The Nose of Wax: Scripture and the Spirit from Erasmus to Milton

H.C. Porter

doi:10.2307/3678948

The Nose of Wax: Scripture and the Spirit from Erasmus to Milton

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009

H.C. Porter

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H.C. Porter: Affiliation:
Selwyn College, Cambridge.

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Erasmus' Folly, orating in 1511, accused modern theologians of treating the scriptures ‘as if they were of wax’. Similar charges were to be commonplace in the sixteenth century. John Fisher, preaching in 1521, maintained that heretics have always ‘turned the wrong side of the scriptures outward, following their own brain and fantasy’. Thomas More, also, criticized the Reformers because they ‘abuse’ the scriptures, comparing Tyndale in 1532 to ‘a butterfly fallen on a lime twig, which the more it striveth and fluttereth, ever the faster it hangeth’. On this conservative side, the Erasmian image was personalized by the Dutch Albert Pighius, who referred in 1538 to ‘someone’ as saying ‘both truly and merrily’: ‘The scripture is like a nose of wax, that easily suffereth itself to be drawn backward and forward, and to be moulded and fashioned this way and that way, and howsoever ye list’. Now, that idea of a ‘nose of wax’ had been used against the papists by Tyndale in 1532: they ‘make it a nose of wax, and wrest it this way and that way, till it agree’.

Type: Research Article
Information: Transactions of the Royal Historical Society , Volume 14 , December 1964 , pp. 155 - 174

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3678948 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1964

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References

^{page 155 note 1} Quasi cereae sint, ‘Classiques Gamier’ edn (Paris, 1936), p. 124.Google Scholar

^{page 155 note 2} Fisher, English Works, ed. Mayor, J.E.B. (London, 1876), p. 345.Google Scholar PubMed

^{page 155 note 3} More, , Confutation of Tyndale s Answer (London, 1532),Google Scholar Preface, fo. 2r.

^{page 155 note 4} Ibid., p. ccxlv.

^{page 155 note 5} Pighius, , Hierarchiae Ecclesiastical Assertio (Cologne, 1538),Google Scholar fo. lxxx, section B. Translated Jewel, Works, Parker Society, iv, p. 759. (The fiftyfour volumes of the Parker Society were printed at Cambridge between 1841 and 1853. In the notes to this paper these volumes will be noted by the name of the author, followed by the abbreviation P.S., without a specific date of publication).

^{page 155 note 6} Tyndale, P.S., ii, p. 103. The phrase ‘nose of wax’ had been used in relation to the scriptures by Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg (1445–1510), and previously by Alain of Lille (1120–1202) (Chenu, M.-D., La Theologie au douzième siècle (Paris, 1957), p. 361.Google Scholar I owe this reference to Miss Beryl Smalley).

^{page 156 note 1} 11549 edn, London, p. 94.

^{page 156 note 2} Hutchinson, P.S., p. 15. See also pp. 34–35.

^{page 156 note 3} Whitgift, P.S., iii, pp. 33, 157, 163.

^{page 156 note 4} Tyndale, P.S., ii, p. 131.

^{page 157 note 1} Whitaker, P.S., pp. 275–76.

^{page 157 note 2} Perkins, , Works, ii (Cambridge, 1613 edn), p. 649Google Scholar.

^{page 157 note 3} Number 21 of the 42 Articles, 1553. Liturgies of Edward VI, P.S., p. 531. Now Article 20 of the 39 Articles; with a phrase added in the 1560's: ‘the church hath … authority in controversies of faith’.

^{page 157 note 4} Cranmer's concession here—‘although it be sometime received of the faithful, as godly, and profitable for an order, and comliness’—was deleted in the 1560'.

^{page 157 note 5} Liturgies, p. 527. The phrase was rewritten in the 1560's: ‘is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation’ (article 6).

^{page 157 note 6} Apology, 1533, ed. Taft, A.I. (London, 1930), p. 18.Google Scholar

^{page 157 note 7} Ibid., p. 34.

