Reformation in Switzerland (Ulrich Zwingli)

Switzerland was a small country. The people were strong and devoted, and love of freedom dominated their lives. Though Switzerland was nominally a part of the Holy Roman Empire, it was the freed land in Europe in the time of reformation. There were thirteen cantons and the government of each canton was in complete charge of local affairs. By this reason the individual canton was free to accept the form of religion that it would follow. Reformation in Switzerland was mainly the work of Ulrich Zwingli.

Ulrich Zwingli: “Ulrich Zwingli” was born in Windaus, Switzerland in 1484. His father was the chief magistrate of the city and his mother was a sister of a priest. From 1500-1502 he studied at the University of Vienna, which was the center of classical learning. In 1502 he returns to Basel and taught Latin in the school of St. Martin. In 1506 he acquired MA degree after taking master’s degree; he became a pastor at Glarusant. He was ordained to the priesthood by the bishop of Constance and he worked as a priest at Glarusant for about 10 years from 1506-1516. During this time, he occupied with preaching, teaching, pasturing and studying. Then he began to learn Greek language and that helped him to study N.T. in the original.Zwingli was a pastor, a theologian, and a politician. The reformation of Zwingli begun in 1519. In 1519, he opposed the sale indulgence when John Tetzel went to Germany to sale indulgence another papal agent Bernard Samson went to Switzerland at the same time for the sale of the indulgence. But Zwingli argent this and he became of the head of the reform movement in Switzerland like Luther in Germany. In 1519 a terrible plague swept through Zurich more than two thousand people died. Zwingli’s brother also died and Zwingli also nearly dies. This was a turning point in his life out of this experienced he wrote a plague song. In 1522 he resigned his office as the priest of Zurich and started the official reform movement in Zurich. Thus, he broke his relationship with Rome in 1522. He got married to Anna Reinhardt and preached openly against celibacy.

The Reformation of Zurich was substantially completed in 1525. It was brought about by the co-operation of the secular and spiritual powers. Zwingli aimed at a reformation of the whole religious, political, and social life of the people, on the basis and by the power of the Scriptures. As a result of his teaching many priests get married and come out from Roman Catholic and set aside the Roman Catholic the mass, and reformation speared rapidly from Zurich to other parts of Switzerland. In 1525 the first evangelical communion service was held at the great Minster Church. Thus, the break with Roman Catholic Church was completed. He translated the Bible into vernacular with the help his friends. And the Protestantism was organized or established as a Christian civil in Switzerland. There was a war that broke out in 1529 between Roman Catholic and Protestants, and Protestants were defeated. Thus, Zwingli was killed. Later the Zwinglian movement was merged with Calvinism known as reformed Church.

In 1529 a war was breaking out between Roman Catholic and Protestant in Zurich this war continued till 1531 in the battle Protestant. Finally, the protestants and Catholic’s in Switzerland came to an agreement that each candle has freedom to follow the Peace of Augsburg i.e., each state was free to choose its own religion. Zwingli’s Reformatory Methods: 1) Preaching the gospel, 2) Printing pages, 3) The prophecy meetings, 4) The disputation. His Three Debates: In a series of three debates from 1522 to 1524 he won the whole population of Zurich for the reformation. In his first debate, he presented his 67 articles, which were summary of doctrines. 1) In this he asserted the authority of scriptures; 2) Denied the primacy of the pope, worship of the saints, feasts, festivals, pilgrimages, monastic orders and celibacy of the clergy, indulgences, penance and purgatory. In his second debate, he attacked images and transubstantiation and in the third debate, was upon the church worship and Baptism.

Theology: 1. Zwingli emphasizes the Word of God contained in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, as the only rule of Christian faith and practice. 2. The doctrine of eternal election and providence. Zwingli gives prominence to God’s sovereign election as the primary source of salvation. 3. Original sin and guilt. Here Zwingli departed from the Augustinian and Catholic system, and prepared the way for Arminian and Socinian opinions. 4. The doctrine of the sacraments, and especially of the Lord’s Supper, is Memorial only, bread and cup symbolized Christ and his death or bread and wine symbolized Christ body and blood. 5. Eschatology. He taught that universal church completed on Christ return. They taught that salvation is possible outside Roman Catholic Churc