[4] Erasmus also wrote to Oecolampadius, "Of Melanchthon I have already the highest opinion, and cherish the most magnificent hopes: so much so, that I am persuaded Christ designs this youth to excel us all: _he will totally eclipse Erasmus!_" In a letter to Julius Pflug, he says: "He not only excels in learning and eloquence, but by a certain fatality is a _general favorite_. Honest and candid men are fond of him, _and even his adversaries cannot hate him_!" [5] It may be mentioned here, that John Agricola, of Eisleben, who was engaged on the Lutheran side, afterwards became an opponent of the Reformation; and John Poliander, the amanuensis of Eck, attached himself to Luther at the close of the disputation, and afterwards preached the Gospel in Prussia.--_Seckendorf. Hist. Luther_, Book I., page 230. [6] This term applied to the faculty of Theology at Paris. The College of the University in which they assembled was called the house of the Sorbonne, which was first erected and endowed in the year 1250, by a wealthy favorite of St. Louis, whose name was Robert de Sorbonne. This Theological faculty enjoyed the highest repute at that time. [7] Karlstadt was heard to say, that "he wished to be as great a man and as much thought of as Luther;" for which he was properly reproved by Melanchthon, who reminded him, "that such language could only proceed from a spirit of emulation, envy, and pride."--_Seckendorf._ [8] Luther's principal assistants in this work were Philip Melanchthon, Caspar Cruciger, Justus Jonas, John Bugenhagen, or Pomeranus, and Matthew Aurogallus;--the corrector of the press was George Rorarius.--_Seckendorf._ We are also told in Adams, that Bugenhagen constantly kept the anniversary of the day on which this work was finished, with a select party of friends at his own house. This social meeting was called "The festival of the translation of the Scriptures." [9] Henry von Zuetphen preached the gospel in Ditmars, a county of Holstein. He was seized by the enraged priests, and after having been beaten and stabbed, and covered with more than twenty wounds, was cast into the fire. He suffered martyrdom with most heroic calmness. Luther published the history of this martyr.--_Seckendorf._