Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/158

 120 Readings in European History Zwingli defends the right of discussion. Cologne, or Louvain." (Here all laughed, for Zwingli inter- rupted by asking : " How about Erfurt ? Would not Witten- berg do ? " Then the vicar said, " No, Luther is too near." He also said, " All bad things come from the North.") " There one can find many versed in the Scriptures, who have ability to handle so great subjects." . . . Then Master Ulrich Zwingli spoke as follows*: " Pious brothers in Christ, the worthy lord vicar seeks many eva- sions and subterfuges, for he claims that he does not desire to discuss the good old customs ; but I say that we should not ask here how long this or that custom or habit has pre- vailed. Our aim is to find out whether a man is bound by divine ordinance to keep that which on account of long usage has been set up as law by men. For we of course think (as also the pope's own decree says) that custom should yield to truth. As to claiming that such matters should be settled by a Christian assembly of all nations, or by a council of bishops, etc., I say that here in this room there is without doubt a Christian assembly. For I hope that the majority of us here desire, by the divine will and love, to hear and know the truth, which Almighty God will not deny us if we desire it to his honor, with right belief and right hearts. For the Lord says, ' Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.'. . . There is then, in spite of what the vicar says, no reason why we should not discuss these matters, why we should not speak and decide as to the truth. " To the objection that the other nations would not con- sent, I answer that this brings up just the complaint that is made every day against the 'bigwigs,' — the bishops and priests, — namely, that they undertake to keep the pure and clear gospel, the Holy Scriptures, from the common people. For they say that it is not proper for any but themselves to expound the Scriptures, just as though other pious men were not Christians and had nothing to do with the spirit of God, and must be without knowledge of God's word. And there are also some of them who might say that it is improper to publish the secrets of the Divine Scriptures. Would you rob