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

¶The .xvii. Chapter.

[ The texte.] ¶As they made theyr iourney through Amphipolis, and Appollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagoge of y^e Iewes. And Paule as his manier was, wente in vnto them, and three Sabboth daies declared out of the scriptures vnto them, opening and alleagyng, y^t Christ must nedes haue suffered, and aryse vp agayne from death, & that thys Iesus was Chryst, whom (fayed he) I preache vnto you. And some of theym bele∣ued, and came and cōpanyed with Paule and Sylas, and of the deuoute Grekes a great multitude, and of the chiefe women, not a fewe.

ANd passyng by Amphipolis and Apollonia, both Cities of Macedonie, they came to Thessalonica, whiche is the chiefe and head Citie in Macedonie. Where (because it was a noble cytye) was a Synagoge of Iewes, and ther∣fore hoped they to haue there great encrease. Wherefore Paule (as he customably vsed to do) entred with the mul∣tytude in to the Sinagoge, & thre sabboth dayes reaso∣ned he with them, allegyng for his parte, Prophecies out of the scriptures, & expoundyng the harde meanynges of figures, cityng testi∣monies out of the lawe, and conferryng these sayinges together with the actes that were past, he shewed howe that it was the wyll of God, that Christ should in that wyse suffre for the worlde, and aryse agayne frō death to lyfe. And for∣asmuche as all Prophecies that were spoken afore of Messias commyng, & all those thynges that were shadowed vnder figures, did agree in Iesus of Na∣zareth, he affyrmeth in his teachinges that the Iewes should looke for none o∣ther Messias, but only the same that he preached vnto them, which was Christ. Whan Paule had reasoned this matter in the Sinagoge, certayne of the Ie∣wes beleued & ioyned themselues with Paule and Silas, and besides these, a great number of the Gentyles that feared God, were conuerted to the faythe, and ••mong other, dyuers wurshipfull women of the chiefe of that citie.

[ The texte.] ¶But the Iewes whiche beleued not, had indignacion, and toke vnto them euill men whiche were vagaboundes: & gathered to them a companie, & set all the Citie on a roare and made a saute vnto the house of Iason, & sought to bryng them out to the people. But whan as they founde them not, they drue Iason, and certayne brethrē vnto the heades of the cytie, criyng: these that trouble the worlde, are come ••yther also, whome Iason hath receiued priuily: And these all dooe contrary to the decrees of Cesar, affyrmynge

another kyng, one Iesus. And they troubled the people, and the officers of the citie, whē they heard these thynges. And whan they were sufficiently aunswered of Iason, and of the others, they let them go.

On the other parte, certayne Iewes beeyng ouermuche wedded to Moy∣ses lawe, whiche Paule sometyme had earnestly fauoured, beyng of a zele mo∣ued, and ioynyng themselues with a certayne numbre of naughty vagaboun∣des, whom they had made of theyr parte (for of suche fellowes haue they that be authours of any commocion, nede of) and gatheryng to them a great com∣panye besydes, reysed vp the cytye. And sediciously commyng to the house of Iason, woulde haue brought Paule and Sylas furth before the people. But forasmuche as they entryng in to the house, founde not them that they sought for, they brought Iason hymselfe, and with hym certayne other discyples, be∣fore the gouernours of the cytye, criyng alowde (for so had they before tyme serued Christe) and sayed: These felowes that alreadye haue troubled all the worlde, are nowe cumme hither lykewyse to trouble vs. And Iason knowyng them to be suche felowes, receyued them into his house.

But all those that goe about any suche matters, or lodge such as go about the same, doe agaynste Cesars actes, forasmuche as they saye, that there is an other kyng, besydes Cesar▪ For they preache of one Iesus, that was a good whyles since, doen and nayled vpon the crosse by Cesars deputie, because he affyrmed hymselfe to be kyng of the Iewes. Marke howe they here abuse the name and authoritie of Cesar, agaynste the ghospell. Whan the people and rewlers of the cytye hearde these woordes, they were muche moued ther∣wyth, euen as Pylate before in lyke manier was moued agaynst Christ.

