Ecolampadius-Reformation at Basle [pp. 218-236]

Professor and Pastor.
forced or annulled. Whether or not the council sought advice
from other theologians, is uncertain; at all events, it was the
opinion of CEcolampadius that decided their action. He told
them that the law in question conflicted with the law of Christ;
and the result was, that from that day the Balois clergy in the
matter of marriage, were left free.
Beside his academic position, the reformer consented to
assume that of pastor of St. Martins. In entering upon this
new charge, he frankly told the council, that he must be allowed
to preach the word with all freedom, and would not consider
himself bound to observe useless or pernicious ceremonies. And
in his first sermon, (February 24th, 1525,) he told his people
with equal plainness, " I mean to preach to you the word of
God alone, the word of God in its purity. As for the usages
of the Fathers, I hold them to be of small account; most of them
are only snares for conscience. I do not mean to lay burdens
on your consciences, about days, meats, &c. We promise at
the same time to make no changes without consulting the proper
authorities."
The limits of this article will not allow us to give a detailed
account of the progress of the reformation at Basle, or of the
various contests in which the reformer was forced to engage on
its behalf. The Papists were not the only enemies, with
whom he was obliged to fight.. For several years (1524-9,)
the Anabaptists, with their political radicalism and religious
fanaticism, gave (Ecolampadius and the council of Basle a vast
deal of trouble. One of them, named Denk, who for some time
resided at Basle as a corrector of the press, and the notorious
Munzer, so grossly abused the kindness and hospitality of the
reformer, that he found it necessary to clear himself from the
vile reports which these men had spread abroad respecting his
sympathy with their views. The extravagance of the Anabaptists had this bad effect, that it alarmed many timid minds, and
quenched the rising spirit of inquiry; still, it was the occasion
of good, inasmuch as it compelled the reformers generally, to
publish very full and accurately defined formulas of their doctrinal views.
But the contest with Luther, on the subject of the Eucharist,
was in many respects the most painful of all those, in which
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