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 .xviii. Chapter.

The texte.

¶ And after that, I sawe another angell come from heauen, hauynge greate power, and the earth was lyghtened with his britnesse. And he cried mightely with a stronge voyce, sayinge: Great Babilon is fallen, is fallen and is become the inhabitacion of deuils, and the holde of all foule spirites, and a cage of all vncleane and hateful byrdes, for al naciōs haue droncken of the wyne of the wrathe of her fornicacion. And the kynges of the earthe haue committed fornicacion with her, and the marchauntes of the earthe are wexed riche of the aboundaunce of her pleasures.

THis chapter maye be taken for a songe of triumphe, of al faith∣full against all tyrannous kyngdoms which haue contemned, the faithe, trueth, religion, and all godlynes, and woulde not a∣byde any of them. And speciallye against the kyngdome and power of Rome, by reason of the tyrannes, whiche from the be∣ginninge haue martired tormented & murthered the holy pro∣fessours of the onely one God. And mo••t principally against the seconde regy∣ment of Rome whiche vnder the pretence of the name of Christe, hath dealte so cruellye against all faithful Christianes, and against the euangelical kingdom

of god. And y^• former chapter nexte goyng before being wel vnderstāde, there is no great difficultnes nor hardnes in this. For this chapter is, as it were, an ex∣posicion and declaracion of the former. Christ the angell of y^• great councel, lyke as at his first cōmynge he came in the moost highest humilitie and lowlynes, be∣came man, suffered and dyed: euen so at his last commynge, he shal come in most bright glorye, not into a virgins bodye, but into the whole worlde with mooste hyghe brightnesse, and proclamynge his gospell vnto the whole worlde, to riche and poore, wyse and symple in euyll. A ioyfull gospell is it, Babylon y^• great and worishe citie, she is fallen, she is fallen. She hathe no suche honour more that she wyll take vpon her as she hath done. Nowe is it knowen that she hath bene an habitacion for the wicked, vnfaithful, desceightfull, and of Sodomites whiche haue made all the worlde druncken and mad with her poyson and infec∣tuous drincke. And hath committed Simony withal spirituall thinges, whiche, euen as the cursed Simon magus dyd, she hath solde for muche monye and for great riches. And as for the hyghe humilitie and lowlynes of Christ, whose me∣ryte she hath pretended to be her owne, she hath chopped and changed it, yea she hath solde it for princely and lordly honour to be exhibite & done vnto her feete, and with moost deuely she pryde receyued.

The texte.

¶ And I hearde another voyce from heauen, saye: come a waye from her my people, that ye be not partakers of her synnes, and that ye receaue not of her plages. For her synnes are gone vp to heauen, and God hath remembred her wickednes Rewarde her, euen as she rewarded you, and geue her double accordynge to her workes. And poure in double to her in the same cuppe whiche she fylled vnto you. And asmuche as she glorified her selfe and lyued wantonly, somuche poure ye in for her of punysshment and sorowe, for she sayde in her selfe. I syt beynge a quene, and am no wyddowe, and shal see no sorowe. Therfore shal her plages come in one day••, death, and sorow, and honger, and she shalbe brente with fyre: for stronge is the Lorde God whiche shall iudge her.

These wordes speaketh Christ, thorowe his spirite, from heauen vnto his people, that they shoulde forsake the companye and felowshyp of Antichriste, that they make not them selues partakers of y^• horrible synne, of the double in∣dignacion and also of the plages whiche shall lighten vpon him. For the synne is greater than that goddes rightuousnes coulde suffer it any longer vnpunis∣shed. And therfore he wyll recompence her with punishment, as she hath deser∣ued, and that by heapes one in a nothers necke. For there woulde no long suffe∣ryng of God, nor no warninge of the word of God, helpe. Thus hapneth it vn∣to all vyolent and tyrannous kyngdoms, euen from the Assirians vnto the last of the Romaynes. Great pryde and pompe must be subdued and vanquysshed with great shame and bondage. This prophecye is lyke vnto the holy prophe∣tes Esay, and Daniel, although it perteineth vnto a nother kingdom, but lyke vnto that bothe in wickednes and in punishment.

The texte.

