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document is concerned。 That is why I never intended to write in
opposition to it。 But I did have a laugh at the great wisdom that
so terribly slandered； condemned and forbade my New Testament；
when it was published under my name； but required its reading when
published under an other's name！ What type of virtue is this that
slanders and heaps shame on someone else's work； and then steals
it； and publishes it under one's own name； thereby seeking glory
and esteem through the slandered work of someone else！ I leave
that for his judge to say。 I am glad and satisfied that my work
（as St。 Paul also boasts ） is furthered by my enemies； and that
Luther's work； without Luther's name but that of his enemy； is to
be read。 What better vengeance？！
Returning to the issue at hand； if your Papist wishes to make a
great fuss about the word 〃alone〃 （sola）； say this to him： 〃Dr。
Martin Luther will have it so and he says that a papist and an ass
are the same thing。〃 Sic volo； sic iubeo； sit pro ratione
voluntas。 （I will it； I command it； my will is reason enough） For
we are not going to become students and followers of the papists。
Rather we will become their judge and master。 We； too； are going
to be proud and brag with these blockheads； and just as St。 Paul
brags against his madly raving saints； I will brag over these
asses of mine！ They are doctors？ Me too。 They are scholars？ I
am as well。 They are philosophers？ And I。 They are
dialecticians？ I am too。 They are lecturers？ So am I。 They
write books？ So do I。
I will go even further with my bragging： I can exegete the psalms
and the prophets； and they cannot。 I can translate； and they
cannot。 I can read Holy Scriptures； and they cannot。 I can pray；
they cannot。 Coming down to their level； I can do their
dialectics and philosophy better than all of them put together。
Plus I know that not one of them understands Aristotle。 If； in
fact； any one of them can correctly understand one part or chapter
of Aristotle； I will eat my hat！ No； I am not overdoing it for I
have been educated in and have practiced their science since my
childhood。 I recognize how broad and deep it is。 They； too； know
that everything they can do； I can do。 Yet they handle me like a
stranger in their discipline； these incurable fellows； as if I had
just arrived this morning and had never seen or heard what they
know and teach。 How they do so brilliantly parade around with
their science； teaching me what I grew beyond twenty years ago！
To all their shouting and screaming I join the harlot in singing：
〃I have known for seven years that horseshoe nails are iron。〃
So this can be the answer to your first question。 Please do not
give these asses any other answer to their useless braying about
that word 〃sola〃 than simply 〃Luther will have it so； and he says
that he is a doctor above all the papal doctors。〃 Let it remain
at that。 I will； from now on； hold them in contempt； and have
already held them in contempt； as long as they are the kind of
people that they are … asses； I should say。 And there are brazen
idiots among them who have never learned their own art of
sophistry … like Dr。 Schmidt and Snot…Nose； and such like them。
They set themselves against me in this matter； which not only
transcends sophistry； but as St。 Paul writes； all the wisdom and
understanding in the world as well。 An ass truly does not have to
sing much as he is already known for his ears。
For you and our people； however； I shall show why I used the word
〃sola〃 … even though in Romans 3 it wasn't 〃sola〃 I used but
〃solum〃 or 〃tantum〃。 That is how closely those asses have looked
at my text！ However； I have used 〃sola fides〃 in other places；
and I want to use both 〃solum〃 and 〃sola〃。 I have continually
tried translating in a pure and accurate German。 It has happened
that I have sometimes searched and inquired about a single word
for three or four weeks。 Sometimes I have not found it even then。
I have worked Meister Philip and Aurogallus so hard in translating
Job； sometimes barely translating 3 lines after four days。 Now
that it has been translated into German and completed； all can
read and criticize it。 One can now read three or four pages
without stumbling one time … without realizing just what rocks and
hindrances had once been where now one travels as as if over a
smoothly…cut plank。 We had to sweat and toil there before we
removed those rocks and hindrances； so one could go along nicely。
The plowing goes nicely in a clear field。 But nobody wants the
task of digging out the rocks and hindrances。 There is no such
thing as earning the world's thanks。 Even God cannot earn thanks；
not with the sun； nor with heaven and earth； or even the death of
his Son。 It just is and remains as it is； in the devil's name； as
it will not be anything else。
I also know that in Rom。 3； the word 〃solum〃 is not present in
either Greek or Latin text … the papists did not have to teach me
that … it is fact！ The letters s…o…l…a are not there。 And these
knotheads stare at them like cows at a new gate； while at the same
time they do not recognize that it conveys the sense of the text …
if the translation is to be clear and accurate； it belongs there。
I wanted to speak German since it was German I had spoken in
translation … not Latin or Greek。 But it is the nature of our
language that in speaking about two things； one which is affirmed；
the other denied； we use the word 〃solum〃 only along with the word
〃not〃 （nicht） or 〃no〃 （kein）。 For example； we say 〃the farmer
brings only （allein） grain and no money〃； or 〃No； I really have no
money； but only （allein） grain〃； I have only eaten and not yet
drunk〃； 〃Did you write it only and not read it over？〃 There are a
vast number of such everyday cases。
In all these phrases； this is a German usage； even though it is
not the Latin or Greek usage。 It is the nature of the German
tongue to add 〃allein〃 in order that 〃nicht〃 or 〃kein〃 may be
clearer and more complete。 To be sure； I can also say 〃The farmer
brings grain and no （kein） money； but the words 〃kein money〃 do
not sound as full and clear as if I were to say； 〃the farmer
brings allein grain and kein money。〃 Here the word 〃allein〃 helps
the word 〃kein〃 so much that it becomes a clear and complete
German expression。
We do not have to ask about the literal Latin or how we are to
speak German … as these asses do。 Rather we must ask the mother
in the home； the children on the street； the common person in the
market about this。 We must be guided by their tongue； the manner
of their speech； and do our translating accordingly。 Then they
will understand it and recognize that we are speaking German to
them。
For instance； Christ says： E