For than cried the vnhappy Iewes: we haue none other kynge besydes Ce∣sar: and agayne:* 1.1 If thou let hym goe, thou arte not Cesars frende: and yet agayne: Whosoeuer maketh hymselfe a kyng, withstandeth Cesar. On the other parte, the true Iewes thus doe crye: We haue none other kyng but onely Iesus of Nazareth: and agayne, whosoeuer conformeth himselfe to fo∣lowe Cesar, is not Christes frende. For he onely is kynge ouer all the worlde. But after that Iason and the other brethren had alleaged a lawfull excuse, the officers let them goe.

[ The texte.] ¶And the brethren immediatly sent away Paule & Sylas by nyght, vnto Berea. Which whan they were cum thyther, they entred into the Sinagoge of the Iewes. These were the noblest of byrthe emong them of Thessalonica, whiche receyued the word with al di∣ligence of mynde, and serached the scripture dayly, whither those thinges were euen so. And many of them beleued, also of worshypfull women which were Grekes, and of men not a fewe. When the Iewes of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of god was preached of Paule at Berea, they came, and moued the people there.

But whan the brethren perceyued that throughe displeasure and malyce Paul and Silas were lyke to be in daungier, they with spede, conuaied them out pryuely in the nyght season to Berea▪ whiche is a citie in Macedonia, not far from Pella, wheras Alexander the greate was borne. In thys wyse, the euangelicall captaynes flye, but so that they neuerthelesse fyght styll. For as soone as they came to Berea, they entred into the Synagoge, nothyng afray∣ed for all so many sedicions that the Iewes had raysed agaynste them. But these were more gentyll, than the others that were at Thessalonica. For they

receyued the doctrine of the ghospell veray readely, euery daye searchyng the scriptures diligently,* 1.2 that they myght see howe those thynges that they had learned by thapostles instruction, agreed with the Prophecies, and figures of the lawe. And so were many of the Citizens of Berea, conuerted to the faythe, not Iewes onely, but also dyuerse wourshipfull women that were Grekes borne, and a greate noumber of men besydes. But whan the Iewes that were at Thessalonica, whiche had made a commocyon there, heard that the ghospel was preached at Berea by Paule, whome they had dryuen from them, they tooke their iourneye thither, and as they before had doen, so eftsones they stir∣red vp the multytude there also against the Apostles.

[ The texte.] And than immediatly the brethren sent awaie Paule to gooe to the sea syde: But Sy∣las and Timotheus abode there styl. And they that guided Paule, brought hym vnto A∣thens, and receiued a commaundement vnto Silas and Timotheus, for to cumme to him with spede, and came theyr waye.

And what time the brethren perceyued that daungier was yf the Apo∣stles had taryed, they immediatly sent forthe Paule, whome they thoughte to be moste in daunger, to goo & take the sea, whiche is not far from Berea. And Silas & Timothie remayned at Berea. Than the brethren that had brought Paule thither, taking shypping with him, broughte hym as farre as Athens. There they left Paul, & returned to Berea, hauing message frō him to Silas and Timothie, y^t they should folow after as sone as they might conueniently.

[ The texte.] Whyles Paule wayted for them at Athens, his spirite was moued in him whan he sawe the citie geuen to worshipping of Images. Then dysputed he in the Synagoge w^t the Iewes, & with y^e deuout persones, & in the market dayly with them y^t came vnto hym by chaūce. Certaine Philosophers of the Epicures & of y^e Stoickes, disputed with him.

There Paule though he wer left alone & without companions, yet seeyng so noble a citie as that was and so full of learned men, wholy and vtterly ge∣uen to worshipping of idols, waxed hote in spirite, in so muche that he coulde not abyde the cummyng of his felowes, but entred into the sinagoge, and ther disputed with the Iewes, and other deuout persons. And besydes that also, he reasoned in the market place with all that came vnto him, whether they were Iewes, or els Grekes. Among whome were some Philosophers, of Epicures secte, some Stoickes, betwene whō was great diuersitie of opinions. For thei that were of Epicures sect mesuring the felicitie of mā by pleasure, thinke that either there be no gods, or if there be any, that they nothing regarde the lyfe of man. The Stoickes besides other straung opinions, dooe sette and esteme the felicitie of man by the stedfast qualities of the soule, whiche felicitie they call vertue or honestie. These men disputed with Paule, as he had bene a Philoso∣pher that were a begynner of some newe secte.

