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

¶ The .ii Chapter.

[ The texte.] And the third day there was a mariage in Cana a citie of Galile: and the mother of Iesus was there. and Iesus was called and his disciples vnto the mariage. And when the wine fayled, the mother of Iesus saith vnto him: they haue no wine. Iesus sayth vnto her: wo∣man what haue I to doe with thee? myne houre is not yet come.

ANd Iesus had not taryed long in Galile, but thorowe working of a miracle he begā to declare y^e Iohns wit∣nes of him was not vntrue. In dede Iesus was better knowen in Galile then in other countreys of Iewrie,* 1.1 but yet they had no notable opiniō of him, when as at y^e time also euen his brethren and kinsfolkes had no right iudgement of him. Therfore the third day after he came to Galile, there was a solemne mariage made in Ca∣na, which is a toune of y^e countrey. Iesus mother was biddē to this wedding, because she was of alyaūce to thē. And by this occasiō Iesus hīselfe also was biddē, & his fower disciples w^t hī, which he had gathe∣red

together a litle before. Now then when y^e feast was at the hottest, and the bridgrome for lacke of wyne was lyke to be abashed, as if he had made but a nygardely feast: And besides that it was to be feared leste hys geastes care∣fulnesse for lacke of wyne shoulde make the feaste the lesse cherefull:* 1.2 Marie the mother of Iesu of a certain womanly carefulnes desyring to haue this discō∣moditie remedied, seing that already by manye tokens and also by the witnes∣ses of Iohn she was not ignorant of the power of her sonne, she is bold to cal vpō him, saying: Sonne, they haue no wine. In that she dare speake to him, it declared her motherly auctoritie: And in that she dooeth not prescribe nor ap∣poynte any thyng to him, what she would haue doen, it sheweth her reuerence towarde her sonne. But Iesus intendyng nowe to take in hande the heauenly busines of the ghospell, whereof he would haue hys father to be the onely auc∣tour, suffereth not mans auctoritie to be mixte therewith.* 1.3 For he dyd not my∣racles for this purpose to please the affeccions of hys kynsfolkes, but to cause his spiritual doctrine to be the better beleued through corporal sygnes and to∣kens, amonges the vnfaythfull people of that countrey. Therfore he aunswe∣reth his mother sumwhat roughly, not that he did not loue her entierely being suche a one as she was, consyderynge he loued all mankynde so muche, but to thentent y^t he would kepe his auctoritie of working miracles fre from world∣ly affeccions, and to cause the whole glory therof to be ascribed to the power of God. For this was a thing expediente for mans saluacion, whiche Iesus dyd greatly thyrst for and couet.* 1.4 Therfore not vtterly denying hys mother, but de∣claring that she had litle to doe with y^e busines he went about, he aunswereth her: woman what haue I to doe with the? I haue a time appoynted me of my father, when and after what sorte I should weorke the saluacion of mankind, that time is not yet come. Hitherto I haue shewed my self obedient to thy wil, from hens forth I must doe all thinges according to my fathers will, and not after mans prescript and appoyntmente. In other thinges thou hast bene my mother, herafter I wil take thee but as a woman, as often as I am occupied about my fathers businesse. Whensoeuer his glorie shal be to be serued, I shal not nede thy calling vpon. I wil doe of mine own good wil, y^t which y^e thing it selfe shal require. I haue a time appoynted me of my father. So before y^t time also, whē he was but a childe, he tolde his mother of y^t she did interrupt hym, when he was disputing in y^e tēple. And of the like thing againe he warned her, whē she bad one cal him furth to her, whiles he was preaching emōg y^e people.

[ The Texte.] His mother sayeth vnto the ministers. Whatsoeuer he sayeth vnto you doe it. And there were standing there si••e waterpottes of stone, after y^e maner of the purifying of y^e Iewes, conteyning two or thre firkius a piece. Iesus sayth vnto them: fill the waterpottes with water. And they filled them vp to the brimme. And he sayeth vnto them: drawe out nowe and beare vnto the gouernour of the feast. And they bare it.

