Though Zwingli himself sturdily asserted that he preached the gospel before he heard of Luther, and that he learned his whole doctrine direct from the Bible, he deceived himself, as many men do, in over-estimating his own originality.

He was truly able to say that he had formulated some {152} of his ideas, in dependence on Erasmus, before he heard of the Saxon; and he still retained his capacity for private judgment afterwards.

He never followed any man slavishly, and in some respects he was more radical than Luther; nevertheless it is true that he was deeply indebted to the great German.
Significantly enough, the first real conflict broke out at Zurich early in 1520.

Zwingli preached against fasting and monasticism, and put forward the thesis that the gospel alone should be the rule of faith and practice.

He succeeded in carrying through a practical reform of the cathedral chapter, but was obliged to compromise on fasting.