CHAP. XV. New 6 The second edition of the New Testament will A.D. 1518. require a separate notice by-and-by. A new and corrected edition of More's Utopia' was already in hand, editions of and waiting only for a letter which Budæus was writing to be prefixed to it.1 A new edition of the Institutio 'Principis Christiani' was also to come forth from the press of Froben.2 works of Erasmus. It might seem hopeless to put forth works such as these, expressing views so far in advance of the practices of the times, but the fact that new editions were so rapidly called for proved that they were eagerly read. In the same letter in which Erasmus ridiculed to More the projected expedition against the Turks, and spoke of the violence of the German press and the satire which had just appeared, Julius de Coelo exclusus,' he spoke of his having seen another edition of the Utopia' just printed at Paris.3 In the previous year, 1517, Froben had printed a sixth edition of the Adagia,' which had now expanded into a thick folio volume, and become a receptacle for the views of Erasmus on many chance subjects. In this edition he had expressed his indignant feelings against the political anarchy and Papal scandals of the period, and he told More to look particularly at what he had written on the adage, Ut fici oculis incumbunt ;' in which was an allusion to the 'insatiable avarice, unbridled lust, 'most pernicious cruelty, and great tyranny' of princes; and to the evil influence of those ecclesiastics who, ever ready to do the dirty work of princes and popes, 1 Brewer, ii. p. 3991. Eras. Epist: App. cclxv. 2 Lucubrationum Erasmi Index : Frobenius, Basle, 1519. 3 Epist. cclxv. App. Brewer, ii. p. 3991. Dated March 5, 1518. 4 Eras. Epist. App. cccxi. Brewer, ii. p. 4110. A.D. 1518. abetted and mixed themselves up with the worst CHAP. XV. scandals.1 And again it is remarkable to find how rapidly this ponderous edition of the 'Adagia' must have been sold to admit of another following in 1520, still further increased in bulk-a large folio volume of nearly 800 pages. of letters In addition to these reprints, two separate collections Collections of some of his letters were printed by Froben in 1518,2 printed. evidently intended to aid in spreading more widely those plain-spoken views on various subjects which he had expressed in his private letters to his friends during the last few years. Another edition was also called for of the Enchiridion; and Erasmus, on his arrival at Basle, burning as well he might with increased indignation against the scandals of the times, wrote a new preface, in the form of a letter to Volzius, the Abbot Letter to of a monastery at Schelestadt-a letter which, containing in almost every line of it pointed allusion to passing events, was eagerly devoured by thinking men all over Europe, and passed through several editions in a very short space of time. It was a letter in which he repeated the conviction which he had learned twenty years before from Colet, that the true Christian creed was exceedingly simple, adapted not for the learned alone, but for all men. 1 Adagia: Basle, 1520-21, p.|'quam elegantes Erasmi Rotero494. I have not seen the edition dami, et ad hunc aliorum eruditisof 1517, but it is mentioned insimorum hominum.' Basle, Jan. Lucubrationum Erasmi Index; 1518. The latter includes Colet's Basle, 1519. letter to Erasmus on the Novum Volzius. CHAP. XV. And upon this ground he defended the simplicity of A.D. 1518. his little handy-book, contrasting it with the Summa of Aquinas. Let the great doctors, which must needs 'be but few in comparison with other men, study and busy themselves in those great volumes.' The 'unlearned and rude multitude, which Christ died for, ought to be provided for also.' Christ would that 'the way should be plain and open to every man,' and therefore, we ourselves ought to endeavour, with all ' our strength, to make it as easy as can be.'1 He then alluded to the war against the Turks, and hinted that it would be better to try to convert them. Do we wonder, he urged, that Christianity does not spread? that we cannot convert the Turks? What is the use of laying before them the ponderous tomes of the Schoolmen, full of 'thorny and cumbrous and inextricably subtle imaginations of instants, formalities, quiddities,' and the like? We ought to place before them the simple philosophy of Christ contained in the Gospels and Apostolic Epistles, simplifying even their phraseology; giving them, in fact, the pith of them in as simple and clear a form as possible. And of what use would even this be if our lives belied our creed? They must see that we ourselves are servants and imitators of Jesus Christ, that we do not covet anything of theirs for ourselves, but that we desire their salvation and the glory of Christ. This was the true, pure, and powerful theology which in olden time subjected to Christ the pride of philosophers and the sceptres of kings. Erasmus then, after a passing censure of the scandals brought upon Christianity by the warlike policy of 1 English translation. London: Jno. Byddell, 1522. priests and princes, the sale of indulgences, and so forth, CHAP. XV. proceeded to criticise the religion of modern monks, A.D. 1518. their reliance on ceremonies, their degeneracy, and worldliness. 6 6 ... Once the monastic life was a retreat or retirement 'from the world, of men who were called out of idolatry to Christ: now those who are called monks are found in the very vortex of worldly business, exercising ' a sort of tyrannical rule over the affairs of men. They alone are holy, other men are scarcely Christians. Why should we thus narrow the Christian profession, when Christ wished it to be as broad as possible? 1 Except the big name, what is a state but one great monastery? Let no one despise another because his manner of life is different. . . . In every path of life let all strive to attain to the mind of Christ [scopum Christi]. Let us assist one another, neither 'envying those who surpass us, nor despising those who may lag behind. And if anyone should excel another, let him beware lest he be like the Pharisee in the Gospel, who recounted his good deeds to God; rather let him follow the teaching of Christ, and say, "I am "an unprofitable servant." No one more truly has 'faith than he who distrusts himself. No one is really 'further from true religion than he who thinks himself 'most religious. Nothing is worse for Christian piety 'than for what is really of the world to be misconstrued to be of Christ-for human authority to be preferred 'to Divine.'2 6 It was a letter firm and calm in its tone, and well CHAP. XV. adapted to the end in view. It was dated from Basle, A.D. 1518. in August, 1518. The Enchiridion,' with this prefatory letter, was published in September, together with some minor works, amongst which was the Discussion on the 'Agony in the Garden,' including Colet's reply, in which he had expressed his views on the theory of the 'manifold senses' of Scripture, the whole forming an elegant quarto volume printed in the very best type of Froben. Another beautiful edition was published at Cologne in the following year. 6 II. THE SECOND EDITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT (1518-19). The time had come for Erasmus more fully and publicly to reply to the various attacks which had been made upon the Novum Instrumentum.' Its most bitter opponents had been the ignorant Scotists and monks who were caricatured in the Epistolæ Obscurorum Virorum.' There are none,' wrote Erasmus to a friend, who bark at me more 'furiously than they who have never seen even the 'outside of my book. Try the experiment upon any ' of them, and you will find what I tell you is true. "When you meet anyone of these brawlers, let him rave on at my New Testament till he has made himself 'hoarse and out of breath, then ask him gently 'whether he has read it. If he have the impudence to say "yes," urge him to produce one passage that ' deserves to be blamed. You will find that he cannot.'1 To opponents such as these, Erasmus had sufficiently 1 Erasmus to Laurinus: Epist. ccclvi. See Jortin, i.140. |