SECT. 21. The Fathers are not to be set on a level with Christ; their decisions have no authority but from the word.
With the same sort of wariness, in the next place, you suggest that we should not make public declarations in opposition to anything which may have been determined wrongly in general councils, lest we give a handle for despising the authority of the Fathers.
This you say to please the Pope, who hears it with more pleasure than he does the Gospel. He is ungrateful in the extreme if he does not, in return, honour you with a cardinal’s hat and revenues! Meanwhile, what is to become of those souls who have been fettered and slain by the unrighteous decree? Is this nothing to you?
Why, you always feel, or pretend to feel, that the statutes of men may be observed without any danger, in coincidence with the pure word of God. If they could, I would readily accord with this proposition of yours. So then, if you are still ignorant, I will again inform you that ‘human statutes cannot be observed in conjunction with the word of God.’ For the former statutes bind men’s consciences; the latter word looses them; and they fight one another like fire and water, unless the former are kept freely — that is, as unbinding statutes. This is a thing very contrary to the Pope’s will. And it must be so, unless he wishes to destroy and put an end to his own kingdom, which is only kept by ensnaring and fettering men’s consciences, while the Gospel declares them to be free. The authority of the Fathers, then, must be set aside, and all bad decrees must be torn in pieces, and thrown to the dogs. I include with these, all such determinations that are not warranted by the word of God; for Christ’s authority is of another sort than that of the Fathers. In short, if your statement comprehends the word of God, then it is a wicked one. If it is confined to other writings, then your verbose discussion of the sentiment which you recommend is nothing to me; my assertions respect the word of God only. 142
SECT. 22. Injuriousness of certain paradoxes, ‘all things are by necessity;’ ‘God is all in all.’
In the last part of your Preface, you seriously dissuade us from this sort of doctrine, and fancy that you have almost succeeded. What is more injurious, you ask, than that this paradox be published to the world: that whatever is done by us is not done by Freewill, but by mere necessity?
And what of that saying of Augustine’s, that ‘God works both good and evil in us; that he rewards his own good works in us, and punishes his own bad works in us’? Here you are rich in giving, or rather, in demanding reasons. What window will this saying open to impiety, if it is commonly published among men? What wicked man will correct his life? Who will think he is loved by God? Who will strive against his flesh?
I am surprised that in this mighty vehemence and agony of yours, you did not remember your cause, and ask, What then will become of Freewill? Let me also become a speaker in my turn, Erasmus, and I will ask you this: If you account these paradoxes to be the invention of men, then why dispute? Why boil with rage? Whom are you opposing them? Is there a man in all the world, today, who has more vehemently inveighed against the dogmas of men, than Luther has done? So that, this admonition of yours is nothing to me. But, if you believe these paradoxes to be the word of God, then what face have you? 143 What modesty have you? Where is now — I will not say that usual sobriety of Erasmus, but — that fearful reverence which is due to the true God, when you assert, that nothing can be affirmed more unprofitably than this word of God? What! I suppose your Creator is to learn from his creature what is useful to be preached, and what is not? Yes, this foolish and ill-advised God, has not known up to now what is expedient to be taught. But now at last his master Erasmus will prescribe to him the manner in which he would be wise, and in which he should deliver his commands! Truly, God would have been ignorant if you had not taught him that your inference follows upon His paradox!
If God, then, has been willing to have such things spoken openly and spread abroad among the common people, without regard to consequences, then who are you that you should forbid him?
Paul the Apostle explicitly declares the same things in his Epistle to the Romans, open-mouthed — not in a corner, but publicly and before the whole world, in even harsher words. He says, “Whom he will, he hardens.” (Rom 9.18.) And again, “God willing to make his wrath known.” (Rom 9.22) What is harsher — to the flesh, I mean — than that saying of Christ, “Many are called, but few chosen.” (Mat 22.14) And again, “I know whom I have chosen.” (Joh 13.18) 144 All these sayings, truly, if we listen to your suggestions, are among the most injurious that can be conceived, because they are the instruments by which ungodly men fall gradually 145 into desperation, hatred of God, and blasphemy.
Here, as I perceive it, you reckon that the truth and usefulness of Scripture are to be weighed and decided by the judgment of men, and these men are none other than the most ungodly. So that, whatever they are pleased with and consider tolerable, that is true, divine, and salutary. And what is otherwise in their eyes, is straightway useless, false, and pernicious. What do you propose by this counsel, but that God’s words should be dependent on the will and authority of men, so as to stand or fall by them? Whereas the Scripture, on the other hand, says that everything stands or falls by the will and authority of God. Indeed, that “all the earth must keep silence before the face of the Lord.” (Hab 2.20) To speak as you do, a man must imagine the living God is nothing but some light and ignorant sort of Ranter, declaiming in a rostrum — whose words you are at liberty, if you choose, to interpret anyhow you please, accepting or rejecting them according to the emotions or affections which you see produced by them in wicked men.
You clearly show here, my Erasmus, how sincere you were before, in persuading us to respect the awful majesty of the divine judgments. When the question was about the dogmas of Scripture, there was no need to call for reverence towards them on the ground of their being shut up and hidden from view, because there are none of this sort. In words of great solemnity, you threatened us with Corycian caves,146 lest we break in curiously. This nearly deterred us by fear, from reading Scripture at all — that very Scripture which Christ and his Apostles, and elsewhere even your own pen, so greatly urge and persuade us to study! But here, when we have actually arrived not only at the dogmas of Scripture, and at the Corycian cave, but truly at the awful secrets of the divine majesty — to wit, why God works in the manner which has been mentioned — here, I say, you break through bolts and bars, and rush forwards with all but blasphemies in your mouth, showing all possible indignation against God, because you are not permitted to see the design and arrangement of such a judgment of His! 147
Why do you not also pretend obscurities and ambiguities here? Why do you not both restrain yourself, and deter others, from prying into those things which God has willed to be kept secret from us, and has not published in his word? You should have laid your hand upon your mouth here, revering the unrevealed mystery, adoring the secret counsels of the Divine Majesty, and exclaiming with Paul, “No, but, O man, who are you that replies against God?” (Rom 9.20)
SECT. 23. Answers to Erasmus’ objectionary questions, who will take pains, etc.? Two reasons why these things should be preached.
You say, ‘who will take pains to correct his life?’ I answer, no man; nor will anyone even be able to do so. For God pays no regard to your amenders of life, who do not have the Spirit since they are but hypocrites. But the elect and godly will be amended by the Holy Spirit: the rest will perish unamended. For Augustine does not say that the good works of none will be crowned, nor that the good works of all will be crowned; but that the good works of some are crowned. There will be some, therefore, who amend their life. You say, ‘Who will believe that he is beloved of God?’ I answer, no man will believe so, or be able to believe so;
