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.

For the lawe brought nothyng to perfeccion, but was an introduccion to a better hope, by the whiche we drawe uye vnto god. And therefore is it a better hope, because the thyuge was not done without an oth. For those priestes wer made without an othe, but this priest with an othe, by him that sayde vnto hym. The Lorde sware, and will not repente. Thou art a priest for euer after the ordre of Melthisedech. And for that cause was Iesus a sta∣bli••her of a better testamente.

For god woulde vs to be made perfite, but that lawe broughte nothyng to perfeccion: neyther was it geuen for that purpose, yet was it not geuen in vayne: Truelye it was geuen for a season, to thentente it shoulde be a cer∣taine griece or stayre to bring vs at the length to a better hope. For it promy∣sed a fruitfull lande wherein they shoulde lyue a quietlyfe, who had kepte the commaundementes of Moses lawe.

The law was grosse, and so was the rewarde, but thus god prouided for the grosse capacities of menne, that by sensible thinges they shoulde by litle and litle fall in vrewith thinges spiritual. It was cōmaunded that they should not s••ey, that they should not steale, that they shoulde pourge the handeling of carayne with certayne ceremonies: A lande was promised them wherein they should liue quietly a few yeres: but vnto vs heauen is promised, where we may liue in euerlasting ioye and felicitie, and in the meane while we are commaunded to loue euen oure very enemies. Theyr prieste when he was most deuoutly occupyed about sacrifice to make intercession vnto God for the people, went into the inwarde partes of the vayle: But our priest entred euen into the very heauens, there to pleade our cause before god the father, whome we are made nye vnto by our ambassadour Christ Iesu, who is the head of the churche. For it is not possyble that the bodye be awaye where the head is present: And by reason of suche an hye prieste, we haue a surer hope then the Iewes had by meanes of theyr hye priestes, because theyr priestes were ordeined without an othe, and ours with an oth: the which god would haue made, to thentente we shoulde haue a more sure confidence in hys pro∣mises, if the priest by whose mediacion we hope after the immortall felicitie promised vs, were by an othe approued an euerlastyng hye prieste and that of god, which elsewise can not lye. For thus speaketh he in the propheticall psalme: The lorde sware and will not repent, thou art a priest foreuer after the ordre of Melchisedech. Therefore looke howe muche difference there is betwene heauen and yearth, betwene thynges that lasteth for a tyme, and thinges eternall, betwene those that are mortal, and such as are immortal, betwene worldlye thynges and heauenlye: of so muche a better testamente was oure hye pryeste Iesus made promiser, and so much the certayner pro∣myser, as the promyse among men confyrmed with an othe, is of more cer∣taintye, then a simple promyse.