[ The texte.] And some there were that saide: what wyll this babler saye? Others sayde: he see∣meth to be a tydynges bringer of newe deuyls, because he preached vnto them Iesus, and the resurreccion. And they tooke hym and brought hym into the strete of Mars, saying: may we not knowe what this new doctrine wherof thou speakest, is? For thou bryngest straunge tydynges to our eares. We woulde knowe therfore, what these thinges meane. For all the Athenians & straungiers whiche were there, gaue them selfes to nothing els, but eyther to tel or to heare some newe thing.

But after that Paule had taught them the euangelycal Philosophie, whiche farre dysagreed from the Philosophers opinyons, some sayde in moc∣kage: What is it that this pratelyng felowe sayeth? For by this reproche∣full worde spermologus, the Grekes meaned a iangler, and a foolyshe talker

of vayne wordes, and a pratler: for the heauenly wisedome semed vnto theym foolyshenesse.* 1.3 And others there were that sayde: He semeth to bryng in some newe kynde of gods, because that he preached vnto them that Iesus was the true sauiour, and the sonne of God, and that the dead in tyme to cum shoulde aryse agayne. For they of Athens, accordyng as they had bene instructed of Plato, called the gods children, gods, whome they supposed to haue bodyes whiche shoulde continue for euer. Wherefore, inasmuche as whiles they were in the market place, they had diuerse opinions of Paule, they thought it beste to leade him aside in to a strete, whiche is called Mars strete. The strete is a place in Athens of muche resorte of people, by reason that there they did sit on matters of lyfe and death in the nyght season. And that place was meete for that kynde of disputacion, whiche profered saluacion to theym that beleued therein, and death to the vnfaythfull. For they sayde: Maye a manne learne of the what newe kynde of doctrine this is, that thou speakest of? For where as all kyndes of Philosophye are treated of amongeste vs, yet thou shewest vs newes, and such as we neuer hearde of yet: we are therefore desyrous to heare the more at large, to what ende these thinges maye growe, that thou speakeste of, or what they meane. And for asmuche as that citie was namely emong all the cities of Grece, moste exercised in all kyndes of learnyng, and gyuen to e∣loquence, by occasion wherof, many resorted thyther out of all partes of the worlde, to be studentes there, bothe the citizens of Athens, and other straun∣giers that wer continuing there, did nothyng els, but either harken for newes, or els tell some newes: and that more for theyr pleasure, then that they desy∣red by knowlege of matiers, to be the better experte. But god that is desirouse of mannes healthe, as fyshers and hunters doe inuent all meanes to get their praye, so taketh euery man by occasyon of those thynges, that he is moste de∣lyted with all.

[ The texte.] ¶Paul stode in the middes of Mars streate, and said: ye men of Athens, I perceiue that in all thynges ye are so supersticious. For as I passed by, and behelde the maner how ye wurshyp your goddes, I founde an alter wherin was written: vnto the vnknowen God. Whom ye than ignorauntly wurshyp hym shewe I vnto you: God that made the world and all that are in it (seeyng that he is lorde of heauen and yearth) dwelleth not in tem∣ples made with handes, neyther is wurshypped with mens handes, as though he neded of any thyng, seeyng he hymselfe geueth lyfe and breath to al men euery where, and hath made of one bloud all nations of men, for to dwel on al the face of the yearth. And hath appoynted before howe longe time, and also the endes of theyr inhabitacion, that they shoulde seke god, if they myght fele and fynde him, though he be not farre from euery one of vs. For in him we lyue, we moue, and we haue our being, as certaine of your own Poe¦tes sayd. For we are also hys generacion. Forasmuche than as we are the generation of God, we ought not to thinke that the Godhed is lyke vnto golde, siluer, or stone, grauen by crafte or ymaginacion of man.

