Introduction
Th e W o rks
of Hu ldreich Z wingli
COM M ENTARY ON TRUE AND FALSE R ELIGION
INTRODUCTION
GEORGE WARREN
RICHARDS N th e Preface and th e Address to the Reader , Zwingli tells I how he came to write the Commentary .
"Many men in Italy and more in France , learned and devout , urged him
"to write
out in Latin his religious views for them .
The request prob ably was made when Farel , Anton du Blet, and other men from Lyons came to Zurich in the spring Of 1 524 .
He shrank in " from such an undertaking , but "modesty "the high standing and importunity " Of the men constrained hi m to yield to their wishes .
He was prevented, however, by "various occupations " from beginning the task before the latter part Of the year 1 524 .
In a letter to Zwi ngli , dated October 7, 1 524, Anton Papilio assumes that the former had un dertaken to write a book , entitled, D e v era ci falsa religi on e comm en tari u s .
Havi ng put his hand to the pen , he toiled incessantly,
"sweating night and day for three and a half months - a comparatively short time for SO weighty a treatise .
He regrets the fact that he was "
"so hurried all along, that I Often hardly had a chance to reread
Th e Wo rks Of H uldreich Zwing li
what I had written , much less to correct or embellish it .
The author was now in the
-second year of his age .
"forty The book came from the press at the end Of March , 1 525 .
Zwingli sent a copy to Vadian (March 31 ) and on e to Christoph Sch appeler at Memmingen .
Ludwig Sigwyn , of Swabia, is known to have had a copy by August 23 , 1 525 it was probably a gift from the author .
Thus the new publication served to propagate Zwinglian doctrine in South Germany .
A German edition Of 608 octavo pages, translated by Leo Jude , was published in 1 526 by Frosch auer at Zurich .
Professor Walther KOhler , Of the University of Zurich , translated part of the Commentary into German and incorporated it in his work , entitled, Ulri ch Zwi ng li , ci n e Au swahl au s sei n en S chriften , Zurich , 1 91 8.
Zwingli selected the name commentary for his book , because
" he says, "commentaries , if I rightly understand the word , "are means of communicating with friends, just as a letter is, save that commentaries are fuller and freer .
Since , therefore , I wanted to communicate with the most learned men Of France on the subject of religion , I determined to send them a commentary .
He apologized , also, for his haste in writing the book and excused hi s neglect to revise the manuscript for the reason that a commentary did n ot require the same accuracy as an oration or a book that had been held back eight years .
" of composition " does not refer, as on e would today expect, to the Christian religion in distinction from the pagan religions ; but, to use his own words , to "
The phrase, "true and false religion , "true and false religion as displayed by Christians .
The "the true fountains Of the word Of God the "true religion is that which is drawn from
" taken from the traditions and opinions of men .
The on e is the relig ion Of the Reformers ; the other Of the Catholic Church .
He considers the two kinds Of religion at the same time because " is superstition "false religion
"we get a clearer idea by comparing together things that are different than by portraying the on e in elaborate detail and keeping the other out of sight .
He describes his method Of procedure as follows :
' then Of "I Shall speak first Of 'true religion , 'false '
, not in separate and distinct books, but in distinct sections .
The purpose of the treatise is to Show the difference
I nt roducti o n
and conflict between the true religion Of the Bible and the false religion Of tradition and reason .
"to Francis , the m ost Chris tian King Of France , th e first Of his name .
The author dedicated his book "
The dedication is n ot a little surprising , because Zwingli vigorously Opposed the party in the Swiss Confederacy playing French politics and boldly denounced the mercenary service Of Swiss soldiers in the French army .
He addressed the French King,however, wholly for religious reasons :
"I have written especially for the good Of France and , therefore , nothing could be more proper than to dedicate my production to her king .
's favor for the evangelical cause .
Zwingli had entered into friendly rela tions , either through personal visits or through letters and theological writings, with prominent men in France .
Among these were Glarean and a circle of ki ndred spirits in Paris, He had reasonable hopes Of winning the king \Faber Stapulensis, Lambert Of Avignon , An emond de Coct, and Anton du Blet .
These men were humanists and most of them biblical reformers .
The King himself was friendly to the new learning, and his sister, Margaret Of Navarre , was a patron and protector Of the reform party .
It was, therefore , n ot beyond the range Of probability for France to be won for the Reformation .
He gives three reasons for his address to the King of France .
First, "this Commentary most Christian ought to be dedicated to none but the Most Christian Ki ng
; second, the people Of a ce have from ancient times been reputed faithful to religion ; to whom , therefore , coul d a "Commentary on True and False Religion " be more appropriately dedicated ; third,
Germany owes it to her neighbor, France , to share with her the light of truth which h as recently been given her .
His hopes Of winning Francis I . to hi s cause were n ot real i zed .
For the king lent neither ear nor heart to the evangelical doctrine, but permitted his religious policy to be determined by political considerations .
The theologians Of the Sorbonne , to whom Zwingli repeatedly refers in biting phrases , made Short work Of the Commentary by putting it on the Index .
France remained a Catholic land .
The author evidently planned a complete survey Of Chris tian doctri n c h —the first and only systematic presentation Of his
The Works oi Huldreich Zwing li
theology .
Professor Walther Kohler considers it Zwingli !
"most mature and comprehensive work , containing a whole system Of doctrine
The two books comparable With it are M elancth on - a dogmatic and an ethics .
' s Loci Commun es, 1 521 , and Calvin 's Insti tuti o Christia nae Relig i onis, 1 536 .
The purpose of M elancth on was not to present a complete system of Christian doctrine, rather a brief exposition
Of the way Of salvation based upon the Epistle to the Romans and a guide to the intelligent reader of the Bible .
Calvin , following the lead Of Zwingli 's Commentary, prepared a more extended exposition of the true doctrine , which largely superseded the Commentary and became the foremost exposition Of the faith published in the Sixteenth century .
It also . was addressed to the "M ost P otent and Illustri ous M onarch, Fran cis the M ost Christian Ki ng of the Fran /cs .
The material Of the Commentary is divided into twenty nine sections .
In the first eleven the author defines the term religion ; its two factors , God and man ; the person and work Of Christ ; the gospel and repentance .
He adds , to the exposition Of these points, sections nine, ten , and eleven in the form Of loci on the law and on si n .
This completes his presentation Of the essentials Of Christianity ; it is the positive and definitive part of the treatise .
The remaining eighteen sections are loosely connected and are , more polemical in tone .
Zwingli criticises the Catholic doctrine Of the Keys , the Church , and the Sacraments .
Under each head he defines the biblical view in distinction from that Of the Roman Church .
He enters upon a detailed discussion of the sacraments Of baptism , the eucharist, confession , and matri mony .
He adds sections on vows, invocation Of saints , merit, prayer, purgatory, government, and closes somewhat abruptly with two points— one on Offences and another on statues and images .
In a brief epilogue he sets forth in a concise way the Christian gospel in relation to the religious development Of humanity .
The author omits scarcely any important point in Christian doctrine . Whatever is lacking or inadequately developed in the Commentary, he adds in two later tracts— the one, On Orig inal Sin , to Urbanus Rh egi us and the other,
"Of the Provi
I nt roducti o n dence Of God .
The work is not an organic w holein the sense that every part is genetically related to every other and that all the parts are united by a Single unifying principle— a garment
Of one cloth .
The author wrote too h urriedly to produce a book
of that kind .
Yet the Commentary is the major writing Of Zwingli ; the next to it in significance is his Ausleg ung der S chlussreden , 1 523 .
The Lutherans Of Germany , however , valued his tracts on the Lord 's Supper more highly than the Commentary .
SECTIONS 1 -1 1
Zwingli , like Ci cero in his De Natura D eornm , derives the term "religion
" from the Latin verb , "
"Because the religious , " releg ere.
" he says, "careful ly consider and , as it were , peruse ( releg erent) all the things that pertain to the worship
Of the gods .
In its Christian usage , as Zwingli also takes it, the term embraces the whole piety of Christians : namely, faith , life , laws, worship , sacraments .
Two factors are involved in religion in general : God who is reached out toward , and man , who reaches out toward Him .
h a , " material from the history Of religions or the psychology Of religion , as a modern philosopher Of religion woul d do, but he confines himself almost wholly to the Bible for hi s knowledge
Of God and Of man .
For , apart from revelation , man cannot by natural reason or human effort Of any kind kn ow God .
He may discern " but he cannot know "
"that God is , "what God i s .
The heathen recognized the existence Of God, "though in wi dely different ways .
" says Zwingli , have made Him many, others have made Him fewer, and a very few have made Him on e.
"Some,
The knowledge Of th e philosophers , also, is Obtained through revelation .
According to Paul ( Romans 1 :
"That which is kn own Of God is manifes t in them ; for God manifested it to them .
" He manifested Himself through natural agency, ' which is the constant and uninterrupted operation Of God, His di sposition Of all thin gs .
Even the intellect, by whi ch we can in a measure know God, comes from - "who worketh all in all .
In thi s way nature and the Him
Th e Works of H uld reich Zwing li
spirit Of man confirm the truth Of biblical revelation .
The natural knowledge Of God is also a revelation "through the things He has made .
