The Swiss Reformation began as a dispute over smoked sausage. It was called The Affair of the Sausage. I kid you not! On March 9, 1522, a dozen men gathered at the home of printer Christopher Froschauer for an evening meal. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was there, priest of a church in Zurich. Catholic law forbade eating meat during Lent. But Christopher served a meal on the first Sunday of Lent with two smoked sausages cut up in the main course, in deliberate defiance of church law. Ulrich did not partake of the meal, but he believed the provocation could be justified theologically. Christopher was arrested and sent to jail.
Ulrich preached a sermon two weeks later titled “Regarding the Choice and Freedom of Foods.” He appealed to Christians to exercise their freedom of conscience related to fasting. Since there is no biblical law about eating meat during Lent, transgressing such a rule cannot be considered a sin. Ulrich said in his sermon, “If the spirit of your belief leads you thus, then fast, but grant also your neighbor the privilege of Christian liberty.”
After Christopher was released from prison, he printed Ulrich’s sermon. A Catholic bishop sent a delegation to put Ulrich in his place. Ulrich put forward sixty-seven articles for public debate, which caught the delegation off guard. He argued that Scripture, not tradition, was the final determinant in any church dispute. The city council sided with Ulrich, and the Reformation principle of sola scriptura (Scripture Alone) took hold in Switzerland.
Ulrich leads us in prayer to hear, understand, believe and follow God’s Word: