13—Inetherlands Nescandinavia

ENetherlands imbandezelo yobupopi yenza ukuba kuthi kusesekuqaleni kubekho uVukelo oluqinileyo. Kumakhulu asixhenxe eminyaka ngaphambi kwexesha likaLutere, uPopi waseRoma, waya wasuswa esihlalweni ngesibindi ngoobhishophu ababini, abathi, bethunyelwe ukuba bayokuba ngabameli eRoma, bayifunda eyona meko iyiyo “[ka] Popi Ongcwele”: “UThixo wenzele umfazi waKhe oliqabane laKhe, ibandla, umphako obekekileyo nongunaphakade wosapho lwakhe, ngekhazi elingapheliyo nelingonakaliyo, wamnika isithsaba nentonga [yokulawula]; . . . konke okunceda wena njengokungena kwesela. Uzimisela itempile kaThixo, endaweni yomfundisi, ufana nengcuka kwizimvu; . . . usenza ukuba sikholelwe ukuba uyibhishophu eyongamileyo, kodwa uziphethe okombandezeli. . . . Nangona ufanelwe kukuba sisicaka sezicaka, njengoko uzibiza njalo, uzama ukuba yinkosi yeenkosi. . . . Uhlazisa imiyalelo kaThixo. . . . UMoya Oyingcwele ungumakhi wawo onke amabandla ngokobubanzi bomhlaba. . . . Isixeko sikaThixo wethu, esingabemi baso thina, sifikelela kuyo yonke imimandla yamazulu; kwaye sikhulu kunesixeko, esibizwa ngabaprofeti abangcwele ngokuthi yiBhabheli, ezenza ngcwele, ezizuzela izulu, izibabaze ngokuthi ubulumko bayo abunakufa; kuthi ekugqibeleni, kungekho ngaphandle kwesizathu, sithi asizanga saphazama, saye singasokuze siphazame.”--Gerard Brandt, History of the Reformation in and About the Low Countries, b. 1, p. 6.IE18 215.1

Bavuka nabanye ukusuka kwinkulungwane kuye kwenye bephinda lona olu Vukelo. Kanti ke ezo titshala zangaphambili ezazicanda imimandla emininzi zibizwa ngamagama awohlukeneyo, zazinesimilo sabavangeli bamaVaudois, basasaza kuyo yonke indawo ulwazi lwegospile, bangena naseNetherlands. Iimfundiso zabo zanaba ngokukhawuleza. IBhayibhile yamaWaldensi bayiguqulela ngeendima kulwimi lwesiDatshi. Bavakalisa ukuba “kukho okukhulu okuhle kuyo; akukho ziqhulo, akukho zintsomi, akuhlekiswa, akukho nkohliso, kodwa kukho amazwi enyaniso; nokuba, nangona kukho ukhokho oluluqweqwe oluqinileyo, ngaphakathi kukho umongo nobumnandi bokulungileyo nokungcwele okufumaneka lula ngaphakathi kwayo.”-- Gerard Brandt, b. 1, p. 14. Babhala batsho abahlobo benkolo yakudala, ngenkulungwane yeshumi elinambini.IE18 215.2

Zaqala ke ngoku iintshutshiso zobuRoma; kodwa phakathi kweenyanda zomlilo nokuthuthunjiswa, amakholwa aqhubeka esanda, ngokuzimisela evakalisa ukuba iBhayibhile kuphela kwegunya elingasokuze libe nempazamo kwinkolo, nokuba “akukho mntu umele ukuba anyanzelwe ukuba akholwe, kodwa kufuneka azuzwe ngokushumayela.”--Martyn, vol. 2, p. 87.IE18 216.1

Iimfundiso zikaLutere zafumana umhlaba ofanelekileyo eNetherlands, bathi abantu abanyanisekileyo nabathembekileyo baphakama ukuba bayishumayele igospile. Kwesinye seziphaluka zaseHolland, kwaphuma uMenno Simons. UmRoma Katolika ofundileyo, ethanjiselwe ububingeleli, wayengazi ngokupheleleyo ngeBhayibhile, engayifundi ngenxa yokoyika ukulukuhlelwa kulahlekiso. Yathi yakuzinyanzela kuye intandabuzo ngemfundiso yokuguqulwa kwesonka somthendeleko sibe ngumzimba negazi likaKristu ngoqobo, wayithabatha njengesilingo esivela kuSathana, wathi, ngomthandazo nokuvuma izono, wazama ukuzikhulula kuso; kodwa kwaba ngelize. Ngokuzixuba kwimiboniso yorheletyo wazama ukulithulisa ilizwi elimmangalelayo lesazela; kodwa akaphumelela. Emva kwexesha, waya wafunda iTestamente eNtsha, kwaza oku, kunye nokwakubhalwe nguLutere, kwamenza ukuba ayamkele inkolo ehlaziyiweyo. Emva koko wakhawuleza wabona kwilali ekufutshane ukunqunyulwa kwentloko komntu owayebulawelwa ukuba ebhaptizwe ngokutsha. Oku kwamenza ukuba ayifunde iBhayibhile ngokubhekisele ekubhaptizweni kweentsana. Akazange afumane nto ibonisa ukwenziwa kwako eziBhalweni, kodwa wabona ukuba inguquko nokholo kufuneka kuyo yonke indawo kube yimeko yokwamkelwa kobhaptizo.IE18 216.2

