H201

Zwingli and the Anabaptists had more in common than either party would have cared to admit.
Zwingli and the Anabaptists would appear to be entirely antagonistic to each other's views particularly
on the issue of pedobaptism. However it can be argued that they had much in common, indeed far
more than they would care to admit. Unfortunately due to high invective and the capital price paid for
heretical views that was so prevalent in the later Middle Ages the Anabaptists came under heavy
persecution. More often than not this persecution was to the pain of death and Zwingli was no different
in this prescription for the Swiss rethren, the name given to the Swiss Anabaptists Zwingli in many
ways birthed. !hese were in many cases some of his former close friends and co"reformers. #n fact
the main locus for Anabaptist development was Zwingli's Zurich.
$
!he Anabaptist movement was
diverse, comple% and hard to define or generalise but in this essay the Swiss rethren and in
particular what some would describe as the founder of Anabaptism and the first leader, &onrad
'rebel, will be e%amined.
Humanism was the mother of the Swiss (eformation and Swiss Anabaptism. )rasmus had a profound
effect on both Zwingli and the Swiss rethren.
*
&oncerning Zwingli, )rasmus is +uoted as saying ',
good Zwingli- .hat have you written which # have not already written earlier/'
0
!he roots of the reform
in Zurich can be traced to young men meeting with Zwingli to study culture and the classics, a Zurich
sodality, in leading up to Zwingli's e%pository preaching on 1ew 2ears' 3ay $4$5. ,ften they were
described as Zwingli's disciples. !he future Anabaptists 6eli% Mant7 and &onrad 'rebel were part of
this group. .hat characterised this group was a love of learning and an admiration for )rasmus. #t was
in this group that they studied )rasmus8 'ree9 1ew !estament which Zwingli introduced them to.
:

'rebel also studied in ;ienna, a centre of humanist learning, and then in asle, the home of )rasmus
and his humanist circle " an humanist education almost identical to Zwingli. !hese two future
Anabaptists were originally close friends of Zwingli's and the reformers closest helpers.
4
'rebel would
often interrupt sermons where the 'old way was still being preached.
#t was from )rasmus and being part of the humanist circle in asle that Zwingli, armed with )rasmus'
1 CL Lindberg, The European Reformations 2
nd
Ed., Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, 189
2 Ibid., 19
! Ibid., 1"8
W# $ste%, The Anabaptist Story, &ash'ille: WB $erd(ans )*blishing C+(%any, 19,-, 10
- ./ 0+der, 1nabaptism and Reformation in Switzerland, 2ntari+: )and+ra )ress, 200, "
1ew !estament, learned to see9 the simple truth of the biblical te%t and to present <esus as the model
for the &hristian life.
=
Zwingli introduced a reform principle based on his humanistic and biblical studies
that everything must be >udged by Scripture, what did not conform did not re+uire obedience.
?
!his
was the new principle of Sola Scriptura, that he put into practice when he entered the pulpit on 1ew
2ears 3ay $4$5. He abandoned the traditional lectionary, in favour of chapter by chapter e%pository
preaching.
@
#t was this very preaching based upon the Sola Scriptura principle that attracted many of
the future Anabaptists to Zwingli, including Simon Stumpf and 6eli% Mant7.
5
!his was the theme of the
'reat Minster sermons from $4$5 onwards.
$A
!his proclamation of the Scriptures was the single most
important factor in the reform of Zurich.
$$
#t was due to this principle that Zwingli vehemently opposed
images and other forms of ceremonial piety, one of the hall mar9s of the Swiss (eformation.
$*
!his
included the removing from church life all images, ceremonial rites and religious accoutrements that
were the mainstay of medieval piety.
$0
!he Sola Scriptura principle relativised all e%tra biblical
practices. !he church needs only the .ord of 'od and therefore all human traditions are not binding
unless prescribed in the .ord of 'od.
$:
Zwingli and his fellow reformers believed in a strict dualism
between spirit and flesh, 'od and world. !heir definition of idolatry was any thought or act that
detracted, even to the smallest degree, from 'od. !his was why their invective towards the &atholic
&hurch was so great, they saw the whole apparatus of medieval &atholicism, with the mass being the
pinnacle, as idolatrous.
$4
!his principle was accepted and rigorously believed by his disciples and reforming circle including the
future Swiss rethren. &onsidering that there was such unity on the founding principles of reform it is
a surprise that such a split could occur. However the very principle that united the reforming group was
ironically the very principle that would also divide them.
