That we would no more assume that we might give to our children the livings which we hold, and in no way claim to possess what belonged to the living or the church.
That if any one considered himself injured or likely to be injured in other things by our marriage, we would submit to the reasonable judgment of the authorities, so that the marriage be not injurious or disadvantageous to anyone.
That we do not wish to be understood as encroaching upon the rights of anyone, but (as recommending) that each priest who desired to marry should lay before his lords articles to which they could have easy access.
Wise and honourable Sirs, we have wished to sign our names, but have not done so for several reasons which we. shall at the proper time make known and bring forth, for in the little book (pamphlet) there is much that will require the names. No more now than this: God’s will be done on earth as in heaven!
Given the 13th day of July, 1522.
XIV. Defence Called Archeteles, in Which Answer Is Made to an Admonition That the Most Reverend Lord
ΒΙΞΗΟΡ oF CONSTANCE (BEING PERSUADED THERETO BY THE BEHAVIOUR OF CERTAIN WANTONLY FACTIOUS PER-SONS) SENT TO THE COUNCIL OF THE GREAT MINSTER AT ZURICH CALLED THE CHAPTER.
(August 22-3, 1522)
[[Apologeticus Archeteles adpellatus, quo respondetur paraenesi a revere-]
[dissimo domino Constantiensi (quorundam procaci faction ad id persuaso) ad]
[senatum prepositure Tigurine, quem ”capitulum”’ vocant, misse. In Schuler]
[and Schulthess ed., iii. 27-76. In Egli and Finsler ed., i., 256-327. Trans-]
[lated by Mr. Henry Preble, New York City.]
[This is Zwingli’s reply to the admonition which the Bishop of Constance,]
[the diocesan of the city of Zurich, addressed to the chapter of the Great]
[Minster on May 24, 1522. Zwingli was not mentioned in it but rightly re-]
[garding himself as the chief agent in bringing in the new ideas which were con-]
[demned by the Bishop, he made this reply. His delay in doing so was probably]
[due to his absorbing occupations in other directions. The treatise was written]
[hastily, he informed Myconius, in sending him a copy (August 26, 1522).]
[There are numerous allusions to the treatise in the Zwingli correspond-]
[ence. Thus Zwingli in writing to his bosom friend, Myconius, on August]
[23 1522 (Werke, n. e. vii., 567), promises him a copy, and this promise he]
[redeemed on the 26th (ibid., 569); on April 11, 1524, he alludes to it when]
[writing to Konrad Hofmann (viii. 169), and lastly to Konrad Sam in Ulm]
[on February 12, 1527 (Schuler and Schulthess ed., viii., 28), he imparted in-]
[formation regarding it as Sam was somehow unacquainted with it. In letters]
[to Zwingli from Michael Hummelberg on August 26, 1522 (Werke, n. e. vii.,]
[574), the same on September 4 (p. 578); Melchior Macrinus, on September]
[30 (p. 588, he calls it a kalw); Sebastian Meyer, on November 11 (p. 612);]
[Johannes Zwick, on November 27 (p. 820); and Hedio on February 10, 1523]
[(viii., 22), mention is made of it. But the gem of the collection is this de-]
[licious effusion from Erasmus, written from Basel, September 8, 1522 (p. 582),]
[on receipt of Zwingli’s present of a copy:]
[“I have read some pages of your apology [Archeteles]. 1 beseech you 197]
for the sake of the glory of the Gospel, which I know you would favour and which we all who bear the name of Christ ought to favour, if you should issue anything hereafter, treat so serious a matter seriously, and bear in mind evangelical modesty and patience. Consult your learned friends before you issue anything. I fear that that apology will cause you great peril and will injure the Gospel. Even in the few pages that I have read there are many things I wanted to warn you about. I do not doubt that your prudence will take this in good part, for I have written late at night with a mind that is most solicitous for you. Farewell.”
The Rev. Dr. B. J. Kidd, in his valuable collection of Documents of the Continental Reformation (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911), characterises the Archeteles as ” rather truculent” (p.389). It was this quality probably which offended Erasmus.]
In this treatise square brackets are used to indicate either the translation of the Greek term or terms which Zwingli used or references which are more exactly given than these are by Zwingli. TC the Most Reverend Father and Lord in Christ, Hugo von Hohenlandenberg, Bishop of Constance, Greeting, Huldreich Zwingli, preacher of the church of Zurich at the Great Minster.