UMenno waphuma kwiBandla laseRoma wabunikela ubomi bakhe ekufundiseni iinyaniso awayezamkele. KwiJamani neNetherlands, kwavuka udidi lwabatshiseka ngokubaxa lwabakho, luvakalisa iimfundiso zobudenge nezithetha kakubi, ucwangco nokuziphatha okuhlazisayo, kude kudlulele kubundlobongela novukelo-mbuso. UMenno wazibona iziphumo ezibi ezaziza kuthi, ngokuqinisekileyo, zikhokelele kuzo ezi ntshukumo waza wazichasa ngamandla ezi mfundiso ziyimposiso nokuceba okukhohlakeleyo kwaba tsha-zintambo. Baba baninzi, kodwa, abalahlekiswa ngaba phuma-silwe, kodwa bazilahla iimfundiso zabo eziyingozi; kanti kwasala baba baninzi ababe yinzala yamaKristu akudala, iziqhamo zokufundisa kwamaWaldensi. Phakathi kwezi ndidi, uMenno wasebenza ngenzondelelo enkulu nempumelelo.IE18 216.3

Kwakuyiminyaka engamashumi amabini ehamba nenkosikazi yakhe nabantwana, enyamezele ubunzima nentlupheko, nokwakuphantsa ukumphulukisana nobomi bakhe. Wayityhutyha iNetherlands nomntla weJamani, esebenza kakhulu phakathi kwabantu abathobekileyo, kodwa esenza impembelelo enabe kakhulu. Eliciko ngendalo, nangona imfundo yakhe yayingabhekephi, wayeyindoda esidima sayo sasingagungqi, enomoya othobekileyo nokuziphatha ngobunene, emoyika uThixo ngokunyanisekileyo nokuzinzileyo, engumzekelo ngobomi bakhe wemimiselo awayeyifundisa, waza wenza ukuba abantu bamthembe. Abalandeli bakhe basasazeka bacinezelwa. Balahlekwa kakhulu kukuphazanyiswa ngabalandeli bakaMunster ababesitsha zintambo nabo. Kanti ke, abamakhulu amanani awaguquka ngokusebenza kwakhe. IE18 217.1

Akukho apho iimfundiso zohlaziyo zamkeleka kakhulu jikelele khona kunaseNetherlands. EJamani, uCharles V waluvala umlomo uHlaziyo, kwaye ngewakuvuyela ukubatshisa bonke abalwamkelayo; kodwa abaphathi [iinkosana] bema basisikhuselo kubundlobongela bakhe. ENetherlands, igunya lakhe lalilikhulu, yaza imithetho yokutshutshisa yalandelelanangokukhawuleza. Ukufunda iBhayibhile, ukuyiva okanye ukuyishumayela, okanye nokuthetha nje ngayo, yayikukubiza isohlwayo sokufa ngokutshiswa. Ukuthandaza kuThixo emfihlakalweni, ukungaqubudi emfanekiseni, okanye ukuvuma indumiso, nako kwakusohlwaywa, ukuba bangamadoda, ukuba bafe ngekrele; ukuba bangabafazi, bangcwatywe bephilile. Amawaka atshabalala phantsi kolawulo lukaCharles V noFilipu II.IE18 217.2

Ngenye imini, usapho lonke lwaziswa phambi kwabancini benkolo, lwamangalelwa ngokungabikho emthendelekweni nokunqula ekhaya. Ekubuzweni kokuba yintoni ababeyenza emfihlakalweni, oyena nyana mncinane waphendula, wathi: “Siguqa ngamadolo, sithandaze uThixo ukuba akhanyisele iingqondo zethu, axolele izono zethu; sithandazela ukumkani wethu ukuba ulawulo lwakhe lube nempumelelo nobomi bakhe bonwabe; sithandazela abaphathi bethu ukuba uThixo abagcine.”--Wylie, b. 18, ch. 6. Abanye abagwebi bachukumiseka kakhulu, kodwa uyise nomnye woonyana bakhe bagwetyelwa ukuba batshiswe.IE18 217.3

