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 fyrste Chapter.

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.

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.