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.

These are welles without water: cloudes that are caried with a tempest, to whom the myst of darckenes is reserued for euer. For when they haue spoken the greate swellynge wordes of vanyty, they entyse thorowe lustes in the volupteousnes of the fleshe them that were cleane escaped: euen them that now lyue in errour: while they promes them libertie, where as they themselues are the bonde seruauntes of corrupcion. For of whom a man is ouercome, vnto y^• same is he brought in bondage. For yf they (after they haue escaped frō y^• fylthines of the world thorow y^• knowledge of y^• Lord & the sauiour Iesus Christe) are yet tangled agayn therin, & ouercome, then is y^• latter ende worsse w^t them thē y^• beginning. For it had bene better for thē, not to haue knowen y^• way of rightewesnes, then after they haue knowen it, to turne frō the holy cōmaundement that was geuen vnto them. But the same is hapened vnto them y^• is vsed to be spoken by the true pro••erbe. The dogge is tur∣ned to his domet agayn, & y^• ••ow y^• was washed is turned agayn to her waloing in y^• mier.

These are they that promyse a certayn wonderfull and news doctrine, where as they bryng nothyng worthy the profession of the Gospel, being like welles that lacke water, whereunto if a manne come athurst, he can fynde nothing but mudde and claye: and like vnto mysly clowdes, that are dryuen hither and th••∣ther with the storme of wyndes, and seme as they would geue rayne vnto the thrustye grounde, where as for all that, not so much as one droppe of holsome doctrine falleth from them. They promyse the lyght of the Gospelles doctrine, and wrappe those folkes in darkenes of errours, whom euerlastyng darkenesse abydeth for in hell. For whan with their lyeng woordes they speake of certayn great hygh matters, & with that hope entice and snare them whiche begynne to amende theyr condicions, they deceaue them and wrappe them in the delites of the flesh, & the voluptuous pleasures of this life, promysing that they wil dely∣uer other frō errour, whā they them selues are occupied in the greatest errours of al, and promysing other men deliueraunce from synnes, whan they them sel∣ues are the very bonde slaues of filthynes. For of whosoeuer a mā is ouercome, and at whose appoyntement he lyueth his bonde seruaunt he is called by right. For it auayleth thē nothyng at all to haue ben once frely delyuered frō the bon∣dage of synnes, if they fall to the same state agayn by their own accorde: but the bondage is so much the more vile, and so muche the more wretched, bicause it is procured without cōstraynt, after the tasting of libertie. That which was done amysse before the Gospell preached, is a great parte long of errour, and long of Ignoraunce. But they whiche hauing once acknowlaged by the preachyng of the Gospell, oure lorde and sauiour Iesu Christe, haue through Baptisme re∣nounced the filthynes of this world, and professed a pure and an heauenly life: if they be ouercome agayn with lustes, and wrapped in theyr olde vncleanesse, theyr baptisme doeth not only nothing helpe thē at al, but also they are in worse state, than they were before they knewe Christe. For his offence is the lesse, that synneth through ignoraunce. And they shalbee the more greuously damned, whiche haue enlarged the cryme of wikednes with the vice of vnthankefulnes. Therfore it had ben better for them to haue not knowen the Gospelles doctrine at al, whiche teacheth Innocencye and purenes, than after they knewe and re∣ceyued it, to swarue from the holy commaundement that was once deli∣uered vnto them. For what other thing is befallen them, than that which is truly vsed to bee spoken by a commune prouerbe? The dogge ••losseth vp agayn that he hath once caste vp, and the washen sowe turneth agayn to walowe her selfe in the myre. It is but a lost labour for the dogge to haue purged his stomake with vomite, if he take agayn that he cast vp. And the sowe hath washed awaye her fowle stynking myre in cleane water in vayne, if she, by and by after she is washen, returne to the soylinges that she had gone from.