But Marie the mother of Iesu, beyng neither offended with her sonnes aun∣swere, although it were sumwat roughe, nor in the meane tyme mystrustyng either his goodnes or hys power, maketh no aunswere agayn, but calleth the seruauntes of the house to her, and secretly in theyr eares sayeth thus vnto thē: Doe ye,* 1.5 whatsoeuer he shall bid you doe. Undoubtedly the godly pitifull care∣fulnes of his mother, did procure that, lest y^e seruauntes lacke of belefe, or their vnready seruice, should be a let wherby that whiche lacked at the feast should not be amended. But how and what time y^e thing should be dooen, she holding her peace leaueth it secretly to hir sonnes wil and appointment. These thinges

wer not doen by chaunce, but Iesus deferred the miracle for y^e nonest, because the lacke of wine should be the better perceiued of euery body, and shoulde be well sene to bee geuen for necessitie, and not for any vayne boasting or glorye: For so our Lord wrought all hys miracles, that he semed not to doe them for thaffeccion of any worldly praise,* 1.6 but to succour & relieue men of their eiuilles and griefes: he did them so temperatly & in so due ordre, that they could not be don more faithfully nor with more trueth. Therfore now whiles the geastes taried and were carefull for lacke of wine, Iesus perceyuynge the tyme to bee come that he should be knowen to his own, commaundeth the seruauntes to fyll with water sixe pottes of stone, which stode there for this purpose, that if any, according to y^e custome of the Iewes, would clense himself with washing, he might haue plentie of water ready, forasmuche as that countrey was very drye, & in fewe places well watered with fountaynes & running riuers. Thys truely did cause the miracle also to be rather beleued, because y^e vse of those wa∣terpottes was a solemne thyng emong the Iewes. And the sayd pottes neuer receyued any other licour but water. Moreouer the greatnesse of y^e vessels set∣foorth the belefe of the miracle, for they conteined two or three firkens a piece, so that they could not easily bee remoued out of theyr place. The seruaūtes did obey him and filled the waterpottes with water, as they were commaūded e∣uen to the brimme. Whē that was doen, because he would haue no witnesses of the miracle,* 1.7 he commaunded them to drawe out of the waterpottes and to offer that whiche they had drawen, to hym that was the chiefe ruler & had the ordreyng of the feast. And this Iesus did, partely because the ruler was sober, for he that hath the charge committed to hym to see all thinges wel furnished, is euer wont to abstayn from wyne, whiles other folkes doe drinke: And par∣tely because he being well skilled in tast, and hauing a fyne iudgement therein, myght more trewely geue verdite of the wyne thē the rest of y^e geastes, whose tastes myght seme to bee dulled with drynking of muche wyne before.

[ The texte.] ¶When the ruler of the feaste had tasted the water that was turned into wyne, & knew not whence it was (but the ministers which drew the water knew) he calleth the bryde∣grome and sayeth vnto hym. Euery man at the beginning doeth set furthe good wine, & when men be drunke, then that whiche is wurse: but thou hast kept the good wyne vntill now. This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galile, and shewed his glorie; and his disciples beleued on hym.

But as soone as the ruler of the feast had tasted of the wine, that was turned out of water, & knew not where they drewe it, suspecting the fame to be in the seruauntes, that cōtrary to the custome of other, they deferred to bring in such wine vntil the latter end of the feast, he calleth the bridgrome to hym, desyring to know of him by what occasion y^e fault chaunsed. Others (sayeth he) which make a solemne feast, at the beginning thereof, bryng to the table of the beste sortes of wine, afterward whē their geastes being already drunke haue their mouthes out of tast, & powre in drinke vntemperatly, thē they bring & serue of the wurst sort. But thou cōtrariwise hast reserued vnto the end of y^e feast, this wine which is better & more pleasaunt than any y^t was serued yet. And by this o••casiō y^e miracle of y^e thing y^t was doē, spred abrod litle by litle emonges ma∣••••. And afterward by examining the seruauntes of this thing, it was knowen that the water was not onely turned into wyne, but also into very good wine. And as forthe waterpottes they had no mistrust, but that they were onely de∣dicate

