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09 - The Swiss Reformer - The Great Controversy · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter nine the Swiss Reformer. In the choice of instrumentalities
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  Speaker 1: for the reforming of the Church, the same divine plan
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  Speaker 1: is seen as in that for the planting of the Church,
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  Speaker 1: the heavenly Teacher passed by the great men of earth,
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  Speaker 1: the titled and wealthy, who were accustomed to receive praise
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  Speaker 1: and homage as leaders of the people. They were so
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  Speaker 1: proud and self confident in their boasted superiority that they
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  Speaker 1: could not be molded to sympathize with their fellow men
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  Speaker 1: and to become co laborers with the humble man of Nazareth.
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  Speaker 1: To the unlearned, toiling fishermen of Galilee was the call addressed,
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  Speaker 1: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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  Speaker 1: These disciples were humble and teachable. The less they had
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  Speaker 1: been influenced by the false teaching of their time, the
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  Speaker 1: more successfully could Christ instruct and train them for his service.
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  Speaker 1: So in the days of the Great Reformation, the leading
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  Speaker 1: reformers were men from humble life, men who were most
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  Speaker 1: free of any of their time, from pride of rank,
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  Speaker 1: and from the influence of bigotry and priestcraft. It is
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  Speaker 1: God's plan to employ humble instruments to accomplish great results,
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  Speaker 1: then the glory will not be given to men, but
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  Speaker 1: to him who works through them, too will and to
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  Speaker 1: do of his own good pleasure. A few weeks after
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  Speaker 1: the birth of Luther, in a miner's cabin in Saxony,
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  Speaker 1: Ulrich Swingli was born in a herdsman's cottage among the Alps.
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  Speaker 1: Singley's surroundings in childhood and his early training were such
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  Speaker 1: as to prepare him for his future mission. Reared amid
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  Speaker 1: scenes of natural grandeur, beauty, and awful sublimity. His mind
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  Speaker 1: was early impressed with a sense of the greatness, the power,
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  Speaker 1: and the majesty of God. The history of the brave
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  Speaker 1: deeds achieved upon his native mountains kindled his youthful aspirations,
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  Speaker 1: and at the side of his pious grandmother, he listened
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  Speaker 1: to the few precious Bible stories which she had gleaned
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  Speaker 1: from amid the legends and traditions of the Church with
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  Speaker 1: eager interest. He heard of the grand deeds of patriarchs
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  Speaker 1: and prophets, of the shepherds who watched their flocks on
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  Speaker 1: the hills of Palestine, where angels talked with them, of
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  Speaker 1: the Babe of Bethlehem, and the men of Calvary. Like
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  Speaker 1: John Luther, Singli's father desired an education for his son,
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  Speaker 1: and the boy was early sent from his native valley.
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  Speaker 1: His mind rapidly developed, and it soon became a question
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  Speaker 1: where to find teachers competent to instruct him. At the
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  Speaker 1: age of thirteen, he went to Bern, which then possessed
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  Speaker 1: the most distinguished school in Switzerland. Here, however, a danger
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  Speaker 1: arose which threatened to blight the promise of his life.
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  Speaker 1: Determined efforts were put forth by the Friars to allure
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  Speaker 1: him into a monastery. The Dominican and Franciscan monks were
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  Speaker 1: in rivalry for popular favor. This they endeavored to secure
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  Speaker 1: by the showy adornments of their churches, the pomp of
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  Speaker 1: their ceremonials, and the attractions of famous relics and miracle
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  Speaker 1: working images. The Dominicans of Bair saw that if they
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  Speaker 1: could win this talented young scholar, they would secure both
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  Speaker 1: gain and honor. His extreme youth, his natural ability as
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  Speaker 1: a speaker and writer, and his genius for music and
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  Speaker 1: poetry would be more effective than all their pomp and
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  Speaker 1: display in attracting the people to their services and increasing
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  Speaker 1: the revenues of their order. By deceit and flattery, they
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  Speaker 1: endeavored to induce Singley to enter their convent. Luther, while
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  Speaker 1: a student at school, had buried himself in a convent cell,
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  Speaker 1: and he would have been lost to the world had
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  Speaker 1: not God's providence released him. Singley was not permitted to
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  Speaker 1: encounter the same peril. Providentially, his father received information of
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  Speaker 1: the designs of the friars. He had no intention of
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  Speaker 1: allowing his son to follow the idle and worthless life
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  Speaker 1: of the monks. He saw that his future usefulness was
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  Speaker 1: at stake and directed him to return home without delay.
