we desire to send no one to him, nor to any like him.
Indeed, if we had him, and would find that true, which is told us about
him, we would give him such a reward, that he would never do it again."

Basel, where Zwingli's intimate friend [OE]colampadius (Hausschein) was
now a preacher, and in the year following became a professor, returned
no answer. The University looked with disdain on popular theological
conferences, where unlearned men even usurped the seat of judgment, and
the Council found itself embarrassed between the friends of the old
order and the new. Zurich complained of its silence.

The Bishop of Constance, in two successive letters, asked, according to
his former practice, for the reference of such an important point to a
Church Council; he would be pledged, so to speak, "for both his
superiors (the Emperor and the Pope), from the answers and commands
received from them in similar cases." In the same strain wrote the
truly venerable and aged Bishop of Basel, with the addition: "although
we are otherwise inclined with our whole heart to favor you in all
possible things (God knows), because we are not unmindful of the many
deeds of kindness shown to ourselves and our monastery," From the
Diocesan at Chur no reply was received. The Abbot of St. Gall excused
himself on account of the shortness of the time, which did permit him
to obtain instructions. From the city on the contrary, appeared, along
with Vadianus the friend of Zwingli's youth, who three years after rose
to the dignity of burgomaster there, the pastor Benedict Burgauer and
Doctor Schapeler. Doctor Sebastian Hofmeister, the people's priest
Martin Steinlin and Conrad Irmensee, trustee of the monastery of All
Saints, arrived from Schaffhausen.

Of the course, the nature and the results of the theological
investigations, during the three days devoted to this conference,
enough can be learned from church-history.[10] Our task is to describe
the carriage and behavior of the persons engaged in it. They seem to
divide themselves into two main classes of a better stamp, and one of a
worse; the most prominent speakers were Zwingli, Conrad Schmied,
commander of the Knights of St John at Kuessnacht, and Conrad Grebel. A
reckless treatment, an absolute rejection of all, that could not be
proven before the tribunal of Scripture-interpretation conducted by the
natural understanding, marked the character of one class; a sparing of
the weak, cautious progress