Wherefore Paule that knewe howe to behaue himselfe emonge all sortes of men, and to frame his eloquence to all mennes capacities, nowe beeyng in the myddes of Mars strete, as it were in a stage to playe his parte alone, hauing aboute hym a great multitude, spake vnto them in thys wyse: Ye men of A∣thens, although this citie flourysheth more thē any other in learnyng & know∣lege, yet I perceyue that ye, as concerning your trade in relygion, are veraye supersticious, where as true religion in dede, is the chief parte of Phyloso∣phye. For as I walked about, desirous to knowe the customes and ordre of your citie, markyng those thīges y^t ye haue in honoure and do wurshyp, emōg

all other thynges, I espied a certayne alter, whiche in the title that was gra∣ued on it, made mencion of an vnknowen God. Wherefore they are deceiued, that say that I bryng in newe and straunge goddes,* 1.4 but I rather preach him vnto you, yea euen the veray same vnknowen God whome ye wurshyp, for it appeared by the title on the aulter, that ye knowe not what he is, so that you maye heareafter reuerently worshyp hym, whan ye know hym, whom ye haue hytherto as vnknowen, worshypped wyth supersticion. Whiche God foras∣muche as he is an infinite mynde, moste pure, present euery where, and yet af∣ter that sorte, that he is contayned in no one certeyne place, ought not to be be∣leued to dwell in temples of mannes handyworke, or in ymages made by any crafte of man:* 1.5 neither is he dewly wurshipped with the sacrifice of beastes, as thoughe that eyther he lacked, or els were delited with any thyng that is doen by mannes handes, and cummeth of hys owne brayne. For where as he is in∣finite in hymselfe, and able to doe all thynges that shall please him beyng al∣so moste blessed, and that naturally, so that he can neyther be hurted by anye malice of manne, nor yet be holpen by any seruyce that manne can doe, yet for somuche as he is pryncipally best, and moste bountifull and beneficial, he crea∣ted and made thys worlde maruaylously for mannes cause: and ordeyned for his vse, all thynges that are conteyned in thesame.

Wherfore althoughe that he be the founder, lorde, and gouernoure as well of heauen and yearthe, as of all thynges in theym contayned, yet of all these thynges, taketh he hymselfe no fruicion, for because that he by reason of hys eternall felicitie, and blysse, hath no nede of any externall or outward goodnes to the augmentacion of hys perfectnesse, but thys worlde hath he lefte vs, as his worke to muse and maruayle at, that mortall menne lyuyng therin, myght perceyue by so wonderfull a woorke, the power, wysedome, and goodnesse, of the maker of it, and hauyng therby once knowlege of hym, shoulde loue hym, and with greate reuerence wurshyp hym, by whose benefite they haue the frui∣cion of so many commodities.

Now yf he be aboue this frame of the worlde, and hathe nede of none of those thynges that he hathe made, howe muche lesse maye it bee thought that he is delyted with temples, with Images, or els with the sauoure of burned offe∣rynges. But for asmuche as he is a substaunce without body, he ought to be wurshipped with puritie of y^e mynd: neither loketh he for the slaughter of oxen or shepe, that endoweth all thynges with lyfe, and gyueth to all that breathe, both theyr lyfe and their breath.* 1.6 For he made all kyndes of beastes, and they liue al by him continuyng and multyplying euery one their owne kynde from tyme to tyme by generation. But all mankynde made he of one man, to haue the rewle ouer all these beastes, and to dwell in all partes of the worlde, and hathe lymitted and appoincted euery man a determinate space to lyue, whiche no manne can for himselfe prolong: and hath lykewyse appoyncted euery na∣tion, certayne partes of the yearthe to inhabite, for they are deceyued, that sup∣pose the world, whiche god himselfe made, not to be rewled by hym, but that eche thing is at all aduentures, and without any consideracyon, vnaduisedly brought forth, & for no purpose, where as in dede there is nothyng doen in the worlde, be it great or small, but it cummeth by the prouidence of him that crea∣ted the worlde.

