Rudolf Gwalther

Rudolf Gwalther (2 October 1519 – 25 December 1586) was a Swiss Reformed pastor and Protestant reformer who succeeded Heinrich Bullinger as Antistes of the Zurich church; he was also an author and translator.

Life

Gwalther was born the son of a carpenter, who died when he was young. Heinrich Bullinger assumed responsibility for Gwalther's upbringing. He attended schools in Kappel, Basel, Strasbourg, Lausanne and Marburg. He studied mathematics and poetry in addition to theology, French and Italian. Landgrave Philip of Hesse brought the gifted student along to the Regensburg Colloquy in 1541.

When he returned to Zurich the following year he received the pastorate of St Peter's Church to replace Leo Jud. His works were one of the influences on the English vestments controversy of the 1560s; and his sermons were translated by Robert Norton of Ipswich in the 1570s. His son, Rudolf Gwalther the younger (1552–77), likewise enhanced his influence in England when he studied in Oxford in the early 1570s. Gwalther was in regular communication with English bishops.

Orthodoxa Tigvrinæ Ecclesiæ ministrorum Confessio (1545) Der Endtchrist (1546) A short description of Antichrist vnto the nobilitie of Englande, and to all my brethren and contreymen borne and dwelling therin, with a warnynge to see to, that they be not deceaued by the hypocrisie and crafty conueyaunce of the clergie. (1555) True reporte, that Antichriste is come. (1556) Nabal comoedia sacra (1562) Whether it be a mortall sinne to transgresse ciuil lawes which be the commaundementes of ciuill magistrates (1570), with Philipp Melanchthon, Heinrich Bullinger, Martin Bucer, and Matthew Parker An admonition to the Parliament (1572) with John Fielde, Théodore de Bèze, and Thomas Wilcox Certaine godlie homelies or sermons upon the prophets Abdias and Jonas. (1573)