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 first Chapter▪

The texte.

Paule an Apostle of Iesu Christ, by the wyll of God, accordynge to the prompyse of lyfe which is in Christ Iesu. To Timothee hys beloued sonne. Grace, mercy and peace. from God the father, and from Iesu Christ oure Lorde. I thanke god, whom I setue frō myne elders with pure conscience, that without any ceasynge I make mencion of the in my prayers nyght and day, desyryng to se the, myndefull of thy reares: so that I am fil∣led of ioye, when I call to remēbraunce the vnfeyned fayth that is in thee, which dwelt fyrste in thy graundemother Loys, and in thy mother Eunica: and I am assured that it dwelleth in the also.

PAule an Embassadour of Iesu Christ, called therunto by the will of God the father, to declare howe greate the fe∣licitie of the lyfe to come is, whiche he promiseth vnto vs by his sonne Iesus Christe, that we should not care much for the losse of this life: To Tymothee my dearebeloued sonne, grace, mercie, and peace from God the father and from Iesus Christ oure Lorde. I thanke God, whose ser∣uaunte I begonne not of a late tyme to be, but kepte his relygion after the tradicions of myne elders continually with an vpright and a pure conscience, and doe kepe styll: For I serue all one God now beynge a christian, y^e I lately serued a Iewe, though after an other sort, throughe

whose goodnes we chaunced vpō such a man as thou arte, in that thou folo∣west the exāple of me in sincere preaching of the ghospelles doctrine, so as for thine owne deserte I can no lesse hartelye loue thee than mine own very sonne: in so muche that I can not forget thee euen whan thou arte absent. For in my prayers night and daye wherwith I am accustomed to call vpon God, and to commende vnto him suche as I tenderlye loue, thou commest alwayes in my mynde, and I am very muche desirous to see thee, especially as often as I re∣membre thy teares, that thou sheddest at my departyng, as mooste plentuous witnesses of thyne affection and mutuall loue towardes me. By reason wher∣of I am fylled all together full of ioye, whan it commeth to my mynde, howe paynlye thou resemblest me in the sinceritie of faythe, as a naturall sonne his father. And lyke as y^e integritie of religiō was in me (as it were) by enheritaūce, euen so this sinceritie of fayth semeth to be geuen to the by the handes of thyne elders. For it dwelt stedfastly fyrst in thy Grādemother Lois, thā after by & by in thy mother Eunica: & I doubt not but y^u wilt become accordigly like a neuew to so right a religious grādmother & a sonne to so right a good mother, seing y^u hast ben more desyrous to be like to thē, thā to thy kyndred of thy fathers syde.

The texte.

Wherfore I warne the, that thou stiere vp the gyfte of god which is in the, by the put∣tyng on of my handes. For god hath not geuen to vs the spirite of feare: but of power, & of loue, & of sobrenes. Be not thou therfore ashamed of the testimony of our lorde, nether be ashamed of me, which am his prysoner: but suffer thou aduersitie with the ghospell, accordyng to the power of god, which saued vs, and called vs with an holy calling, not accordyng to our dedes, but accordyng to his owne purpose and grace, which was geuē vs thorow Christ Iesu (before the worlde began) but i•• now declared openly by y^• appea∣ryng of our sauiour Iesus Christ, which hath put awaye death, & hath broughte lyft and immortalitie vnto lyght thorowe the gospel, wherunto I am appoynted a preacher and Apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles: for the which cause I also suffre these thinges. Neuerthelesse, I am not ashamed▪ For I knowe, and am sure, that he (in whom I haue put my trust) is able to kepe that which I haue committed to his kepyng, agaynst y^• day.

These thinges I remēbre the of, so as thou mayest be of y^• better courage both by the example of vs and of thyne elders, to stiere vp by thyne industrye & dili∣gence the gifte of God (which thou receyuedst by the laying on of mine handes whan thou waste ordayned a Byshop) and boldely and without shrynkynge to accomplyshe the office commytted vnto thee, & feare not any mens barkinges nor the rageing crueltie of persecutours. It is the propertie of Iewes, to be a∣frayed of those thinges, that this present life occasioneth, but vnto vs whiche through beleuing of the gospell are made the children of God, he hathe geuen a ferre other maner spirite, not to make vs afrayed & discouraged for feare & distrust, but through an assured trust of innocēcie & hope of y^• promised immor∣talitie to be bolde & lusty, & through loue to be free & ful of courage, euē as loue both trusteth altogether vpō gods succour & shrinketh not for his neyghbours sake to abyde daungier. Finally a spirite y^• suffreth not vs to be disturbed •••• our mynd, but causeth vs alwaies to perseuer to thende with a whole & a pre•••••• ready herte. Forasmuch thā as y^• hast receyued this spirit, set forth his power & declare stoutely the thyng y^e thou hast. Be not ashamed of thy profession, wher∣by y^u preachest the crosse & death of our lord Iesu Christ, nor be ashamed to be a disciple of his Apostle, though I am ladē w^t these bondes. There is nothing more glorious thā the crosse of Christ, y^• gaue saluatiō to y^• world, y^• brake the deuiles tirannye y^• hath obteined vs immortalitie. Christes crosse is our glory. These cheanes, y^e I willingly suffre for y^e ghospelles busines sake, are not to my slaunder but to my glorie rather. Therefore refuse not to suffre those thynges that Christ suffred, and that I suffre for hys sake.

