The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente

The .xix. Chapter.

¶And it came to passe that when Iesus had finished these saiynges, he departed from Gali∣le, and came vnto the coastes of Iewry beyonde Iordan, and muche people folowed hym: and he healed them there.

AFter that Iesus with this communicacion had instructed & fra∣med his disciples vnto well doing towardes the simple, and vn∣to gentlenes toward the offenders, he lefte Galile and went ouer Iordane, into the coastes of Iewrye, as goynge towardes his death to cum, which the Phariseis secretly went about. And thi∣ther also folowed many flockes of people, bearyng with them diuerse sicke and diseased: and he healed them there.

[ The texte.] And the Phariseis came vnto him, and tempted him, and said vnto him: Is it lawful for a man to make a diuorcement with his wyfe for any maner of cause? He answered and said vn∣to them: haue ye not red how that he whiche made man at the beginnyng, made them mā and woman? and sayde: For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother, and shall cleaue vnto his wife, and they twayne shalbe one fleshe. Wherfore now they are not twayne, but one flesh. Let no man therfore separate, that god hath coupled together. They saied vnto him: why dyd Moses then commaund to geue a testimoniall of diuorcement, and to put her away? He sayed vnto them: Moses because of the hardnes of your hertes, suffered you to put away your wiues, but from the beginnyng it was not so. I saye vnto you: whosoeuer putteth away his wife (ex∣cept it ••e for fornicaciō) & maryeth another, he cōmitteth aduoutrie. And who so marieth hee whiche is diuorced, doeth committe aduoutrye.

And agayne the Phariseis seyng so many wonders, and the loue of the multitude towarde Iesus, beganne to renewe theyr enuye agayne. Who craftilye and subtillye came vnto hym, takyng occasion of the communica∣cion wherewith he taughte before that the wyfe ought not to bee repudiate and cast of. Therfore they propose a question with two pykes: whether it wer lawful for a mā to cast of his wife for euery cause. And if he had answe∣red: It is lawefull, he should seme contrary to hymselfe, wheras he taught that diuorce is not lawfull: yf he had denyed it, he should seme to haue bene agaynst Moses lawe, whiche doeth permitte for euery cause to geue a boke of diuorce, and to sende her away. But Iesus so doeth tempre and ordre the answere, that he hurteth not the authoritie of Moses, nor recanteth not his doctrine, and stoppeth the mouthe of the Phariseis, whiche were skilful in the law, by the authoritie of the lawe. Haue ye not red ({quod} he) that whan god made mankynde, he ordered the fyrste matrimonie so, that one was coupled vnto one with a knot that could not be broken? For he made bothe man and woman of one piece, that by the imbracyng of these, mankind should spryng further, and by and by expressyng the indissoluble knotte of the man and of the wyfe, not Moses, but God himself the maker of the mariage, said: For this mutuall charitie, man shall forsake father and mother, and bee fastened and coupled vnto his wyfe. And this couplyng shalbe so strayt and fast, that of two, in maner, shalbe made one person, which before wer two. Therfore once ioyned in matrimonie, they be not now two, but one bodie: in so muche, that it is as farre agaynst nature to separate the wife from the manne, as to cut awaye a membre from the bodye. Therfore that whiche God hath knyt once together with so strayte a bonde, let no man separate.

