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

¶ The .xxiiii. Chapter.

[ The texte.] And Iesus went out and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shewe dym the buildinges of the temple. Iesus sayed vnto them: See ye not all these thinges? Uerely I say vnto you: There shall not be here left one stone vpon another, that shall not be destroyed.

BUt Iesus to represente with a certeyne sygne and token that the temple and all the religion of the Iewes lawe should shortly be abolished, departing out of the churche began to go awaie. And the disciples because they heard sum mencion of destrucciō, they shewe their lorde the hougenes of the temple, being suche a mer∣ueylous piece of worke, that it semed pitie it should be destroied,

and further so fyrmely buylte, that it semed not possible to be hurled downe. But Iesus aunswered: see ye ({quod} he) all these? This be assured of, there is none of all these, so strong, so goodly, or so holy, which shall not be throwen downe, and so hurled in pieces, that one stone shall not stande on an other.

[ The texte.] ¶And as he sate vpon mount Oliuete, his disciples came vnto him secretly, saying: tell vs whan shall these thinges be: and what shalbe the token of thy cumming, and of the end of the worlde. And Iesus aunswered, and sayed vnto them: take hede that no man deceiue you. For many shall come in iny name saying, I am Christe: and shall deceyue many. Ye shall heare of warres, and tidinges of warres, be not troubled. For all must come to passe, but the ende is not yet. Nacion shall rise against nacion, and realme against realme▪ and there shall be pestilence and hunger, and yearthquakes in all places. All these are the be∣ginninges of sorowes.

These thinges spoken, Iesus went into the mount of Oliues. Here, as he sate, hauing the temple in his sight, fower of his disciples whome he called first of all, Peter, Iames, Iohn, & Andrew▪ went vnto him seuerally to knowe more certainly of the time whan suche great miseries should fall, for they sup∣posed that byan by after the destruccion of the citie of Hierusalem, and the hur∣lyng downe of the temple, Christe would come agayne in his maiestie. But Christe to make them the more vigilante and ware, so tempereth his commu∣nicacion, that he willeth not that they should know the tyme of the latter cum∣myng, and yet thorough the rehersyng of miseries, he maketh them carefull, and in a redines against the cumming of miseries. The disciples therfore saye: Tell vs when these thinges whiche thou speakest of, shall come to passe: and by what signe and token we maye knowe thy cummyng and the ende of this worlde is at hande. But Iesus not aunsweryng to that whiche they demaun∣ded: turneth rather to those thynges whiche should prepare theyr myndes to continuall watche in the ghospell I shall come in dede ({quod} he,* 1.1) but beware leste any man making a lye as touchyng my cumming, deceyue you. For many shal come, which shall take vpon them my name, and say that they be Christe, and shall fynde some to deceyue, folishe and lyght of belefe. The tumult and hurly∣burly of all thynges shall shewe a certayne apperaunce, that the ende of the worlde is at hande. For ye shall heare of warres, and of sundrye rumours of warres more sore and cruell (as it is wonte to be) than the thinges theyr selfe.

But let not these thinges by an by discourage your myndes, that ye should thinke the latter time is nowe at hande. This troublesome worlde must nedes arise but the ende of illes shall not be furth with. This storme shall sprede far∣der abrode. For not onely Hierusalem shall be destroyed, but the whole world shall buckell together with warres and slaughters. Nacion shall rise agaynst nacion, and kyngdom shall skirmishe with kyngdom, and the greatest parte of mischiefe and miserie, men shall suffer of men. Furthermore, God taking ven∣geaunce, shall put vnto his scourges, pestilence, famine, and in diuerse places earthquakes. And these thinges be yet no certayne argumente of the worldes ende, but only signes and tokens of the ill and misery, and as it were a breding of that last and greatest storme wherwith the worlde shall peryshe.

