At first he had agreed with the Anabaptists in separating (theoretically) church and state.

But he soon came to believe that, though true Christians might need no government, it was necessary to control the wicked, and for this purpose he favored an aristocratic polity.

All matters of morals were strictly regulated, severe laws being passed against taverns and gambling.

The inhabitants were forced to attend church.
After the suppression of the Catholics and the radicals, there developed two parties just as later in Geneva, the Evangelical and the Indifferent, the policy of the latter being one of more freedom, or laxity, in discipline, and in general a preference of political to religious ends.
[Sidenote: Basle November, 1522] The Reformation had now established itself in other cities of German Switzerland.

Oecolampadius coming to Basle as the bearer of Evangelical ideas, won such success that soon the bishop was deprived of authority, [Sidenote: 1524] two disputations with the Catholics were held, [Sidenote: 1525] and the monasteries abolished.