Thread by @aaronjhann

When a summary of a pastor’s confession of sin & the original confession don’t match. Long 🧵comparing post by Dr. Tarr on Zwingli w/ a letter in Zwingli’s own words. No criticism of Dr. Tarr intended, just struck by similarity to pastors today being acquited on vague confessions

The summary: “Zwingli admitted to committing fornication, repented with godly sorrow, and committed himself to a chaste and holy life.”
2/desiringgod.org/articles/the-s…

This refers to a story which focuses not so much on Zwingli as it does the Zwingli scholar Johannes Schulthess (1758–1802), who discovered Zwingli’s “confession”, started to burn it for shame, then stopped himself, & said, “No. Protestantism is the truth in all circumstances.” 3/

But what, really, did Zwingli confess? If Protestantism is the truth in all circumstances, what was the truth, according to Zwingli? Here you have it in his own words. Judge for yourselves if it matches the “true confession” noted above. 4/

First, Zwingli’s admission in 1518 was occasioned by a friend who advised Zwingli of “some critical fault-finders”, in particular, that Zwingli had an “agreement with an official whose daughter he had seduced.” The friend told the original informant “that this 5/

was altogether unbelievable & novel & appeared to be a lie spread by the jealous.” The friend told Zwingli, “I am writing you to take heart & not get discouraged. Do you not think that the people of Zurich will praise you highly after all these fables have been refuted? 6/

I especially would request that you would please write a word concerning the ‘seduced’ girl. I know that the charges are not true, but I would like to refute boldly those who wish you ill.” 7/

With that context, here are excerpts of Zwingli’s reply to the accusation (see screenshot at end for the entire letter):

“A very learned and intimate friend of mine has written that according to a rumour in Zürich I seduced the daughter of an influential citizen here. 8/

Understandably enough, many of my friends are offended. I feel constrained to answer this slander, for otherwise this false rumour could cause you and others to find my character detestable. I will let my pen run its course and will talk openly and confidently with you. 9/

First of all, you must know that some 3 years ago I firmly resolved not to touch any woman…I succeeded poorly in this, however. In Glarus I kept my resolution about six months, in Einsiedeln about a year, not longer…There were many seducers. 10/

Regarding the seduction I need not ponder long for an excuse. The girl is said to be the daughter of a powerful man. This I do not deny...She is called a virgin—which is a more serious charge, as regards me. It is easily answered none the less. 11/

I only need to state briefly my principles. I resolved not to destroy a marriage…I also did not want to seduce a virgin, whom I piously shunned in light of Paul's teaching, nor did I mean to defile a nun, which would indeed be sacrilege. 12/

That girl was a 'virgin' during the day and a 'woman' at night. She was such a 'day' virgin, however, that everyone in Einsiedeln knew exactly her role. She had had affairs with many men, finally with me. Or let me say it better: She seduced me with more than flattering words.13/

As far as I am concerned, I knew that she was not a virgin any more...When I frequently came to the barber shop she flirted with me. Thus it happened that she became pregnant on my account, if she can know this definitely. This is, as I said, well known here, 14/

but no one in Einsiedeln accuses me of having deprived her of virginity. Indeed all her relatives know that she was no longer a virgin when I came to Einsiedeln. I am not at all concerned in this regard. She furthermore had relations with several clerical assistants 15/

in Einsiedeln, which is also widely known. She herself does not deny it. Now these fine moralizers come along and restore her virginity in order to accuse me of a crime which is far from me. ... If girls in Zürich are called virgins, though they have had affairs with men, 16/

who then is a common woman or prostitute? If this disgraced and virtually disgraceful girl is considered a virgin in Zürich, not merely by her friends, she should be grateful to have found judges who so easily forgive her faults and mistakes. 17/

At present she is in Zurich awaiting the delivery, but I do not know exactly where she may be found. This is, briefly, the situation. No virgin has ever been defiled by me. If she claims that I caused her pregnancy, I will not deny it. 18/

I have long ago confessed my guilt to my Highest God. Those who wish me evil should realize this and recall that a just man stumbles daily seven times and that Peter was asked to forgive seventy times seven. If they come 19/

and argue that I will continue in evil habits in the future, you may answer that there is no danger, even though I am not making a vow, being surrounded with weakness.”

I wonder, can we adapt the famous Watergate proverb? This confession is almost worse than the crime. 20/

But all too often the public, including victims, church, broader community, don’t hear what leaders admit when they “confess” to what they’ve been accused of. I see this happen as well w/ historical figures; we can’t always trust 2ndary sources on our favorite theological heroes.

Source: The Reformation in Its Own Words, by Hans Hillerbrand (available on archive dot org). END