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

For thys is the tydinges, that ye beard from the beginninge, that ye shoude loue one ano∣ther, not as Cayn whiche was of that wicked, and slewe hys brother. And wherefore slewe he him? Because his owne workes were euyll, and hys brothers good. Meruayle not my brethren though the worlde hate you. We knowe, that we are translated from death vnto lyfe, because we loue the brethren. De that loueth not his brother abideth in deathe. Whosoeuer hateth hys brother, is a man slear. And ••e knowe, that no man slear hath eternall life abyding in hym. Hereby perceyue we loue▪ because he gaue his lyfe for vs: and we ought to gyue oure lyues for the brethren. But whoso hath thys worldes good and seeth his brother haue nede: and shutteth vp his compassion from hym: howe dwelleth the loue of God in hym?

Thys is the summe of Christen iustice: thys is it, that Christe gaue first of all vnto vs: this is it which we set forth before al thinges vnto you, that you shoulde with louynge one an other declare youre selues to be the sōnes of God, & the disciples of Christ. For in dede the hate of the neghbour is a step vnto murther. And malice is cleane cōtrary repugnaūt w^t charitie. Cain was not the sonne of god, but was borne of the deuyll: why? because he went out of kynde from his good maker, and became lyke the deuill, which beyng strycken with enuy, was the first that slewe man with deadly stynge. Cayn resembled the disposicion of his father in sleaing Abell hys brother. But what was the cause of hys hate? For so the, because their lyfe was not alyke, and therfore they were of a contrarye kynde, albeit after

their bodely kinred, they were naturall borne brethren. They did bothe re∣semble their father. Abel was an innocēt man, and kyndled to the studious mynde of well dooinge. Cain contrariwyse hauinge conceaued an hate a∣gainst his brother, forcasted not howe to amende himselfe, but how to slea his brother. Lyke as in this case the wicked coulde not abyde the godlye, and the deuilles childe coulde not abyde y^• childe of god, euen so you ought to take it for no maruai••e, brethren, thoughe men geuen to the worlde for∣sake you. They hate them that are giltles. Let no man hate them againe. They, forsomuche as they are vowed vnto deathe, and serue the autor of deathe, imagine howe to put other to deathe. It is our parte to pitie them, and not to doe them one harme for an other. For in dede the charitie of the gospell hath ledde vs awaye from the studye of harme dooinge, vnto the ••••udie of wel dooing: & by this token we know that we are predestinat vn∣to euerlasting life, & exempte from the tiranny of death, in y^• we loue the bre∣thren. He that loueth, bothe wisheth well & doeth well. The body lyueth by the breathe, the soule liueth by the spirite of Christ. Wher brotherly loue is not, there y^• spirite of Christ is not. Whosoeuer therfore hateth his neigh∣bour, he is deade & lyueth not inwardly. For although he haue a faithe, yet he hath a dead faith, where charitie is not present. Doe you make a fli••te at the hating of your brother, as though it were a light faulte? he that hateth his brother is a man••lear. He hath not thurst his sword in him, he hath not poisoned hi, he hath not flowen vpon him, he hath not cursed him, but onely wished him euyll▪ Mans law doeth not damne him of man laughter, but in gods sight he is already damned of manslaughter. He y^• hath receyued hate ones in to his brest, as much as in him is, he is a mās••ear. There are many kyndes of manslaughter: He that slea••th with sworde, suffreth punisshemēt euen by temporall lawes. He that killeth with poyson, is punisshed euen of them that are wicked. But he that sticketh his brother with the darte of a venemous tongue, although he be quitte by mannes lawes from the crime of manslaughter, yet by the lawe of the gospel he is giltie of manslaughter. He is as yet hitherto alyue, that the hater wissheth euil vnto, & yet he him selfe is al ready dead: That mans lyfe is safe, & this hath lost euerlastinge lyfe, being his owne murtherour. Wyll you see brethren, howe muche we ought to be farre from the desire of harme dooing? Turne your eies to the example of Christ. He so loued vs, whan we deserued nothinge, yea whan we deserued deathe, that he spent his lyfe for vs. Howe muche more ought we to put our lyfe in daunger for the saluaciō of our brethrē, yf occasion so require? namely we that succede into Christ our shepherdes rowme. He cō∣mitted not his shepe vnto Peters keping, but whan he had thrise sayed he loued him, & by and by h•• sheweth him y^• kynde of death, that he might vn∣derstonde, that the saluaciō of the flocke cōmitted vnto his charge must be defended euen with the losse of lyfe. But wil he spende his lyfe, that grud∣geth to helpe with his money? doeth a mā thinke it inoughe, yf he hurt not his brother, yf he speake to him gently? Christ declared in his dedes, howe muche he loued vs. He y^• seeth his brother wāt meate, clothe, drincke or lod∣ging, & hath substaunce to releue his nede withal, & is not moued with cō∣passiō, but as thoughe it were no poynt of his charge, letteth him alone vn∣succoured: how cā it be beleued, y^• the loue of god is in him▪ The heathē su•• coureth y^• heathē, & doest not y^• being a Christiā succour thine euē christened▪

Thou haste professed brotherly loue, and if thou haue it truly present with the, why doeth it ceasse in this case, whan thy brother is pyned with nede? Thou callest him brother, and shewest thou no token of brotherly affecciō?