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In Switzerland from 1516 to 1525 - James Aitken Wylie

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Scriptures. Why then did he submit this matter–the<br />

question as <strong>to</strong> which is the true Gospel–<strong>to</strong> the Great<br />

Council of Zurich, the supreme civil authority in<br />

the State?<br />

Zwingli in doing so did not renounce his<br />

theory, but in reconciling his practice with his<br />

theory, in the present instance, it is necessary <strong>to</strong><br />

take in<strong>to</strong> account the following considerations. It<br />

was not possible for the Reformer of Zurich in the<br />

circumstances <strong>to</strong> realize his ideal; there was yet no<br />

Church organisation; and <strong>to</strong> submit such a question<br />

at large <strong>to</strong> the general body of the professors of the<br />

Reformed faith would have been, in their immature<br />

state of knowledge, <strong>to</strong> risk–nay, <strong>to</strong> invite–divisions<br />

and strifes. Zwingli, therefore, chose in preference<br />

the Council of Two Hundred as part of the<br />

Reformed body–as, in fact, the ecclesiastical and<br />

political representative of the Church. The case<br />

obviously was abnormal. Besides, in submitting<br />

this question <strong>to</strong> the council, Zwingli expressly<br />

stipulated that all arguments should be drawn <strong>from</strong><br />

the Scriptures; that the council should decide<br />

according <strong>to</strong> the Word of God; and that the Church,<br />

161

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