MarginaliaThe assemble of Zuricke brake vp w^tout disputatiō.peare, there to offer any disputation, the assemble brake and was discharged. MarginaliaThe gospel publikely receaued in Zuricke.
Traditiōs of men abolished.Wherupon the Senate of Zuricke incontinent caused to be proclaimed through all their dominion and territorie, that the traditions of men should be displaced and abandoned, and the Gospell of Christ purely taught out of the olde and newe Testament. an. 1423. Ex Ioan. Sled. lib. 3.

When the Gospell thus began to take place, and to florishe in Zuricke and certein other places of Heluetia, the yeare next folowyng, an. 1524. an other assemble of the Heluetians was conuented at Lucerna, where this decree was made on the contrary part: MarginaliaConstitutions made in the Coūcell of Lucerne.That no man should deride or contemne the worde of God, whiche had ben taught now aboue a thousand and foure hundreth yeares heretofore: nor the Masse to be scorned, wherin the body of Christ is consecrated, to the honour of God, and to the comfort both of the quicke, and the dead.

That they which are able to receiue the Lordes body at Easter, shall confesse their sinnes in Lent to the Priest, and do all other thynges, as the vse and maner of the Churche requireth.

That the rites and customes of holy Churche be kept.

That euery one obey his owne proper pastor and curate, and to receaue the Sacramentes of him, after the maner of holy Churche, and to pay him his yearely dutyes.

That honour be geuen to Priestes.

Item, to absteyne from flesheatyng on fastyng dayes, and in Lent to absteine from egges and cheese.

That no opinion of Luther be taught priuely or apertly, contrary to the receaued determination of holy Churche, and that in tauernes and at table, no mention bee made of Luther, or any new dostrine.

That Images and pictures of Sainctes in euery place bee kept inuiolate.

That Priestes and Ministers of the Churche be not compelled to render accompt of their doctrine, but onely to the Magistrate. That due ayde and supportatiō be prouided for them, if any commotion do happen.

That no person deride the reliques of the holy spirite, or of our Lady, or of Saint Anthony.

Finally that all the lawes and decrees set foorth by the Byshop of Constance, be obserued.

These constitutions who soeuer shall transgresse, let them be presented to the Magistrate, and ouerseers be set ouer them that shall so transgresse.

MarginaliaThe letter of the Heluetians to the Tigurines.After these thynges concluded thus at Lucerna, the Cantons of Heluetia together directe their publicke letter to the Tigurines or men of Zuricke, Wherin they do much lament and complaine of this new broched doctrine whiche hath set all men together by the eares, through the occasion of certeine rash and newfangled heades, whiche haue greatly disturbed both þ^e state of the Churche, and of þ^e common wealth, and haue scattered the seedes of discorde: whereas before tyme, all thynges were well in quiet. And although this sore (sayd they) ought to haue bene looked to by tyme, so that they should not haue suffered the glory of Almighty God, and of the blessed Virgine & other Saints to bee dishonored, but rather should haue bestowed their goodes and lyues to mainteine the same: yet notwithstanding they required them nowe to looke vppon the matter: whiche otherwise would bring to them destruction both of body and soule: as for example, they might see the doctrine of Luther what fruite it brought. The rude and vulgare people now (sayd they) could not be holden in, but would burst forth to all licence and rebellion, as hath appeared by sufficient proufes a late: and like is to be feared also amōg them selues, MarginaliaZuinglius and Leo Iuda, were preachers at this tyme in Zuricke.and all by the occasion of Zuinglius, and of Leo Iuda, whiche so take vppon them to expounde the worde of God, after their own interpretatiō, opening therby whole dores and windowes to discorde and dissension. Albeit of their doctrine they were not certeine what they did teache: yet what inconuenience folowed vpon their doctrine, they had to much experienced. For nowe all fastyng was layd downe, & all dayes were alike to eate both fleshe & egges, as well one day as an other: Priestes & religious persons both men and wemen brake their vowes, ranne out of their order, & fell to marying: Gods seruice was decayed, singing in the church left, & prayer ceased: Priestes grew in contempt: Religious mē were thrust out of their cloysters: Confession, & penaunce was neglected, so that men would not sticke to presume to receaue at the holy aultar, without any cōfession made to the priest before: Tthe holy Masse was dirided & scorned: Our blessed Lady, & other Saintes blasphemed: Images pluckt downe and broken in peeces, neither was there any honour geuē to þ^e Sacramētes. To make short, men now were growen vnto such a licence and libertie that vnneth the holy hoste could be safe within the priestes handes. &c.