and ordeyned for water. The seruauntes put water to water, and filled them vp to the brimme, & after they had drawen of the same which they pow∣red into the vessels, they offered it to the gouernour of y^e feast, who was sobre. The bridgrome knoweth well inough that there was no such wine prouyded nor prepared. They wente to the waterpots and found them ful of y^e selfesame good wyne.* 1.8 With this dede our Lorde Iesus began the working and setting foorth of his miracles in Cana a towne of Galile, intending by litle and litle to shew furth tokens of his godly power to the worlde. For first of all this thing was doen in a matier not very weightie & also priuatly, yea & almost to please his mother and kinsfolkes withal: whiche had him in lesse admiracion because they were his familiars & of his kinne. And this miracle was not much noted of very manye, but afterwarde it grewe to bee hadde in greatter credite with moe: yet in the meane while y^e fayth of his disciples y^t were present was stabli∣shed concerning Iesu, who hauing promised greater thinges, perfourmed that whiche he had promised. And besides that, this miracle (wherby he framed as it were a beginning to y^e rest that he should do afterward) was not in vain. For firste of all he woulde honour the mariage with his presence, knowing before∣hand that in tyme to come there should be some which would condemne it as an vnpure & filthye thing, whereas an honourable mariage and vndefiled bed, is a thyng most acceptable to God. Moreouer Iesus dyd as it were shadowe vnto vs by a certayn figure, that thing, whiche he then chiefely went aboute. For now was the tyme come y^t in steade of the vnsauery & waterishe lettre of Moses lawe, we should drinke the pleasaunt wyne of the spirite of the gospel, by reasō that Christ turned into our more welth that thing which was with∣out strength & vnprofitable. For the law was not only vnsauery to y^e Iewes without Christ, but also hurtfull & deadly. They which haue not beleued in the ghospel, doe stil drinke of the water of Moses law, but they, which haue bele∣ued Christe doe happely waxe warme, & growe liuely toward the loue of hea∣uenly lyfe, through the moyst & swete licour of his heauenly doctrine. And this was not doen before that Christ had ioyned vnto him the churche hys spouse. Also the mother of Iesu was present there, representing the forme of the sina∣gogue, whose autoritie is diminished, yet she telleth the lacke of the wyne, but she her selfe doeth not remedy it. Neuertheles she was for our behoufe mother vnto him, which doth reioyce and coumforte our mindes with the swete wine of his spirite. The names of the places also do agree to the mistery of y^e thing. For Cana of Galile betokeneth possessiō of a ready passage frō one place to an other. For now was y^e original beginning of a new people gathered together, which should remoue from the letter of the lawe, to the spirite of the ghospell, from the world, to heauen.

[ The texte.] ¶After this he went downe to Capernaum, he and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and there continued not many dayes▪

After Iesus by thys miracle had begonne to declare his mightie power e∣monges his kinsfolkes in a towne of smal renoume, he went downe to Caper∣naum. That citie is in the selfesame Galile of the Gentiles, all ryottouse and swelling in pryde, by reason of the plentie of richesse therin: beyng also nye vn∣to the lake of Genazareth and in the coastes of zabulon and Neptalim. But according to the wisedome of the ghospel, that thing which is highely estemed in the world, is abiect, and litle set by afore God. Iesus mother with his bre∣thren

and disciples went down thither with him, but they taryed there very fewe dayes. Neyther was there any miracle doen in that place. But this bene∣fit semed to be doen in the meane time, for his mothers & kinsfolkes pleasure: whō now he would no longer cary about with him, for asmuch as he would take in hand greater thynges, because that worldly affeccion and loue should chalenge vnto it no parte of those thinges whiche were doen for the glorye of the heauenly father.

