“Now therefore I return to St. Paul, who uses these expressions ‘Ye suffer fools gladly,’ applying it to himself; and again, ‘As a fool receive me,’ and ‘That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly’; and in another place, ‘We are fools for Christ’s sake.’ See how these commendations of Folly are equal to the author of them, both great and sacred. The same holy person does yet enjoin and command the being a fool, as a virtue of all others most requisite and necessary: for, says he, ‘If any man seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.’... “Nor may this seem strange in comparison to what is yet farther delivered by St. Paul, who adventures to attribute something of Folly even to the all-wise God himself, ‘The foolishness of God (says he) is wiser than men’ ... wherein is to be understood that other passage of St. Paul, ‘The preaching of the cross to them that perish, is foolishness.’ But why do I put myself to the trouble of citing so many proofs, since this one may suffice for all, namely, that in those mystical psalms wherein David represents the type of Christ, it is there acknowledged by our Saviour, in way of confession, that even he himself was guilty of Folly; ‘thou (says he) O God knowest my foolishness?’ Nor is it without some reason that fools for their plainness and sincerity of heart have always been most acceptable to God Almighty.... So our Saviour in like manner dislikes and condemns the wise and crafty, as St. Paul does expressly declare in these words, ‘God hath chosen the foolish things of the world’; and again, ‘it pleased God by foolishness to save the world’; implying that by wisdom it could never have been saved. Nay, God himself testifies as much when he speaks by the mouth of his prophet, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the learned.’ Again, our Saviour does solemnly return his Father thanks for that he had ‘hidden the mysteries of salvation from the wise, and revealed them to babes,’ i. e. to fools.” The book ends with these words, “I hate a pot-companion with a good memory: so indeed I hate a hearer that will carry anything away with him. Wherefore in short, farewell: be jolly, live long, drink deep, ye most illustrious votaries of Folly.” It is said that Luther was repelled by this book. I do not wonder. Erasmus would seem to be as far removed from the spirit of Protestantism as from that of mediæval Catholicism. Has Erasmus, perhaps without wholly realizing the fact himself, stepped quite outside the traditional Christian system of beliefs and values into a world-view which is partly that of the ancient philosophies and partly that of the eighteenth century Rationalist? I do not know. He is certainly a liberal in matters of religion, but unlike our contemporary liberals, he shows little interest in natural science.