206 THE SWISS EEFOEMATION.
with Zwingli, attended the Conference with the Anabaptists at Ziirich, 1525, and the disputation at Bern, 1528. He married Anna Adlischweiler, a former nun, in 1529, who proved to be an excellent wife and helpmate. He accepted a call to Bremgarten as successor of his father.
After the chsaster at Cappel, he re'moved to Ziirich, and was unanimously elected bj the Council and the citizens preacher of the Great Minster, Dec. 9, 1531. It was rumored that Zwingli himself, in the presentiment of his death, had designated him as his successor. No better man could have been selected. It was of vital importance for the Swiss churches that the place of the Reformer should be filled by a man of the same spirit, but of greater moderation and selfrestraint.^
Bullinger now assumed the task of saving, purifying, and consolidating the life-work of Zwingli ; and faitlifuUy and successfully did he carry out this task. When he ascended the pulpit of the Great Minster in Dec. 23, 1531, many hearers thought that Zwingli had risen from the grave.^ He took a firm stand for the Reformation, which was in danger of being abandoned by timid men in the Council. He kept free from interference with politics, which had proved ruinous to Zwingli. He established a more independent, though friendly relation between Church and State. He confined himself to his proper vocation as preacher and teacher.
In the first years he preached six or seven times a week ; after 1542 only twice, on Sundays and Fridays. He followed the plan of Zwingli in explaining whole books of the Scrip-
^ Pestalozzi, p. 25 : " Zwingli und BuUinrjer — welche Verschiedenheit '. Zwingli's 7-asches, feurifjes Temperament, BuUinger's Ruhe und Gelassenheit ; Zwingli's schneidender , siechender Witz, BuUinger's einldssliche Grundlichheit ; daher auch Zwingli's Kiirze, BuUinger's AusfUhrlichkeit in den meisien seiner Arheiten. Wie geeignet zur gegenseitigen Ergdnzung ! "
2 " Talern concionem detonavit," wrote Myconius to Schenck, " ut midti putarent Zwinglium non defunctum, sed ad Bhoenicis modum renatum esse." Hettinger, Melv. K. Gesch. III. 28.
§ 54. HEINKICH BULLINGER. 207
tures from the pulpit. His sermons were simple, clear, and practical, and served as models for young preachers.
He was a most devoted pastor, dispensing counsel and comfort in every direction, and exposing even his life during the pestilence which several times visited Ziirich. His house was open from morning till night to all Avho desired his help. He freely dispensed food, clothing, and money from his scanty income and contributions of friends, to Avidows and orphans, to strangers and exiles, not excluding persons of other creeds. He secured a decent pension for the widow of Zwingli, and educated two of his children with his own. He entertained persecuted brethren for weeks and months in his own house, or procured them places and means of travel.^
He paid great attention to education, as superintendent of the schools in Ziirich. He filled the professorships in the Carolinum with able theologians, as Pellican, Bibliander, Peter Martyr. He secured a well-educated ministry. He jDrepared, in connection with Leo Juda3, a book of church order, which was adopted by the S^niod, Oct. 22, 1532, issued by authority of the burgomaster, the Small and the Great Council, and continued in force for nearly three hundred years. It provides the necessary rules for the examination, election, and duties of ministers (^Predicanten') and deans (^Decani}, for semi-annual meetings of synods with clerical and lay representatives, and the power of discipline. The charges were divided into eight districts or chapters.^
Bullinger's activity extended far beyond the limits of Ziirich. He had a truly Catholic spirit, and stood in correspondence with all the Reformed Churches. Beza calls him "the common shepherd of all Christian Churches"; Pellican, "a man of God, endowed with the richest gifts of heaven
1 See the beautiful description of Pestalozzi, pp. 153 sqq.
^ There are copies of several editions of this book in the City Library at Ziirich, of 1532, 1535, 1563, etc. It is also printed in Simler's Sammluntj alter und neuer Urkunden, I. 25-73.