[ The texte.] And the Iewes Easter was euen at hande: and Iesus went vp to Hierusalem, and found sitting in the tēple those that solde oxen & shepe, & doues, & changers of money. And when he had made as it were a scourge of small coardes, he droue them al out of the tēple, with the shepe and oxen, and powred out the chaung••ers mo••ey, and ouerthrewe the tables. And sayd vnto thē that solde dooues: haue these thinges hence, and make not my fathers house a house of marchaundies. And his disciples remembred it that is written: the zele of thine house hath euen eaten me.

Therfore Iesus leauyng his kynsfolkes behynde at Capernaum, seeketh time and place mete to declare openly hys power and auctoritie, which he had receiued of his heauenly father, & not of men. For euen then the most high and solemne feast of the Iewes was at hand, which is called Easter, and after the Hebrewe tounge, is as much to say as a passing ouer. They did kepe this day as an holy feast euery yere in the remembraunce of the olde story: because their elders had safelye passed ouer oute of Egipte: when they wente into the lande whiche God had promised them. But now that thing whiche they did honour but in figure, was doen in dede by Christ, y^t is to say, he now brought to passe that men hauing forsaken the darkenes of errours, and cloude of sinne, should be remoued, and brought, through the fayth of the gospel••, ••o innocencie, light and immortalitie: forasmuch therfore as at that time there was at Ierusalem a great number of people which out of al the partes of Sirya did assēble there againste that feastful day, Iesus wente thither nowe going vp towardes hys fathers busines,* 1.9 wheras before he went down to Capernaū to obey & please his kinsfolks withal. And furthwith he goeth into the temple, which place is wont to be ofte gone to of a religiouse minde, to serue god therin: And verelye Christ was the maister of true religion, who when he entered into the temple which was ordeyned for deuout religion & wurshipping of god, founde there thapparaunce not of a tēple, but rather of a market place. For he founde verye many there which in y^t holy place did exercise themselues about filthie,* 1.10 yea & sinful gaine, & so turned into robbery that which was ordeined to geue occasiō of godly religion. For to thintēt that straungiers might haue somewhat to of∣fer, they solde to them of an hye pryce, shepe, oxen dooues, & other suche lyke thinges, whiche (according to the custome of y^e Iewes) were woonte to be of∣fered or geuen to the priestes: but in the meane while y^e sellers bargained with the priestes and leuites that the sayd priestes & leuites should sel agayne to thē by a lesse pryce, the selfesame beastes that the priestes had receyued of them which had offered, whiche thing the sellers did, because they myghte sell those beastes agayn to other straungiers with a double gaine. So it was brought to passe that by powling the straungers, the filthie gayne whiche rose double by selling one thing twyse, shoulde be deuyded betwene the merchauntes and the ministers of the temple. And to haue more quicke and readye mar∣chaundise, ther was presente, according to the custome of their cōmon market, chaungers of money and bankers, such as did chaunge the greater coynes for

money of smaller coyne, or golde for siluer, or els did exchaunge strange coyne for coyne of that place. And thereby also they had shamefull gayne, litle dyf∣feryng from vsurie. Iesus then declaryng by hys very acte how great a pesti∣lence corrupt desyre of lucre is to the church, and howe far al they ought to be from thys disease, which professe themselues rulers of religyon of the gospell, made him (as it wer) a scourge of smal cordes, as though he would driue dog∣ges out of goddes temple. And both with great indignacion and auctoritie, he droue them all out of the temple, displacyng and throwyng downe bothe the merchauntes and their wares: And did not onely put out the men, but also the shepe, and oxen, that there shoulde remayne behynde no suche filthie baggage.

Yea and besydes that, he scattered abrode the chaungers money vpon the ground, and ouerthrew also their boardes, teaching how these thinges ought vtterly to be troden vnder foote of the wurshippers of true religiō. Moreouer as if he had bene moued with indignacion therat, he sayd to them which sould the dooues: haue these thinges hence: and make not my fathers house an house of marchaundise. And hys disciples when they sawe Iesus, beyng at all other times quiete and meke, here now how earnestly he chased out those which did vnsemely vse and defyle the godly religion of the temple with theyr fowle and sinnefull gayne, the disciples, I say, remembred the prophecie whiche is in the three score and eyght psalme. The zele of thy house hath euen eaten me.

