ed the attempt of Bernardin Samson, a Franciscan monk, who came to Zurich to levy money for the sovreign pontiff. In this resistance, he was countenanced by his spiritual superior, the Bishop of Constance, who thought his authority defied because his consent had not been asked before the priest commenced the sale of indulgencies within the diocess. But Zuingle did not confine himself to the exhibition of the ecclesiastical irregularity of the proceeding-be proved the monstrous absurdity and immoral tendency of the doctrine that gold could be a conmutative for crime. At this period a great change manifestly impended over the world. The invention of the art of printing, the fall of Constantinople, and the discovery of America, prepared the nations of Europe for great moral and political revolutions. The state of the public mind in Switzerland was not less on the alert than else where, to watch the waxing and the wane of the dominant influences: for although the little cantons were hemmed in by the mighty Alps, yet the brave Swiss were invited at one time by the dukes of Lombardy, and then by Austria, or the pope, or the kings of France, to take part in their quarrels.

Our reformer distinguished himself for prospective wisdom in advising against too intimate an alliance with Francis I. He upheld the cause of neutrality in opposition to the wishes of the king of France, the king of Spain, and the pope and thus excited the hostility of the other cantons against Zurich a war out of their own territories always bringing booty to the Swiss-and thus commenced a hostility, to which in the end he owed the loss of his life.In the mean while, the canton of Schwitz, which had declined this christian counsel, lost the flower of its youth on the plains of Pavia, and upon the return of their disheartened troops from the routed imperial army, Zuingle addressed them upon the importance of renouncing these

foreign leagues and avoiding the immorality and impiety consequent upon familiarity with the camp. We have not room to transcribe this very eloquent address, which may be found in the first volume of his works, and for which he received the thanks of the inhabitants of the canton.

As to his ministerial labours at this time, we may learn them from his own words.

"At my arrival at Zurich, I commenced explaining the Gospel according to St. Mathew. I added to it the explanation of the Acts of the apostles, to show to my hearers how the gospel was spread. Thence I passed to the first epistle of St. Paul to Timothy, which contains, as we may say, the rule of the conduct of a true christian. Having perceived that false teachers taught some errors relative to the doctrine of faith, I interpreted the epistle to the Gallations; aud this I followed with an explanation of the two epistles of St. Peter, to prove to the defamers of St. Paul that the same spirit animated the two apostles. In the end I reached the Epistle to the Hebrews, which makes known in all its extent the benefit of the mission of Jesus Christ. In my sermons, I have not used curious terms, or dexterous insinuations or captious arguments; it is by the most simple language that I have endeavoured to open the eyes of every one to look upon his own sore so as Jesus has given us the example."

This preaching had such success that in 1522, some individuals broke through the rules of Lent without a dispensation. They were denounced to the magistrate and cast into prison. Zuingle undertook their defence, and published a treatise on "the observation of Lent" He proves from the New Testament, that the nature of food is a thing indifferent, and that all days are equally holy for a christian. From the authority of the Fathers of the church too, he demonstrates the uselessness of such abstinence; and he asserts that the doctrine was created at Rome

This

to be a source of revenue. work, the first which he printed, greatly excited his adversaries; who represented to the Bishop of Constance the necessity of opposing the innovations which threatened to undermine his Episcopal authority. The rapid progress of the opinions of Luther in Germany made it to be feared that the flame would communicate itself to Switzerland. Thus aroused, the bishop addressed the priests and laymen of his diocess, in general terms deploring the dissensions caused by some turbulent spirits and exhorting his flock not to separate from the church. At the same time, he wrote to the Council at Zurich, that they should not permit ancient usages to be disallowed or publickly discredited. Without naming Zuingle, he pointed him out so that it was impossible to mistake; but the dart missed its aim. The Council returned no other answer but a prayer that the bishop would convene an assembly of prelates and theologians to examine into the true source of the dissenisons. This answer did not satisfy the bishop; he desired gilence, not examination, and therefore wrote to the chapter to which Zuingle particularly belonged, calling the new doctrine, "detestable poison"-which involved the perdition of the soul—and showing how dangerous those new opinions must be which were condemned by the emperor and the pope.

