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.

¶ Gyue to euery man therfore his duetie. Tribute to whom tribute belongeth: cu∣stome, to whome custome is due: feare to whome feare belongeth: honoure, to whom ho∣noure pertaynethe. O we nothing to any man but this, that ye loue one another. For he that loueth an other hath fulfylled the lawe. For these cōmaundementes, thou shalt not commit aduoutrie, thou shalt not steale, thou shalt not beare false witnes: thou shalte not luste: and so furth (yf there be anye other commaundement) it is all comprehended in this saying, namely loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. Loue hurteth not his neighbour. Therfore is loue the fulfyllyng of the lawe,

Wherfore yf these men forbid you any thyng, which of it selfe is not vn∣lawfull to be done, obeye them, synce ye are of them, which are bounde to folowe honestie, though ye were put in no feare of punishement. Yf they cōmaunde vngodlynes to be done, remember, that ye muste rather obeye god, than men. Nowe yf by theyr authoritie they exacte any thyng of you, the losse wherof putteth you in no ieopardy of breache of youre religion, the matier is not so great, that ye for the same shoulde prouoke theyr dis∣pleasure, paye vnto them all suche exactions, as though it were debte. Christe hym selfe whiche was bounde to noman, payde to Cesar tribute, not that he owed anye, but because he would not displease them. Suffer not, that they by you be defrauded of theyr right. Yf of them anye require tribute, paye him tribute, yf he exacte custome, paye hym custome. Yf he requyre to be hadde in reuerence, forsomuche as the same denied, he might thynke his authoritie despised, in the syght of men do reuerence vnto hym. Agayne yf for his commen offices sake he woulde be had in honoure, gyue to hym dewe honour. Yf they in theyr office laudablye vse themselfes, the honour is gyuen to god, yf they otherwyse do, that honour is gyuen them for a quietnes to be had in the common weale. And to leaue nothyng vnsayed, what soeuer any suche parson shall demaunde of you, do therin that thyng, whiche is for the commen weale necessarie. But a∣mong you beyng christians let there be no authoritie or debte, but that ye to eche other owe mutuall charitie. A charitable man nedeth not by exac∣tion to be compelled, but of his owne accorde preuenteth all monicions. If ye paye vnto them theyr requeste, ye are oute of theyr daunger, but the charitable man thoughe he satisfie other, yet neu•••• satisfieth he hymselfe, but euermore heapeth vp one good turne vpon another.

Charitie therfore enbrace ye, who breifly compriseth al lawes. Whoso with pure and christian charitie loueth his neighbour, he obserueth the whole effecte and purpose of Moses lawe: if charitie lacke, no lawes, be they neuer so many, are sufficient: if it be had, there neadeth none other lawe, when charitie onely muche more effectually commaundeth all that is in so many and innumerable lawes comprehended.

Moses lawe forbiddeth men to do adultrye, to commit murder, to do any thefte, to beare false witnes, to desyre any other mannes gooddes, to lende mony for vsury, with many suche other like. But in the compendi∣ous rule of charitie are all these preceptes contayned, wherin it is briefly sayd: Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe.

Charitie, asmuche as it can, doeth good to al men, though they be euil and hurteth no man. And then what neede is it with a long tale and spe∣cial wordes to forbid so many thynges, to hurt (I say) no mā this way, or that way, synce her nature is to hurte no man at all? Wyl any man (trow ye) murder him, whom he loueth? wyll he vnchastly vse an other mannes wyfe, whiche loueth his neighbour aswel as him selfe? Wyll he robbe an other mannes gooddes, whom he is ready to succour with his owne? wyl he with false witnes oppresse his neighbour, whom with his owne ieopar¦dy he would haue saued? wyll he lende any mony for vsurye to him, with whom he thynketh all that he hath commen? wyll he wyshe him harme, whiche wisheth the same to another, that he would to him selfe? wyll he by any way hurte and displease him, for whose sake he knoweth, that Christ once dyed? Charitie therfore, as I sayd, in a shorte lesson containeth the whole lawe. By her rule we shortly learne, what is to be auoyded, & what is to be folowed.

Notes

• Owe nothig to anye man, but this that ye loue one a∣nother.
• For he that loueth an o∣ther, hath ful¦filled y^• whole lawe.
• Therfore to loue the ful∣fillyng of the lawe.