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 .xvi. Chapiter.

The texte.

I commende vnto you Phebe our syster, (whiche is a minister of the congregacion of Cenchrea) that ye receiue her in the lorde▪ as it becōmeth saintes, and that ye assist her, in whatsoeuer busynes she needeth of your ayde. For she hath succoured many, & myne owne selfe. Grete Prisca & a••••o Aquila, my healpers in Christ Iesu, whiche haue for my life layd doune theyr owne neckes. Vnto whō not I onely geue thākes, but also all the cōgregacions of the gentiles. Likewise grete the cōgregacion, that is in their house. Salute my welbeloued ••penetes, whiche is the fyrst fruite of Achaia in Christ. ••rete Mari whiche bestowed muche labor ou vs. Salute Andronicus and Iunia my cosyns, and prisoners with me also▪ whiche are well taken among the Apostles, and were in Christ before me. Grete Amplias my beloued in the lorde. Salute Vrbā out helper in Christ, and Stachis my welbeloued. Salute ••ppelles approued in Christ. Salute them, whiche are of Aristobulus houshold. Salute Herodian my ••yusman. Grete them that be of the houshold of Narcissus, whiche are in the lorde. Salute ••riphena & ••riphosa, whiche women labor in the lorde. Salute the beloued ••ersis, whiche lab••red muche in the lorde. Salute ••ufus chosen in the lorde, and his mother and myne. Grete Asin∣critus, Phlegon, Herman, Patrobas, Mercurius, and the brethren, whiche are with them Salute Philologus and Iulia: Nereus and his sister, and Olimpa, and al the saintes, whiche are with them. Salute one another with an holy kysse. The congre∣gacions of Christ salute you.

BVt yet by these letters I commende, vnto you our si∣ster Phebe, who went hence vnto you, to whom I deli∣uered these letters to be brought thither, who hath w^t all diligence succoured and sustained the christian con¦gregacion at Cenchris, desiryng you so to receiue and vse her, as is mete for such a woman to be receiued, as* 1.1 for good people hath done muche, and to ayde her in al suche thynges, as she shall neede to haue your healpe in. And surely mete it is, that ye helpe her, forasmuche as she hath oftymes both succou∣red many other good people and me also. Grete in my name Prisca, and her husbande Aquilla, whiche is a Iewe, of the countrie of Pontus, whi∣che holpe me, when I was in ieopardie of the Iewes, liyng in watche for me, and that did he, lest through some naughtie people the preachyng of* 1.2 Christes doctrine might be setted, so farfoorth, that for defence of my life they put them selues in ieopardy of theyr owne, as folke redy to auēture theyr liues for the sauegarde of myne, for whiche goodnes not onely I geue them thākes, but with me al the congregacions of gentiles, partly because they do for other likewyse as they haue done for me, & partly be∣cause they thynke, that the benefite, whereby I was saued, generally be∣longeth to all men. And salute not them onely, but also all theyr family. Grete Epenetus, for his laudable maners well worthy to be so called, &

to me for this specially beloued, because I maye well call hym the fyrste fruites of Achaia, as whome of all that countrey I fyrst brought to Chri∣stes religion. Greete Maria, whiche not without ieopardye and payne, hath done muche for me. Greete ye Andronicus and Iunia, bothe my co∣syns and also imprysoned somtyme with me, whiche are among the Apo∣posties* 1.3 wel taken, and in the number of the. lxxii. famouse in godly religi∣on, yea whiche go beyond me in this tytle of dignitie, that they professed Christ, before I dyd. For yf we lawfully honoure suche, as were fyrst borne of theyr parentes, how muche more lawfully ought we to honoure them, that are fyrst borne agayne in Christe? Salute Amplia, whome for his singular godlynes sake I loue with all my hearte. Salute Vrban the fe∣low and helper of my labours, in suche thynges, as apertayne to Christes gospell, and Stachis his felowe, whom I tenderly loue. Salute Apelles, whiche hath by many affliccions sufferyng for Christes sake bene well as∣sayed, tryed and founde sure. Salute them that are of Aristobulus hous∣holde. Salute Herodion my kynsman. Greete them, that be of the house of Narcissus, especially them, that are new borne in Christe. Salute Try∣phena and Tryphosa, whiche women with theyr busye labour and care promote the gospell. Salute Persis, whome I ••yngulerlye loue as one y^• hath taken muche payne in auauncyng the gospel of Christ. Salute Ru∣fus a vertuouse and a religiouse man, and his mother whome I coumpte euen as myne owne mother also. Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Herman, and other brethren, that are with them. Salute Phi∣lologus, and his wyfe Iulia, Nereus and his syster, and Olympa, with al good people, that lyue with them. Salute eche one another of you with a holy kysse, with a chaste kysse, without dissimulacion, and suche one, as maketh a playne profe of perfite concorde. All the cōgregacions of Christ salute you, whose good wyll and loue borne vnto you I well knowe. And* 1.4 this thyng I desyre you brethren to beware of them, which sowe deuision, & gyue occasion of euyll among you, labouring to bryng you into a newe kynde of doctrine, contrarie to that ye haue receyued, laboryng to myngle christian religiō and Iewyshe ceremonies together. Knowe suche, that v∣pon the same ye maye auoyde them. And it is not hard to know them. For they teache not sincerely right doctrine, nor go vnfaynedly aboute Chri∣stes busynes, but go aboute theyr bealyes and other aduauntage, whyles they with flatteryng and pleasaunt wordes, rather than with holsome, deceyue simple mennes myndes, whom they easely deceyue vnder the co∣loure of holynes. For your obedience is in euery place spoken of abrode, for the whiche I am very glad.

