se the Five Cantons, they would adhere to that
forced resolution to alter nothing in matters of religion, which would
only lead to difficulty, and since it had been published, had produced
nothing but hate and discord? The number of persons in city and canton,
who were decidedly in favor of it, was small, and hence the ordinance
was issued by both Councils, that the free preaching of the Gospel
should be restored, exercised and protected, but that no changes should
be allowed in the use of the sacraments and churchly customs, except by
general consent and approbation.

But whilst these things were taking place in Bern, another storm was
brewing among the enemies of the Reformation at Zurich. Notwithstanding
all that had gone before, some were still found here, who secretly drew
pensions, and these in unison with the discontented clergy, formed a
dangerous party, whose hopes were newly revived by the result of the
Conference in Baden. To them Zwingli's opponents in the other cantons
silently turned, and the Reformer was threatened with a new battle. Let
us hear his own description of it, in a letter to his friends in Basel
and Strassburg: "For some time back, a great deal of movement, a
bustling and joyful assembling has been observed in the troop of our
Catilinarians,[9] as soon as the cause of the Gospel met with any
difficulty in the way. It was clear as sunlight that these people would
attempt the same thing, as those whose infamous deeds cannot be unknown
to you, who have read the writings of Cicero and Sallust. I confess,
that, when their speeches and actions more and more plainly betrayed
their plans hitherto concealed, I, on my part, began to sound the alarm
of treason. I succeeded also, in spite of the boldness and hypocrisy
with which they came out against me, in intimidating their fortress, in
undermining their walls. They believed that they had been unobserved. I
gave them to understand that this was not the case, and that I myself
could perhaps make a disclosure. It happened thus. I found myself,
without their knowledge, in possession of a certain letter, and had
gleaned besides something here and there. Hereupon the better portion
of the people, who desired to put an end to intrigues, succeeded so far
that a dictatorship was instituted, not indeed after the fashion of the
Romans, in the person of a single individual, but a commission of
twelve men, who received authority to apprehend and try. The
investigat