and shall not do so now that Eck^ has dared turn those bulk — ^and such fierce ones ! — loose against me. What he is aim- ing at is not yet known.
Many think that I should ask the elector to obtain an im- perial edict in my favor, declaring that I should not be con- demned nor my books prohibited except by warrant of Script- ure. Please find out what is intended ; I care little either way, because I rather dislike having my books so widely spread, and should prefer to have them all fall into oblivion together, for they are desultory and unpolished, and yet I do want the matters they treat known to all. But not all can separate the gold from the dross in my works, nor is it necessary since better books and Bibles are easily obtainable. I would much rather increase the number of living books, that is, of preachers, and protect them so that they could explain the state of affairs to the public. I am sending what was sent me on this subject from Italy. If the elector acts as this suggests I think it would be most worthy of him. The Italian public could then grasp the condition of affairs and our cause would be stronger. Perhaps God has raised them up and will preserve our elector to us to advance the Word by him. See what you can do for the cause of Christ. The man* who wrote me from Venice is a brother of Lazarus Spenglei^ who sent the letter to me from Nuremberg.
My book on the Captivity of the Church^ is coming ou next Saturday and will be sent to you.
Carlstadt has cast his die and takes courage against the^ Pope.
I have just heard that Eck is not safe at Leipsic, but is de- tested and is caricatured by posters stuck up ever)rwhere and that he has found a far different reception and opinion there than he hoped; for he is not now what he was a year ago.
l£ck published the Exsurge Domine at Mayence, Merseburg and Brandenburg in the last days of September. Smith, p. 98.
^George Spengler» originally of Nuremberg, set up as a merchant in Venice, died March 21, 1529.
SLazarus Spengler (1479- September 7, 1534), studied at Leipsic 1494, became town clerk at Nuremberg 1507. He warmly embraced Luther's cause, puUishing a Defence of it, 1519, for which he was excommunicated by the bull Exsurgi Domine. He visited Wittenberg in 1525, and Luther dedicated to him his work on Schools, 1530. Weimar, xxx., part ii., 508. Realencyclopadit,
- The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Weimar, vi. 484. Cf. Smith, 88ff.
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