Preface
Preface
Ulrich Zwingli is well known as a reformer and theologian of the sixteenth century, but he is not so well known as an educator. Readers who have access to Zwingli's complete works and have time to collect from them what belongs to his educational career, will feel rewarded for the time spent in such work; but most persons interested in Zwingli have no time for research of this kind, and all such will be glad to read this little book.
As a matter of fact, the educational side of some religious leaders has not been presented in the history of education, fully enough to do them justice. The religious activity of these men involves an educational activity which, in many cases, is truly remarkable.
Several years ago, we read a reprint of Zwingli's educational treatise in the original dialect of Zurich. The peculiar charm of this dialect and the interest in the subject treated by Zwingli induced us to translate the treatise for our own satisfaction. Having been repeatedly advised to have this translation published, we finally proceeded to revise it for publication, and to write, also, as an introduction to it, a sketch of Zwingli's life from an educational point of view.
Zwingli first wrote his treatise in Latin and it was printed at Basel, in 1523, under the title, "Quo pacto ingenui adolescentes informandi sint, Praeceptiones pauculae, Huldricho Zuinglio autore." The Christian spirit of the treatise does not appear in this title, which means, "In what manner noble youth ought to be instructed; a few precepts. Ulrich Zwingli, the author.” What the language of heathen Rome omitted in the title, Zwingli inserted, in preparing an edition, in the dialect of Zurich, for his Christian countrymen. It was printed in 1526, by Christoffel Froschauer, at Zurich, under the title, "Wje man die Jugendt in guoten sitten und, Christenlicher zucht uferziehen unnd leeren soelle, ettliche kurtze underwysung, durch Huldrychen Zuinglin beschriben." In English, this title reads thus: "How one ought to bring up aud instruct youth in good manners and Christian discipline; a few short precepts, written by Ulrich Zwingli.” That he prepared this text himself for the printer, is the opinion of Director Israel, Zschopau, Saxony, and of Professor Staehelin, Basel, Switzerland. The latter is the latest standard authority on Zwingli's works, and the former selected this text, as the one from which to publish a reprint, for his collection of rare pedagogical works of the 16th and 17th centuries, rather than to follow the Latin edition of 1523 or the South German edition of 1524.
It is Director Isreal's reprint that we have translated into English, with little reference to any of the modern German texts on the life and works of Zwingli, in order to catch more fully, if possible, the spirit of Zwingli from the treatise, even if, occasionally, good English could have been much more easily written from the excellent modern German works.
We are greatly indebted to Director Israel for the following:
"The permission which you desire to publish, in English, my pamphlet on Zwingli's Christian Education of Youth is hereby cheerfully granted and I wish you success in your undertaking,
With great respect,
A. Israel."
We are also indebted to our countryman, the Rev. E. A. Hofer of Philadelphia, for hints on the dialect of Zurich.
For subject-matter on Zwingli's educational career, acknowledgment is hereby made to Christoffel's life of Zwingli, Van Home's The Mountain Boy of Wildhaus, Blackburn's The Patriotic Reformer, Moerikofer's Zwingli, Cochran's Zwingli, and Staehelin's Life and Works of Zwingli, in two volumes.
In closing we may remark that Zwingli's treatise on the Christian Education of Youth was translated into English with title and date as follows: "Certeyne Preceptes gathered by Hulricus Zwinglius declaring howe the ingenious Youth ought to be instructed and brought unto Christ. Ippeswich, 1548." The present translation from the original, together with a sketch of the educational life of Zwingli, it is hoped, will add new interest to the study of Christian education in the Reformation period.
Alcide Reichenbach.
January, 1899.