the university. Most gracious Lord, I do not mean to re- proach Dr. Luther with all this, nor do I write to injure him, but only to excuse myself to your Grace, who would other- wise hear untruths to my dishonor; and I also give your Grace occasion* to consider what you owe to Christ, the Chris- tian religion, the land and the people. Long ago I desired to excuse myself to your Grace, and came to your Grace's court at Augsburg^ six times, and I know not for what reason I was not allowed to come before your Grace.
Although your Grace's professors departed with sundry threats to write much, I debated in such wise that it would be unnecessary to write anything. For we made an agree- ment to keep still* until judgment shall have been given by the universities selected as umpires. Wherefore I left them free choice of all the universities which are in good repute in the whole of Christendom, to take which ones they liked. Well, let them write ; I don't care much, only I wish they wrote with the seriousness demanded by the subject, and not so frivolously, impertinently and abusively, especially as I am sure your Grace has no pleasure in such words. What is written by theologians should be in such language that anyone who reads it may understand that a theologian has written it with the purpose of seeking the truth, and not like a groom who is only able to revile people. . . .
Your Grace's obedient chaplain.
Dr. John von Exk.
P. S. — Most gracious Lord, it has just occurred to me that in debating with Dr. Luther on the power of the Pope,^ I took away the whole foundation of his argument. For his posi- tion is not novel, many mistaken persons have held it before. But if from mere suspicion he has conceived the opinion that some of your Grace's subjects have given me his recently printed book* (as they have told Caesar Pflug that they think Dr. Peter Burckhart* has done so), let me say that it is false
>Latin.
3 During the Diet of 15 18; Luther saw Eck at Augsburg in October. Cf. supra, no. 96.
SBefore the debate all parties agreed not to publish the argumenti until the
judges had decided. Enders, ii. 71.
- Resolutio . . . de Poiestate Papat, Weimar, ii. 180.
6Since September, 15 18, professor of medicine at Wittenberg. In the sum-
�� �
