ation, he began again to advocate rebaptism. Zwingli, who
occupied the second pulpit, on the opposite side, interrupted him at
once and brought him to silence.[8] He excused himself afterwards by
saying, that he knew not what he did, the devil must have been in him,
and then once more recanted in the Frauminster and the church at
Gossau, in the department of Grueningen.

But now the lovers of order and quiet were everywhere fully aroused.
The government was universally censured for its forbearance, and most
of all in the department of Grueningen itself. The _landvogt_ was
importuned for severer measures. "It is truly a great thing"--he wrote
to the Council--"that you, gracious Lords, have for the third time
caused a conference to be held with these people, who speak openly of
all the conferences and your desire to do justice, in the most insolent
fashion, in spite of your edict, and are not willing to acknowledge
they have done wrong. Hence the magistracy have written and prayed the
Council and advised, that they come together again on Tuesday, to take
the business boldly in hand, for it is publicly declared: 'I hear
indeed, if My Lords only receive five pounds, it matters little what
the Baptists talk or say concerning all the conferences and edicts;
they do no wrong.' In this way great injustice will be done you.
Therefore do not take this amiss from me; for the magistracy with your
assistance would have passed a far different judgment on the Baptists,
and plans would have been formed, which would have produced peace,
quiet and obedience. The fines would have been laid on the great
disturbers, strife-makers, hedge-preachers and baptisers, and not on
poor, simple, miserable men, not on women and children, of whom many
have been deluded; yet these are fined as heavily as the chief actors
in the play. Henceforth the business must be taken in hand boldly; you
will not find me wanting."

In fact the government was now fully alive to the emergency. As soon as
any one was convicted of having repeated baptism, he was seized and
thrown into prison. The prisons became crowded; Manz, Grebel, Blaurock
and fifteen others were confined in the so-called New Tower.[9] Their
sentence was severe: "Nothing shall be given them but bread and water,
and they shall lie on straw and thus be left to die in the Tower. Let
it then be the business of every one to forsake his projects and errors
and be obedient."

The extravagances of the Anab