How did Martin Luther differ from Erasmus about the possibility of certain religious knowledge?

The disagreement between Erasmus and Martin Luther regarding religious knowledge was a central theme in 16th-century skepticism.1

Erasmus employed Academic skeptical arguments to contend that the complex theological issues in dispute could not be definitively resolved. Consequently, he advocated for the suspension of judgment and maintained that one should remain within the Roman Catholic church, accepting traditional Christianity on faith. His approach developed into a form of Christian skepticism that prioritized unity and peace over dogmatic certainty.12

In contrast, Luther rejected this skeptical stance, insisting that true and certain religious knowledge was both possible and necessary. He proposed a new criterion for this knowledge: the individual's inner experience and conscience, grounded in his interpretation of the Bible as the sole source of authority. While Erasmus viewed the schism as a matter of opinion, Luther asserted that his theological convictions were matters of absolute truth.132