Luther speaks courage to Egranus against Ochsenfart's attack on his doctrine of the three Marys; about Eck's obelisks; about the ignorance of the Leipzig theologians in the Holy Scriptures.
Printed in Aurifaber, vol. I, p. 56 d; in Löscher's Ref.-Acta, vol. II, p. 608; in De Wette, vol. I, p. 99 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. I, p. 172.
To the noble and righteous friend, Johann Sylvius Egranus, 4) Master of Liberal Arts and Philosophy, ecclesiastical priest at Zwickau, his most revered in the Lord.
1st Hail! I have seen the sentences (positionos) of Doctor Hieronymus Ochsenfart, which, as it seems, have been compiled against you, but without mention of your name. Be steadfast and strong, my dear Egranus, so it must be done. If this were of the world, the world would love yours. All that is in the world must die in the world, that the spirit may be glorified. If you are wise, wish me happiness, and I you.
2. Recently, an outstanding man of true and perceptive erudition and a deft good head, and, what hurts me even more, who was previously connected with me by a recently concluded great friendship, 5) wrote "obelisks" [notes] against my theses, namely Johann Eck, Doctor of Theology, Pro-Chancellor of the University of Ingolstadt, canon of Eichstädt, now also preacher of the church of Augsburg, an already famous man, also known through his books; and if I did not know the thoughts of Satan, I would be astonished at the rage from which he has created the entire
4) His real name was Johann Wildenauer from Eger, and since 1517 he was employed as a preacher at the Marienkirche in Zwickau. He had preached during the sermon about the legend of Saint Anne against the church belief of the three husbands of the grandmother of JEsu, Anna, and was therefore attacked by D. Dungersheim of Ochsenfurt (compare St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, introduction, p. 21 d). A rich evidence of literature about him can be found in Seidemann, Münzer", p. 9, note.
5) See St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, Introduction, p. 23.
new and exceedingly sweet bonds of friendship dissolved without any warning, neither writing nor saying goodbye. 1)
But he has written obelisks in which he calls me a poisonous Bohemian, a heretic, a rebellious, insolent, sacrilegious man. But I pass over the lesser invectives, that he calls me a sleepy, unskilled, unlearned man, finally also a despiser of the pope. In short, they are nothing other than the most despicable invectives with explicit mention of my name and designation of my theses, so that there is nothing in these obloquies but envy and resentment of a completely enraged heart.
4 Nevertheless, I wanted to swallow in patience this morsel puffing for a hellhound, but the friends forced me to answer him, but in a private writing. Praised be the HErr JEsus, yes, he alone be in honor, let us be rightly covered with shame. Rejoice, dear brother, rejoice, and do not be so frightened by these flying leaves that you should desist from teaching as you have begun, but [rise against them] like a palm tree in Kades against the burdens pressing it down. 2)
The more they rage, the further I go. I let go of the former things, however they may bark at them, and take up the later things, so that they may also bark at them. Continue happily, only ask the Lord that he himself create his glory and that his will be done. However, I have written to D. Hieronymus Ochsenfart that what you have asserted does not seem to me to be errors, but truths; his statements also seemed to me to be mostly erroneous, and I am prepared, and have no doubt, that you will defend both your errors and mine.
1) Eck therefore apologized in a letter to Carlstadt (No. 352 in this volume) and offered peace again, but too late.
2) Sirach 24,18. Vulg.: tznasi xalraa cxaltata "um in Ouclcs. - In ^ulus (lcllius, noct. ^ttic. Ill, 6, it is said that the heavier one loads the wood of a palm tree, the higher it rises against the load. We find the same more frequently in Luther, e.g. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XI, 42, §94 and vol. XII, 421, 8 28.
But if they were to bring up something from the scholastic teachers, he should know that he would not get anywhere with us with it, but would only lose words.
(6) It is obvious that I would like to swear that there is no scholastic theologian who understands even one chapter of the Gospel or the Bible, especially not one from Leipzig, not even one chapter of the philosopher Aristotle, which I hope to prove with honor if I am given the opportunity to examine them; unless that is to know the Gospel, if one pronounces the syllables, but only to some extent. Therefore, do not be afraid of ignorance. Let not the rattling of titles leave your mind: doctors, universities, magisters, for they are a mere shell and a sham (do not be afraid of those whose hearts you see); nor of men, but only of the form of a shell. The Lord instruct thee and strengthen thee; in him thou shalt be well. Wittenberg, the day before the Annunciation [March 24] 1518.
Martin Luther, Augustinian.