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 seconde Chapter.

The texte.

¶ Vnto the messenger of the congregaciō of Ephesus wryte: these thinges sayeth he, that holdeth the seuen starres in his right hande, and that walketh in the myddes of the se••t•• golden candelstyckes. I knowe thy worckes, and thy labour, and thy pacience, and howe thou c••••nest not forbeare them whiche are euyll: and hast examined them, whiche saye they are Apostles, and are not: and hast founde them lyars: and hast suffred. And haste pa∣cience: and for my names sake hast labored, and hast not faynted.

WHat maner a churche was at Ephesus, how Paul behaued hym selfe & wrought there, howe Tymothye preached & taught there, and what the false prophetes dyd there enterpryse, is to be sene in the Epistle of S. Paule to the Ephesians, and sufficientlye descrybed of Erasmus in the Paraphrases of that Epistle. And reade more thereof in the christen and godly story of Eusebius, in the. v. boke and xxiiii. chapter. And by these wordes mayst thou vnderstande the hyghe prayse and commendacion of their faythe, wherof their good workes beare sufficient wytnes and recorde. And this is also to be noted by this place, that men shoulde not lyghtly nor rashely beleue all maner of doctrine, but first trye and proue whether it be of god or no, and to ouercome & conuince al maner of errours & false doctrine onely with the worde of god, whiche is not contrary vnto it selfe (yf one place be iustly compared with another) but it is profytable vnto the true & perfyte vnderstandynge & knowledge of god. In Iohns tyme, as S. Paule was come vnto Rome, there were certen heretykes at Ephesus, namely, Cherinthus, Hebyon, and after them Marciō lyke as there were also in Paules time, Himeneus, Alexander, Philetus & Hermogenes. But al these wer ouercome w^t muche adoe & thorow long paciēce, by y^• godly bishops, which were at Ephesus, one succedyng another, as Eusebius maketh mencion.

The texte.

Neuertheles, I haue somwhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first loue. Remēbre therfore f••ō whence y^• art fallen, & repent, & doe y^• first workes. Or elles I wyl co••••e vnto the shortely, & wil remoue thy candelsticke out of his place, excepte y^• repēt. But this thou hast, because thou hatest y^• dedes of y^• Nicolaitans, which dedes I also hate. Let him that hath eares heare what the spirite sayeth vnto the congregacions. To him that ouercom∣meth, wyll I geue to eate of the tree of lyfe, which is in the myddes of y^• Parady ••e of god.

Out of y^• faintnes and coldnes of faith, doe spring want & lacke of ryght good workes. Euen so came it to passe at Ephesus by y^• meanes of y^• false apostles, as Paule did before prophecye vnto them at Myletus. For y^• which cause y^• Lorde requireth & exhorteth them to amēde, & threatneth them before (after y^• maner of al the prophetes) that he wyll els punyshe and condemne them. As concernynge the secte of the Nycholaites, reade y^•. xxix. chapter of y^• thirde booke of Eusebius Chronicle. Whosoeuer thorow true faith & loue shall ouercome y^• tēptacions &

assaultes of the enemy, the same shall receyue and enioy the euerlastinge reward of blisse, y^• fruicion of god y^• heuenly father, & the pleasant sight of y^e countenaūce* 1.1 of Iesus Christ in euerlastinge ioye, which he nameth in this place, y^• tree of lyfe.

The texte.

¶ And vnto the angel of the congregacion of Smyrna wryte: These thinges sayth he that is first and the laste, which was dead and is alyue, I knowe thy worckes and tribulacion and pouer••ie, but thou art ryche. And I knowe the blasphemy of them, whiche call them selues Iewes and are not: but are the congregacion of Satan. Feare none of those thin∣ges, whiche thou shalt suffre. Beholde, the deuyll shall caste some of you into pryson, to tempte you, and ye shall haue tribulacion ten dayes. Be faithfull vnto the death, and I wyll geue the a crowne of lyfe. Let him that hath eares, heare, what the spirite sayth to the congregacions. He that ouercommeth, shall not be hurte of the seconde death.