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  Speaker 1: The command was obeyed, but the youth could not be
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  Speaker 1: long content in his native valley, and he soon resumed
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  Speaker 1: his studies, repairing after a time to Basil. It was
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  Speaker 1: here that Singley first heard the gospel of God's free grace. Wittenbach,
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  Speaker 1: a teacher of the ancient languages, had, while studying Greek
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  Speaker 1: and Hebrew, been led to the holy scriptures, and thus
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  Speaker 1: rays of divine light were shed into the minds of
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  Speaker 1: the students under his instruction. He declared that there was
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  Speaker 1: a truth more ancient and of infinitely greater worth than
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  Speaker 1: the theories taught by schoolmen and philosophers. This ancient truth
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  Speaker 1: was that the death of Christ is a sinner's only ransom.
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  Speaker 1: To Thingley, these words were as the first ray of
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  Speaker 1: light that precedes the dawn. Singley was soon called from
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  Speaker 1: Basel to enter upon his life work. His first field
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  Speaker 1: of labor was in an Alpine parish not far distant
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  Speaker 1: from his native valley. Having received ordination as a priest,
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  Speaker 1: he devoted himself with his whole soul, to the search
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  Speaker 1: after divine truth. For he was well aware, says a
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  Speaker 1: fellow reformer, how much he must know to whom the
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  Speaker 1: flock of Christ is entrusted. The more he searched the scriptures,
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  Speaker 1: the clearer appeared the contrast between their truths and the
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  Speaker 1: heresies of Rome. He submitted himself to the Bible as
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  Speaker 1: the Word of God, the only sufficient, infallible rule. He
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  Speaker 1: saw that it must be its own interpreter. He dared
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  Speaker 1: not attempt to explain scripture to sustain a preconceived theory
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  Speaker 1: or doctrine, but held it his duty to learn what
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  Speaker 1: is its direct and obvious teaching. He sought to avail
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  Speaker 1: himself of every help to obtain a full and correct
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  Speaker 1: understanding of its meaning. And he invoked the aid of
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, which would, he declared, reveal it to
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  Speaker 1: all who sought it in sincerity and with prayer. The scriptures,
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  Speaker 1: said Spingley, come from God, not from man. And even
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  Speaker 1: that God who enlightens, will give thee to understand that
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  Speaker 1: the speech comes from God. The word of God cannot fail.
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  Speaker 1: It is bright, It teaches itself, It discloses itself, It
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  Speaker 1: illumines the soul with all salvation and grace, comforts it in.
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  Speaker 1: God humbles it so that it loses and even forfeits
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  Speaker 1: itself and embraces God. The truth of these words Zwingli
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  Speaker 1: himself had proved. Speaking of his experience at this time,
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  Speaker 1: he afterward wrote, when I began to give myself wholly
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  Speaker 1: up to the Holy scriptures, philosophy and theology, Scholastic would
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  Speaker 1: always keep suggesting quarrels to me. At last I came
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  Speaker 1: to this that I thought, thou must let all that
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  Speaker 1: lie and learn the meaning of God purely out of
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  Speaker 1: his own simple word. Then I began to ask God
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  Speaker 1: for his light, and the scriptures began to be much
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  Speaker 1: easier to me. The doctrine preached by Zvingli was not
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  Speaker 1: received from Luther it was the doctrine of Christ. If
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  Speaker 1: Luther preaches Christ, said the Swiss reformer, he does what
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  Speaker 1: I am doing. Those whom he has brought to Christ
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  Speaker 1: are more numerous than those whom I have led. But
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  Speaker 1: this man I will bear no other name than that
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  Speaker 1: of Christ, whose soldier I am, and who alone is
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  Speaker 1: my chief. Never has one single word been written by
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  Speaker 1: me to Luther, nor by Luther to me. And why
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  Speaker 1: that it might be shown how much the Spirit of
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  Speaker 1: God is in unison with itself, since both of us,
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  Speaker 1: without any collusion, teach the doctrine of Christ with such uniformity.
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  Speaker 1: In fifteen sixteen, Spingley was invited to become a preacher
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  Speaker 1: in the convent at Einsedelm. Here he was to have
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  Speaker 1: a closer view of the corruptions of Rome, and was
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  Speaker 1: to exert an influence as a reformer that would be
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  Speaker 1: felt far beyond his native Alps. Among the chief attractions
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  Speaker 1: of Ainsidolm was an image of the Virgin, which was
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  Speaker 1: said to have the power of working miracles. Above the
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  Speaker 1: gateway of the convent was the inscription Here a plenary
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  Speaker 1: remission of sins may be obtained pilgrims at all seasons
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  Speaker 1: resorted to the Shrine of the Virgin, but at the
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  Speaker 1: great yearly festival of its consecration, multitudes came from all
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  Speaker 1: parts of Switzerland and even from France and Germany. Singly,
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  Speaker 1: greatly afflicted at the sight, seized the opportunity to proclaim
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  Speaker 1: liberty through the Gospel. To these bond slaves of superstition.
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  Speaker 1: Do not imagine, He said, that God is in this
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  Speaker 1: temple more than in any other part of creation. Whatever
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  Speaker 1: be the country in which you dwell, God is around
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  Speaker 1: you and hears you can unprofitable works, long pilgrimages, offerings, images,
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  Speaker 1: the invocation of the Virgin or of the saints secure
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  Speaker 1: for you the grace of God. What avails the multitude
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  Speaker 1: of words with which we embody our prayers? What efficacy
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  Speaker 1: has a glossy cowl, a smooth shorn head, a long
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  Speaker 1: and flowing robe, or gold embroidered slippers. God looks at
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  Speaker 1: the heart, and our hearts are far from him. Christ,
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  Speaker 1: he said, who was once offered upon the cross, is
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  Speaker 1: the sacrifice and victim that had made satisfaction for the
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  Speaker 1: sins of believers to all eternity. To many listeners, these
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  Speaker 1: teach were unwelcome It was a bitter disappointment to them
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  Speaker 1: to be told that their toilsome journey had been made
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  Speaker 1: in vain. The pardon freely offered them through Christ, they
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  Speaker 1: could not comprehend. They were satisfied with the old way
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  Speaker 1: to heaven which Rome had marked out for them. They
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  Speaker 1: shrank from the perplexity of searching for anything better. It
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  Speaker 1: was easier to trust their salvation to the priests and
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  Speaker 1: the Pope than to seek for purity of heart. But
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  Speaker 1: another class received with gladness the tidings of redemption through Christ.
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  Speaker 1: The observances enjoined by Rome had failed to bring peace
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  Speaker 1: of soul, and in faith they accepted the Saviour's blood
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  Speaker 1: as their propitiation. These returned to their homes to reveal
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  Speaker 1: to others the precious light which they had received. The
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  Speaker 1: truth was thus carried from hamlet to hamlet, from town
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  Speaker 1: to town, and the number of pilgrims to the Virgin's
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  Speaker 1: shrine greatly lessened. There was a falling off in the offerings,
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  Speaker 1: and consequently in the salary of Vingli, which was drawn
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  Speaker 1: from them, But this caused him only joy, as he
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  Speaker 1: saw that the power of fanaticism and superstition was being broken.
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  Speaker 1: The authorities of the church were not blind to the
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  Speaker 1: work which Singley was accomplishing, but for the present they
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  Speaker 1: forbore to interfere, Hoping yet to secure him to their cause.
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  Speaker 1: They endeavored to win him by flatteries, and meanwhile the
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  Speaker 1: truth was gaining a hold upon the hearts of the people.
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  Speaker 1: Sphingley's labors at Ainsidalne had prepared him for a wider field,
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  Speaker 1: and this he was soon to enter. After three years
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  Speaker 1: here he was called to the office of preacher in
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  Speaker 1: the cathedral at Zurich. This was then the most important
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  Speaker 1: town of the Swiss Confederacy, and the influence exerted here
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  Speaker 1: would be widely felt. The ecclesiastics by whose invitation he
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  Speaker 1: came to Zurich, were however, desirous of preventing any innovations,
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  Speaker 1: and they accordingly proceeded to instruct him as to his duties.
