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The Great Controversy
At the conference, “Eck haughtily ascended a pulpit splendidly
decorated, while the humble Oecolampadius, meanly clothed, was
forced to take his seat in front of his opponent on a rudely carved
stool.”—Ibid., b. 11, ch. 13. Eck’s stentorian voice and unbounded
assurance never failed him. His zeal was stimulated by the hope of
gold as well as fame; for the defender of the faith was to be rewarded
by a handsome fee. When better arguments failed, he had resort to
insults, and even to oaths.
Oecolampadius, modest and self-distrustful, had shrunk from the
combat, and he entered upon it with the solemn avowal: “I acknowl-
edge no other standard of judgment than the word of God.”—Ibid.,
b. 11, ch. 13. Though gentle and courteous in demeanor, he proved
himself able and unflinching. While the Romanists, according to their
wont, appealed for authority to the customs of the church, the Reformer
adhered steadfastly to the Holy Scriptures. “Custom,” he said, “has
no force in our Switzerland, unless it be according to the constitution;
now, in matters of faith, the Bible is our constitution.”—Ibid., b. 11,
ch. 13.
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The contrast between the two disputants was not without effect.
The calm, clear reasoning of the Reformer, so gently and modestly
presented, appealed to minds that turned in disgust from Eck’s boastful
and boisterous assumptions.
The discussion continued eighteen days. At its close the papists
with great confidence claimed the victory. Most of the deputies sided
with Rome, and the Diet pronounced the Reformers vanquished and
declared that they, together with Zwingli, their leader, were cut off
from the church. But the fruits of the conference revealed on which
side the advantage lay. The contest resulted in a strong impetus to the
Protestant cause, and it was not long afterward that the important cities
of Bern and Basel declared for the Reformation.
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