Zwingli does n ot make the distinction in principle between the Chri sti an 's kn owledge Of God .
's and the philosopher " believe in the on e true God , not because they have natural endowments superior to those Of the "pious The "impious ,
n or because they read or hear the word of Scripture , but through "the power and grace Of Him in whom we believe .
In other words, "
That the Christian believes that God exists, and that he h as faith in Him , is a work
"they are taught this of God .
"what God is , Of God alone .
For the knowledge Of Of his being in distinction from hi s mere existence , Zwingli depends wholly upon "the divine oracles .
He desires "to learn out of Hi s own mouth what God i s .
" S o wide is the difference between God and man , that man can know what God i s
" as little as a beetle can know what man is .
" Therefore man must "be taught by God Himself " (I Cor . 2 :
He leaves room , however, for his favorite philosophers Pl atO, Seneca, and Cicero— whom he concedes to have
"uttered certain truths on this subject .
But whatever is true Of what they said, they received from God , who scattered "seeds Of knowledge Of Himself " even among the heathen .
Of the theologians,
" wh o confuse divine revelation and "the inventions Of philosophers, " he speaks in terms Of contempt .
They "are puffed up with human wisdom and have corrupted what they received pure .
They are full Of the "arrogance Of the flesh and have held such views as they liked about God .
Zwingli is equally Opposed to rationalism and semi -ration alism .
He is a supernaturalist and an irrationalist .
He renounces reason as a source of knowledge Of God and he denounces the compromising theologians who seek to kn ow God partly through reason and partly through revelation .
Theoretically , at least, he is a pure biblicist .
By explaining his theory Of knowledge in a prefatory section , he paves the way for his exposition Of the revealed doctrine and never loses sight
Of the contrast between the truth of God as revealed in the Bible and " about God taken from human reason .
He is, however, far more uncompromising in his "the dreams and lies
I nt roducti on biblicism when he meets the Catholic theologians than when he greets the ancient philosophers .
In the first part Of his discussion Of the being Of God , he is betrayed by the natural bent Of his mind into a philosophical and empirical treatment of the doctrine Of providence and Of the goodness Of God , without appeal to biblical texts .
Only at the end Of his argument , he turns for support of his conclusions to the Bible .
He defines the character Of God in five points, using Jehovah " ( Ex . 3 : as the source Of his material .
In reality he turns philosopher and reas ons about the divine attributes , supporting his conclu sions by an occasional text from the Bible .
First , he declares that God is absolute and pure being, "I am that I am 's words to Moses , "from whom all things are , since they "could not possibly exist for a moment unless
God existed .
"sustains all things , governs all things "
He "This being is alone good , true, right , just, holy .
( Isa . 4 :
Second , " Third , He is "perfect , efficient, and consummating power, " who continually "so keeps , directs , and governs every thing, that i n all things made or done no fault can intervene able either to impede its power or to defeat i ts purpose .
Four , God as motive power and life Of all things is not only a sort
" but conscious intellect and wi ll— i n other words Of stuff, , "wisdom and foresight "
"n othing is unknown to Him , n othing is disobedient to Him .
; so that "
Five , God i s not only absolute wisdom and controlling providence, but He is , also , perfect goodness and benevolence , who is unceasingly bountiful to those whom He created for no other purpose than to enjoy
His bounty .
Thus he begins his argument with God as absolute being, the source Of all being, and concludes wi th the idea that He i s the absolute Good, the source of all good .
The Absolute is the Holy and Righteous One Of the Bible .
Zwingli may be charged with pantheism and determinism .
Some Of his statements have a pantheistic tone ; as, for example , ' Yet he was in reality a Chris tian theist, saved from pantheism by the sharp contrast he drew between the Creator and the creatur e— a distinction which was
He is the being Of all things .
One cannot so easily absolve him f rom the charge Of
the master light Of all his seeing .
Th e Works of H uldreich Zwing li
determinism .
He says more than once that God is life and motion Of all things and permits n o fortuitous occurrences, not even the free initiative Of men . The God Of providence becomes also the God Of unconditional predestination .
This is close to determinism , n ot Of the impersonal naturalistic, but Of the personal , spiritual kind . Zwingli was forced to take this position by the emphasis Of his Opponents upon human ability or free dom , which was the necessary presupposition Of works having saving efficacy, such as sacrifices , fasting, alms, and meritorious performances Of all sorts .
But when he steered clear Of the Scylla Of righteousness by dint Of human cfi 'ort, he was borne by the currents uncomfortably close to the Charybdis of salva tion by divine necessity .
Predestination is the inevitable out come Of his assumption that God i s the only active cause oper ative in all His creatures .
Yet in this way he finds sufficient warrant for ascribing the cause and glory of salvation to God alone , and n ot in part to the self-achieved righteousness Of man .
TO do him full justice one must always read the philosophical conclusions Of Zwingli in connection with his biblical doc trines .
"NO man , " he says, "can reproach me with having based my teachings about the knowledge Of God upon human persuasions .
" In the same paragraph he adds :
"I have shown without reserve that it is not through human power that we " for that "is not Of him that willeth , nor Of him that runneth , but Of God that come to the knowledge and worship of God,
" ( Romans hath mercy
He concludes his section on God by asking the question What does such a discussion avail ?
The godless cast it to the winds ; the devout do not need it .
For they know God through experience and not through argument or reason . God
graciously manifests Himself in their hearts and begets faith in them .
This statement clearly shows Zwingli 's theory of the way Of knowing God .
Philosopher though he was and naturally inclined to convince others Of the truth by logical argument, he always acknowledged in the end the limitations
Of the human reason and bowed in submission to the authority of divine revelation and devout living , which man cannot attain by effort but must ultimately receive through faith .
In his discussion Of man , the second factor Of religion ,
1 0 Th e Wo rks Of H uld reich Zwi ng li form ended in the total perversion of religion .
In a passage that sears and blisters, he pillories his adversaries , saying Of them :
"Your distinguished theologians and hypocrites Of animal appetite , n ot knowing this [that man i s altogether bad] , are sati sfied— to quote but one O f their views belonging to false religion— to grant that man s heart is prone to evi l ; at the same time attributing to him un impaired power Of choice, so as to be able freely to stretch out his hand towards anything he chooses .
This is nothing else than trying to weave a rope Of sand or to make an angel out Of Belial .
" This doctrine of the unimpaired power Of choice was , in Zwingli 's Opinion , the fontal source Of all the ills of the Catholic Church .
For it made room for saving merit in man , the creature, and to that extent detracted from the honor that belongs solely and wholly
to God the Creator .
After a prolonged analysis and definition Of the two fac tors Of religion , he proceeds to consider the relation of God and man in religion , not Without repetition of ideas in the pre ceding sections .
He keeps close to the Bible and , without further ado, he traces the beginning Of religion to God
R ELIGION
's call "Religion took its rise when Of Adam hiding in th e garden .
God called runaway man back to him 0 wonderful and unspeakable graciousness Of the heavenly Fath er l
Here he is in accord with M elancth on , wh o, also , found , in the third chap ter of Genesis, the si n , repentance, and justification Of Adam .
He presupposes two conditions as fundamental in his idea Of religion :
God
's response to divine grace .
The nakedness Of Adam 's initiative and man " symbolizes the utter help lessness and hopelessness Of man .
Instead Of venturing to return to God he flees from Him .
Zwingli asks the
"theo logian s, Catholic and humanist, whom he h as always before him :
"Does it seem as if Adam would ever have come back Of his own motion to ask for grace ?
" He himself answers the question :
"You will certainly admit that he would not have returned, if the Lord had not followed him in his flight .
" He prods them still more, saying, "Why, then , will you n ot admit that the acquired faith (fides a cquis i ta) about which you talk so much is a fiction ?
" He is convinced that his feet are planted on a rock when he cites the words Of Jesus :
"For no man is
Int roducti o n able to come to me unless the Father draw him .
's opportunity .
He judged m ore kindly than the gui lt deserved 's extremity, however, is God Man " and received back into favor "this traitorous deserter .
Without the initiative of divine grace there would have been no religion .
TO put it in a negative form in Zwingli
"Suppose God aban dons Adam , he will never come back to Him from whom he has fled .
's own words :
" Hence the general principle :
"Suppose God aban don s man ; he will never seek Him by whom h e was created .
The second condition Of religion is that man responds to God 's call and accepts the proferred grace .
Man cries out of the depths of despair— a despondency that is born Of God 's revelation of man to himself .
In the light Of the divine word he sees his own si n and misery, 80 that "he utterly despairs of himself .
Then only does God freely manifest His bountiful grace , which is irresistible and cannot be taken from him .
For a man whom God calls "is forced to respond whether he will or n ot.
"the clinging Of man to God , the
's grace is The effect of God "constant adhesion to Him with unshaken trust in Him
as the only Good .
But Zwingli 's strong ethical bent would not 'er man merely to cling to God and in a mystic way enjoy
His grace . True religion includes sufl "an eagerness to live accord ing to the will Of God .
"Christians therefore will anxiously and unceasingly pore over , study, and consider the ways in which they can please Him and deserve well Of Him .
" The way of servi ng God is to be foun d in His word alon e —to which "we shall add nothing " and from which "
"we take away nothing .
But h ey only ganflunderstaud the word of God who are born — n m Of the Spirit or . are d raWIL O f
- Hime "
After he has defined the human Side Of religion , he directs a Winged , piercing Shaft at the "impious .
"It i s, therefore , madnes s and utter impiety to put enactments and decrees Of certain men or councils upon an equality with the word
Of God .
" To trust in any other than God 's word is falsa relig i o
" is c era relig i o .
Zwingli never fails to combine grace and law in the Chris tian life . In opposition to Erasmus and all forms Of humanism , he emphasizes nj anist ot aln disabi litym nd th e sol e s ufli ci en cy of "to hang upon the utterances Of God alone
1 2 Th e Works of Huld reich Zwing li . g race In the face Of Rome he puts emphasis upon law
Obedience —but law as revealed In the Bible and Obedi ence motived by l oyalty to Him wh o saves . He escapes bald heter di vi ne_ on omy and servile submission to authority by blending, in the religious life, the divine favor of forgiveness, the revelation of the Scriptures , and the enlightening and compelling spirit of God In the soul . Man Obeysi h e wil_l_qf God, a ccordi n gly, with _ law through the free voliti on a of love.
This is the out coercion of " vital principle Of Reformed ethics and the heart Of Reformed piety .
S O far Zwi ngli has discussed religion and i ts two factors — God and man— without special reference to Christ ; yet he
has n o thought Of religion save as it is revealed in the Scrip tures .
Its essential content is the immediate relation between God and man , growing out Of faith in God
R ELIGION
's grace and express ing itself in paternal and filial piety, which might be described as a sort of prophetic monotheism . He fails to show h ow this relation is realized through Christ and His atoning death .
In eILtri c theL j hEI—
I through Christ but Christ through God , as we may infer from his own words :
"Ths knowledge Of God precedes t h e knowledge of Christ .
He formiIl ates the fundamental thesis Of the section on the Christian religion as follows :
"Christ is the certainty and " ( certi tum m m This WCI ITIC figracg gj God plgdge Of the '"terms the basal idea Of the Zwinglian theology .
What he hitherto assumed he now explains by showing Christ '
part in God 's redemptive work .
His treatment Of Christ is wholly controlled by soteriological motives .
The author finds the rational ground for the assurance Of divine grace in the Anselmi c theory of satisfaction .
For once he agrees with the " wh o say that "God "theologians 's , justice must be satisfied .
" But he is quick to denounce the scholastic assertion , " (that man i s to do what is in him) , as a shallow and false estimate of human nature , rendering the satisfaction Of Christ superfluous .
Those who teach this doctrine "facere qu od i n se est "do not know either the righteousness Of s che Gum bo na ch den Ha/ up tschriften der Reforma toren,
' Der eva/ ng eh '
" ( Tilbi ng en, 19 19 ) p . 171 .
"Zwi ngli vol . 2 ,
I nt roducti o n God or the actual unrighteousness of man .
God alone there fore can provide satisfaction ; and He h as done so through His incarnate Son .
In a single paragraph Zwingli concisely sum
mari zes tw " he says, "God enlightens us , o "so that we may know ourselves .
When this happens we are driven to despair . We flee for refuge to His mercy , but justice frightens us .
His eternal wisdom finds a way by which to satisfy His justice— a thing wholly denied to ourselves —and at the same time to enable us , relying on His mercy , to enjoy
Him . He sends His Son to satisfy His justice for us , and to be the indubitable pledge Of salvation ; but on condition that we . become new creatures and that we walk having put on Christ. f The whole life Of the Christian , therefore , is repentance .
For when do we not si n ?
" The last clause is almost identical with the first of the Ninety-five Theses Of Luther .
In an unusually Significant , though rather incidental , passage , Zwingli assures us that God did not requi re the satis faction Of divine justice to protect Himself against "the adver sary, " the Devil , or because the Potter was not free to make out Of the clay whatever vessel He chose .
It was the purpose Of God "that by this eXampl e Of justice He might remove l/ drowsiness and sloth from us and show us what sort of being He was— just, good , merciful .
" Zwingli also warns the reader not to inquire too boldly into the counsel of God , but to rest satisfied with the words , It so pleas ed Him .
In other words, Zwingli intimates that Christ
's atoning work had effect upon God, and, by way Of example, deeply influenced man .
The atoning death Of Christ, therefore , had value n ot only for God but also for man— a distinctly Zwinglian idea .
Christ was clothed in flesh ( carn e i n du ta s) , not merely to satisfy the j usti ce Of God so that in mercy He might redeem men ; but,
"the divine majesty in coming into contact with the earthly world would not be too terrifying ; or , conversely, to beget hope in men when in Christ, the Almighty Son Of God, also , that
" they see a brother .
This "unh eardp f and extraordinary fact was conceived by God only with the beginning Of hum an misery ( ab exordi o hum an ae mis eri a e proposi ta praeceptaqu e
's redemptive pur pose in Genesis 3 : 1 5— clearly an infralapsarian point Of View . est) . Zwingli finds the first evidence Of God
1 4 Th e Wo rks of H uldreich Zwi ng li The incarnation Of Christ was foretold in prophecies , types , and symbols throughout the Old Testament .
It was aecom plish ed through birth from the Virgin , wh o remained ever virgin , so that Christ would be sinless and holy, since the sacrificial victim had to be free from blemish . Following Paul
's idea of the first and second Adam , Zwingli draws a contrast between the two in ten theses , in order to show how the ills brought upon men by the si n Of the first Adam were healed by the righteousness Of the second Adam .
The life and doctrines of the historical Jesus are considered under three aspects :
. His birth in a stable , Hi s boyhood , and His subjection to His parents , to prove the poverty , humility , and humanity Of the Savior ; 2 . the miracles and benevolent work as evidence Of His divine mission and authority ;
3 . the passion , following in detail the record in the Gospels , Showing how He triumphed over death and hell , through Hi s death ,
Hi s descent into hell , His resurrection , and His glorification .
"All this I have briefly narrated in order to make clear to every beholder the righteousnes s of Christ by which He healed the wound Of Adam .
Of the character Of Jesus , His teaching in parables and in the Sermon on the Mount, the quality and beauty of His life , he makes no mention ; nor does he say what Christ meant for him in his own heart and struggle for life , as friend , com panion , comforter, and co
-worker .
Zwingli writes as a theo log ian and defines Jesus the Savior in the language Of dogma .
TO do him ful l justice we must listen to him as a preacher in the Grossmfin ster, when he thrills his hearers with the call
Of the Savior :
"Come unto me , all ye that labor and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest .
The result Of the redemptive work Of Christ is set forth in the section on the Gospel , which Opens with the words :
"Christ suffered all these things for us .
Gospel is the good news "that sins are remitted in the name Of Christ .
He defines what it is, what it does , and how it is to be received . The word itself means
"good tidings .
In Mark 1 6 : 1 5 -1 6 , we are told what the gospel doeS — "it is a thing which saves believers .
In Luke 24 : 454 7, we are told what the gospel is— "that repen tance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
I nt roducti on "
"NO heart ever received tidings more glad .
But gospel becomes unto all nations .
" only to those who despair Of themselves , which comes from a knowledge Of ourselves in the light Of God .
"glad tidi ngs "The divine Spirit alone enables man to kn ow himself .
Through a kn owledge Of his sins man i s brought to repentance and finds refuge in divine grace .
"For when our consciences are laboring amid narrows and cliffs of despair , what tidings more joyful can be brought us than that there is at hand a redeemer who will bring us forth into a large place, and a deliverer and leader who can do all things ,
The gospel includes more than the Offer of forgiveness it teaches us to embrace not only grace but a new life . for he is God .
" He sounds the ethical note :
"Our lives and characters must be changed ; for to be a Christian is nothing less than to be a new man and a new creature .
" Zwingli reiterates his con vi cti on that moral living is the fruit Of divine grace, though divine grace does not depend on moral endeavor .
Although in the section on the gospel repentance was dis
cussed , Zwingli devotes a whole chapter to its further con sid cration . He calls attention to the wide difference between evan g eli cal repentance and Catholic penance under priestly di rec ti ons . The latter he regards as a mere caricature Of the former .
The evangelical Christian h as deeper insight into his sin and misery, at least theoretically, than the average Roman Catholic .
When men despair of themselves they can not be satisfied with works Of merit but ar e driven to find refuge in Christ
's merits al one .
Repentance does n ot cleanse men Of their Sins but it is a safeguard against lapsing into the sins Of which they repent . Even though men constantly Sin through the weak ness Of the flesh , their sins are n ot imputed unto them , because
Of their faith .
" God requires that men bring forth frui ts worthy Of repentance .
It does not sufice that we are baptized or that we say : Lord, Lord ; but we must do the will of the Father .
Zwingli h as little or no understandi ng Of sacramental mysti
"Al l the writings Of the apostles are filled with this idea, namely , that the Christian religion is nothing else than a firm hope in God through Jesus Christ and a blameless life wrought after the pattern Of Christ as far as he giveth us .
On the basis Of Scrip cism ; he transforms everythi ng into ethical living .
