THE REFORMATION IN EUROPE 333

there are few dogmas and each individual is left to form
his own opinion upon many matters." He wrote a book
entitled " The Praise of Folly " in which he fearlessly ridi-
culed the corrupt practices and weaknesses of the monks
and theologians. The effect of its publication was so great
that people said that 'the jokes of Erasmus did the Pope
more harm than even the anger of Luther/ However, his
intention was not to ridicule, but only to reform.

But by far the most consequential among the reformers
of this age was Martin Luther (1483—1546). He was an
Augustinian friar and professor at Wittenberg. When he
first entered the monastic life he was full of enthusiasm for
the Church. " Now/' he said, " I felt born again, and it
seemed to me as though heaven's gates stood full open be-
fore me, and I was joyfully entering therein." But when
he visited Rome he was staggered with disillusionment. The
Pope had sunk to the level of, the Italian princes; and the
clergy showed no more piety or morality than the neo-pagan
humanists of the Renaissance. ' They struggled to recover
and enlarge the papal states; they sought to secure princi-
palities and heiresses for their nephews, who were not in-
frequently their sons; they entered into alliances and waged
wars, sometimes themselves donning armour and leading
their troops; they patronised the scholars and artists of the
new era, and smiled at their open assaults on the Christian
religion and their flagrant immoralities; they rebuilt and
beautified Rome, using for the purpose the contributions of
the faithful of all lands/ The earnest and devout soul of
Luther revolted against this, and especially at the abuse and
sale of " Indulgences "—a sordid device for exploiting the
faithful and enriching the churchmen. Consequently, he
denounced the " pietism " of sinners who were not " justified
by faith." " If the Pope/' he cried out, " releases souls from