History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 1Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
History
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 1
Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
Reformation
What would become of the truth did not God raise up bolder champions
to defend it? The following is the advice which Erasmus gave to
Viglius Zuichem, (afterwards President of the Supreme Court at
Brussels,) as to the manner in which he ought to conduct himself
towards the sectaries--(this was the name by which he had already
begun to designate the Reformers)--"My friendship for you makes me
desirous that you should keep far aloof from the contagion of the
sects, and not furnish them with any pretext for saying, 'Zuichem is
ours.' If you approve their doctrine, at least disguise it, and, above
all, do not enter into discussion with them. A lawyer should finesse
with these people as a dying man once did with the devil. The devil
asked him, 'What believest thou?' The dying man, afraid that if he
made a confession of his faith, he might be surprised into some
heresy, replied, 'What the Church believes.' The devil rejoined, 'What
does the Church believe?' The man again replied, 'What I believe.' The
devil, once more, 'And what dost thou believe?'--'What the Church
believes.'"[112] Duke George of Saxony, a mortal enemy of Luther,
receiving an equivocal answer from Erasmus to a question which he had
put to him, said, "My dear Erasmus, wash the fur for me, and do not
merely wet it." Secundus Curio, in one of his works, describes two
heavens--the Papistical and the Christian heaven. He does not find
Erasmus in either, but discovers him moving constantly between them in
endless circles.
[112] Erasm. Ep. 274.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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