Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

117
disputations at Zürich (1523–1525), and presided over the disputation at
Berne (1528).
St. Gall was the first city to follow the example of Zürich under his lead.
The images were removed from the churches and publicly burnt in 1526
and 1528; only the organ and the bones of St. Othmar (the first abbot) and
Notker were saved. An evangelical church order was introduced in 1527.
At the same time the Anabaptists endangered the Reformation by strange
excesses of fanaticism. Watt had no serious objection to their doctrines,
and was a friend and brother-in-law of Grebel, their leader, but he opposed
them in the interest of peace and order.
The death of the abbot, March 21, 1529, furnished the desired opportunity,
at the advice of Zürich and Zwingli, to abolish the abbey and to confiscate
its rich domain, with the consent of the majority of the citizens, but in utter
disregard of legal rights. This was a great mistake, and an act of injustice.
The disaster of Cappel produced a reaction, and a portion of the canton
returned to the old church. A new abbot was elected, Diethelm Blaurer; he
demanded the property of the convent and sixty thousand guilders damages
for what had been destroyed and sold. The city had to yield. He held a
solemn entry. He attended the last session of the Council of Trent and took
a leading part in the counter-Reformation.
Watt showed, during this critical period, courage and moderation. He
retained the confidence of his fellow-citizens, who elected him nine times
to the highest civil office. He did what he could, in co-operation with
Kessler and Bullinger, to save and consolidate the Reformed Church during
the remaining years of his life. He was a portly, handsome, and dignified
man, and wrote a number of geographical, historical, and theological
works. f203
John Kessler (Chessellius or Ahenarius), the son of a day-laborer of St.
Gall, studied theology at Basel, and Wittenberg. He was one of the two
students who had an interesting interview with Dr. Luther in the hotel of
the Black Bear at Jena in March, 1522, on his return as Knight George
from the Wartburg. f204 It was the only friendly meeting of Luther with the
Swiss. Had he shown the same kindly feeling to Zwingli at Marburg, the
cause of the Reformation would have been the gainer.
Kessler supported himself by the trade of a saddler, and preached in the
city and surrounding villages. He was also chief teacher of the Latin