MarginaliaThe Lance knightes of Berne and Zurike forsake their league with the French kyng. Whereby they were bounde at his call to feede hys warres, folowyng therein the example of the Tygurines, which before had done the like, and were contented onely with their yearely pension that the kyng payeth to euery page of the Heluetians to keepe peace.

Marginalia* Victory of the Gospell an. 1528 * The day and yeare when this reformation with them began, from Popery to true Christianitie, they caused in a pillar to be engrauen with golden letters, for a perpetuall memory to all posteritie to come. This was an. 1528.

MarginaliaReformation of religion in in Strausburgh. After that the rumour of this disputation, and alteration of Berne, was noysed in other cities & places abroad, first the Ministers of Strausburgh encouraged by thys occasion, began lykewise to affirme and teach that the masse was wicked and a great blasphemie agaynst Gods holy name, and therfore was to be abrogated, and in stead therof, the right vse of the Lords Supper to be restored againe. Which vnlesse they could proue by the manifest testimonies of the Scripture to be true, they would refuse no maner of punishment. On the contrary part, the Byshop of Romes clergie, did holde and maintayne that the Masse was good and holy. wherupon kyndled a great contention on both sides: which when the Senate and Magistrates of the citie would haue brought to a disputation, and could not, because the Priestes would not condescend to any reasoning, therfore seeyng they so accused the other, & yet would come to no triall of their cause, the sayd Magistrates cōmaunded them to silence.MarginaliaThe Byshop of Strausburgh to the Senate. The byshop in the meane while ceased not with his letters & messengers, dayly to call vpō the Senate desiring th Senate to perseuere in the auncient Religiō of their elders, & to geue no eare to those new teachers, declaryng what daunger and perill it would bring vpon them.

MarginaliaThe Senate of Strausburgh replieth to the byshop The Senate agayne desired hym, as they had done oftentymes before, that such thynges, which appertyened to the true honour and worship of God, might be set forward, and all other thynges which tended to the contrary, might be remoued and taken away: for that properly belonged to hys office to see to. But the Byshop still dryuyng them of wyth delayes pretended to call an assemble for the same, appointyng also day and place for the hearyng and discussyng of those controuersies: where, in deede, nothyng was performed at all:MarginaliaThe Byshop of Strausburgh cōplayneth to the Councell of Spires. but wyth hys letters he did often sollicitate them to surcease their enterprise, sometymes by way of entreating, sometymes with manacing words terrifying thē: and at last, seeyng he could nothyng by that way preuayle, he turned hys sute to the assemble of the Empyre, whiche was then at Spires collected, entreatyng them to set in a foote, and to helpe what they could, with their authoritie.

MarginaliaThe message frō the Councell at Spires to the Citie of Strausburgh. They ready to satisfie the Byshops request, sent a solemne Ambassie to the Senate and Citizens of Strausburgh, about Decēber, the yeare aboue sayd, requiring thē not to put down the Masse: for neither it was (sayd they) in the power of þ^e Emperour, nor of any other estate to alter the auncient Religion receaued from their forefathers, but either by a generall, or by a prouinciall Councell, whiche Councell if they supposed to be farre of, at least that they would take a pause till the next sitting of þ^e Empyre, which should be with speede, where their requestes being propoūded and heard, they should haue such reasonable aunswere, as should not miscontent them: for it was (sayde they) agaynst all law and reason, for a priuate Magistrate to infringe and dissolue those thynges, which by general consent of the whole world, haue bene agreed vpon: and therefore good reason required, that they should obteyne so much at their handes: For els if they should obstinatly procede in this their attempt, so wyth force and violence to worke, as they began, it might fortune, the Emperour their supreme Magistrate vnder God, and also Ferdinandus, hys deputie would not take it well, and so shoulde be compelled to seeke such remedie therein, as they woulde be sory to vse. Wherfore their request was, & aduise also, that they should wey the matter diligētly wyth themselues, and folow good counsayle: who in so doyng, should not onely glad the Emperour, but also worke that which should redownd chiefly to their owne commendation and safetie.

MarginaliaThe Byshops of Hildesseme and of Strausburgh trauaile to keepe the Citie of Strausburgh in their old religiō. Besides the messengers thus sent from the Councell of Spires, the Byshop also of Hildesseme had bene wyth them a litle before, exhortyng them in the Emperours name, after lyke maner. Neither did the bishop of Strausburgh also cease with his messengers and letters, dayly to labour hys frendes there, and especially such of the Senatours as he had to hym bound by any feaulty, or otherwyse by any giftes or frendshyp, that so much as in them did lye, they should vphold the Masse, and gaynstand the contrary proceedinges of the other.