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  Speaker 1: You will make every exertion, they said, to collect the
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  Speaker 1: revenues of the chapter, without overlooking the least. You will
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  Speaker 1: exhort the faithful, both from the pulpit and in the confession,
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  Speaker 1: to pay all ties and dues, and to show by
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  Speaker 1: their offerings their affection to the Church. You will be
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  Speaker 1: diligent in increasing the income arising from the sick, from masses,
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  Speaker 1: and in general from every ecclesiastical ordinance. As for the
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  Speaker 1: administration of the sacraments, the preaching, and the care of
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  Speaker 1: the flock, added his instructors, these are also the duties
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  Speaker 1: of the chaplain. But for these you may employ a substitute.
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  Speaker 1: And particularly in preaching, you should administer the sacraments to
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  Speaker 1: none but persons of note, and only when called upon
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  Speaker 1: you are forbidden to do so without distinction of persons.
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  Speaker 1: Spingley listened in silence to this charge, and in reply,
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  Speaker 1: after expressing his gratitude for the honor of a call
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  Speaker 1: to this important station, he proceeded to explain the course
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  Speaker 1: which he proposed to adopt. The life of Christ, he said,
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  Speaker 1: has been too long hidden from the people. I shall
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  Speaker 1: preach upon the whole of the Gospel of Saint Matthew,
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  Speaker 1: drawing solely from the fountains of scripture, sounding its depths,
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  Speaker 1: comparing one passage with another, and seeking for understanding by
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  Speaker 1: constant and earnest prayer. It is to God's glory, to
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  Speaker 1: the praise of his only son, to the real salvation
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  Speaker 1: of souls, and to their edification in the true faith
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  Speaker 1: that I shall consecrate my ministry. Though some of the
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  Speaker 1: ecclesiastics disapproved his plan and endeavored to dissuade him from it,
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  Speaker 1: Singly remained steadfast. He declared that he was about to
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  Speaker 1: introduce no new method, but the old method employed by
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  Speaker 1: the Church in earlier and purer times. Already an interest
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  Speaker 1: had been awakened in the truths he taught, and the
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  Speaker 1: people flocked in great numbers to listen to his preaching.
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  Speaker 1: Many who had long since ceased to attend service were
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  Speaker 1: among his hearers. He began his ministry by opening the
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  Speaker 1: Gospels and reading and explaining to his hearers the inspired
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  Speaker 1: narrative of the life, teachings, and death of Christ. Here
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  Speaker 1: As at Anzadelm, he presented the word of God as
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  Speaker 1: the only infallible authority, and the death of Christ as
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  Speaker 1: the only complete sacrifice. It is to Christ. He said
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  Speaker 1: that I desire to lead you to Christ, the true
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  Speaker 1: source of salvation. Around the preacher crowded the people of
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  Speaker 1: all classes, from statesmen and scholars to the artisan and
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  Speaker 1: the peasant. With deep interest. They listened to his words.
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  Speaker 1: He not only proclaimed the offer of a free salvation,
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  Speaker 1: but fearlessly rebuked the evils and corruptions of the times.
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  Speaker 1: Many returned from the cathedral praising God. This man, they said,
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  Speaker 1: is a preacher of the truth. He will be our
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  Speaker 1: Moses to lead us forth from this Egyptian darkness. But
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  Speaker 1: though at first his labors were received with great enthusiasm,
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  Speaker 1: after a time opposition arose. The monks set themselves to
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  Speaker 1: hinder his work and condemn his teachings. Many assailed him
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  Speaker 1: with gibes and sneers. Others resorted to insolence and threats.
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  Speaker 1: But Singly bore all with patience, saying, if we desire
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  Speaker 1: to gain over the wicked to Jesus Christ, we must
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  Speaker 1: shut our eyes against many things. About this time a
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  Speaker 1: new agency came in to advance the work of reform.
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  Speaker 1: One Lucian was sent to Zurich with some of Luther's
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  Speaker 1: writings by a friend of the Reformed faith at Basel,
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  Speaker 1: who suggested that the sale of these books might be
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  Speaker 1: a powerful means of scattering the light. Ascertain, he wrote
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  Speaker 1: to Svingley, whether this man possesses sufficient prudence and skill?