Ingqumbo yabatshutshisi yayilingana nokholo lwabefelukholo. Ingengawo amadoda kuphela, nabafazi abaethe-ethe neentwazana eziselula, bonke babonakalalisa isibindi esingoyikiyo. “Abafazi babesima ecaleni kweziko lokutshisa abayeni babo, bathi ngeli xesha enyamezele umlilo, bona basebeze amazwi entuthuzelo, okanye bacule indumiso yokubakhuthaza.” “Iintwazana eziselula zazilala phantsi kumangcwaba azo ziphilile ngokungathi zingena egumbini lokulala yonke imihla; okanye ziye eqongeni nasemlilweni, zinxibe ezona mpahla zintle, ngokungathi zazisiya kumtshato wazo.”-- Wylie, b. 18, ch. 6. IE18 217.4

Njengakwimihla ubuhedeni babuzama ukutshabalalisa igospile, igazi lamaKristu laba yimbewu. (Bona: Tertullian, Apology, paragraph 50.) Intshutshiso yasebenza ukulandisa inani lamaKristu enyaniso. Umnyaka nomnyaka, ukumkani, ehlatywe waphambana kukuzimisela okungoyiswayo kwabantu, waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wenkohlakalo, kodwa ngelize. Phantsi kukaWilliam of Orange uVukelo, ekugqibeleni, lwayizisa eHolland inkululeko yokunqula uThixo. IE18 218.1

Kwiintaba zasePiedmont, kumathafa aseFrance nakumanxweme aseHolland, inkqubela yegospile yaphawulwa ngegazi labalandeli bayo. Phofu ke, kumazwe aseNtla yangena ngoxolo. Abafundi baseWittenberg, ekubuyeleni kwabo emakhayeni abo, bathwalela inkolo ehlaziyiweyo eScandinavia. Iincwdi zikaLutere nazo zakusasaza ukukhanya. Abantu abalula nabaneenkani baseNtla babuya kwinkohlakalo, kubuyokoyoko, nakwiinkolelo zaseRoma, bamkela ubunyulu, ubulula, neenyaniso zeBhayibhile ezinika ubomi.IE18 218.2

UTausen, “umHlaziyi waseDenmark,” wayengunyana womsebenzi womhlaba. Iselula le ntwana, yanika imbonakalo yengqondo esebenza ngenkuthalo; yanxanelwa imfundo; kodwa iimeko zabazali azayinika, yaza yangena eluvalelweni loonongendi. Apha, ubunyulu bobomi bayo, kunye nokukhuthala nokunyaniseka kwayo, kwayenza yathandwa ngongentla kwayo. Ukuhlolwa kwabonisa ukuba inetalente eyayithembisa ukuba ingaba nomsebenzi olungileyo kwixesha elizayo ebandleni. Kwagqitywa ukuba inikwe imfundo kwenye yeeyunivesithi zaseJamani okanye eNetherlands. Umfundi oselula wanikwa imvume yokuzikhethela isikolo, phantsi komqathango omnye, wokuba ingayi eWittenberg. Kwakungafuneki ukuba umfundi webandla abekwe engozini yetyhefu yolahlekiso. Batsho njalo abafundisi.IE18 218.3

UTausen waya eCologne, ngelo xesha, njengangoku, eyayiyenye zeenqaba zobuRoma. Apha, wakhawuleza wacatshukiswa yinkolo yabantu abafundileyo yokwaziwa kukaThixo ngokuphuma nje engqondweni. Kwangelo xesha linye, wafumana okubhalwe nguLutere. Wafunda emangalisiwe enalo nochulumanco, waza wanga angafundiswa ngumHlaziyi ngokwakhe. Phofu, ukuze akuzuze oko, kwakuya kufuneka akhubekise lowo wayengentla kwakhe kwikhaya loonongendi, aze aphuncukane nenkxaso yakhe. Isigqibo wasenza kwangoko, kwathi kungekudala wabhalisa njengomfundi eWittenberg. IE18 218.4