The Senate of Strausburgh in the meane time, seing the matter did so long hang in cōtrouersie, þ^e space now of ij. yeares, & the preachers dayly & instantly calling vpon them for a reformation, and sute also being made to them of the Citizens:MarginaliaReformatiō of religion at Strausburgh. assembled their great and full counsayle to þ^e nūber of 300 (as in great matters of importance they are accustomed to do) and there with them selues debated þ^e case, declaryng on the one side, if they abolshed the Masse, what daunger they shoulde incurre by the Emperour: On the other side, if they dyd not, how much they shoulde offend god: and therfore geuing them respite to consulte, at thee next meetyng required them to declare their aduise and sentence, in the matter. When the day came that euery man shoulde say hys mynd, so it fell out, that the voyces and iudgemētes of them, which went agaynst the Masse preuayled.MarginaliaThe Masse ouerthrown at Strausburgh. Wherupon immediatly a a decree was made the xx. of February. an. 1529. that the Masse shoulde be suspended and layd down, till tyme þ^t the aduersary part coulde proue by good Scripture, the Masse to be a seruice auailable and acceptable before God.

This decree beyng established by the cōsent of þ^e whole Citie, the Senate eftsoones commaunded the same to bee proclaymed and to take full place and effect as well within the Citie, as also without, so farre as their limites and dominion dyd extende, & afterwarde by letters certified their Byshop touchyng the doyng therof. Who hearyng these newes, as heauy to his hart as leade, dyd signifie to them agayne, how he receaued their letters, and how he vnderstode by them, the effecte and summe of their doynges:MarginaliaThe bishops patience perforce. all which he was enforced to digeste with such pacience as hee could, though they went sore agaynst hys stomacke, seyng for the present tyme, he could no otherwise chuse: hereafter as tyme would serue, he sayd he would see thereunto, accordyng as hys charge and office should requyre.

Thus how the Masse was ouerthrowen in Zurike, in Berne, in Geneua, and in Strausburgh you haue heard.MarginaliaReformatiō beginneth at Basill. Now what folowed in Basill, remaineth likewise to vnderstād.MarginaliaIoannes Oecolampadius. In this citie of Basill, was Oecolampadius preacher (as is aboue signified) by whose diligēt labour & trauaile, þ^e Gospell began there to take such fruite, that great dissentiō there also arose among the Citizens about Religion, and especially about the Masse. Wherupon the Senate of Basill appoynted, that after an open disputation, it shoulde bee determined by voyces, what were to be done therin. This notwithstandyng the Papistes still continuing in their former purpose, began more stoutly to inuey agaynst the other part, and because they were so suffered by the Magistrate without punishement, it was therfore doubted by the commons, that they had some priuye mainteiners among the Senatours. Wherupon certaine of the Citizens were appoynted, in the name of the whole commons to sue to the Senatours, and to put them in remembraūce of their promise: Whose suyte and request was this, that those Senatours, which were the ayders and supporters of the Papistes, might be displaced, for that it dyd as well tende to the cōtempt of their former decree made, as also to the publicke disturbance of the Citie.MarginaliaThe popishe Senatours displaced at Basill. But when this could not be obteyned of the Senate, the commons, vpon the viij. day of February, the yeare aboue sayd, assembled them selues in the gray Friers Churche, and there consideryng with them selues vpon the matter, repayred agayne with their suite vnto the Senate, but not in such humble wyse as before: and therwithall gathered them selues in the publicke places of the Citie, to fortifie the same, albeit as yet without armour. The same euening the Senate sent them worde, that at their request they graunted, that those Senatours, although remaynyng still in office, yet shoulde not sitte in counsaile, what tyme any matter of Religion should come in talke.

MarginaliaReligion in Basill defended by the commons. By this aunswere the commons gathering that þ^e whole state was ruled by a few, tooke thereat grief and displeasure, protestyng openly that they would take counsaile by them selues hereafter what they had to do, not onely in cases of Religion, but also in other matters of ciuile gouernement, & forthwith toke them to armour, kepyng the towers & gates and other conuenient places of the Citie with watch and warde, in as forcible wise, as if the enemie had bene at hand.

The next day the Senate requiring respite to deliberate, was contented to committe the matter to them, whō the commons before had sent as suters vnto them. Whiche offer the Citizens did not refuse, but with this condition that those Senatours, which were guilty, should in the meane seasō follow their pleey as priuate persōs, vpō their own priuate costes and charges: the other which defēded the publicke cause for the behoufe of the posteritie, should bee maynteyned by the publicke charges of the Citie. This þ^e Senate was glad to graunte vnto, with some other lyke matters of lighter weyght to appease there rage.

MarginaliaGods handy work in throwing downe Images in Basill. It happened þ^e very same day, that certaine of the Citizens, such as were appoynted to go about the Citie for the vewyng of thinges, came into the hyghe Churche where one of them thrustyng at a certaine Image with his stafe,