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.

That which was from the beginnyng, which we haue herd, which we haue sene with our eyes, which we haue loked vpon, and oure handes haue handled, of the worde of the lyfe. And ••he lyfe appeared, and we haue sene and beare witnes, and shewe vnto you that eternall life, whiche was with the father, and appeared vnto vs. That whithe we haue sene and hearde, declare we vnto you, that ye also maye haue felowshyp with vs, and that oure felowship maye be with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ. And thys wryte we vnto you, that (ye maye reioyce, and that) youre ioye may be full.

VVE write not vnto you, dearely beloued brethren, of stender or meane thinges, or of thinges vnknowen, but of a newe matter: howbeit so newe vnto vs, that with God it was from euerlasting. This is the worde of God, euen Iesus Christe bothe God and manne: whiche where he was al∣wayes the sonne of God, woulde of late be the sonne of a mayden: and which after hys diuine nature was inuisible to mans eies, vouchesafed to take vpon hym an humayne bodye: and did vouchesafe to be famyliarly conuersaunte among men, that he might ••arye vs vp from the darkenes of our ignoraunce to the lyght of Gos∣pelli••••

knowlage: and that we myght begynne to beholde him with the eies of our mynde, whome we haue presentlye f••ne with the eies of our bodye. In dede the vnbelefe of mannes harte required, that the truthe shoulde bee credited by grosse outwarde experimentes: but yet the godlynes of them is more preferred by his owne worde, whiche where they neyther had sene him with theyr eyes, n•• handled him with theyr handes, yet were moste certaynly perswaded, and bele∣ued that he is the sonne of God, and thonly autor of mannes saluacyon. It is our parte therfore, to declare that, whiche we haue moste certaynly proued by our bodyly sences, vnto those that chaunced not to see it, and yet it is expedient to beleue, that none ought to trust to haue life, nor euerlastinge saluacion, but he that beleueth the Gospelles doctrine, wherof we are both witnesses and prea∣chers. It is not the worde of manne, nether of lyght importaunce, but it is the worde of God, and of heauen, that geueth euerlastyng lyfe to them, which geue obedient hearyng vnto it: and deliue••ing from the deathe of sinnes, from what so euer relygyon, from what so euer kynde of lyfe they shall turne them selues vnto it. Of this matter y^t we speake of we speake of most assured credence, y^• is to wete, euen the thing which we y^• were continual waitours heard with our eares saw with our eies, nether sawe we afarre, of, or passinge by, but we loked pre∣sently on to the full. And to cause a thinge to be credited, these are two princy∣pall chief sences, and if that also bee but a small matter, we did not only heare hym teaching, prayinge, commaundyng wyndes and deuilles, and the father sondry tymes bearing witnes vnto the sonne, and we sawe hym not only worke myracles, suffre deathe and ryse agayne: but also we haue handled with these handes of oures. For whan he was rysen agayne from deathe, to thyntente to make vs beleue steofastlye that he was no vayne phantasie, but euen the lame manne alyue agayne, whome we had sene before dead, he caused vs to handle him with our handes, and laying to our fingres he shewed vs the places of his woundes. Mannekynde was deade, bycause it was in thraldome of vices and synnes: and he suffred deathe for our wickednes, that through his goodnesse we myght lyue vnto Innocencie. We were in doubt also our selues, whan we sawe hym dead, whan we sawe hym buried, but whan he rose again from death, he gaue vs sure hope of life. Mankynde had had no maner of hope of eternall life, except he had caused vs to see him with oure cies, and if he had not plucked awaye all doubtefulnes frō vs, by most manifestly apparent experimentes. He beinge manne suffred paynes for our synnes, and the same being God dooeth frely gene immortall lyfe to them that put theyr faythfull trust in hym. He ly∣ued alwayes with the father, and this life was alwayes determinately purpo∣sed for vs by the sonne, howbeit this counsail was not yet publyshed vnto the world, albeit the nacion of the Iewes (and yet none but they) loked for it by the prophetes oracles, as it were in a dreame. In the meane while deathe reigned, lyfe laye hydden. Some tixed theyr hope in Moses, some in worldly wisedome, but the saluacion and life of all people was Iesus Christe, the worde of God the father, the teacher of Innocencye, and the geuer of Immortalitie. For none lyueth, but he that lyueth godly, nether dooeth any escape deathe▪ but he that atreyneth Immortalytie. At leyngth thys (Iesus christe) manifested him selfe vnto the world by hym selfe, shewing him selfe playnly to all the senses of man, and so thrusting him selfe in to the consciences of menne. And therfore he would haue vs to be lokers on and witnesses of all thinges, that he did on earthe▪ to

thintent they myght be faithfully published by our preachinge throughout all the whole vniuersall worlde: that like as we by Iesus haue obteyned lyfe and saluacion, in case we perseuer still in the Gospelles doctrine, euen so shoulde you also come with vs in to the felowshippe and company of this saluacion, in case you geue credence to our witnesse bearing▪ concernyng the thinge that you neither hearde nor sawe of hym, but learne it by our preachinge. We are nether vayne witnesses ne yet vncommaunded. He had vs to bee faithfull witnesses, and we recorde vnto all men with the greate daunger of our head, none other thinge than we haue most euydent experience of, with all the sences of the bo∣dye. We are happye, in that our eares and eies haue made vs beleue: and yet you are neuertheles happye, if you geue credence vnto hys witnesse bearers. Our faithe hathe glued vs vnto Christe, and made vs the children of God and membres of Christe: And your faith also shall engraffe you vnto the same bo∣dye, that being ioyned with vs in the feloweshippe of faithe, you myght make one bodye. And so shall it come to passe, that we shall not only bee all of one mynde amonge our selues, as the membres of one bodye, but we shall also haue peace and league with Iesus Christe; and by hym with God hys father, from whome we were before farre different: that like as the sonne is at moste perfite consent & communion of al thinges with the father, euen so we also by perfite a∣grement of the profession of the Gospell, shoulde bee heaped togyther in to one bodye of Christe, to be made partakers of all the goodes of our heade. I know you are ioyous of so happye a feloweship, but yet I put you in remembraunce agayne of these thinges in writing, to thintent you myght reioyce more fully, if euery manne be not all together ioyous of hys owne saluacion, but all mens felicitie make euery one glad. For thys dooeth christen charitie cause, that eue∣ry manne must be as glad of other mennes commodities, as of his owne. The moe that this felicitie is commune vnto, the more abundaunt shall euery ones ioye bee. Among vs there shall no being of one mynde stande together sub∣stauncially, excepte we be fast glued together with mutuall charitie. We canne not possibly haue peace with God, except we be answerably like vnto our head Iesus Christe: what so euer he hathe, he ascribeth it vnto the father: and what so euer we haue, it behoueth vs to ascribe it vnto Christe. Christe is the true lyght that procedeth from the father of all lyght. We canne not bee the mem∣bres of Christe, except we bee bright: nether canne we haue lyght, onles we bee transformed into him, and contynue stedfastly vnto the ende in his feloweship. Trueth and Innocencye is the lyght of the mynde, and synnes and wycked lustes are the darkenes: where lyght is, there is life: where darkenes are, there deathe is.