[ The texte.] ¶Then shall they put you to trouble and shall kyll you, and ye shall be hated of all na∣cions for my names sake. And than shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and hate one another. And many false Prophetes shall arise, and deceyue many, and ini∣quitie shall haue the vpper hande, and the loue of many shalbe colde. But he that endureth to the ende, thesame shalbe safe. And this ghospell of the kyngdome shalbe preached in all the worlde for a witnesse to all nacions, and th••n the ende shall come.

And ye in the meane season shall not be free from suche maner of illes and miseries.* 1.2 For in this tumulte & hurly burly of thynges, men shall plucke you into diuerse affliccions, and finally kyll you: and in the meane season ye shall be hated not onely of the Iewes, but of all the Gentiles, not for your ill dedes, but because ye professe my name. In the meane time many being offended and greued with aduersities, and ouercummed with punishmentes, shall swarue from the professing of my name, and one shall betraye an other, one kinesman shall betraye an other, one frende an other, & whom nature hath coupled with the bandes of charitie, they shall hate eche other. There shall be also another kynde of ill more greuouse and intollerable. There shall arise false Prophetes and false teachers, who counterfeiting to preach my ghospell, shall see to and prouide for their owne glory, their owne lucre, and theyr owne belly: and in¦stede of my spirite they shall inspire theyr owne disciples with the spirite of Sathan, and in the stede of the kyngdome of heauen, they shall teache the king∣dome of this worlde. They whom punishmentes and tormentes could not o∣uercome, shall be caught in the snares of these menne. For there is not a more deadly enemy than a familiar and a fayned frende. In these mischifes and mi∣series a man shall not loke for muche comfort of his brothers and frendes. For the multitude of sinnes beyng so great, the charitie of many shall waxe colde. But yet as for you there is no perill, so that ye perseuer and continue vnto the ende with a constant and a valiant courage. No greatnes of aduersitie, can de∣stroy any man, but him that lacketh the ryght mynde. And I wyll not suffer you to peryshe, nor the ghospell to be oppressed. Nay, by these tumultes and troubles, the strength of the ghospell shall encrease more and more: and the storme of ylles shall be able to doe no nother thyng agaynst you, but to make your godlynes to be the better tried, and the more to appeare. For the ende of the worlde shall not come before that this ghospell of the kyngdome of hea∣uen, be preached throughout al the kyngdomes of the worlde, and hath come to all nacions, leste they that would not obey, myght pretende ignoraunce. When this shall be doen, than shall come the ende of the worlde.

[ The texte.] Whan ye therfore shall see the abhominacion of desolacion, that was spoken of by Da∣niell the Prophete, standing in the holy place, whoso readeth it, let hym vnderstande.

Wherof if ye seke a token, this is it. Whan ye shall see the abhominable Idoll whiche shall endeuour vtterly to subuerte the religion of the ghospell, of the whiche Daniell in tymes past prophecied vnto you, saying: and in the middes of the weeke, the sacrifice & offeryng shall be taken a waie: and the abhomina∣cion of desolacions shall be in the temple vnto the ende of the worlde: when ye shall see (I saye) this abhominable Idoll set in the temple, that is, in the towre of holynes: he that readeth the prophecie of the Prophete, let him vnderstand. This woorde is misticall, and requireth a spirituall reader.

[ The texte.] Than let them that be in Iewry flee vnto the mountaynes, and let not hym whiche is in to the house toppe come downe to take any thyng out of his house. And let not hym that is in the fieldes, retourne backe to fetche his clothes.

Therfore when this storme shalbe at hand, they that be in the cities of Iew∣ry let them forsake the cities, and flee into the mountaynes: and they that be in the toppes of the houses let them leape downe, & not come downe to take any thyng a waie with them, out of their houses: & they that be found in the fielde at that tyme, let them not runne backe to theyr house to fetche theyr apparell.

For than there shall be no leysure to prouyde for theyr goodes. For it is a great matter yf they can saue theyr lyfe with spedy flyght. For thother thinges may be recouered, but the lyfe once loste, cannot be restored.

