Meanwhile, the tidings, that a victory was gained, spread on all sides,
"We thank the Most High"--wrote the deputies of the Twelve Cantons from
Baden to Duke William of Bavaria--"that Your Princely Grace sent over
to us the highly-renowned Doctor Eck; for truly he has defended,
_according to the Holy Divine Scriptures_, his Christian theses--the
chief points, which the Lutheran or Zwinglian deluding, heretical sect
have ventured to assail and pervert--so bravely and with such skill,
that undoubtedly good will come of it; and it will be admitted by every
sensible man, possessed of a good conscience, that truth and victory
are on our side--with our old, undoubted Christian faith." Reports of
the triumph of the Catholics reached Zwingli from his friends also.
Comander, pastor in Chur, told him of letters received there, and of
the alarm of all the friends of reform. George Mangolt wrote from
Constance: "Every day letters arrive here from Baden. O how the Papists
rejoice! They say thatŒcolampadius is overthrown; that he has been
vanquished in three points already, and will be completely so in a few
days; that he is like a child--as soon as he is laid hold of with a
little more earnestness than usual he begins to tremble, yea, even to
weep." Indeed, great hopes were built on the issue of the Conference by
all the friends of the Old Order. Zurich appeared to stand alone,
deserted by all her sister-confederates. Berchthold Haller was
intimidated;Œcolampadius, though he did not yield, looked into a
dark future, for he could number as many enemies as friends in Basel.
Under these circumstances, everything depended on Zurich, and
especially the firmness of Zwingli.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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