A History of the Reformation in the 16th
Century
Book 15 - Switzerland - Conquests
(1526-1530)
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 1
The Swiss Reformation is divided up into three sections,
1519-1526 in Zurich, 1526-1532 including Berne’s change, and in 1532
Geneva became the spotlight under Farel and later Calvin.
Frenchmen like Lefevere, Farel and Calvin accomplished much of
the Swiss Reformation. Of
all the reformers in Switzerland, the most aggressive were the French,
exemplified by men like Farel.
Farel entered Switzerland in 1526, by foot.
He had left France under duress and presented himself as a
schoolmaster until the time was ripe for him to become a reformer.
He decided to press on towards Zwingli and not to immediately see
Luther. He had read a work
by Zwingli which he thought overpowered the German reformer, and so
prayed that Zwingli would have a profound affect on Luther.
At Aigle he became a teacher and taught the children the doctrine
of the evangelical faith. Soon
after, a flock had been collected and he became the pastor.
The Council of Berne commissioned him to teach the Bible to the
townspeople of Aigle and it’s surrounding neighborhoods.
Farel found immediate opposition by the bailiff of Aigle Jacques
de Roverea. Later Natalis
Galeotto, a theologian of the court of the Bishop there, would press him
to recant. From the very beginning Farel was pressed by Romish doctrine
to quit his teachings and submit. The
bailiff in Aigle stirred the town, which subsequently stirred by the
bishop to send his theologians after Farel.
He was arrested and thrown in prison.
He was soon after released since the charges against him were
brought up by false reports, and yet in all this, Farel was not
discouraged.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 2
As mentioned earlier, Berne was the least of the Swiss cantons to
tend towards reform. The council there had put a stop to the reform in 1523, but
saw its mistake and turned to the more religiously based cities to
receive help in ecclesiastical matters they were unaware of conducting.
Zurich became a close city-friend of Berne, and the means by
which it would be overthrown against the Reformation, was the cause of
its change. Five cantons
gathered together to confer against the Reformation and without
Berne’s consent. This
outraged the council, and in 1527 during the next election, many who
were sympathetic to Reform were elected to the Great Council.
Haller was preaching in Berne and reforming it.
Kolb, a young fiery preacher, came to assist the city as well.
Some Anabaptists arrived dissuading the people against Haller
because there were still idols in the land, and Haller met with them in
order to stop the breakup and exodus of any Christians from the city;
but this proved fruitless with the dissenters.
This pressed the Berne council to come to a decision as to what
authority would be followed: Rome (Austria’s lances) or the Bible? They came to the conclusion that no one could make any change
in the city with his own private interpretation, but had to have the
consent of all. Immediately
people began to dispute with monks and priests on the authority of the
Holy Word. A council was
called at Berne. Mighty
Catholic theologians came, and Haller was alone.
Zwingli petitioned Zurich to come to his help, and they agreed,
sending three hundred men along. The
Diet at Berne convened and the Gospel prevailed overthrowing the Romish
doctrines of images, the mass and other heresies.
The Berne council published an edict in 1528 in favor of the
Reformation.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 3
Though the Council at Berne had sent an edict out demonstrating
their allegiance to the Reformation, and the overthrow of the bishops in
that city, the news still had to be spread and accepted by the people of
the city. The people chose
the Bible over the priests and bishops. They began cleansing the church from its idols and images and
held fast to the Word of God over the Roman superstitions.
Charity was demonstrated to the poor, and the Lord’s Supper was
celebrated at Easter by evangelical doctrine.
The Reformation at Berne had triumphed, but it was not as
thorough as one might have thought.
The people of the valleys and mountains still held to the
Catholic faith, only renouncing the mass because they thought they could
be exempted from paying tithes to the church.
In Hasli, an assembly of all the surrounding people there decided
they wanted to bring back the mass and voted on it; the majority winning
with forty voices. The
pastor was expelled from the church (his name was Jaekli) and priests
were brought in to serve. A
peasant war was about to begin, as Germany had tasted once before.
