Page 237 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ERASMUS

the church should be reformed from within and that it Each gospel, each epistle, had its preface; while notes
was wrong to separate from it. He was praised and were attached to special passages to point their force
criticised by Protestants and Catholics alike. Some of his upon the established usages....
writings are highly spiritual, even if there are occasional I shall read you some of these notes, and ask you to
traces of unsound doctrine. His Enchiridon (Manual of a attend to them. Erasmus opens with a complaint of the
Christian Soldier) was so edifying that it was translated neglect of Scripture, of a priesthood who thought more
into English by William Tyndale, the translator of the of offertory plates than of parchments, and more of
first printed English N.T. I am sending separately an gold than of books; of the degradation of spiritual life,
and of the vain observances and scandalous practices
extract from one of his last works, the ‘Treatise on of the orders specially called religious. ...
Preparation for Death,’ which I think will satisfy you Matthew 19:12 (on those who make themselves
concerning his spiritual outlook. A good biography of eunuchs)—‘Men are threatened or tempted into vows
Erasmus is R. Bainton’s Erasmus of Christendom (Letter of celibacy. They can have license to go with harlots,
from Andrew Brown of the Trinitarian Bible Society, but they must not marry wives. They may keep
Jan. 7, 1985). concubines and remain priests. If they take wives they
Erasmus’ Writings Illustrate His Opposition to Many of are thrown to the flames. Parents who design their
Rome’s Errors children for a celibate priesthood should emasculate
It is crucial to understand the times in which them in their infancy, instead of forcing them, reluctant
or ignorant, into a furnace of licentiousness.’
Erasmus labored. His writings and the publication of his Matthew 23 (on the Scribes and Pharisees)—‘...what
N.T. paved the way for the Reformation. Erasmus lit the shall we say of those who destroy the Gospel itself,
fuse for the Reformation explosion. This is no mean make laws at their will, tyrannize over the laity, and
feat. Though I am a Baptist and do not trace my measure right and wrong with rules constructed by
heritage through the Protestant Reformation, I do praise themselves? ... prelates of evil, who bring disgrace and
God for the multitudes which have been saved because discredit on their worthier brethren?’
of the Reformation. I believe God used the Reformation Matthew 23:27 (on whited sepulchres)— ‘What would
to break the back of Rome’s temporal power to prepare Jerome say could he see the Virgin’s milk exhibited for
the way for the great missionary era of the last 400 money ... the miraculous oil; the portions of the true
years. I praise God for the political and social blessings I cross, enough, if they were collected, to freight a large
enjoy today because of the Reformation. ship? Here we have the hood of St. Francis, there Our
We are sorry that Erasmus did not more Lady’s petticoat, or St. Anne’s comb, or St. Thomas of
Canterbury’s shoes ... and all through the avarice of
wholeheartedly join the Reformation and make an priests and the hypocrisy of monks playing on the
unequivocal departure from the Catholic church. He was credulity of the people. Even bishops play their parts in
wrong in this, for sure, BUT HE DID SEE THE ERRORS these fantastic shows, and approve and dwell on them
AND THE PROBLEMS. He did see the wickedness. AND in their rescripts.’
HE DID SPEAK OUT PLAINLY AGAINST THESE Matthew 24:23 (on ‘Lo, here is Christ or there’)—‘I saw
THINGS. Erasmus encouraged many others to take even with my own eyes Pope Julius II, at Bologna, and
bolder stands against Rome. Nothing more plainly afterwards at Rome, marching at the head of a
evidences this than his commentary. At this point we triumphal procession as if he were Pompey or Cæsar.
will quote from Froude’s Life and Letters of Erasmus: St. Peter subdued the world with faith, not with arms
Erasmus had undertaken to give the book to the whole or soldiers or military engines....
world to read for itself—the original Greek of the 1 Corinthians 14:19 (on unknown tongues)—‘They
Epistles and Gospels, with a new Latin translation—to chant nowadays in our churches in what is an
wake up the intelligence, to show that the words had a unknown tongue and nothing else, while you will not
real sense, and were not mere sounds like the dronings hear a sermon once in six months telling people to
of a barrel-organ. amend their lives. ... A set of creatures who ought to be
lamenting their sins fancy they can please God by
It was finished at last, text and translation printed, and gurgling in their throats.’
the living facts of Christianity, the persons of Christ and
the Apostles, their history, their lives, their teachings 1 Timothy 1:6 (on vain disputations)—‘Theologians
were revealed to an astonished world. For the first time are never tired of discussing the modes of sin, whether
the laity were able to see, side by side, the Christianity it be a privation in the soul or a spot on the soul. Why
which converted the world, and the Christianity of the is it not enough simply to hate sin? ... Hundreds of
Church with a Borgia pope, cardinal princes, such questions are debated by distinguished
ecclesiastical courts, and a mythology of lies. The effect theologians, and the objects of them are better
was to be a spiritual earthquake. unknown than known. It is all vanity. ... Over
speculations like these theologians professing to teach
Christianity have been squandering their lives.’

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 237