Luther appreciated the importance of Reuchlin's work, and wrote to him shortly after the defeat of the Dominican monks as follows: "The Lord has been at work in you, that the light of holy Scripture might begin to shine in that Germany where for so many years, alas! it was not only stifled but entirely extinct."

(c.) ERASMUS.

Erasmus was, perhaps, the acutest scholar of his day. In his early youth he exhibited unusual precocity, and gave promise of future distinction. When a young pupil at Deventer, he was one day enthusiastically embraced by his teacher with these words, "You will one day attain the highest summit of knowledge." Agricola, who saw him at the age of twelve years, was so impressed by the young scholar's appearance that he said to him, "You will one day become a great man." These predictions were fulfilled.

Erasmus was born at Rotterdam, in 1467. Having been left an orphan at an early age, he was placed in a convent by his guardians with a view, it is said, of seizing upon his patrimony. Though life in a monastery was distasteful to him beyond measure, he prosecuted his studies with extraordinary zeal. He made considerable attainments in Greek, which he taught himself, while his Latin was as polished as Cicero's. Having been sent to the University of Paris by the Archbishop of Cambray, he studied theology and literature with great success. Afterward he traveled in England, France, and Germany, everywhere receiving the homage accorded to native genius and vast acquirements. In Italy tempting positions were offered him by the pope and by mem

bers of the papal court; but, rejecting all overtures that might compromise his independence, he located at Basel, in the hope of learned leisure and retirement. In this he was disappointed; for he was dragged into religious controversies, which cost him his popularity and peace of mind, and filled his latter days with bitterness.

Erasmus contributed to the Reformation in several ways. At a time of religious persecution, he preached a tolerance far in advance of his day. He advocated orthodoxy in Christian life rather than in speculative theology. "Let us have done," he says, "with theological refinements. There is an excuse for the fathers, because the heretics forced them to define particular points; but every definition is a misfortune, and for us to persevere in the same way is sheer folly. Is no man to be admitted to grace who does not know how the Father differs from the Son, and both from the Spirit? or how the nativity of the Son differs from the procession of the Spirit? Unless I forgive my brother his sins against me, God will not forgive me my sins. Unless I have a pure heart-unless I put away envy, hate, pride, avarice, lust-I shall not see God. But a man is not damned because he can not tell whether the Spirit has one principle or two. Has he the fruits of the Spirit? That is the question. Is he patient, kind, good, gentle, modest, temperate, chaste? Inquire if you will, but do not define. True religion is peace, and we can not have peace unless we leave the conscience unshackled on obscure points on which certainty is impossible."

The most valuable service that Erasmus rendered the Reformation was his publication of the New Testament in Greek. It was a scholarly work, and one of the most

beautiful fruits of the revival of letters. The work was undertaken in the interests of a purer Christianity. "It is my desire," he said, in his preface, " to lead back that cold dispute about words called theology to its real fountain. Would to God that this work may bear as much fruit to Christianity as it has cost me toil and application !"

Though accomplishing no little for the purification of the Church, Erasmus was by no means qualified to become a thorough reformer. He lacked courage and heroic devotion to truth. "As to me," he confessed frankly, "I have no inclination to risk my life for the truth. We have not all strength for martyrdom; and, if trouble come, I shall imitate St. Peter. Popes and emperors must settle creeds. If they settle them well, so much the better; if ill, I shall keep on the safe side." To this confession corresponded his conduct when the conflicts of the Reformation began. He avoided taking a positive stand. Finally, by his indecision and duplicity, he lost the confidence of both Lutherans and Romanists, and exposed himself to bitter attacks from both parties.

In his numerous writings, Erasmus has repeatedly touched upon educational topics. He always displays keenness of penetration and soundness of judgment. He thus inveighs against the superficial imitation of Cicero then prevalent: "You are charged," he says to the Ciceronians, "with a very difficult task; for, besides the errors of language that have escaped Cicero, the copyists have sown his works with a multitude of mistakes, and many of the writings attributed to this author are not authentic. Finally, his verses translated from

the Greek are worth nothing. And you would imitate all that, the good and the bad, the authentic and the non-authentic! Certainly, your imitation is very superficial; it is unworthy of your master. Your imitation is servile, cold, and dead, without life, without movement, without feeling; it is an apishness in which one discovers none of the virtues that have made the glory of Cicero, such as his happy inspiration, the intelligent disposition of his subjects, the wisdom with which he treats each subject, his large acquaintance with men and affairs, and his ability to move those who hear him. These are what should be imitated in Cicero; and, in order to imitate him, we must, like him, identify ourselves with the age in which we live, that we may be able to adapt our language to it; otherwise, our speech has no longer that seal of reality which animated the discourse of Cicero."

In reference to reading an author in class, Erasmus says: "The teacher ought to explain only what is strictly necessary for understanding the author; he ought to resist the temptation of making on every occasion a display of his knowledge. The end of this rule is to concentrate the attention of the pupil upon his author, to bring him into contact with him. Too many digressions break the force of the author, and prevent the pupil from feeling and enjoying that inspiration, so well suited to quicken him who breathes it freely."

Erasmus advocated the study of history, geography, natural history, and agriculture. In doing so, he was in advance of his time. Yet he found the worth of these studies, not in themselves, but in the light they would throw upon classic literature. Luther, who was probably the first to recognize the intrinsic worth of the natural

sciences, says: "We are at the dawn of a new era, for we are beginning to recover the knowledge of the external world that we had lost since the fall of Adam. Erasmus is indifferent to it; he does not care to know how fruit is developed from the germ. But, by the grace of God, we already recognize in the most delicate flower the wonders of divine goodness and the omnipotence of God. We see in his creatures the power of his word. He commanded, and the thing stood fast. See that force display itself in the stone of a peach. It is very hard, and the germ that it incloses is very tender; but, when the moment has come, the stone must open to let out the young plant that God calls into life. Erasmus passes by all that, takes no account of it, and looks upon external objects as cows look upon a new gate."

2. THE RELATION OF THE REFORMATION TO EDUCATION.

(A.) THE CONDITION OF THE CHURCH.

After the foregoing sketch of concurring circum stances, particularly of the revival of letters, we return to the Reformation itself. In order to appreciate fully its great influence upon education, it is necessary to have a clear conception of the sad condition of the Church and schools at the opening of the sixteenth century. In our study of humanism, we have seen the skepticism prevailing at the court of Leo X., and the ignorance and vice existing in the monasteries. The same unnatural and ruinous elements were found in all ranks of the Church. It was a time of great moral and intellectual