The disorder of all which things, as it is of no small importaunce, so it was (sayd they) to them so greuous and lamentable, that they thought it their parte to suffer the same no longer. Neither was this the first time (they sayd) of this their complaining, when in their former assemble they sent vnto them before, the like admonition writyng to them by certeine of the clergie, and crauing their aide in the same. Which seing it is so, they did now agayn earnestly call vpon them touching the premisses, desiring them to surcease from such doinges, and to take a better way, continuyng in the Religion of their old aunciters, whiche were before them. And if there were any such thing, wherin they were greued and offended against the Bishop of Rome, the Cardinals, Bishops, or other Prelates, either for their ambition, in heaping, exchaunging, and selling the dignities of the Churche, or for their oppression in pilling mens purses with their indulgences, or els for their vsurped iurisdiction, and power whiche they extende to farre, and corruptly applye it to matters externe and politicall, whiche onely ought to serue in such cases as be spirituall: if these and such other abuses were the causes, wherewith they were so greuously offended, they promised that for the correction and reformatiō therof, they would also them selues ioyne their diligence and good will therto, for somuch as them selues also did not a litle mislike therewith, and therfore would cōferre their coūsailes together with thē, how and by which way, such greuances might best be remoued.

To this effect were the letters of the Heluetians writen to the Senate & Citizens of Zuricke. Wherunto the Tigurines made their aunswere agayne, the xxi. daye of Marche, the same yeare, in manner as here followeth.

MarginaliaThe letter of the Tigurines aunswering agayn the letter of the Heluetians.First declaring how their Ministers had laboured and trauailed amongest them, teaching and preaching the word of God vnto them the space now of v. yeares. Whose doctrine at the first, semed to them very straunge and nouelle, because they neuer heard the same before. But after that they vnderstode & perceaued, the Marginalia* If the scope of doctrine be well marked betwene the Papistes and the Protestantes, it will not be hard for any man to iudge whiche is the truer doctrine: For the whole end and scope of the popes doctrine, tēdeth to set vp the honour and wealth of man, as may appeare by the doctrine of supremacie, of confession, of the masse, of the sacrament of the aultar, &c. all which do tende to the magnifying of the priestes: lyke as purgatorye, obsequies, pardons, and such other, serue for theyr profyte. Contrarywyse the teaching of the Protestātes, as well touching iustification, originall sinne, as also the sacramentes & inuocation, and all other suche lyke, tende onely to the setting vp of Christ alone, and castyng downe of man.* scope of that doctrine onely to tende to this, to set forth Christ Iesus vnto vs, to bee the pillar and refuge of all our saluation, whiche gaue his life and bloud for our redemption and whiche onely deliuered vs also sinful misers from eternall death, and is the onely aduocate of man kinde before God: they could no otherwise do, but with ardent affection receaue so wholesome and ioyfull message.

The holy Apostles, & faithfull Christians, after they had receaued þ^e Gospell of Christ, did not fal out by & by in debate & variance, but louingly agreed & consented together: and so they trusted (said they) that they should do, if they would likewise receaue þ^e word of God, settyng a side mens doctrines & traditions dissonant from the same.

What so euer Luther, or any other man doth teache, whether it be right or wrong, it is not for the names of the persons, why the doctrine whiche they teache should be either euill or wel iudged vpon, but only for that it agreeth or disagreeth frō þ^e rule of gods worde: for that were but to goe by affectiō, & were preiudiciall to þ^e authoritie of þ^e word of God, which ought to rule mā, & not to be measured by mā.

MarginaliaNo iniurie to Saintes if Christ onely be worshipped.And if Christ onely be worshipped, and men taught, soly to repose their confidence in him, yet neither doth the blessed virgine, nor any Saint els receiue any iniurie thereby, who beyng here in earth receiued their saluation onely by the name of him.

And where as they charge their Ministers with wrastyng the Scripture after their owne interpretation, God had stirred vp suche lighte nowe in the hartes of men, that the moste parte of their Citie, haue the Bible in their hand, and diligently peruse the same: so that their preachers cā not so wynde the Scriptures awry, but they shall quickly be perceaued. MarginaliaWho be they that wraste the scripture.Wherfore there is no daunger, why they should feare any sectes, or factions in them: but rather such sectes are to bee obiected to those, who for their gayne and dignitie, wraste the worde of God after their owne affections and appetites.

MarginaliaErrour many times obiected where none cā be proued.And where as they and other haue accused them of errour, yet was there neuer man, that could proue any errour