government--they attempted to support by the language of Scripture,
which was distorted, falsely translated, or torn out of its connection.
The general ignorance was too great not to favor the growth of
imposture; and the ambition, avarice and debauchery of numbers afforded
too many opportunities of temptation to cunning seducers, who spared no
amount of travel, writing and dissimulation in order to win adherents
and increase the army of dupes. Now let us consider the most important
facts.

From their eager violation of existing church usages with unholy
parade, and their notorious behavior at the Second Religious Conference
we have become acquainted with several leaders of this disorderly
party, Conrad Grebel, William R[oe]ubli and Simon Stumpf. Two others,
Felix Manz and John Br[oe]dlein, were added; the first of whom by his
scientific culture, and the second by his strength of character, as
well as by his stubbornness and pride, which did not indeed allow of
entire harmony of feeling, soon drew attention, as among the most
dangerous.

Manz, like many others in that dissolute age, the intelligent son of a
clergyman, had acquired a considerable knowledge of the Hebrew
language, little known at that time, and when the want of instruction
in it began to be generally felt, he thought himself specially called
to become a teacher of it. And had a place been immediately created for
him and richly endowed out of the revenues of the newly organized
Chapter of Canons, it is highly probable, at least if Bullinger's
representation of the man be true, that he would have chosen the nobler
path of pure scientific activity. But this was not done, and with
Grebel he appeared at the head of the insurgents. In the house of his
mother at Zurich, in the New Town, he instituted a nightly meeting,
where at first a slight dissatisfaction with the course, which the work
of reform had taken, was expressed only in general terms; but by
degrees more decided projects were matured--to possess themselves, if
possible, with the direction of affairs, and, as they styled it, to
found a new church. To this plan they next sought to win over Zwingli.
Stumpf and Manz, as he himself tells us, had repeated conversations
with him on this subject. They begged him to bring no doctrines into
the pulpit, except such as they would agree upon among themselves
beforehand. "No one"--said Manz still further--"is to be received into
our church, who has not the assu