d by candor; but hypocrisy has ruined millions weaker. Truth no
less than love is a fundamental requirement of the Gospel.

The astonishment, to which this step gave rise on all sides, can
readily be imagined. It was so much the greater, because Zwingli had
purposely provided for a wider circulation of the Latin and German
memorials, and sent copies of them to his friends for gratuitous
distribution. Neither from the Bishop nor the governments did he
receive any answer. The decision in the department of Zurich was very
decided and of the most favorable character as might be expected. From
Luzern, Myconius wrote to him: "Only a few give their approval to your
petitions. Many express neither praise nor blame. They say: 'You
attempt a thing you can never carry out. The Bishop, yea the Pope
cannot grant your request. Only a Council can do it.' The priests are
dissatisfied. How the people think, I do not know. This much only I can
see, that they neither know, nor wish to know anything about the
Gospel. The demon of war has laid hold of them. They are blind to all
that is higher." The prebendary Botzheim of Constance informed Vadianus
that there was a powerful movement among the people. The canon
Kilchmeier at Luzern, and Trachsel, pastor at Art, who had signed with
Zwingli, as well as John Zimmerman of Luzern and the assistant
Bernhardin of Cham put their lives in jeopardy by betrothing
themselves, and were compelled to prepare for flight. Even in Zurich,
though individuals gave Zwingli a firm support, there was yet a wide
gulf between approval and simple permission of public marriage by the
authorities.

Just then the Government of Zurich was obliged to be particularly
prudent in its relations to the other Confederates. An immediate result
of this step of Zwingli was, that ecclesiastical innovations were for
the first time discussed at the diet, in the summer of the year 1522.
Urban Weiss, pastor at Fislispach, in the bailiwick of Baden, though a
member of the Zurich chapter, as he returned from a meeting of his
associates, declared from the pulpit, by their unanimous resolution,
that henceforth nothing should be preached, except it could be proven
by the Holy Scriptures--hence, that the saints ought to be no longer
invoked, that the marriage of priests was in no wise contrary to the
commandments of God, and as soon as it was approved, (and he hoped it
would be shortly), he intended to take a wife himself. The Bishop
comp