The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

points; and God grant that his success may be equal to the liberty which he
hath taken." 51 In reply to a letter from Luther himself, Erasmus calls him
his dearest brother in Christ, speaks of the excitement his works had
produced at Louvain, and that he had advised the Divines of that
University to answer them instead of railing against them. Though he had
told them that he had not read those works, yet he owns that he had
perused part of his Commentaries upon the Psalms, that he liked them
much, and hoped they might be very serviceable. "There is a Prior of a
Monastery at Antwerp, a true Christian, who loves you extremely, and
was, as he relates, formerly a disciple of yours. He is almost the only one
that preacheth Jesus Christ, whilst others preach human fables, and seek
after lucre. The Lord Jesus grant you, from day to day, an increase of his
Spirit, for his glory and for the public good." 52 In a letter to the Elector of
Mentz, (1519,) he had the courage to apologize openly enough for Luther;
declines taking sides, but lashes the monks, and plainly justifies the
beginnings of the Reformation. 53 In the same year, he wrote a letter to
Frederic of Saxony, highly favorable to Luther. 54 As the storm advanced,
however, Erasmus grew more timid and sensitive to the reproaches which
the enemies of Luther directed against all who showed any moderation or
candor in regard to him. When the thunder of the Vatican rolled over
Luther's head, Erasmus thought all was ruined, and, in a very oracular
manner, told his friends that all the disaster came of not following his
advice, to be mild, conciliating, and cautious, to be every thing, in short,
which all men now see would have left the Church and the world precisely
where they were. Erasmus spent the rest of his life, in the miserable
condition of every man who is striving to compound between his
convictions and his fears, too acute to miss the truth, and too selfish to
confess it. He did not take open grounds against the Evangelical doctrines;
even the apologetic letter he wrote the Pope, showed that he was not very
cordially
51 Quoted by Jortin, Life of Erasmus, London, 1728, 4to, p. 156.
52 Do., p. 166.
53 Do., p. 202.
54 Seckendorf, Historia Lutheranismi, 1. i., p. 96.