what brought about this change, even though it was common knowledge at the time that the repressed people of the church from all over Europe would rise against Rome. Rome did not only represent the Papal rule, but also represented oppression and waywardness, to the people that had the chance to study the New Testament in-depth. This growing concern over the independence from Rome, the questioning of finances, marriage, baptism of children and personal conviction to the cause of Christ would eventually lead to the reformation and the protestant church. Without question, one of the zealous fathers of the reformation in Eastern Germany and Switzerland where the cause was much stronger than the Lutheran reformation of Germany was Ulrich. The question is; did he have a motive? By examining his works, we can definitely deduce that his own conviction comes at a time that he realizes his folly on the seventh commandment. 1.3 WORKS Ulrich Zwingli was a man of confidence, authority and zeal, as he is variously described by the people who knew him at the time. His authority on the pulpit was unquestionable, and his works on humanity were self-explanatory, as did he not shy away from polemic. Knowing too well his failures of youth, and having a conviction from the Greek New Testament, Ulrich rededicated his life to Christ with zeal and faith, accepting his escapades of youth and seeing as Paul put it in his letters; that if a man serves God then he should not marry, but if in so doing his own desires threaten to derail him from truth, then let him marry, and avoid the sin of fornication (the seventh Commandment. Thus said, Ulrich Zwingli married the widow of a fallen soldier, Anne Reinhardt in 1522, but waited until 1524 to announce this to the public. This controversy dogged him for many years in the Papal conclave. Compounded by the fact that he chose to teach the Gospel according to the New Testament, there were cries to excommunicate him, but Ulrich was not done yet as evidenced in his speech; “God has revealed his will to the human race. Pure and clear is this Word in itself; but in our days certain men have so darkened and defaced it that most people called Christians are wholly ignorant of the divine will. And now, when some begin to point out the truth, lo! They are cried down as corrupters of the Church and as heretics. Such one I am regarded. For five years in this town I have preached nothing but Christ s saving message to man and yet this has not justified me. I am stigmatized throughout Switzerland as a heretic, a misleader of the people, a rebel. . . . Now, then, in the name of God, here I stand.” (REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN 1868, 167); At the Cathedral of Zurich, Zwingli had preached the New Testament, book by book. This was not received well by the prelates and the pastors. Their corruptions had allowed them to fear for the knowledge of true faith. They realized that if Ulrich were to give the people true knowledge of the Bible, then they would be faced by uprising. The underlying question still remains to date, to the questioning eyes of theologians and historical analysts, was it guilt of his past that drove him to such heights as fighting the very institution that brought him up, and salvaged his mind from the waste of the Mountains? Or was it an underlying sense of helplessness, and revenge at what we all can believe was betrayal of the inner man for the gratification of the outer body? With the ultimate attack on the pope, at which he succeeded, Ulrich Zwingli was propelled to be the orator of Zurich, having been accorded the town hearing. He presented his sixty seven discourses on various subjects ranging from Marriage, to politics and humanity. These were widely accepted in Switzerland and a great reformation started taking place in various institutions including Marriage, education, and politics. Nuns started getting married, and schools were placed under the care of city councils. Was Zwingli in his soul satisfied of this success? The power of a man always is his destruction. Simple weaknesses take away the great powers of change that men poses, and so it would happen with the man, Zwingli. His work was banned in Rome, and so, to get people to read them, he published works in other names, including Corallus, S. Abydenus. Wherefore these were received with great expectations by the prelates of Rome, without knowledge of their real author. (Corallus 1538) In this particular discourse he reiterates his fear of evil, in the way the church has not combated superstition and conflict, and he talks about piety as the only hope to the revival of the true Christian. To him, the theologian council was against true learning as he says, “Conciliabulum theologistarum, aduersus bonarum literarum studiosos…”2 (Corallus 1538) In his challenge to the council, Zwingli requested for a conference and it was granted. Vicar Farber sent forth by the council came in earnest to try and change the people away from Zwingli, and it was a disastrous attempt. That day of January 29th 1523 was a day for the victory of Zwingli in the whole of Switzerland. In his argument, he challenged those that had claimed him a heretic and a seditious man to come forth and allay evidence, standing up to speak instead, Faber did not put forth any evidence of Zwingli’s crime, but supplicated to defer any argument till the council summit that was to be held within the year. In his defense, Zwingli would not bulge, but challenged the council. At this meeting, it was laid bare that no one had the right to preach without the support of the Bible. And the saints were dismissed “not to be worshiped” as had been taught for many years. Zwingli had worn the battle, owing to his understanding of the word, and his learned debating skills he picked up at Barnes and Vienna. The revolution did spread across Switzerland with fervor. The government changes their systems and the people changing their ways, and yet Zwingli being who he was never allowed this growing confidence in him by the new church to ‘grow’ in him. There was that constant nag that he be able to be ‘like Christ’, and there was the constant guilt of his boyhood labors. In