Here the Phariseis,* 1.1 thinkyng that they had caughte nowe an occasion to catche Iesus: yf god ({quod} they) meant this that thou doest say, why than dyd Moses geue husbandes leaue to caste of theyr wyfe for euery cause, so that they geue her a boke of diuorce? how durst he permit that which god would not to be doen? Iesus answered: He dyd not permit you this because it was ryght and good of nature, but knowyng the hardnes of your hart, he suffe∣red the lesser ill, that ye shoulde not commit the greater. For he doeth not al∣low diuorce whiche had rather suffer that than murdre. And the boke of di∣uorce doeth not make that the diuorce is right & good: but it witnesseth thy hardnes, whiche wil••e cast of thy wyfe for euery light cause, and prouydeth her of a new husband, takyng away libertie from the, that thou shalt not cal her agayn once cast of. But from the beginnyng whereas the malice of man was not yet increaced, nor the nature of manne was not yet infected with so many vices: because there was not so cruell hatred, that poysonyng or mur∣dre should be feared, there was no lycence of diuorce: and the same law shall not nowe be loced and set at libertie, after that the doctrine of the Ghospell doeth renewe and make perfecte the synceritie of nature. Moses wisshed the same that I doe teache, but your maners bent ouer muche vnto murdre, put hym in feare, that he durste not require this of you. I who doe not abolishe the lawe, but make it more perfecte, playnely saye vnto you, that it is vn∣lawfull and agaynste the mynde of God, and agaynste the wyll of Moses, whiche ye doe commonlye: refusyng your wyues for euery cause. And it is not therefore ryghte that ye doe, because ye doe it withoute punyshemente: There be many myscheuous thynges before God, whiche be not punyshed by mannes lawes. Therefore ye shall vnderstande that whosoeuer casteth of his wyfe for euery cause, and maryeth an other, both committeth aduou∣trye hym selfe, and geueth also a cause of aduoutrye to his wyfe, vnlesse she whom he doeth leaue of, hath deserued diuorcemente by aduoutrye. For she that hath geuen an other manne lybertie ouer her, ceasseth nowe to be wife, and hath taken awaye from her selfe the ryghte of matrimonye, the fleshe be∣yng deuided, whiche God woulde haue to be one and vndeuided. But he that for suche causes leaueth his wyfe, for whiche ye oftentymes doe caste her of, yf he couple hymselfe to an other, it is not matrimonie, but aduou∣trye. And who so maryeth her so caste of, he maryeth not his owne wyfe, but an other mannes, and therfore he doeth not marye, but committeth ad∣uoutrye. But the whole of all these mischiefes doeth redounde to hym that is the refuser and caster of. For first he is stubburne and cruell, whiche ney∣ther could beare his wyues faulte, nor would goe about to amend it. Fur∣thermore he geueth her that is driuen out of his house, whiche cannot lyue without a husband, an occasion to commit aduoutrye.

[ The texte.] His disciples said vnto him: if the matter be so betwene man and wife, than it is not good to mary. He said vnto them: All men cannot comprehende this saiyng, saue they to whom it is geuen. For there are sum chaste which are so borne out of their mothers wombe. And there are sum chaste whiche be made chaste of men. And there be chaste whiche hath made themselfes chaste for the kyngdome of heauens sake. He that can take it, let hym take it.

The disciples hearyng these thynges, say vnto Iesus: If maryed menne be in this case that they cannot be dispatched from theyr wyfe, yf she dys∣please

them, it is better to forbeare matrimonie. For it is an harde bondage to suffer at home a waywarde, a brawlyng, and a dronken woman, or elles paynful•• and greuous with sum other lyke fault. Iesus did not reproue the answer of his disciples, whom he desired to be free from the bondage of matrimonie, because of preachyng of the ghospell: but he doeth them to vn∣derstand, that it is no sa••e and sure thyng to flee from matrimonie, vnlesse a man be of so fyrme and stable mynde, that he is able vtterly to abstayn from the acte of matrimonie. But there be very fewe that can doe so because that this affeccion of the body is so common to all men, that there is none affecci∣on more violente, or more inuincible. Therfore though it be a greater fre∣dome not to be tyed in matrimonie, yet is it more sure to be kepte within the bondes of matrimonie, than to be defyled with liyng here and there. There∣fore Iesus shewyng what was best, and prouokyng this waye with the re∣ward of libertie,* 1.2 dareth not yet exactely require that, whiche in maner exce∣deth mannes power. All men ({quod} he) be not able to receiue this woorde, but they onely vnto whome it is geuen of God: who haue so great a feruencye toward the holynes of the gospell, that of theyr own accorde and willyng∣ly can neglecte this affeccion. For chaste synglenesse hath no prayse vnlesse it be taken for loue of the euangelicall godlynes. For there be three kyndes of Eunuches. One of them whiche be so borne, and abhorre from wyues thorough the defaulte of a colde nature, or sum other secrete affeccion of na∣ture. Another kynde of them, whom men hath gelded. The chastitie of these men deserueth no prayse, because it cummeth of necessitie, not of the loue of vertue. But the gospell also hath his Eunuches very blessed, whiche be not geldynges of nature, nor gelded of men, but they gelded themselfes, for the kyngdome of heauen: not cutting of the membre of the body, but for loue of the ghospell, ouercummyng the desire of matrimonie. Ye see victorie set out before you, let hym trye that wyl, and knoweth his owne strength: Let him beare awaye the game that can: They that contend valyauntlye and willing∣ly, shal not want the fauour of the maister of the game. Because cōmunicaci∣on was of the puritie of virgins, and of the highnesse of that noble vertue, whiche chaunceth to fewe: as by occasion there is brought in also an exaum∣ple of perfecte cleannes, and great modestie: without the whiche, virginitie deserueth no prayse.