Wathi akubuyela eDenmark, waphindela ekuhlaleni koonongendi. Kwakungekho bani ngelo xesha owayesola ubuLutere kuye; akazange ayiveze imfihlo yakhe, kodwa wazama, engayivusanga intiyo kumaqabane akhe, ukuwakhokelela kwinkolo enyulu nobomi obungcwele ngaphezulu. WayivulaiBhayibhile, enikaekuthethayo kumoni nokuba kuphela kwethemba lokusindiswa kwakhe. Yaba nkulu ingqumbo kowokuqala [ongentla kwakhe], owayakhele phezu kwakhe amathemba aphezulu njengegorha lomkhuseli we Roma. Kwangoko, wasuswa kwindawo yakhe wasiwa kwenye wavalelwa kwesakhe isisele phantsi kweliso elingqongqo.IE18 219.1

Okwenza ndlongondlongo abagcini bakhe abatsha, kwaba kukusuka oonongendi abaliqela bazise ukuba baguqukele kubuProtestanti. Ethetha ngaphaya kwentsimbi zesisele, uTausen wayedlulisele kumaqabane akhe ulwazi lwenyaniso. Ukuba abo Bawo baseDenmark babe nabo ubuchule kwicebo lebandla lokusebenza ngolahlekiso, ngelalingazange libuye livakale ilizwi likaTausen; kodwa endaweni yokumthumela kwingcwaba elisisisele esinomgxobhozo ngaphantsi komhlaba, basuka bamgxotha kwindlu yoonongendi. Ngoku babengenawo amandla. Umthetho wakomkhulu, owawusanda kwenziwa, wawunika ukhuselo kwiititshala zemfundiso entsha. UTausen waqala ukushumayela. Wawavulelwa amabandla, baza abantu bathontelana ukuza kuphulaphula. Abanye nabo babeshumayela ilizwi likaThixo. iTestamente eNtsha eyayiguqulelwe kulwimi lwaseDenmark, yasasazwa ngokubanzi. Amalinge awenziwa ngabobupopi ukuwoyisa lo msebenzi aba nesiphumo sokuwandisa, kwathi kungekudala, iDenmark yavakalisa ukwamkela kwayo inkolo ehlaziyiweyo.IE18 219.2

ESweden, nalapho, amadodana awayesele kwiqula laseWittenberg athwalela amanzi obomi kubantu bakubo. Iinkokeli ezimbini kuHlaziyo lwaseSweden, yayinguOlaf noLaurentius bakwaPetri, oonyana bomkhandi weentsimbi waseOrebro, abafunda phantsi kukaLutere noMelanchthon, baza iinyaniso abazifunda apho bakukhuthalela ukuzifundisa. NjengomHlaziyi omkhulu, uOlaf wabavusa abantu ngenzondelelo nobuciko bakhe, lo gama uLaurentius, njengoMelanchthon, wayefundile, ecinga kakhulu, ezolile. Bobabini babe ngamadoda amoyika kakhulu uThixo, afunde kakhulu ngokumazi uThixo, aye enesibindi esingenaloyiko ekuhambiseleni phambili inyaniso. Inkcaso yobupopi ayizange ingabikho. Ababingeleli baseKatolika baxhokonxa abantu abangenalwazi nabaneenkolelo. UOlaf Petri wayekholisa ukuhlaselwa sisixuku, kwathi ngamaxesha aliqela wasinda cebetshu ekufeni. Aba baHlaziyi, sekunjalo, babethandwa bekhuselwe ngukumkani.IE18 219.3

Phantsi kolawulo lweBandla laseRoma abantu babe zikile ekuhluphekeni, bekwaphantsi kwengcinezelo. Babengazi nto ngeziBhalo; bathi benenkolo ephelele kwimiqondiso neenkonzo, ezazingazisi kukhanya engqondweni, baye bebuyela kwiinkolo ezineenkolelo nemisebenzi yobuhedeni yoyisemkhulu ababengabahedeni. Isizwe sasiqhekeke kubini, singamacala alwayo, adabi lawo elingenasiphelo lakhulisa imbandezelo kumntu wonke. Ukumkani wazimisela ukuzisa uhlaziyo esizweni nasebandleni, waza wabamkela aba bancedisi kwidabi lokulwa neRoma. IE18 220.1

