The exact date of the beginning of the Swiss Reformation has been a matter of much dispute. When Luther had been excommunicated by the pope, the enemies of Zwingli insisted that he was included in the same condemnation as a follower and admirer of Luther. Then he published a declaration of which the following is an extract: "I began to preach the Gospel of Christ," says Zwingli, "in the year 1516, before any one in this region had heard the name of Luther. Who called me a Lutheran

Reformation was at the beginning less theological, but more practical, in its direct influence on manners and morals, than that of Germany. It was also more free in its relations to the state, and devoted much more attention to matters of organization and church government. Zwingli always acknowledged Erasmus as his great master and teacher, and it was from the time of reading one of the books of the latter that he dated his conversion. "Neither he nor any one of his Swiss friends," says Max Gobel, "had ever believed in the Roman then? When Luther's book on the doctrine of Transubstantiation." [History of Christian Life, 1., p. 277.]

ZWINGLI'S RELATION TO LUTHER.

Lord's Prayer appeared, concerning which prayer I had recently preached, many good people finding in it the same thoughts as mine, could hardly be convinced that I was not the author of the book, supposing that I was too fearful to own my work, and had, therefore, put the name Luther' on the title-page. Who could at that time have called me

There is a remarkable parallel between the Life of Luther and that of Zwingli. They were born within a few weeks of each other, Luther on the 10th of November, 1483, and Zwingli on the 1st of January, 1484. The parents of both a Lutheran? How does it happen that were pious country folks; but Zwingli's the Cardinals and Legates who at that parents were in comfortable circum- time dwelt in the city of Zurich did not stances and treated their children with call me a Lutheran until after they had great tenderness, while those of Luther declared Luther a heretic, though of were poor and stern; so that while no course they could not really make him expense was spared on Zwingli's educa- one? Then they cried out, that I too tion, Luther was compelled to eke out was a Lutheran, though I did not know his slender means of subsistence by Luther's name for two years after I had singing in the streets. Both of these made the Word of God my only guide. great men first attracted popular atten- It is only a Papist trick to give me and tion, in 1498, by their musical attain- others such names. If they say, 'You ments. In 1502 both of them became must be a Lutheran; you preach as Luacquainted with the Sacred Scriptures, ther writes,' this is my answer: I preach Zwingli at the feet of his teacher, Tho- as Paul writes-why do you not call me mas Wyttenbach, in Basel; Luther in a Paulist?' I preach the Gospel of the library of the convent of Erfurt, Christ-why do you not rather call me where he saw for the first time a com- a Christian?' In my opinion Luther plete copy of the Bible. In 1510 Luther is a noble champion of the Lord, who made a journey to Italy, and in 1513 searches the Scriptures with a degree of Zwingli went to the same country as a earnestness that has not been equalled in chaplain, where both were thoroughly a thousand years. What care I that the disgusted with the corruptions of the papists call both of us heretics? With papal court. such an earnest, manly spirit as that of Luther, no one has ever attacked the papacy during all the years of its exis tence. But whose work is it? Is it God's work or Luther's? Ask Luther himself, and he will surely tell you: It is the work of God! There

Zwingli advanced through the study of the classic authors to the contemplation of the Scriptures, while Luther dwelt with especial pleasure on the writings of the pious mystics of the Middle Ages. In this way they reached the same point from opposite directions, without being aware of each other's existence, and almost simultaneously they publicly protested against the corruptions of Rome.

fore, dear Christians, do not permit the name of Christ to be exchanged for that of Luther; for Luther has not died for us, though he teaches us to know Him from whom our whole salvation flows.

If Luther preaches Christ he does pre- It did not, however, depend upon a sincisely what I do; though, thank God! gle man, and there was a multitude of an innumerable multitude is led through laborers to carry on the work. The most him to Christ-far more than through eminent of these were, in Zurich, Henry me or others, to whom God gives a Bullinger and Leo Juda; in Basel, John greater or smaller measure of success, as Ecolampadius and Oswald Myconius; pleases Him. I will bear no other name in Bern, Berthold Haller; in Strasburg than that of my captain, Jesus Christ, and southern Germany, Wolfgang Capwhose soldier I am. No man can regard ito and Martin Bucer. Concerning these Luther more highly than I do. Never- eminent men and their coadjutors we theless, I testify before God and men will have more to say on a subsequent that, in all my life, I have never written occasion. a line to him nor he to me, nor have I caused it to be done. I declined to do it, not because I was afraid of anybody, but rather because I desired to show all men the uniformity of the working of the Spirit-how Luther and I dwell so far apart and yet are so harmonious: but I do not pretend to be his equal, for every man must do that to which God has called him."

