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

The .xv. Chapter.

[ The texte.] And anon in the dawnyng, the hie priestes helde a counsaile with the elders and the Scribes and the whole congregacion, and bounde Iesus, and led him awaye, and deliuered hym to Pylate. And Pylate asked hym: Arte thou the king of the Iewes: And he answered and sayde vnto hym: thou sayest it. And the hie priestes accused hym of many thynges. So Pylate asked hym agayne, saying: Answered thou nothing: Beholde howe manye thinges they laye vnto thy charge. Iesus yet aunswered nothyng, so that Pylate meruayled.

AL y^e nyghte was spent in Cayphas house, in destroying, moc∣kyng, and skorning of Iesu. In the mornyng earlye after they had coūsayled together afreshe, the hie priestes, with the elders Scribes, and all the whole assemblie, led him awaye with his armes bound, & deliuered hym vnto Pylate to be iudged: whō they had with theyr foreiudgement already condemned. Now

are they of iudges becum accusars. Pylate, their accusacions and complain∣tes heard, called Iesu, and asked him: Arte thou thatsame kyng of the Iewes? Iesus answered. Thou sayest: couertlye knowledgyng and confessyng that he was the selfsame. Yet was Pilate not a whit moued with this aunswere, by∣cause there appeared nothing in him wherby he semed desyrous of any world∣ly kyngdom. Furthermore the hye priestes, lest he should by any meanes haue been quit, gathered together diuerse criminall artycles against him, to thētent that amongest many matters, there should at y^e least wyse be sum thing in fine which would moue any iudge, not being to vniust, and parcyall, to geue sen∣tence against hym.* 1.1 Pylate perceiuing howe all was doen of priuate displea∣sure and malice, sought occasion to discharge him of suche matters as he was arrayned for. Therfore whē he came again vnto Iesus, & Iesus woulde geue him neuer a word to ausw••re, thē sayde he vnto him: Makest thou no answer, sith thou art in so great daunger to lose thy lyfe? Se how many artycles these felowes laye against the. Iesus from thenceforthe made no answere, who de∣syred not to escape this iudgement, leste the vtilitie of his death, shoulde haue been let or hyndered thereby, & also bicause he knewe right well that y^e malice of the priestes woulde not yet haue ceased, althoughe they had not this waye preuayled against hym. For this cause his wyll and pleasure was so to dye, that it might appeare that he died willyngly. The Emperours deputie, albeit he were a paynim, yet dyd he abhorre the murthering of a man, whom he iud∣ged to be an innocent and gyltlesse person: and therfore vsed he all the wayes and meanes he coulde possible to delyuer him. For he sawe well there was no healpe to be had on his behalfe, whereby he myght so doe.

[ The texte.] ¶At that feaste Pylate dyd delyuer vnto them a prysoner, whomsoeuer they woulde desyre. And there was one that was named Barrabas, which laye bounde with them that made insurreccion: he had committed murther. And the people called vnto hym, and began to desyre him that he would do, according as he had euer doen vnto them. Pylate answered them, saying: wyll ye that I let leuse vnto you the kyng of the Iewes? For he knewe that the hye priestes had deliuered hym of ••••uye. But the hye priestes moued the people that he should rather delyuer Barrabas vnto them.

There was a custome among the Iewes that at the feaste of Easter, one of them shoulde be lewsed whiche laye in prison for anye death worthy offence, whomsoeuer the Iewes desyred to be geuen vnto them. At that season there was induraunce a certaine notable felō, muche spoken of for his vngracious dedes, named Barrabas, who had been a stirrer vp of sedicion in the citie, and in the busynes, and hurly burly that he made, had committed manslaughter. Pylate determined with hymselfe to vse this occasion to saue Iesu. Therfore when the people were cummen together, accordyng to theyr auncient custome to desyre to haue some felon pardoned, in token of theyr safe deliueraunce and scapyng out of Egypte, Pylate answered in this wyse: I haue two prisoners, Barrabas whome ye know, and Iesus whō men cal the kyng of the Iewes.

Will ye therfore that I lewse vnto you Iesus? Pylate perceyuing that he coulde haue no ayde and helpe of the priestes, went vnto the people bicause to haue had some ayde & assistence of them, trusting that by theyr fauour, Iesus shoulde haue been delyuered. And so had he been without fayle, if the malici∣ous byshops (neuer weary to worke mischiefe) had not moued them rather to desyre to haue Barrabas pardoned, then Iesus.