The false apostles whiche were conuerted from the Iewes vnto the faythe, were also at Smirna, very busye and vnquiet in maynteynyng the ci••cumcy∣sion and other Iewyshe ceremonies. Against the whiche, the trew apostles and their dysciples (as Paule and suche other) were fayne to fyght and stryue: by reason wherof all the churches in the world were in perplexyte and dysquieted. In this place, Christ speaketh vnto them of Smirna, and calleth them poore in affliccions and ryche in faythe and vertue. And thus he teacheth here, that it is the worcke of the deuyll, and not of man, whansoeuer thou arte caste into any perplexyte, vexacion, or pryson for the faythe and truthes sake. And ther∣fore be the more pacient, seyng the heauenly father permytteth suche power vn∣to Sathan against the. Euen so dyd it happen in this citye, vnto y^• good bishop Polycarpus, one of Iohns dysciples, whiche was burnt of the vnfaythfull, for the truth and the christen faythes sake. Of this, ye maye reade more in the. xiiii.* 1.2 and xv. Chapter of the. iiii. boke of Eusebius chronicle. By the seconde deathe, vnderstande euerlastynge deathe and damnacion, as the first death, is y^• deathe of the bodye and of synne, from the whiche we shall be delyuered and be raysed* 1.3 vp againe, thorowe a trewe faythe and confydence in the mercye of god ioyned with a perfyght repentaunce.

The texte.

¶ And to the messenger of the congregacion in Pergamos wryte: This saythe he, whiche, hath the sharpe swearde with two edges. I know thy worckes, and where thou dwellest euen where Satans seate is, and thou kepest my name, and hast not deuyed my fayth. And in my dayes Antipas was a faithfull wytnes of myne, whiche was ••••ayne amonge you, where Satan dwelleth. But I haue a fewe thinges against the: because thou hast there, them that maynteyne the doctrine of Balam whiche taught in Balake, to put occasyon of synne before the children of Israell, that they shoulde eate of meate dedycate vnto y∣doles and commyt fornicacion. Euen so hast thou them that maynteyne the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. But be conuerted, or els I wyl come vnto thee short∣ly, and wyll fyght against them with the swearde of my mouthe. Let him that hath eares heare, what the spirite sayeth vnto the congregacions. To him that ouercommeth, wyl I geue to eat Manna y^• is byd, & wyl geue him a whyte stone, and in the stone a newe name written, whiche no man knoweth, sauynge he that receaueth it.

As cōcerning this church, we reade of no maner of accion or worke of faith ther∣of. But in al notable cities where right Christē mē were, bothe y^• christened & vn∣christened Iewes did styre vp & cause much sedicion & tumult, as their accusto∣med maner was: And they prouoked also the lyuetenauntes of Rome, alwayes to hate & persecute y^• right & true christiās: As it happened in this citie vnto the deare & faithful seruant of god Antippe, which w^t out doubt, preached y^• gospel truly & syncerely, & therfore was faine to suffre death. In such cities wher gods word is cōdemned & al godly men in continual perell & danger of their lyues & goodes, wher mē doe both blesse & curse for money, as Balaam did, where abho∣minable fylthines & whoredō is mainteined & suffered, & ydolatry set vp: & wher

holy matrimonye is had in no estimaciō, there without doubte dwelleth y^• deuil. For these are no small synnes but very odious and hateful vnto god. But they maye repent and amende, and so obteyne mercye of god, and thorowe the grace and ayde of god, they maye withstande and ouercome suche damnable and out∣ragious enormyties: whiche thing yf they doe not, let them loke for nothinge more sure, than eternall damnacion. This ought to moue the hartes of all men and to feare and shrugge them, that they maye repent and amende their lyues. By Manna, vnderstande the worde of god, and true harty loue. And to cleaue* 1.4 faste vnto Christ with a strong and a stedfast faith, whiche thing is a syngular pleasure and delyght vnto the godly and faithfull, and a very poyson vnto the vngodly & vnfaithfull. By the white stone, is sygnified the eleccion and ap∣poyntment* 1.5 vnto euerlastyng honour, before god, and all sainctes, bothe in this worlde and in the worlde to come, with the testimonye of a good conscience that feareth god, and of a right harty ioye: And also the euerlastynge peace, rest, and sure confydence in the grace and fauoure of god vnto euerlastynge lyfe.

The texte.