It is pleasant to quote these noble words of the Swiss Reformer. Luther, it must indeed be confessed, treated him with great harshness, but he always spoke of him with respect, and was anxious to be reconciled. This is hardly the place to consider the points of issue between the two Reformers; but we may venture to quote the judgment of Zwingli's friend Myconius, quoted by Hagenbach. "I am convinced," he says, "that Zwingli and Ecolampadius misunderstood Luther from the beginning in presupposing that he held the gross view that we eat the body of Christ just as we eat common food, a view which Luther himself repudiated; but on the other hand, Luther was so bitterly opposed to both of them because he supposed that they recognized in the sacrament nothing but empty signs without the real presence of Christ."

It would be easy to prove that Zwingli regarded the Lord's Supper as far more than a mere memorial; but the doctrine now held by the Reformed church on this subject did not come from Zurich, but from Geneva and the Palatinate.

Zwingli was cut down in the prime of his manhood, and much of his work was left unfinished. In a recent number of the Guardian, we have given an account of his heroic death. The death of the leader was of course a great catastrophe, and for a time it seemed as though the work must fail.

APHORISMS.

The ancients dreaded death: the
Christian can only fear dying.
To those whose God is honor, dis-
grace alone is sin.

The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it.

Poetry is to Philosophy what the Sabbath is to the rest of the week.

It is with flowers as with moral qualities, the bright are sometimes poisonous; but, I believe, never the sweet.

Many actions, like the river Rhone, have two sources, one pure and the other impure.

A cobweb is soon spun and still sooner swept away.

Courage is the crowning virtue of heathenism; the test of Christianity is obedience.

IMMORTALITY.-Transition into the Divine life is ever woful, yet it is life.— Bettina von Arnim.

He that lives four-score years is but like one that stays here for a friend: when death comes then away he goes and never is seen again, - Thomas Middlton.

It was a good saying of Seneca, so live with men as if God saw you; so sneak to God as if men heard you. Regulate your actions by this golden rule, then shall you acquit yourselves to God and man, and hereby comply with both, neither out of fear or shame.

'PATENT OUTSIDES."

BY THE EDITOR.

be inferior to the one next door; it must have furniture constructed precisely after the same fashion, with the same amount of fashionable gimcracks. A fine parlor is supposed to be of more importance than a full larder.

We have been told that some newspapers have what are called "patent outsides." Several papers, it is said, Even in the conversation of society club together to have the same matter there are many things which are suggesset up for the outsides of their respec- tive of" patent outsides." How many tive sheets, thus saving a great part of people we meet who have their thinking the expense of composition. The chief done for them by others. They rehearse objection to this "patent" arrangement the opinions of some demagogue, and would seem to be that sometimes the seem to dread the very appearance of outside and inside of a paper may fail originality. The only safe way, in their to agree. The outside, for instance, opinion, is to follow the multitude, might contain an article protesting vio- though it should be at the expense of lently against Chinese immigration, that liberty of thought which we claim while on the inside, the editor, wearied as one of the chief blessings of our modwith domestic troubles, might express a ern civilization. longing for the importation of domestic servants from China. In religious papers the case might be even worse, if the outside should be Calvinist, and the inside Arminian, or vice versa.

There are certain truths which we must preserve as precious treasures of the soul. There is one garment which we must wear if we would not be found naked when we appear before the throne However it may be with newspapers, of God. All else is of inferior importhere seem to be some people who delight tance. It is worse than folly to indulge to appear in "patent outsides." They in the hypocrisy of accommodating ourare anxious, above all things, to look selves to the notions of men in the hope precisely like their neighbors. They of gaining their good opinion; or to culwould not for the world appear in a gar- tivate personal adornment or display for ment which is not of the latest fashion, the purpose of creating a popular imand from the judgment of the Paris pression of our social importance. All modistes there can, in their opinion, be this is positively wicked. It is the very no appeal. From this extreme it may essence of the Pride of Life. Beware be a long step to the position of those of "patent outsides!" who try to be unlike their neighbors by assuming garments which are intentionally rude and mis-shapen; but this too may be a patent outside" which is no less offensive than the other. Dress should attract attention neither by its splendor nor by its rudeness; it should be made neither in servile imitation of the prevailing fashion, nor in flagrant viola ion of the customs of the community. Let there be freedom for the development of personal taste, and let the garment be in harmony with the individuality of the person that wears it.

"Patent outsides" of every kind are plenty in our social life. If a man puts up a fine house his neighbors are at once tempted to imitate him, no matter whether they can afford it or not. Appear ances must be kept up at all hazards. If Brown gives a party Green must do the same, though his family should go hungry for a month. Our parlor must not

BOYS.-Our experience with boysand it is by no means slight or superficial-tends to prove that with those who, from an indisposition to submit to an "ircn rule" are commonly known as "wild," such impatience of restraint frequently springs from exuberant animal spirits, and is rarely met with in connection with meanness, much less vice. Per contra the greatest sycophants are, as a rule, the meanest and most depraved.-Hecker.