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 .v. Chapter.

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.

The texte.

Be pacient therfore brethren, vnto the commyng of the Lord. Beholde, the husbande manne wayteth for the precious frute of the earthe, and hathe longe pacience there vpon vntill he receaue the early and latter ••ayne. Be ye also pacye••t therfore, and settle youre heartes, for the commynge of the Lorde draweth ••ye. Grudge not one agaynste another brethren, l••ste ye be damned. Beholde, the iudge standeth before the dore. Take (my bre∣thren) the Prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersitie, and of pacyence, which spake in the name of the Lorde. Beholde, we counte them happye whiche endure, ye haue heard of the pacience of ••ob, and haue knowen what ende the Lord made. For the Lord is very pytiefull and mercyfull. But aboue all thinges my brethren sweare not, nether by heuen, nether by earth, nether any other othe. Let your yee be yee, and youre nay naye: lest ye fall into ypocrisy. If any of you be ve••ed, let hym praye. If any of you be mery, let hym sing•• Psalmes: if any be dysea••ed among you let him call for the elders of the congregacion, & let them pray ouer hym, & anoynt hym with oyle in the name of the Lorde, and the praye•• of faith shal saue the sicke, & the Lord shal raise hym vp: and yf he haue cōmitted synnes▪ they shalbe forgeuen hym.

Therfore brethren, cast not downe your hartes, be not sory for your chaunce, haue no enuye at the ryche folkes, whiche seme to haue thinges as they would haue, deuise no reuengement against them, but pacientely suffer them vnto the commyng of the lorde.

Now is the tyme of sowinge, than shalbe the time of reaping. The rewardes of youre godlynes doo not yet appeare, but yet they are in sauetie to be deliue∣red in theyr tyme. Beholde, he that is a tyllour of grounde, what labour taketh he, to his owne coste, and all in hope that the grounde shal in his tyme yelde the thinge that it receyued with aduauntage. And yet the profite of the groundes is not in euery place certayne. If it be not fauourable wether, and seasonable rayne in tyme to moysten the grounde that is tilled, and at the latter ende to kepe the corne whan it waxeth bigge, from the heate, the husbande loseth hys labour. And where he taketh longe labours here, vpon good hope of frute in tyme, & requireth not that it shoulde by and by appeare vp whiche he hathe so∣wed: how muche more is it reason, that you should paciently suffre the displea∣sures of thys lyfe for the frute of Immortalyties sake, namely seinge your re∣warde is in sauetie, so that you in the meane while make a good sedenes? And therfore after the example of the husbande, confirme you and plucke vp your stomackes strongly vpon good and sure hope, beinge nether desirous of re∣uengement, nether wearye of well doinge. The lorde will comme, bothe to take vengeaunce vpon the wicked, and to rewarde you with immortalytie for your temporall affliccyons. Nether is that daye longe to, it shall come soner than it is loked for. Therfore my brethren, let no man thynke hym selfe the more vn∣fortunate, in that he is ••••••moiled with many sorowes, nether let any manne en∣••y hī that lyueth more at hartes ease. For nether is he, that suffreth the greater griefe, forsaken of God, but is exercised vnto greater rewardes: nether is thys manne therfore the more beloued of God, because he lyueth in more quietnes: but he wyll haue some, whose godlynes should ease other mennes miseries. Let not therfore that vngodly mourning ••••e token of malice and infydelitie) be a∣monge you that you be not condemned. For suche kynde of sorowfull mour∣nynges are the fore tokens of a mynde that wryeth downe vnto desperacyon: let the shortenes of the tyme comforte you. Beholde the iudge standeth at the doore, the rewardes are in a readynes for euery one accordinge to the desertes of hys lyfe paste. In the meane tyme garnyshe youre myndes with the exam∣ples of holy fathers: if these thinges sholde haue happened to none but you, there had ben matter perchaunce for you to maruaile at. The prophetes suffred more greuous matters, which opened the true sayinges of God vnto y^e wicked. And like as the wicked riche men at that tyme▪ could not abyde the prophetes sayinges, euen so they canne not abyde the Gospelles doctrine nowe, because it is contrary and repugnaunt agaynste theyr studyes. Yet no manne beway∣leth the prophetes chaunce, no manne thynketh them vnhappye, in that they suffred emprisonmentes and fetters, nor in that they were slayne with sondrye kyndes of tormentes: but we iudge them happye, in that they were slayne for righteousnes sake. You haue hearde tell of the noble example of pacience of Iob. What a sorte of sorowes suffred he, by the cruel assaultes of Satan? you haue marked hys wrestlyng, and you haue marked hym also getting the victo∣rie through the lordes helpe: by whose goodnes for euery thynge that was ta∣ken from hym by the malyce of Satan, he receyued agayne twise as muche.