Zuingle did not pretend to dissemble that this letter was written against him. In consequence of it, he asked of the chapter permission to answer, and composed a treatise in which he proves that "the gospel alone is the undeniable authority, to which we must have recourse when we would terminate all uncertainty and decide all disputes; and that the decisions of the church are only obligatory when they are founded upon the gospel."

This was the single glorious point about which all the reformers, like orbs of light in their several spheres,

did move-this was the sun in the systems of Wickliff and Luther and Zuingle and Calvin-it was like the application of the law of gravity to the theories of the old astronomers and the science of earth and heavens ; it at once dissipated all the darkness which had ruled for ten centuries, and exhibited the position which our world occupies in reference to Him who is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel.

Better acquainted with the temper of the sword than with the touch of the crosier, the bishop proceeded to cast into prison a pastor of one of the villages near Baden, upon charge of heresy, which was the first example of such persecution in Switzerland. Zuingle foreseeing that in the end the appeal would be to the civil arm, in his own name and in that of his friends, addressed to the chiefs of the Cantons an exposition of their doctrine,and joined thereto a supplication that they would leave free the preaching of the gospel. He shows the immorality of the clergy, arising principally from the celibacy of the priests, and declares that they are no longer to be honored than while they are examples of the doctrine of Christ. At the same time, he published a request that the bishop of Constance should put himself at the head of the reformers and permit that that "should be demolished with prudence and precaution which had been built up with temerity." Zuingle signed these two documents in concert with nine of his friends; a high evidence of courage-when in the whole of Switzerland, the cause of reformation had but a few timid friends, while all around were powerful enemies. Leo. X. had declared the forty-one propositions of Luther heretical, and had condemned his writings to the flames and himself to the pain of excommunication; Charles V. had put him under the ban of the empire, and the zeal he exhibited for the maintainance of the Pontifical authority left little to be hoped for from imperial clemency.

But Zuingle's boldness was amply repaid; for a public colloquy was held under the authority of the magistrates of the canton, at which all the clergy and the representative of the bishop of Constance and a great number of spectators were assembled, when the chief topics in dispute were discussed, and the opinions which were afterwards styled Protestant triumphantly maintained. The same day, the council of two hundred decided that "Zuingle had neither been convinced of heresy nor refuted, that he should continue to preach the gospel as heretofore, and that the pastors of Zurich and its territory should rest their preaching only upon the Holy Scripture, and that the two parties should abstain from all personal injury."

The grand vicar of the diocess of Constance complained of this decree, representing that the scripture was often susceptible of two interpretations, and that a judge was needed to decide between them. To which Zuingle replied "that the scripture explains itself and bas no need of an interpreter. If we misunderstand it, we read it wrong. It is always in agreement with itself; and the spirit of God acts so powerfully in it that all readers can find the truth there, if they search for it with an humble and sincere heart. Thanks to the invention of printing, the holy books now are within the reach of all christians, and I exhort the ecclesiastics assembled here to study them incessantly. Thus will they learn to preach Christianity, such as the Evangelists and the Apostles have delivered to us. As for the Fathers of the Church, I censure none who read, or who cite them in the pulpit, in those things in which they are conformed to the Gospel, and without considering them as infallible authority."

The firm and sweet simplicity with which our Reformer conducted himself upon this great occasion, inspired veneration for him in all beholders; and his eloquence and

knowledge vanquished many who bad hitherto fluctuated between the two parties. The silence of his adversaries being the tacit confession of their weakness, the number of his friends rapidly multiplied through all classes of society.