The rebellious people had attempted to overthrow the Reform that
had taken place, and the council of Berne gathered an army to oppose the
uprising. Five thousand men
entered Hasli. Their guns
were fired into the air, frightening the people, and the townsfolk who
had started the uprising fell to their knees and begged for pardon
before there was any great bloodshed.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 4
Since Berne had reformed, its influence over the other cantons
was influential. St. Gall had taken down their images and rid their churches
of idols. In Glaris reform
was more difficult, in that, since there was no official council, men
were free to choose between the mass and the sermon of a Protestant
church on their own. At
Wesen the deputies used force and threatened the people, but many young
men took the images on their own from the churches and even against the
order, threw them into the fires to burn.
In Appenzell a council was being held when Roman Catholics
stormed the meeting. Ultimately
the little canton divided into two sections, one being Roman and the
other Reformed. In the
Grisons religious liberty was proclaimed and they continued in the
teachings of the Bible. In
Schaffhausen, after a long deliberation where the people could not come
to a decision, Zurich and Berne pressed them to do away with the images.
At the same time all these cities were in the midst of reform,
the Gospel was also penetrating the various smaller cantons surrounding
them, including towns and villages.
Superstition was being overthrown by the Gospel.
The doctors of the church were attacking the bishops, priests and
the Pope, while the people were pursing the idols.
Basle had been undergoing reformation for six years under
Oecolampadius. He went to Berne for the disputation, and upon return
found opposition brewing. Three
sectors hindered Oecolampadius in his reformation of the city: the
aristocracy, the nobles and the university.
However, it would be through the power of the middle class that
the Christian world would continue to grow in the Gospel.
The Gospel burst forth , and the city was cleansed of its idols
and images.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 5
Since Basle had cleansed the churches of images an idols and
Reformation was sweeping through, the bishops there lied and attempted
to subvert the people by causing them to think the Austrian army was on
its way to destroy them. Both
Protestants and Catholics raised up arms in order to fight.
The senate of the city attempted to calm them, but the gathered
masses would not put up with the idea of reinstating the mass if
Catholics overran them. Oecolampadius
preached the next day before a large crown and convinced them to stand
down through a most eloquent sermon. A decision was made to have a public disputation after
Pentecost, in order to resolve the matter. The Romanists rejected this,
already knowing the city was evangelical, or moving in that direction,
and they would lose.
A huge crowd gathered in the corner market to overthrow the
Romans in the city. There
was nothing the Romanists could do being sorely outnumbered.
The senate gathered in order to put a stop to the tumult, but the
people were far too many and too determined.
They respected property, but destroyed all the images and idols
in the Catholic Churches throughout the city.
The people, not desiring that they become lackeys of the
senate’s wishes, stormed the town hall and made their demands known to
the senate. In that
movement both the Reformation and a Democracy triumphed in Basle.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 6
Farel received a commission to go to the cities of Lausanne and
Morat to preach. He was
given leave to do so as long as the respective governments of the area
allowed him to preach with their consent.
He arrived in Morat, preached, and by a general vote the people
were in favor of the Pope, so he continued to Lausanne. Farel delivered a letter to the council from Berne and they
were confused as to their course – would they appease the bishop, or
would they appease Berne? Would
they allow Farel to preach over and against the bishop, or would the
cast off Berne’s letter? No
one really wanted to deal with issue, and more or less swept it under
the rug. Farel did not receive the consent here that he desired either
so he continued on.
Farel entered Serriere and preached there.
It was a small town outside of a Catholic city of Neufchatel that
was governed by Joan of Hochberg. Some
of the people who had fought along side of Berne in 1529 desired to hear
the Gospel, while at the same time the Romish citizens were crying out
that Farel was a heretic. The people who met Farel in Serriere asked him to come to
town to preach, and he did. Monks
gathered in the crowds while Farel preach in order to heckle the crowds
to pull Farel down and kill him. Farel
left for a time to preach in the villages of the Vully and returned to
Neufchatel after the Gospel had sat there a while and stirred the
people. Farel had been
preaching in the streets and in the homes and decided, upon return, to
preach in the church. Berne
sent deputies to Neufchatel in order to aid Farel in the advance of the
Gospel, and to protect him.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 7
In Valangrin, a town not far from Neufchatel, Farel made his way
to the church there and entered the pulpit during the “Our Lady of
August” festival. It was
a city overwhelmed by Romish doctrines. The mass was beginning and Farel decided he would preach the
Gospel. At the same time
the priest was invoking the mass, Farel was preaching Jesus Christ.
