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 .ii. Chapter.

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.

The texte.

¶ For yf God spared not the aungels that synned, but cast them downe into hell, and de∣lyuered them into chaynes of darcknes, to be punished, to be kept vnto iudgement: nether spared the olde worlde, but saued Noe the eight preacher of rightewysnes, and brought in the floude vpon the worlde of the vngodly, and turned the cities of zodom and Gomor into asshes: ouerthrew them, damned them, and made on them an ensample vnto those that after shoulde lyue vngodlye. And iust Lot vexed with the vnclenly conuersacion of the wicked, delyuered he. For he beynge righteous, and dwelling among them in seyng and hearing, vexed his righteous soule from daye to daye with their vnlawfull dedes. The Lorde knoweth howe to delyuer the godly out of temptacion, and to reserue the vn∣iuste vnto the daye of iudgement for to be punyshed: but che••••y them that walke after the flesshe in the lust of vnclennes, & despyse auctoritie. Presumpteous are they, & stubborne, whiche feare not to speake euyll of them that excell in worshippe. When the angels whiche are greater bothe in power and might, receaue not of the Lorde taylynge iudge∣ment against them selues. But these as brute beastes, naturally brought forthe to be takē and destroyed, speake euyll of the thinges that they vnderstande not, and shall pearisshe in their awne destruccion, and receaue the rewarde of vnrightewysnes.

For why shoulde he spare them nowe, seyng that in tymes past he spared non the very angels, whiche had offended, but threw them downe headlong out of heauen, bounde them with the cheines of theuerlastynge darke night, and caste them in to the prison of hell, to be reserued to this ende, that hauyng sentence of damnacion in the last iudgement, they may be cōmitted to eternal tormētes for euermore? wyll he suffer pryde to be vnpunyshed in men, whiche suffred it not in the angelles? Shall the thing be vnpunyshed in them, that they doe after the light of the gospell manifestlye opened vnto them, & after so many bounteous benefites frely geuen vnto them by him, which spared not the olde world (beyng tude without knowledge) but beyng greued at mennes viciousnes, whan the world was vniuersally spotted with wicked maners, he brought the floude vp∣on it, and dispatched al mankynde, sauynge Noe, whō beyng the eyght parson his wyll was to haue saued out of so mightte a great multitude of mortal men, because the residue hauinge contemned the gentle suffraunce of God, he onely in makynge the Arke testified, that he drad the vengeaunce of the almightye. And wyl not he punyshe the people of these dayes, which with powryng downe a showre of brimstone, brought so many cities, and so florisshinge a countrey of Sodome and Somore into asshes, and marred them so vtterly, that there re∣maineth nothing, but an horrible and a pestilent stinkynge ma••rice, for a testi∣monye what payne abydeth them, whiche with lyke wickednes prouoke y^• wrath of God vpon them selues? And lyke as vnto them their owne wickednes was their owne destruccion, euen so the innocencie of Lot turned to his saluacion: vnto whome whan the abominable felowes intended violence, and would with their abhominable rageing lustes oppresse the chaste godly man, God pulled him out of the companye of the wicked, among whome it was the most greuous payne for him to lyue. For in asmuche as he was pure and chaste bothe in eyes and eares, it was a greuous torment for a godly disposed mynde, to hea••e daily, and see daily, the thinges that he abhorred withall his whole hearte. By these it is sufficiently declared, that God neuer suffreth, any man to lose the rewarde of his innocencie, neither any mans wickednes to be vnpunisshed: although he gentlye beare w^t some for a season, y^• they might once repent: yea & though he suffre his owne sometime to be tēpted for a while, yet whā tyme is, he can dlyuer the godly out of sorowes: & contrarye wyse he can reserue y^• vngodly against the daye of the last iudgement to be punished with eternall tormentes for euermore. No kynde of vnrighteousnes shalbe suffred vnpunished. But those shall specially suffre paynes, whiche as it were distrustinge the pro∣mises of the gospell, folowe in this worlde, that whiche is delectable to the body, seruynge fylthy outragious lustes, wherwith they defyle their whole lyfe on euery syde. And that they may be the more wicked, they double their wickednes with violence, & contemne those that be set in publyke autoritie, beyng knacke hardye, and shameles, and are not ashamed to tayle vpon suche as are men of dignitie. And these thinges are wretched men, hardye to doe, where as the an∣gelles beyng farre more excellent in power and strength, althoughe otherwyse wicked yet they proceded not into so muche shameles hardynes as to abyde to speake euyll of God: and where as they in other matters neglected the wyll of God, yet in this point they were afrayed to offende him, and yelded vnto thau∣toritie of god. But these men beyng more vngracions than the wicked spirites,