[ The texte.] Than wer there brought vnto him yong chyldren that he should put his handes on theym and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. But Iesus said vnto them: Suffre the children & for∣bid them not to cum to me: for the kyngdome of heauen belongeth to such. And whan he had lai∣ed his handes on them, he departed thence.

There wer present fathers and mothers, whiche desired to offer their ba∣bes vnto Iesus, that he might lay his handes vpon them, and pray for thē: thinking that lykewyse as they saw diseases driuen away through his tou∣chyng, so the touchyng of Iesus should preserue them from diseases, from fallyng of houses or walles, or other lyke thynges vpon them, from euyll spirites, and from other hurtes, whereby that age oftentymes miscarieth. But the disciples, (who though they had oft tymes heard many a good les∣son of great modestie and coldnes, yet had not vtterly shaken of from them mans affeccions) thinkyng it not mete that the greatnes or dignitie of theyr master should be letted or weried with the importunitie of babes, & of their mothers, kept them of, whan they desired to cum nere. Iesus marking this,

to the intent that he might the better imprinte euangelicall moderaciō in the myndes of his disciples, whiche doeth loth no manne, be he neuer so lowe, suffre ({quod} he) the children to be brought vnto me: nor let them not, to cum to me.* 1.3 For they that be lyke vnto these, bee moste acceptable vnto me: whome though the world doth hate and despise, yet I vouchsafe to haue none other in the kingdome of heauen. What nature doth geue vnto these, thesame must godlines geue vnto you, if ye will be receiued into the kingdome of heauen. Therfore the litle babes wer brought vnto Iesus, and he put his handes vpon them,* 1.4 inspiring into the litle babes (for y^e simple faythes sake of theyr parētes) a secret power through the touching of his holy body. Which doē, Iesus departed from thence, geuyng a lesson by the same facte of his, that the litle babes must be satisfied, but yet that we ought not to tary lōg with them, but to make spede to thynges of more perfeccion.

[ The texte.] ¶And beholde one came, and sayed vnto hym: Good maister what good thyng shall I doe, that I maye haue eternall life? he sayed vnto hym: why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, and that is God. But if thou wylt enter into lyfe, kepe the commaunde∣mentes. He sayeth vnto hym, whiche? Iesus sayed. Thou shal••e not commit manslaughter. Thou shalt not commit aduenitie. Thou shalt not steale. Thou shalt not bear false witnes. Ho∣nour father and mother. And thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self The yong mā saith vnto hym. Al these thinges haue I kept from my youth vp: what lacke I yet? Iesus said vnto him: if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell al that thou hast, and geue it to the poore, and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen, and cum and folowe me. But whan the yonge man heard that saiyng, he went away sorye. For he had great possessions.

