The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28

Ernsmus's inclination was 70 skepticism. He
owns surprise that More was entirely SATISFIED
with the evidence for a future life. Both, how
ever. we're united in the conviction Of the seri-
business OF mortal existence. Both sbhorred the
hypocrisy Of the monks, tho simony and world
illness of the Church, and knew that, without q
root and branch alteration Of things, . catsstro-
phe was not far of. Each went his way-More
10 reaction and Tower Hill; Erasmus 10 aid In
precipitating the convulston, then TO regret
what he had done. and 10 have = near escape Of
dying IS q Cardinal.
Nv.
Hitherto the world had known Erasmus
chiefly through q few poems, the Adaeia, and
q few other like graceful t~restises, and had
recognized in him a brilliant, vagrant, and prob
ably dangerous man Of letters. Through all
these struggling years, however, he had been
patiently laboring at his New Testament, and
he was now to blaze before Europe as a new
star. Froudc devotes a lecture TO this work, and
TO the significance Of Its appearance. He begins
by reminding MS that the Christian religion as
then taught and p~ractlsed In western Europe
consisted OF the mass and the confessional, OF
elaborate ccremonials, rituals. professions. pill
grimages prayers to the Virgin and the saints,
dispensations and indulRences for laws broken
or duties left undone. or the Gospels and Epis-
ties, 30 much only was known TO the laity as was
read in the Church services. and that intoned as
II to be purposely made unintelligible TO the
audience. OF the rest of the Bible nothing was
known at all. because nothing was supposed
TO be necessary. Copies of the Scripture were
rare, shut up In convent libraries, and studied
only by professional theologians; while TO the
text were attached conventional interpretation
which corrupted or distorted It's meaning.
Erasmus had undertaken to give the book to the
whole world 10 read for itself-the original
Greek OF the Epistles and Gospels, with u new
Latin translation. 1t should be borne In mind
that the vernacular versions which already ex-
listed were merely translations Of the as yet un-
revised Latin of the Vulgate.
The task of Erasmus was at last finished. The
text and the translation were printed, and the
living facts Of Christianity, the persons of Christ
and the apostles. their history, their lives, their
teachings were revealed to an astonished world.
The effect was to be n spiritual earthquake. 1t
should be noted, however. that Erasmus had
not been left to work without encouragement
within the Church. He had found friends even
at Rome itself. and among the MEMBERS of the
Sacred College, who were weary OF imposture and
had half held out their hands to him. The Car
dinal de Medici, who had succeeded Julius III.
as Leo ~, and aspired TO shine as the patron
Of enlightenment, had approved Erasmus's
undertaking.. and was ready to give it
lis DuDlIC bhuCllOu ANOL thhb HioSibu Ao1
iattered Popes or any one tn gain their good
word. To his edition OF the New Testament he
attached remarks appropriate to the time
which must have made the hair of orthodox
divines to stand on end. Each gospel, each
epistle had its preface, while notes were appended
to special passages to point their force upon the
established usages. These notes increased in
point and number as edition followed edition,
and were accompanied with paraphrases to
bring out :he meanings with livelier intensity.
That n Pope should have been found to AL
low the publication Of this work is declared
one of the most startling features in
Reformation history. Froude translates a
number Of these notes which embodied reilcc-
tons upon the current doctrine and discipline
OF the Catholic Church. They were not thrown
out. we must remember. as ~satires, or in con-
troversial tracts or pamphlets. They were de-
liberate accusations attached to the sacred text,
where the religion which was taught by Christ
and the Apostles and the degenerate supersti-
tion which had taken its place could he
contrasted side bv side. Nothing was
spared; ritual and ceremony. dogmatic the
ology. philosophy and personal character were
tried by what all were compelled TO &C
knowledge to be the standard whose aw-
full countenance was now practically re-
vealed for the first time In many centuries.
Bishops, seculars, monks, were dragged out to
judgment and hung as on a public gibbet in the
light OF the pages of the most sacred OF all
books, published with the leave and appreciation
OF the Holy Father himself. The biographer
cites facts to prove that never was volume more
passionately devoured. A hundred thousand
copies were soon sold In France alone. The fire
spread as 1t spread behind Samson's foxes
in tho Philistines' corn. The clergy's
skins were tender from long impunity.
They shrieked from pulpit and platform. and
made Europe ring with their clamor. They
maintained subsequently, and with good rca-
son. that the chief impulse to the Reformation
was given by this work Of Erasmus. How, then,
did 1t come to pass that Erasmus refused to side
with Luther and the other leaders % the Rcfor-
nation. but died, as he had lived, a consistent
and fervent advocate Of reform within the
Church. About half OF Froude's lectures may
be described as attempts TO answer this question
In q way creditable to their subject.