[ The texte.] ¶Woe shalbe in those dayes to them that are with childe; and to them that geue sucke. But pray ye that your flyght be not ill the wynter, or on the Sabboth day. For than there shalbe great tribulacion, suche as hath not been from the begynnyng of the worlde vntyll this time, nor shalbe. And except those dayes should be shortened, there should haue been no fleshe saued: but for the electes sake, those dayes shalbe shortened.

Therfore women with childe, and women that geue suche shalbe in an yll case in those dayes. For they that be great cannot caste of the burden of theyr belly to flee awaye spedely: nor they that geue sucke cannot caste of theyr chil∣dren, whom they loue more tenderly than themselues, lyke as they doe caste of money or apparell. But as for you, who shall not be lette neyther with house, neyther with possessions, nor with children, ye must onely pray that it chaunce not so, that ye be compelled to flee in the wynter, or on the Sabboth day. For ye must flee spedely and farre. But the wynter by the reason of roughnes and shortnes of dayes, is not commodiouse for them that iourney, & on the Sab∣both day the religion of your lawe letteth you, that ye cannot flee farre. For at that time, there shalbe so sore and vehement affliction, as was neuer synce the worlde was made vnto this daye, and hereafter neuer shalbe. And yf the cala∣mitie should be so continuall as it is vehemente, no man should be lefte alyue. Theyr malyce did deserue vtter destruccion, but for the electe (be they neuer so fewe) those dayes shalbe shortened.

[ The texte.] Than yf any man saye vnto you: Lo here is Christe or there, beleue it not. For there shall aryse false Christes and false prophetes, and shall shewe great signes and woonders insomuche that (yf it were possible) the very electe should be brought into errour. Beholde I haue tolde you before. Wherfore yf they say vnto you: loe, he is in the deserte, goe not ye furth: Beholde he is in the secrete places, beleue it not. For as the lyghtnyng cummeth out of the East, and appeareth vnto the west, so shall the cummyng of the sonne of man be. For wheresoeuer the dead ca••ras shall be▪ thyther wyll also the Egles be gathered toge∣ther.

In this confusion and hurly burly of thynges, whan my cumming shall be loked for, men must take diligent hede, that they be not deceyued throughe the crafte of deceyuers. For there shall ryse many false Christes, whiche shall boaste themselues to be Christe, and be not: but be rather myne aduersaries: whiche also shall saye that they be Prophetes, and be not, but rather be the teachers of errours. They shall not be only furnished with craftes, and a false cloke of holynes, but also they shall counterfeyte my power with woonders, and magicall meruailes: and they shall take vpon them my person with so ma∣ny marueylouse iuglynges, that the electe also (yf it were possible) shoulde be brought into errour. Ye therfore being monished beware, for I haue told you before to the intent ye should beware. Than if they say Christe is in the deserte, goe not out: loe, he is in the inner parlers, goe not in: loe, he is here or there, be∣leue it not. The seconde cūming shall not be after such sorte, as ye see this, that is to say, softe, milde, and humble, but sodayne & compassing the whole world with the sodayne light of maiestie. For lyke as the lightnyng shynyng furth flasheth sodaynely from the East to the west: so shall be the cummyng of the sonne of man. And ye nede not to feare, that he shall not be with me in suche a confusion and hurly burly of thinges. Whersoeuer the body shalbe, thyther shal the Egles flocke and gather. The head shall not lacke his membres.

[ The texte.]

¶ Immediatly after the tribulacion of those dayes, the sonne shalbe derkened, and the moone shall not geue her light, and the sterres shall fall frō heauen, and the powers of hea∣uen shalbe moued. And than shall appe•••• in heauen the token of the sonne of man, and than shall all the kyneedes of the earth mourne, and shall see the sonne of man cumming in the cloudes of heauen with great power and glory. And he shal sende his angels with a great voyce of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his chosen frō the fower wyndes, from the highest parte of heauen vnto the endes of them.