And loe, as soone as he had doen with the children, there cummeth nexte after them a yong man which talketh of perfeccion. But Iesus, like as in the litle babes he shewed his disciples an exaumple of simplicitie and modestie: so in the yong man being in dede desirous of perfect godlines, but ouer sore burdened with riches, he setteth before their iyes, how harde it is for them that be geuē to riches, to cum forward to y^e perfecciō of the euangelical god∣lines: and how muche more ready they be to the cause of the gospell, whiche possesse nothyng, or els very littell of the goodes of this world: and yet po∣uertie and riches stande not so muche in possessions, as in the affecciōs of the mynde. The yong man had a deuout mynde: but because he heard of Christ certayne newe and straunge preceptes, he went vnto him, and fallyng doune at his knees asketh him, saying good maister what good shal I do to obtayn euerlastyng lyfe? The yong man called Iesus good to obteyn his good wil by fayre speakyng: whereas yet he toke him to be nothing els but a very mā, although of more excellencie than other men were. Afterward whereas he demaūded of good, he meaneth not of euery good thyng, but of a certain no∣table good thyng, whiche may deserue euerlastyng lyfe. But no mortal man is absolutely good: and there is no worke of men which can be so good, that it maye deserue the reward of euerlastyng lyfe. Iesus therfore pricking for∣warde the yonge manne, to haue a better opinion of him, and to call hym frō the trust of his workes, and to cause him to put the trust of life rather in the free gifte and benefite of God, who is naturally good, and freely beneficial towardes al menne, aunswered in this maner: why callest thou me good, or why doest thou aske me of good?* 1.5 But yet if thou desirest to be receiued vnto the eternall lyfe, kepe the commaundementes. And whan the yong mā asked what the commaundementes were, (for he had heard hym teache that the

preceptes of Moses lawe bee not enough to obteyne the kyngdome of hea∣uen) Iesus to plucke awaye from all men the truste of the lawe, aunswered: Thou shalt not kyll, thou shalt not commit aduoutrye: Thou shalte not steale: Thou shalt not beare false witnesse: Honoure thy father and mother: and loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe.* 1.6 Than the yong manne beyng sumwhat chered, sayd: All these haue I kept from my chyldehode: what lacke I be∣syde? He loked that Iesus should haue aunswered him: Thou lackeste no∣thyng. But the Lord shewyng what difference there was betwene the Ie∣wishe righteousnesse, and the righteousnesse of the ghospel: betwene a good Iewe, and a good Christian manne, sayed: If thou wylte be perfecte, goe and sell all that thou haste, and geue the money to the poore: thou shalt not lese thy money, though it be dispersed among many. So to disperse it, is to laye it vp: For in the stede of worldly riches, thou shalte haue a better trea∣sure in heauen. When thou hast doen this beyng now at libertie, and dispat∣ched of all heauy cariage, bare and pore, cum and folow me beyng also bare and poore. When Iesus sayth: yf thou wylt, he shewed that it was a great matter: but he added ••he rewarde. Thou shalte haue a treasure in hea∣uen. Anon he moued hym to the loue of perfecte godlinesse: Cum, folow me. Whan the yong man heard this communicacion, he wente awaye with a dis∣couraged and heauye mynde, because he was a Lorde of muche possessions, and he thought it hard to leaue thē all at once. He desired to get euerlasting lyfe, he desired the honour of perfeccion: but the thornes of richesse ouer∣whelmed & choked this affeccion whiche was a good seede. Therfore he de∣parted home heuily, not vnderstanding that Iesus did not condemne riches, but the affeccion, and loue, and carefulnes of riches: to which they cā scarce∣ly be any lesse then bonde, that haue them. And he woulde not that alwaies they shoulde be forsaken: but yet alwayes set lyttell by: yea and forsaken al∣so, yf they at any tyme withdrawe vs from the loue of the ghospell.

[ The texte.] ¶ Than Iesus sayth vnto his disciples: verelye I saye vnto you, it shall bee harde for the ryche to enter into the kingdome of heauen. And agayne, I saye vnto you: it is easier for a Camell to go thorough the iye of a nedle, than for the ryche to enter into the kyngdome of God. Whan the disciples heard this, they were excedyngly amased, saiyng: who than can bee saued? But Iesus beheld them and sayed vnto them: with men this is vnpossible, but with god all thynges are possible.

