kindness. He never worked a miracle for anyone who CHAP. XV. had not faith. The crowd were witnesses of nearly AD. 1518.

'all he did. He sent the lepers to the priests, not 'that they might be healed, but that it might be more

...

clearly known that they were healed. . . . And for all the benefits he rendered, he never once took any

reward, nor glory, nor money, nor pleasure, nor rule, so that the suspicion of a corrupt motive might not 'be imputed to him. And it was not till after the Holy Spirit had been sent that the Gospel trumpet was 'sounded through the whole world, lest it should seem that he had sought anything for himself while alive. Moreover, there is no testimony held more efficacious ' amongst mortals than blood. By his own death, and that of his disciples, he set a seal to the truth of 'his teaching. I have already alluded to the consistency of his whole life.'1

6

These passages will serve as examples of the means by which, in this treatise, Erasmus sought to bring out the facts of the life of Christ as the true foundation of the Christian faith, instead of the dogmas of scholastic theology. After thus thoughtfully dwelling upon the facts of the life of Christ, he proceeds to examine his teaching, and he concludes that there were two things which he peculiarly and perpetually inculcated-faith and love—and, after describing them more at length,

6

the New

he writes, Read the New Testament through, you will Precepts of not find in it any precept which pertains to cere- Testament. 'monies. Where is there a single word of meats or

' vestments? Where is there any mention of fasts and the like? Love alone He calls His precept. Cere

1 Novum Testamentum, 2nd ed. pp. 35, 36,

CHAP. XV. monies give rise to differences; from love flows peace.

A.D. 1518.

And yet we burden those who have been made free by the blood of Christ with all these almost 'senseless and more than Jewish constitutions!'1

Finally, turning from the New Testament and its theology to the Schoolmen and theirs, he exclaimed, What a spectacle it is to see a divine of eighty years 'old knowing nothing but mere sophisms!'2 and ended with the sentences which have already been quoted as the conclusion of the shorter treatise prefixed to the Novum Instrumentum.'

This somewhat lengthy examination of the method of true theology' will not have been fruitless, if it should place beyond dispute what was pointed out with reference to the Novum Instrumentum,' that its value lay more in its prefaces, and its main drift and spirit as a whole, than in the critical exactness of its Greek text or the correctness of its readings. If it could be said of the Novum Instrumentum' that much of its value lay in its preface-in its beautiful Paraclesis'— it may also be said that the importance of the second edition was greatly enhanced by the addition of the 'Ratio Veræ Theologiæ.'

And as, like its forerunner, this second edition went forth under the shield of Leo. X.'s approval, with the additional sanction of the Archbishops of Basle and of Canterbury, and with all the prestige of former success, it must have been felt to be not only a firm and dignified, but also a triumphant reply to the various attacks which had been made upon Erasmus-a reply more powerful than the keenest satire or the most bitter in

1 Novum Testamentum, 2nd ed. p. 42.

2 Ibid. p. 61.

vective could have been-a reply in which the honest CHAP. XV. dissentient found a calm restatement of what perhaps A.D. 1518. he had only half comprehended; the candid critic, the errors of which he complained corrected; and the blind bigot, the luxury of something further to denounce.1

leaves

Louvain

III. ERASMUS'S HEALTH GIVES WAY (1518). After several months' hard and close labour in Fro- Erasmus ben's office in the autumn of 1518, Erasmus left Basle, Basle. jaded and in poor health. As he proceeded on his journey to Louvain his maladies increased. Carbuncles made their appearance, and added to the pains of travel. He reached Louvain thoroughly ill; and turned Reaches into the house of the hospitable printer, Thierry Mar- ill. tins, almost exhausted. A physician was sent for. He told Martins and his wife that Erasmus had the plague, and never came again for fear of contagion. Another was sent for, but he likewise did not repeat his visit. A third came, and pronounced it not to be the plague. A fourth, at the first mention of ulcers, was seized with fear, and though he promised to call again, sent his servant instead. And thus for weeks lay Erasmus, ill and neglected by the doctors, in the house of the good printer at Louvain.2

Some monks were drinking together at Cologne, a city where Erasmus had many bigoted enemies. One

1 When, after the 3rd edition had | had already been 'scattered abroad been published and a 4th was in by the printers in thousands of preparation, in 1526, a Doctor of copies over and over again.' His the Sorbonne attacked the New critic'should have written in time!' Testament of Erasmus, he was able-Erasmus to the Faculty of Paris. triumphantly to ask him, 'what he Jortin, ii. App. No. xlix. p. 492. wanted?' His New Testament 2 Eras. Op. iii. pp. 374, 375,

monks at

CHAP. XV. of the fraternity of preaching friars brought to them the news that Erasmus was dead at Louvain! The Joy of the intelligence was received with applause by the convivial monks, and again and again was the applause repeated, when the preacher added, in his monkish Erasmus. Latin, that Erasmus had died, like a heretic as he was, 'sine lux, sine crux, sine Deus.'1

the report of the death of

Eras. Op. iii. p. 432, D and E.

CHAPTER XVI.

I. ERASMUS DOES NOT DIE (1518).

CHAP.

XVI.

THE monks of Cologne were disappointed. Erasmus did not die. His illness turned out not to be the plague. After four weeks' nursing at the good printer's A.D. 1518. house, he was well enough to be removed to his own lodgings within the precincts of the college. Thence he wrote to Beatus Rhenanus in these words :

Erasmus to Beatus Rhenanus.1

describes

'My dear Beatus,-Who would have believed Erasmus that this frail delicate body, now weaker from in-, his illness. creasing age, after the toils of so many journeys, after

'the labours of so many studies, should have survived

such an illness? You know how hard I had been working at Basle just before..

A suspicion had 'crossed my mind that this year would prove fatal to me, one malady succeeded so rapidly upon another, ' and each worse than the one which preceded it. When the disease was at its height, I neither felt distressed ' with desire of life, nor did I tremble at the fear of ' death. All my hope was in Christ alone, and I prayed 'for nothing to him except that he would do what he

1 Eras. Epist. ccclvii.