and heavy ground-rents, and so severely bound, but that favor
and a remedy may be discovered. Item, in regard to the restraints on
marriage, that is, when a man takes a wife, and a woman a husband,
beyond the jurisdiction of his feudal lord, and the lord undertakes to
punish him therefor, it is our will and ordinance, that no one be so
punished, seeing that marriage is a sacrament, and every one should be
free in such a case. But whoever desires a partner, and is able to pay
a ransom, and procure his or her liberty, it shall not be refused, but
granted for a reasonable sum of money. Should the lord be too severe,
it shall be the duty of the magistrate, in every place and corner,
where it occurs, to mediate therein and settle it according to
equitable principles. Item, it shall be the bounden duty of every
convent to hand in to the authorities a faithful account of its
revenue, outlay, possessions and all its business. Item, although the
clergy have hitherto been free and exempt from all burdens and
incumbrances, and have so overawed the secular authorities with the ban
of excommunication, that they never dared to lay upon them taxes,
fines, school-money, customs, tolls, licenses, fees and other burdens,
yet as there is no foundation for this custom in the Holy Scriptures,
it having been introduced among simple Christian people by spiritual
laws of their own invention, so that they might not be loaded with the
same burdens; therefore, it is the will and purpose of our Lords and
rulers, that all priests, whether secular or belonging to the monastic
orders, shall share in all these, so that the common people may
continue obedient to the civil authorities, according to the Christian
rule; none of them shall oppose this, and it shall also be sent
everywhere in the city and canton. And, finally, we Confederates
reserve the right to add to, to take from, and to alter the articles
here drawn up, if, in the meantime, anything better be discovered, even
as our Confederacy stands responsible toward God and the world, and may
be praiseworthy, useful and honorable."

This long document, which Bullinger alone has preserved entire, we here
present with slight abbreviation, because it exhibits, in a manner more
lively than any description could, the position in the state then held
by the church, wherever the Reformation had not yet taken deep root.
Great defects were acknowledged by all the governments, and the will
was at hand to appl