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.

And this is the tydinges which we haue hearde of hym and declare vnto you, that God is light, and in him is no darckenes at all. If we saie, that we haue felowship with him, and walke in darckenes, we lye, and do not the trueth. But and yf we walke in light euen as he is in light, then haue we felowship with him, & the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all synne. If we saye that we haue no synne, we deceaue our selues, and the trueth is not in vs. If we knowledge our sinnes, he is faythfull and iust to forgeue vs oure synnes, and to clense vs from all vnrightewesnes. If we say, we haue not synned, we make hym a lyar, and hys worde is not in vs.

What is the matter than, whiche we shewe vnto you, that you myght the more fully reioyce? In dede it is that, whiche we haue heard euen of him, and

hauing heard it we make it cōmune vnto you: that God, forasmuch as he is al∣together and of his own nature good, all wise, al pure, and al light & life, nether is ther any darkenes in him. In vs the matter standeth not after such sorte, but we haue muche darkenes euen of our selues: in case we haue any light, we are endebted in that all to gether vnto him, by whose free liberality we are deliuered from our olde synnes, and being deliuered from the darkenes of our former ig∣noraunce we haue learned by the Gospelles doctrine to liue godly after Christe our heades example. If any manne boast, that he is through baptisme engraf∣fed to the body of Christe, and hathe therby felowshippe with God the father: where as in the meane while he liueth yet in errours & vices of hys former lyfe, dooeth playnly lye. For seing (as I sayed before) God is farre from all maner felowship of darkenes: how can he possibly haue any thynge a dooe with hym, that lyueth yet still all together in errour and olde vices? For he is clene out of the waye, that thinketh he can atteyne Innocencie by any other meanes than by Christ: agayne he is deceaued, that thinketh it ynough for him to be washen in baptisme, except he be answerably like vnto his professiō through Innocen∣cie of life? he that thinketh thus, is deceaued, and he lieth that sayeth it. For Christe is the trueth, whiche hathe nothing a doo with lyers. The fyrste steppe vnto light, is for a manne to acknowlage his darkenes: and the fyrst stepping forthe of a manne vnto Innocencie, is to acknowlage his sinnes. Will ye heare therfore, by what token we maye knowe, that we haue true feloweshippe with God? Doubtles euen by thie: if like as he is light, and voyde of all darkenes, euen so shall we absteyne after his example from the darkenes of all errours and vices, framyng all our conuersacion after the light of the Gospell: and yf like as the sonne hathe most high concorde with the father: euen so shoulde we also lyue Innocently and be all of one mynde amonge our selues. The father will not laye the traunsgressions of our olde life vnto our charge, whiche are ones doone awaye all the sorte of them by the precious blood of his sonne Ie∣su Christe, so that we from henceforthe absteyne from all synne, as muche as in vs lyethe. The blood of Christe hathe washed awaye all fylthynes, and hathe washen it away from all folkes: yea but he hathe washen none but those that acknowlage theyr faultes. Yf we saye that we are not endaungered with synne, we deceaue our selues, we lyue in errour, we wandre in darkenes: and Christe, which is light, whiche is trueth is not in vs. For if he were truly in vs in dede, he would dispatche awaye thys darkenes of arrogaunt ignoraunce. And if it shall chaunce vs after receyuing of baptisme, to slyde backe agayne through mannes weaknes in to any synne, and as it were a myste obscure our light: we muste beware, that arrogauncie withdrawe vs not farther and farther of, and leade vs agayne from light in to our olde darkenes. Yea we muste geue dily∣gence, that through discrete sobrenes we maye be admoued vnto the light that shall dispatche awaye all darknes. If the brother perchaunce doo trespasse a∣gaynste the brother, let eyther forgeue other hys trespasse, that God maye forgeue them also the trespasses that are done agaynste him. For in dede God hathe vpon this condicion promysed to forgeue vs, what so euer we haue of∣fended againste him, if we forgeue our brothers fault: and exacteth hys debte (euen to the vttermoste farthinge) of him, whiche hauyng hys lorde mercifull vnto him, shewed him selfe smally mercifull towardes his felowe seruaunt: that is to saye, he iudgeth him vnworthye the mercye of God seinge he ones frely

forgaue him all his trespasses, that will not pardone a smale offence vnto hym, agaynst whome he eyther trespasseth euery daye, or elles maye tres∣pace. That man wyll easyly forgeue hym that trespasseth agaynste hym, whiche wyll remembre howe many wayes he offendeth both agaynst God and agaynst his neyghbour: And as it is a very hard matter for a man to do so as he offende in nothing, euen so is it a verye easye mater to amende suche offences with forgeuing one an other. Forgeue thou thy neighbour, and thy neyghbour shall forgeue thee agayne: and God shall, euen as it were of very couenaunt, forgeue you both. I speake of those faultes, that chaunce euen among them that are good, yea but among men: and those faultes, that obscure the lyght of the Gospelles veritie, rather than extin∣guyshe it. For God forbydde, that manslaughter, or whoredome, or sacri∣lege shoulde chaunce vpon their life, that are ones chosen among the chyl∣dren of God. There is nothing that allureth more the mercie of God, and swageth his wrath, than yf a man acknowlage his faulte to God. If he that is a fearce cruel man forgeue him that acknowlageth his faulte, how muche more shall God do so, which is more mercifull than any man? He is by nature readyly bent vnto mercie, and hath promised vs forgeuenes vp∣on this condicion: forgeue, and it shalbe forgeuen vnto you. If he would not for∣geue, in that he is good: yet he shuld forgeue because he is iust & of faithful credence. See that thou accomplyshe the prescribed condicion, and he shal not forget his couenaunt. If we with our whole harte forgeue our neigh∣bour that offendeth vs, God shall also forgeue vs, not onely one synne or an other, but all synnes: so that we to our powers geue diligence, that we may be once voyde of all vices. And yf we be not able fully to attayne vnto that for the frayltie of mannes body, yet he of his liberal free goodnes shal make good, that is wantynge in our strengthes, and shall cleanse vs from all our offences, who perchaunce suffereth some tokens of our olde former lyfe to remayne stil in vs, for this purpose, that we should acknowlage our weakenes. For in dede he is better content▪ with a sinner that misliketh him selfe, than with a righteous that mā standeth in his own conceite. He would that y^• saluacion of men shoulde be ascribed vnto his mercy, and not to our merytes. And nowe hathe he testified, that there is no mortall manne on yearth, but he offendeth in some thyng. And yf we wyl say, that we haue no synne in vs, we make wod a lyar, and say agaynst hym: and he that gayne∣sayeth hym must nedes lye.