Nothwendigkeith.
Endlicheinmal mussen die Geheimnisse des Antichrist offenbart
werden. Denn so drangen sie sich selbst hervor, und wollen nicht
weiter vorborgen sein."

To this Luther adds the significant statement: "Ich habe vor,
einen offentlichen Zettel auszulassen an den Kaiser und den Adel
im ganzen Deutschland, wider die Tyrannei und die
Nichstwurdigkeit des romischen Hofes."

[29] "'Feeding' in the Roman sense means to burden Christendom
with many and hurtful laws. In 'feeding' it means to sit in the
highest place and to have an office, it follows that whoever is
doing this work of feeding is a saint, whether he be a knave, or
a rogue, or what not. Where there is no love, there is no
feeding. The papacy either must be a love, or it cannot be a
feeding of the sheep."

[30] "The greater part of the Roman communion, and even some of
the popes themselves, have forsaken the faith wantonly and
without struggle, and live under the power of Satan. The majority
of those who hold so strongly to the authority of the Pope, and
lean upon it, are themselves possessed by the powers of hell.
Some of the popes were heretics themselves and gave heretical
laws. These Roman knaves come along, place the Pope above Christ
and make him a judge over the Scriptures. They say that he cannot
err."

[31] "Das Bemulhen der Leipziger Gehassigkeit." To Spalatin, Jan.
10. "Die Nichstwurdigkeitem der Leipziger." To Joh. Lang, Jan.
26. "Die Kunstangriffder Leipziger Partei." To Spalatin, Feb. 5.

TO THE PAPACY AT ROME

AN ANSWER TO THE CELEBRATED ROMANIST AT LEIPZIG[1]

1520

[Sidenote: A New Adversary]

After all these years of fruitful rain and abundant growth
something new has appeared on the scene. Many have essayed to
attack me heretofore with vile abuse and glorious lies, yet
without much success. But the latest to distinguish themselves
are the brave heroes at Leipzig on the market-place, who desire
not only to be seen and admired, but to break a lance with every
one. Their armor is so wonderful that I have never seen the like
before. They have put the helmet on the feet, the sword on the
head, shield and breastplate on the back, they hold the spear by
the point, and the whole armor becomes them so well as to mark
them as horsemen of a new sort.[2] They would prove thereby not
only that they have not frittered away their time with
dream-books without learning anything, as I accused them, but
would also achieve a great n