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 .xiii. Chapter.

The texte.

Let brotherly loue continue. Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers. For therby haue diuerse men lodged angels vnwates. Remember them that are in bondes, euen as though ye were bound with them your selues. Be myndefull of them which are in aduersitie, as ye whiche are yet in the body. Wedlocke is to be had in honor among all men, and the bed vndefyled. As for whorekepers and aduouterers God shal iudge them. Let your conuer∣sacion be without couetcousnes, & be content with suche thinges as ye haut alredy. For he hath sayd: I wyl not faile the nether forsake the: so that we may boldly say: the Lorde is my helper, and I will not feare what man maye do vnto me. Remembre them whyche haue the ouersight of you, which haue spoken vnto you the worde of God. Whose fayth se that ye folowe, and consider the ende of their conuersacion.

LEt brotherly loue contynue among you, sens that ye are mem∣bres of the same bodye. Loue ye not suche onely as are daylye conuersaunt with you, but also those whiche resorte as straun∣gers vnto you. For hospitalitie is highlye commended before God, in so much that hereby Abraham deserued to receyue vn∣wares Angels to lodgyng when he thought he had done that good tourne and pleasure vnto men. Furthermore Christen charitie requireth also this, that the calamitie of suche as are in prison and bondes for the profes∣syng of Christe moue you no lesse then if your selfes were in lyke case: and that their tourment and payne (who are elswise afflicted with diuerse euels and ad∣uersities) so styre you to pitie and compassion, that it maye hereby appeare that you haue a body subiect to the selfe same euils, and are not compassion∣lesse for th••se paynes and sorowes whiche the membres of the same bodye do suffre. Let wedlocke, the whiche beyng kept as it oughte to be had due ho∣nour, euen among the heathen people, be lykewise had in honour and reuerence among you: and let not the bed of matrimonye be defiled with any kynd of ad∣uoutry. As for whorekepers & aduoutrers God shal iudge thē. Let your con∣uersation be without couetousnes, in such wise that you may contente your sel∣fes with such thynges as you alreadye possesse, as menne liuyng without pro∣uision and care for any thyng to come. For god made such a promise vnto Io∣sue & in Iosue to al that put their cōfydence & trust in him: I wil not faile the, saith he, neither forsake the: so that trusting on him, we maye boldly saye as the prophet saith in the mysticall psalme: The lorde is my helper, I will not feare what man may do vnto me. Regarde you those y^• haue the ouersight of you, of whom you haue receyued, not mannes doctrine, but the worde of God, and see that they lacke nothyng necessarie for them, vnto whose wordes lyke as at the begynnyng you gaue credence, so loke vpon their lyuynge as on a marke, and folowe their faithe, consyderyng how constauntly they abyde in the profes∣sion

of the gospell vnto their lyues ende. The gospell once taughte a ryghte, is alwayes most stedfastly to be holden and obserued.

The texte.

Iesus Christe yester daye, and to daye, and the same continueth for euer. Be not caried aboute wyth diuerse and strange lernynge. For it is a good thynge that the heart be sta∣blyshed with grace, not with meates, whych haue not profyted them that haue had their pastyme in them. We haue an aulter whereof they maye not eate whych serue in the ta∣bernacle. For the bodies of those beastes whose bloude, is broughte into the holye place by the hygh pryeste to pourge sinne, are burnt without the tentes. Therefore Iesus also to sanctifie the people with his owne bloude suffered without the gate. Let vs go futthe therefore vnto by mout of the tentes, and suffer rebuke wyth hym. For here haue we no continuyng citie: but we seke one to come.

