ould be
blasphemed. Second: All that the pope decrees and does I will
receive, on this condition, that I first test it by the Holy
Scriptures. He must remain under Christ, and submit to be judged
by the Holy Scriptures.

But these Roman knaves come along, place him above Christ, and
make him a judge over the Scriptures; they say that he cannot
err, and whatever is dreamed at Rome, nay, everything which they
dare to come out with, they would prescribe for us as articles of
faith. And as if that were not enough, they would introduce a new
kind of faith, so that we are to believe what we can see with our
bodily eyes; whereas faith, by its very nature, is of the things
which no one sees or feels, as St. Paul says in Hebrews xi [Heb.
11:1]. Now the Roman authority and fellowship[80] is a bodily
thing, and can be seen by any one. If the pope came to
that--which may God forbid!--I would say right out that he is the
real Antichrist, of whom all the Scriptures speak.

If they grant me these two things, I will let the pope remain,
nay, help to exalt him as him as they please; if not, he shall be
to me neither pope nor Christian. He that must do it may make an
idol of him; I will not worship him.

Moreover, I would be truly glad if kings, princes, and all the
nobles would take hold, and turn the knaves from Rome out of the
country, and keep the appointments to bishoprics and benefices
out of their hands. How has Roman avarice come to usurp all the
foundations, bishoprics and benefices of our fathers? Who has
ever read or heard of such monstrous robbery? Do we not also have
the people who need them, while out of our poverty we must enrich
the ass-drivers and stable-boys, nay, the harlots and knaves at
Rome, who look upon us as nothing else but arrant fools, and make
us the objects of their vile mockery?

It is a notorious fact that the Russians desired to come into the
Roman fellowship, but then the holy shepherds of Rome "fed" those
sheep of Christ in such a manner that they would not receive them
unless they first bound themselves to a perpetual tax of I know
not how many hundred thousands of ducats. Such "food" they would
not eat, and so they remain as they are, saying, if they must buy
Christ, they would rather save their money until they come to
Christ Himself, in heaven. Thus thou doest, thou scarlet whore of
Babylon [Rev. 17:4], as St. John calls thee--makest of our faith
a mockery for all the world, and yet wouldest