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.

¶ Simon Peter, a seruaunt and an Apostle of Iesus Christ, to them whiche haue obtained lyke precious faithe with vs thorowe the rightewesnes of our God and sauioure Iesus Christ. Grace be vnto you, and peace be multiplied thorow the knowledge of God and of Iesus our Lorde. Accordynge as his godly power hath geuen vnto vs al thynges that per∣tayne vnto lyfe and godlynesse, thorow the knowledge of him that hath called vs by glory and vertue, by the which are geuē vnto vs, excellent and most great promyses, that by the meanes therof ye might be partetakers of the godlye nature, yf ye flye the corrupcion of worldly luste.

I Simon Peter / in tymes paste a diligent folower of Moyses law, and now a seruaunt and Embas∣sadour of Iesus Christ, whose gospel (euē as y^• day light) wipeth and driueth awaye all the shadowes of the olde te∣stament, write vnto all maner of men without parciall ex∣cepcion either of people, or religiō, either of kynde, or state, or yet condicion. For we esteme all people to be kynsfolkes and most nerely ioyned vnto vs, whosoeuer haue deserued to be made like vnto vs in the profession of the faith of the gospel, by the which, we haue atteyned true rightuousnes, not by circumcision, or by sacrifices of the lawe, but by the goodnes of our God, and by the deathe of our sauiour Iesu Christ, who hath frely pardoned vs our olde synnes, to thentēt we should hence forthe folowe gospellyke righteousnes, which dooeth not consiste in ceremonies, but in true godlines of mynde: & hath a certaine farre greater perfecciō than the Iewes righteousnes, whiche is nothinge but a shadowe of true righteousnes. And I praye, y^• lyke as you haue yet hitherto gon aboundantlye forwarde in the grace of y^• gospel, alwayes somwhat augmentyng in thencreaces of godlynes, & drawinge nerer brotherly concorde amonge your selues daylye more and more: so the liberall goodnes of God woulde vouchesafe to make perfite his gyftes in you: which Iewelles encrease so much y^• more largely in you, as you grow fore∣warde into y^• knowledge of God y^• father, & of his sonne our Lord Iesu Christ, the acknowledginge of whome is eternall lyfe. For it is the chiefe poynte of sal∣uacion, to acknowledge the autor of saluacion, that we chalenge no parte therof to our owne desertes and strengthes, or to the prescripcions of Moses lawe, inasmuche as whatsoeuer is perteyninge to true lyfe, and whatsoeuer belongeth vnto true godlynes, his diuine power hath bestowed it vnto vs, without helpe of circumcision, onely by faithe, wherby we acknowlage God the father, from whome procede all thinges, and Iesus Christ, by whome onely we haue al thin∣ges geuen vnto vs. These thinges are not geuen throughe our merites, but by his free bounteouse gyfte, whiche of his owne accorde hathe called vs vnto the benefite of saluacion: and to them that were voyde of glory and vertue, he hath bestowed bothe his owne glorye and vertue: to thintent that wheras being ad∣dicte vnto our owne vicious naughtines, lyke fylthye vyle slaues we scrued y∣doles, we shoulde be engraffed vnto Christe, and be made bothe pure and glo∣rious,

hauing y^• wickednes taken out of the waye, wherin we were fylthily soy∣led. He hathe translated our vyle naughtines vpon himselfe, that he mighte choose vs of his owne free pleasure into y^e felowship of his glory: Our trespas∣ses he hath taken vpon himselfe, that we might enioye his innocencye. Nowe these same are very great matters, but those are farre greater of & muche more excellencie, that are promissed vs in tyme to come, not by the lawe of Moses, as we haue often sayed before, but by thacknowlageing of Iesu Christ. But what is it, that is promysed? Forsoothe that albeit you perteyne not to the kynredde of the Iewes, yet you maye be made w^t them companions of the diuine nature beyng chosen into the nomber of y^• children of god, to possesse thenheritaunce, of immortal lyfe, so that you set your study vpon a certaine immortalitie by vncor∣rupte conuersacion in the meane season here in this worlde, and flee from al cor∣rupcion of vices and naughtie lustes wherwith a mynde that is infected, tēdeth to euerlastinge deathe.