Although my opinion of it is such as would be unsafe to commit to any letter, no matter how carefully sealed, yet, not to seem to neglect my Julius, I will briefly and in good faith set forth the whole tragedy. But alas, beware how you let anyone see this letter. Also remember that I was present [at the Leipsic debate] by chance.
In the flrst place, it is too well known to need my repeating it, how much hatred Martin has won from all who do not know the impiety of the Romanists, from those who are seduced by their vices, and from those who spend their whole lives in trumpery sophisms. It is also known how both sides fought by publishing theses throughout Germany, Luther ex- ploding from the theater of the theologians Aristotle's philoso- phy to which they hold without understanding it, and they defending it like their mistress, with what arms they could, force and fraud, all fair in war. Not only did our Leipsic professors oppose Martin's theses with their own, but Eck also, the Bavarian theologian, walking on air and like Socrates despising even God from his basket,^ moved by the novelty of Luther's propositions, he drew up certain deductions against him and showed them to the Bishop of Eichstadt When Luther heard of this from his friends, he sent Carl- stadt, Archdeacon of Wittenberg, against Eck, thinking ^ force the man to retract. Eck answered once and again, but in my judgment too coldly to win the confidence of any W^^ reader. For Eck's pen is not as able as his tongue is prompt* a terrible talker, but a weak speaker. Wherefore, despairi'^ of victory in a combat of reason, like a horse let loose iff meadow,' he challenged them to a public debate. The W^ ^ tenbergers did not refuse. So they got permission to deb^-^ in the thinking-shop,* rightly so called, of our theologiai^ beginning on June 27. Both sides arrived promptly. E<^ came with only a single personal servant, and with letter^ of introduction to our duke from the Fuggers.* Luther an^
- In this letter all words in italics are Greek in the original. In Aristophanes^
Clouds, Socrates was drawn up into the air in a basket.
<Greek proverb for extreme eagerness.
'The comic word applied by Aristophanes in The Clouds to Socrates* school.
«The great bankers of Aogsborg, for whom Eck had debated on the right of taking interest on money.
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