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.

¶ Submit your selues therfore vnder the mightie hande of God, that he may exaite you, when the tyme is come. Last all youre care vpon him: for he euer careth for you. Be sober and watche, for youre aduersatye the deuyll as a roarynge lyon walketh aboute, sekynge whome he maye deuour: whome resyst stedfast in the faithe, knowynge that the same af∣fliccions are appointed vnto your brerbren, that are in y^• worlde. But the God of all grace whiche hath called vs vnto his eternall glorye by Christ Iesus shall his owne selfe (after that ye haue suffred a lytle afflicciō) make you perfecte: settle, strength and stablyshe you. To him be glorye and domintō for euer and euer. Amen. By Siluanus a faithfull brother vnto you (as I suppose) haue I written breffely, exhortinge and testifying howe that this is the true grace of God, wherin ye stande. The congregacion of them whiche at Babilon are companions of your eleccion, saluteth you, and so dothe Marcus my sonne. Grete ye one another with the kysse of loue. Peace be with you al whiche are in Christ Iesu. Amen.

Submitte your selues therfore, not for dreade of men, but because you trust in the mightie hande of God. There is no peril, leste you shoulde be troden vn∣der fote perpetually for euer: for he shall aduance and exalce you a lofte, whan the day of rewardes cōmeth. Loke not waueringly about you, haue no distrust, be not aftayed, lest you be tossed in y^e sourges of sorowes, as thoughe you were vndefended and set naught by: for he, that is hable in all thinges, and seeth all thinges, hath charche of you, & wil not suffer any thing of you to peryshe. It is y^e cōmune custoume of youthe to be bēt vnto pleasures, vnto ryot, & vnto wan∣tonnesse. But be you sobre, watche you in your myndes, beyng alwayes readily* 1.1 attētiue and alwayes circūspecte. For y^• aduersarie of your saluaciō, y^• thursteth after mannes destrucciō, sleapeth not, but walketh about lyke an hungrye roa∣ringlion, sekeyng in euery place whom he may snatche vp to deuour: & assaieng by all meanes entraunce vnto you, sometyme layeng wayte for you by volup∣tuous pleasures, sometyme openly oppugnyng you by persecucions. Geue not place vnto him, but resiste him with vnshrinkinge stronge hartes. You wil say: where haue we power against him that is so mightie? He that hathe charge of you, is mightier than he. Put all the whole trust of your hartes vpon him, and your aduersaries power shalbe nothinge. Against the faithles, he is strong: but against the faithfull he is feble. Yf he shoulde assaulte this man or that man, parchaunce it might rightly be takē for a sore greuous afflicciō, but now doeth he impugne al the whole flocke of the godly w^t like malicious hatred. He perse∣cuteth Christ in you, he enuieth all mens saluacion, so that the cōmune afflicciō of all shalbe the more easely hable to be borne, & to stande w^t agreable myndes agaist the cōmune enemy. These matters shal shortly haue an ende. Nether wil God, from whome proceadeth all goodnes, leaue you succourles in the meane season, but wil throughly perfourme the thing that he hathe begonne in you. He hath geuen you suche stomackes, that for his sake you should not be afrayed to suffer tormētes, wherby he hath called you vnto his glory that neuer shal haue ende. He wyll not suffer you to mysse of the victorie: yf you wrestle manfully, he wil helpe you in your wrestlynge, and wyll garnysshe, strengthen and esta∣blyshe you, that beynge tormented for a shorte season, you maye atteine the crowne of immortalitie. By his ayde we get the victorye, & of his free gyfte we shal receyue the rewarde. For there is nothing wherin we may chalenge any prayse to our selues: vnto God alone is al glorye due, not onely in this worlde, but also into al ages for euer: Amē. At this present I wil write no further vnto you: For of this selfe same matter, I suppose, I wrote vnto you of late, al∣thoughe in fewe wordes, by Siluanus a faithfull brother, & I doubte not but he delyuered the Epistle well and faithfully. In it I desired and hartily be∣sought you, to perseuer styl in that which you haue begonne: that nothing alter

your mynde. The waye that you haue entred, is the very right true waye vnto saluacion. Thus ferre you haue proceded forewarde by the goodnes of God. Continue styll stedfastly throughe his helpynge ayde, tyll you attayne vnto the victorious rewarde of lyfe that neuer shall dye. The congregacion of the christianes commende them vnto you, euen the congregacion whome God hath chosen out to himselfe together with you in Babilon, whiche in the myddes of wicked ydolatrours folowe the godlynes of the gospell, and in myddes of most sylthye corrupte lyuers embrace the purenes of cleane conuersacion. You are not alone by your selues, God hath his electe in euery place: In dede those are but a very fewe, howbeit they are a fynely tryed sede to encreace the congrega∣cion in tyme commynge more latgely. Marke saluteth you, whiche is to me as it were my sonne. Salute you euery one other with a kysse, not after the sorte that is geuē more custumely than hartely, but with an holy, pure, & true christiā mynde, which is not doone against the hearte, but is the signe of a chaste and a pure vpright louer, and not a lyeng countrefaicte token. And (to make an ende of myne Epistle in lyke sorte as I beganne it) Grace and peace be alwayes pre∣sent with you al, which beyng engraffed vnto the bodye of Iesu Christ, lyue by his spirite, that grace maye couple you vnto God, and peace maye glewe you together with mutual concorde: whiche thing God (that is best and most migh∣tye) brynge to passe.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  All prelates maye learne diligence at this mooste diligēt prea∣chinge pre∣late, the de∣uyll.