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 it is better (yf the wyll of God be so) that ye suffre for well doing, then for euil doing. For asmuche as Chryst hath once suffred for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, to bring vs vnto God, and was killed, as pertaining to the fleshe: but was quickned in the spirit. In which spirit he also went and preached vnto the spirites that were in prison, whych somtyme had ben disobedient, when the long suffering of God was once loked for in the daies of Noe, while the Arke was a preparing: wherin a few, y^• is to say, viii. solles, were saued by the water, lyke as baptisme also now saueth vs, not the puttynge away of the fylth of the fleshe: but in that a good conscience consenteth to God, by the resurreccion of Iesus Christ, whyche is on the righte hande of God: and is gone into heauen, Aungelles, powers, and myght, subdued vnto hym.

Let it not moue you, that you harmeles folkes suffre sorowes at their han∣des, whiche be harmedoers: but rather it is in that behalf the more easely to be borne, whatsoeuer is done vnto you. For it is better for you, if it be the wyll of God, that you suffre these thinges that you suffre, for wel doyng, than for euil doyng. For he that is punysshed for his euil dedes, suffreth that he hath deser∣ued: but the punyshementes that you suffre, turne to the glory of Christe, and to the heaped encreace of your felicitie. It is a gloriouse thynge for you to fo∣lowe thexample of your prince. Thus he aduaunced the glory of God the fa∣ther, he beyng all together without synne, was taken, bounden, beaten, spytte vpon, crucified, and dyed for our synnes, where as he had no synne at all. The ryghtuous, for the vnryghtuous, the faultes for the faultye, suffred paynes, gladly obeyng the fathers will, that he myghte presente vs, that were synners, cleane and without spotte vnto the father: that we also folowyng his example, shoulde lyue harmeles amonge harmedoers, and that we beynge made, good shoulde suffre for the wealth of them that naught are. He dyed onely once for all and for temporall affliccion was endowed with lyfe euerlastynge, that we beyng once redemed from synnes, shoulde not slyde backe agayne to the same.

It is Christ than that hath made vs cleane, being delyuered to death for the weakenes of the humaine body which he had receiued, but he was raised to life agayne by the power of the spirite, whyche coulde not be ouercome wyth any affliccions. For the same tyme that his dead body was closed in the graue, he being alyue in spirite pearced vnto the helles: & lyke as vnto men endued with mortall bodye, he preached the doctryne of the gospell in his bodylye presence, which those that beleued, attayned saluacion, and those that refused to beleue, purchaced to them selues the heape of eternal damnacion: euen so his body be∣yng laied aparte, his spirite went vnto them, which being deliuered of their bo∣dies, lyued in the helles, and preached vnto them, that nowe is the time present wherein they should receyue the rewarde of their godlines, for y^• in tymes past they ••earing the iustice of god, nether reuenged them selues of euilles, & liued faultles among the faultye: and declared, that they suffred condyng punyshe∣mentes, which in the daies of Noe, when the Arke was furnisshed, & the floude was loked for, that God being prouoked by mortall mennes wickednes would send vpon them, beleued not, but abused the gentilnes of God, when they sawe the thing, that he threatned, put of for a certayn of yeares. Therfore when the floude came, it destroyed all, except a very fewe, that is to saye, no moe but onely eight persons, which according to Noes counsel, went into the arke, & were not drowned in the floud. And therefore euen in those tymes faythe wanted not h•••• rewarde. For God suffred not those to perishe, that trusted in him with al their whole her••. Neither can the vnbeleuers escape y^• vengeaūce of God, although you be no reuengers. For it is ynough for you, that you obeye God, but as for the punyshement of the rest, refe••re that to hym.

Now•• that, whiche N••es A••ke was vnto them, is baptisme vnto you: that same thyng that the floud was vnto them, is the eternal punishement vnto the wicked, and preached vnto them, that obey not the gospel. It was ynough for Noe to haue tolde them of the floud that was to come: It was ynough to haue shewed, by what meanes they myght escape the daungier, yf throughe repen∣taunce they would haue aswaged y^• wrath of god, which they had prouoked vp∣on thēselues by theyr own wickednes. And so let your vpryghtenes be ynoughe vnto you: let it be ynough for you to haue declared vnto other, what rewarde i•• prepared for them that beleue the gospel, & what peyne abideth the vnbeleuers. If there be but a fewe saued by fayth, it shall not be layed to your charge. If a great part of men perishe throughe vnbelefe, they perishe through their owne faulte. After this sorte it was the wyll of God to vtter the difference be∣twene the good and the badde. Baptisme receiued as it ought to be, preserueth agaynst destruccion, and wassheth awaye the fylthynes, not of bodyes but of soules. But baptisme beyng broken promisse withall, destroyeth for euer, and wyndeth into so muche the more haynous rageing streames of wickedness••.

Therfore the thing that is saluacion to some hauing faythe, doth bringe destruccion to the vnbeleuers and suche as are rebellions agaynst fayth. Not∣withstandynge it is not ynough for you, that through the floude of baptisme your sinnes are perished, and that wicked lustes of the former conuersacion are lost, onles ther be present a good conscience also in all the lyfe after correspon∣dent to the benefit of God. Christ died, howbeit but only once: he is risen again neuer to dye: and vnto vs the synfulnesses of oure former olde lyfe are in ly•••• sort slayne by the death of Christ, that we shoulde afterwarde lyue agayne to

innocencie, and neuer slyde backe agayne in to synnes, as muche as lyeth in vs. That shall come to passe, if we shall, as it were settyng inortalytie apart, desi∣••ou sly aspire vnto y^• countrey of heauen w^t al our whole hertes, the enheritaūce wh••rof abydeth them that obey the gospel. For so Iesus Christe rose agayne, tha•• he would not make long taringe after that vpon earth, but cōueyed him selfe out of mortall mennes companye vp into heauen: and there hauynge the fruicion of the glory of immortalitie, sitteth on the fathers right hande, not w^t∣out a body, but suche a body as death hath now no title to it at all: And whyle death goeth about the swalowe vp the innocente, it is vtterly swalowed vp it selfe: and while death surely reconeth to haue gotten a great praye, it became a praye it selfe. Finally Christes victorie, is our victorye: and the glory that went before in him, is shewed vnto vs, in case we continue styll in the thyng that we haue begon, and sticke harde in his fotesteppes. Againste him the tormentes of the wicked preuailed nothing at all: but in his pacient suffryng of them he gate the victorie, he trihumpheth and raigneth alofte, sittyng in heauen aboue all aungelles, or whatsoeuer vertue and power there is besydes. Vnto you he hathe opened the waye into heauen, that by the same way that he entred in, you maye also thrust in thycke and treefolde into the same place. The enheritaunce is ready and certaine, the possession wherof he hath also entred for your sakes, so that you expresse your selues worthy of it: that is to saye, if you set your stu∣dies vpon the innocencie (which he hath frely geuen) to do good vnto all men, yea euen to the euyll and those that punyshe you, as much as vnto you pertey∣neth.