[ The texte.] Pylate aunswered agayne, and sayed vnto them, what wyll ye then that I do vnto him

whome ye call the kyng of the Iewes? And they cryed agayne: crucifie hym. Pilate sayde vnto them: what euyl hath he da••••? and they cryed the more feruently: Crucifie hym. And so Pylate wyllyng to content the people, let lose Barabas vnto them, and deliuered by Ie∣sus (when he had scourged him) for to be crucified.

When this thyng had so chaunced, contrarye to the deputies expectation (for he heard say that Christ was highly in grace and fauour with the people) yet ceased not he to helpe hym,* 1.2 as muche as in him laye. What then, sayed he, will ye that I do with the kyng of the Iewes loking to haue heard of them a more fauourable and gentler sent••nce. But here the wylye Bishops were ve∣ry circumspect, who had before hande infected the myndes of the comminaltie with theyr wickednesse. Neyther is the auctoritie of suche bishoppes good for any thyng els, but to moue Princes, and the people agaynste the trueth of the gospel. The people therfore cryed agayn: crucifie hym. The bishops had also beaten into their heades, that the shamefullest kynde of death of al, should be chosen out for hym: bycause his name shoulde hereby be counted detestable and cursed among all the Iewes.

For the lawe pronounced hym cursed, whoso hanged in wood. So studied they not onely to bereaue hym of his life, but also vtterly to extincte & abolyshe hys good name, which was a facte muche crueller then death. They coulde not abide that any mans name shoulde be counted holy, saue theyrs. Neyther did Pilate here yelde vnto theyr furie, but spake har••e againste them, saying: I am the Emperours deputie. It is not lawful for me to put any man to death, vnlesse he be duely conuicted. What offence hath he dooen wherfore he oughte to be crucified? Here the deputie nothyng preuayled. For they cryed outemore ••uriously: Crucifie hym. Yet for al that Pylate shranke not in Christes cause, tyl they layed vnto his charge treason against the Emperour. It was not con∣uenient that Iesu shoulde be doen to death, excepte the Emperours authori∣tie had serued the fury of the byshops. Pylate perceyuyng what daunger han∣ged ouer his head, on the one syde, of the Emperour, on the other, of the cla∣marous people, albeit he knewe righte well that Iesus was an innocente and harmeles person, yet willinge to yelde and conforme hymselfe to the mortall hatred of the byshops, Scrybes, elders, and people, gaue sentence of deathe a∣gaynste hym: but with thesame ••entence he bothe cleared the innocent of all cri∣mes, and also condemned the priestes, and the people. For he pronounced hym to be innocent and giltles, whome he let them haue to crucifie. Suche maner of Pylates shal the truth of the gospell euermore haue: & would to God there dyd not aryse among vs some byshops, which are farre beyonde those bishops in all mischeefe & vngraciousnes. When therfore Iesus was condemned to death, he was fyrst beaten with scourges. But whē the Iewes were not here with satisfied, Pylate deliuered hym to the garison of y^e souldiers to be cruci∣fied. So it pleased the high wisedom of God that Iesu the foūtaine of al glo∣ry, should be put to all kyndes of vilany, by al sortes of people: to the entent we should not be dismaide w^t any mane•• of worldly euils or aduersities. Iudas betrayed him: the bishops, Scribes, & headmen of the people counsailed toge∣ther: the seruaūtes toke hym: Cayphas the highest priest, chiefe worker of all this mischief condēned hym: the Councell, and theyr seruauntes scorned him as a condemned person: the people cryed out agaynst hym like mad folkes: the Emperours name maketh the iudge afraid: Herode despiseth: the Emperours deputie geueth sentence: and in al these is Cayphas, and in hym the deuyl.

[ The texte.]

And the souldiers led him awaye into the cōmon hall, and called together the who••e ••ul∣titude, and they clothed him with purple, and they platted a croune of thornes, and croun•••• him withall, and began to salute hym: hayle kyng of the Iewes. And they smote him on the head with a rede, and dyd spit vpon hym, and bowed theyr knees, and wor••••ypped hym.

Nowe remayneth there behynde, that the wicked garison of souldiers do lykewyse playe theyr partes, and amōg thē also was Cayphas. Al the shame and villany that Iesus was put vnto, all his destruccion (if it maye be sayed y^t he was destroyed) came of Caiphas, who vnwares wrought a thing moste blessed and holy. For he made this sacrifice, without whiche no manne coulde haue attayned saluacion. When therfore Iesus was caste and iudged to dye, Pylates seruauntes led hym into the hall of the palace. For the Iewes, who were desyrous to seme holy durst not entre into the palace of Panim; because they would come pure and cleane to celebrate theyr passeouer.