For as Iesus Christ was yesterdaye, and is to daye, and euermore shalbe tyme without ende, and neuer shalbe chaunged: so shall his doctryne continue for euer. Therefore abyde you stable and stedefast herein, and be not as menne, leanyng vpon no sure foundation, caryed aboute with newe and diuerse lear∣nyng. The lawe of Moyses taught no other thyng then the gospell nowe tea∣cheth, but after an other fashion. It is a poynte of foly to sticke styll vnto sha∣dowes, after that veritie is come to lyght. And yet are there some which renewe agayne the olde iewyshe religion nowe abrogate and dysanulled, holdyng opi∣nyon that bettue and godlye lyuynge standeth in meates and corporall fode, the whiche thynges suche as haue supersticiously obserued, haue nothyng pro∣fited therby to thattaynyng of ryghtuousnesse. Whoso desyreth to attayne perfyte and true godlynesse, which hath not an onelye shadowe of ryghtuous∣nes, but stablysheth the mynde with a cleare conscience before God: lette hym cantinew in grace and fayth, and leane vpon this foundacion whiche Christe hath layde, and then shall he not wauer with Iewyshe superstions. Let the Iewes counte it a holy thyng to absteyne frome certayne meates, euen frome suche as are offred vp in sacrifice. We also haue a muche holyer aulter, wher∣of it is not lawfull for them to eate, who beyng gyuen as yet vnto the ceremo∣nies of the lawe, knowe not the grace of the gospel, wher by is gyuen true soule health and saluation. For, accordyng vnto the prescription of the law, the car∣kases of those beastes whose bloude is accustomably offred for sinne by the hie priest in the tabernacles called holy, are by commaundement burned withoute the tentes, as though the bloude had in it some holy thyng, notwithstandynge the bodies, as thynges vncleane and defyled, are caryed oute to be burned in vnholye places, and therefore they absteine from them, as from vncleane mea∣tes. These folkes haue the shadowe, but we embrace that which the shadowe hath signified. They were neuer the holier in minde after they were sprynkled with bloud, neither were they any whit the cleaner because they absteined from eatyng of y^• bodies, sens their soules were wholy dysteyned w^t sinne & vicious∣nes. We embrace Iesus our sacrifice & hie priest, who, as it were alludyng to the figure of the lawe, would be crucified without the gate of the citie of Ieru∣salem, there to pourge his people with his most precious bloude, whose exāple we must not supersticiously, but deuoutely folowe. And this shall we do, yf we also take vp our crosse, & folow him goyng out frō the cōpainye of men, as frō a knot or felowship of mischeuous persons. Let vs likewise go out, & departe frō meadlyng with this world, & take more pleasure to suffre reproch for Chri∣stes sake, thē to take y^• fruition of worldly glory. Let vs byd this earthly city∣fare well, who haue not here a contynuyng citie, but loke after one to come, whiche is celestiall and euerlastynge.

Verely he goeth out of the citie, who so putteth awaye and subdueth thaffecti∣ons and lustes of the fleshe, and wholye gyueth himselfe to heauenlye contem∣plation.

The texte.

By hym therefore do we offre sacrifice of laude alwaies to God, that is to saye•• the frute of those lippes, whych confesse his name. To do good & to destribute forget not, for with suche sacrifices God is pleased. Obeye them that haue the ouersyght of you, and submit your selfes vnto them, for they watch for your soules, euen as they that must geue accōptes: that they maye do it with ioye, & not with griefe. For that is an vnprofytable thinge for you.

