Erasmus saw no point in breaking up with the church, least of all on the basis of an extremist's far-fetched biblical interpretation. In the matter of free will Erasmus adhered to the teachings of Thomas Aquinas. Basel became Erasmus’s city, but Erasmus still had to flee from Basel when the protestant madness took place in this city as well. He found a pleasant refuge, the beautifully situated market town of Freiburg im Breisgau. Balanced between Catholics and Protestants, however, Erasmus remained himself.