The heauenly bodyes also shall feele the greatnes of this calamitie. For both the sonne shall be darkened, and the sonne beeyng darkened whereof the moone borowed her lyght, the moone shall shewe no lyght. The starres shall fall from heauen, and the powers of heauen shall shake, beeyng in daunger of fallyng. Than among the great and thycke darkenesse, the signe of the sonne of man shall shyne from heauen, the signe I saye, wherby he ouercame Sathan, and consumed al his tyranny: the signe, wherby Sathan craked in vayne that he had the hygher hande.

The which once seen the nacions of the whole worlde shall strike theyr bres∣tes when the Iewes shall see whom they haue offended, when the Gentyles shall see the maiestie of the crosse, whiche they laughed to skorne. For they shall see the sonne of man, whom they nowe despise, humble & simple, cummyng on hygh in the cloudes of the ayer with a great army of aungels, with a wonder∣full maiestie and glory. Than he shall sende furthe his aungels, to gather to∣gether with a sounding trump, all his elect from the fower wyndes, from the high toppe of heauen to the vttermoste coaste of the same.

[ The texte.] Learne a similitude of the figgetree. Whan his boughes be yet tendre, and the leaues sprong out, ye knowe that Summer is nigh. So lykewyse ye when ye shall see all these thynges, be ye sure that it is nere euen at the doores. Uerely I saye vnto you: this gene∣racion shall not passe, vntyll all these thinges be doen. Heauen and yearth shall passe, but my woorde shall not passe. But of that day and houre no man knoweth, no not the angels of heauen, but my father onely.

But at what tyme these thinges shall come to passe, it is not in me exactly to determine. But yet of those aduersities whiche I haue recited, as of certayne preambles and tokens before, ye maye gesse that the tyme is not far of. Lyke as the figgetree doth declare before by certayne tokens that Summer is at hande, as whan at the blowyng of the westerne wynde the boughes begyn to were rēder, and the buddes spryng fu••h, & the leaues desire to sprede abrode: so ye also whan ye shall see all these thynges whiche I haue spoken of, knowe ye well that the cummyng of the sonne of God is at hande. I assure you, this generacion shall not passe, but that all thynges whiche be spoken before, shall come to passe. Heauen and yearth shall perishe rather than my woorde shalbe vayne. Therfore it is inough for you to knowe the signes whiche do portende and shewe the daye of my cummyng, leste it come vpon you vnwares. But it is not your parte to searche out exactly the daye or houre whan the sonne of man shall come, forasmuche as the knowledge of these thynges is not geuen to the aungels of heauen, no the sonne of man knoweth them not. The father hath reserued this vnto hymselfe alone. And so it is expedien••e for you, to the ••••uente ye may be alwaye in a redines.

[ The texte.] ¶But as the dayes of Noe were, so shall also the cummyng of the sonne of manne be. For as in the dayes that went before the ••lud, they did eate and drynke, marry, and were maryed, vntyll ••he daye that Noe entred into the ship, and knewe not tyll the flud came, and toke them a•• away: so shall also the cumming of the sonne of man be. Than shall two ••e in the fielde, the one taken, y^e other refused. Two women shalbe grynding at the m••l, the one receiued, the other refused. Two in a bed, the one shalbe receiued, & the other refused.

That day shall cum sodaynly, and vnwares vnto others. Lyke as in the tyme of Noe, whan the fludde was tolde them certayne yeares before, yet they thin∣kyng that it should not cum to passe, dyd eate and dryncke, and married furthe theyr doughters, and marryed wyues vntill the last day in the whyche Noe en∣tred into the arcke, and beleued not that the fludde shoulde cum to passe, vntill they sawe it nowe at hande: wherewyth all they were destroyed, who by example of Noe, woulde not prepare themselues agaynst that day. Lyke as than a fewe that were taken into the arcke were preserued, the other whyche were leste with∣out, peryshed: euen so at that tyme when the sonne of manne shal cum, they that shall peryshe, shall sodainly be deuided from them that shall be saued. There shallbe two labouring in one field, felowes in worke & wages, of whom the one shall be taken, and the other shall be forsaken. There shall be two grynding in one myll, whereof the one shalbe taken, the other shalbe forsaken. Yea and of two that lye in one bed, the one shalbee taken, the other shalbee forsaken. For it is not the woorke, or the place, or the manner of lyfe, but the affeccion and good desyre, shal make man blessed.