^{page 157 note 8} Confutation, p. cccxii.

^{page 157 note 9} Ibid., preface, fo. 16^v.

^{page 158 note 1} Documents of the Christian Church, translated Bettenson, H. (London, 1963), pp. 368,Google Scholar 375.

^{page 158 note 2} Confutation, p. ccxxxviii.

^{page 158 note 3} Philpot, P.S., pp. 59–60.

^{page 158 note 4} Apology, ed. Taft, p. 13.

^{page 158 note 5} Confutation, p. ccvi. Latimer made a similar point about the Fathers, quoting from Melanchthon, in the 1554 Oxford disputation about the Real Presence: ‘If the doctors had foreseen that they should have been so taken in this controversy, they would have written more plainly’ (Latimer, P.S., ii, p. 268).

^{page 159 note 1} Confutation, p. cclxxxii. ‘Bayard’—a reckless horse.

^{page 159 note 2} Jewel, P.S., iv, pp. 1184–85.

^{page 159 note 3} Means to remove hirelings. ‘The Student's Milton’, ed. Patterson, F.A. (New York, 1933), p. 890.Google Scholar

^{page 159 note 4} Hutchinson, P.S., pp. 293–94.

^{page 159 note 5} Whitaker, P.S., p. 364.

^{page 159 note 6} Bale, P.S., pp. 304, 296.

^{page 160 note 1} 1529 English version (Exhortation to the diligent study of scripture, Antwerp, pp. 8–9) of the 1519 edition of Erasmus’ ‘Paraclesis’ (preface to his publication of the New Testament, Basel, 1516, etc.).

^{page 160 note 2} John, VI, verse 63 (A[uthorized] V[ersion]).

^{page 160 note 3} 2 Corinthians, III, verse 6 (A.V.).

^{page 160 note 4} Enchiridion (1533 translation; reprinted Edinburgh, 1905), p. 59.

^{page 160 note 5} Erasmus, , Opera Omnia(Leyden, 1704), v, p. 7,Google Scholar section B.

^{page 160 note 6} Op. cit., pp. 59–60.

^{page 160 note 7} Op. cit., section A.

^{page 160 note 8} Op. cit., p. 63.

^{page 160 note 9} Opera, p. 9, section A; English translation, p. 68.

^{page 160 note 10} Op. cit., p. 66.

^{page 160 note 11} Ibid., p. 60.

^{page 160 note 12} Tyndale, P.S., i, p. 304.

^{page 160 note 13} Whitaker, P.S., p. 404.

^{page 160 note 14} Perkins, Works, ii, p. 298.

^{page 161 note 1} More, , English Works (London, 1557), pp. 1041,Google Scholar 835, 1136. More mentioned Wycliffe, Oecolampadius, Zwingli, Tyndale, Frith.

^{page 161 note 2} Quoted by Jewel, P.S., i, p. 455.

^{page 161 note 3} Quoted by Whitaker, P.S., p. 403.

^{page 161 note 4} In Tyndale, P.S., iii, p. 244.

^{page 161 note 5} Tyndale, P.S., ii, p. 72; iii.p. III.

^{page 161 note 6} Grindal, P.S., pp. 40–41.

^{page 161 note 7} Jewel, P.S., iii, p. 242.

^{page 161 note 8} Tyndale, P.S., i, pp. 393, 399; Jewel, P.S., ii, p. IIII; Whitaker, P.S., p. 409; Fulke, P.S., ii, pp. 281, 220.

^{page 161 note 9} Whitaker, P.S., p. 404.

^{page 161 note 10} Frith, , Works, ed. Russell, T. (London, 1831), pp. 348,Google Scholar 350.

^{page 161 note 11} Hooper, P.S., i, p. 292; Becon, P.S., ii, p. 290.

