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.

¶ There were false prophetes also amonge the people, euen as there shalbe false teachers amonge you, whiche preuely shall brynge in damnable sectes (euen denyinge the Lorde that hathe bought them) and bryng vpon them selues swyfte damnacion, and many shal folowe their damnable wayes, by whome the waye of trueth shalbe euyll spoken of, and thorowe couetousnes shall they with fained wordes make marchaundyse of you, whose iudgement is now not farre of, and their damnacion slepeth not.

WHosoeuer he be, that prophecieth after thaffeccion of his owne mynde, is falsely named a prophete. Whosoeuer he be, that in∣terpreteth the prophetes sayinge, vnto his owne couetous ap∣petites, is a false interpretoure. There were in tymes past false prophetes euen amonge the Iewes, whiche eyther to pyke a thanke at y^• princes hande, or elles for vauntage sake, or for ha∣tred of other, prophecied the thinge, whiche the spirite of God spake not, but that they had in their assemblyes imagined them selues. They countrefaicting their behauiour as thoughe they had ben true prophetes, deceaued folyshe peo∣ple, and repyned against the true prophetes with their lyinges. And so after my deccasse also there shall aryse suche, as shall falsely boaste them selues to be teachers of the gospell, where as they shall be nothinge elles but maisters of falseheade. They shall swarue from the doctrine of the gospell, and bringe in mennes gloses: in stede of the trueth that bringeth saluaciō, they shall cloute in pernicious sectes, for their owne gayne, that partaine rather to their owne glo∣rye and their owne tyrannye, than vnto Christes afaires: and they shall goe on styll into so great madnesse, that they shall not be afrayed vnkyndlye to denye euen their Lorde Iesus, by whose bloude they were redemed, and whose name

they once professed, and shall be more wicked than the very heathens, whiche neuer professed Christ. By the whiche their dooinges they shall prouoke the vengeaunce of God vpon them selues, and it shall not onely nothinge auayle them, that they once professed Christ, but they shall also pull vpon them selues spedy destruccion, God taking vengeaunce vpon them. Howbeit it were but a small matter, yf none were lost, but onely they, which are already loste, but they shall also drawe many with them into destruccion. For false doctrine teachers shall fynde disciples of their owne, and bearinge them selues boldely vpon thē, they shall not be afrayed to rayle vpon the gospelles trueth whiche you haue receaued of vs: nether shall they purely handle the worde of the gospel, because they see it maketh nothinge auayleably to their gredynes, but beyng bent vnto their owne priuate lucre they shall begyle your simple playnesse with feyned communicacion, not going about to wynne you vnto Christe, but to plucke to them selues the greatest gayne they can from you. For they see that the gospels doctrine is smally pleasaunt vnto them, whiche are cralled with the delyces of this worlde, they see it is no nyce delycate matter, to doe as wee doe, defēde the synceritie of the gospelles doctrine constauntly against the wicked, through all deathes. Therfore shall they defyle the true doctrine of Christ: and in stede of it, they shall teache those thinges, that are pleasaunt to the grosse hearers ra∣ther than holsome: and those thinges that purchase theim substaunce and re∣noume in the worlde and not with God. For they shall couet rather for glo∣rye and pleasure that shal last but a while, to purchase euerlastinge destruccion bothe to them selues and to others, than throughe shorte tormentes of the body to thrust out vnto felicitie that neuer shal die. Beware you folow not those gui∣des, excepte that you wyll goe streight waye into destruccion. Nether let it de∣ceaue you, in that they are alofte in hyghe estate in this worlde, in that they are riche, in that they lyue at their owne ease. They shall not long haue the fruicion of this continuaunce of false felicitie. For lyke as the godly shal in a while at∣teyne their rewardes, which God hath alreadye decreed long agoe, euen so these mennes peyne maketh spedy hast vnto them, nether doeth their destruccion slepe that shall sodainlye oppresse those that be careles and lyue in a securitie. They maye deceaue mennes iudgementes, but they can not beguyle God. Howsoeuer men, ouer whome they haue autoritie, doe forgeue them, God, which is afrayed of no mans myght wyll not forgeue them.