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.

For he muste raigne tyll he haue put all this enemyes vnder hys feete. The last enemy that shalbe destroyed, is death. For he hath put all thynges vnder hys feete. But when he sayth all thynges are put vnder hym, it is manyfeste that he is excepted, whiche dyd put all thynges vnder hym. When all thynges are subdued vnto hym, then shall the sonne also hymselfe be subiecte vnto hym, that put all thynges vnder him: that God maye be all in al. Elles what do they, which are baptised ouer the dead, yf the dead ryse not at all? Why are they then baptised ouer them, yea, and why stande we allwaye then in ieoperdye? By oure reioysyng whiche I haue in Christe Iesu oure Lorde, I dye dayly. That I haue fought with beastes at Ephesus after the maner of men, what auauntageth it me, yf the dead ryse not agayne? Let vs eate and drynke, for to morowe we shall dye. Be not ye deceaued: euell woordes corrupte good manners. Awake truely out of slepe, and synne not. For some haue not the knowledge of God. I speake this to your shame.

For so long necessary is it, that the sonne shoulde labor and trauayle a∣bout the recouery of the kyngdome to god his father, vntyl that he haue vt∣terly subdued all hys enemies, and so treade them downe vnderneyth hys feete, that there bee no rebellion at all, nor feare of euyll. Through synne deathe raigneth, and through death, y^• deuyll. When synne is extinguished, then shall deathe raigne no longer. And albeit in thys lyfe we to our power labour about it, yet shal we not fully haue it, vntyll that by the laste resur∣reccion, al the power of death shal be quite abolyshed, when our laste enemye of all, whiche moste stubbernly rebelled, shall bee vanquished for euer. For by thys waye hathe the father decreed, that all thynges shall become subiecte vnto hys sonne, as it is wrytten in the psalmes: thou haste put all thinges vnder hys feete.

But when scripture sayeth, that all thynges shalbe vnder the fete of the sonne, it is not to be vnderstanden that the sonne shall only possesse that

kyngdom the father being excluded: for the kingdom of the father and the sonne, is all one kyngdom. This new and peculiar kyngdom, wherin there shalbe no rebellion of synfull desyres against the will & pleasure of God, the father recouereth vnto himselfe by his sonne, which he in such sorte v∣seth with his sonne in cōmon, that nethlesse in the father the authoritie re∣mayneth, as in him, of whom the sonne receiued the same kingdom, which is in suche sorte fully and wholy the sonnes, that yet the father loseth no∣thyng, synce of both there is but one will. And then when all thinges shal∣be subiecte to the sonne, then shall the sonne selfe, wholy, that is to saye, with his bodye misticall, yelde and submitte hymselfe to the father, by whom as chiefe doer, al thinges became subiecte to the sonne, that thence∣furth no not in the members shall there any thing be lefte, whiche shall to Christe be contrarie: but that the whole sonne shall consente with the fa∣ther, of whom as of the first begynner, al thinges shall depende, to whom as chiefe doer, all men shall geue thankes for all that euer in any tyme and place hath been well done. Nowe wheras I long synce taught you this, and ye lykewyse learned the same, what meaneth this, that some no we doubt a freshe, whether the dead shall liue againe? Wherof if there be no hope, vayne is their labour, which albeit more supersticiously, thā godly, in steade of the dead receyue baptisme, fearyng leste suche one, as dyed without christenyng, shall not ryse among ryghteouse people. And to a∣uoyde thys, they prepare one, which in steade of the dead maye aunswere, that he beleueth, and desyreth baptisme. These mennes fayth I allowe, but their doynges I allowe not. For as it is folyshnes to thynke that a∣nother mans baptisme helpeth the dead, so beleue they truely and well, there shall a resurreccion be. For yf they thought, that the dead mā should nomore ryse againe, neuer would they for his sake be so careful. Yea & we our selfes do folishly, which for Christes doctrin dayly put our life in ieo∣pardie, if after such greuous tormētes no reward folow. Nor are we on∣ly in ieopardie, but also in maner dye dayly, by that we oftetymes stād in some new ieopardie, nor are dispached with one kinde of death. And as in this my saying I lye not, so may I alwaies glory in this reioysing, which I haue through Iesus Christ our lorde, to whose glory turne al the mi∣series, which we suffer. Wheras amōg the Ephesiās for Christes gospel I suffered so much trouble, y^t I could not chose, but fyght w^t be astes, as one most surely apointed to dye, what profite was there in, or what gay∣ned I therby, if the dead ryse not again? What madnes is it without com∣pulsion to sustaine so many troubles, if assone as a mā is once dead, it no∣thing force, howe he hath lyued? Yf we after our death be paste all hope, what remaineth there, but y^• we, as the wicked persons spake in Esai, di∣strusting the promises of y^• life to come, & measuring all the whole state of blysful life by worldly commodities, say: let vs eate & drinke, for to mo∣row we shal dye. That we toke in thys lyfe, that and nothyng els is our owne, for after death we be nothing. The philosophers or false Apostles syng suche songes in your eares paraduenture, but beware leste with theyr tales they deceyue you, and bryng you into a perylouse erroure, alwayes remembring, what was truly sayd of a certaine poete of yours: euyll woordes corrupte good maners. Of idlenes and wanton lyuyng

groweth this distruste, whyles some knowing their owne enormities, deny that there shall any resurreccion be: in suche blyndenes of synne are they which lyue wyth out regarde of godly lyfe. But awake ye through the study of ryghteousnes, leauing your pleasures, leste ye fal with other into the greate ieopardye of distrust. For albeit there be some amonge you, whiche swell and are proude of their worldely wysedome, yet are they ignoraunt of the hyghest parte of wysedome, in that they knowe not God, nor beleue that by his might the dead can be restored to life againe, not with standing his almyghtie power: nor yet remembre, that it is an easyer thing to restore that, whiche is decayed, than of nothing to make somewhat. This tell I you, not of any displeasure, but to the entente ye should for shame hēcefurth nomore geue eare to such, as labour to make you beleue such folishe and deuilishe poyntes.

Notes

• By out reioysing whiche I haue in Christe Ie∣su out lorde I dye dayly