^{page 161 note 12} Frith, Works, iii, p. 349; Hooper, P.S., ii, p. 48; Becon, ii, p. 289; Grindal, P.S., p. 198.

^{page 161 note 13} Jewel, P.S., ii, p. 1112.

^{page 162 note 1} Tyndale, P.S., i, pp. 304–305, 309.

^{page 162 note 2} Frith, Works, p. 349.

^{page 162 note 3} Perkins, Works, ii, p. 298.

^{page 162 note 4} Whitaker, P.S., p. 405.

^{page 162 note 5} More, English Works, p. 835.

^{page 162 note 6} Whitaker, P.S., p. 473.

^{page 162 note 7} Tyndale, P.S., i, p. 389.

^{page 162 note 8} Hooper, P.S., i, p. 292.

^{page 162 note 9} Romans, XII, verse 6.

^{page 163 note 1} Whitaker, P.S., p. 472.

^{page 163 note 2} Perkins, Works, ii, pp. 651–52.

^{page 163 note 3} Whitaker, P.S., p. 472.

^{page 163 note 4} Tyndale, P.S., i, pp. 389, 46, 324, 156.

^{page 163 note 5} Hooper, P.S., ii, p. 333; i, p. 292.

^{page 163 note 6} Frith, Works, p. 352.

^{page 163 note 7} Becon, P.S., ii, p. 290.

^{page 163 note 8} Hooper, P.S., i, p. 403.

^{page 163 note 9} Tyndale, P.S., i, p. 317.

^{page 163 note 10} Whitgift, P.S., iii, p. 284.

^{page 163 note 11} Grindal, P.S., p. 384.

^{page 163 note 12} Perkins, Works, ii, p. 650.

^{page 163 note 13} Ibid., p. 654.

^{page 163 note 14} Tyndale, P.S., i, p. 46.

^{page 164 note 1} Perkins, Works, ii, pp. 652, 655, 298.

^{page 164 note 2} More, English Works, p. 837.

^{page 164 note 3} Frith, Works, pp. 349, 356 (1533).

^{page 164 note 4} Quotations from the translation of De Doctrina Christiana by J.F. Shaw, in Vol. ix of M. Dods' edition of Augustine (Edinburgh, 1873). Latin text, ed. H. J. Vogels (Louvain, 1930). Quotations thus far from Book III: Chapters 2, 5, 10, 12, 15, 16, 28, 29; translation, pp. 81, 86, 90, 92, 95, 104, 105.

^{page 164 note 5} Book I, Chapter 36; translation, pp. 30–31.

^{page 165 note 1} Whitaker, P.S., p. 433.

^{page 165 note 2} Ibid., p. 415; Perkins, Works, ii, p. 651.

^{page 165 note 3} Hooper, P.S., ii, p. 332.

^{page 165 note 4} Jewel, P.S., ii, p. 685; iii, p. 234.

^{page 165 note 5} Perkins, Works, ii, pp. 511, 649.

^{page 165 note 6} Whitaker, P.S., p. 279.

^{page 165 note 7} In Ridley, P.S., p. 283.

^{page 166 note 1} Whitgift, P.S., i, p. 42.

^{page 166 note 2} Tyndale, P.S., i, 317.

^{page 166 note 3} Hutchinson, P.S., p. 35.

^{page 166 note 4} Calfhill, P.S., p. 61.

^{page 166 note 5} Whitaker, P.S., p. 433.

^{page 167 note 1} Tyndale, P.S., i, p. 156.

^{page 167 note 2} Whitaker, P.S., pp. 460–61.

^{page 168 note 1} All Hobbes quotations from Leviathan, Chapters 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 42, 43. Text edited M. Oakeshott (Oxford, 1947): pp. (in order of quotation) 243, 296, 270, 255, 387, 254, 387, 285, 284, 292, 285, 373, 290, 291, 396.

