The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

The texte.

Euen hym whose cumming is after the workyng of Satan, with all lying power, signes and woonders: and with all deceyuab••enes of vntyghtewesnes, among them that perish: because they receyued not the loue of the trueth, that they might be saued. And therfore, God shall sende them strong delusion, that they should beleue lyes, that all they might be damned whiche beleued not the trueth: but had pleasure in vnrightewesnes. But we are bounde to geue thankes alwaye to God for you (brethren beloued of the Lord) for because that God hath from the begynnyng chosen you to saluacion, thorow sanctifyeng of the spi∣rite, and thorow beleuyng of the trueth wherunto he called you by oure Gospel, to obtayn the glory of our lorde Iesu Christ.

For that wylie deceiuer shall at his cūming be furnyshed with the spirite of Satan, for the Deuil shal practise his crueltie by him. And to the intente he maye the more cruelly worke his myschiefe, he shall not onely be armed with a puyssaunt great power, to make mens consciences afrayed, but al∣so with lyeng, countrefaict castes of signes and wondres, wherin he shall pretende to folowe Christ, euen as the learned enchauntours folowed the example of Moses among the Egipcians. To be briefe, there shall be no kynde of fraude, but he shalbe perfitely conyng in it to worke wickednesse. Howbeit it shal not availe him in any wise, but only to the hurting of such, as perishe (though he were not) through their owne vnbelefe. For thus their obstinate rebellion against Christ demeriteth, this is a reward wor∣thy their desertes, that seing they receiued not Christ by whom they might haue been saued, who for his charitie sake was desyrous to haue al mēne saued, & for his trueth sake opened playnly the thinges, that belonged to saluacion: now by the suffraunce of God, falsehead taketh place with thē in stede of trueth, tyranny for charite, a destroyour for a saue our: and so as thei shal beleue a wicked mās lyenges, inasmuch as thei refused to beleue the sonne of God y^t preached nothing but truth. Thus shal it come to passe, y^t where thei should otherwise haue also perished because of their obstinate

mysbelefe, than it shall manifestly appeare in all mennes sight, that they are iustly damned, forasmuche as they spightfully forsoke Christe, and gaue credence at the first woorde to a craftie deceiuour and a wicked per∣son. This stormy tempest, lyke as it shal declare them worthy damnaciō, so shall it sette forth your stedfastnesse more clearely. By reason whereof we are bounde to rendre alwayes thankes vnto God (my christianly wel∣beloued brethren) in that he suffred you not to continue still in errour, but chosed you vnto saluacion from the beginning, not by the meanes of Mo∣ses law, but by his owne spirite the geuer of holynes, and by your obedi∣ence wherwith you beleued the trueth simply and playnly. Besydes this, lyke as he chosed you eternally from the begynning, so dyd he call you by our gospell preaching, to the intent the saluacion of you, whiche beleued whan the Iewes beleued not, should growe to the glorye of our Lorde Iesus Christe.