his own way he believed that he owed God and the New Testament the labor of evangelism and the liberation of the people so much that he even demanded of the government the people’s rights! The influence of Erasmus’s Humanity must be considered in understanding of Zwingli and his hopes of the philosophy of Christ in the drive towards Christianismus renascens. None the less, in his transformation, He does not lose the hope of a complete Christian renaissance, but loses the hope in men carrying out the change. It can be evidenced that he refocused on the will of God in every change and him as the vessel of God in bringing about that change. By further focusing on the poor at heart and in economy, he brought out the true nature of the gospel of Christ who in his days did not lounge with the rich and mighty as the prelates and the papal Conclave was at the time, sending out the message of repentance to the people and misdirecting the repentance to their own enslavement of money and power. (Leth 2007) Zwingli, believing that the time would come when all he had would be judged not by man, who’s corruptible, but by a God who is all powerful; decided to answer the call to that very God in the hope of redeeming himself from the wrath to come. The evidence of his change3 can be seen in his first address to the Cathedral of Zurich, and in the words of Mathew, that he deliberately spoke; “It is to Christ that I desire to lead you, to Christ the true source of salvation. His divine word is the only food that I wish to set before your souls!” (REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN 1868, 80) His listeners had found a new kind of message, a message of conviction, that the Papal assemblage did not want revealed to the people. 1.4 LAST DAYS The sixty seven thesis of Zwingli had made the Rome cold with the fright of losing the church to reformists. Yet the truth buried in these discourses were far reaching, and appealing in Europe and indeed to the people of the church. Zwingli made a mistake that was to cost him his life; He took up the sword. The traces of this battle, wrought by the Roman Cannons against their own people in the protection of the Roman Catholic Church was not recorded, in history, but is revealed in various historical texts. Even though the Roman Catholic Church succeeded in Bringing down the might of the reformer, they did not manage to bring down the power of his words. Indeed, his course was furthered in Zurich and Zug, and the reformists of Italy and France took the mantle. Zwingli had a conviction; his call was not defined in his youthful lusts, but like the great Saint Peter, he faced temptation, and fell into it, so that he could be convicted through the folly of his ways. It is paramount to note that Ulrich Zwingli was born of the church, to correct the churchly errs that threatened to destroy the very reason of its existence. Opponents of this word would still say that Ulrich was a heretic, a shepherd of the lost sheep. His course to change the church, weather true or guided by misplaced emotions, and what we can call the love of the worldly pleasures, was real in his demise. In dying, he solidified the cause, and advanced his argument that the church had been corrupted in such a way that it was willing to sacrifice its own, to retain the status quo. One interesting thing that happened in after the unholy cremation of Ulrich is noted by the texts of the Presbyterian Library; Ulrich’s body was burned as a sign and a warning to other reformers. After his death, he was tied as a prisoner and brought before a judge who pronounced the sentence. He was to be burned at the stake! In order that people may not collect his ashes, they were thoroughly mixed with the ashes of a swine, which in the Bible is a profane animal. The people were mad, but the truth still remains, that the mildness of the lamb only renders the wolf more savage. A few days Afterwards, Thomas Plater went to the scene of the battle, and found Zwingli’s heart still whole, unscathed by the heat. This cemented the proof of Zwingli’s dedication and commitment to the course of his country, and the reformation of the church. It is believed that though He went to war with armor, he never struck a blow, but hoped to be called upon to reconcile the warriors. This belief unto death of being the man who would gently save the church was one that in its strength would have yielded fruits, but maybe his death in the battlefield brought in more souls for the reformation. His folly, his beliefs, his strength and his conviction were a thing to marvel t, even in his new nature as a protestant and a pastor of reformation, a few believed that the great man of the gospel was driven by the will of God over his life. Always reflecting of the seventh commandment, the conformists have always advanced the thoughts that he was canal. But the question that still puts shudders in the present day canons is; are they not canaled? The same scandals that hit the early church still graze at the feet of the present day church, without a doubt, Ulrich would still be fighting today, if given the chance, as we see in his last words as the mercenary Captain struck his throat on realizing his identity, “What evil is it? They may kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul.” (REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN 1868, 299) Bibliography Arnold, Dr. Jack L. "Reformation Men and Theology." MilWeb Margazine, April 4th, 1999. Corallus, S. Abydenus. Dialogi Septem,Festiue Candidi.... Basel: S.N, 1538. Leth, Carl M. "Divine Providence and Human Suffering - An Exploration into the Thought of Ulrich." Wesleyan Theological Society,Olivet Nazarene University, March 2-3,, 2007. Meyer, Wilhelm. "Ulrich Zwingli. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol 15." In Ulrich Zwingli." The Catholic Encyclopedia, by Wilhelm Meyer. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912, 2007 . REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN. "ULRICH ZWINGLI,THE PAT1UOTIC REFORMER, a history." In ULRICH ZWINGLI,THE PAT1UOTIC REFORMER, a history, by REV. WM. M. BLACKBURN, 12-20. Philladelphia: Presbyterian Board Of Publication, 1868. Read More