"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 | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Erasmus, Desiderius. (2026, January 15). 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. January 15, 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, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-the-generally-accepted-privilege-of-140818/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