And yet was theyr mindes in the myddes of the palace, and in the verye han∣des of the souldiers, whom being of their owne enclinacion readye to do all mischiefe, they prouoked and incensed therunto. After Pylate had once deliue∣red his handes of Iesus, he thought it made no great force how he were doen to death. So did Herode fauour the vertue, and goodnes of Iohn, that at the requeste of a peuishe wenche he caused his head to be striken of. Howbeit the fauour of Pylate was more constant then so, but yet in conclusyon he deliuered hym to be crucified. And this was doen leste any that professeth the trueth of the ghospell, should trust vpon any worldly ayde and succour. Then the soul∣diers, because they woulde the more take theyr pleasure on hym in puttyng hym to shame and villany, called together the whole garison of theyr compa∣nions: and in m••••kage, clothed him with a garment of purple, as it had been with a kynges robe: thē put they on his head a croune platted of thornes, in the stede of a diademe, and being thus disguised, they began with one voice to salute hym, saying: Hayle kyng of the Iewes. Furthermore they strake his head with a rede, whiche they gaue him in his hande in y^e stede of a scepter: & dyd also spit vpon hym, and bowyng theyr knees, wurshypped him. Iesus all this while helde his peace, & paciently yelded to al theyr dispitefull doynges, transportyng vnto his owne persone that shame and villanye, whiche was due vnto our offences, because to aduaunce vs vnto his glorye.

[ The texte.] ¶And when they had mocked hym, they toke the purple of him, and put his owne clo∣thes on him, and led hym out to crucifie hym. And they compelled one that passed by called Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexāder and Rufus) which came out of the felde, to beate his crosse. And thei brought him to a place named Golgotha, which is (if a man interprete it) the place of dead mens sculles. And they gaue him to drinke wine mingled with Mirre, but he receyued it not.

These thynges doen, they toke of agayne the purple garment, and put on his owne clothes to thētent that carying his crosse amōg misdoers, he might be discerned, and knowen of euery body. And this the malycious priestes cau∣sed to be done, because they would the more ali••nate and withdraw all mēnes mindes from hym. As they were goyng to the place of execucion, they met a certayne felow called Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexāder, and Rufus) cūmyng from his ferme: whome makyng refusall to beare Christes crosse, the souldiers (notwithstandyng he was a ryche man and of theyr acquaintaunce) did of a souldiourly malapertnes compell maugre on his head to beare it: not

because to fauour or ease Iesus, but for the spedier finishyng of the execucion. Some men necessitie constrayneth to embrace the crosse of Iesu: But this is a blessed necessitie that driueth a man to saluacion. The apostles enforce no mā to go to Christ: but the souldiers vsed compulsion. Howbeit the violence of these naughtie packes hath bene many a mannes saluacion. They broughte hym into a place slaunderous and reprocheful,* 1.3 by reason that suche as trespa∣ced the lawe, there suffred execucion: called in the Syrian tong, Golgotha, & in Latine Caluaria, the whiche word implieth in Englishe a place of dead mēs sculles. There gaue they him wine mingled with myrre, to drinke. For wyne is customablie geuen to men, when they be a passyng. Howbeit that wyne, for so much as it was corrupted with the bitternes of the Iewes, Iesus receyued not whan it was offered hym. For a lytle before he dranke with his disciples, and would not drynke agayne of the fruite of the vine, tyll he should drinke it newe in the kyngdome of God. He hated the bitter wyne whiche the vyne of the Iewyshe synagoge brought hym furth, that was becum bitter vnto her lorde, and tiller: and in stede of ripe grapes, yelded the fruite of the wilde vine. He hated the vine of wycked persons, and thirsted for another kynde of wyne. That was the newe wyne of the spirite of the Gospell, the whiche spirite after his ascending vp into heauen, he moste plenteously powred vpon his disciples.

[ The texte.] And when they had crucified hym, they parted his garmentes, casting lottes vpon them what euery man shoulde take, and it was about the thyrde houre. And they crucified hym. And the title of his cause was writtē: the kyng of the Iewes. And they crucified with hym two theues, the one on the right hād, and the other on his left. And the scripture was ful∣filled whiche sayth: he was counted among the wicked.

When Iesu was lifted vp on the crosse, those that crucified him, parted his clothes among thē: and for his coate (whiche was wrought in suche wyse y^t it could not be deuided) they caste lottes, whose fortune it shoulde be to haue the whole. Nowe considre the pouertie of Iesus, who hadde nothyng left him in yearth. He hangeth in the middes betwene heauē and yearth. So must he bee naked: so must he be lyghted of all burthens: so must he be high, that wyll en∣countre with the enemy of mānes saluacion. When Dauid should fyght with Goliad, he caste awaye al the armour and weapō of Saule, whi••he dyd ra∣ther burthen hym, then do hym any stede. It was the thyrde houre of the daye when they nayled hym on the crosse. There was set vpon the crosse the tytle of the cause wherfore he suffered, which was this: The king of the Iewes: writ∣ten in thre languages, that is to saye, in Hebrue, Greke, and Latine. And with hym they crucified two theues, in suche wise that one of them hong on his right syde, and the other on his lefte, on eyther syde enuironing hym hangyng in the middes. And this was doen by the procurement of the wicked priestes, because to make his name shamefull. The prophete Esai prophecied it should so be, saying: He was reckened among the vniust and wicked.

