"It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is, the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide"
About this Quote
The phrase “generally accepted privilege” is the dagger wrapped in etiquette. He’s not only accusing theologians of distortion; he’s mocking the culture that grants them permission to do it. The target is a medieval scholastic habit of turning sacred text into an elastic proof-machine, where ingenuity counts more than fidelity. Erasmus, a Christian humanist steeped in philology, wanted a return to sources: Scripture in original languages, read with moral seriousness and rhetorical clarity, not as a playground for hair-splitting. So the insult has a reformer’s purpose: delegitimize a whole style of authority.
Context sharpens the bite. Writing on the eve of the Reformation, Erasmus is threading a needle - attacking clerical intellectual excess without torching the Church outright. His satire functions as pressure-release and warning. Keep stretching the text until it fits everything, and it ends up meaning nothing - except that the stretcher is in charge.
Quote Details
| Topic | Bible |
|---|---|
| Source | Verified source: The Praise of Folly (Desiderius Erasmus, 1509)
Evidence: As if it were not the common privilege of divines to stretch heaven, that is Holy Writ, like a cheverel; (Section criticizing theologians/divines; exact page varies by edition). This quotation is from Erasmus's Moriae Encomium (The Praise of Folly), an oration/satirical declamation composed in 1509 and first published in 1511. The widely circulated modern wording, "It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is, the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide," appears to be a later paraphrase or translation variant, not the earliest verifiable English wording. A reliable early English translation on Project Gutenberg gives the line as: "As if it were not the common privilege of divines to stretch heaven, that is Holy Writ, like a cheverel;" A 'cheverel' is soft kidskin leather, which explains how later versions became "like tanners with a hide." So the primary source is Erasmus's own work, The Praise of Folly, not a later quotation collection. Other candidates (1) Praise of Folly (Desiderius Erasmus, 2004) compilation96.0% Desiderius Erasmus. your eyes by setting myself above them . " However , a little later he appears to ... it's the ge... |
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Erasmus, Desiderius. (2026, March 11). It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is, the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-the-generally-accepted-privilege-of-140818/
Chicago Style
Erasmus, Desiderius. "It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is, the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide." FixQuotes. March 11, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-the-generally-accepted-privilege-of-140818/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is, the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide." FixQuotes, 11 Mar. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-the-generally-accepted-privilege-of-140818/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
