Ulrich Zwingli Sixty-seven Theses 27 January 1523 In 1523 Zurich city officials called for a public debate to settle the contention which was by then causing unrest in the city. In preparation for this event, Zwingli wrote his Sixty-seven Theses, which his reform party then successfully defended on 27 January. This victory was an important step towards consolidating the Reformation in Zurich. The theses clearly reveal Zwingli s reform agenda. i All who say that the gospel is invalid without the confirmation of the church err and slander God. ii The sum and substance of the gospel is that our Lord Jesus Christ, the true son of God, has made known to us the will of his heavenly Father, and has with his sinlessness released us from death and reconciled us to God. iii Hence Christ is the only way to salvation for all who ever were, are and shall be. iv He who seeks or shows another way errs, and, indeed, he is a murderer of souls and a thief. v Hence all who consider other teachings equal to or higher than the gospel err, and do not know what the gospel is. vi For Christ Jesus is the guide and leader, promised by God to all mankind, which promise was fulfilled. vii He is eternal salvation and head of all who believe; these are his body, for his own human body is dead. Nothing is of avail without him. viii From this follows first that all who dwell in the head [i.e., Christ] are members and children of God, forming the church or communion of the saints, which is the bride of Christ, ecclesia catholica. ix Furthermore, as the members of the body can not function without the control of the head, so no one in the body of Christ can do anything without its head, Christ. - 1 -
x As that man is mad whose limbs [try to] do something without his head, tearing, wounding, injuring himself, so when the members of Christ undertake something without their head, Christ, they are stupid and injure and burden themselves with foolish laws. xi Hence we see in the so-called spiritual laws, concerning their splendor, riches, orders, titles, decrees, a cause of all foolishness because they do not agree with the head. xii Thus they behave foolishly, not because of their head [i.e., Christ] for every possible effort is made by the grace of God to bring them back to the light but their foolish behavior is no longer to be tolerated and they must pay heed to the head alone. xiii If anyone wants to hear, he can learn clearly and plainly the will of God, and by his Spirit be drawn to him and become a changed man through him. xiv Therefore all Christian people shall use their best diligence that the gospel of Christ alone be preached everywhere. xv For in faith rests our salvation, and in unbelief our damnation; for all truth is clear in him. xvi In the gospel one learns that human doctrines and decrees are useless for salvation. xvii Christ is the only eternal high priest, from which it follows that those who have called themselves high priests have opposed the honor and power of Christ have, indeed, completely rejected him. xviii Christ, having sacrificed himself once and for all, is for all eternity a perpetual and acceptable offering for the sins of all believers, from which it follows that the mass is not a sacrifice, but is a commemoration of the sacrifice and assurance of the salvation which Christ has given us. xix Christ is the only mediator between God and ourselves. xx God will give us everything in his [Christ s] name, whence it follows that for our part after this life we need no mediator except him. xxi When we pray for one another on earth, we do so in such a way that we believe that all things are to be given to us through Christ alone. - 2 -
xxii Christ is our justification, from which it follows that our works, if they are of Christ, are good; but if ours, they are neither right nor good. xxiii Christ utterly rejects the material goods and show of this world, from which it follows that those who amass wealth in his name grossly abuse him when they make him a cloak to hide their avarice and arrogance. xxiv No Christian is bound to do those things which God has not decreed; hence one may eat at all times all food, whence one learns that the dispensations about cheese and butter are a Roman imposture. xxv Time and place are controlled by Christian men and not men by them; hence we learn that those who make rules about time and place deprive Christians of their freedom. xxvi Nothing is more displeasing to God than hypocrisy; so we learn that all that is a show before men is gross hypocrisy and iniquity. Included in this are cowls, vestments, tonsures, etc. xxvii All Christian men are brethren of Christ and brothers to one another: and the title of Father should not be assumed by anyone on earth. This includes orders, sects and factions. xxviii All that God has allowed or not forbidden is right, hence marriage is permitted to all human beings. xxix All so-called clerics sin if, after they have an inward conviction that God has denied them the gift of chastity, they do not protect themselves by marriage. xxx Those who promise chastity take childishly or foolishly too much upon themselves, whence is learnt that those who make such vows do wrong to God-fearing people. xxxi Excommunication cannot be imposed by any single individual but only by the church, that is the congregation of those among whom the wrongdoer dwells, in conjunction with their overseer, that is, their minister. xxxii Only those who give public offense should be excommunicated. - 3 -
