boasts the title of philosopher cannot be called a Christian." "The Moloch to which the Jews offered up their children, are the higher schools (hohen Schulen = universities), in which the best part of youth is sacrificed as a burnt offering. There they are instructed in false heathen art and godless human knowledge: this is the fire of Moloch which no one can weep over enough, through which the most pious and most clever boys are miserably ruined."[1] "The higher schools all deserve to be ground to dust; nothing more hellish, nothing more devilish has appeared on earth, nor will ever appear. These schools have been invented by no one else than the devil."[2] Luther hated the universities because they exalted reason, "the light of nature", too much. To Luther reason is only "the devil's bride, a beautiful prostitute of the devil."[3] "Human reason is sheer darkness." The faithful strangle reason and say: "Hearest thou, a mad blind fool thou art, understandest not a bit of the things that are God's. Thus the believers throttle this beast."[4]
It is surprising to see that Melanchthon fell in with the tone of Luther.[5] He denounced universities, philosophy, and ethics, almost as violently as his master, but only for a time; he soon abated the violence of his sentiments, whereas Luther to the end
