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.

¶ Go to nowe ye ryche men. Wepe, and howle on youre wretchednes that shall come vpon you: youre ryches is corrupte, youre garmentes are mothea••en, youre golde and sil∣uer is ••ank••ed, and the ruste of them shalbe a witnes vnto you, and shall eate youre fleshe as it were fyre, ye haue heaped treasure together (euen wrathe to youre selues) in youre laste dayes. Beholde the hyer of the labourers whiche haue reaped downe youre feldes (whiche hyre is of you kepte backe by fraude) ••••yeth: and the cries of them whiche haue reaped, are entred into the eares of the Lorde Sabaoth. Ye haue lyued in pleasure on the erthe, and bene wanton: ye haue nourished your heartes, as in a daye of slaughter: ye haue condemned and kylled the iuste, and he hathe no•• resisted you.

GOe to nowe you ryche men, that occupye the felycitie and plea∣sures of lyfe, whiche you ought to loke for eternall in heauen, poste haste here in this worlde: awaye with your synging, laye awaye your voluptuousnes, and madde pleasures. If you haue any witte, wepe and howle, and thinke vpon those euerlastinge miseries, that shortely hange ouer you. Imagine that the time is now presently come, that shal shortly come a•• h••nde, whan (those riches wher∣in now you most folishly put your confidence, being twitched awaye) you shal∣be wise to late, and acknowlage that those gaye possessions doe not now helpe you: but for a counterfaict felicitie, a right true and euerlasting sorow is come. Where be now your riches that you haue gotten by hoke and by croke, you ca∣red not howe? Your ryches are rotten, youre clothes are endaungered with mothes. Your golde and your siluer is ma••••ed with rust in the custody of a ny∣garde & slouening heyre. And y^• rusting shal beare record of youre wickednes, which had rather haue it be lost w^t mowling, thā to lay it out to y^e vse of y^e poore nedy. With y^• expense of these thinges you might haue bought euerlasting life.

now shall the reste of the money, that you haue scraped out of the hard earthe, g••awe out the guttes of your soules, euen as it were fire. It shall bee to late and in vayne for you to frette your selues with repentaunce of your naughtyly kept money. It shall double youre sorowe, that you haue naughtly kept that you haue naughtyly gotten. In stede of the mercy of God, whiche you might with losse of substaunce haue bought, you haue heaped vp for your selues the wrathe and vengeaunce of God.

You were not only not liberall towardes your nedy brother, but you haue also defrauded the symple body of hys due wages. Beholde the ••eaper that swette with reapyng downe youre corne, being defrauded of hys wages, cryeth vnto God, and asketh vengeaunce, yea and he cryeth so, that theyr voyce pearceth through in to the eares of the lorde Sabaoth, whiche ought also to be dreadde of you. They were not hable to reuenge them of them that are bigger thā they, they were not hearde of any manne that was a iudge, whiche for the most parte fauoureth them that are moste wealthy, and they them selues helde theyr peace, but the wickednes it selfes cryeth out vnto the iudge God, whiche is nether a∣frayed of the wealthie, and also reckoneth the wronge of the poore oppressed to belong vnto him. But you for all that are not moued with the sorowfull griefe of the hungrye and thurstye poore. Other mennes swette hatched vp you. O∣ther mennes hunger and thurste made you fatte. Theyr teeth hacked in theyr heade, they were staruen for colde, they were killed with hungre and thurst: And you in the meane while passed your lyfe swetely and in pleasures vpon earthe, you lyued wantonly, & fedde your soules with al kindes of voluptuous plea∣sures, keping dayly feastes, as gorgeously, as other are wont to doe in a solēne, holy day, whan meate offring is slayne. Nether thought you it ynough to haue defrauded the poore manne, but you haue condemned and killed the Innocente that made no resystence. You thought you shoulde haue doone that without punnyshement alwayes, whiche you might doo without punnyshment of men. It is a kynde of manslaughter to defraude the symple of theyr lyuynge. And yet for all that, thys crueltie did not suffice your vnreasonable outragiousnes. You thyrsted after theyr blood, and whan the faultles people were shamefully handled, it was meate and drinke to youre stomakes. But the matters beinge turned ersye versye, they haue the fruicion of those pleasures that neuer shall decaye: and you bewayle youre shorte and folyshe fyne fyngred pleasures in euerlasting tormentes.