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  Speaker 1: If so, let him carry from city to city, from
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  Speaker 1: town to town, from village to village, and even from
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  Speaker 1: house to house among the Swiss. The works of Luther,
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  Speaker 1: and especially his exposition of the Lord's Prayer written for
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  Speaker 1: the laity. The more they are known, the more purchasers
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  Speaker 1: they will find. Thus the light found entrance at the
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  Speaker 1: time when God is preparing to break the shackles of
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  Speaker 1: ignorance and superstition, then it is that Satan works with
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  Speaker 1: greatest power to enshroud men in darkness and to bind
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  Speaker 1: their fetters still more firmly. As men were rising up
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  Speaker 1: in different lands to present to the people forgiveness and
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  Speaker 1: justification through the blood of Christ, Rome proceeded with renewed
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  Speaker 1: energy to open her market throughout Christendom, offering pardon for money.
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  Speaker 1: Every sin had its price, and men were granted free
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  Speaker 1: license for crime if the treasury of the Church was
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  Speaker 1: kept well filled. Thus the two movements advanced, one offering
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  Speaker 1: forgiveness of sin for money, the other forgiveness through Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Rome licensing sin and making it her source of revenue,
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  Speaker 1: the reformers condemning sin and pointing to Christ as the
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  Speaker 1: propitiation and deliverer. In Germany, the sale of indulgences had
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  Speaker 1: been committed to the Dominican friars and was conducted by
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  Speaker 1: the infamous Tetzel. In Switzerland, the traffic was put into
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  Speaker 1: the hands of the Franciscans, under the control of Samson,
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  Speaker 1: an Italian monk. Samson had already done good service to
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  Speaker 1: the Church, having secured immense sums from Germany and Switzerland
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  Speaker 1: to fill the papal treasury. Now he traversed Switzerland, attracting
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  Speaker 1: great crowds, despoiling the poor peasants of their scanty earnings
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  Speaker 1: and exacting rich gifts from the wealthy classes. But the
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  Speaker 1: influence of the reform already made itself felt in curtailing,
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  Speaker 1: though it could not stop the traffic. Swingley was still
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  Speaker 1: at Ainsdalm when Samson, soon after entering Switzerland, arrived with
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  Speaker 1: his wares at a neighboring town. Being apprized of his mission,
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  Speaker 1: the reformer immediately set out to oppose him. The two
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  Speaker 1: did not meet, but such was Singley's success in exposing
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  Speaker 1: the Friar's pretensions that he was obliged to leave for
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  Speaker 1: other quarters. At Zurich, Swinglely preached zealously against the pardon mongers,
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  Speaker 1: and when Samson approached the place, he was met by
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  Speaker 1: a messenger from the Council with an intimation that he
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  Speaker 1: was expected to pass on. He finally secured an entrance
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  Speaker 1: by Stratagem, but was sent away without the sale of
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  Speaker 1: a single pardon, and he soon after left Switzerland. A
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  Speaker 1: strong impetus was given to the reform by the appearance
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  Speaker 1: of the plague or Great Death, which swept over Switzerland
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  Speaker 1: in the year fifteen nineteen. As men were thus brought
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  Speaker 1: face to face with the destroyer, many were led to
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  Speaker 1: feel how vain and worthless were the pardons which they
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  Speaker 1: had so lately purchased, and they longed for a surer
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  Speaker 1: foundation for their faith. Swingly at Zurich was smitten down.
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  Speaker 1: He was brought so low that all hope of his
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  Speaker 1: recovery was relinquished, and the report was widely circulated that
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  Speaker 1: he was dead. In that trying hour, his hope and
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  Speaker 1: courage were unshaken. He looked in faith to the cross
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  Speaker 1: of cavalry, trusting in the all sufficient propitiation for sin.