[ The texte.] And they that went by, ••ayled on hym, waggyng theyr heades, and saying: A wretche, thou that destroyest the temple, and buyldest it in three dayes, saue thy selfe, & come downe from the crosse. Lykewyse also mocked hym the high priestes among themselues, with the Scribes, and sayed: He saued other men, himselfe he cannot saue. Let Christe the kyng of Israel descende now from the crosse, that we may see and bel••ue. And they that were cru∣cified with hym checked hym also.

Neyther could the malicious bishops, and Scribes yet be satisfied with these so great euyls and manyfold displeasures. For fyrst the Iewes passing by the crosse, rayled on hym as he hong theron: and as it were vpbraydyng

hym now ouercum, sayde vnto hym in derision and mockage waggyng their heades withall: A wretche, thou that destroyest Gods temple, and buildeste it agayne within three dayes: Nowe shewe what thou canste doe: Put furthe this might and power wherupon thou braggest: saue thyselfe if thou be able and cum down from the crosse. Neyther dyd the hyghe byshops or priestes vse any gentler language vnto hym, who with the Scribes skorned hym a∣mong themselues, saying: He hath saued other, but himselfe he is not able to saue: He hath made his vaunt how he was Christe: he bragged that he was the kyng of Israell. If his promises be true, let vs see hym ••owe cum downe from the crosse, & then will we beleue o••n hym. The priestes entended by these reprochfull wordes, cleane to withdrawe all men from the beliefe of Iesu. So are the Martyrs euen at this daye ofte tymes scorned, and with lyke reproche∣ful wordes rayled on in their martyrdome, and corporall tourmentes, so is the veritie of the gospel verated, & laughed to skorne of the miscreantes, whiche is many tymes so hardly handled, that it semeth to be vtterly oppressed. Yet ceased not this outragious raylyng against Iesus. The two theues that wer crucified with hym, rebuked the innocent as they honge on the crosse. But here also dyd Iesus accordyng vnto his name. For he saued one of them.

[ The texte.] And when the sixt houre was 〈◊〉〈◊〉, darcknes arose ouer all the earth, vntill the ninthe houre. And at the ninthe houre, Iesus cried with a loude voice, saying: Eloi: Eloi, Lamaz a batha∣ny, whi••h is (if one interprete it) my God, my God, why haste thou forsaken me? And sum of them that stode by, when they hearde that, sayd: beholde he calleth for Helias. And one canne and fylled a sponge full of vineger, and put it on a rede, and gaue him to drincke, say∣ing: let hym alone: Let vs see whether Helias wyll cumme, and take hym downe.

At the sixte houre there arose a darknes, whiche couered all that lande: and endured tyll the nynth. Then Iesus destitute of all mannes helpe, cryed vnto the father with a loude voyce, reciting out of the psalme the prophecy whiche was spoken of hym before: Heloi, Heloi, Lamazabathany, the whiche wordes interpreted, areas muche to saye in Englishe, as, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? When some of them that stode by heard hym speake these wordes, and vnderstode not well the Hebrue tong, they sayde: he calleth vpon Hely. There be many suche false prophetes, and interpreters of scripture, euen in our tyme, and euer shall be tyll the worldes ende, which expounde the wor∣des of Iesu, no better then those scorners did. After that when he cried agayn: I am a thyrst: there ranne one vnto him, and ••aught him a sponge ful of vine∣ger, fastened to a rede, saying: Let hym alone: let vs see whether Hely wyll cū and take hym down from the crosse. When he had eftsones tasted the vineger, he woulde not drinke therof. He thyrsted another wyne, whiche they woulde not geue hym, that refused to beleue the gospell.

[ The texte.] But Iesus cried with a loude voyce, and gaue vp the ghost. And the vayle of the temple did rent in two pieces, from the toppe to the bottome. And whē the Centurion (which stode before hym) sawe that he so cryed, and gaue vp the ghost, he sayde: truly this manne was the sonne of God. There were also women a good waye of beholdyng hym, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Iames the litle, and of Ioses, and Mary Salome (whiche also when he was in Galile, had folowed hym, and ministred vnto hym) and many other weomen whiche came vp with hym vnto Ierusalem.

