ination he is
no ordinary man. I perceive that if I permit the petulance of all
these thick-heads, even the bath-maids will finally write against
me.

But I pray that whoever would come at me arm himself with the
Scriptures. What helpeth it, that a poor frog puffeth himself up?
Even if he should burst, he is no ox.

I would gladly be out of this business, and they force themselves
into it. May God grant both of us our prayers,--help me out of
it, and let them stick in it Amen.

All glory be to God on high
And praise to all eternity. Amen.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Augustin Alveld, so named from the town of his birth, Alveld
in Saxony, a Franciscan monk, Lector of his order at Leipzig. It
is said of him that what he lacked in learning he made up for in
scurrility, so that he himself complains that his own
brother-monks wanted to forbid his writing. John Lonicerus, a
friend of Luther, published a small book, _Biblia nova
Alveldensis_, Wittenberg, 1520, in which he gathered a long list
of Alveld's terms of reproach used against Luther. To him has
been attributed the origin of the undignified style adopted by so
many since 1520 on both sides of the controversy about Luther's
teachings. Vid. H. A. Erhard, in _Ersch und Gruber_,
_Encyclopaedia_, iii, 277; _Algemeine Deutsche Biographi_, I,
375.

[2] Cf., Augustine's Confessions, III, vii: "Just as if in armor,
a man being ignorant what piece were appointed for what part,
should clap a greave upon his head and draw a headpiece upon his
leg..."

[3] The four chief literary opponents of Luther in the earlier
years of the Reformation--Sylvester Mazolini, usually called
Prierias, after the city of his birth, a papal official
(_Magister sacri palatii_) who had published three books against
Luther prior to 1520; Thomas of Gaetano, Cardinal, and papal
legate at the Diet of Augsburg, 1518; John Eck, professor in the
University of Ingolstadt, who had been Luther's opponent at the
Leipzig Disputation in 1519; Jerome Emser, also active at the
Leipzig Disputation, whom Luther was to make the laughing-stock
of Germany under the name of "the Leipzig goat," an appellation
suggested by his coat-of-arms.

[4] The Theological Faculties of Cologne and Louvaine officially
condemned Luther's writings; the former August 30th, the latter
November 7th, 1519. The text of their resolutions was reprinted
by Luther with a reply, _Responsio ad condemnationem
donctrinalem_, etc. (1520); _We