1 6 The Works of Huldreich Zwing li ture Zwingli proclaims the paradox that men are saved only through Christ and yet a good life is demanded of those who are saved .
Zwingli concludes the first part Of his exposition Of the essential elements of "true religion " with two brief chapters on The Law and Sin .
Law is defined "as nothing else than the eternal will of God .
The term does not include civil laws,
"which have to do with the outer man
" and which "change with the exigencies Of the times , "abolished by Christ .
The divine law, to which he refers , h as to do "with the inner man and is " or ceremonial laws, which were "
It is written by heart Of man .
"eternal .
— \ men are To come " Through the law Tf '
TO ' knowl edge Of si n ; but it also serves to point the way Of life .
It is not abolished by Christ, though He is the end Of the law .
In Him it is fulfilled through love : love is the fulfilment Of the whole law .
"They, therefore, who serve under Christ are bound to do that which love orders ; what love does n ot order or what does n ot proceed from love either is not enjoined or i s not profitable .
Zwingli is alone among the three great reformers in mak ing the distinction between man
's Sinful nature and his actual sins .
He distinguishes between inborn si n ( called m orbus in Latin , Bresten is Swiss German) , which comes from Adam , and actual sins, which are voluntary transgressions Of the law
"Sin that is transgression is born of si n that is disease .
Of God .
Inborn si n , the Old man , the flesh , are synonymous terms . The primary motive Of sinful man is philautia, self-love, which impels us to flee v irtue and to pursue lusts, and to resist and to strive against the law Of nature— "love thy neighbor as thyself .
Men left to themselves would consume and destroy one another, unless God had hedged in man 's selfish desires by the restraint Of the natural law :
"What thou wouldst that man do unto thee, do thou unto others .
We a re freed from law for the breaking Of which we are under condemnation . We are not freed from it in the sense that we are not bound to Observe it, for it is unchangeable and eternal . We are freed only through love,
"for he that loves does all things freely .
" He adds :
"God, therefore , has put in
1 8 Th e Wo rks of Huldreich Zwing li Section he contrasts the vi ew Of true religion wi th that Of false religion —the one held by the Reformers , the other by the Roman Catholics .
In some of the sections, as for example , that on the sacraments , he also distinguishes his own vi ew and that Of his associates from the teaching Of the Lutherans and the Anabaptists .
THE KEYS The Office Of the keys is power to loose and to bind as defined and conferred in John 20: 22 -23 :
"Receive ye the Holy Spirit : whose soever Sins ye forgive , they are forgiven unto them ; whose soever sins ye retain , they are retain ed .
In the author "to loose is nothing else than to raise to sure hope the heart that is despairing Of salvation ; to bind is to abandon the obstinate heart .
's words, " is explained by the words Of Jesus :
"To abandon "And whosoever Shall not receive you , nor hear your words as ye g o forth out Of that house or that city, Shake Off the dust Of your feet .
" Again he says :
"Th e keys are w _hat sets free the captive conscience .
The conscience is fféé d and thesoul Is cOrrifOfted" wHéii
' under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we understand the mystery Of Christ and "
This illumination takes place when "the apostles preach repentance and remission Of sin in His name , and those who hear and believe in His name are freed from their sins and consoled in their hearts . trust in Him .
When the apostles were given authority to " they received th e Office of the keys .
"preach the gospel , "Here then are the keys which Christ com mitted to the apostles, by which they unlocked the gates
Of Heaven— they preached the g ospel .
In the face of the papists he vigorously denies that the power of the keys is the right to lord it over the flock or to exploit it for one "Away , therefore , and away quickly, with these counterfeit keys Of the Popes
's own pleasure or profit . from the church Of th e faithful !
For nothing is sought by them but dominion over the conscience , and when this has been acquired it Opens the way for greed to the treasure Of all .
Without mentioning the name Of Luther , Zwingli refutes , also, the Lutheran conception Of the keys , namely , that their efficacy is in the word of God, while the priest is only the i nstru ment through which th e word Operates .
Zwingli traces the power of the keys not primarily to the external word or to faith ,
but to the illumination of the Holy Spirit by which the word :
"We may be taught by the word , 1/ through human mediators , but our conscience can never find peace through human absolution unless the spirit Of God Opens the word in our hearts . becomes active in faith .
" Wernl e says :
"Luther did not differ widely from Zwingli , but the latter made the difference to appear wider than it actually was .
To whom has the power Of the keys been given ?
The author demolishes the claims Of the Romanists , who say that Christ gave the keys to Peter and his successors , according to the words in Matthew 1 6 : 1 9 :
"I will give unto thee the keys Of the kingdom Of heaven , etc .
" These words , Zwing li argues , apply not to Peter alone but to the Twelve , "who all believed and confessed that Jesus was the Christ .
Peter did not lay claims to primacy , for he calls himself a "
The Office was not conferred upon a Single person , not even upon a "fellow-elder . council Of officers whom God ordained to exercise government and discipline ; but "Christ promised the keys to all who , on being asked , recognized that He is the Son Of God .
" The power Of the keys is not exercised by an Official act , reserved for the ordained priest alone ; it is a function Of the community Of believers .
"The word Of God , then , " says Zwingli , "by which we learn to know ourselves and are taught to trust in God, is the keys by which the ministers of the word set us free ; for they that, taught by it, put all their trust in God are hence forth free indeed .
Referring to the keys, he says at another place,
"that they are the faith by which the gospel is believed, that is , by which we trust in the righteousnes s and merit Of the Son Of God, and utterly deny and cast ourselves aside .
The author summarizes his conclusion in the following ; words :
"It is therefore established that it is by faith and not by absolution , as they call the made -up formula Of papal authority, nor by any sacrament whatever that the inward man can be made secure .
For faith alone knows how much trust it h as in God through Christ .
"human presumption whi ch THE for sinister reasons has He bitterly denounces the
"distorted the name church as well as CHUR CH th e thing itself SO as to make it apply to some few persons only .
Reference is here made to "the popes or to "a few "
Th e Wo rks of Huldreich Zwing li
bishops or rather mumblers .
Turn "from the error Of making
"Nowhere in all Holy Writ out the popes to be the Church . is there ground for such an assumption .
The church , in the true sense Of the word, "is a company, an assemblage, the whole people , the whole crowd gathered together .
For further exposition of this topic he refers the reader "that thoroughly impious and corrupt person . to his reply to Emser, "1
That tract, wi th an introduction , forms the con cluding portion of this volume .
Zwingli refutes three interpretations of the sacraments in general .
He modestly acknowledges his Opponents , save Emser and Eck , for whom he h as nothing but contempt, as
"great men , and expresses regret that he is constrained to differ from them .
The first view, Obviously that of the Catholics , resolves the sacraments into "something great and holy which by its own power ( vi su a) can free the conscience from si n .
Zw ingli attributes this powgrtq glg d, who alone can free the conscience .
"How could water , fire , Oil , milk , salt, and Stl ch crude things " If such access to the Inner man is not possible for these material elements , then make their way to the mind ?
"God alone can forgive sin and cleanse the mind .
"by the whole width of heaven wh o think that the sacraments have any cleansing power .
They are wrong, then , " Here , as always, he will not permit the Creator and the Spirit to be bound by the creature and by material agencies .
The word Of God and the faith Of man these are the only means and conditions for the purification
Of the consciences of men .
The second view is that Of Luther and his followers . They agree with Zwingli in rejecting the Catholic theory , and Zwingli agrees with them when they define a sacrament as a
" ( sa crae rei sig num ) "symbol Of a sacred thing .
He cannot, however, concur with Luther in the claim that "when you perform the sacrament outwardly a purification is certainly 1 performed inwardly .
In other words , he denies that the sacra ments are "signs which , when they are performed , make a 1 In the di scu ssi on of the sacraments , h e stigma tizes Ems er a nd Eck a s pests to the teachi ng of Ch ri st " (p .
I nt roducti o n
man sure about what is performed within him .
Such assur ance cannot be given by material means though one were deluged with the whole Jordan , " nor "
"by a sacred formula . though it were " We become new men and receive the benefits Of Christ "repeated a thousand times .
"by the action Of the Holy Spirit .
" According to the Scriptures the Spirit was given sometimes before the sacramental act, as in the case of Cor melius , and sometimes after it, as in the case Of the disciples Of Apollos .
It is clear, therefore , that "when the sacraments are applied to man , the thing signified by them does not n eces "
This again involves Zwingli eerily at once take place within them .
's Operation .
's basal idea Of the manner of the Spirit
For, if the foregoing statement were true , the liberty Of the divine Spirit , which distributes itself to individuals as it will , , that is, to whom it will , when it will , where it will , would be bound . For , if it were compelled to act within when we employ
the signs externally, it woul d be absolutely boun d by the signs .
The blessing symbolized by the sacraments is appropri ated by faith i n Christ , which is not effected by a sacramental
"A man , therefore , feels faith within , in his heart ; for it is born only when a man begins to despair
Of himself, and to see that he must trust in God alone . transaction .
"freed from sin when the mind trusts itself unwaveringly to the death Of Christ and finds rest there .
We are "
The third view is that Of the Anabaptists .
