monasticism and contemporary corruption, in his Novum
instrumentum omne on contemporary ecclesiastical practises
and in Julius Exclusus about the “warrior
pope” Julius II.? Despite having written these, Erasmus was
no reformer and was merely counting the hostages to fortune left
by the church as opposed to actually acting on them.? His attack
on Luther in Diatribo de libero arbitrio ?never left his
adherence to the old church in doubt.? Although Erasmus believed
in the philosophia Christi, and famously said that
“monkery is not piety”, attacks on him soon gave way
to attacks on Luther by the theologians of the Carmelites,
Dominicans and Fransiscans who were notably offended by his
attacks on the monastic movement. Ultimately, the church left itself in a vulnerable position
and open to attacks, but it was usually satisfying to its
members.