The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, Berchtold Haller
The Life of Bertholdus Hallerus, who dyed Anno Christi 1536.
BErthold Haller was born in Helvetia Anno Christi 1502.His birth and education. and from his childhood was much addicted to Learning, and therefore after he had been trained up at School, he went to Collen, where he applyed himself to the study of the Arts and Tongues, and afterwards betook himself to the study of Divinity, and commenced Batchelor in Divinity. Then returned he into his own Country, and at Bern was chosen first a Canon,His preferments. and after that a publick Preacher: For indeed he excelled all his Colleagues in Piety, Learning and Eloquence.
About this time Hulderick Zuinglius began to Preach at Glorana, and afterwards at Zurick, the Gospel of Christ purely, by whose Ministry it pleased God to enlighten our Haller, His conversion., who not consulting with flesh and blood, presently adjoined himself to Zuinglius, and endeavoured to propagate the Truth both publickly and privately.
Anno Christi 1526. the twelve Pages of the Helvetians appointed a Disputation at Baden about matters of Religion,A disputation. whither when Zuinglius could not go with safety, Oecolampadius and Haller went thither, where they had a great dispute with John Eccius, the Pontificians Champion.
The year after, the Bernates (which is the most potent Canton of the Switzers) desired a Copy of that Disputation; and when they could not obtain it and the differences about Religion began to encrease, by a publick writing set forth Decemb. the seventeenth, they appointed another Disputation in their City,Another disputation. to which they invited their neighbor Bishops, intreating them also to bring their Divines along with them: which if they refused, they threatened to lay a fine upon their possessions which were within their Jurisdiction: They also invited any other Divines out of other parts to come to the Disputation, promising them safety upon the Publick Faith: They also agreed upon Laws for the Disputation, and published the Questions which were to be handled:The questions. which were, That the Church hath but one head, viz. Christ; and that she knows not the voice of any other. That the Church can make no Laws besides the Word of God; and therefore no man is bound by Traditions. That Christ hath satisfied for the sins of the World: and therefore they which seek out any other way of Salvation or expiating their sins, deny Christ. That the body and blood of Christ are not received corporally in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. That the Mass wherein Christ is offered up to his Father for the quick and dead, is blasphemy and an abomination before God. That Christ alone is our Mediator and Advocate to his Father: and that no other is to be sought out or invocated. That after this Life there is no Purgatory. That Images are not to be worshipped: and therefore that all that are set up in Churches for that end, ought to be taken away. That Matrimony is not prohibited to any order of men. January the seventh, Anno Christi 1528. this Disputation was held, and the issue of it was the most were satisfied in all these points,A ref…rmation. so that presently after Popery was cast out of the City and all the large Territories of the Bernates by the unanimous consent of all, (though the Pontificians did all that possibly they could to hinder it) and by their example some of their neighbors did the like, and in particular the City of Geneva.
When thus our Haller had been a great instrument of Reformation in this Country, and had set things in good order in the Church, so that his fame began much to spread abroad, it pleased God to take him away by an immature death, Anno Christi 1536.His death. and of his Age 44. to the great grief of all his friends.