In the words Of the author :
"They see clearly that the sacraments can not purify, n or that the Operation Of the di vine Spirit is such a slave to the sacraments that , when they are performed, it is
That is , the Anabaptists accept neither the Roman Catholic nor the Luth eran view .
They teach that compelled at the same time to operate within .
"the sacraments are signs which make a man sure Of the thing that h as been accomplished within him
" before the sacraments are administered .
For example, they wi ll baptize only those wh o give evidence Of regeneration and faith before the baptismal act .
Zwingli refutes this theory with a Single question :
"Why does on e need baptism who already , through faith in God, is sure Of the forgiveness Of his sins ?
" Faith that requi res a ceremonial to certify it is not true faith .
And if the recipient Of baptism
The Works of Huld reich Zwing li
does not beforehand have true faith, his baptism is meaning less . The only reason for baptism in the case Of true believers is that it is enjoined in the New Testament . At best it was a sealing, not a saving ordinance : a Sign Of fellowship in the congregation Of the converted and awakened Christians and Of separation from the world and the world church .
Both they and Zwingli took the sacramental value from baptism .
Zwingli briefly defines his own View Of the sacraments by saying that they "are signs and ceremonials by which a man proves to the church that he aims to be , or is , a soldier Of Christ and which informs the whole church rather than your self Of your faith .
" They have declarative _ _val ue only, not puri fyi ng power as the Catholics claim ; nordo they declare aught
' view, but to the whole church they make known , in a solemn way, that the recipient either i s or aims to be a soldier Of Christ, and that he h as faith in his heart, to the recipient, as in the Anabaptists "relyi ng on the mercy of God unwaveringly and firmly and single "
-heartedly .
In the last paragraph Of his analysis Of Zwingli 's section on the sacraments in the Commentary, Wernl e says :
"One can scarcely overestimate the significance of that which is new in Zwingli 's doctrine of the sacraments , though Erasmus was his forerunner He radically abolished their unique religious value, their significance in the way
Of salva tion , and permitted only a political value to remain .
He con siders that they have nothing to do with the salvation which
God, through Christ, freely gives us and through the Spirit works in our souls . On the contrary, they belong to the theoc
1 as pledges and testimonials Of the duty or Of the covenant Of the people Of God .
A clear conception , without any rem nants obscuring the clearness, by which with a single stri de we racy g O from the mysterious dawn Of antique mysteries and super stiti ons into the broad daylight Of the modern age . The sacred
'Zwi ngli thought of the Chu rch as a theocracy s omewhat l ike that of the Old Testament—the whole community (city or state) ruled by the word of God . Bapti sm, e. g s i niti ati on i nto the theocracy, . , wa s man ' analog ous to ci rcumci sion which wa s th e sign Of admi s si on i nto the Old Testament theocracy
. Th i s i s s omethi ng wholly different from the New Testament vi ew of bapti sm.
nimbus h as disappeared and only the ethical duties Of the Christian remain .
Of the seven sacraments Of the Catholic Church Zwingli accepts two "and no more, Baptism and the Lord "
's Supper .
" He excludes th em as sacraments because "rather ceremonials .
The other five he regards as "they were not instituted by God to help us initiate anything in the Church .
Zwingli finds no difference , so far as the nature , eflect,
BAPTI S M
and purpose are concerned , between the baptism Of John and that Of Jesus . He concedes a " in procedure "slight difference
The sameness is proved by the fact that Christ received the baptism Of John and or form .
"made no change in it either in his own case or that Of his apostles .
" The end of both bap "that we might come forth new men and might model our lives according to the teaching which each pro claimed . ti sms was "
Th e baptism Of John required a new life and hope in Christ, and so did the baptism Of Jesus .
The author had small regard for th e outward form of baptism :
John 's dipping effected nothing
" and "Christ
's dipping effected nothing .
This act was a mere ceremony pointing to the "real thing — th e baptism of the Holy Spirit .
Even the Spirit 's baptism Is assum ed to be twofold : First , the baptism by which all are flooded within , who trusf In W This ki
— D d Of baptism "is so necessary that no on e can be saved without it .
Second, '
"th e external baptism Of the Holy Spirit, just as there is the baptism Of water .
This was the baptism on the day Of Pentecost, when the apostles and disciples spoke in foreign tongues— "
a sign to others rather than to themselves .
This "latter baptism i s not necessary, " n or does it Often recur in the church .
Zwingli does not agree with the Anabaptists when they refuse to baptize children . They clai m that neither the baptized nor the unbaptized infants are under condemnation : they are not un der the law . The promise is that only they who believe an d ar e baptized shall be saved . Since infants are not capable Of faith and yet are not under damnation , all infants are in a state Of sal vation . Zwingli claimed, however, that the children
2Zwin g li , p . 204 .
The Works of H uldreich Zwi ng li
's own , n o less than those Of the Israelites were God Of Christians are God 's own ; and therefore the former are eligible to bap
"If, then , the children Of Christians are no less God tism as the latter were to circumcision .
's than those Of the Israelites , who would forbid their being baptized according to the words Of Peter ? "
It is generally felt by scholars that by so simple an argument and conclusion he did n ot prove the necessity of infant ' baptism .
Zwingli concludes his brief di scussion Of baptism Of infants with the promise Of publishing a treatise on the subject after he finished the Commentary . 1
's Supper was the cardinal issue in the Reforma tion , and when Zwingli wrote the Comm en tary controversy was reaching its height, on the on e side with the Roman Cath o
The Lord
li cs, on the other, with the Lutherans and the Anabaptists . The author for good reasons devotes most space and care to the exposition Of this subject .
He acknowledges, also , that he has advanced beyond the view he set forth two years before in the -seven Con clusi on s ( 1 523) 1 8th article Of the Si xty
The Greeks called this service 6 9xapwr i a , thanksgiving ; Paul speaks Of it as communi cati o, communion .
Zwingli "the thanksg iving and 's Supper as
es the Lord " death of Christ, that is trumpet, praise, confess , and exalt hi s name above all comm on / rejoi cing of those who declare th e others .
He reminds us that the reverse of commu ni cati o is excommuni cati o, exclusion from the fellowship
Of believers who put their trust in Christ alone .
He bases his own exposition of the Lord 's Supper upon John 6 : 26sq . ; and with his interpretation Of the words of Jesus he refutes the views Of his Opponents— the Roman Gatho l The preface of the tract Von der Ta ufe v on der Wi eder taufe a nd v an der Ki nd er taufe, wa s dated M ay 27, 152 5 .
The Commen tar y wa s i n pres s, M a rch, 152 5 .
"In the Concl us i ons a nd thei r Expl a nation , Zwing l i a scribed a twofold pu rpose to the Lord s S upper : a remembra nce Of the sacrifice of Ch ri st a nd
' a n a ssura nce for the weak that Chri st h a s redeemed them .
In the Oommen ta ry h e omi ts the s econd p u rpos e a nd resolves the Euch a ri st wholly i nto a memori al of the death Of Ch ri st . S ee P i nsl er -KOhl er -Ril egg , Ulric Zwing li ; ci ne Auswa hl a/ us seimen Schriften , ch apters
-9 ; al so, Wernle, Zwi ng li , p .
2 1 0.
Th e _W orks of Huld reich Zwing li spiritually the body Of Christ is nothing more than to put your trust in Christ .
In his own interpretation Of Christ 's words in John 6 , he makes " and " equivalent to " to "
"eat "bread "gospel "believe .
Augustine, also, identified edere (to eat) with credere ( to believe) " equiva lent to food when he says :
"faith . Zwingli goes a step further and makes "This food then Of which Christ speaks is faith .
In place of sacramental " food he puts "spir
" food ; and the eating Of it i s "
"that we believe in Christ . itual "He that eateth of this bread, m e, to wit, that i s, that believes
" True to his idea Of the close relation between faith and life , he soun ds an ethical note in the Lord on me, hath eternal life .
's Supper .
"SO, surely, " he says , "they, also, that eat me, that is , that believe on me , will fashion themselves to my pattern . Ye will in vain pretend that ye believe unless ye also change your life .
" Wernl e says :
"Both together , the memorial Of the death Of Christ and the showing forth (Bezeugung) Of brotherly fel l owship, constitute the di stinctive character Of Zwingli
's doc trine of the Lord 's Supper . His favorite text in answer to all theories Of a carnal presence ( that is, Christus reali ter, cor porali ter, aut essen ti ali ter) was John 6 : 63 :
"The flesh profit eth n othing " Yet he con ceded that the flesh profiteth something as an ofi "— "It is the spirit that giveth life .
' eri ng ( caesa) but not as food ( am besa) "The flesh profiteth by being Slain but not by being eaten ; slain it has saved us from the slaughter but eaten it profiteth absolutely nothing .
" He is our salvation n on esus sed caesus, that is, not eaten but crucified . Against the theory
Of a visible and tangible presence in the elements he quotes John 1 : 1 8 :
"NO man hath seen God at any time , etc .
His last appeal always is to "that indestructible adamant ( i nfractus i lle adamas) :
"The flesh profiteth nothing .
He says Of it :
"It stands uninjured however you beat upon it, and all Oppos ing weapons are shattered without even making a dent upon it .
