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In his work Adages (1515) the famous Dutch humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam explains the meaning of numerous Greek and Latin proverbs using the examples taken from his own times. These comments provide the Christian moralist with an excellent opportunity to criticize the sins and exactions of secular and clerical authorities of the 16th century Europe. In his interpretation an ancient saying “A mortuo tributum exigere” (i.e. to require payment from the dead) becomes an occasion to blame limitless greed of feudal rulers and shameless cupidity of Catholic clergy.
Erasmus’s indignation and wrath against powerful oppressors are in striking contrast with his sympathy and compassion to the wretched and poor, to simple peasants and laborers. Obviously, he criticizes social flaws from the positions of Christian moral. For instance, speaking about feudal rulers Erasmus blames not only their avidity but their sinful arrogance as well – “Now the great lords arrogate everything to themselves, as if they alone were men or rather gods”. He qualifies as extortion “all these tithes and taxes” which “gnaw away the livelihood of the poor”. In his protest against feudal oppression Erasmus goes even farther calling the rulers and their agents “these rascally harpies” and the nobles for him are “rather the bandits”. He is deeply outraged by “the greed of these people” which outstrips the power of words” and knows “no measure and no limit”. The great humanist is revolted by the feudal wars which suck “the very marrow out of the bones of the unhappy population”.
But Erasmus’s indignation reaches its climax when he describes shameful practices of Catholic clergy violating the Biblical precepts. “They harass the miserable peasantry“ by their tithes, they baptize, marry, confess, consecrate, say religious services or bury only for money, nothing is free of charge. Moreover, remissions of sins called indulgences are freely sold to everyone ready to pay. But the worst thing is that corrupted Church does not fulfill “the real duty of priesthood, that of teaching the people”. Erasmus uses the authority of the Bible to demonstrate how shameful for the clergy is to require payment for the right of burial from every Christian.
In other words, Erasmus’s comments to this ancient proverb can be easily considered as a passionate anti-feudal and anticlerical declaration which is only missing a call to subversion of existing social order. Clearly formulated criticism of feudal oppression contributed to further development of humanist ideas of liberty and equality which became the banner of the new class of bourgeoisie in its struggle for influence and power. From this point of view Erasmus can be considered as a predecessor of French Enlightenment which prepared the soil for the final fall of Absolutism.
The great humanist strongly blames Catholic clergy for its deviation from Biblical commandments. He considers the Bible as the main source of moral and religious authority. The same point of view was adopted later by the leaders of Protestantism. Erasmus’s opposition to the Catholic Church corruption was also shared by the adepts of Protestantism. In such a way his angry arguments against the exactions of Catholic priests helped to found a new religious movement based on purified Christian principles and values.
In conclusion, we can say that Erasmus of Rotterdam was an audacious opponent of the most revolting flaws of feudalism and Catholicism. His passionate criticism can be considered as a valuable historical testimony on the one hand and as an important contribution to the development of the free European thinking on the other.
Bibliography:
Mann Phillips, Margaret, Erasmus on his times: a shortened version of the “Adages” of Erasmus, Cambridge University press, 1967.