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Erasmus' letter to the Faculty of Theology at Paris, February 1526. The Latin
text is taken from P.S. Allen,
"Opus Epistolarum Des. Erasmi Roterodami", Vol. VI,
Oxford University Press, 1926. Re-issued 1992.
This is one of several letters showing the increasingly bitter relations between Erasmus and the Faculty of Theology of Paris. The Faculty, urged on by its syndic, Noel Beda, was moving towards a formal condemnation of Erasmus writings, particularly his Paraphrase on Luke and the Colloquies. Erasmus was working outside the theological establishment as a humanist and philologist. So at the heart of the dispute was the theologians' belief that Erasmus was quite unqualified to criticise the Church or to translate scripture. They saw his works as trouble-making, divisive and potentially heretical.
Erasmus of Rotterdam send greetings to the most sacred Faculty of Theology at Paris. Honoured fathers and masters, two critical documents have been sent to me from there, of which one was produced jointly by Noel Beda and William de Duchesne, and the other by Beda himself that he showed to the parliamentary senate - it regards my work on Luke. The first, which he later expanded, has a preface with certain phrases from judicial formulae: "I, Noel Beda" and "having solely the fear of God before me". Then there follow many annoying comments saying that my doctrine is in many places "erroneous"and "shameless contrary to good custom", that in very many places it is even "schismatic", that it has impiously diminishmed sacred religious observance" and he even uses such phrases as "a pestilential draught" etc. If he had written about these and other such matters to me privately, I would have been grateful to him, both for his correct criticisms and those that were wrong. Now these censures, which are so hateful are flying about where you are through the agency of people I don't know; and there are very many who think that they have been produced with the agreement of your College, although that is far from the case. I certainly would have thought that either William de Duchesne had so little time that he read my work in haste, or that he didn't have patience for a thorough perusal: but I think that he signed the criticisms for the sake of his friend. But William has gone to his own place, and like the proverb, we ought to remember the living. I reckon that not even Beda read everything, but that the different numbers by which the pages are indicated prove that part of the work was distributed to others. Still, this makes no difference, since thereafter Beda acknowledges the annotations. And so I have replied with a few words to things one at a time, forced to guess what offended him; by this you will certainly judge whether the censured parts correspond to those savage words of his which he ahs in his preface. Beda seems indeed to me to be a good man. But even good men have their weaknesses; they make allowances enough for their own studies, but are more ill-disposed to others; they yield to those who stir things up, and they believe those who bring false charges. In short, good men are also men. Certainly he shows a mortal and frank hatred of language and human letters; and for this reason, perhaps, he is rather an unfair critic of my work. For myself, I profess nothing except that I wrote what I did with a sincere intention and eager to promote Christian piety. And so if there is anything of error in it, it springs either from ignorance or human carelessness. I shall not take up any of Beda's criticisms, except that if this man or that one introduces contentious teaching,against Church law, he should not dictate to me, saying that I am not allowed to deal with holy scripture in words which the orthodox Fathers used to use, without injury to the understanding of the Church; or if it seems that there is anything either in my writings or another person's which is close to error, that it should not immediately be seized in suspicion: especially if it is clear from other parts of my work what my opinion is. Then let him not call it schismatic if anything is said in my work against bad bishops and that sort of thing; would that the world were full of bishops of the kind that Paul describes! Also, he should not shout loudly that I have detracted from religious sanctity if anywhere I remind monks in what things there is true piety. For nowhere do I condemn the monastic state, only those who do not live up to it well enough. Nor should he wish it to seem that I spoke against all theologians instead of against just those who bear that name but fall short of being worthy of it; would that the world had none such as those! Certainly I respect this class of people and will do so as long as I live. Finally, he should not claim shamelessly that I am against good custom, if I say anything against superstition or a practice which has stealthily crept into people's customs. The greater the authority of theologians, the more their judgements ought to be properly considered, and not only that, but also indeed, fair and honest. Although this criticism does not originate from the college with your consent, still since William de Duchesne and Noel Beda are held pre-eminent within it, most people infer your opinion from theirs. As far as languages and polite letters are concerned, I know that you in your wisdom do not need my scheme; however, it seems to me that no little dignity and ornament would accrue to your profession if the queen of studies, theology, would admit in a friendly way followers into her service. That which some of you call new is old: joining the skill of languages and polite letters to the profession of theology. And if there are those who should hold that with the humanities, impious teachings follow, it is not fair to attribute the faults of individual people to those disciplines which are good, natural accomplishments and which have previously been no little use to the Catholic Church. I write this on account of certain senior men who are ill-disposed to these studies, which did not touch on them in youth. May the Lord keep you all from harm, fathers and teachers, whom I respect greatly and to whose piety I keenly desire to be commended. At Basel, the day after the feast of St. Agatha. The year after Christ's birth 1526.
Translated by Ealasaid Gilfillan. 17.07.05 |
This map shows the Latin Quarter of Paris, with its
university colleges in 1615. Here was the famous home of theology, the
Sorbonne.