Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/140

 writing and speaking; if I go I will pour out everything and oflFer my life for Christ. Farewell.

Brother Martin Luther.

loi. JOHN ECK TO DUKE GEORGE OF SAXONY. Gess, i. 47. Ingolstaot, December 4, 15 18.

Your Grace doubtless knows that recently Dr. Martin Luther, of Wittenberg, published some theses on papal indul- £;ences and other main articles of the Christian faith. And -when they came into my hands, at the request of my gracious Lord Gabriel, Bishop of Eichstadt^ and Chancellor of the Uni- versity of Ingolstadt, I wrote out an opinion explaining why I did not consider some of them Christian. But when my writ- ing came into the hands of the said Dr. Luther, Dr. Andrew Bodenstein, of Carlstadt, at Wittenberg, attacked me in writ- ing and undertook to defend Luther's propositions and doc- trine. It then became necessary for me to defend my doctrine according to the truth and the holy faith, and I did so with more moderation than the said Carlstadt deserved of me. But I made the express proviso that, should he abide by his error (as I consider it), I would challenge him to a debate before the Pope, or the learned men of the university of Rome or Paris or Cologne, hoping humbly and kindly that thereby all offence and hatred that might have come from our polemics be avoided. And when the said Carlstadt, to my surprise, refused to debate at any of these places, I offered to meet him at some other university, and he proposed Erfurt or Leipsic. Wherefore, as I do not fear to debate before any learned men, I beg your Grace for permission to debate at Leipsic. . ..

102. MELANCHTHON TO GEORGE SPALATIN.

Corpus Reformatorum, i. 56. Bocking, Supp. ii. 789.

WrTTENBERG (Early in December, I5i8).'

... I enclose Luther's Appeal to a General Council, nor

'Btslu>p, 1496-1 53 S-

drew up on November 28, and which was printed by December 11. Kostlin- Kawerau, L 218.
 * T1ie date U girtn by the reference to Luther's Appeal to a Council, which he

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