After a momentary pause, Eck continued--"There is in the church of God a primacy derived from Jesus Christ himself. The church militant is an image of the church triumphant. But the latter is a monarchical hierarchy, rising step by step up to the sole head, who is God, and, accordingly, Christ has established the same gradation upon earth. What kind of monster should the Church be if she were without a head!"[96]... [96] "Nam quod monstrum esset, Ecclesiam esse acephalam!" (L. Op. Lat. i, p. 243.) _Luther_, (_turning towards the audience_).--"The doctor is correct in saying that the universal Church must have a head. If there is any one here who maintains the contrary, let him stand up? the remark does not at all apply to me." _Eck._--"If the Church militant has never been without a monarch, I should like to know who that monarch is, if he is not the pontiff of Rome?" _Luther._--"The head of the Church militant is not a man, but Jesus Christ himself. This I believe on the testimony of God." "_Christ_," says the Scripture, "_must reign until he has put_ ALL HIS ENEMIES _under his feet_."[97] "We cannot therefore listen to those who would confine Christ to the Church triumphant in heaven. His reign is a reign of faith. We cannot see our Head, and yet we have him."[98] [97] I Cor. xv, 25. [98] "Prorsus audiendi non sunt qui Christum extra Ecclesiam militantem tendunt in triumphantem, cum sit regnum fidei. Caput nostrum non videmus; tamen habemus." (L. Op. Lat. i, p. 243.) Eck, not admitting that he was beaten, had recourse to other arguments, and resumed, "According to St. Cyprian, sacerdotal unity is derived from Rome."[99] [99] "Unde sacerdotalis unitas exorta est." (Ibid.) _Luther._--"Granted in regard to the Western Church. But is not the Church of Rome herself a descendant of the Church of Jerusalem, which is properly the mother and nurse of all the churches?"[100] [100] Hæc est matrix proprie omnium ecclesiarum. (Ibid. 244.) [Sidenote: THE PRIMACY OF ROME. EQUALITY OF BISHOPS.] _Eck._--"St. Jerome declares, that unless an extraordinary power, superior to all other powers, is given to the pope, churches will have as many schisms as pontiffs."[101] [101] Cui si non exors quædam et ab omnibus eminens detur potestas. (Ibid. 243.) _Luther._--"_Granted_, that is to say, this power might, by human authority, be attributed to the Roman pontiff, provided all the faithful consent to it.[102] And, in like manner, I, for my part, deny not that if all the faithful throughout the world were to concur in acknowledging the bishop, either of Rome, or of Paris, or of Magdeburg, as prime and sovereign pontiff, it would be necessary to acknowledge him as such in deference to this universal consent of the Church. The thing, however, never has been, and never will be seen. Even in our own day does not the Greek Church refuse her assent to Rome?"