Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/94

Let. 63 who might ask it, and thus we would make Christ and his Church a scorn and a mockery.

Moreover, it is established that we owe no allegiance to the scholastics and canonists, when they only give their own opinions, for if it is commonly said to be base for a lawyer to speak without authority, it is surely baser for a theologian to do so, and by authority I mean not Aristotle (for they give his authority far too readily), but the Bible, the Canons and the Fathers. Furthermore, I thought that it became my profession and office to call in question such matters which are both very doubtful and if false very dangerous, for during centuries no Christian has doubted that the schools have the right to debate even the most sacred and awful matters

Since, therefore, no one has responded to my universal challenge, and since I see that my propositions for debate have flown farther than I would have wished, and were accepted everywhere not as inquiries, but as assertions, I have been compelled against my hope and intention to expose my lack of eloquence and my ignorance, and to publish my propositions with their proofs, thinking it better to jeopard my reputation than to let the propositions fly about in a form which might lead people to think they were positive assertions. For I doubt some of them, am ignorant about others and deny some, while not positively asserting any, but submitting all to the Holy Church.

And since, reverend Prelate, you are by Christ's mercy the bishop of this place, and since you not only warmly love good and learned men, as many are said to do, but even venerate and cherish them to such a degree that you almost risk your pontifical dignity (far be this from flattery, for I praise not you, but Christ's gifts in you!)—it was most right that I should offer my work especially to you, whose duty it is to inspect and judge what is done here, and to lay at your feet whatever I do.

Wherefore deign, most clement Bishop, to take these foolish trifles of mine, that all may know that I assert nothing rashly, and that I not only allow, but even beg your Reverence to strike out whatever you wish, or even to burn the whole; it is of no consequence to me