^{page 168 note 2} Milton, Christian Doctrine, quotations from Preface and Book I, Chapter 5. ‘The Student's Milton’, ed. Patterson, F.A. (New York, 1933): translation C. R. Sumner, 1825; pp. 920, 921, 947. All page references to Milton in this paper are to Patterson's volume.Google Scholar

^{page 168 note 3} Of true Religion, p. 914.

^{page 169 note 1} Of Reformation in England, Book I: pp. 452–53.

^{page 169 note 2} P. 738.

^{page 169 note 3} Of Reformation, Book I: p. 452.

^{page 169 note 4} Of true Religion, p. 915.

^{page 169 note 5} Of Reformation, Book I: p. 453.

^{page 169 note 6} Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, Book I, Chapter 2: p. 582.

^{page 169 note 7} Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643); Judgement ofBucer concerning Divorce (1644); Tetrachordon (1645); Colasterion (1645). All published in London. The first will hereafter be cited as DDD.

^{page 169 note 8} DDD, Book I, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6: pp. (in order) 582, 585, 580, 582, 586.

^{page 169 note 9} Judgement of Bucer, Preface: p. 630.

^{page 169 note 10} DDD, Book II, Chapter 2: p. 597.

^{page 170 note 1} Deuteronomy, XXIV, verse I (A.V.).

^{page 170 note 2} DDD, Book I, Chapters 1 and 8; Book II, Chapters 8 and 17: pp. (in order) 581, 605, 581, 615, 589.

^{page 170 note 3} Matthew, V, verses 31–32; XIX, verses 3–9 (A.V.).

^{page 170 note 4} Luke, XVI, verse 18 (A.V.).

^{page 170 note 5} DDD, Book II, Chapter 20: p. 619.

^{page 171 note 1} Ibid., Chapters 15 and 19: pp. 613, 618.

^{page 171 note 2} Ibid., Chapters 1, 8, 18, 19: pp. 618, 605, 596, 617.

^{page 171 note 3} Tetrachordon, p. 692.

^{page 171 note 4} Christian Doctrine, Book I, Chapter 10: p. 996.

^{page 171 note 5} DDD, Book II, Chapter 15: p. 613. Pauline text, I Corinthians, VII, verses 10–11 (A.V.).

^{page 171 note 6} DDD, Preface, Book I, Chapter 1; Book II, Chapters 1, 16, 20: pp. 614, 579, 596, 580, 619.

^{page 171 note 7} Judgement of Bucer, Preface: p. 629.

^{page 171 note 8} Tetrachordon, p. 675.

^{page 171 note 9} DDD, Book II, Chapter 2: p. 597.

^{page 172 note 1} Tetrachordon, p. 681.

^{page 172 note 2} DDD, Book II, Chapter IV: p. 602. Compare More against Tyndale on predestination (1533): ‘God in all His threats reserveth His special prerogative of His mercy, by which His absolute power is never bounden under any rule of His ordinary justice' (Confutation, Part II, p. clxxviii). A similar distinction applied to the power of the king is familiar from Bate's Case (1606), and elsewhere.

^{page 172 note 3} DDD, Preface: p. 579.

^{page 172 note 4} DDD, Preface, and Book II, Chapters 9, 10, 21: pp. 621, 578, 606, 619. Tetrachordon, p. 675.

^{page 172 note 5} Tetrachordon, p. 652.

^{page 172 note 6} Colasterion, p. 722.

^{page 173 note 1} Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes, p. 865.

^{page 173 note 2} Quotations from Christian Doctrine, Book I, Chapters 5, 10, 14, 27, 30: pp. 957, 992, 1039, 1040, 1006, 1040, 1026.

^{page 174 note 1} Christian Doctrine, Book I, Chapter 27: p. 1026.

^{page 174 note 2} Ibid., Chapter 30: p. 1040.

^{page 174 note 3} Ibid., pp. 1041–42.

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The Nose of Wax: Scripture and the Spirit from Erasmus to Milton

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