duly consecrated, and has a credible
certificate of this, as every priest should. No layman shall preach; no
hedge-preacher shall any where be tolerated, but driven off and
punished with severity. Our preachers shall also preach, teach and
instruct without any covetousness and seek naught therein, but the
salvation of souls and their improvement. Item, since wrong views and
contradictions have been groundlessly revived by the Zwinglian or
Lutheran sect, touching purgatory and prayers for the dead, in which
all Christian souls, our ancestors and we ourselves have believed, we
warn all true men not so wantonly to forsake our true faith for the
false sayings of Luther. We wish also that no one preach, write or
speak such things in our territory. He who does so, shall be punished
according to the judgment of his lords. The houses of God, cloisters,
foundations and churches, shall be permitted to retain their rights and
privileges; no violence shall be used against them, nor their dues kept
back, or taken from them without law.

"Item, although it may be true that the Canon Law, many ordinances and
statutes have been framed by the Holy Fathers, teachers, Pope and
Councils with a good design, yet since this Canon Law and these
statutes have been increased by degrees and made more severe; since
many of them are exorbitant and have been misused against us laity, so
as to cause us great injury and ruin; and since in this sad time, when
the wolf has broken into the sheep-fold of Christ, the Chief Watchman
and Shepherd slumbers, we deem it our duty, as civil authorities, to
come to the rescue in some measure; not that we at all wish thereby to
cast off our allegiance, or place ourselves in opposition to the Roman
and universal Christian Church, but only for the suppression and
prevention of further disasters, rebellion and the division of our
Confederacy. But if by a general Christian Council or competent
assembly, to which deputies are invited and are present from our
Confederacy, this schism is removed and unity again restored to the
Church, we will not be sundered therefrom, but act like our
forefathers, as a good, pious, obedient Christian people.

"And therefore, we ordain first, that our people's priests and pastors
shall not addict themselves to avarice, as has too often been the case
heretofore, namely: that they and their curates shall not keep back the
Holy Sacrament from us and ours for the sake of money. Still, it is