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

Beholde, what loue the father hathe shewed on vs, that we shoulde bee called (and be in dede) the sonnes of God. For this cause the world knoweth you not, because it knoweth not hym. Dearely beloued, now are we the sonnes of God, and yet it doeth not appeare, what we shawe. But we knowe, that when it shall appeare, we shalbe lyke hym. For we shall see hym as he is. And euery man that hath this hope in hym, pourgeth hym selfe, euen as he also is pure. Who∣soeuer committeth sinne, committeth vnryghteousnes also, and sinne is vnrighteousnes. And ye knowe that he appeared, to take away oure synnes, and in hym is no synne. As many as byde in hym sinne not: whosoeuer sinneth, hath not sene hym, neither knowen hym.

WHere syncere loue is, there is a trusty confidence, and feare is awaye. See therefore what a notable loue he hath geuen vnto vs, whiche hauing contemned the worlde with his en∣tisementes and terrours, perseuer styl in the gospelles doc∣trine, that we shoulde be named and be, not onely faythfull seruauntes, not onely frendes, but the children of God. For so Christ taught, that we should cal vpō the heuēly father, yf we haue nede of any thynge. It is a moste high honour to be called the children of God, and a moste high felicitie to be the children of God. And forasmuche as we cleaue vnto hym with a constaunt godlynes, and are acknowlaged of hym, the world acknowlegeth vs not, but abhorreth and curseth vs as sedicious persons. It is no meruayle though the world acknowlage not y^• childrē of God, seing it acknowlageth not God himselfe, in that it denieth his sonne Iesus: let it nothing trouble your mindes, dearely beloued, that the world estemeth you as rascalles and abiecte persones. For with God we haue euen nowe thys excellent dignitie, that we are the sonnes of God, and are glad at our heartes, feling in our selues the spirite, not of bondage but of children, vpon assured confidence wherof we crye, Abba, father. The dig∣nitie is present, but the dignitie hath not yet appeared. As yet it is the time of batayle, the daye of triumphe is not yet come. That daye shall declare vnto all men, howe greate a dignitie they haue, howe greate a felicitie they haue, that constauntly shewe themselues the children of God. It is not yet come to lyght, what we shalbe in the comming of Christ, howbeit we hold thys vpon a sure hope, that as soone as he shall appeare, to rendre vnto e∣uery one rewardes accordinge to hys dedes, we that were in this worlde companions of affliccions, shall also be companions of the ioyes: & we that were lyke hym in the contempte of the worlde, shalbe lyke hym also in the maiestie of glorye. We sawe hym here in thys world afflicted, and of lowe

estate: then shal we see him as he is, and euer was, hygh and excellēt: and so seynge hym we shall also be transformed vnto hys iykenes, not onely in myndes, but also in bodyes. And we see hym nowe, howebeit, as it were through a myst with the eyes of fayth. But then we shal see hym after such maner as cannot be expressed. But that thyng, whiche we shalbe than per∣fitely, we must forcast nowe i the meane tyme to the vttermost of our possi∣ble power. To thintēt we may be līke hī thē in glory, let vs be pure here frō all fylthynes. To thintent we maye see hym than, lette vs clense our eies nowe, leste when he shall appeare glisterynge bryght, he bee vnto vs more dreadfull than amiable. For he is not fortunatelye sene, but of them that are lyke hym. Therefore whosoeuer hath thys confidence in Christe, that he shal than be a companion of his glory, let hym in the meane time pourge hymselfe with godly studyes cleane from worldlye affeccions, lyke as in hym was no maner of fylthynes of thys worlde, but is all together pure and heauenlye. Therefore it standeth vs in hande with all our possible powers, to bend our endeuours to thys ende, that nothyng remayne in vs of yearthye dregges. And leite no manne flatter hym selfe, sayinge: It is ynough for me vnto innocency, if I trāsgresse in none of those thinges that Moses lawe forbyddeth, nor in those thynges that are punyshed by the kynges lawes, as felonye, sacrilege, adultrie, murdre: but all maner of synne is vtterly to be eschewed. For whosoeuer offendeth by any meane, although he offende not agaynst the prescriptes of Moses, yet he synneth agaynst the lawe of the gospell, whiche is a greate deale holyer than Mo∣ses law. And for thys cause sake, Christ came once into the world, to shew the waye, whereby his comming agayne shoulde become holesome and luckye vnto vs. He came to take awaye once for all not one synne or two, but al our synnes, where he onely was subiect vnto no maner of synne. He once purged vs frely from all synne, to make vs lyke manered vnto hym∣selfe, whiche neither any lawe nor any mortall man coulde be hable to do. Through baptisme we are engraffed into hys holy sacred body. But it is our part for all that to endeuour in the meane tyme, that we fall not from our head. We are engraffed through his owne free mercy, but we shal fall awaye, if we slyde backe agayne into oure olde vices. He that abydeth in Christ, perseuereth in innocencye, and is wonderous ware to shunne from all sinne, that he may dayly more and more growe in vertues, and be made more lyke hys head. He that absteyneth not from sinnes, although he bee baptised, although he be called a christian, hath not yet sene fully, nor yet knowen hym. For who is it, yf he sawe with the eies of fayth, what greate dignitie it is to be chosen into the numbre of the sonnes of God, and what a fylthy shame it is to be geuen to the father deuyll, that woulde abyde to be plucked awaye from suche a bodye, to departe from suche a father, and to go out of kynde vnto so fylthy a tirannye, to slyde of his owne accorde awaye from so hygh rewardes vnto so greate miserie?