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.

¶ The elders whiche are among you, I exhorte, which am also an elder, and a witnes of the afflicciōs of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shalbe opened. Fede ye Chri∣stes flocke, asmuche as lyeth in you, taking the ouersyght of them, not as compelled ther∣to, but wyllyngly: after a godly sorte, not for y^• desyre of tylthy lucre: but of a good minde, not as thoughe ye were lordes ouer the parisshes: but that ye be an ensample to the flocke and that with good wyll. And when the chefe sheperde shall appeare, ye shall receaue a•• incorruptible crown of glorye. Lykewyse ye yonger, submyt your selues vnto the elder. Submit your selues euery man one to another, knet youre selues together in lowlynes of mynde. For God resisteth the proude, and geueth grace to the humble.

ENdeuour your dilygence vnto this, brethren, bothe euery one seuerally by your selues, and all together in commune, that fo∣lowynge the fotestepes of Christ, you may atteyne vnto his fe∣lowship. Howbeit it is reason, y^• those, whiche excede other in au∣toritie of age, should excede also in the study of godlynes. Of their example, of their maner of teaching, and of their autoritie dependeth the resydue of the multitude. And it is not inoughe for them, to lyue vpryghtly themselues, excepte they be carefull for the multitude also. For vnto them, their graye head augmenteth autoritie, vse of thinges augmenteth wyse∣dome, and long proued & tried vprightenes of lyfe augementeth their credence. You therfore I speake to, you elders, the kepets of the people, beynge an elder also my selfe, whiche haue performed in mater & in dedes, the thing y^• I teache, that is to say, in suffring enprisonmentes & stripes for the name of Christ sake, beyng ready also euen vnto y^• crosse, whā the wil of God so shal be, & in like ma∣ner hauing this very good hope, y^• whom he hath vouchesafe to haue suffer for his sake, he wil admitte also the same vnto y^• felowship of the glorye of heauen, as sone as y^• day shal come, wherin he shal openly declare his Maiestie vnto the world, & y^• wrastlinges of y^• world being at an ende, y^• rewardes shalbe brought furthe. I beseche you for y^• tormentes sakes y^• Christ suffred for you, & for myne affliccions sakes, wherin I folowe my lord to myne vttermost power, shew your selues right feders of y^• multitude in dede, as it is chaūced to euery mans lotte, watche, walke about, loke on euery syde, & take hede, y^• nothing wante vnto the flocke, for whome Christ died, nether holy consolacion, nether holsome doctrine, ne example of gospellyke lyfe. You are called Superint endentes: accomplyshe in dede y^• thing y^• you are called. Fede, cure, gouerne, kepe, y^• nothing perishe, y^• no∣thīg runne out of y^• way. And see y^• you doe y^•, not grudgingly, as mē cōstrained through feare, either shame, or necessitie of office: but w^t diligēt readines, glad∣ly, & w^t a good wil, respectīg nothing elles, but what may be acceptable to god.

It is his busynes that you take in hande, and of him you shall receyue euerla∣stinge rewarde. Loke not for rewarde in this lyfe. It is a shame, to take charge of christian people for vauntage sake: whiche charge no man is praysed for ta∣kynge, but he that dooeth it of his owne accorde and frely without any thinge. That man is fallen out of the rewarde of heauen, that hunteth after the hyre of his office at mennes handes here in this worlde. Next vnto this it is, yf any man, thoughe he set naught by lucre, yet seketh ambiciously after honour and dignitie, being desyrous to be a commaunder, beyng desirous to be reuerenced: that man shall haue no rewarde also with God. He hath receaued his rewarde: The office of a right bysshop is ferre of from lordinge. It is not a tirannye, but an administracion. A bisshop is put in autoritie for this ende, not to scrape to him selfe the more gayne therby, not to reigne a lofte, and to vse his pleasure the more frely, but to doe the more good. Therfore you elders, remēbre your office, behaue your selues so in all thinges, that your lyfe maye be an example vnto the people of a gospellyke conuersacion. Let them learne of your behauiour to set naught by lucre, let them learne to defye dysdeignous statelynes, let them learne to hope for the hyre of their duties dooing at Christes handes, & to haue respecte to none other thing in this worlde, but because so it is honest, so is it ac∣ceptable to God. In the meane season playe the good shepherdes frely without any thing. Neuertheles in dede it shall not be doen for nothing: but whan the prince of shepherdes Iesus Christ shall in thappointed daye openly shew forth him selfe, whiche gaue him selfe wholy for his shepe, the keping wherof he hath committed vnto your credence, than in stede of a vyle & mortal triflyng rewarde you shall receyue the glorious crowne of your duetye doinge, whiche shal neuer fade. Therfore in no wyse take the thing vpon your selues, that you ought to loke for at your princes handes: preuent not the daye, whiche he woulde haue to be vncertaine vnto vs. And like as it is the parte of suche as be Elders, to shew them selues as fathers vnto the yonger, euen so the yonger ought on the other parte to shewe them selues manerly and obedient vnto the elders: and lyke as the Elders submitte them selues throughe gospellyke charitie vnto all men, to thintent they maye doe the more good, euen so the yong ought not to abuse the gentilnes and facilitie of the Elders, but it is rather cōuenient for them to obey them w^t so muche the more ready diligence, as they abuse the lesse their autoritie. Where true charitie is, there autoritie is nether dysdeinfull nor the youthe is outragiouslye fearce. He y^• is set in dignitie, goeth about nothinge but this, that he may doe good for other: and he y^• is a subiecte, doeth more of his owne free ac∣corde, than he requireth him. Let all men therfore haue gentyll sobrenes fyxed vtterly in their hartes: and that shall be occasion, that nether the Elders shalbe weary of their charge, nor y^• yonger greued at their autoritie. God hateth fearce flowtenes of stomake in men: his delyght is in lowe mynded heartes, and suche is deiecte them selues: he bestoweth his giftes vnto them that take nothing vp∣on them selues: he repelleth & forsaketh y^• proude persons, as vnworthy his be∣nefites. Suche as humble them selues, them he aduaunceth: and suche as exalte them selues, them he throweth downe: suche as truste to their owne strengthes, them he doeth not vouchesafe to helpe: and those that dystruste theyr owne powers and depende wholye at his becke, them he chearyssheth and maynteyneth.