¶ And the kynges of the earthe shal bewope her and wayle ouer her, which haue commit∣ted fornicacion with her, and haue lyued want onlye with her, when they shall se y^• smoke of her burnynge, and shall stande a farte of, for feare of her punishmēt, saying: Alas, alas, that great citie Babilō, that mighty citie: for at one houre is thy iudgemēt come. And the merchauntes of the earth shal wepe and wayle in them selues, for no man wyll bye theyr ware any more, the ware of golde and syluer, and precious stones, nether of pearle, & ray∣nes, and purple, and skarlet, and al thynne wod, and al maner of vessels of yuery, and all maner vessels of moost precious wod••e, and of brasse & yron, and synamon, and odoures and oyntmentes, and franckynsence, and wyne, and oyle, and fyne ••••ou••e and wheate, bea∣stes, and shepe, and horsses, and charettes, and bodyes, and soules of men.

With this Babylon haue princes and prelates yea whole kyngdoms cō∣mitted whordome. For she hathe receyued and geuen them, yea hathe set them in and out. And all for worldly gayne, and for honour sake, without any respect of rightuousnes, onely for money & brybes. For there was neuer founde more shamefull marchandyse, than that whiche they of the Popes courte, specially the Curtysans, haue exercysed many yeares with other mennes goodes, and w^t nothing els but with leade and syluer, with parchement and byshoprikes with sellyng of their Pallium and Robes, whiche shoulde be a spirituall iurisdicciō, and with first frutes. &c. Yea there is no ende of suche marchaundyse, lyke as in the texte all thinges are named whiche are of any pryce. So that in the Popes churche there was nothinge but for mony, not so muche as the water or salte of the see, nor oyle nor breade, nor creame. &c. All must serue for holynes and for the maintenaunce of the couetousnes of the spiritualtye. To be shorte, reade but onely a boke that is called the Popes Fayre, there is his marchandyse well des∣crybed and proued by the customes and lawes of the Romaynes.

The texte.

¶ And the apples that thy soule lusted after, are departed from the. And al thinges which were de••••tie, and had in pryce, are departed from the, and thou shalte fynde them nomore. The ma••ch aun••es of these thinges whiche were wexed ryche, shall stande a farre of from her, for feare of the punishment of her, wepinge, and waylinge, and saying: Alas, alas that great cytie, that was clothed in raines and purple, and scarlet, and decked w••t•• golde, and precious stones, and pearles: for at one houre so great riches is come to naught.

First of all there was muche holynes and muche good example and doctrine in the holy churche of Rome, as S. Paule testifieth in his Epistle to the Ro∣maynes, and there were many holy byshops and martirs which loued y^• trueth, vnto whome the gospell was a synguler ioy, delyght, comforte and glorye. But in processe of tyme it was turned vpsyde downe. So y^• there was nothing lefte in the rulers and heades of that churche, but onely the name of the churche. Al that was perfyght, godlye and holy, was lost and gone. And at length their marchandyse whiche they inuented woulde no more be estemed amonge y^• true godly christianes. For they haue inoughe of those thinges whiche these mar∣chauntes doe promyse, of the grace and mercye of God, and of his word. And therfore the Romanystes doe meruell and frete againste the gospel, because it bringeth no nother ware with it but her olde ware, that is to saye, humylite, lowlynes, pouertye, sorowe, contempte, whiche all men doe flee and abhorte: And it maketh an ende also of all worldlye pompe and honour, ioy and plea∣sure, ydlenes and wantonnes. The outwarde and glorious supersticous wil bryng no more profyte or aduantage, precious garmentes and perles wyll not become the professours of the gospell. Coules and shauen crounes, wyll no lon∣ger be taken for holynes of them that haue any vnderstandynge and know∣ledge. Peter and Iohn and all the Apostolicall ministers of Christ, wyll con∣temne and despyse golde and syluer. For Christ hath taught them faith, loue and truth, pouertye and lowlynes.

The texte.