xxxiii Property unrighteously acquired should not be given to churches, monasteries, monks, priests or nuns, but to the needy, if it cannot be returned to the legal owner. xxxiv There is no ground in the teaching of Christ for the pretensions of the so-called spiritual authority, xxxv Whereas the jurisdiction and authority of the secular power is based on the teaching and actions of Christ. xxxvi All the rights and protection that the so-called spiritual authority claims belong to secular governments provided they are Christian. xxxvii To them, likewise, all Christians owe obedience without exception, xxxviii Insofar as they do not order that which is contrary to God. xxxix Therefore all their laws should be in harmony with the divine will, so that they protect the oppressed, even if these do not complain. xl They [i.e. governments] alone have the right to exact the death penalty without bringing the wrath of God upon themselves, and then only for those who have offended against public order. xli If they give good advice and help to those for whom they must account to God, then these owe them material assistance. xlii But if they are unfaithful and transgress the laws of Christ they may be deposed in accordance with God s will. xliii To sum up; that realm is best and most stable which is ruled in accordance with God s will alone, and the worst and weakest is that which is ruled arbitrarily. xliv Those who call on God in spirit and in truth should do so without great publicity. xlv Those who act in order that they may be seen by men and secure praise during their lifetime are hypocrites. It must therefore follow that: - 4 -
xlvi Choral or spoken church services that are performed without true intent but only for reward are carried out either for the sake of reputation or for profit. xlvii A man should be willing to die rather than offend or disgrace a fellow Christian. xlviii He who is offended without cause through weakness or ignorance should not be allowed to remain weak or ignorant but should be strengthened so that he does not regard what is really not sinful as sin. xlix I know of no greater scandal than that priests are not allowed to take lawful wives but may keep mistresses if they pay a fine. l God alone remits sins through Jesus Christ, his son, our only Lord. li He who gives this authority to an individual takes away the honor due to God to give to one who is not God. This is real idolatry. lii Hence the confession which is made to the priest or other person shall not be regarded as remission of sin, but only a seeking for advice. liii Acts of penance imposed by human counsel (excommunication excepted) do not cancel sin but are imposed to deter others. liv Christ has borne all our toil and sorrows. Hence whoever attributes to works of penance that which belongs to Christ alone, errs and dishonors God. lv Anyone who refuses absolution to one truly penitent is no agent of God or of St. Peter but of the devil. lvi Whoever remits any sin only for the sake of money is the companion of Simon [Magus] and Balaam, and the real messenger of the devil. lvii The true Holy Scriptures know nothing of purgatory after this life. lviii The fate of the dead is known to God alone. - 5 -
lix And the less God has let us know concerning it, the less we should endeavor to know about it. lx I do not reject human prayer to God to show grace to the departed; but to fix a time for this and to lie for the sake of gain is not human but demonic. lxi The divine Scriptures know nothing of the indelible character conferred in recent times on the priesthood. lxii Furthermore, they know no priests except those who proclaim the word of God. lxiii They command that honor, that is to say, material subsistence, shall be shown [to priests]. lxiv Those who acknowledge their errors shall not be deprived of their endowments but shall be allowed to die in peace and after that their property shall be dealt with in Christian fashion. lxv God will deal with those who do not acknowledge their errors. Hence they should not receive corporal punishment unless they behave so violently that action is essential. lxvi All those in spiritual authority shall quickly humble themselves and serve solely the cross of Christ and not money-chests; otherwise perdition is upon them and the axe is laid to the root of the tree. lxvii If anyone wishes to discuss with me concerning interest, tithes, unbaptized children, or confirmation, I am ready to answer. From Potter, Huldrych Zwingli, 21 25. Janz, D. (1999). A Reformation Reader : Primary texts with introductions (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999), 155-8. - 6 -