For the fyrst step to godly lyfe is to be obedient. But yet muste euery man diligently take hede, whom he doth obeye. Simplenes is a thyng worthy* 1.5 prayse, but because the same suspecteth nothyng, it is oftetymes deceyued. Wherfore I would haue you in suche sort to be simple, that ye neither hurt nor deceyue any man, but yet be wyse & well aduysed to folowe suche thyn∣ges, as are good, and to auoyde suche thynges, as corrupt godly lyfe. I am not ignoraunt, that there be many, y^• resiste the gospell of Christ, which by Satan labour to let mennes saluacion. Some persecute, some vnder

a false coulour of religion drawe men from Christ, & allure them to Mo∣ses law. Do ye nomore but continue on, god wyl assiste your endeuoures, who being your defēder, no cause haue ye why to feare. For as he is migh∣tier so wyll he trede downe, & breake into pieces Satan your mortal ene∣mie, and wyth his power ouercome & bryng hym vnder your feete, and y^• within short time. The grace of our lord Iesus Christ be alway w^t you al.

The texte.

Timothie my worke felowe, and Lucius and Iason, and Sosipater my kynsmen sa∣lute you. I Tertius salute you, whiche wrote this epistle in the lorde. Caius my hoste & the hoste of al the congregacions saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlayne of the citie sa∣luteth you And quartus a brother saluteth you. The grace of our lorde Iesu Christe be with you all Amen.

Timothie of Derbe my companion in preachyng y^e gospel greteth you, & with him Lucius and Iason of Thessalonica, & Sosipater the sonne of Pyrrhus of Beroe, my kynsmen. And I Tertius salute you, whiche for a charitable zeale borne towarde you wrote this epistle, whyle Paule endy∣ted* 1.6 it. Caius also one among fewe of them, that I baptized, saluteth you, at whose house I nowe lodge, and not onlye I, but all the congregacion of christiā men, to whō all he is a gentill hoste, when nede is. And Erastus chamberlayne of the citie of Corinthe saluteth you. And also Quartus a brother. The fauer of our lorde Iesus Christ be alway with you al, which my desyre god graunt to establishe and make sure.

The texte,

To hym, that is of power to stablyshe you accordyng to my gospel, and preachyng of Iesus Christ, in vtteryng of the misterie, whiche was kepte secrete, synce the worlde be∣gan, but nowe is opened by the scriptures of the prophetes at the commaundemente of the euerlastyng god, to stere vp obedience to the fayth published among all nacions: to y^• same god, whiche alone is wyse, be honour & prayse through Iesus Christ for euer. Ame.

To hym that without my helpe is of power and able to stablyshe & con¦firme you in this kind of life, which ye haue by my ghospel learned, wherin* 1.7 I preache Iesus Christe, by whiche gospell Moses lawe is not vtterlye abolyshed, but the secrete purpose of god, whiche many yeares paste hath ben hydden, is now accordyng to the olde sayinges of prophetes through the brighte lyght of the gospell spreade abrode and opened, and that by the ordinaunce and commaundement of god, who hathe put vs in truste to preache and declare the same secrete misterie, that when the secret point of religion expressed in the gospell is playnly shewed to all men, wherby all worshipping of deuils is abrogate, and the ceremonies of Mo∣ses law cease, all shoulde through fayth be obedient, and submit themselfe to god, who only hath the true wysedō, to hym (I saye) geue we thankes through Iesus Christ, to whom be glorie and prayse for euer. A∣men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Receiue her in Christ as it becommeth saintes.
• * 1.2

  Whiche haue for my life layd doune them owne neckes.
• * 1.3

  Whiche are well taken a∣mong the A∣posties, and were •• Christ before me.
• * 1.4

  Marke them whiche cause deuision, and gyue occasi∣on of eueil.
• * 1.5

  I woulde haue you wise vnto y^• whiche is good. &c.
• * 1.6

  And I Terti¦us. &c.
• * 1.7

  Now is ope∣ned by the scriptures of y^• ••••hetes at the commaū∣dement of y^•. &c.