Iesus (all thynges fulfylled) gaue a great skryke, and therwith yelded vp the ghost. And byanby the vayle of the temple which disseuered those thynges that the Iewes counted moste holy from the syght of the multitude or cōmon people, was rent from the vppermoste parte to the lowest. Shadowes cease,

and vanishe away, assone as veritie cummeth once to light. Neyther should it be any more nedefull for any priest to entre into the sanctuary, after that sacri∣fice was once offred vp, and made: whiche alone was sufficient to pourge the synnes of the whole world. Nowe whē the capitaine that stode right against Iesus, as a minister, and witnes of his death, who had sene manye a one be∣fore put to execucion, sawe howe that contrarye to the manoure of other, he yelded vp the ghoste and dyed immediatlye as he had geuen this great skrike, he sayd: Truely this man was the sonne of God.

See here the fyrst fruites of the gentiles, confessing the vertue, and power of Christe. He that confesseth hym to bee a man, and the sonne of God: confesseth him to bee both God and manne. Albeit the captaine as yet vnderstode by the sonne of God, a man notably beloued of God. Marke this also, how our saui∣our is euery where a sauiour. When he was a dying on the crosse, he saued one of the theues. And anon as he was deade, he drewe the captaine vnto the profession of Christen fayth. There were also women that stode a good waye of and behelde all that was doen: among whome was Mary Magdalene, & Mary the mother of Iames the lesse, and of Ioses: and Mary Salome, the whiche all the while that Iesus continued & taught in Galile, folowed hym, and ministred vnto hym of their substaunce: and besides these, diuerse other, whiche likewyse folowed hym in his voyage to Ierusalem.

[ The texte.] And now when the euen was come (because it was the daye of preparyng, that goeth be∣fore the Sabboth) Ioseph of the citie of Aramathia, a noble counsailour, which also loked for the kyngdom of god, came and went in boldly vnto Pilate, and begged of him the body of Iesu. And Pilate meruailed if he were already dead, and called vnto him the Centuriō, and asked of him whether he had been anye while deade. And when he knewe the trueth of the Centurion, he gaue the body to Ioseph. And he bought a Lynnen clothe, and take hym downe and wrapped hym in the lynnen clothe, and layed hym in a sepulchre that was hew∣en out of the rocke, and roled a stone before the dore of the sepulchre. And Mary Magda∣lene and Mary Ioses, beheld where he was layed.

When the euentyde drewe nye, forasmuche as it was the preparing daye, so called, because it was the euē of the great Sabboth: there came one Ioseph of the citie of Aramathia, a noble, and a right worthy senatoure, who likewise hoped after the kyndome of God. This man because he had a good opinion of Iesu: was bolde throughe affia••nce of his nobilitie, to go vnto Pilate and desyre of hym the body of Iesu. Pilate meruayled yf Iesus beyng but a yoūg man, were already deade: because manye had been wonte to lyue two or three dayes after theyr legges were broken.

Therfore he called vnto hym the Capitayne, who stodeby the crosse, and demaūded of him whether he were all ready dead, or no? And when by his in∣formacion he was well ascerteined that he was d••ad in very dede, he gaue the body to Ioseph. For Iesus as long as he lyued, suffred hymselfe to bee beaten and spit vpon of wycked persons. But anon as he was deade, he claymed his dignitie, and would not bee handled but of godly persons, no not somuche as bee seen but of his disciples, who were apointed to lyfe euerlasting: teachyng therby, that no man shoulde chalenge his dignitie in this worlde. Let a manne by honour, and dishonour, by glory, and reproche, onlye endeuour himselfe to finishe the businesse of the gospell. For dignitie beginneth neuer to floryshe tyll after death. Ioseph beyng right ioyfull that he hadde obteyned so precious a gifte, bought a piece of fine linnen clothe, and therin wrapped the bodye, and

layed it in a newe sepulchre hewed out of free stoone: and then rolled a great stone to the doore or entry of the sepulchre, that no man should lightly conuey awaye the body by stealth.

But of the women whiche behelde the lorde when he dyed, two folowed hym vnto the sepulchre: that is to wete, Mary Magdalene, & Mary Ioseph, mar∣kyng where the body was layde, to thentent that they might at time conueni∣ent thither repaire, and honorably perfourme the solemnities, and ceremonies belonging vnto burials, accordyng to the manour and vsage of that nacion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  And Pilate asked hym again.
• * 1.2

  And they brought him to a place named Golgotha. &c.
• * 1.3

  And they brought him to a place named Golgotha, &c.