His next work is entitled, “The Judgment of God against Images." It produced a second public disputation to which all the clergy of the territory of Zurich and all the laity were invited; as also the bishops of Constance, of Coira, and of Basle, with the university there, and the deputies of the allied cantons. More . than nine hundred persons were assembled. Zuingle and Leo Juda were to answer all who defended the worship of images and the celebration of mass as a sacrifice. The colloquy lasted three days, during which, the Reformers had full scope to develop their opinions, and gained a victory not less distinguished than the preceding. At this time, however, one of the adherents of Zuingle, named Hottinger, was taken in Baden and carried before the deputies of the seven cantons in Lucerne, and condemned to be decapitated; and was subsequently executed, in spite of the pressing intercession of the Senate of Zurich, who were much incensed by the flagrant injustice of this murder. Hottinger was the first who died for the faith in Switzerland, and he exbibited the serenity and courage of the first martyrs-he implored the pardon of God for his judges, and that their eyes might be opened to the truth.

The public authorities at Zurich at length determined to reform the religion of the canton, abolish the worship of images and service of the mass, and restore Christianity to the simplicity of its primitive model. This course roused great discontent in the neighboring cantons, where the principles of the reformation had not spread. They presently commenced their acts of violence, seized by force the pastor of the village of Stein, a friend of Zuingle's, in con

tempt of the existing laws, aud thus provoked deeds of resistance and revenge, which brought on a train of bloodshed and misery. In the end such was the manifest depravity and immorality of the clergy, that these cantons--Berne, Lucerne, Uri, Schweitz, Underwalden, Zoug, Glaris, Fribourg, and Soleure-united in a diet to procure a partial reform. This diet led to a great change in the canton of Berne, which embraced the opinions of Zuingle. In proportion as their ranks thinned did the vengeful spirit of the Catholics rise, until they resolved to enter the fortress of the reformation, sword in hand, and silence those whom they knew death alone could silence. The war was brought about the sooner by some rash acts of policy, which the senates of Zurich and Berne resolved on, in opposition to the advice of our reformer; and he was soon to be called to the sad office of sustaining the fainting spirit of his beloved town, and encouraging his fellow citizens in deadly deeds for self preservation. Upon the near advance of the enemy, to within three leagues of Zurich, at Cappel, Zuingle being appointed by the senate, did not shrink from accompany. ing the troops as friend and chaplain; and he excited them to enthusiasm by the consideration of their faith, which was endangered. But the numbers were vastly unequal, and the battle was lost. In the early part of the action Zuingle received his death-wound. Some Catholic soldiers discovering him in the aet of prayer as he was dying, called upon him to recommend his soul to the Virgin, and upon his refusal, pierced him with a sword. The next day his body was found and exposed to the observation of the army, and was afterwards burnt, and the ashes scattered to the winds. Thus perished on the 10th of October, 1531, in the 47th year of his age, all that was mortal of Ulrich Zuingle. So much is this earth on

the very confines of hell and heaven, that he passed instantly from the scene of demoniacal uproar and murder into the repose and ecstacy which they acquire who are "faithful unto death."

For the Christian Spectator.

On settling Ministers for a limited time.

IN perusing Southey's Life of Wesley, I find the historian attributing much of the success of Methodism, to the practice of ministerial rotation. Probably the Methodist preachers change their places of labor too often. Such frequent removals must be unfavorable to study. They destroy a motive to exertion, arising from present necessity. A minister who has a dozen or two of sermons has a stock for his life. As these sermons would probably all be composed upon the great truths of religion, the people would have only general views of Christian doctrine presented to them. This constant itinerancy likewise prevents a man from forming an intimate acquaintance with the workings of the heart. He may see several characters, in different states, but he has no opportunity to witness the progress of disease, or of cure, through its various stages, in an individual. The circuit rider does not remain long enough in one place to become personally attached to his flock. Nor can he know so much of the comforts, or be conversant with the duties of home. Those kind and gentle affections, which were

"made to temper man," have no fair opportunity to exert their softening influence on him. His character, however excellent, is imperfect, for all his affections are not employed. He may be a good man in general, a good preacher, a faithful watchman, but he can hardly be the kind shepherd to lead the flock with the tender care of a father,

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