Einsiedeln, Switzerland, Fuly 2d, 1522.
Your Most Reverend Fatherhood’s most obedient servants,
BALTHASER FRACHSEL,
George Stahl, Verner Steiner, Leo Jun, Erasmus Fabricius, Simon Stumpf
Jopoc KILCHMEYER,
HULDREICH MULLER,; CASPAR MEGANDER,
ToHN Faber, Huldreich Zwingli
III. ACTS OF THE CONVENTION HELD IN THE PRAISE-WORTHY CITY OF ZURICH ON THE 29TH DAY OF JANUARY, ON ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY GOSPEL—BEING A DISPUTATION BETWEEN THE DIGNIFIED AND HONORABLE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CON-STANCE AND HULDRYCH ZWINGLI, PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, TOGETHER WITH THE COMMON CLERGY OF THE WHOLE TERRITORY OF THE AFORESAID CITY OF ZURICH, HELD BEFORE THE ASSEMBLED COUNCIL IN THE YEAR 1523.”
[Works, i. 114-168. Translated from the Zurich German by Lawrence A.]
[McLouth, Professor of German, New York University. The matter between]
[brackets is that given in the JJ/orZs, i. 158 sqq., as addenda, but here inserted]
[in proper place.]
[Γ The Protestant Reformation in German Switzerland, as for the most part in]
[Germany and England, was largely dependent upon the good will of princes]
[and other rulers, who joined it for political ends. No one can gainsay the]
[great advantage of their support. So in Zurich Zwingli endeavored to win]
[over to his side the members of the City Council, rightly arguing that if.suc-]
[cessful he would be able to preach the Reformation through the canton, no mat-]
[ter what might be the opposition. He made his appeal to the magistracy to]
[be allowed to bold a public debate, at which they should sit as judges, and]
[give the victory to that side which presented the stronger arguments. He]
[looked forward with great conffdence to such a public debate, for which he]
[had prepared the way by his preaching and writing and talking ever since he -]
[came to Zurich in December, 1518. The City Council took up the idea, and]
[were perhaps flattered by the position they would take in this debate. They]
[issued the invitations to the people of the canton and city of Zurich and to the -]
[bishops of Constance and of the adjoining dioceses. Zwingli prepared and had]
[printed 67 Articles as a programme for the debate, and looked forward with.]
[great eagerness to the time set, which was the 23d of January, 1523.]
[On that eventful day six hundred persons—priests and laymen of the canton]
[of Zurich, along with a few delegates from the bishop of Constance and some]
[others—met in the Town Hall and held the debate, which is preserved to us]
[by Erhart Hegenwald, a schoolmaster in Zurich, who informs us that he wrote]
[it from memory immediately after hearing it. His account was edited by]
[Zwingli and published in Zurich. John Faber (or Fabri), Vicar General of]
[the diocese of Constance, one of the ablest disputants on the Roman Church]
To the worthy ecclesiastical Lord and Father Sir John Jacob Russinger, Abbot at Pfabers, to His gracious Lord Chamberlain Master Erhart Hegenwald T offers his willing service and wishes peace in Christ.
Worthy ecclesiastical Lord and Father: I understand how your dignity and grace is inclined to read and further the Gospel doctrine and truth of God from Christian feeling, which fact I conclude among other things from the following: That Your
[side, bore the brunt of the attacks upon that church. Zwingli was the princi-]
[pal speaker on the otherside. Fabri also published his account of the debate.]
[Ein warlich underrichtung wie es zie Zürich bey de Zwinglin uff den einen und]
[zwentzigsten tag des monats Januarii rest verschine ergangen sey.” (Leipzig?]
[1525.) Init, naturally, he appeared to greater advantage than in Zwingli’s ac-]
[count, but it seems to have given offence to an enthusiastic portion of the audi-]
[ence, and some of these young men thought they had a good opportunity to bring]
[out a satire in the interests of the new faith, and so they concocted a book]
[which was called The Vulture Plucked.” Das gyren rupffen. Nalt inn]
[wie Johann Schmidt Vicarge ze Costentz mit dem büchle darinn er verheiszt]
[ein ware bericht wie es uff den 29 tag Jenner M.D.xxiij. ze Zürich gangen sye]
[sich übersehe hat. Ist voll schimpff unud ernestes.’ This was a gross attack]