Sebastian Franck
(1499-1542)

To substitute Scripture for the self-revealing Spirit
is to put the dead letter in the place of the living Word,
the outer Ark in the place of the inner sanctuary,
the sheath in place of the sword, the horn pane lantern in place of the Light.
This letter killed Christ in Judea; it is killing Him now. It always
makes a Babel instead of a Church. It kept the Pharisees from seeing
Moses face to face; it keeps men now from seeing the Lord face to face.


Primary Sources:
Seven Sealed Book (1539)
A Universal Chronicle of the World's History from the Earliest Times to the Present
Preface and Trans into German of Althamer's, Diallage
Autobiographical Letter to Johann Campanus (1531)
Chronicle and Description of Turkey
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
Paradoxa
Book of the Ages
Weltbuch (1534)
Translation with Additions of Erasmus,' Praise of Folly
The Vanity of Arts and Sciences
Chronicle of Germany (1538)
Golden Arch (1538)