* 1.7Whan the yong man was gone, Iesus tournyng to his disciples (for he shewed this sight for them, because they shoulde at no tyme repente them of their pouertie, nor bee entangled with the loue of moneye:) howe harde a thyng it is ({quod} he) for a ryche manne to enter into the kyngdome of heauen. Signifiyng, that the desyre of moneye, and the desyre of the Euangelicall phylosophye, hardely agree together: because the one requireth the whole man, the other taketh vnto it almost the greatest part of mā. And to make the difficultie of the thing the greater, his disciples musing muche, he said more: Yea ({quod} he) I say more vnto you: It is more easy for a Camel to go through the iye of a nedle, than for a riche man to enter into the kyngdome of heauen. For the gate is lowe and straight, & it receiueth no Camels laden with bur∣dens of rychesse. For so he reproued the couetous riche men, vnto whom ri∣ches, be rather a burden, than profit, which they beare for others, rather thā for themselfes. This saying because it was not well vnderstande of the

Apostels, put in their myndes a certayne heauynesse, because they were sory y^t so many men for riches sake should be shut out from the kyngdome of heauen. Therfore whan the disciples maruayled muche what it shoulde meane that Iesus spake of the Camell, and the iye of the nedle, they aske him: If it be so, who than can be saued? For howe many men are there, whiche can cast awaye the ryches that they haue, or not wysh for them yf they haue none? But Iesus beholdyng them, to thintent he would asswage the heauines that they had conceyued in their mynde, declareth that there is sum hope for ryche menne al∣so to cumme to the kingdome of heauen. To men ({quod} he) this is impossible, no∣lesse than for a Camell to goe through the iye of a nedle:* 1.8 but to God nothinge is impossible. Onely he chaungeth the myndes of ryche men, that they wyll cherefully eyther cast awaye that whiche they do possesse, or els possesse thē as cōmon and not proper, euen ready to ••aue them, yf the matter of the ghospell at any tyme require the same. For why should it greue them to despise ryches, whom it greueth not to bestowe theyr lyfe.

[ The texte.] ¶Than aunswered Peter, and sayed vnto him▪ Beholde, we haue forsaken all, & folowed the▪ what shall we haue therfore? Iesus sayed vnto them: Uerely I saye vnto you, that whan the sonne of manne shall sitte in the seate of his maiestie, ye that haue folowed me in there generacion, shal sit also vpon twelue seates, and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel. And euery one that forsaketh house, or brethren, or systers, or father, or mother, or wyfe, or children, or landes, for my name sake, shall receyue an hundred folde, and shall ••nheri••e e∣uerlastyng life: but many that are firste, shall be last, and the last shalbe firste.

This communicacion whiche Iesus had with the yonge man (sell that thou hast and folow me,) made Peter to haue sum good hope, whiche although he wer not riche,* 1.9 yet that that he had, he left it cherefullye, bothe his shyppe and his nettes, and folowed the Lorde. Lorde ({quod} he) beholde we haue doen that that thou requyredst of the yonge man: we haue lefte all thynges and folowe the, what rewarde shall we haue therfore? But Iesus willing to shewe that this highe prayse was not offered to riche men onelye, but also to poore men: whiche gladly forsake whatsoeuer they haue for the gospell sake, for as much as this vertue is more estemed of thaffeccion of the leauer, than of the greate∣nes of the thyng that is left: did not reiecte the saying of Peter although it was to high and stoute for so symple a matter: but teachyng that no small re∣warde shall be rendered for such small thinges, lefte of and forsaken with a good will,* 1.10 sayethe. This I warraunte you, that ye whiche haue forsaken no∣thyng for my sake, but your boates and your nettes, but yet with suche a will that ye would haue forsaken very greate richesse for my sake, and hither to you beeynge bare and poore haue folowed me lykewyse bare and poore, if ye per∣seuer and continue, in the worlde to cum when the dead shall ryse, and euerye man shall receyue rewarde after his desertes, and whan that the sonne of mā, (his humilite that ye nowe see, set aparte) shal sitte in the seate of his maiestie, ye fysshers than beyng partakers of honor, whiche are nowe partakers of af∣••iccions, shall sit in twelue seates, and shall iudge the twelue trybes of Isra∣el: because they cumming of the same stocke, hauyng knowledge of the same lawe, prouoked with the same miracles, and benefytes, yet by no meanes coulde be brought to beleue: whereas ye meane persones, and vnlerned, by and by at my simple bidding, haue lefte, yea those thinges whereby ye sustey∣ned your life. And this rewarde shal not be yours onelye, but whosoeuer for

