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 .xiii. Chapter.

The texte.

Though I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels, and haue no loue, I am euen as ••ounding brasse: or as a tynk••yng cymball. And though I could prophecy, and vnder∣stode all secretes, and all knowledge: ye, yf I haue all fayth, so that I can moue moun∣taynes out of theyr places, and yet haue no loue, I am nothyng. And though I bestowe all my goodes to fede the poore, and though I geue my body euen that I burned, and yet haue no loue, it profyteth me nothyng.

AHygh gyft is it to speake with tonges, for whiche ye specially please your selfe. But though I speake with all tonges, not of mē only, (but to encrease the matter) also with the tonge of Angels, and haue not a feruent desyre to doe for my neyghbour, & to be∣stowe the gyft of God to the profite of all men: as vnprofitable shall I bee, as brasse, that with his vayne sounde breaketh the ayer, or as a cymball, that with his vnprofitable tinklyng troubleth the eares. Yea & if I haue also a more excellent gyft than this, for example, the gyft of prophecie, wherby I know all the secrete senses of the scriptures of God, (if somuch haue chaunced to any one man to vnderstand al) yea if therwith ••e ioyned a perfite knowledge of all learnynges, & haue finally so strong a fayth, that I could with thesame moue euen mountaynes out of their places, & lacke charitie, in vayne haue I all the other, forasmuch as they profite no body. Yf I haue so great a gyft to helpe other, y^• what substance so euer I haue, I would be content to bestow it al together for the reliefe of the poore, yea if for y^• ayde of such as are oppressed I would put my body in al ieopardy, yea euen to be burned, & yet (yf it may possy∣bly be) lacke charitie, y^• is to say, a mynde desirouse euen freely to doe wel to other, of all my other gyftes haue I none aduauntage. By charitie only are we taught, how we should vse other giftes, which to haue is for a mā but vayne, if he cannot vse them. Other gyftes are sometime defaced with ambicion, sometime w^t malyce, & sometime with dissencion, from al which infeccions farre is charitie. Eche other gyft hath his owne peculiar cōmo∣ditie, but charitie can neither be corrupted, and her vse is moste commen.

The texte.

Loue suffereth long, and is courteous. Loue enuyeth not. Loue doeth not frowardly, swelleth not, dealeth not dishonestly, seketh not her owne, is not prouoked to anger, thin∣keth no euill, reioyseth not in iniquitie: but reioyseth in the trueth, suffreth al thinges, be∣leueth all thinges, hopeth all thinges, endureth all thinges. Though that prophecyinges fayle, either tonges cease, or knowledge vanyshe awaye, yet loue falleth neuer awaye.

Charitie is mylde to suffer wronges, and also for this present lyfe com∣modiouse & courteouse. Charitie enuieth no man, but asmuch as she hath, bestoweth vpon other: Not euill tounged, but pleasing euery manne: not swelling, but lowly humblyng herselfe to other, nor thinketh any thing vnsemely for her, so that she maye doe good: nor seketh her owne priuate lucre, nor is thorough iniurye prouoked to reuenge: and so farre from doyng wrong for wrong, that she not somuche as myndeth to be reuen∣ged: so farre from doyng wrong herselfe, that she cannot in other a∣byde it: but rather reioyseth she in pure and godly maners, and of a rea∣die desyre to doe good suffereth all thynges, be they neuer so paynfull:

so farre from conceyuing any euyll suspicion in any other, that he beleueth all thynges, and despaireth lyghtly of no man, but through a sure trust of amendemente stedfastly contineweth in hope. And to be briefe, charitie ne∣uer fayleth, so farre that after this life, when one manne shal haue no nede of an others seruice, yet shall charitable loue of myndes abyde styll, and neuer cease. And in what gyft soeuer for this time a manne encreaseth, cha∣ritie is neuer awaye, but is a perpetuall gyft, spread generally through the whole lyfe and state of christian menne: though it chaunce prophecying to fayle, or tounges to cease, or knowledge to be abolished by excesse of more ample knowledge.

The texte.

For our knowledge is vnperfecte, and our prophecying is vnperfecte. But whan that whiche is perfecte, is come, then that whiche is vnperfecte, shalbe doen awaye. When I was a chylde, I spake as a chylde, I vnderstoode as a chylde, I imagined as a chylde. But assone as I was a manne. I putte awaye chyldyshnes. Nowe we see in a glasse, e∣uen in a darke speakyng: but then shall we see face to face. Nowe I knowe vnperfectly: but then shall I knowe euen as I am knowen. Nowe abydeth fayth, hope, and loue, euen these three: but the chiefe of these is loue.

For that, whiche we of these thynges as yet possesse, is vnperfite, so that neyther our knowledge, neyther vnderstanding of misteries through prophecie, is yet ful and perfite. But when that is come, which is perfite, that which is nowe but halfe perfite, shall after a sorte be abolyshed. E∣uen as it is in nature, so hath christian religion her degrees, ages, and in∣crease of ages. When I was a chylde, I spake as a chylde, I vnderstode as a chylde, and imagined as a chylde: but assone as I became a manne, I cast awaye chyldishnes, then wholy applying my minde to such thinges, as are better, vntill that by lytle and lytle I attayne to the beste: wherto though I in this present lyfe come not, yet must I here doe my endeuour that I may haue it in the lyfe to come. A small porciō is it of God, which we now by these gyftes vnderstande, and that not very clerely neyther, but as it were in the glasse of fayth we see but euen shadowes of heuenly thinges, and by scriptures, as it were in a darke speakyng, we haue of the will of God, a coniecture. But when the hygh perfeccion shall come, then shall we behold the trueth selfe openly. Now for this time know I God, but euen vnperfectly: then shall I being present know him presently, euen as I am knowē of him. For to be knowen of him, is to be beloued of him, and the more beloued any man is of God, somuch more fully & throughly shal he enioy the pleasure of that vnspeakable knowledge. And albeit for this presēt time other giftes cease as vnprofitable & not necessary, by rea∣son that the doctrine of fayth is sufficiently establyshed, for whose enlar¦ging & settling they serued, yet in the meane time abide the giftes of faith, hope, and charitie. Fayth wherwith we see a farre of the immortall lyfe to come: hope, by the which we trust to be partakers therof: and charitie, whereby we both loue God agayne, who hath so muche doen for vs, and our neighbour also for Gods sake. These thre gyftes excell al other, but yet among these is charitie chiefe, whom we ought eyther to thanke for our hope and faith, or at leastwise without whom these are not to sal∣uacion effectuall.