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Erasmus. This is
the first reference in Answer to Erasmus (1466/9–1536), the foremost Greek and
Latin scholar in the first third of the 16c. For his life and works, see
the entry by O'Donnell in Tudor
England.
For other works of Erasmus, Tyndale makes
direct reference to the Paraclesis (1516) and the
Preface to the Paraphrase of Matthew (March 1522) in Obedience (C4). For Mary's supposed
personal sins, Tyndale specifically cites the
Annotations on Matt. 12, Luke 2, John 2 (Obedience S4v). In explicating the Beatitudes, Tyndale follows
the NT versions of Erasmus and
Luther in putting "Blessed are they that
mourn" before "Blessed are the meek" (
Matthew
b6). Having translated the Enchiridion
(1503) with the prefatory Ep. 858 (1518), Tyndale would readily recall
its basic metaphor of the armor of God (1 John G7v), and its explanation in Ch. 7 of the tripartite division of flesh, soul, and spirit (Matthew p3). Tyndale's allusions to Julius II's
struggle against the emperor (Obedience E6v) and
to the pope's diplomatic alliances with Henry VIII (Obedience E6v; Prelates F8, G7) recall
the Julius Exclusus (c1513) attributed to Erasmus
(CWE 27).Tyndale perhaps echoes the Colloquies:
"The Funeral" (1526) in Mammon (A8, G2), Obedience (L7), 1 John
(F3v); "A Pilgrimage for Religion's Sake" (1526) from Colloquies in the Prologue to Numbers (Mombert 393/14–15; TOT
196). Tyndale refers to Erasmus in the prefaces to his New and Old
Testaments. Erasmus translates Greek metanoeo,
not with peniteo for "repent," but with Latin resipisco for "come to myselfe or to my ryght
mynde agayne" (Wallis 10/31–32;TNT 9). Erasmus praises Cuthbert Tunstall (Mombert 5/1–6; TOT 4) in the "Capita Argumentorum "of the 1527 NT (Foxe 5.811n).
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ecclesia in to
congregacyon.
Erasmus' Latin version of the NT left the term
ecclesia as the translation of the Greek ekklesia in the great majority of cases. But in
his annotations on Rom 16.5, Et domesticam
ecclesiam.), 1516 NT (Reeve 2.434) and 1 Cor. 16.19, Cum domestica sua ecclesia.), 1519 NT (Reeve
2.522), Erasmus expresses a preference for congregatio, to show how the Greek ekklesia refers to the familia
Christiana. He translates ekklesia as
congregatio at Acts 5.11, 7.38, 11.22 and 26,
14.27, also at Rom. 16.5, 2 Cor. 1.1, Philemon
1.2, and 3 John 1.10, cf. Aldridge 117.
In the Large Catechism, Luther explains why he prefers to translate ekklesia as gemeyne rather
than versammlung. He approves the ancient interpretation of "church" as "communion of saints" because
those gathered (versammelt) constitute a body
holding in common (als gemeinsam) the gifts of
Christ. He could say eine Christiche gemeine oder
samlung, but prefers the former term because it indicates that those gathered hold spiritual gifts in common. He thinks
the term Gemeinschaft is not apt because it
connotates a social organization. Cf. Heinz Bluhm,
Martin Luther Creative Translator
(St. Louis: Concordia, 1965) 173f.
Luther's practice may have suggested to Tyndale the making of a change,
but Luther's own substitution did not give Tyndale the new term,
"congregacyon," that he introduced. (JW)
Tyndale translates ekklesia as "congregation"
here, 1 John C2, Matthew
d5v. Dialogue rejects Tyndale's translation of
ekklesia as "congregation " in Bk.
1, Ch. 18 (CWM 6/1.107/23–24) and in Bk. 3, Ch. 8 (CWM
6/1.286/26–34).
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Moria. Punning
on the name of his host, Erasmus wrote Moriae encomium (1511) at More's home. Cf. Ep. 337 to Maarten van Dorp, Antwerp, [end of May] 1515
(Allen 2.90–114; CWE 3.111–39). More
defends the philology, theology, and hermeneutics of Moriae in Ep. 15, To Martin Dorp, Bruges, 21
October <1515> (CWM 15.2–127). Besides this direct reference to
Moriae, there are many indirect allusions in
Tyndale's works: Philautia (Obedience B8v),
scholastic terminology (Obedience C2v), the
variety of religious rules (
Matthew e3), fat monks (
Matthew
i3v), quick Masses (
Matthew
i5), long hours in choir (
Matthew
i6).
14/24–28
contended ...
housse. Cf. CWM 8/1.177/10–14.
14/28–30
Which ...
writeth. Cf. CWM 8/1.178/9–10.
15/1–3
wrote ...
defendeth. Cf. CWM 8/1. 179/35–36.