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  Speaker 1: When he came back from the gates of death, it
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  Speaker 1: was to preach the Gospel with greater fervor than ever before,
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  Speaker 1: and his words exerted an unwonted power. The people welcomed
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  Speaker 1: with joy their beloved pastor returned to them from the
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  Speaker 1: brink of the grave. They themselves had come from attending
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  Speaker 1: upon the sick and the dying, and they felt as
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  Speaker 1: never before the value of the Gospel. Swingley had arrived
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  Speaker 1: at a clear understanding of it, and had more fully
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  Speaker 1: experienced in himself its renewing power. The fall of man
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  Speaker 1: and the plan of redemption were the subjects upon which
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  Speaker 1: he dwelt in Adam. He said, we are all dead,
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  Speaker 1: sunk in corruption and condemnation. Christ has purchased for us
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  Speaker 1: a never ending redemption. His passion is an eternal sacrifice
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  Speaker 1: and everlastingly effectual to heal. It satisfies the divine justice
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  Speaker 1: forever in behalf of all those who rely upon it
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  Speaker 1: with firm and unshaken faith. Yet he clearly taught that
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  Speaker 1: men are not, because of the grace of Christ, free
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  Speaker 1: to continue in sin. Wherever there is faith in God,
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  Speaker 1: there God is, and wherever God abideth, there a zeal exists,
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  Speaker 1: urging and impelling men to good works. Such was the
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  Speaker 1: interest in Zingley's preaching that the cathedral was filled to
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  Speaker 1: overflowing with the crowds that came to listen to him.
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  Speaker 1: Little by little, as they could bear it. He opened
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  Speaker 1: the truth to his hearers. He was careful not to
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  Speaker 1: introduce at first points which would startle them and create prejudice.
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  Speaker 1: His work was to win their hearts to the teachings
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: of Christ, to soften them by His love, and keep
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: before them his example. And as they should receive the
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: principles of the Gospel, their superstitious beliefs and practices would
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: inevitably be overthrown. Step by step, the Reformation advanced in
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: Zurich in alarm. Its enemies aroused to active opposition. One
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: year before, the Monk of Wittenberg had uttered his no
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: to the Pope and the Emperor at Firms, and now
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: everything seemed to indicate a similar withstanding of the papal claims.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: At Zurich. Repeated attacks were made upon Zwingli in the
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: papal cantons. From time to time, disciples of the Gospel
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: were brought to the stake, but this was not enough.
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: The teacher of heresy must be silenced. Accordingly, the Bishop
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: of Constance dispatched three deputies to the Council of Zurich,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: accusing Zingli of teaching the people to transgress the laws
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: of the Church, thus endangering them peace and good order
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: of society. If the authority of the Church were to
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: be set aside, he urged, universal anarchy would result. Sphingley
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: replied that he had been for four years teaching the
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: Gospel in Zurich, which was more quiet and peaceful than
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: any other town in the Confederacy. Is not, then, he said,
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: Christianity the best safeguard of general security. The deputies that
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: admonished the councilors to continue in the church, out of
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: which they declared there was no salvation. Singly responded, let
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: not this accusation move you. The foundation of the Church
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: is the same rock, the same Christ that gave Peter
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: his name, because he confessed him faithfully. In every nation,
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: whosoever believes with all his heart in the Lord Jesus
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: is accepted of God. Here truly is the Church out
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: of which no one can be saved. As a result
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: of the conference, one of the bishop's deputies accepted the
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: Reformed faith. The council declined to take action against Singley,
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: and Rome prepared for a fresh attack. The reformer, when
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: apprized of the plots of his enemies, exclaimed, let them
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: come on. I fear them as the beetling cliff fierce
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: the waves that thunder at its feet. The efforts of
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: the ecclesiastics only furthered the cause which they sought to overthrow.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: The Truth continued to spread in Germany. Its adherents, cast
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: down by Luther's disappearance, took heart again as they saw
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the progress of the Gospel in Switzerland. As the Reformation
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: became established in Zurich, its fruits were more fully seen
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: in the suppression of vice and the promotion of order
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: and harmony. Peace has her habitation in our town, wrote singly,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: No quarrel, no hypocrisy, no envy, no strife. Whence can
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: such union come but from the Lord and our doctrine,
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: which fills us with the fruits of peace and piety.