¶ And euery shyppe gouerner, and all they that occupyed shyppes, and shypmen whiche worke in the see, stode a farre of, and cryed, when they sawe the smoke of her burnynge, sayinge: what citie is lyke vnto this great citie? And they ••ast dust on their heades, & cryed wepynge, and waylynge, and sayde: Alas, alas, tha•• great citye, wherin were made riche all that had shyppes in the see, by the reason of her costlynes, for a•• one ••oure is she made desolate. Reioyce ouer her, thou heauen and ye holy Apostles and prophetes: for god hath geuen you iudgement vpon her.

Thus dothe the lorde God shewe and aduenge him selfe of all violent and tyrannous pryde and presumpcion of them, whiche perswade them selues that there is no God but they, or els that he hath no care of those thinges that are vpon earth. Wheras it is euident and manifest out of gods worde what hathe alwayes bene the ende of all proude and presumptuous kyngdoms. Whiche the spiritualtye should best haue knowen and haue taught other also. And spe∣ciallye he that hath had, and woulde haue suche a byshoprike. And woulde also kepe it vntyll he shoulde peryshe together with it because he hathe not ordered him selfe therin after the wil of god nor after the right rule and square of gods worde and of holy scripture, nor hath not done that thinge that his offyce and vocacion hath required as he ought to haue done, as it is euident vnto all men. They haue desyred and studyed onely to haue great power and dominion vpon y^• whole earth, & in all nacions and yles, onely for honour and gayne, with very small studye or dilygence to rule the worlde well and godlye, or to further gods honour and the saluacion of the soule onely. And for this cause doeth all the worlde wonder at suche a great and horrible fall. And they that seke & study after dignite honour and auctorite, & after worldly lucre, they tremble for feare and mourne and bewayle the heuy iudgement of God and their worldly hyn∣derance. But the holy and faithfull whiche not onely vpon earth regarde and seke the honour and glorye of God, whiche they doe chefely desyre but also in heauen, whiche haue the fruicion and perfyght syght and knowledge of the rightuousnes of God, they prayse God hartely for the rightuous iudgement whiche is reueled vnto the worlde.

The texte.

¶ And a mightie angell toke vp a stone lyke a great milstone, and cast it into the see. sayinge, with suche violence shall that great citye Babilon be cast, and shalbe founde no more. And the voyce of harpers, and musicions, and of pypers, and tromperters shalbe hearde no more in the: and no craftes man, of whatsoeuer crafte he be, shal be founde any more in the. And the sounde of a myll shalbe hearde no more in the: and the voyce of the brydgrome and of the bryde, shalbe hearde no more in the, for thy marchauntes were the great men of the earth. And with thyne ••••ch auntment were deceaued al ancions: and in her was founde the bloude the prophetes, and of the sainctes, and of all that wer slayne vpon the earthe.

Suche a nother thing dyd Ieremy also prophecye of the kingdome of Babilō and euen as he prophecied, so came it to passe. And euen so doubtles shall •••• lykewyse come to passe vnto this proude presumpcion, and lykewyse vnto all vngodly tyrantes whether they be of the spiritualtye or of the temporaltie. An heuy and greuous iudgement shall take and ouerthrowe the mightye of the worlde whiche mysuse their power and might. Yea and it shall vtterly fall and decaye with all their ioy, lust, pryde and tyrannye whiche they haue vsed in the tyme of their gouernaunce. And specially the spirituall ministers of god, whiche for their office and vocacions sake, ought to haue done and taught o∣therwyse. And lykewyse suche handy craftes as haue serued ydols & ydolatrie, and maynteined false goddes and false goddes seruyce, inuented onely for lucre and for no godlynes, shall also haue an ende. And lykewyse the ydel prie∣stes with suche as depende vpon them, an vnprofytable kynde of people, and al suche thinges as haue ministred occasion vnto worldly lustes, pleasures and delyciousnes, shall haue lyke end and fall as Tyrus, Babilon and Nynyue, of the whiche the prophetes make mencion. As Rome & the Romyshe Empire also

had once. Muche more shall it happen lykewyse vnto the Papacye and y^• courte of Rome and to y^• prelates, whiche ought to be spiritual, as they also name them selues, but in very in dede are more carnall and worldly than any other. What godly men haue bene destroyed for the truthes sake in councels and at Rome, it is so euydent that it neadeth not here to be rehersed.