But be thou ready also to come into the felowshyppe of afflyctions, that are layed vpon vs for the ghospell of Christe. What so euer chaunceth, there is no cause why we shoulde be afrayed, for the matier is not done by oure strengthes, but by the succour of God. We are feble in dede, but he is migh∣tye, whiche, whan we were lost, saued vs by the death of hys sonne, hauynge done awaye the trespasses of oure former conuersation: and hathe called vs vnto holynes not for any merites of ours, but beyng enforced by hys own wil, and free goodnes that he bestowed vpon vs, not vpon anye late aduisemente, but from euerlastynge, and before all tyme, afore the makynge of thys worlde, it was decreed of him to geue these thinges vnto vs by his sonne Iesus Christ. The matter is no newes to him, but that thing that was alwayes in the secret of his mynde, he hath lately declared to the worlde, by the commyng of our sa∣uiour Iesu Christe, who hauyng receyued a bodye subiecte to death, hath dis∣patched awaye death by the crosse: and by hys resurreccion hath opened lyfe and immortalitie throughe the preachynge of the ghospell, whiche promyseth lyke rewardes vnto them that folowe the exaumple of Christes crosse. Thys ghospell preachynge is committed vnto me as the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to the intent they maye learne by me, that not onely the Iewes are called to this gyfte of God, but also all mankynde vniuersallye. Forasmuche than as I am tyed in cheynes for the ghospelles sake, I am not onely nothyng ashamed of thys affliccion, but also I esteme it for a pure greate glorye vnto me. To suffre for naughtye dedes doyng it is a reproche, but to be afflicted for the glorye of Christe it is excellent. This stormye tyme doeth feare me no∣thyng at all. For althoughe I am weake, yet I knowe and am assured, that he, whom I haue put my faythfull trust in, is hable ynoughe to kepe vnto the vttermost daye, the thing that I haue committed to his fidelitie. Throughe his ayde bothe the gospelles busines and my saluation, and also the prosperi∣tie of the christian flocke is in sauegarde. And albeit anye thynge here in thys worlde seme to perishe for a tyme, yet whan that daye shall come, in the whyche he shall expresse his myghtie power vnto the worlde, he shall restore it wyth greate gayne. I haue layed my life and my healthe in his handes, and he hathe put me in truste to dispence the doctrine of the gospell. In case I shall be a trustye fayth keper, he wyll not fayle my trust.

The texte▪

Se that thou haue the ensample of the holsome wordes, which thou hast heard of me with fayth & loue that is in Christ Iesu. That good thing, which was committed to thy keping, ••old fast through the holy gost, which dwelleth in vs. This thou knowest, how that all they which are in Asia, be turned frō me. Of which sort are Phigelus and Her∣mogenes. The Lord geue mercy vnto the housholde of Onesiphorus, for he ofte refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chaine: but when he was at Rome, he sought me out ve∣ry diligently, and founde me. The lorde graunte vnto hym, that he maye fynde mercye wyth the Lorde at that daye. And in howe many thinges he ministred vnto me at Ephe∣sus: thou knowest very well.

The thynge that I receyued of Christe, I haue lykewise commytted vnto thy fydelitie, therefore seyng thou haste the forme and example of dispensynge the ghospell and of syncere doctrine, whiche thou learnedst of me not beynge grounded of tryflynge and doubtefull questions, but of faythe and charitie whiche Christ Iesus hath bothe taught and exhibited vnto vs: loke diligent∣lye thou kepe that, whyche is commytted vnto thee.

The thynge that I commytted vnto thee is sincere and pure, see that it be not defyled throughe thy negligence, I know that many goe aboute and shall goe aboute to corrupte the doctrine of the ghospell, but loke that thou stowtely and constauntlye maynteyne that, whiche thou haste taken in hande, through the helpe of the ghospellike spirit that dwelleth in vs: By whose ayde we shal∣be hable easylie to contemne and also to put to flyght what so euer daungiers shall fall. And those that wante that spirite are frayed with the storme of dis∣pleasures & geue ouer the gospels busines. For I suppose it is not vnknowen vnto thee, that all the others, that cleaued vnto me in Asia, afterwarde forsoke me, and inasmuche as they were with me but with faynt holowe hartes, by and by throughe occasion their countrefaicte gospellinge beganne to appere, and they beganne also at Rome to geue me ouer. And among other there was Phi∣gellus and Hermogenes, I will not vtter all their names. But as for them both their names euen by the sounde of the wordes declare them inconstaunt. The forther hathe his name of his rennynge awaye, and the other of subtill Mercurie. It is not my parte to wishe them that they haue deserued. But this it standeth me in hande to praye for, that God the rewarder of wel done dedes, whose pleasure is to recken it doone to him selfe, what so euer is bestowed vp∣on his seruauntes, blesse Onesiphorus housholde. For he hathe oftentymes other wayes bothe comforted and refreshed me in these hoote affliccions, and euen at that tyme was not ashamed of my bondes, perceauinge that it is a glorious thynge to be afflicted for Christes sake, nor was any thyng afrayed to be in the same peryll wyth me, by reason of the ghospelles promysses: but whan he was at Rome, he dyd not onely not refuse to speake with me whan I was in pryson, but also with greate diligence soughte me and woulde not rest tyll he had founde me. In dede he founde matier to exercise mercie: the Lorde Iesus graunte him, that he maye likewyse fynde mercie with him in that daye, wherin euerye one shalbe rewarded accordyng to their dedes, and that he may fynde God benefyciall to him, that was diligent to be beneficial to me in myne affliccion. For I wyll not here make rehersall, in howe many thynges he dyd for me at Ephesus, seyng thou knowest it better than I. And lyke as he she∣wed himselfe there, the same was he towardes me also at Rome. For true cha∣ritie is not frayed with any stormes of affliccions.