A. D. 1519. Zwingle. their dues into an unfair channel. The bishop therefore, availing himself of the disrespect which Samson had shewn him, issued an inhibition to all his clergy against receiving the intruder. Having also been informed of the Who zeal with which the chief pastor of Zuric had encourages opposed the indulgences ever since they were brought into the country, he directed his vicar general, Faber, to write to him in his name, in terms expressive of kindness and esteem, exhorting him "resolutely to prosecute what he had auspiciously begun, and promising him his support in so doing. Faber also himself spoke of Samson and his indulgences in the strongest terms of reprobation, as suited only to make the church odious and contemptible. from Brem Hence, when Samson presented himself at Samson Bremgarten, his next stage, and only four repelled leagues from Zuric, Henry Bullinger, rural dean garten. of the place, and father of the illustrious reformer of the same name, though not yet himself emancipated from popish errors, refused to receive him, protesting that he would rather lose his life than suffer him to enter his church. Samson in great wrath, by virtue of the powers entrusted to him, pronounced against him a sentence of excommunication, and proceeded immediately to carry his complaints to Zuric, where the general diet of the Swiss cantons was at that time assembled. But he found nothing to console him there. The Bishop of Constance had sent deputies to represent his conduct to the diet: Bullinger, who set his excommunication at naught, appeared to answer his charges, or rather to lodge complaints against him: the council of Zuric forbad him to enter their city: CHAP. by the Cantons. and when, on his urging that he had business to bring before the diet on behalf of his master, the pope, he was suffered to appear, even the warmest partizans of the papacy were ashamed of him, and could attempt to save the honour of the sovereign pontiff only by abandoning his emissary, as having exceeded his commission. All that he could obtain from the diet was permission to retire unmolested, on condition of his revoking the excommunication of Bullinger and this was followed by a formal Put down application, on the part of the diet, to the pope to recall him; which was accompanied by a representation from the council of Zuric of his disgraceful conduct, as a justification of their own proceedings with respect to him. Though his Holiness replied but very coldly, and maintained that he only exercised his undoubted right in publishing the indulgence, which "ought to be received with implicit confidence, according to the decisions of the church, and on pain of excommunication; yet he added that, if Samson had exceeded his commission in the manner described, he would punish him for his misconduct. Accordingly the wretched into Italy. man, though he returned into Italy, did not venture to present himself at Rome-fearing probably, that, having now served the pope's turn, he might, by a policy well known to the Romish hierarchy, be sacrificed to appease the odium which the whole proceeding had excited. Leo was the third pope under whom Samson had been employed in these iniquitous exactions and he is said to have sent chests of gold and silver plate out of Germany and Switzerland into Italy, and to have boasted that he had collected, by the sale of indul Returns gences, not less than eight hundred thousand crowns.1 A. D. 1520. of Con What was the result of any encouragement Conduct of given to the reformation by the bishop of Con- the Bishop stance has already been intimated but the stance. reader may wish to know how he extricated himself after being so far committed with Zwingle, and having his views so essentially promoted by him. The following information. is from the reformer's own pen. "I failed not, with all reverence and humility, publicly and privately, by written addresses to urge him to countenance the light of the gospel, which he now saw bursting forth so that no human counsels could suppress it....... But, from causes which I pretend not to assign, a change had taken place and they, who had lately excited me by their reiterated exhortations, now deigned me no answer beyond mere public and official communications, which bore no more resemblance to those that had preceded them, than a mite does to an elephant." 2 66 his pension It was about this period, in the year 1520, Zwingle that Zwingle renounced the pension which he renounces had hitherto received from the pope, as a from the chaplain of the holy see. He himself thus pope. notices the subject in an epistle, in which he two years afterwards inscribed a publication to his five brothers. "I acknowledge myself," he says, prone to many sins: but, if any of my adversaries charge me with avarice or bad faith, and with teaching false doctrines under the influence of bribes, do not believe them, though they assert it on oath for there is no person to whom I am under any engage1 Ruchat, i. 40, 63-66. Gerdes, i. 122, 124-127, 261-2. 2 Zuing. Op. i. 230. CHAP. XIV. Notice of ment for favours conferred on me. I do not deny that formerly I received certain pensions from the pope: but these I have done with for some time past. I then thought it lawful and right to accept the pope's bounty, while it appeared to me a pious and holy thing to support his religion with all my powers. But, when my knowledge of sin (as S. Paul speaks,) increased, I soon bade a long farewell to the Roman pontiff and his gifts." 1 Like Luther, he had been conscientious in his attachment to the see of Rome: and, even after he became sensible of the great corruptions which prevailed, it required time and further experience to convince him that it would be necessary to separate from the corrupt church altogether. It may be observed also that Luther's condemnation by the court of Rome, and Zwingle's renouncing his pension from the pope, occurred about the same time. The bull_condemning Luther's writings was dated 15 June, 1520: he publicly burnt it on the 10th of Decembersome time having probably elapsed between its date and its publication: and a further bull of excommunication was issued against him on the 6th of January, 1521. Zwingle on the 24th of July had written to Myconius, expressing his hope that an excommunication would not be issued against Luther, and his intention to use his influence with the pope's commissary to prevent it but he says, "If it is issued, I anticipate that the pope and his excommunication will be alike despised by the Germans." 2 While such was the course of proceedings other Swiss in the successive scenes of Zwingle's labours Reformers. Zuing. Op. i. 341 (b). Ru. i. 75. Gerd. i. 265. in the three cantons of Glaris, Schweitz, and Zuric, the work of reformation was hopefully commencing in other parts of the Helvetic republic. Basle was the seat of a constellation of great men, who afterwards became distinguished as the restorers of the church. Leo Jude, Pellican, Capito, Ecolampadius, and Hedio were all collected in that city. Vadian was found at S. Gallen, Myconius at Lucerne, Haller at Berne, the two Blaurers and Hoffmeister at Constance. A short notice of each of these persons, with all of whom we shall become further acquainted as we proceed, may be advantageously introduced in this place. A. D. 1520. Leo Jude is mentioned as a person of dimi- Leo Jude. nutive stature, but of an heroic mind: and it was said of him, that whatever constitutes a good man was not only found, but abounded in him. He was of a family of rank in Alsace : was born in the year 1482, and received his education at Schlestadt. In 1505 he removed to Basle, and placed himself under Wyttenbach. Here he commenced a friendship with Zwingle, his fellow-pupil, which continued uninterrupted till the death of the latter. He was first called to a pastoral charge in his own province: but soon returned to Basle for a more advantageous prosecution of his studies, and there received an appointment as a preacher in the church of S. Theodore. He removed thence to succeed Zwingle at Einsidlin in 1518; and remained at that place till 1523, when Zwingle prevailed on him to join him in his labours at Zuric, and to accept the charge of S. Peter's church. While at Einsidlin, besides a diligent 1 "Teucro minor, sed Ajace fortior," Zuing. |