The Religious Reformations of the Sixteenth Century 263Low Countries, and by 1550 the movement had dwin-
dled to a remnant. A group of survivors, afterwards
known as Mennonites, were reorganized under the
leadership of Menno Simons. Their moderation and
emphasis on high ethical standards became a model for
other dissenting groups.
Meanwhile, another kind of reform had emerged in
Switzerland. Zürich, like other Swiss cantons, was a
center of the mercenary industry. By 1518 a growing
party of citizens had come to oppose what they called
the exchange of blood for money. The innovations of
Gonsalvo de Córdoba had cost the Swiss their tactical
advantage on the battlefield, and their casualties during
the latter part of the Italian wars had been very heavy.
Moreover, the trade had enriched a few contractors
who were now thought to exert undue influence on lo-
cal politics while compromising the city’s neutrality
through their relations with France and the papacy.
One of the leading spokesmen for the antimercenary
forces was a priest, Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531),
who had been a chaplain to the troops in Italy. He had
received a good humanist education and, like Luther,
was known for attacking indulgences and for sermons
that relied heavily on the Scriptures. In 1519 the an-
timercenary party gained control of the Zürich city
council and named Zwingli people’s priest of the city’s
main church, a post from which he was able to guide
the process of reform.
Zwingli’s concept of reformation grew out of the
democratic traditions of his native land. Believing that
each congregation should determine its own policies
under the guidance of the gospel, he saw no real dis-
tinction between the government of the church and
that of the state. Both elected representatives to
determine policy. Both should be guided by the law of
God. He therefore proceeded to reform the city step
by step, providing guidance and advice but leaving the
implementation of reforms to the city council.
Like Luther, Zwingli was challenged at an early
date by those who felt that his reforms were insuffi-
ciently thorough. In responding to such Anabaptist
critics as Conrad Grebel and Georg Blaurock, Zwingli
developed teachings that were at variance with Luther’s
as well. When the Anabaptists asked how a child couldDOCUMENT 14.4
The Anabaptists Reject Civic Life
In 1527 a group of Anabaptists met at Schleitheim on the Swiss-
German border to clarify issues connected with their teachings. The re-
sult was the Schleitheim Confession, a document widely accepted
by later Anabaptists. In this excerpt, demands are made for separation
from the world.
Fourth. We are agreed as follows on separation: A separa-
tion shall be made from the evil and the wickedness
which the devil planted in the world; in this manner, sim-
ply that we should not have fellowship with them, the
wicked, and not run with them in the multitude of their
abominations. This is the way it is: Since all who do not
walk in the obedience of faith and have not united them-
selves with God so that they wish to do his will, are a
great abomination before God, it is not possible for any-
thing to grow or issue from them except abominable
things. For truly all creatures are in but two classes, good
and bad, believing and unbelieving, darkness and light,
the world and those who have come out of the world,
God’s temple and idols, Christ and Belial; and none can
have part with the other.
To us then the command of the Lord is clear when
He calls us to separate from the evil and thus He will be
our God and we shall be his sons and daughters.
He further admonishes us to withdraw from Babylon
and the earthly Egypt that we may not be partakers of the
pain and suffering which the Lord will bring upon them.
From all this we should learn that everything which is
not united with our God and Christ cannot be other than
an abomination which we should shun and flee from. By
this is meant all popish and anti-popish works and church
services, meetings and church attendance, drinking
houses, civic affairs, the commitments made in unbelief
[oaths] and other things of that kind, which are highly re-
garded by the world and yet carried on in flat contradic-
tion to the command of God.
Therefore there will also unquestionably fall from us
the un-Christian, devilish weapons of force—such as
sword, armor and the like, and all their use for friends or
against one’s enemies.
“The Schleitheim Confession.” In Hans Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant
Reformation,pp. 132–133. New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1967.