like brute beastes borne to thys ende, that they maye bee catched and destroy∣ed, forasmuche as they are not afrayed to backbyte and mysteporte theyr superiours: not knowing this in the meane while, for whose sake they speake euyll of them. Like as they through theyr corrupte condicious procure destruc∣cion to them selues, euen so shall they peryshe like beastes, and receyue a wor∣thy rewarde of theyr wicked life: ••orsomuche as they reken it a swete and ioy∣ly gaye life, if they cast all shame quite away, and geue them selues in the open daylyght vnto myrthe, ryot, and filthye voluptuous lustes. For yet they haue some shame remaynyng with them that doo these thynges in the night.

The texte.

They count it pleasure to lyue delyeyousty for a season. Spottes they are and fylthy∣nesse, which lyue at pleasure in theyr own deceyuable wayes, feastyng and scornyng you: hauing eyes ful of aduoutry, and that cannot cease from synne, begylyng vnstable soules. Deattes they haue exercised with robbery. They are cursed children which haue forsaken the ryght waye, and are gone astraye folowyng the waye of Balaam the sonne of Bosor, whiche loued the rewarde of vnryghtewesnesse: but was rebuked of hys iniquitye. The ••ame and dumme beast, speaking with mans voyce forbad the madnesse of the prophete.

Who would beleue that these were menne? They are rather filthe and spot∣tes, who in their filthie glotonous bankettinges (wherin being wretchedly de∣ceaued thei repose the hole Sūme of felicitie) vaunt against you, as though you were madde menne, bycause you haue not the fruicion of the commodities of thys present life. And in the meane tyme riot prouoketh outragious luste, and whan they are once wyne dronken, they haue beastly lusting eies, nether haue they mynde of any thing elles, than vpon whoremonging, and other kyndes of wikednes. For they can not, whan they haue once cast awaye reason, whan they haue ben once dronken with wyne, ceasse from naughty doing, but they skyppe from wikednes to wikednes, so muche that it is not ynough for them to lyue vngraciously them selues, except they intangle and allure other mens myndes (not yet cōfirmed in vertue) vnto theyr filthynes. Now perchaunce it were more tolerable, if they offended in nothyng but in riot and lecherous lust: But there is no kynde of vice but they haue it. Like as they filthyly make away that they haue, euen so filthyly doo they prouyde to make prodigally awaye, hauyng a mynde and a wytte practised vnto couetousnes, vnto deceate and vnto taume, doing euery thing what so euer it be, for auauntage sake: and for lucte curse the good and the godly, and being corrupte with money swa••ue from the right waye: and in that poynt resemble theyr father Balaam the sonne of Bosor, who, whan he knewe what was best, yet being corrupt with wicked see, he went about to curse them, whom God was mercifull vnto: & couetousnes brought him into so great a blyndnes, y^• he was rebuked of his asse, & where as he being a madde doting mā had cast of his mans mynde, y^• brute beast speaking in a mans voyce restrayned the prophetes madnes, seing more w^t het bodyly eies than he saw w^t y^• eies of his mynde, bicause he was strik•• blynd through coueiousnes of money.

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.