$=

#n ,ctober $4*0 at the second Zurich disputation held by Zwingli in the Zurich council building, the
agenda being that of images and the mass, Zwingli had the support of the Swiss rethren in his
conclusions that all images should be removed from churches and that the idolatrous mass should be
replaced with a memorial Bord8s Supper. However Zwingli left the decision to the council who were not
of the mind to abolish the mass forthwith. !he reasoning being that the people were not ready for such
" CL Lindberg, The European Reformations 2
nd
Ed.,1"2
, Ibid., 1""
8 3 4e+rge, 3heology of the Reformers, &ash'ille: Br+ad(an )ress, 1988, 12,
9 W# $ste%, The Anabaptist Story, 2,
10 4# )+tter, Zwingli, Ca(bridge: Ca(bridge 5ni'ersity )ress, 19,", 1,1
11 3 4e+rge, 3heology of the Reformers, 12,
12 CL Lindberg, The European Reformations Sourceboo, 267+rd: Blackwell )*blishers Ltd., 2000, 110
1! Ibid., 1!1
1 8# .an9, A Reformation Reader, :innea%%+lis: 1*gsb*rg ;+rtress, 1999 1-
1- B 4+rd+n, 3he Swiss Reformation, :anchester: :anchester 5ni'ersity )ress, 2002, ,"
1" B 4+rd+n, 3he Swiss Reformation, 192
a drastic change. Zwingli also preferred to coerce by the preaching of the .ord not by enforcement.
Simon Stampf holding to the Sola Scritura principle e%claimed that any decision that the council
introduced contrary to the .ord of 'od, he would preach and act against.
$?
Zwingli agreed with
Stumpf but again let the implementation rest with the council in order to prevent a feared popular
uproar and to avoid coesion.
$@
'rebel also protested and following the disputation viewed Zwingli as a
false prophet due to this encounter as well as untrustworthy as he had originally intimated to his
reforming circle that the .ord of 'od and not the council would determine the disposition of the mass
and the use of images.
$5
!his was the start of the Anabaptist movement, not formed in the crucible of
theological dispute but agreement. !he dissent beginning because of the disagreement about whom
had the right to implement the reforms and the haste of the implementation.
#nterestingly, Zwingli8s reluctance to coerce the new reforms immediately was one of the points of
brea9down for the relationship with the Swiss rethren. #n the future this would be reversed in a very
tragic manner with coercion leading to Anabaptist martyrdom. !he Swiss rethren8s utter conviction
and commitment to the Sola Scriptura principle can be evidenced from the letter written by 'rebel and
others to !homas Munt7er in $4*: in the wa9e of this disputation. !he opening paragraphs declare
their reasoning for their stance being, C!he cause of all this is false forbearance, the hiding of the
3ivine .ord, and the mi%ing of it with the human.8
*A
!hey defend all their positions by reference to
Scripture throughout the letter.
!his was not the irrevocable split one might assume though. !his did eventually come but was in
regard to pedobaptism. However even the eventually irreconcilable views on the role of baptism while
being the seminal point of difference and the name by which an entire movement was to be then
9nown was not as much of a disagreement as one would have imagined. !o begin with the dissidents
turned Zwingli8s weapon against him. !hey could find no warrant for child baptism in Scripture only
baptism as a sign of adult faith and regeneration. Zwingli li9e Buther found the te%t that he had
laboured so hard to be made available turned upon himself.
*$
!he Swiss rethren8s view on baptism
came from the same foundation of Sola Scriptura laid by Zwingli himself. Moreover the Swiss retren
could rightly point out that Zwingli had in essence changed his view on infant baptism, another charge
against Zwingli, following the second disputation, that he had compromised his original beliefs.
Zwingli had faced an obvious difficulty with infant baptism, how could he >ustify the baptising of infants
1, W# $ste%, The Anabaptist Story, 1!
18 ./ 0+der, 1nabaptism and Reformation in Switzerland, 1!
19 Ibid., 12
20 4/ Willia(s, Spiritual and Anabaptist !riters, L+nd+n: <.C.:. )ress Ltd., 19-,, ,
21 CL Lindberg, The European Reformations 2
nd
Ed.,"#"
when they could not publicly demonstrate their faith/ !he &atholic dogma, traced from Augustine, was
that it was re+uired to rid the child of original sin. Zwingli had issues with this also and unsurprisingly
too9 the )rasmian view disputing the notion of original sin altogether. !herefore infant baptism
seemed to serve no purpose.