¶ And vnto the messenger of the congregacion of Thiatira wryte. This saith the sonne of god, whiche hath eyes lyke vnto a flamme of fyre, and hys fete are lyke brasse. I knowe thy worckes and thy loue, seruyce and fayth, and thy paciēce, and thy dedes whiche are moo at the last then at the fyrst. Notwithstandynge, I haue a feawe thinges agaynste the, because thou sufferest that woman Iesabell, whiche called her selfe a prophetise, to teache and to deceaue my seruauntes, to make them commyt fornicacyon, and to eate mea∣tes offered vp vnto ydoles. And I gaue her space to repent of her fornicacyon, and she re∣pented not. Beholde, I wyll cast her in to a bedd: and them that cōmyt fornicacyon with her into great aduersitye excepte they ••u••ue from theyr dedes. And I wyll kyll her chyl∣dren with death

Here learne, that the sonne of god, whiche hath the two edged swearde, the first and the laste, whiche is deade and yet lyueth, which hathe the seuen starres, and is the gouernoure of heauen and earth, is all one thinge: Namely y^• Mes∣sias, whiche was before the beginninge of the world, the sauiour of al the faith∣full, our Lorde Iesus Christ. Thiatira is a Cathedrall churche, and one of the most notable cities in Lydia. This churche, dothe y^• spirite of Christ commende, and prayse, as well for dyuerse vertues, as also for waxing bygge and increa∣syng in them. But he rebuketh the synne of the heades, and ouerseets, which are so neglygent, that they doe not roote out, nor reforme certen wyckednes: As are the seruice and honouring of ydols and fals goddes, and other hyghe blasphe∣mies which doe alwayes accompany and wayte vpon ydolatrye. Whiche thing* 1.6 is sygnified by the wycked and supersticious woman Iesabell. Of this woman reade more in the first of the kynges in the. xviii. and. xxii. Chapter and in the. ii. of y^e kynges in the. ix. and. x. Chapter. How she & al her posteritie were so greuously punished of god. And againe reade the. xiiii. Chapter of y^e. v. boke of Eusebyus, concernynge Montanus & his heresies and than shalte thou vn∣derstande this place muche better.

The texte.

And all the cōgregacyons shal knowe, that I am he which searcheth y^• reynes and hertes. And •• wyll geue vnto euery one of you accordinge vnto his worckes. Vnto you I saye, and vnto other of them of Thyatira, as many as haue not this learnynge and which haue not knowen the dep••nes of Satan (as they saye) I wyl put vpon you none other burthen, but that whiche ye haue alreadye. Holde fast tyll I come, and whosoeuer ouercommeth and kepeth my worckes vnto the ende, to him wyl I geue power ouer nacions, and he shal rule them w^t a rodde of yron: and as the vessels of a porter shal they be brokē to sheuers. ••••∣uen as I receaued of my father, so wyll I geue him the mornynge starre. Let him y^• hathe

eares heare, what the sprete sayth to the congregacions.

This rightuous, dreadfull and seuere iudgement of god, shall the faith∣full knowledge and prayse. And shal kepe them selues from suche blasphemies, and preuent the wrath and indignaciō of god, and obey & folowe his wel, for as muche as they heare and parceaue that god is one, that knoweth the pryuities of all hartes, and all the wycked frutes that spryng out of them, and that they shall with all iustyce and equite be punyshed. But those whiche eyther at Thi∣atira, or els where, do stycke and cleaue stedfastly vnto the worde and wyll of god, forsakynge the wycked fynde, and refusynge to haue any thing with hym to doe, those woulde I not haue ouerladen (sayeth god) with outwarde ceremo∣nyes, and with Iewyshe ordinaunces. For faith and loue, accordynge vnto the doctrine of the gospell and agreable vnto the same, shall be sufficient for them before me, bothe for their saluacion, and also for a christen and a godly lyfe. For that is the seruice, which pleaseth me, and whiche I wil rewarde. Whiche seruice also, the very heathen whan they see it, shal confesse and knowledge it to be good and godly, and to be the very true and ryght gods seruice and beyng ouercome in their infidelyte and mysbelefe, they shall fynde in their hartes, to consent vn∣to it, and to receyue it, and so shall be obedient vnto the gospell, forsakynge all their heathnysshe maners and al false gods seruice. Euen as the holy prophetes haue sayde long synce, that it should come to passe, and that the grace and mercy of god was also promysed vnto the heathen thorowe Christe that was to come. That they also at length, with one harte and mynde, should beholde y^• mornyng starre Christ, and his holsome gospell, and shoulde in this lyfe thorowe faithe, and after this lyfe in the euerlastynge kyngdome of Christ, in the heauenly Ie∣rusalem, receyue the fruicion of euerlastynge and eternall riches with god and al his electe. And in the ende he geueth them an earnest exhortacion, to doe good and to esche we euyll that they maye obteyne saluacion and auoyde damnacion, as he dothe lykewyse in other places.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The tree of lyfe.
• * 1.2

  The seconde death.
• * 1.3

  The fyrste death.
• * 1.4

  Manna.
• * 1.5

  The whyte stone.
• * 1.6

  Iesabel.