al leading principle. It is true, another might
have been embraced, that which has been wrought into our existing
political life and immoveably planted there, the principle of entire
equality, and the rather because the feeling that it was not altogether
foreign to the Gospel, was expressed in the memorials of the people.
But the contest for and against this principle could not be carried on
by one government; duty and prudence enjoined a rigid maintenance of
rights guaranteed by documents as long as possible. Upon another field,
that of science, and where the Gospel would be appealed to, theological
science, it must be decided beforehand. On this field Luther and
Zwingli actually carried on the battle and both showed the impropriety
of using passages of Scripture, and of wresting them from their true
meaning, in the affairs of state.

The government of Zurich on her side kept simply to the letter of the
articles received from the different districts. These, agreeing in the
main points, still varied as to special privileges, customs and the
annoyance of some parts of the canton by others.[1] All were examined
and its own answer sent to each district. The reply to the first point,
which was the same to all, ran thus: "Since you have declared, that you
will have no lords for protectors, save God and the city of Zurich, it
needs no answer and is clear of itself, that we will have _one_ God,
and My Lords are only your natural lords and superiors in temporal
affairs, for they have not obtained dominion over you by any kind of
tyranny or warlike power, but bought it freely and with ready money.
Let them then retain it; for we all should give to God what is due to
Him, and to worldly authority what is due to it; and My Lords hope,
that you, their subjects, will also find it so."

Although considerable relief was promised in regard to some of the
points complained of, still the envoys of the Council, who were
appointed to convey the answer into the different districts, nowhere
met with a favorable reception. The universal cry was that nothing
further could be done without an assembly of the people, and on
Whitmonday, June 5th, an announcement was made to this effect, with a
call to the oldest man of every household to appear on the field near
T[oe]ss.

It is not at all necessary, in our day, when such things are so common,
to describe this first convention of the people. The only difference
between it and ours, consisted in