Carlstadt, originally a colleague Of Luther in the Uni versity Of Wittenberg, proposed a new interpretation Of the words :
"This is my body .
"this "
He made the pronoun ( rofrro or hoc) refer to the body Of Jesus and not to the bread which he broke and gave to his disciples .
The passage would read thus :
"This (body) is my body .
Zwingli com
I nt roducti on mends this interpretation not because it is right but because those who hold it see clearly that Jesus did not regard the bread in his hand as bodily flesh .
But in escaping "the Charybdi s Of bodily flesh he was driven into the Scylla " Of an awkward and untenable interpretation . In an argument Of some length
Zwingli Shows that Carlstadt 's exegesis is n ot correct .
He then proceeds, in the remaining part Of this chapter , to prove that the true theory Of the Lord
's Supper is not based " but upon the verb "
"is "this on the meaning Of the pronoun " means, in the formula used by Jesus , signifies .
The verb "is ( est) "
At great length he argues this point . He cites numerous passages from the Old Testament and the New in which clearly
"is " means "signifies .
See Genesis 41 : 26 ; Luke 8 : 1 1 ; Matthew
1 3 : 38.
He points out that other words in the Scriptures are used n ot literally but symbolically . See Matthew 21 : 42 ; Gala tians 5 : 7; John 1 0, etc .
He supports his own interpretation by appeal to Wycliffe and the Waldensians .
He calls to witness the church fathers , es pecially Origen and Augustine .
"We see by these words that Origen held the view that the essential thing in this sacrament is the faith by which we believe that Christ made sacrifice for " He represents Augustine us , for this is the food Of the soul .
"we do not in any other way eat Christ than through faith , trusti ng in hi m as the sure pledge of our salvation . as teaching that
The protes t against the symbolical interpretation Of the word " ( est) came from Luther .
He feared that if on e would not take the words Of the Bible in their literal sense, the way woul d be Opened for reading all sorts Of human Opinions
"is and imagi nations into the word Of God, and that the outcome woul d be either fanaticism or rationalism .
Zwingli put this protest in his own words as follows :
"I hear some people burst forth indignantly, 'If we are to force any word we please , thus to signify anything we please, nothing in the Holy Scripture will retain i ts integrity, for license will be given to the impious to twist everything into anything you This Objection , which h as weight , di d not deter Zwingli from reaching the conclusion after careful study of all the evi
Th e Wo rks of H uld reich Zwi ng li 'is '
, then , i s in my judgment used for dan ce, in words as follows :
This word
'signifies '
; yet it is not my judgment but that Of eternal God .
He is ready to forego all arguments based
on analogous passages in the Bible and quotations from the "The flesh profiteth n othing . fathers, and to stake his whole theory upon the words,
Zwingli expresses regret that he is compelled to differ from men whom he highly respects , and he assures the reader that he
"I secretly considered this matter with various learned men for several years, because I was un willing to spread among the crowd thoughtlessly anything that might give rise to some great commotion . di d not rashly reach his conclusion .
He says :
Zwingli was not the first on e to explain the Lord 's Supper as a symbolical transaction commemorating the death Of Christ .
Others before him held Similar views .
Yet his interpretation was epoch -making because he was first among the Reformers
's Supper that was free from every remnant Of superstition and was accepted by Protestants in Switzerland and in other European lands . At the wh o expounded a conception of the Lord
s ame time he preserved the seriousness , dignity , and solemnity "part of Christian worship .
He took from it the sacramental value which was ascribed to it in the Catholic Church and was implied in the Greek term of its celebration —an invaluable "
He does not regard it as a sacrament either in the Catholic sense or in the sense Of Greek or Oriental mysteries
It is a Christian celebration Of Christ "mysteri on .
's redemptive death analogous to the celebration of a decisive victory through which a people h as won civil freedom .
It is a thanksgiving Of the congregation Of believers to their Lord and Redeemer for some thing He has done for them ; at the same time it is a pledge Of renewed loyalty and Obedience to Him .
It is also a "holy sacramental act Of initiation " by which we are "united into the One army and peculiar people Of God .
" 1
The question arises, whether or not this theory adequately explains the original purpose of the Lord
's Supper and the legitimate experience Of those who have participated in it . It
'R eply to Ems er .
S ee bel ow, p . 394 .
Int roducti on i s now generally conceded that in the celebration Of the Eucharist by the early Christians , those who took part in it found elements more realisti c and with deeper religious values than are contained in Zwingli 's theory Of it .
He finds no place for the central idea Of a living personal fellowship between the glorified Christ and His disciples upon earth .
He resolves it wholly i nto a solemn service commemorating an historical redemptive act which Of course h as Significance for believers to the end Of time .
The distant historical fact is central ; not the present living fellowship Of the Lord and His people .
's theory . On that account he was for years in closer sympathy with the Lutherans, especially those Of the M elan cth oni an type in South Germany , than with the Zwinglians .
The fact, also, that in the course of a generation Calvin Calvi n felt this defect in Zwingli 's View Of the Lord 's Supper prevailed even in German Switzerland seems to indicate that Zwingli
's theory came to be regarded as one -sided and unsatisfactory .
Zwingli , however, will always be considered the forerunner Of all modern Christians to whom the idea Of mystery in the Lord 's Supper in a realistic and sacramental sense is Offensive and who profess to worship God in spirit and in truth , that is, with an enlightened mind unhampered by baseles s superstitions .
For these men Zwingli will remain the Reformer Of the Six teenth Century who , in his thi nking, approached most nearly to that Of the modern man .
Marriage is n ot to be regarded as a sacrament .
Zwingli i s willing, however , Since
M ARRIAGE
" has come into use, and that he may n ot appear Obstreperous , "sacrament " that the term be applied to marriage as long as i ts meaning is properly defined .
The reason why marriage was made a sacrament is found in an erroneous translation Of the Greek word mysteri on ( Ephes .
5 : 32) into the Latin word sacram en tum .
The word a rcan um would have been more accurate .
Zwingli , however, woul d pre fer, i n the interest Of clarity and veracity, that marriage be not
"not made any more holy or any clearer by being called a sacrament , but darker and less counted a sacrament .
For it is " and nothing else , while "
Sacraments are "initiations clear .
"marriage is a compact existing between two persons only .
It 'Wernl e, Zwi ng li , pp . 2 1 7-2 18.
Th e Works of Huldreich Zwi ng li
is an appropriate symbol of the fellowship between Christ and the Church ; to make more of it i s to Obscure rather than to clarify its meaning .
In Section 21 the author returns to the subject of marriage in relation to the celibate priesthood .
Since marriage is an honorable estate accordi ng to the Scripture ( Heb . 1 3 :
"why should priests be forbidden to marry ?
Not only does the word Of God sanction it but the experience of the church with its priesthood requires it .
Zwingli contends that celibacy does n ot work for chastity but for shameful unchastity among the clergy .
"These, therefore , who forbid wives to ministers of the word build up with words to tear down with deeds .
It was common knowledge that priests , in spite Of their vows , lived in
concubinage and were fathers of families .
In the interest Of the word Of God as well as Of purity and integrity Of living, he pleads for the right Of clerical marriage .
Confession , in its true sense , is a private transaction between the soul and God .
The mediation Of a priest is not necessary .
"As, therefore, it is God alone who remits sins and puts the heart at rest, so to Him alone ought we to ascribe the healing Of our woun ds , to Him alone display them to be healed .
Those, however, who are weak in the faith and sincerely distressed may consult with the minister Of the word and ask counsel , and he will direct them to God and His saving and comforting grace .
"Auricular confession , then , is nothing but a consultation in which we receive from him whom God has appointed to the end that we may seek the law from his lips .
"Nonsense and sheer trumpery therefore are the promises Of the Papalists concerning the Keys .
The following elements are parts Of true confession :
. TO praise and give thanks to the Lord ; 2 . To trust the Lord ; 3 . To acknowledge that Of which you are accused ; 4 . To inform our neighbor or a learned scholar of our Secret guilt in order that he may join us in asking forgiveness Of the Heavenly Father .
Zwingli admonishes the reader to confess frequently to the Lord , to begin a new life frequently ; and ,
"if there is anything not clear , let him g O frequently to a wise scholar who looks not at the pocket but at the conscience .
Confirmation was introduced into the Church when the
I nt roduction baptism of infants became common .
He acknowledges that at first only dyi ng infants were baptized .
Th at practice , however , was based upon a false ass umption , namely , "that next after baptism faith washes away sin .
Before long salvation was denied infants dying without baptism .
Zwingli does not Offer an explanation Of the true significance of confirmation , nor does he propose a modification Of the rite so that it may be continued in the Church at present .
Extreme unction is "a human Office of kindness .
It is an
imitation Of the apostolic practice Of anointing the Sick (Mk .
6 :
James , also , admonishes the elders Of the church to anoint the sick with Oil ( 5 :
Zwingli favors the continuance Of the practice :
"if occasion demands or the sicknes s allows , the Older persons should rub the sick man , anoint him , and pray
God to heal him .
The idea that ordination impresses upon the soul a special character ( character i ndel ebilis) is a human invention .