Phambi kukakumkani namadoda aphambili aseSweden, uOlaf Petri owayenesakhono esikhulu, wazikhusela iimfundiso zenkolo yoHlaziyo ngakwiingcaphephe zobuRoma. Wavakalisa ukuba iimfundiso zoBawo kufuneka zamkelwe kuphela xa zihambelana neziBhalo; nokuba iimfundiso ezifunekayo zenkolo zinikiwe eBhayibhileni ngendlela ecacileyo nelula, ukuze bonke abantu babe nokuziqonda. UKristu wathi, “Eyam imfundiso asiyam, yeyalowo wandithumayo” (Yohane 7:16); kanti yena uPawulos wathi, ukuba angashumayela enye igospile kunaleyo wayifumanayo, uya kuqalekiswa (Galatians 1:8). “Bangathini ke ngoko,” watsho umHlaziyi, “abanye ukuba nobuganga bokumisa imithetho ngokuthanda kwabo, baze bayinyanzelise njengezinto ezifunekayo elusindisweni?”--Wylie, b. 10, ch. 4. Wabonisa ukuba imithetho yebandla ayinalo igunya xa ichasana nemiyalelo kaThixo, waza waphakamisa ukuba umthetho-siseko yobuProtestanti othi, “iBhayibhile, neBhayibhile kuphela” ungumgaqo nokwenza kokholo.IE18 220.2

Le mpikiswano, nangona yayisenzeka kwindawo eyayingasese, isinceda ukuba sibone “uhlobo lwabantu ababe ngumndilili womkhosi wabaHlaziyi. Babengengobantu abangafundanga, bamahlelo eenkonzo, nabathanda ukwenza ingxolo yokuphikisa---babekude kuloo nto; babengabantu ababelifundile ilizwi likaThixo, bekwazi kakuhle ukuphakamisa izixhobo zesikrweqe abasinikwa yiBhayibhile. Ngokwasemfundweni,la madodaayephambili kwixesha lawo. Xa ingqwalaselo yethu siyimilisela kumaziko aqaqambileyo njengeWittenberg neZurich, nakumagama agqamileyo, njengoLutere noMelanchthon, uZwingli noUkholampado, sijongene nokuba sixelelwe ukuthi, aba yayiziinkokeli zentshukumo, sithi ngokwemveli, silindele kubo amandla amangalisayo ngobukhulu nokuba banzi kakhulu emfundweni; kodwa abalandeli babengenjalo. Xa kunjalo, masibuyele kumdlalo ositheleyo waseSweden, kumagama athobekileyo anjengo-Olaf noLaurentius Petri —ukusuka kwiinkosi kuye kubafundi—sifumana ntoni? . . . Izifundiswa neengcali kwezokufunda ngoThixo; amadoda agqwesileyo kulwazi lwalo lonke uhlelo lwenyaniso yegospile, nathi alufumane ngokulula uloyiso kwabaxoxa ngenjongo yokuphikisa kwizikolo nezikhulu zaseRoma.”—Wylie, b. 10, ch. 4. IE18 220.3

Isiphumo sale mpikiswano, saba kukuba ukumkani waseSweden ayamkele inkolo yobuProtestanti, kwathi kungekudala emva koko, intlangano yesizwe yavuma ukuba iyixhase [le nkolo]. ITestamente eNtsha yaguqulelwa nguOlaf Petri kulwimi lwaseSweden, kwathi, ngokulangazelela kukakumkani, abazalwana ababini benza umsebenzi wokuyiguqula yonke iBhayibhile. Ngaloo ndlela, kwaba kokokuqala abantu baseSeden belifumana ilizwi likaThixo ngolwimi lwabo lwenkobe. Kwayalelwa ngeNtlanganiso ukuba kubo bonke ubukumkani, abafundisi kufuneka basicacise isiBhalo nokuba abantwana ezikolweni kufuneka bayifundiswe iBhayibhile.IE18 221.1

Kancinance nangokuqinisekileyo, ubumnyama nenkolelo kwagxothwa yintsikelelo yokukhanya kwegospile. Sikhululekile kwingcinezelo yobuRoma, isizwe sazuza amandla nobukhulu esingazange safikelela kubo. Isweden yaba sesinye sezikhuselo zobuProtestanti. Sekuyinkulungwane emva koko, ngexesha leyona ngozi eyakha yankulu, esi sizwe sincinane nesasingenamandla ukuza kufika ngelo xesha—ekuphela kwaso eYurophu esaba nesibindi sokunceda—sayihlangula iJamani kwidabi eloyikekayo leMfazwe yeminyaka engamashumi amathathu. Yonke iYurophu engentla yayikhangeleka iza kungena phantsi kobundlobongela beRoma. Yaba yimikhosi yaseSweden eyenza ukuba iJamani ikwazi ukuwujika umsinga wempumelelo yobupopi, yawazuzela ukunyamezelwa amaProtestanti,--amaCalvin namaLutere,--nokubuyisela inkululeko yesazela kuloo mazwe awamkela uHlaziyo.IE18 221.2