[ The texte] Watche therfore, for ye knowe not what houre your Lorde wyll cum. Of thys yet be sure, that if the good man of the house knewe what houre the the••e would cum, he would sure∣ly watche, and not suffer hys house to be broken vp. Therfore ••, be ye also ready, for in suche an houre as ye thynke not, wyl the sonne of man cum.

Wherfore seing that these thynges vndoubtedly shal cum to passe, and it can∣not certainly be knowen vpon what daye they shal cum: wake and watche cō∣tinually, leste that daie cum vpon you vnwares and vnprepared. If menne watche that theyr money peryshe not, muche more oughte you to watche that your soule perishe not. For what householder is so negligent whych yf he knew that the thiefe would breake into hys house in the nyght season woulde sleepe all nyght, and suffer hys house to be broken downe? Therfore ye muste wake all your lyfe, because ye be certayne that the daye wyl cum, whan ye looke not for it. For so ye must liue, that whansoeuer the day dothe cum, it may finde you doing your duty, that furthwyth ye may be receiued vnto your rewarde.

[ The texte] Who is a faythful and a wyse seruaunt, whome hys lorde hath made ruler ouer hys hous∣holde, to geue them meate in season? Blessed is that seruaunt, whome his lorde (whan he cummeth) shall fynde so doing: Uerely I saye vnto you, that he shall make him ruler ouer all his goodes. But and yf that euil seruaunt saye in his hert, my lord wyll be long a cum∣myng, (and so begyn to smyte his felowes, yea, and to eate and drincke with the dronken) the same seruauntes Lorde shal cum in a daye, whan he loketh not for him, and in an houre that he is not ware of, and shal hewe hym in pieces, and geue hym hys porcion with Hi∣procrites: there shall be wepyng and gnashyng of teeth.

Wyll not a wyse and a faythfull seruaunt do thesame, whome his maister go∣ing farre from home, hathe made ruler ouer hys familie, to geue them meate in due season? The maister doth not poynte hym when he wyl retourne home, leste he shoulde bee slacke in hys office: but whansoeuer the mayster shall re∣turne, shal not the seruaunt be happy yf hys maister finde him doing his duty? Certaynely I saye vnto you, that the maister hauing a triall of his trustinci••e, will bee bolde to truste hym with greater thynges, and wyll make hym ruler ouer all hys goodes. Contrary wise yf the ill and vnfaithfull seruaunt wil saye in hys harte: my mayster is longe awaye, and perchaunce he wyll neuer returne: and vpon this hope begynneth to beate hys felowe seruauntes, and neglecting the famylye, eateth and drynketh with dronckardes, howe vnhappy

shall he be, when hys mayster shal cum at the daye when he loketh not for hym, and the houre when he thought that he would not returne? For he shal not one∣ly set hym beside his offyce, but he will also cut him a sonder in the myddest, and ioyne hys parte with the Hipocrytes, which hath the title and name of the office of the ghospel, where as in their doinges, they be contrarye to the ghospell. And there for hys sensuall pleasures of wrongshaped swetenesse, wherewith beyng inebriate and drounken he had not awayted for the cummyng of hys mayster, he shall be punished with intollerable torment: his laughyng shalbe turned in∣to wepyng, and hys songes into gnashyng of teethe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Naciō shall arise agaist Nacion, an•• realme a∣gaynste realme. &c.
• * 1.2

  And ye shal be hated of all nacions for my na∣mes sake. &c.