DUST OF THE PAST

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

DUST OF THE PAST

HERO OF REFORMATION

(By

“Historicus.”)

Much has been written about the heroes of the Reformation. Luther, humbly bom, the son of a miner, was the greatest among them; but, although it is certain that none achieved so great a work as he, there were others who deserve a big place in the history of the movement. Ulrich Zwingli even before Luther had begun to preach his doctrine, was already teaching much that Luther was to preach later. In some matters he even departed from the doctrine of Rome more than Luther, and the men who spread the reformed doctrine in England and Scotland were disciples of Zwingli rather than of Luther. Zwingli came of a free peasant stock, and received a good education. His Childhood differed entirely from the dark religious experiences which drove Luther to the convent in gloomy meditation. It cost Zwingli nothing to break from the mediaeval church. He taught patriotism as well as piety. He it was who fought the custom of the authorities to hire the Swiss soldiers to neighbouring states, and eventually persuaded the powers at Zurich to renounce it altogether. He changed many of the ceremonies of the church, and allowed Priests to marry. Opposition led in 1531 to war between the Catholic and Protestant cantons, and Zwingli. went into battle as a chaplain, and was killed at Kappel on October 11, 1531. The Catholics recognised his body, condemned it to be broken into four, burned to ashes, and scattered to the winds. Such was the end of Ulrich Zwingli the great reformer of Switzerland.

Society of Jesus Founder. The death of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, occurred on July 31, 1556. The Society of Jesuits was probably one of the most powerful organisations that has ever been created. The perfection of its mechanism Cardinal Richelieu pronounced a masterpiece of policy. The fame of its missionaries, moved by an austerity of purpose that approached fanaticism, spread throughout the world. The adventures of the Jesuit fathers sparkle through the dry pages.of .historical record lighting up the most barren periods with flashes of adventure that have both illumined the time and the name of the order. The story of Ignatius Loyola is as interesting as the history of the order. How fate plays a game in the lives of mankind is aptly illustrated in the instance of Loyola. Loyola was a JSpanish soldier and hidalgo, with that wild and vehement temperament that burned for martial glory. A cannon ball, however, injured both legs, stretched him upon his back, turned his attention - to the Lives of the Saints, and dissipated his military ambitions. The weary months of illness did more, for from the sick bed arose a man imbued by the spirit that had created martyrs. Why might he not be a saint? Then followed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where, in the church of the Virgin at Mount Serrat, he hung up his arms and vowed constant obedience to God and. the Church. Dressed as a beggar he practised upon himself the severest austerities. At 33 years of age he resumed his education. In Paris in 1528 he met Xavier, Faber, Lainez,' Bobadilla and Rodriquez, five students whom he inspired with his own devout fervour; In an underground chapel of the church of Montmartre on August 15, 1534, the six enthusiasts took the vows of celibacy, poverty and the devotion of their lives to the care of Christians and the conversion of infidels.* Such was the beginning of the famous Society.

John Wesley. There have been many kinds of crusaders. The most picturesque of course, are those mail accoutred adventurers who went hammering upon the gates of the East, and the massive battlements of the Holy City. John Wesley probably took upon himself a harder task when he set out to rekindle the waning fires of religious enthusiasm, than did those earlier warriors who went forth prepared to batter the spirit of correct beliefs into the unappreciative heads of the infidel. In evangelistic work, and in organising the methodist body, he was indefatigable. Wherever he went he built chapels. On horseback he visited all parts of England, and, gathering the - poorer people together, copied the example of his old college companion, Whitefield, preaching his sermons in the open air. He was often roughly used by the mob, but probably no man ever exerted so great an influence on the religious conditions of the people of England as he did. Wesley was one of the nineteen children, strictly trained by a mother who believed in that old axiom “spare the rod and spoil the child.” In 1735 he went out with General Oglethorpe to assist in the foundation of Georgia, but failing to fit in with the views of the colonists he returned to England, later to become inspired by the great mission that was to become his life's work. The greatest benevolence marked the whole of his life. All his money went to the poor. When he earned £3O a year he gave £2 away. When he earned £l2O he still lived upon £2B and gave the rest away. It is said that he distributed in this way nearly £30,000.

Mohammed, The Prophet. The Mohammedan era is computed to begin from July 16, the presumed date of Mahomets’ Hegira or presumed flight from Mecca to Medina. Mahommed, was bom of poor parentage about the year 570 A.D. at Mecca. After being shepherd boy he became servant of a merchant, a woman, - and afterwards he married her and himself became a merchant. A rather lean but broad shouldered man of middle height, with well developed head; he had coal black eyes overhung with thick eye lashes; and his nose was well formed. A tong black beard ad<?ed to the dignity of his appearance. It was not until he reached his 40th year that he awoke to the fact that he had a mission. Forthwith he proceeded with all the passion of his race to spread the new gospel. Thus it came about that while the Christian church in Western Europe was slowly building a wonderful civilisation on the ruins of Western barbarism Mahommed was as surely turning the trend of Eastern thought toward a new ideal. For years only a handful of people would listen to him but as his movement became more powerful he was forced to flee from Mecca. It was not in him to submit to his enemies and so it came about that the religion of Mohammed took to the sword and by the sword propagated itself into Arabia. After his death in 632 A.D. thousands of Arabs proclaimed him the prophet of God. To them there was no other- method of propaganda but the sword. They became a military power and swept through Syria, Palestine, Phoenicia, Persia and Egypt with one cry ever on their lips. “There is one God and Mohammed is his Prophet.”