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. ii Chapiter.

The text

We beseche you (brethren) by the commyng of oure Lord Iesu Chryste, and in that we shal assemble vnto him, that ye be not sodenly moued from your mynde, nor be troubled, ne∣th••r by spirite, neyther by wordes, nor yet by letter which shulde some to come from vs, as though th•• daye of Chryst were at hande. Let no man deceaue you by any meanes, for the Lorde shal not come except ther come a departyng fyrst, and that the synful man be opened the soone of perdicyon, which is an aduersary: and is eralted aboue al that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he doth syt in the temple of God, boastynge hymselfe to bee God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you. I tolde you these thynges? And nowe ye know what with holdeth: euen that he myght be vttered at his tyme. For the mis∣tery of the unquite doeth all ready worcke: tyll he, which now onelye letteth, be taken out of the wa••e. And th••n shall that wycked bevttred, whom the Lorde shal consume with the spirite of hys mouth, and shall destroye with the appeareaunce of his commynge.

FVrthermore brethren, we besech you by this cōmyng of our Lorde Iesu Christ, wherof we spake a littell a∣fore, and by the felowship of the glory, wherby we be∣ing the membres shalbe fastened vnto our head: that you be not sodaynlye moued from the mynde you are in though his commyng be prolonged, and be not a∣stonyed in your myndes, nether by feyned prophecie, ne by probable asserciō, nor by Epistle sēt in our name, as though the commyng of the Lorde were all ready at hand. Let no mā deceaue you by any meanes. For the lorde shal not come, onles a departing come first, & not afore the wicked man appeare, the childe of perdicion, who like as he is much vnlike vnto Christe, so muche is he his

enemy, & is exalted aboue the sōne of God, & aboue al, that is called God, or power, that is deuoutly wurshipped: so muche that he shall sitte in the temple of God, shewing himselfe as God. Doe you not remembre, that whā I was yet with you, I told you these thinges? And now you know, what is the let, y^t Christ cummeth not. In dede that the wicked man (as I saied afore) may in his propre tyme openly practise his tyranny vpon the Sainctes. For now wickednesse worketh his crueltie vnderhand by him, and the deuill by wicked menne rageth against the professours of the gos∣pell, and as you perceyue by my tellyng, there is nothyng that letteth the aduersarie of Christe from shewyng himselfe openly, but only that in the meane while euery one should holde still that he holdeth, vntil that king∣dome, wherwith all other are holden in subieccion, be dispatched quyte out of the waye. And as soone as that shall come to passe, than shall that wicked one shew himselfe abrode openly, furnished with al kynde of iug∣gling castes and wylie disceytes, to bryng mankynde to destruccion. But for all his rageing with his deuilish spirite, the Lord Iesus shall cheoke him with the mightie blast of his mouthe, and for all his bostyng of his false counterfaite shew of diuinitie, the Lorde shall obscure and abolishe him with the excellente clearenes of his cummyng, euen as monstreous sightes of the night time and vayne appearaunces of thinges vanishe and goe a waye at the shynyng out of the bright sonne beames.

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.

The texte.

Therfore brethren stande fast, and kepe the ordinaunces which ye haue learned: whether it were by oure preachynge, or by Epistle. Oure Lorde Iesu Christ hymselfe, and God our fa∣ther (which hath loued vs, and hath geuen vs euerlastyng consolacyon, and good hope thorowe grace) comforte youre hertes and stablyshe you in all good saying and doynge.

The gospell that I delyuered vnto you was the true and very right gos∣pell, so that there is none other that you ought to loke for. Therfore stand fast in it brethren, and holde the thinges that we delyuered vnto you, and that you learned of vs, eyther by our preachyng, or by our Epistle. Vnto those it shall be your parte to applie your endeuour with all watching di∣ligence. Moreouer the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe, and god oure father, which loued vs of his owne accorde, and called vs vnto saluacion, and by his spirite hathe geuen vs eternall consolacion euen in these affliccions, to loke in good hope for the rewardes of the life in heauen, not by meanes of our deseruinges, but by his owne free mercie, conforte your hartes more and more, and establishe and confirme you, to perseuer in all goodnes both in worde and in dede.