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: The victories gained by the Reformation stirred the Romanists distill
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: more determined efforts for its overthrow. Seeing how little had
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: been a calmons by persecution in suppressing Luther's work in Germany,
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: they decided to meet the Reform with its own weapons.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: They would hold a disputation with Spingley, and, having the
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: arrangement of matters, they would make sure of victory by
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: choosing themselves, not only the place of the combat, but
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: the judges that should decide between the disputants, And if
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: they could once get swingly into their power, they would
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: take care that he did not escape them. The leader
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: silenced the movement could speedily be crushed. This purpose, however,
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: was carefully concealed. The disputation was appointed to be held
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: at Baden, but Stingley was not present. The Council of Zurich,
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: suspecting the designs of the Papists, and warned by the
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: burning piles kindled in the papal cantons for confessors of
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: the Gospel, forbade their pastor to expose himself to this
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: peril at Zurich. He was ready to meet all the
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: partisans that Rome might send, but to go to Baden,
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: where the blood of martyrs for the truth had just
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: been shed, was to go to certain death. Ecolampadius and
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: Haller were chosen to represent the reformers, while the famous
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: doctor Eck, supported by a host of learned doctors and prelates,
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: was the champion of Rome. Though Vingley was not present
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: at the conference, his influence was felt. The secretaries were
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: all chosen by the Papists, and others were forbidden to
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: take notes on pain of death. Notwithstanding this, Swingley received
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: daily a faithful account of what was said at Baden.
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: A student in attendance at the disputation made a record
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: each evening of the arguments that day. Presented these papers,
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: two other students undertook to deliver with the daily letters
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: of Ecolampadius to Svingli at Zurich. The reformer answered, giving
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: counsel and suggestions. His letters were written by night, and
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: the students returned with them to Baden in the morning.
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: To elude the vigilance of the guard stationed at the
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: city gates, these messengers brought baskets of poultry on their heads,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: and they were permitted to pass without hindrance. Thus Bingley
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: maintained the battle with his wily antagonists. He has labored more,
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: said Myconius, by his meditations, his sleepless knights, and the
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: advice which he transmitted to Baden, than he would have
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: done by discussing in person. In the midst of his enemies.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: The Romanists, flushed with anticipated triumph, had come to Baden,
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: attired in their richest robes and glittering with jewels. They
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: fared luxuriously, their tables spread with the most costly delicacies
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: and the choicest wines. The burden of their ecclesiastical duties
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: was lightened by gayety and reveling. In marked contrast appeared
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the reformers, who were looked upon by the people as
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: little better than a company of beggars, and whose frugal
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: fare kept them but short time at table. Ecolampadius's landlord,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: taking occasion to watch him in his room, found him
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: always engaged in study or at prayer, and greatly wondering,
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: reported that the heretic was at least very pious. At
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: the conference, ec haughtily ascended a pulpit's bl undidly decorated,
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: while the humble Ecolamparius, meanly clothed, was forced to take
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: his seat in front of his opponent on a rudely
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: carved stool. Ex Stentorian voice and unbounded assurance never failed him.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: His zeal was stimulated by the hope of gold as
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: well as fame, for the defender of the faith was
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: to be rewarded by a handsome fee. When better arguments failed,
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: he had resort to insults and even to oaths. Ecolampadius,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: modest and self distressful, had shrunk from the combat, and
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: he entered upon it with the solemn avowal I acknowledge
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: no other standard of judgment than the Word of God.
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: Though gentle and courteous in demeanor, he proved himself able
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: and unflinching. While the Romanists, according to their wont appealed
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: for authority to the customs of the Church, the Reformer
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: adhered steadfastly to the Holy scriptures. Custom he said, has
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: no force in our Switzerland unless it be according to
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: the Constitution. Now, in matters of faith, the Bible is
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: our constitution. The contrast between the two disputants was not
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: without effect. The calm, clear reasoning of the Reformer, so
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: gently and modestly presented, appealed to minds that turned in
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: disgust from ex boastful and boisterous assumptions. The discussion continued
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: eighteen days. At its close the Papists, with great confidence,
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: claimed the victory. Most of the deputies sided with Rome,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: and the diet pronounced the Reformers vanquished and declared that they,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: together with Singley their leader, were cut off from the church.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: But the fruits of the conference revealed on which side
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: the advantage lay. The contest resulted in a strong impetus
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: to the Protestant cause, and it was not long afterward
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: that the important cities of Baron and Basel declared for
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: the reformation. End of Chapter nine