Indulgences only gave comfort to loved ones still living. The people came to realize that the church could not save Christians of good faith and deeds. .
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Erasmus of Rotterdam, illegitimate son of a priest, was born on October 27, 1466. He was well cared for, and supported by both parents until their deaths. Erasmus became a great influence in the Renaissance era, no matter what surrounded the circumstances his birth. He received a humanistic education in the at a Netherlands school that stressed inward spirituality and devotion to Christ. His devotion to his religious studies resulted in the opportunity to work as the secretary to the bishop of Cambrai. Erasmus became an ordained priest in 1492, but his desire to continue his education led him to leave the bishop.
In 1495, he began work on a doctor's degree in theology at the University of Paris. Four years later he befriended two humanists, John Colet and Thomas More. Disappointed with the educational techniques Erasmus found in Paris, he abandoned the scholastic method and studied the scriptures. His travels took him to places like Italy. Here, he viewed sacred sites, visiting libraries, learning Greek, and meeting scholars. Erasmus became the most influential of all Christian humanists. Erasmus found himself disappointed, yet again. This time it was the morality of the papal establishment and the common people's overwhelming superstitions. "Erasmus" concept was that Christianity should be a guiding philosophy for the direction of daily life, rather than the system of dogmatic beliefs and practices that medieval church stressed, which he called "the philosophy of Christ". (Pg 362 WH) Erasmus published a pamphlet called "Praise of Folly", where he questioned the shrines and miracles along with the superstition. In addition, he found only one explanation for the success of the priests: the stupidity, ignorance, and gullibility of the believers.