Neither the rite n or the Catholic interpretation of it can be based upon the apostolic custom Of the layi ng on Of hands (Acts 4 : 30; I Tim .
"That was an external sign by which they marked those upon whom the gift Of tongues was about to descend or those whom they were going to send out to the ministry Of the word .
It had no sacramental value .
The episcopate is nothing more than the ministry Of the word .
"He , therefore , that administers the word is a bishop ; and he who does not is no more a bishop than a man is a mayor or a judge who does not fill the Office .
The ministry of the word , accordi ngly , is not an order but a function ; and he who does not perform the function cannot claim the Office .
's pet aversions ar e the vow-bound monks , against whom he Offers the following scathing indictment :
Zwingli Vows "They promise chastity , but ar e content with having promised ; pov erty, though the King himself is in greater need than they ;
Obedi ence which i s manifest disobedi ence to God and foreign to all Christian love .
Therefore they betray Christ who bind themselves by these vows .
"This kind Of life has been sown by the enemy, that is, Satan , like tares among the wheat Of the Lord .
The vows are contrary to the Scripture and to the nature
Th e Wo rks of H uldreich Zwing li
Of man .
They work unchastity, self-indul gence, and disobedi ence —the very Opposite of the virtues which they are intended to cultivate . Continence is a gift Of God, and no one h as a right
"Those to whom it is not given to pledge to God what is n ot in hi s power to give .
" (Matt . 1 9 : 1 1 ) ought to follow the coun " sel of Paul , who says :
"It is better to marry than to burn ( I Cor . 7:
Furthermore , celibacy dishonors marriage and the family .
It deprives the state Of useful citizens and it di sre gards God 's ordinance requiring that men beget and rear chil dren . Monks evade this command .
" he asks .
"Th ey "But how?
" g o awh ori ng more shamelessly than dogs .
Their pretended poverty is deception and fraud .
For in reality they enjoy greater riches and more luxuries than many a wealthy citizen , without sharing the cares Of wealth or the burdens of the government .
They pay no taxes ; they do not attend to business ; "
"they look out for no on e but themselves .
Though they are supposed to be poor monks , they enjoy all the delicacies Of food in season . They clothe themselves
"with skin and wool and furs SO that they sometimes have to sweat in spite Of themselves .
In summer their robes are so Open to the breeze, they lay aside SO completely all heavy clothing, that you might think they could live on air .
In n o other section Of the Commentary does the author write with more fascinating style , more stinging satire, more cogent argument .
Wernle describes it as "a brilliant and terrible arraignment of the vow-bound monks .
The author directs the reader to the discussion Of the subject in his books Of the two years preceding the Commen tary .
They are : Archeteles Si xty
-seven Conclusi ons ( 1523) R efutati on of the Can on of the M ass In this section he inserts verbatim what he wrote in the R eply to Emser . He also refers to a book on In vocati on of S ai n ts ( 1 523) by Cli chtove, Bishop Of Chartres, France .
However, he dis claims having read it carefully, partly for want of time and partly on account Of the puerility Of its contents .
He speaks Of the author as a theologian taking the Sacred Writings in hand like a donkey running a solemn ceremony .
His own view Of the invocation Of saints is tersely expressed in the following sentence :
' them rightly when we "We 'worship
Th e Wo rks of H uldreict ing li
masses , vigils— fall to the ground , for what we do without love
profiteth nothing .
To the priests, who say they pray for persons who, on account of their work, have no time to pray and who in t urn "pay only sufficient for our maintenance , he replies :
"GO ye also, therefore , sometime and till their fields , and let those who have hitherto labored hard while ye were idle refresh themselves in your snug nests .
The implication Of prayers for hire is that they have merit before God for which He will Show us His favor .
"The devo tion Of the heart has dared to sell itself as merit .
It is thus brought on a level with other works Of merit .
He grows impatient with such a prostitution Of the most sacred act Of the soul .
"Who could ever impute it to you as a good work that you Often come to Him to ask now for money, n ow for clothing or food, or counsel or aid ?
Since , then , our prayi ng to God is nothing but a begging of aid in some matter, why do we impute it to ourselves as a work Of merit ?
He encourages public and common prayer, such as was held "
Each church is "in the early times .
"to have its own custom " as far as the form Of prayer is concerned .
"For the same thing is not adapted to all , but everything should proceed fromthe same piety .
Zwingli is especially concerned about having "the collects , that is , the prayers , plainly pro nounced ,
80 that they may be understood by the congregation , that "
"all may pray together following the words of him who is leading .
The language spoken by the people , instead Of the Latin in vogue in the services Of the Catholic Church , was to be used in public worship .
Zwingli delivers a staggering blow, as it were , between the eyes of the doctrine Of Purgatory , in the first sentence :
"Holy Scripture knows nothing of the fire Of Purgatory in the sense used by the theologians , but the mind Of man knows it well , for by means Of this false notion Of the fire Of Purgatory such wealth has been heaped up that the riches Of Croesus and the Hyborb oreans and the gems Of India are cheap in comparison .
A somewhat plausible reason has been given for the i nven tion Of this pernicious doctrine .
It served to keep those "wh o go hence " and " from going straight into Hell , and those "who are not utterly bad " from going "who are not wholly good
I nt roducti on directly into heaven .
Even this argument for Purgatory the author considers a device Of the human reason
In this matter "we should follow what God says within us , and not the dictates of reason .
He shows at length that the doctrine is nowhere affirmed in the Scriptures .
"How i s it , then "
, that we believe in such vapid and suspicious nonsense ?
Those who have discovered that they who trust in Christ are the sons Of God and do not come into j udgment
" will not "be held captive by such foolish lies .
He takes up the classic passages in the New Testament ( Matt .
1 2 : 32 ; I Cor . 3 : 1 3) upon which the Catholic tradition of Purgatory is based and clearly proves that they have no bearing upon the doctrine .
It contravenes the all-suffici ent grace Of God , by which alone we are saved ; for,
"if we are compelled to endure the fire Of Purgatory to satisfy the righteousness Of God , as these people say, the righteousness Of Christ will profit nothing .
Furthermore, it denies the assur ance that "through Him alone i s access to the Father .
In conclusion he admonishes the reader "to give up this most empty fiction , "that when death draws nigh we shall rejoice to depart and to be with Christ .
S0 to live here "
Zwingli controverts the Anabaptist theory Of civil magis tracy and the claims to ecclesiastical magistracy Of bishops and popes .
The Anabaptists made two denials :
. Christians have no need Of a magistrate ; 2 . A Chri stian ought not to serve as a magistrate .
As to the first point, the Anabaptists held that "the church Of Christ ought to be so blameless as to have absolutely n o need
Of magistrates ; for Ch ristians do n ot quarrel but yi eld .
They do not carry their wrong to court, but if smitten upon on e ch eck turn the other also .
What have they who are ruled by love to do with law ? They are above law and above politics . Zwingli retorts by saying that it is on accoun t Of the behavior Of the people who say that we need no magistrate that we must have
"magistrates were necessary under the Old law they insisted that on e.
True , while the Anabaptists conceded that "these external things do not apply to us .
This the author does not admit ; law and magistrates , in his view , are necessary , also , in
The Works Of Huld reich Zwing li the Christian dispensation ; if Christians were blameless and perfect, the magistracy would not be necessary :
"but that will be in the other world .
The Anabaptists , in vindication Of their own theory and practice, were quick to appeal to the words Of Peter :
We must Obey God rather than men
" ( Acts 5 :
Zwi ngli h as little confidence in their sincerity and warns them against using this text "as an excuse for irregularity .
When they were told that in the New Testament Christians are admonished to Obey the "powers that be ,
" they argued that the admonition applied only to the time when the state was pagan and godless and, therefore , it was impossible for Chris tians to put into practice their ideas of civil magistracy .
Now , however, that i s, in the sixteenth century, being free from ancient tyranny, they ought to establish a communal order without the coercion Of laws and penalties .
Only men Of the world , n ot Christians, need civil rulers .
's view Of the state contradicted this specious argu ment Of his Opponents .
He found a basis for it in the word Of God , in the character Of Christians , and in human experience generally .
As long as Christians are not perfect— and perfec tion is not attainable in this world— the regulations and restraints Of law are indispensable .
In all circumstances the state and the Christian life are inseparable ; instead Of excluding
Zwingli
each other, they are necessary to each other .
The duties Of the citizen and the Christian are largely the same in form , if not in principle and motive . The state requires
's own ; that dangers be shared by citizens , and fortunes, also, if necessity arises ; that "on e serve the common weal , not one that n o on e exercise a selfish prudence ; that no on e exalt himself ; that no one stir up strife .
All these duties and modes Of conduct are included in the law Of love which controls the Christian community professing the sovereignty Of God through Jesus Christ .
Christians are to seek one another 's interests, not their own .
They are to be mutually sympathetic and helpful , weeping with them that weep and rejoicing with them that rejoice ; they are to put all their fortunes in their girdles to render aid whenever occasion requires .
The difference between the state and the kingdom Of God
In troducti on is in the motives Of conduct .
The citizen is coerced by law , the Christian lives and walks in the Spirit , fulfilling the law in love .
The spirit Of Christ furnishes that which the state most needs .
