Ulrich Zwingli

Ulrich Zwingli sparked the Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland. His Biblical Christianity won the hearts of the hardy Swiss, tired of Rome’s excesses and domination.

Born in 1484, a few weeks after Martin Luther, his faith developed independently of the other great Reformers. He studied for the priesthood at Vienna and Basel, and by 1506 had earned his master’s degree. He was captivated by Erasmus and the humanists, but had little interest in spiritual issues.

For ten years he loyally served the church at Glarus, mixing Platonic philosophy and patriotism with his preaching of the Gospel. His fascination with Erasmus gradually led to a hunger for Bible study. When the first edition of Erasmus’ Greek New Testament appeared, he was so eager to have it that he made a personal copy. During two years at Einsiedeln, as the truth dawned on his heart, he boldly preached against indulgences and idolatry.

Early in 1519 he was called to Zurich. He had barely arrived when an attack of the plague swept away a third of the seven thousand citizens. This shock combined with Lutheran ideas of justification by grace through faith to effect his conversion. One by one the Catholic practices toppled. He stood firmly against the drafting of Swiss for the Pope’s wars. He preached the Biblical doctrine of giving, thereby undermining Rome’s system of enforced tithes. He led the break with clerical celibacy by first secretly in 1522, and then openly two years later marrying a widow, Anna Reinhard. The sacrament of mass disappeared, replaced by a memorial form in which lay men and women participated fully.

The elected leaders of Zurich arranged a debate to determine officially and finally whether to stick with Rome or follow Zwingli. Zwingli wrote a compendium of the principles he taught in preparation for the debate. He condemned all practices not specifically taught in the Bible, stressing the Bible’s supreme authority. Zwingli’s victory was followed by more changes, such as removal of all relics and images.

The movement spread to Bern and Basel, but not all progress was easy. The Anabaptists, led by some of Zwingli’s converts, attempted to rush the people into total separation from Romish influence. Their practice of re-baptism and concept of the separation of church and state were hated by Zwingli and the papists alike. He did, however, protest the council’s decision to drive them from the city, and to drown their leaders.

Zwingli and Luther met at Marburg in 1529 in a vain attempt to unite the two movements. Fourteen out of fifteen issues were agreed upon, but they could not agree over the meaning of the Lord’s supper. Luther was convinced God had blinded Zwingli’s eyes, and even doubted his salvation. Zwingli argued that Christ could not be in two places at once, both holding the bread and in the bread. Luther clung to the text, “This is my body.”

Between 1529 and 1531 Zwingli resorted to force of arms and economic embargoes to spread the evangelical doctrine. The Catholic cantons formed an alliance to resist his efforts. The second Cappel War began in 1531, resulting from Zwingli’s attempt to win Geneva. He went out with the soldiers to act as chaplain, but was wounded in the fighting. The Catholics found him still alive, but quartered his body and carried the parts into the city, thereby destroying the resistance.

So ended the life, but not the influence, of Ulrich Zwingli. As late as 1618, Northern Switzerland could still be called Zwinglian. His courage and faith and leadership broke the back of Catholic power among the German Swiss, and swept many souls into the kingdom of God.