[ The texte.] Then aunswered the Iewes and sayd vnto him: what token shewest thou vnto vs, seeing that thou doest these thinges? Iesus aunswered and sayed vnto them: destroy this tēple, and in three daies I will reare it vp.

But as for the Iewes when they had hearde that he namyng his fathers house, did as it were by a certayne peculier and singular way, declare himselfe to be the sonne of god, and saw hym also so hyely take vpon hym openlye and in apparaunce to be so very angrye with them, whiche semed to further bothe the priestes profite, & also the religiouse seruice of god, they crie out vpon hym and saye: If god be thy father, and if thou wilt reuenge the contempte and in∣iurie of thy father, doe sōe miracle y^t we may perceyue thou doest these thinges by the auctoritie of thy father. If thou doest these thinges by thyne owne auc∣toritie it is presumpcion: And if thou dost them by goddes autoritie, what to∣ken she west thou that we may beleue thee? But Iesus knowing y^t they would slaunder him in case he had wrought any miracle to shew himselfe therby, see∣yng he neuer yet did any miracle but onely to succoure them that lacked helpe in theyr nede, to thintente y^t the same thyng whiche was a proufe of hys godly power, should be also a benefit & helpe vnto the necessitie of man, he promised thē a tokē vnder a parable, which tokē if he had thē opēly declared, they would not haue beleued, in so much as they did not beleue it whē it was doē in dede. The tokē was cōcerning his death & resurrecciō. The same was also signified by Ionas, which tokē Iesus had promised after he had doen many miracles, & also at such time as they required him to shew sū tokē y^t should cū frō heauē. But now he promiseth (although more darkely) y^t selfesame token to thē, who as yet were but ignoraū••: The tēple wherin they were at that time, occasioned him to say as he did: of the which tēple y^• Iewes dyd boast thēselues beyond measure.* 1.11 Breake down this temple, sayth he, & in three dayes I wil set it vp a∣gayn. This parable not so much as his Apostles did vnderstand. But at lēgth whē they had knowē & sene his resurrecciō, they perceiued the meaning of his

saying, by theffect of the thing it selfe: For Iesus ment it by the temple of hys owne body, whiche they through their malice should pul downe, by putting it to death: & he by his godly power, should raise it vp again within thre daies. The Iewes thought thys saying not onely to fonde and without reason, but also vngodly and wi••ked. For it was an vngodly thyng to commaund a tem∣ple of so great religion to bee broken: and to set vp agayne within three dayes so laboriouse a building, semed to be a saying contrarye to all reason.

[ The texte.] Then sayde the Iewes: xlvi, yeres was this temple a building, and wilt thou reare it vp in three dayes! But he spake of the temple of hys bodye. Assone therefore as he was risen from deathe agayn, his disciples remembred that he had thus sayd: And they beleued the scripture and the woordes whiche Iesus had sayde.

And as they vnderstode the thing, so they answered accordingly, saying: Men labored very sore y^e space of .xlvi. yeres after that the Babiloniās had brought Iewry into captiuitie to repayre this temple, and wilt thou set it vp again in thre daies? Our lord Iesus made no aunswer to that obieccion, knowing that he should haue doen no good, in case he had made playne his darke saying, whē not so much as his owne disciples, yea, after they were instructed by his doing of so many miracles, & his so manifolde preachinges, could abide to heare hys death spoken of, nor beleue the mistery of his resurreccion. Yet this saying did cleue and remayne still, as a certayne seede in the myndes of the hearers: but it brought furth sundry fruites in soondry persones. For the Iewes kepyng the same still in theyr remembraunce, did lay thys saying to hys charge before the wicked priestes, as a cryine worthye of deathe. The disciples in as muche as at that time they could not vnderstande it, yet bearing it in theyr mindes, dyd meruayl what it should meane vntyl the tyme that after hys resurreccion the holy ghost taught them how Christ by the name of the temple,* 1.12 ment his own bodye that was muche more holy then the temple, whiche the Iewes dydde honour so religiously: for so muche as the fulnesse of the godheade dyd dwell therin. And yet emongeste them it was sacrilege to defile and violate that tem∣ple of stone: but they were nothing afrayed synfully to throw downe the most holy temple of hys moste holy and precious bodye. Howbeit Iesus the verye Salomon who had builded this temple for his owne selfe, of the virgin Ma∣rie, did restore it agayne within three dayes after they had pulled it downe, ac∣cording to the prophecies of the prophetes. Therfore the disciples conferring the scryptures with Iesus saying at thys tyme,* 1.13 dyd perceyue thys hys resur∣reccion to be the greatest token wherby he declared to the Iewes his godhed. For albeit we haue red that some men haue risen againe from death to life, yet no man did raise vp himselfe to life but onely our lord Iesus. For he onely had power in himselfe to leaue his life and to reuiue it agayn, when he would. And so by these principles & beginninges, Iesus did sti••re vp al the Iewes mindes to loke for greater thinges in hym against theyr hye feast, which was nowe at hande.

