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.

Paule called an Apostle of Iesus Christe through the will of God, and brother So∣stenes. Vnto the congregacion of God, which is at Corinthum. To them that are sanc∣tified by Christe Iesu, called sainctes, with all that call on the name of our Lord Iesus Christ in euery place, ether of theirs or of ours. Grace bee vnto you and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ. I thanke my god alwaies on your behalfe, for the grace of God, which is geuen you by Iesus Christ, that in all thinges ye are made riche by hym, in all vtteraunce, and in all knowelage, by the which thynges the testimo∣ny of Iesus Christ was confirmed in you, so that ye are behinde in no gift, waityng for the apering of our Lord Iesus Christ, which shall also strength you vnto the ende, that ye maie bee blamelesse in the daye (of the commyng) of our Lorde Iesus Christe.

PAule no false Apostle, nor vsurper of an Apo∣stles auctoritie, as some are among you, but called to be the Ambassadoure of Christe, and not the messanger of menne: Called (I saye) not throughe myne owne deseruyng, but only because it so pleased god the moste mercifull father, by my ministerie, to spreade abrode the honoure of his sonne, whiche calling I certifie you of, leste ye shoulde either mis∣lyke me, or bee desyrouse to haue an other. Paule therfore, euen I, whome ye knowe well, and also with me Sosthenes, my brother by profession, and fe∣lowe in office, doe wryte this Epistle, not to the sediciouse sectes, that stryue one with another, but to the congregacion of the churche, whiche god of his goodnes, (at whose commaundemente I laboure in this embassie) hathe steadfastly ioyned together in one accorde of mynde, and suche mutuall cha∣ritie, as beseemeth christians, at Corinthe, buyldyng in the olde citie, a newe and an heauenlye, placyng there, in the steade of an earthlye, an heauenlye companye, that is to saye, a companye purged and cleansed from theyr olde vices and beastelye lustes, from pryde throughe ryches, and worldlye lear∣nyng, and from other diseases, by meanes whereof, among men debate and dissencion oftetymes arise, farre otherwyse than they shoulde, whome one God, one delyuerer Christ, one baptisme, one religion, one rewarde, doeth so dyuersly ioyne and knyt together. Once hath Christe frelye taken from you the sinnes of your former lyfe, to the entente, that hencefoorth by vertu∣ouse exercyse, ye shoulde preserue and kepe the godlye state, by hym restored vnto you. For neyther gote ye it throughe youre owne desertes, nor are ye for thesame bounden to thanke youre ryches or Philosophie, or the kea∣pyng

of Moses lawe eyther, but Iesus Christe: whiche bothe purged you fyrste with his bloude, and after called you to a continuall perfeccion and holynes of lyfe. Nor belongen these my woordes onelye to you, but generally to all nacions of the worlde, that professe the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe, whether they bee among the Iewes, or among y^e Gentyles, so that they putte no vayne truste in theyr great ryches, and possessions, but wholy leane, and haue a confidence, vpon his helpe and succoure. There is of all but one churche and christian congregacion, all are equal∣lye bounde to Christe onelye: bothe for theyr delyueraunce from the moste vilanouse bondage of synne, and also for theyr callyng & chusyng oute to godlynes of lyfe. There is neither place nor countreye, that seuereth the ghospell: but as all menne haue one Christe, so are all his gyftes free to all menne. His common grace and peace therfore wyshe I vnto you and to them also, whiche bothe no manne els canne geue but he, that ge∣ueth you all thinges: I meane god the father, of whome, as of the very fountayne, all oure weale commeth, and oure Lorde Iesus Christe, by* 1.1 whome onely his fathers pleasure was to geue you all thynges.

Grace obtayned, shall saue and kepe you vnharmefull and innocente, and with an vnharmefull lyfe, is ioyned peace and concorde. Grace exclu∣deth synne, and bryngeth vs into goddes fauoure: peace reconcyleth eche one of you to another. By the one ye in suche sorte receyue goddes benefite, that ye forget not the chief gyuer: by the other a declaracion is made that ye are not onelye by name christiannes, but also very christiannes in deede. By grace, partakers are ye of goodes heauenly benefit: by peace and concorde, according to your abilitie, ye bestowe your heauenly gyftes eche one of you vpon another. Some thing is there in you by goddes free gyfte, for the whiche I am glad in your behalfe, and gyue god thankes. And some thing againe I mislyke, and would wyshe, were amended. Some are there among you, that lyue a christian lyfe, and some there bee, in whome yet the dregges and fylthynes of theyr olde synfull lyfe, remayne styll. For as I coumpte youre weale myne owne, so yf ought among you bee amisse, I* 1.2 thynke my parte therein. And therefore on youre behalfe I thanke my God alwayes, by whose grace and goodnes, Christes free gyfte is in suche plentifull sorte departed among you, that whereas heretofore ye buisylye soughte for earthly, frayle, and transitory riches, ye are nowe throughe Christes benefite, enriched with heauenlye treasures, and suche ryches, as shall neuer peryshe, but bryng vs vnto the true and perfite weale. In to∣ken whereof no kynde of language or gyfte of knowledge is there, whiche ye haue not obtayned aboundauntly.

Of late proude were ye of youre vayne Philosophie, but synce in the steede of a false ye embraced the true wysedome, ye vse your selues discrete∣lye. Of late proude were ye, by reason of your worldly eloquence, high∣lye standyng in your owne conceytes: but synce ye were from aboue inspi∣red with the gifte of tongues, ye speake of heauenly matters, stedfastlye con∣tinuyng in that which ye knowe is beste: by meane whereof both the trueth of the ghospel, and the faith of Christ is in greatter renoume, & more strēgth∣ned, whiles al mē clearely see & perceiue, y^t the fact, which is wrought in you,

was not wrought in you by any worldely policie, but by the myght of God, which geuing his gyftes vnto vs, brought our preaching in credite. Insomuche that, albeit ye neyther sawe Peter, nor Iames, whom some coumpt either the only, or chiefe Apostles, yet no gifte is there wherwith God is wonte to auaunce the ministerie of his Apostles, wherin ye ought to thinke your selfes behynde other, so farre that euery manne maye well perceyue, that notwithstanding the ministers be diuerse, yet is the chiefe doer one, synce one effecte doeth alwaye folowe. And as these giftes are geuen vnto you lyke earnest money, or as a pledge of the euerlasting life to come: so ye by suche playne and sensible tokens, concernyng an hope of thinges, that cannot be seen, awayte for that daye, wherin Christe, which nowe yet semeth in his membres to suffre affliccion, shall playnly shewe his maiestie, and deuyde the godly from the vngodly, and deliuer his ser∣uauntes from all trouble and vexacion: for desyre of which day, ye suffre displeasures, and for feare of the same ye doe your dewtie. Menne maye peraduenture vnrighteously condemne or quyte, but in that day shal God without any wrong at all, apoynte you, eyther to euerlastyng paynes or euerlasting pleasures. But yet distrust ye nothing: he for this presente time is your ayder and defender, which in that day shalbe your iudge. Of his goodnesse it is, that ye are restored from your olde errours, to godly life, and as ye haue begūne to leade a godly life and a pure, so shal ye like∣wyse through his goodnesse, continew in suche a vertuouse conuersacion, that in the fearefull daye of our Lorde Iesus ye be founde blamelesse. As my trust is ye shall, not by your strength or myne, but by the goodnesse of God, whiche disapoynteth no man of the hope, he standeth in, and surely perfourmeth, asmuche as he promised.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Grace be vnto you & peace from god the fa∣ther, &c.
• * 1.2

  That in all thynges ye are made t••che by him.