its guidance in political affairs. Transgressors of the
prohibition against desertion and pensions were punished with severity
and even executed; in ecclesiastical measures it was at variance and
wavering.

Zwingli felt more and more, that, though many individuals on all sides
were proud of his course and defended his cause, he yet in reality
stood alone; that many mad-caps, coming out far more rudely than he,
did him more injury by their eccentricities than they gave him help;
that his true friends, unless he continually kept them in breath,
informed them and encouraged them, were in danger of yielding to
faint-heartedness. Even his faithful Myconius wrote to him in such a
moment: "What canst thou do, when the whole world speaks against thee,
yea, opposes thee with all its powers?" When some, who, on account of
his extraordinary acquirements, had ranged themselves among his most
prominent supporters, began to draw back, Vadianus became cooler
and Erasmus put into his scanty and formal letters expressions of
ill-humor. How worthy of all honor did the man stand here, who did not
suffer himself to be bowed by all this!

It was evident to him, notwithstanding that his work, in order to have
stability, needed a firmer basis, that the acknowledgment and
protection of the government of the canton was indispensable to its
success. But the authorities, far more than Zwingli, thought themselves
bound to the existing church-order, and no support from them could be
counted on against the protest of the bishop. Thus the Reformer had
first to come to a clear understanding with them, and the Bishop
himself opened the way. He had carefully abstained from instituting an
examination of the erroneous doctrines said to be preached in Zurich,
after the Council had invited him so to do, and only exhorted the
government in general terms to allow no changes in church matters
amongst them; on the contrary he addressed a pastoral letter to the
collective clergy of his diocese, complaining of manifold heretical
teachings, warning against them, yea, condemning them, as well as a
special admonition at the same time to the convent of canons at Zurich
not to suffer them in their midst. Not less than sixty nine points of
complaint and wishes for amendment were contained in it. When the
letter was read before the assembly every eye was turned toward
Zwingli. "You find yourselves"--said he--"indebted to me for all these
accusations. I desire that th