The lorde forsoke not his stowte champion, but in laying vpon hym so many sorowes, he wolde haue his pacience recorded and seene: yea and that mercyfull lorde, and of his owne nature ready vnto clemencye, turneth vnto vs an other mannes malyce into the heape and vauntage of felycitie. Let youre mynde bee pure and playne, and let youre harte and youre mouthe gooe bothe together. Let no man with feyned wordes deceaue his neighbour, but especyally my bre∣thren, sweare not: lest by lytell and litell you accustume your selues to forsweare you. Amonge Iewes and heathens for fidelyties sake there is an othe put be∣twene. But amonge Christians, whiche ought nether to distrust any manne, ne∣ther be in will to deceaue, it is a vayne thyng to sweare. Who so euer is accus∣tumed to sweare, is cousyn garmayne to the perill of forswearyng. Be you a∣frayed not onely to sweare by God in humayne affaires and in lyght matters, but also absteyne from al kynde of swearing, that you sweare nether by heauen, nether by earthe or any other thynge that the commune people esteme for holy and religious. Who so euer dare be bolde to lye without swearinge, he dare do the same also when he sweareth, if he luste. To be brief, he that is a good manne will beleue a manne without swearyng, and he that naught is, will not truste a manne though he sweare. But amonge you that are furnyshed with Gospellike playnesse, there is nether place of dystrustinge, ne to ymagin deceate. But let youre playne communicacion bee regarded for no lesse true and stedfaste, than any maner of othe of the Iewes or Paganes, how holy so euer it bee. As often as you confirme any thynge, confirme it with all youre harte: and performe in dede the thinge that you speake. As ofte as you denye any thinge, denye it with youre whole hearte: nether let any thynge elles bee in youre hearte, than youre mouthe speaketh: that there be no counterfaictynge in you, seing you are dis∣ciples of the trueth. And if there bee any manne sore afflicted amonge you, let hym not flee to the remedies of thys worlde, to rynges, to inchauntmentes, to baynes, and other easementes of sorowe, but let hym turne hym to prayer and lyfte vp hys mynde to God with most assured faithfull trust, and he shall f••••de present relea••se of his mournyng. Agayne if a manne be well content in prospe∣ritie, let him not enhaunce him selfe folishely nor behaue hym selfe madlye, but let him praise the liberall goodnesse of God in holy songes of thankes geuing. Nowe if any manne be punnyshed with syckenes, let hym not flee to the reme∣dies of witchecrafte: let hym not spende a great sight of money vpon phisici∣ons, whose curing is many tymes of suche sorte, that it were better pacientlye to departe out of the world: but let hym call vnto him the elders of the christian congregacion. Let them make theyr prayers to God for the dyseased, and an∣noynte him with oyle, not hauyng any prayers of wytchecrafte, as the heathen are wont to doe, but callyng vpon the name of oure lorde Iesu Christe, then the which there is no kinde of enchauntmente, more effectuall. And let the prayers be done in a trusty faithe, and God shall heare and preserue the diseased. And there shall not only healthe of bodye bee restored vnto hym, if it be expedient for the diseased, but also if he bee endaungered with synnes (as diseases of bodye spryng for the moste parte of the sorowes of the mynde) they shalbe forgeuen hym at the elders supplicacions, so that the faith of them be commendable that doe praye and of hym for whome they dooe praye.

The texte.

Knowledge your fautes one to another: and praye one for another, y^• ye may be hea∣led. For the feruent prayer of a ryghteous manne auayleth muche. Helyas was a man

mortall euen as we are, and he prayed in hys prayer that it myght not rayne: and it ray∣ned not on the earthe by the space of tore yeares and s••••e monethes. And he praied againe, and the heauē gaue ra••••••, and the earth brought forth her frute. Brethren, if any of you do erre from the trueth and ano••her conue••••e hym; let the same knowe that he whiche con∣uerteth the synner from go••ng astraye out of his waye, shal saue a soule from death, and shall by de the multytude of synnes.

And forasmuche as the life of manne consisteth not without light and day∣ly offences, it shalbe conuenyent•• to vse a dayly remedie, that you maye bothe releue euery one other with your mutuall prayers, and acknowlage euery one hys faulte to other. And so shall the remedy be auayleable▪ if thou acknowlage thy disease and desire helpe. Supersticious folkes suppose a secret hydden ef∣ficacie to be in theyr enchauntmentes and prayers, but in very dede the prayer of a righteous manne is muche worthe, whiche through faithe obteyneth what so euer it desireth of God. Vpon this condicyon Christe made couenaunt with vs, that what so euer we shall aske in a faythfull trusty confidence, we shoulde obteyne it, onles it be suche a thynge, as were beste not to be obteyned. Would you fayne haue a doctrine of thys matter? Helyas was a pure manne, he was a mortall manne as we are, and yet at his prayers it rayned not vpon the earthe thre yeares and sixe monethes. He prayed agayne, that it myght rayne, and a∣none the heauens, as hauynge hearde hys prayers, gaue rayne, and the earthe brought forthe his frute. Incase the heauen be obedient to the prayers of one godly manne, as though it were bewytched: is it any maruayle, if God beynge moste readye to forgeue, be pleased at the prayers of many? Now weight this, brethren, if it be godly, if it be the partes of christyan loue, to ease the sickenes of an other mannes bodye through commune prayers: how muche more indif∣ferent reason is it, that we shoulde succour them that be diseased in mynde? For it is no greate matter to obteyne this by prayer, that it may be somwhat longer before deathe happen to this man or that man, howbeit it muste nedes comme ones: but it is a great matter to haue aboyded the disease of minde. Therfore if there be any among you, that erre from the Gospelles veritie, ether to muche cleauyng to the lawe of Moses, or be a stubburne folower of heathen relygion deliuered of the elders, let no man thinke that he should be dryuen awaye with scoldyng, but it behoueth rather to endeuour with all▪ studies to this ende, that he maye turne and re••ent from hys errour. For who so euer doeth thus, shall doo God a greate sacrifice, who wisheth not the deathe of a synner but rather that he may turne and lyue. For that man doeth a great feate, that pre∣serueth the soule from deathe, delyuerynge hys brother from syn∣nes, wherby he was holden in subieccyon of deathe. Nether in the meane ••yme shall he wante hys rewarde: for Christe shall forgeue hym hys syn∣nes agayne, how many so euer they be, that shall kepe his brother from destruc∣••yon.