w can we then ever respect
your claims? God in Heaven judge between us!" Once more they came to
Zurich with prayers for succor, and immediately five deputies were
dispatched to the Catholics at Muri, to intercede in their behalf. "You
shall ride night and day," so they were instructed, "and not give over
till the oppression of the people is removed, and you have obtained
peace for them." But the Five Cantons remained inexorable, and the best
that Zurich could do for her forsaken allies was to open her own gates
for the reception of the most needy. Richly did one of these fugitives
repay her for that act of kindness. In Henry Bullinger, the canton
found the most worthy successor of her reformer. His talent, his
mildness of character, his wise limitation of himself to what belonged
directly to his calling, appeased the wide-spread discontent with the
clergy, especially those from abroad, to whose instigations the late
confusion and disaster were attributed; whilst on the other hand, his
ample stores of knowledge, his unshaken firmness, where duty was
concerned, and his unwearied zeal maintained the freedom of the Gospel
and the cause of the Reformation, as far as could be in the midst of
the general exhaustion. Meanwhile there was no hindrance to the return
of the old estate to the limits of the canton and outside of it.
Numerous altars were restored. The Catholic church and her priests
awoke to renewed activity. Into the desolate cells of St. Gall, Muri,
Einsiedeln, Wettingen, Rheinau, Katharinenthal, Hermatschweil and
Gnadenthal marched back their exiled, or fugitive occupants, and in the
feeling of victory, arose to new and stronger power. And now, what does
this history teach? What does it teach every succeeding generation?
That in all centuries wisdom and mildness, as well as rashness and
violence, are the same. The former are a blessing to the nations, full
of light and warmth; the latter only lead to unfruitful reactions.
Whatever the Reformers did and said for the liberty of the Gospel has
remained and borne rich fruits. All attempts on the other hand, to help
this liberty to a triumph, in the way of violence, have only wrought
injury. So, too, in our times, no good is to be hoped for from _any_
party, whether under civil or ecclesiastical form, the inspiring soul
of which is not the divine breath of love. The stronger the
independence of the individual and the power of national feeling rise
along with the everywhe