Johannis Slechta

From The Platonic Renaissance in England, 1932 by Ernst Cassirer

...       When John Slechta in the year 1519 asked his opinion regarding the religious disputes in Bohemia, Erasmus's reply follows the same lines (etc).

In my opinion, many could be reconciled with the Roman Church if, instead of wishing to fix and define every little detail, we were to let that suffice which is clearly commanded in Scripture and is indispensable to salvation. But these things are few in number. Nowadays, however, we make out of one article six hundred—and some of these are such as could be readily passed over or doubted without any loss of piety. If anyone wants to find fault with the divine nature, the hypostasis of Christ, or any abstruse matters concerning the sacraments, let him do so ; only let him not try to force his opinions upon others. For the more we pile up definitions, the more we lay the foundations of controversy, because the nature of mortals is such that when a thing has been once established they cling to it stubbornly. By these and innumerable other fine-sun arguments, of which some are proud, the minds of men are called away from those things which alone are at issue.¹

      ¹ See Erasmus�s letter to Johannis Slechta, 1 Nov. 1519, in Allen, op. cit., vol. IV, pp. 113-19. [Works of Erasmus, ed.. P. S. Allen.]

Die platonische Renaissance in England und die Schule von Cambridge, 1932.
English translation by James Pettegrove.
Austin : University of Texas Press 1953, pp. 19-20.