Madam de Vergy, who was on the terrace of the church, cried out
that Farel and his companion should be drowned.
Farel and Boyve were dragged by the mob to the bridge and never
was Farel closer to being killed. Before
he and Boyve were thrown in, a stranger walking the path asked what
these priests were doing, and encouraged them not to kill the only means
they may have towards hearing the Gospel.
Amazingly they were not thrown in the river and brought to Madam
de Vergy’s castle where they were instructed to bow before her.
They disobeyed this saying they only worship the Lord God. They were thrown in to the dungeon. When the townspeople came to claim them in anger, the Madam
did not refuse their release and let them go.
The people prayed that the cantons would give up the mass.
The work that Farel had accomplished in preaching was working,
for the Word of God does not return void of its purpose.
Farel returned to Neufchatel to preach one of the most effective
sermons he ever preached. The
people, deeply affected, stormed the city and removed the idols from it. They exchanged the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the wretched
heresies that had long captivated them in ignorance.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 8
The governor of Neufchatel did not lose all hope and desired to
overthrow the reforms that were being executed by the people.
The governor’s desire to have the city vote as to whether
reform should continue the canton or not.
The people gathered at the castle for a definite vote.
The fate to the city of Neufchatel was now in their hands.
George de Rive stood among the crowd in the castle and addressed
them, explaining that the mass has been abominated by those tearing down
images in the church and they should restore them.
Berne was in favor of the reform, and the priests were afraid
that the speech had not overturned too many people.
The people wanted the vote to go on, and the governor and priests
wanted it delayed that the emotional high would wear off and they may,
with the turning of a few votes, gain the favor.
The church was made ready for the votes, though the tattered
insides and destroyed images lined in the hall.
Both parties, the reformed and the Catholic, moved in the church
and began the voting on ballots in silence.
The votes were finished, counted and proclaimed.
The outcome was in favor of the Reformation and forever silenced
the papacy in the city of Neufchatel.
Farel had not appeared in all of this, and left it to the people
to decide for themselves concerning the Word of God.
By various steps the Reformation took hold of the city.
The churches were cleansed of anything Roman, and a large marble
slab was brought in to house the elements of the Lord’s Supper in
simplicity. The preaching
of Farel in this city and canton was a victory for the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
15, Chapter 9
A convention was drawn together under the guidance of Berne to
determine whether the other cities around Neufchatel should also be
subject to the same vote and rule of Neufchatel.
Would these other cities and towns be deprived of the Word of
God? This seemed to alarm George and he called for the magistrates in
all the surrounding districts to keep allegiance to their governess.
A “counter-revolution” was seized and the day of its
restitution was Christmas. Berne sent representatives to Neufchatel and stated that if
any uprising should take place, Berne would come to the aid of the city
of reformation. The plot
was discovered and quickly dissolved.
Farel continued his itinerant preaching by going though Valangin
and preaching in the church there, though he was heckled, and then after
moving through preaching in the South, headed north to St. Blaise. The
priests agitated the crowds there and they attacked Farel and he was
severely beaten though escaped with his life.
At the report of this the people of Neufchatel were angered.
They raced into the church there and deposed the images by force.
Valangin still acquired its images, but that would not last long.
Anthony Marcourt had been given the pastorate of Neufchatel, and
with a few friends went to Valangin to preach.
Unfortunately, the people went far beyond a peaceable change.
They stormed the church, stirred by the preaching, and utterly
destroyed everything there, including the glass windows.
They continued throughout the town causing the people to flee
their own homes. Though the Reformation was attained there, it was attained in
a more destructive and forceful manner that does not characterize its
spiritual reality.
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