the profession of my name, forsaketh his house, his brothers or sisters, his fa∣ther or mother, his wyfe or chyldren, his landes, or anye other possession: he shall not lose that whiche he lefte for my sake, insomuche, that he shall haue a greate gayne therby.* 1.11 For in this worlde he shall receyue an hundred folde for the thinges that he hath lefte, and in the tyme of resurreccion, he shall possesse euerlastyng life. For in the stede of the thinges that he hath left, the whiche bee casuall and vyle possessions, he shall possesse here in the meane tyme that preci∣ous Margaryte of the euangelicall mynde, whiche is to be estemed and com∣pared with no marchandise of this worlde: In the stede of one house that ye haue left, the doctrine of the ghospell shall make open vnto you a numbre of houses thorough out the worlde. For one piece of grounde manye groundes shall serue your necessities: for one father or mother ye shall haue so manye as there shalbe olde men and olde women, whiche ye shall conuert vnto the ghos∣pell. Ye shall haue so many brothers, systers, sonnes and daughters, as your equals or yongers shalbe, whiche by your prechyng ye shall bryng to euerla∣sting life. These shall geue vnto you euery where of theyr owne accorde, yf ye shall neede anye thyng, and theyr affections shall far passe thaffeccions of thē, whom onely kinred of bloud hath ioyned vnto vs. For the kinred of the fe∣lowship of the ghospell, is more nere than fleshly affinitie, and they loue more vehementlie, whom godlines hath coupled together, than they whom carnall byrth hath ioyned together. Unto this great rewarde, that shalbe added also, whiche is the greatest of all, that for thynges whiche shortely shall perishe, ye shall possesse euerlastyng life. I say not this that the profession of the ghospell doth teach vs to despyse them, whom nature hath ioyned vnto vs: but suche maner of affeccions muste be neglected as often as they withdrawe vs from euerlasting saluacion. This great felicitie is set furth indifferently to all men. There is no difference of fortune, condicion, age, or person. But in this estima∣cion and iudgement which shalbe made of God the equall iudge, many shalbe last,* 1.12 whiche seme nowe to be first. Contrariwise many whiche seme now vile, and of no reputacion with men, shal there be counted chiefe. There shalbe pre∣ferred a common woman before a Scribe, a Publican before a Pharisie, an heathen before a Iewe, a poore manne before a ryche, a plough manne before a king: and they that semed nexte to the kyngdome of heauen shall enter in last and they that semed farre of, shall enter in firste. The heathen men throughe fayth shall goe before, the Sinagoge through vnbelefe, shalbe set besyde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why dyd Moses thē cōmaūd. &c.
• * 1.2

  Al men can not compre∣hende this saiyng.
• * 1.3

  Suffre the children.
• * 1.4

  And whē he had laid his handes. &c
• * 1.5

  Why cal∣lest thou me good.
• * 1.6

  Al these thī¦ges haue I kept frō my youthe. &c,
• * 1.7

  It shall bee hard for the ryche. &c.
• * 1.8

  With men this is vn∣possible, &c
• * 1.9

  Behold we haue forsa∣ken all, &c.
• * 1.10

  Ye y^t haue folowed me. &c.
• * 1.11

  Euery one that forsa∣keth house, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••rethren &c.
• * 1.12

  But manye that are first shalbe last, &c