And because that the wytte of man cannot conceyue hym as he naturally is

in dede, by reason of grossenes of the body, he endowed menne with reason, that by one thinge they maye vnderstande an other, that is to saye, thinges that cannot be seene by those that are seene, and generall thynges by the par∣ticuler, eternall by those that laste but for a tyme: and suche thynges as by the mynde, reason, and spirite, onely maye be ymagined, by those that be open to the senses of the body, and set him in the middes of all thinges, as in a stage to serche out the creatore and maker of all thinges by meane of his creatures whiche maye eyther be seene, felte, or otherwyse perceyued, by suche commo∣dities as dooe ensue to manne therof: and that like as blind menne by feling, sumtyme fynde that out, whiche they can not see, so they consyderyng howe wonderfully all thinges were made, myght cumme to summe knowledge of god, whome to haue true knowlege of, is the highest felycitie that manne can haue. And yet we shall not nede to seeke for god in foreyne thinges, for we may fynde hym in our selues, yf euery manne wyll looke on hymselfe, and marke in hymselfe the myghty wysdome, and goodnesse of his maker. For where as god hath shewed vnto vs certaine tokēs of his godhed, in the heauenly balles and circles aboue, and on the yearthe beneth in the sea, and in all lyuing crea∣tures on the yearthe, yet hath he wrought in none of theym more wonderful∣ly, than in manne.

But yf any man be of such grosse wyt and capacitie, that he cannot attayne to the knowlege of the mouyng of the starres, in the skye aboue, or of the ebbyng and flowyng of the sea, how water shoulde fyrste spryng, howe ryuers shoulde styl euermore continue runnyng, and briefly the priuie and secrete causes of o∣ther lyke thinges,* 1.7 he nede not loke far, for he maye see god in euery man. For by hym all we dooe lyue, we moue, and we haue our beeyng, and there is none other that we are dettours vnto for that we bee any thyng at all, but only he, that created this worlde of nothyng: and his benefyte it is, and none others, that we haue lyfe,* 1.8 whiche we muste sone forgoe and leaue, yf he leaue vs: and we ought to thanke none other, that the members and partes of this lyuely body dothe eche of them his dutie, the iyes see, the legges goe, and the handes worke. It is euident than that god is in euery one of vs, that he woorketh in vs, as a worke man woulde by a toole, that he hymselfe hath made. And man expresseth god, not onely as the woorke expresseth the woorkeman, but as the chylde doeth resemble his father or mother, by a certaine lykenesse and symy∣lytude of fauour or complexyon. For so doeth the holy scriptures teache vs, that God made Adam (whiche was the firste manne, of whome all men came) a body of moyste cley, wherein he shoulde be lyke vnto other beastes, but with his owne mouthe breathed he into the same yearthen Image, parte of his hea∣uenly breathe, whereby we might more nere resemble god our father. And for because the natures bee sumwhat lyke, we shoulde more easyly attaine vn∣to the knowledge of hym: whiche propertie he gaue to none other creatures on yearthe lyuyng. Thinke not ye this thynge vnlyke to a thynge of trueth, for some of youre owne countrey menne that were poetes haue affirmed the same, that I alleged out of the scriptures, and emonge other, Aratus say∣eth the same in his woorke called Phenomena, in halfe a verse, in thys wyse: We all cumme of hys lynage. It is no matter thoughe he speake this of Iu∣piter, for in that, that he called Iupiter the chiefe and highest god, he thought hym withall to be the father of all lyuyng thynges, but especially of menne,

Wherefore seeyng that we are of the lynage of God, by symylytude of our mynde, whiche he hathe geuen vs, we haue an euyl opinion of oure father, yf that where as we be accounted menne for that parte in vs, whiche we cannot see, (the whiche is reason,) we wyl thynke hym to be lyke an Image of golde, syluer, woode or stone grauen by wytte of manne. For what is a greater in∣conuenience, or more agaynste reason, then that manne, (who thoughe he be somewhat kynne to God hys heauenly father, yet for all that is nothyng lesse then God,) shoulde be hable to make any Image with hys handes, that can haue in it the power and vertue of God? Reason woulde that the same thynge whiche is wurshypped as God, shoulde be more excellent, then he that geueth wurshyppe vnto it. Nowe howe diuerse wayes doeth man passe an Image, whiche he doeth wurshyppe as it were god? First of al thys shape of his body, man hathe receyued of God, besydes and furthermore dooeth he breath, he ly∣ueth, he moueth, and worketh. Finally by agilitie and quicknesse of the minde, he beareth in hym a certayne resemblaūce of god the father. But in an Image there is no suche mattier. Wherefore yf it bee to goddes greate dishonour yf we wurshyp a mortall manne for god, howe muche more than doeth it disagre with the true honoure of God to wurshyppe an Image made of tymber, as it plased y^e artificer to make him: of which tymber, yf he had bene so disposed, he myght haue made a benche, or a fourme to sit on, whiche thinge is not onelye nothyng lyke god, (who hath no body) but also, besydes the outward shape of the body, hath nothyng lyke a manne, no, not one iote of that parte, whereby manne is lyke vnto god.