[ The texte.] When he was in Ierusalē at Ester, in the feast day, many beleued on his name whē they saw his miracles which he did: but Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew al men, & neded not that any mā should testify of him: for he knew what was in mā.

But after y^t he had taried at Ierusalem certayn dayes of the feaste of Ester, & by his miracles and doctrine had, as it were, sowen some sedes of the faythe

of the ghospel, many being moued rather with the miracles whiche he did thē with his woordes, did credite his saying: and beleued him to bee the sonne of god, whome he preached himselfe to be. For the Iewes be not so much moued with reason as with the sight of miracles: but Iesus then shewyng to vs the very forme and fashion of a teacher of the gospel, to whose wisedome it apper∣teyneth not euen at the firste to commit to the myndes of ignoraunte persones all the misteries of his hye doctrine, whose gētlenesse it behoueth to beare with, and to suffer them that be yet but weake and vnperfit vntill they may attayne to hier thinges: Iesus, I say, because he knewe theyr fayth was yet but wa∣uering and vnperfite, and theyr myndes not hable to receyue the mysteryes of the wisedome of the gospel, he dyd not auenture himselfe emong the common sort, lest the peoples affeccions should be sodainly altered, where by some com∣mocion were like to rise. For there were many that were sore vexed with this auctoritie of Iesus, specially they whiche dyd suppose that hys doctryne and glory shoulde hinder theyr lucre and auctoritie. The enuie of the Phariseis and Scribes had not yet brast foorth into open slaundering of hym, but neuerthe∣lesse they kepte enuie and malice close in theyr heartes, deceitfullye sekyng oc∣casion to hurte hym. And therfore because at this time Iesus coulde dooe litle good emong them, lest he should geue euil persones occasyon of greater euyll, he withdrewe himselfe from them, forasmuch as he knew the secret thoughtes of them all, neither neded he to bee tolde any thyng of any manne. For he, who was ignoraunte in nothing, knewe euen of hymselfe the verye secrecie of euery man there. Neyther yet in the meane whyle dyd Iesus make any prouisyon to saue himselfe, who willyngly came of veraye purpose to suffer deathe for the saluacion of the world, but he toke away from theyr malice occasyon wherby they shoulde els haue sinned.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The mo∣ther of Ie∣sus was there &c.
• * 1.2

  They haue no wine.
• * 1.3

  Iesus saith &c.
• * 1.4

  Woman what haue I to doe with thee?
• * 1.5

  Whatsoe∣uer he sai∣e••h vnto yo••, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it.
• * 1.6

  Fil the wa∣terpottes with water
• * 1.7

  And thei fil¦led them vp to y^e brīme.
• * 1.8

  The begin∣ning of mi∣racles did Iesus. &c.
• * 1.9

  Ies{us} went vp to Ieru∣salem▪ &c.
• * 1.10

  And found those that sold oxen.
• * 1.11

  Destroy this temple, and in three dayes. &c
• * 1.12

  But he spake of the temple of his bodye.
• * 1.13

  And they beleued the scripture. &c.