**
Zwingli although e%pressing these doubts never went so far as
advocating the abolition of infant baptism
*0
and later developed a theology of baptism as a covenant
arguing that baptism is the &hristian e+uivalent of circumcision. !he child became a member of the
&hristian community and baptism was the public demonstration of this membership. !his allowed
Zwingli to incorporate his sacramental baptismal theology into his ecclesiological view of the state and
church being one and the same thing, an ,ld !estament theocratic view. !his therefore ensured
baptism became uni+uely important to Zwingli. However the Swiss rethren had an entirely different
view of church and of the role of baptism. !here8s was a confessing community li9e the 1ew
!estament apostolic church where entry was upon faith and regeneration with baptism as an outward
mar9 of entry into the confessing community +uite apart from and in antithessis to the state. 6or
Zwingli baptism became the mar9 of not >ust &hristianity but of citi7enship. !herefore to refuse it was
an issue of revolt, faction and heresy.
*:
!his led to the third disputation of <anuary $4*: in which
Zwingli dominated the proceedings won the argument, the result being that all infants had to be
baptised and re"baptism, that is, Anabaptism was outlawed. ,ne of the wic9ed ironies for the
Anabaptists was the prescription of drowning as a punishment for holding to Anabaptist views.
!he main point of disagreement between Zwingli and the Swiss rethren was on pedobaptism but this
was lin9ed to their ecclesiology. !he label of heretic was entirely unfair as the Swiss rethren agreed
with Zwingli on all main points of the &hristian faith " the Apostle8s &reed, the triune nature of 'od, the
incarnation, the atonement, and of course the authority of Scripture.
*4
#n fact the opening line of the
first Anabaptist confession, the Schleitheim &onfession of 6aith in $4*? includes a reference to the
trinity.
*=
,n almost all points there was agreement but the defining issue was becoming essentially
ecclesiological.
(egarding ecclesiology they still had points of agreement, particularly on the idea of the communal
aspect of church and e%pression of &hristian life over and above the individual. Also that &hristian
belief needs to be e%pressed in outward conduct. oth 'rebel and Zwingli agreed belief and outward
conduct were lin9ed but 'rebel had a different emphasis, 'rebel believed that there was a direct
correlation between the power of the Spirit and e%ternal conduct. !here is again in this disagreement a
22 1$ :c4rath, Reformation Thought 2
nd
Ed., 267+rd: Blackwell )*blishers, 199!, 1,,
2! 3 4e+rge, 3heology of the Reformers, 11
2 1$ :c4rath, Reformation Thought 2
nd
Ed., 1,8
2- W# $ste%, The Anabaptist Story, 1!0
2" :4 Bayl+r, The Radical Reformations, Ca(bridge: Ca(bridge 5ni'ersity )ress, 1991, 1,2
common starting point. oth shared a strong belief in the duality of the flesh and spirit.
*?
!hey both
thought they were privileging the spirit over the worldly and material. 'rebel had a greater emphasis
on moral purity and an upright lifestyle which he believed could only be achieved by separation of the
&hristian from non"believers.
*@
!he Swiss rethren were the fathers of the free church with voluntary
membership. !his was a world"view that was truly radical to the medieval mindset, but it was based on
their reading of Scripture and in particular using a 1ew !estament hermeneutic. Zwingli8s idea of
church was one of a theocracy of a there being no difference between church and state, and the unity
of &hristian and citi7en, was an ,ld !estament hermeneutic. He also began to use the Augustinian two
cities theology to argue that it wasn8t a matter for temporal >udgement to differentiate between the
two.
*5
His was very much still a medieval &hristendom mentality, based he could still argue on
Scripture but on the ,ld !estament #sraelite theocracy and Augustine's defence of it not on the 1ew
!estament early church as the Swiss rethren did.
#n conclusion despite the later charges of treason, heresy and apostasy levelled by both sides and the
horrific persecution and death that met many of the Swiss rethren it can be confidently asserted that
they both had more in common than not and certainly more than they would care to admit. #t cannot be
stressed enough that humanism and the principle of Sola Scriptura that sprung from it was their
foundation and neither Zwinglian (eform nor Anabaptism would have arisen without it. #n fact it can be
argued that the Swiss rethren are the true holders to the Sola Scriptura principle which led them to
brea9 the mould of the medieval world"view centuries before their time. However they owe this to
Zwingli and his teaching and preaching in Zurich. #n fact Zwingli8s template of meeting to learn and
study the Scriptures was replicated by the early Anabaptists who met in laymen8s houses to do >ust
this. #ronically it was by doing this that the dissemination of Anabaptist thought spread so widely and
+uic9ly.
0A
Although after the split the radicals too9 their theological lead mainly from Darlstadt they
owed their theological heritage and founding principles to Zwingli.
0$
#n the end it was the haste and
where the authority to implement reforms lay which paved the way for the eventually irreconcilable
differences on matters ecclesiological, in particular the role of baptism in their ecclesiological views,
and not theological which led to the deadly schism.
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28 Ibid.,19!
29 Ibid.,19!
!0 Ibid.,192
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