"The state becomes strong and holy only in case good hearts are united with good laws .
The denial Of the right Of a Christian to serve as a magis trate , Zwingli calls a "mad theory .
There is nothing in the Bible to forbid it and much reason to prove that only the Christian is fit to be a magistrate .
History tells us that "devout men have been magistrates and have ruled SO that peace pre vailed among men and the righteousness of God was magni fied .
"who will heap up riches by means right or wrong , will climb to renown over the dead bodies of their own ; the pious ruler will share all things with those over whom he rules and will prefer the safety and peace of people to renown .
It is impious rulers "
Incidentally, the author discusses , also , the arrogant claims to magistracy of bishops and popes in the church . They have n o authority, as i ndividuals or as Officers , to exercise discipline and to excommunicate members Of the church .
"The power Of the church by which the Shameless Sinner is Shut out from communion is not that Of magistrates , as the bishops have thus far exercised it ; it belongs to the whole church , not to certain persons who have despotically arrogated supreme authority to "Cannot the Pope cast out Of the church ?
If on e says : themselves .
Zwingli without hesitation replies :
"I say that he cannot ; that belongs to the church alone .
" He heartily endorses the exercise of strict discipline in the evangelical way .
"We must see to it that the true rod Of di scipline be restored to the church Of Christ .
In thi s section Zwingli explains the principles which con trolled him i n his reform .
He tried, as far as possible , in mak ing changes in doctrine, worship , and ways Of living, not to give Offence either to Om en " An Offence is or to "the contumacious .
"the weak "action that combines Offence with contempt .
He feels constrained to write on this subject on account Of those who were easily offended , even when there was n o cause for it, and those wh o rashly and rudely abolished things that deserved to be set aside, and thus gave unnecessary Offence to the weaker
Th e Wo rks of H uld reich Zwi ng li
brethren .
Zwingli had n o sympathy with image -breakers and idol -stormers ; n or would he permit himself to be deterred from necessary reforms by the plaintive cries Of hypersensitive souls .
Offences are given in teaching new doctrine and in putting away " such as ceremonies and rules Of conduct .
As "externals to teaching, one is to be courageous , true to the word Of God, and yet on e ought to have "
He cites the way Of Paul , "regard to timeliness .
"who boasts that in the beginning he fed the Corinthians with milk" ( I Cor . 3 :
"Of external things some have to do with eating, some with the regulation Of life , and some seem to have to do with salvation , though they really amount to nothing .
As far as eating is concerned , Zwingli claims that the word Of God forbids no foods, not even part Of
"have been made a the time .
Laws in regard to eating -block Of offence by the huckster business Of the high priest Of Rome .
Yet in abrogating these man-made rules one must have regard for one stumbling
"weak , or the contumacious , or the pious .
Y ou must spare a man as long as he is weak , and extend to him a helping hand and teach him the truth Of Scripture , so that he may become enlightened and may eat without distinction Of foods or seasons . One should even spare the 's neighbor, that is , for the
"contumacious "
"we should n ot for the ; for " sake Of liberty as to foods act so as to render the gospel hateful .
He concedes , however, that there is a limit to the sparing Of the "contumacious .
There "are always wanton persons who have the audacity lightly to misinterpret any act or motive whatso ever .
" brethren , they will never take "
As for the "pious 'en ce n o matter what you eat, so long as you Observe moderation .
Ofl Probably the primary cause Of Offence was the marrying of priests and monks , who were bound by vows
Of celibacy .
Zwingli is an ardent advocate Of the right of priests to marry ; if for no other reas on than to prevent fornication and adultery .
For few men , even though they have taken vows , have the gift Of continence , and therefore they ought to marry .
On this matter , however , the people ought to be taught the truth in the word Of God , so that they will not be needlessly offended by "But until men are enlightened on the sub ject on e must have regard for their conscience and beware Of such marriages .
I nt roducti o n "
Zwingli acknowledges that in marrying men have acted rashly and seem to have giving Offence .
"demonstrated their Chris "
They created disturbance far more than they prevented it . ti ani ty by nothing else than their marriage .
's way Of reforming the church and introducing changes in doctrine and ceremonies is by education .
Zwingli "Let nothing be done in the heat Of passion .
Show the people what the practices really mean and what saving value they have , if they have any . Things Of this sort are " an oi nti ng s, sprinklings, benedictions , etc .
" When properly taught the people will recog nize "these external things as signs with which we do some thing for our neighbor rather than for ourselves "
; and they "have been brought i n by device Of man in th e same way as forbidden foods . will discover that they "
"when these things ought to be abolished, In answer to the question " he presents two tests : 1
. When on e does these things in fidelity to his Lord and not for his own sake ; 2 . When one deals in love with his fellow men and is concerned about mak ing righteousness prevai l .
Let the people be first taught the truth and that "they be upright in things pertaining to God a nd they will immediately see all these Objectionable things fall away .
Zwingli did n ot intend to write anything for the Com mentary on this subject .
He had planned a tract, in German , STATUES
I M AGES on Statues and Images to be written as soon as his time per mitted .
In response to the request Of "some Of the brethren " he added to the Commentary a brief discussion of the main poin ts at issue .
He makes a sharp disti nction between images used as Objects of worship and images as works Of art . The former us e, or abuse, Of them he cannot tolerate .
It is contrary to the word Of God in the Old and New Testaments .
But he goes further and argues that, if the Scriptures were silent about images , the spirit of love would admonish men to apply to the needs Of the poor what is spent on the making and worship Of images .
He finds no ground for the contention that men are taught by images and "influenced to piety .
Christ nowhere "taught thi s method Of teaching , and He certainly would not have omitted it if He had fores een that it would be profitable
The Wo rks Of H uldreich Zwing li
ought rather to be taught by the word Of God and not by sculpture wrought by the artist
There are those wh o avow that 's hand .
"images are not worshipped but those whose images they are .
He replies that "none Of the heathen was ever SO stupid as to worship their images Of stone, bronze, and wood for what they were in themselves ; they reverenced in these their Joves and Apollos .
After all the arguments favorable to images are heard, he concludes that images are not permissible in worship , for two reasons :
. Worship of idols is expressly forbidden in the Old and New Testaments ; 2 . NO art can or should represent the divine nature .
As works Of art images are much to be desired and have great value .
"NO on e is a greater admirer than I of paintings and statuary .
They adorned the mercy seat in the tabernacle and were placed in Solomon
's temple ; and there they were inoffensive and harmless .
Zwingli did not countenance dis
turbi ng painted images in windows Of churches provided they were put there for the sake Of decoration and n ot for worship .
In the removal Of images he advocates the same mode Of procedure that he proposed in the preceding section on Offence :
Teaching should come first and the abolition Of the images follow wi thout disturbance ; and love will teach all things in all cases .
Zwingli announces that his purpose in the concluding sec tion is EPILOGUE "to gather the substance Of all that I have said into a short epilogue .
Warnl e considers this part Of the Commentary
" He combines in brief compass elements of a history and a philosophy Of religion .
He traces the development Of religion from the prim 's "most original contributions . on e Of the author itive to the Christian man .
In his point Of view and method Of procedure he is not so far removed from modern historians , which is an evidence both Of the breadth and of the maturity Of his thinking .
He assumes that man in his earliest stage was on a level with the animal .
That which separated him from , and lifted him above , the brute was religion .
"There is no difference between the life Of man and that Of the beasts if you take away the knowledge Of God .
That man might rise above his orig
' W o rks of H uldreich Zwing li
Th e
"God so manifests Himself to him that he can safely trust His mercy . man from despair, " God revealed Hims elf in Christ "to strengthen the hopes Of all that they should see clearly that nothing can be refused , n ow that the Son is given for mortals .
The Christian life consists in faith in redemption through Christ and the Obligati on Of the redeemed to live according to His example .
"We ought, then , to be as eagerly bent upon a change of life as we trust in redemption through Him .
Observe, again , h ow closely Zwingli relates the religious and the moral life .
His final definition Of a Christian is as follows :
"A Chris tian , therefore, is a man wh o trusts in the on e and only God ; who relies upon His mercy through His Son Christ, God Of God ; wh o models himself upon His example ; wh o dies daily ; who daily renounces himself ; who i s intent upon this on e thing, n ot to do anythi ng that will Ofl "
Luther resolves Christian life into faith and love ; Zwingli into 'end his God .
"faith and blamelessness in this respect the two Reformers are n ot widely apart .
He takes a last fling at the Roman Catholic system , mostly an invention of men .
"We have substituted a vicar for Christ and in our folly have decreed that he is to be listened to in placeof God, etc .
" And in all these things God takes no delight ; why do we find it so hard to change from useless trifles to those true and solid things, righteousness, faith , mercy, in which Christ comprehended all religion ?
He bids farewell to the reader in these words :
"SO , then , good reader, receive this Commentary, so hurriedly written and printed i " three months and a half that, as you see, it stands
clumsy Hf 'i eed but zealous for the truth and holiness ; consider it calnh e and take it in good part .
All that I have said , I have Shift to the glory Of God and for the benefit Of the Com monwealth Of Christ and the good Of the conscience .
"Thanks be to God !
Lancaster, Pa . , January , 1 929 .