We offre not vp our sacrifyce within the walles, but goe in lyke manoure out of the citie with oure hye priest Christe, and contynuallye offre a certayne sacrifice pleasaunt and acceptable vnto God thorowe hym, not any beast, not corne of the fildes, but the fruite of lyppes, of lyppes, I saye, not alonelye of the bodye, but also of the sowle, by the whiche we acknowlage the benefytes of God towardes vs, and hauynge Christes crosse in remembraunce, tendre thankes for the remyssion of oure synnes, and so manye gyftes as we are en∣dued with all. Of this aulter the Iewes are not partakers, who abyde styll with in the walles, and loue nothyng but that whiche is carnall. Nowe learne you also an other kynde of sacrifice, worthye to by a sacrifice of the ghospell, whiche we muste continally make to please almyghtie God with all. Oure neyghboure is to be holpen with our benefites, and yf the same be in ne∣cessitie, then ought we to succour him with ••haide of our goodes and substaūce. For by suche sacrifices goddes fauour is sooner obteyned, then by the triflyng obseruaunces and constitucions of the Iewes, without regarde of our christi∣an brother. Obey you those whiche haue the ouersyghte of you, submyttynge youre selfes vnto them, althoughe they be euell persons, so long as they go not aboute to enforce you to vngodlynesse. For when they doe accordynge to their office and vocation, they watche for youre soules inasmuche as they prouide for your soule health and saluacion, and that with their owne peryll, bycause they shall gyue an accomptes of their ministration vnto almyghtie God, from whome all power commeth. You shall greatlye ease them of their burthen, yf you shewe your selfes obsequious and obedyent vnto them, to thentente that what so euer they do, they maye doe it with righte good will and gladly, rather then with euell wyll and grudgyng. For that is bothe greuous vnto them, and also vnto you vnprofitable. It greueth them that they haue taken so muche payne without any profite. On thother syde, it is not expedient for you to pro∣uoke goddes wrath agaynst you, thorowe your dysobedience.

The texte.

Praye for vs. For we ••eust we haue a good conscience among all men, & desire to lyue honestly. But I desyre you the more, that ye so do, that I maye be restored to you the f••∣••er. The God of peace that brought agayn from death our Lorde Iesus the greate shep∣herd of the shepe through the bloude of the euerlasting testament, make you perfecte in al good workes, to do his will & bryng to passe, that the thing whych ye do, maye be pleas•••• in his syght through Iesus Christ. To whom be prayse for euer while y^• world endureth Amen.

Praye ye vnto God for my brethren and me. For (as it semeth) I ought to be nombred among your good pastours and byshoppes. Whether I be a∣lowed of all men or no, I cannot tell, yet I trust I haue demeaned my selfe as

honestye and good conscience woulde amonge all those whiche are desyrous to lyue after the rule of the gospell. And this do I the more earnestly desyre you to do, to thentent I maye the soner be restored vnto you agayne. In the meane season I lykewyse praye for you, that it maye please God thauctour of peace whiche hath raysed agayne from death that chiefe shepeherd and pastour of his shepe our Lorde Iesus Christe, who when he was relyued entred into heauen thorowe his bloude, there to make intercession for vs, vnto the father, with the whiche bloude he hath hallowed the newe and euerlastyng testament: I praye for you (I say) that it maye please him to make you perfite in all good workes, to thentente you maye satisfie and accomplyshe hys will, and that it maye further please him to bryng to passe that the thinge whiche ye do may be pleasaunt and acceptable in his sight, and that thorow his sonne Iesus Christ, who is alwayes present and setteth forth oure sacrifices: vnto whom all glorie is due, not onely in this present lyfe, but also for euermore. Amen. There is nothyng that we can chalēge and ascribe vnto our selfes for our well doinges. It is his gyfte, and commeth of him what so euer we doe wherewith God is pleased.

The texte.

I beseche you brethren, suffre the worde of exortacion: for we haue written vnto you in fewe wordes. Ye knowe our brother Timothe, that he is at lybertie: with whom (yf become shortly) I wyll se you. Salute them that haue the ouersyght of you, & all the saintes. They of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.

These thinges haue I written for your exhortacion, desyryng you to take in good parte that I haue done of a good mynde and purpose. I haue written vnto you in fewe wordes, as he who purposeth shortly to see you. You shal vn∣derstande that Timothe is not with me at this present. For I haue sent him to an other place. If he retourne shortly I wyll come with him and se you. Haue me commended to all suche as haue the ouersyght•• of you, and furthermore to the whole companye of saynctes or good christians. The Italians salute you. The grace and fauour of god be with you all.

Amen.