less fools, and that it is a divine
command that the pope should have his finger in every pie and do
as he pleases with every one, just as if he were a god on earth,
and should not rather be the servant of all,[13] without any pay,
if he wished to be--or were--the very highest. But before
consenting to this, they would much rather surrender this power
and not call this a divine command any more than any other.

But I hear you say, why do they fight so hard against you in this
matter? Answer: I have attacked some higher things, which concern
faith and God's Word. And when they were not able to contradict
me, and saw that Rome does not trouble itself about such good
things, they dropped them too, and attacked me on indulgences and
the authority of the pope, in the hope of thus attaining the
prize. For they knew very well that where money was concerned,
the chief school of knaves in Rome would support them and not
remain quiet. But Dr. Luther is just a little proud, and pays
very little attention to the grunting and squealing of the
Romanists; and this is well-nigh heartbreaking to them. But that
does not bother my Lord Jesus, nor Dr. Luther, for we believe
that the Gospel will and must continue. Let a layman ask such
Romanists, and let them give answer, why they despoil and mock
all of God's commandments, and rant so violently about this
power, whereas they cannot show at all why it is necessary, or
what it is good for. For ever since it has arisen, it has
accomplished nothing but the devastation of Christendom, and no
one is able to show anything good or useful that has resulted
from it. Of this I will speak more fully if this Romanist comes
again, and then, please God, I will throw light upon the Holy
Chair at Rome and expose it as it deserves to be exposed.

I have said this, not as a sufficient argument for disputing
papal power, but in order to show the perverted opinions of those
who strain the gnats, but let elephants go through [Matt. 23:24],
who behold the mote in the brother's eye and permit the beams in
their own to remain [Matt. 7:3], only to the end that others may
be stifled by superfluous and unnecessary things, or at least
branded as heretics or by any other epithet that occurs to them.
One of than is this delicate, pious Romanist at Leipzig. Let us
now have a look at him.

I find three strong arguments by which this fruitful and noble
little book[14] of the Romanist at Leipzig attacks me.

[Sidenot