During his two years (1517-1518) as a priest in the town of Einsiedeln, Zwingli broke with traditional Roman Catholic practice, preaching clearly and expositorily in the ordinary German language of his people. Such preaching earned him a post in Zurich’s free city or “canton” in 1519.
According to apocryphal sources, Zwingli was a priest and theologian. He was a Swiss giant. For his public debates with the Catholic authorities in early 1523, Zwingli formulated “The 67 Articles”.
Article 7 of the “67 Articles” states that Christ “is an eternal salvation and the head of all believers, who form His body, but who is dead and can do nothing without Him.” Attending Mass, participating in the so-called sacraments of Roman Catholicism, or even ordination as a priest did not make one a spiritually living member of the actual “ecclesia Catholica” (universal church). This is only through the Gospel and the Holy Spirit.
Biography of Zwingli
| Full name: | Huldrych Zwingli |
|---|---|
| Year of birth: | 1 January 1484 AD |
| Year of death: | 11 October 1531 AD |
| Place of birth: | Wildhaus in the Toggenburg, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland |
| Father's name: | Johann Ulrich Zwingli |
| Nationality: | Swiss |
| Death cause: | Martyrdom |
What was Zwingli known for?
Zwingli was to detail these articles in a book-sized treatise in 1525 entitled “True and False Religion.” In 1526, he formulated “Ten Theses” for Bern, which served as a summary of his Reformed outlook.
Zwingli is known for formulating the “67 Articles.” The brief introduction and conclusion of the document show Zwingli’s deep respect for the authority of God’s word and his firm belief in the Bible’s unique status as the only revelation of the saving good news of Jesus Christ and God’s will for Christians.
He later removed images, relics, and organs from the church and focused the worship on sermons.
