absolution traffic; for having a low opinion of mendicant orders, and for
respecting scholastic opinions less than the gospels. All this is
considered intolerable heresy."

Erasmus, however, was offending both parties. A swarm of monks were
already buzzing about him for the bold language of his Commentaries and
Dialogues. He was called Erasmus for his errors--Arasmus because he
would plough up sacred things--Erasinus because he had written himself an
ass--Behemoth, Antichrist, and many other names of similar import.
Luther was said to have bought the deadly seed in his barn. The egg had
been laid by Erasmus, hatched by Luther. On the other hand, he was
reviled for not taking side manfully with the reformer. The moderate man
received much denunciation from zealots on either side. He soon clears
himself, however, from all suspicions of Lutheranism. He is appalled at
the fierce conflict which rages far and wide. He becomes querulous as
the mighty besom sweeps away sacred dust and consecrated cobwebs. "Men
should not attempt every thing at once," he writes, "but rather step by
step. That which men can not improve they must look at through the
fingers. If the godlessness of mankind requires such fierce physicians
as Luther, if man can not be healed with soothing ointments and cooling
drinks, let us hope that God will comfort, as repentant, those whom he
has punished as rebellious. If the dove of Christ--not the owl of
Minerva--would only fly to us, some measure might be put to the madness
of mankind."

Meantime the man, whose talk is not of doves and owls, the fierce
physician, who deals not with ointments and cooling draughts, strides
past the crowd of gentle quacks to smite the foul disease. Devils,
thicker than tiles on house-tops, scare him not from his work. Bans and
bulls, excommunications and decrees, are rained upon his head. The