CHAPTER XV. CHAP. XV. warfare, PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION AT ZURIC AND THE Swiss, since the time they shook off the Austrian yoke, and formed their general confeMercenary deration, have scarcely been engaged, as princiand foreign pals, in war with any foreign power; but, as pensions. furnishing troops to other belligerents, they have borne a part in a great proportion of the wars of Europe. Their plan has been, with the exception, since the reformation, of the protestant cantons, to accept pensions1 from various foreign states, and in consideration of them, when called upon, to furnish those states with certain contingents of troops. Besides this, individuals have been allowed to receive similar payments, for enlisting soldiers in their country to recruit the armies of their pay-masters.2 The consequence of this last regulation has been, that numerous volunteers of the same country have been seen marching against one another in opposite armies. The acceptance of these pensions is a lamentable derogation from the boasted inde 3 1 Which have acquired the name of les argents de paix et d'alliance. 2 Beausobre, i. 252. Planta, Helv. Confed. ii. 43. A. D., 1520. against pendence of the Swiss: and, though various political considerations are urged to shew the expediency of the plan,' the morality of it seems but too well summed up in the description, "engaging for money to cut the throats of men with whom they had no quarrel," personal or public. Against this crying evil, the national Protests sin of his country, as he and other good men of Zwingle esteemed it, and one which was productive of them. the worst moral effects among the people, Zwingle had long before lifted up his voice. 3 But the circumstances of the times now enabled him to make a more solemn and effective protest. In other ways also, besides exhibiting Zwingle as a patriot no less than a Christian, this subject connects itself with the history of the reformation. In the year 1520, the pope's nuncio, Pucci, made a communication to the cantons assem- Jan. 9. bled at Glaris, desiring that they would not enter into engagements with any one relative to the Turkish war, as the Pope might have 4 The Strong occasion for the services of their troops. cantons, in reply, took the opportunity to complain, not only of the ill payment of the pope's tons against pensions, but also that their country was over- nomination run with his retainers, ready to seize upon every to benefices. vacant benefice by virtue of bulls and provisoes from him;5 and that livings were even given to 1 Coxe, Let. 21. 2 "Docens, non esse jus aut fas homini, ut se mercede conduci patiatur ad fundendum sanguinem miserorum, et plerumque innocentum hominum, a quibus nulla ipse unquam injuriâ affectus sit." Simler de vit. H. Bullingeri, 24. 3 While at Glaris, Beausobre, i. 252. Above, p. 343. 5 "Bands of foreign priests, furnished with Bulls from the pope, continually prowled about in search of vacant benefices; measure the pope's CHAP. The Pope's demands. soldiers of his guard, who set them to sale.1 They added also that priests committed to prison for murder were absolved by the bishops, and reestablished in their benefices. They demanded the correction of such flagrant disorders: and, when the nuncio gave them nothing but evasive, or at the best fair words in reply, they resolved to take the remedy into their own hands, and banished the whole company of strolling hirelings out of the country as rogues and vagabonds,2 destitute of the Spirit of God: and even unanimously declared their determination to put into a sack, and throw into the next river, any person who should for the future attempt to renew the sacrilegious traffic which had been carried Such a proceeding shewed both the spirit of the people, the indignant sense entertained of the length to which abuses were carried, and how much the pope's authority was on the wane in the country. on. In the month of October following, the pope sent Pucci again into Switzerland, to demand two things of the cantons: 1. That they should engage to defend the church by force of arms, where it might be necessary: 2. That they should extirpate the doctrine of Luther from among them, and burn his books. The writings Circulation of Luther had for two years past been widely of Luther's circulated in Switzerland and the neighbouring countries; the celebrated printer, John Froben of Basle, the friend of Erasmus, having, by the books. and, as they were ignorant of the language of the country, could do nothing but say mass in Latin." M'Crie's Ref. in Italy, p. 312. 1 Nay, Zwingle indignantly says, at the first Disputation at Zuric, "to stable boys and mule-keepers." Op. ii. 614 (b). 2 Méchans coquins, &c. recommendation of Beatus Rhenanus, reprinted them, and not only sold them in Switzerland, but exported them in large numbers into France, Spain, and Italy. 1 The first of the pope's demands the cantons for the present rejected, apprehending that he designed to employ their troops against the king of France. On the subject of the second there were differences of opinion; some being willing to attempt the extinction of the reformed doctrine, others thinking it unreasonable forcibly to suppress that which had never been fairly examined. And on the whole the effect of the demand, and of the discussion which took place upon it, was only to fan the spark which had been kindling, and raise it to a flame. The next year the king of France proposed to the cantons, assembled in diet at Lucerne, a special treaty of alliance, and that they should assist him in the war in which he was likely to be engaged with the emperor and the pope. The other cantons, gained by his promises, agreed to his proposals: but Zuric, influenced by the spirited remonstrances of Zwingle against all such engagements, and against foreign pensions generally, refused its concurrence, and even exacted an oath from the citizens that they would accept no largesses from any foreign power. 2 This dissent of Zuric from the general vote of the cantons, and implied condemnation of their conduct, with certain conse 1 Ruchat, i. 58-60. M'Crie's Italy, p. 31, &c. Froben is said afterwards to have discontinued the printing of Luther's works, by the persuasion of Erasmus-much to the advantage of another printer of Basle, Adam Petri, who republished most of them as they appeared, frequently with notes by Pellican, and had an extensive sale for them. Melch. Ad. i. 139. A. D. 1520. Zuric repensions. jects foreign 1521. CHAP. XV. quences which followed, produced, in some of the other states, a deeply-seated and lasting resentment against that canton, which, as Bullinger, and after him J. J. Hottinger thinks, laid the foundation of much of that animosity which was subsequently manifested by some of the cantons against the reformation itself. It excited also much secret disaffection in the minds of many of the citizens of Zuric, who felt that a fruitful source of their private gains was cut off. The pope at the same time demanded of the cantons the troops which they were engaged by treaty to furnish to him; but he was obliged to stipulate that they should be employed neither against the emperor nor the king of France; so that they merely marched into Italy and marched back again. Some months after, the war with France being on the point of breaking out, the pope repeated his demand; but was refused: on which he issued an excommunication against the king of France and all his adherents-including the twelve cantons which had entered into alliance with that prince. But so little regard was paid to his spiritual thunders, that the magistrates caused the bull of excommunication to be torn down wherever it was posted. Through the address however of Schinner, cardinal of Sion, troops were still raised for the pope in Switzerland, and even Zuric and Zug were prevailed upon to furnish him with some companies to be employed solely for defence of Calamities the states of the church. The consequence of the Swiss was, that, in the siege of Milan, Swiss troops were seen marching to attack the city, which was defended, for the French, in great part by their own countrymen: and this led to the loss in Italy. 1522. |