[ The texte.] ¶And the tyme of this ignoraunce, God regarded not. But nowe byddeth all men eue∣ry where repent, because he hath appoynted a day, in the which he will iudge the worlde with rightwisenes, by that man, by whō he had appoynted, and hath offered faith to all men, after that he had raysed hym from death.

Whiche reprochefull iniury though it be haynous before God, yet he of his greate fauoure and loue that he beareth to man, hath not reuenged himselfe, but hytherto hath wynked at mans ignoraunce, vntyll the tyme was cumme that he had determyned to open hymselfe to all men, and to caste cleane awaye all darke and blynde errours, which menne haue so long bene conuersaunt in. Whiche tyme is now present, wherin he monisheth all mē to leaue their old er∣rours, and turne to him. For hys wyl is that those y^t repent, shal haue forgiue∣nesse, whiche they that wil be stubberne, shal not in time to cū, haue: for because he hath appoynted a daye,* 1.9 whan he will iudge the whole worlde, and that with a iuste and streight iudgement, which no man shal escape. And therfore he sen∣deth his messangers to warne men, lest any man myght pretende ygnoraunce in these thinges for his excuse, & profereth remyssion of synne to them that wil repent, lest any should say that god were not merciful. For both these purposes chose he Iesus of Nazareth an excellent person, whom he sente into the worlde for this cause, that al men by his meanes, might be conuerted to wurshyp the true god: and hathe geuen him power to iudge the vnfaythfull, and such that wyll resyste thys doctrine. And this is he whome he promysed by the mouthes of his prophetes many yeres past, that he shoulde cum to bee bothe a saluiour and also a iudge. And loke what he promised, he hath hitherto perfourmed ve∣ry certainly. For he was so borne, so taught, euē so troubled with vexaciō, and so slayne: and in conclusion, so arose he frome deathe to lyfe, as it was before

prophecied that he shoulde. And there is no doubte, but that he will as surelye perfourme all other thinges that remayne behynde.

[ The texte.] ¶Whan they heard of the resurreccion from death, sum mocked, and other sayd: we wil heare y^• agayne of this matter. And so Paul departed frō among thē: Howbeit certaine men cleued vnto him, and beleued: among y^e which was Dionisius a Senatour, & a wo∣man named Damaris, and other with them.

Whyles Paul spake these woordes, certayne that stoode by, gyuyng good eare to all other thynges that were spoken, whan they had hearde men∣cion made of arysyng from death to life, they mocked at it, as an vnlyke thing and a thyng that were not to be beleued, because that no Philosopher had hol∣den any suche opinion before, though there were summe, whiche sayed that the soules remayned on lyue after the death of the body, and sum other also whych sayed that the soules entred out of one bodye into an other. But others that were not of so rashe a iudgement, sayed: We wyl heare the agayne an o∣ther tyme of this same matter. And in this maner Paule dimissed that coum∣pany. Yet sum ther wer among them, that wer perswaded, and ioyned themsel∣ues with Paule: emong whom was Dionisius a Senatour which afterward was bishop at Athens, instituted by Paule, & a certayne woman whose name was Damatis, and besydes these dyuerse others.

Notes

• * 1.1

  And whan they were sufficyently answered of Iason. &c.
• * 1.2

  Whan the Iewes of Thessalonia had knowe∣ledge, that the woorde of god was preached of Paule at Berea.
• * 1.3

  He semeth to be a ty∣dinges brin∣ger of newe deuilles.
• * 1.4

  Whome 〈◊〉〈◊〉 than igno∣raūtly wur∣ship, him shewe I vn∣to you.
• * 1.5

  God y^t made the worl••e and all that are in it. &c.
• * 1.6

  Seeyng he himselfe ge∣ueth lyfe & breath to al•• men euery where. &c.
• * 1.7

  For in him we lyue and we moue. &c
• * 1.8

  For we are also his ge∣neracion.
• * 1.9

  Because he hath ap∣pointed a daye, in the whiche he wyll iudge the worlde &c.