The Great Controversy - Righteousness is Love

130He submitted himself to the Bible as the word of God, the only sufficient,infallible rule. He saw that it must be its own interpreter. He dared notattempt to explain Scripture to sustain a preconceived theory or doctrine,but held it his duty to learn what is its direct and obvious teaching. Hesought to avail himself of every help to obtain a full and correctunderstanding of its meaning, and he invoked the aid of the Holy Spirit,which would, he declared, reveal it to all who sought it in sincerity and withprayer."The Scriptures," said Zwingli, "come from God, not from man, and eventhat God who enlightens will give thee to understand that the speech comesfrom God. The word of God . . . cannot fail; it is bright, it teaches itself, itdiscloses itself, it illumines the soul with all salvation and grace, comforts itin God, humbles it, so that it loses and even forfeits itself, and embracesGod." The truth of these words Zwingli himself had proved. Speaking of hisexperience at this time, he afterward wrote: "When . . . I began to givemyself wholly up to the Holy Scriptures, philosophy and theology(scholastic) would always keep suggesting quarrels to me. At last I came tothis, that I thought, `Thou must let all that lie, and learn the meaning of Godpurely out of His own simple word.' Then I began to ask God for His light,and the Scriptures began to be much easier to me." Ibid., b. 8, ch. 6.The doctrine preached by Zwingli was not received from Luther. It was thedoctrine of Christ. "If Luther preaches Christ," said the Swiss Reformer, "hedoes what I am doing. Those whom he has brought to Christ are morenumerous than those whom I have led. But this matters not. I will bear noother name than that of Christ, whose soldier I am, and who alone is myChief. Never has one single word been written by me to Luther, nor byLuther to me. And why? . . . That it might be shown how much the Spirit ofGod is in unison with itself, since both of us, without any collusion, teachthe doctrine of Christ with such uniformity." –D'Aubigne, b. 8, ch. 9.In 1516 Zwingli was invited to become a preacher in the convent atEinsiedeln. Here he was to have a closer view of the corruptions of Romeand was to exert an influence as a Reformer that would be felt far beyondhis native Alps. Among the chief attractions of Einsiedeln was an image ofthe Virgin which was said to have the power of working miracles. Abovethe gateway of the convent was the inscription, "Here a plenary remission ofsins may be obtained." Ibid., b. 8, ch. 5. Pilgrims at all seasons resorted tothe shrine of the Virgin; but at the great yearly festival of its consecrationmultitudes came from all parts of Switzerland, and even from France and