Protest

=Protest Aganist the Church =

 Erasmus was infuriated with the abuse of the Roman Catholic Church, especially those of the clergy. These abuses are described in great detail in the satire of his book, //The Praise of Folly//. Erasmus saw the leaders of his Church abusing their powers, and he attempted to drive the popes, cardinals, and bishops back to the earlier, purer days of the Church. In //Julius Exclusis//, he mocked Pope Julius II and accused him of corruption. He saw the Church leaders desiring too much power and thought that the leaders sacrificed their spiritual duties for greed and lust and were an insult to Christianity. Although Erasmus called for the reform of the Roman Catholic Church, he simply wanted moral reform. He did not want to leave the church and remained supportive of the Pope. Erasmus did not have a high view of Scripture. Erasmus was a Renaissance rationalist. He placed reason above Scripture, therefore the truth of Scripture was not that important to him.