son would, that those messengers of the Clergy should hereafter looke better to their own doynges, & to their doctrine, and to cease from such vntrue sclaunders and contumelies.

Marginalia The onely waye of true reformation is that the word of God onely be receaued. Finally, where as they vnderstand by their letters how desirous they are to haue the Popes oppressions, and exactions, and vsurped power abolished, they are right glad therof & ioyfull, supposing that the same can by no meanes be brought to passe, except the word of God onely and simply be receaued. For otherwise, so long as mens lawes and constitutions shall stand in force, there will be no place nor hope of reformatiō. For by þ^e preachyng of Gods word their estimation and dignitie must needes decay:MarginaliaThe pope can not abyde the preaching of the word, and why? and that they well perceaue, and therfore by all meanes doe prouide, how to stoppe the course of the word: and because they see themselues too weake to bring their purpose about, they flye to the ayde of kynges and princes. For the necessary remedye wherof, if they shall thinke good to ioyne their cōsent, there shall nothing be lacking in their behalfe, what they are able eyther in counsaile or goods, to do in the matter, declaring moreouer that this shoulde haue bene seene to long before. Which beyng so, they prayed and desired them to accepte in good part, and diligently to expēde this that they did write. As for their owne part, they required nothing els more thē peace both betwene them, and all men. Neither was it euer their intent to styrre any thyng that should be preiudicial against their league and band agreed vpon betwene thē. But in this cause, which concerneth their eternall saluatiē, they can do no otherwise, but as they haue done, vnlesse their errour by learning might be proued and declared vnto them.

MarginaliaThe Tigurines will be iudged by the Scriptures. Wherfore as they did before, so now they desire againe, that if they thinke this their doctrine to be repugnant to þ^e holy Scripture, they will gently shew and teach them their errour, and that before the end of the moneth of May next ensuyng: for so long they will abyde wayting for an aunswere, as well from them, as from the Byshop of Cōstāce and also from the Vniuersitie of Basill. And thus much conteineth the aūswere of the Tigurines, vnto the letter of their other colleagues of Heluetia.

MarginaliaThe B. of Constance aūswereth the Tigurines by wrytyng. In the meane time, as this passed on, and the moneth of May aboue mencioned was now come, the Byshop of Constance, with the aduise of his Councell about hym, did aūswere the Tigurines as he was requested of them to do, in a certaine booke, first written, and afterward Printed: wherein he declareth what Images & pictures those were, which the prophane Iewes and Gentles in in the old time did adore:MarginaliaA Popishe distinction betwene the Images of the Gentiles, & Images of the Christians. and what Images be these which the Churche hath from tyme to tyme, receaued and admitted, and what difference there is betwene those Idoles of the Iewes & Gentles, and these Images of the Christians. The conclusion hereof was this, that where as the Scripture speaketh agaynst Images, and willeth them not to be suffered, that is to be vnderstād of such Images and Idols, as the Iewes and Idolatrous Gentles dyd vse: yet neuerthelesse such Images and pictures, which the Church hath receaued, are to be vsed and reteyned.MarginaliaEx Ioan. Sled. lib. 4.

From this he entreth next into the discourse of the masse, where he proueth by diuers and sondry testimonies, both of the Popes Canons, and Councels, the Masse to be a sacrifice and oblation.

This booke beyng thus compiled and written, he sent it vnto the Senate of Zuricke, about the begynnyng ofMarginaliaThe booke of the byshop of Constance writtē to the Senate of Zuricke in defence of the Masse and images. Iune, willyng & exhortyng them by no maner of meanes, to suffer their Images, or the Masse to be abrogated, & shortly after, he published the sayd booke in printe & sent it to the Priestes & Canons of the Minster of Zuricke, requiryng them to folow the custome of the Church receaued, and not to suffer themselues otherwise to be persuaded by any man.MarginaliaThe aunswere of the Tigurines, to the byshops booke. The Senate agayne aunsweryng to the byshops booke, about the middle of August did write vnto him: first declaryng that they had read ouer & ouer agayne his booke, with all diligence: The which booke for somuch as the Byshop had diuulged abroad in printe, they were therof right glad, because the whole world therby might iudge betwene them the better. After this they explaned vnto hym the iudgement and doctrine of their Ministers and Preachers: & finally by the authoritie & testimonyes of the Scripture conuinced his opinion, and proued the doctrine of his booke to be false. But before they sent their aunswere to him, about the xiij. day of Iune,MarginaliaImages abolyshed within all the dominion of Zuricke. they commaunded all the Images as well within the Citie, as through their dominion, to be taken downe and burned quietly & without any tumult. A few monethes after, an order was taken in the sayd Citie of Zuricke, betwene the Canons of the Church, & Citie, for disposing the landes and possessions of the Colledge.

