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

Dearely beloued, yf god so loued vs, we oughte also to loue one another. No man hath sene god at anye tyme. Yf we loue one another, god dwelleth in vs, and hys loue is perfecte in vs. Hereby knowe wee that wee dwell in hym, and he in vs: because he hathe geuen vs of hys spi∣rite. And we haue sene, and doe testifie, that the father sent the sonne to bee Sauiour of the worlde: Whosoeuer confesseth, that Iesus is the sonne of god, in hym dwelleth god, and he in god. And wee haue knowen, and beleue the loue that God hathe to vs. God is loue: and he that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in god, and god in hym. Herein is the loue perfecte in vs, that wee shoulde haue truste in the daye of iudgemente. For as he is, euen so are wee in thys worlde. I here is no feare in loue, but perfecte loue casteth out feare, for feare hath payn∣fulnes. ••e that feareth, is not perfecte in loue. We loue hym, for he loued vs fyrste. Yf a man saye: I loue god, and yet hate his brother, he is a liar. For howe can he that loueth not his bro∣ther whō he hath sene, loue god whō he hath not sene? And this commaundement haue we of him: that he whiche loueth god, shoulde loue his brother also.

Dearely beloued, yf God, whiche hathe no nede of vs, of hys owne ac∣corde and wyllyngly hath so muche loued vs, we ought also after hys ex∣ample to loue eche one other. The sonne of God shewed hym selfe visiblye vnto vs, but no man hath sene God the father at any tyme with his bodily eies, and yet he is perceyued by the euident tokens of thynges. We feele hym angrye, we fele hym mercyfull, we fele hym to be absent, we fele hym to be presente. We are hable to testifie our mutuall loue towardes God by none other argumente, than yf we loue euery one other, lyke as he hathe loued vs. He loued vs frely without cause, he loued vs for thys purpose, to saue vs. Yf we loue eche one other after such wise: god, which is loue, (as I sayed) abydeth in vs. It is a cōmune loue to beare good wil to him y^• deser∣ueth well, to loue hym that is hable to requite oure loue, and to testifie our good will with one good turne for an other: but y^• loue of god is perfite to∣wardes vs. He loued vs of his own accorde, he loued vs being straungers, he loued vs, of whome no maner requitall coulde returne to hym agayne, he loued vs euē to the losse of his onely begotten sōne. If we loue our neigh∣bour in a semblable wyse, than the loue of God is perfite in vs, declaryng also that God hymselfe is in vs. Lyke as all one spirite knytteth the mem∣bres of the body together, and maketh them one body: euen so the spirite of god doeth in a maner glue together and knytte bothe vs with hym, and euery one to other, and as it were dryueth perforce all into one. And yf the spirite of god, which inspireth into our heartes y^• loue of our neighbour, be stronge in vs, doubtles we knowe by thys token, bothe that we abyde in God, and God lykewyse in vs. Therefore he is an enemie vnto loue, that denyeth Iesus to be the sonne of God, whiche gaue hymselfe to redeme mankind. But of this matter we were euen lookers vpō, we sawe it with our eies, we hearde it with our eares, we handled it with our handes, and of a matter so many waies prouedly knowē, we beare witnes to the whole worlde, that god sent his sonne, to saue the world with his death, in case it woulde repent from his olde errours, and ordre the life of it from hence∣forthe accordyng to the rule of the gospell. For he dyd not onely sende hym to saue the nacion of the Iewes, but he gaue hym also to be a sauiour to al the whole worlde. He therfore that confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of god, whom the prophetes had prophecied before shoulde come, he abydeth in God, and god in him. For he knoweth the trueth, and embraceth loue. He acknowlageth not the loue of God towarde him, that doeth no expresse it in his neighbour. But as for vs, we haue both knowen by experience, and beleue with our harte, and confesse wyth oure mouthe, and expresse in oure workes the dedes that God hath bestowed vnto vs. It remaineth, that we shoulde perseuer in that whiche is begonne, and not to offende, so as God be not bothe plucked awaye from vs, and wee drawen awaye from God. God (as I sayed before) is loue. Therfore he that continueth styll in loue, continueth styll in God, and God lykewyse in hym: because the mutuall knotte of the spirite of God abideth. Wyl you also haue an other token ge∣uen you, whereby you maye trye, whether the loue of god bee perfite in you? If we know our owne conscience to be good, and that we dreade not the daye of iudgement, wherein they shall be seperated from Christe, that haue not folowed Christ. They shall quake, when they shal heare that hor∣rible

voyce. Departe from me But we looke for that daye with a trusty bolde∣nes, that is to were, knowyng to our selues, y^• lyke as he was conuersaunt in the world, euen so are we also in the worlde. He toke no maner of spotte of the worlde, but cleansed the worlde from it owne fylthynes, and drewe it, as muche as in hym was, into hys purenes. Euen so wee also to oure powers are not onely not mingled with y^• worlde, but also we rather driue it, with teachyng of the gospell, and chaste examples of lyfe, vnto Christe. The dreade of goddes iudgemente spryngethe out of an euyll conscience. Feare therfore agreeth not with loue. For loue encreaseth assured confi∣dence: which, yf it be perfite, shal dryue quite out of minde al feare. But it is glad, as often as that daye of iudgemente commeth in his mynde: first ha∣uyng a very good opinion of the good God, and hauing it selfe a good con∣science. Loue causeth gladnes, feare causeth formentynge sorowefulnes. Moreouer he that is afrayed, declareth hymselfe therin not yet to be per∣fite in loue. As much as wāteth vnto loue, so much encreaseth to feare. For he is afrayed, lest he shall not fynde God the iudge mercyfull vnto hym, seyng he shewed hymselfe vntractable vnto his neighbour. That daye shal openly declare, who hath bene a true louer in thys worlde. We loue God: and no meruaile, seyng he first loued vs. For we coulde not be hable to loue hym, excepte he drewe vs vnto hymselfe with hys loue. Thys same there∣fore, that we loue God, is hys benefite. Finally, in that we loue God, we testifie it in louinge oure neighbour in whome he wyll be loued. If a man wyll saye: I loue God, when he hateth hys brother, he is a lyar. For when the wycked, of whom for the moste parte they doe not onely not loue God, but also they beleue not that God is: yet for al y^• they after a sort loue their neighbour, either because he is their kynsman or ailiaunce, or because he is acquaynted and familiar with them, or at the leaste because man seeth the other to be a man, lyke as the very beastes loue euery one hys own kynd by the instincte of nature: howe shall he loue God, whome he hath not sene at any tyme, whan he hateth hys neyghboure, whom he seeth? Furthermore howe standethe it together that he loueth God, that passeth not vpon the commaundementes of God? If a man woulde crye: I loue the kyng, and for al y^• setteth naught by the kynges proclamacions, would there any man beleue hym? we haue thys speciall commaundement of oure Emperoure, that he whiche loueth God, shoulde also loue hys brother, whether he bee good or badde. Yf he be good, let hym loue Christ in hym: yf he be badde, let hym loue hym to thys ende, that he maye be conuerted vnto Christ.