It would grow to a long discourse, to comprehend all thynges by order of circumstaūce, that happened among the Heluetians vpon this new alteration of Religiō: but briefly to contract, and to runne ouer the chief specialties of the matter, here is first to be noted,MarginaliaCertayne Pages or townes of the Suitzers complayne agaynst the Tigurines. that of the Heluetians, which were confederate together in xiij. pages, chiefly vi. there were, which most disdayned and maligned this religion of the Tigurines: to witte, Lucernates, Vrani, Suitenses, Vnterualdij, Tugiani, Friburgenses: These in no case could be reconciled. The rest shewed thēselues more fauourable. But the other, which were their enemyes, cōceaued great grudge, & raysed many sclaunderous reportes and false rumors agaynst them, and layde diuers thynges to their charge:MarginaliaFalse matters of accusation layd agaynst the Tigurines by the other Pages. as first for refusing to ioyne their consent to the publique league of the other pages, wyth Fraunces the French kyng: then for dissenting from them in religion: and thirdly for refusing to stand to the Popishe decree made the yeare before at Ratisborne, by Ferdinandus and other byshops aboue mentioned. pag. 838. They layd moreouer to their accusation, for ayding the Vualsutenses their neighbours, agaynst Ferdinādus their Prince, which was false. Also for ioyning league secretly, with other cities, wythout their knowledge, which was likewise false. Item that they should intende some secret conspiracie agaynst them, & inuade them with warre, whiche was as vntrue as the rest.MarginaliaWhat sclaunderous tounges can doe. Many other quarels besides they pretended agaynst the Tigurines, which were all false and cauillyng sclaunders: as that they should teache and preach that Mary the mother of Christ had moe sonnes, and that Iames þ^e younger, the Apostle, dyd dye for vs, and not Christ him selfe.MarginaliaThe Tignurines aunswere agayne to the complaynt of the Pages. Agaynst these and such other vntruthes, being mere matters of cauillation and sclaunder, the Tigurines did fully and amply purge and acquite themselues by writyng, & dyd expostulate vehemently with them, not onely for these false and wrongfull suspicions of their partes vndeserued, but also for other manifold iniuries receaued and borne at their handes: among which other wronges and iniuries, thys was one,MarginaliaIohn Oxlinus a preacher apprehended for religion. that the Burghmaster of Turegia had apprehēded a certayne preacher, named Ioannes Oxlinus, and led hym home as prisoner vnto hys house, beyng taken within the precincte and limites of the Citie of Zuricke, contrary to law and order.

Finally after much discoursing, wherein they in a long letter declared their diligence and fidelitie at all tymes, in keepyng their league, and maintaynyng the libertie and dignitie of their countrey, as touchyng the cause of religion, if that were all the matter of their offence, they offered themselues wylling to heare, and more glad to amende, if any coulde proue any errour in them, by the Scripture. Otherwise, if none so could or would proue, wherein they did erre by the word of God: they coulde not (they sayde) altar any thyng in the state of that Religion wherein their consciences were already stayde by the worde of God, and setled what soeuer perill or daunger shoulde happen to them for the same.

Although here was no cause, why these pages or Cātons, which were so confederate together in the league of peace, should disagree among themselues: yet herein may we see the course and trade of the worlde, that when difference of religion beginneth a litle to breake the knot of amitie,MarginaliaWhat loue and hatred doth among men. by and by how frendes be turned to foes, what suspitions do ryse, what quarels and grudge doe folow, how nothyng there lyketh men but euery thing is taken to the worst part, small motes are made mountaynes, vertues made vices, and one vice made a thousand, and all for lacke onely of a litle good will betwixt party & party. For as loue & charitie cōmōly among mē either couereth or seeth not the faultes of their frendes: so hatred and disdayne takyng all thynges to blame, can finde nothyng in their foes that they can like. And thus did it happen betwene these good men of Zuricke, and these other Suitzers aboue named.

These letters of the Tigurines to the other Cantons, were written vpon the occasion of their apprehendyng the preacher Ioan. Oxlinus aboue named, the iiij. day of Ianuary. an. 1525.MarginaliaThe Masse with all hys ceremonies put downe in Zuricke. and in the moneth of Aprill next folowyng, the Maiestrates and Senate of the sayd Citie of Zuricke cōmaunded the Masse, with all his ceremonies and appurtenaunce ther to belongyng, to be put downe, as well within the Citie, as without throughe out all their iurisdiction: & in steade therof was placed the Lordes Supper, the readyng of the Prophets, prayer, and preachyng.MarginaliaA lawe in Zuricke made against adulterers. Also a lawe was made agaynst whordome, and adultery, and iudges ordeyned to heare the causes of matrimony. an. 1525. Ex Cōment. Sled. lib. 4.

All this while the Gospell was not as yet receyued in any other Page of Heluetia, but only in Zuricke. Wherfore the other xij. pages or townes appointed among themselues concerning a metyng or a disputation to be had at Baden:MarginaliaDisputation at Baden in Heluetia. Where were present among other diuines, Ioannes Faber Eckius, & Murnerus aboue mentioned. The bishops also of Lucerna, Basil, Curiake, & Lausanna sent thether their legates. The conclusions there propounded were these.