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.

As concernyng the thinges wherof ye wrote vnto me: it is good for a man, not to touch a woman. Neuerthelesse to auoyde whordome, let euerye man haue his wife: & let euery woman haue her husbande. Let the husband geue vnto the wyse due beneuolence. Likewyse also the wyfe vnto the husband. The wife hath not power of her owne body: but the husband. And like∣wise the husbande hath not power of his owne body: but the wyfe. Withdrawe not your selues one from another, except it be with consente for a tyme, for to geue your selues to fastyng and prayer. And afterwarde come to gether agayne, left Satan tempte you for youre incontinencye. This I saye of fauoure, and not of commaundement. For I woulde that all men were as I my selfe am: but euery man hath his proper gyfte of God, one after thys maner, another after that. I saye vnto them that be vnmaryed and wyddowes: it is good for them, yf they abyde e∣uen as I do. But and yf they cannot absteyne, let them marye. For i•• is better to mary, then to burne. Vnto the maryed commaunde, not I, but the Lorde: Let not the wyfe be seperated frō the husbande. If she separate her selfe, let her remayn vnmaryed, or be reconciled vnto the hus∣band agayne. And let not the husband put awaye hys wyfe from hym.

NOr haue I this muche sayed, because I thinke, that euery acte of generacion defileth the bodye, as some laboure to bring you in mynde, to the intente, that they lyke hypocrites maye of you bee thoughte to bee holye. There is in matrimonye a cer∣tayne chaste and lawefull vse, but the vnlawefull acte muste generallye of all menne bee auoyded. Lawefull matrimonie muste euerye manne so farfurth vse or not vse, as is for the preferment of the gospell expediente.

Wherefore touchyng the questions, wherein by letters ye aske myne aduyce, these shall be briefly to answere you. Fyrste what suche muste doe, as are already maryed, and then, what they ought to doe, that are single and widowes, what they also muste doe, whiche are eyther with paynefull, or vnequall matrimony troubled: and finally, what should bee done in virgins to be maried, or not ma∣ried. Fyrste of all therefore, for many causes, as the time no we requireth, it wer well doen of men wholy for this cause to absteyne from theyr wyues, that they maye with more freedome applye Christes gospell, and godly lyfe. For albeit matrimonie be a holy thyng, yet it wrappeth a man, will he or not, in worldlye care, wherein howe muche more laboure is bestowed, somuche the lesse is god serued. Besyde this the vse of matrimonye hath in it a grosse thyng, whiche for the tyme, swaloweth vppe and deuoureth the whole man, whiche beeyng after restored to hymselfe, is somewhat lesse a man, than he was before. I well see what were specially to be wished, and yet dare I not so muche exacte of you, as I would desire, leste whiles ye vnluckely labour towarde the beste, by occasion fall into worse. I knowe, howe vnruly and violente fleashelye desyre is, and as sure am I, howe ye specially among other are prone and muche geuen vnto it. A surer waye therefore thynke I it, that euery man haue his owne wyfe, and e∣uerye wife her housebande, that by mutuall seruice eche one maye remeadye o∣thers intemperancie. For albeeit elswise in other pointes the housebandes au∣thoritie be more, yet herein haue bothe equal power, for neither is the housebād so farfurth lorde and maister of his owne bodye, that touchyng the vse of ma∣trimonie, he can defraude his wyfe thereof, and geue it to another: nor the right of the wyues bodye agayne, concerninge the vse of matrimonie, is in such sorte her owne, that she maye denye her husband the vse therof, and geue it to ano∣ther, but hyr bodye is the husbandes ryghte. The debte of eche towardes the other is lyke, and when tyme requireth, must of both parties be delyuered and payed, as they haue made promise. Let the housebande then geue that, which he by the law of mariage is bounden to geue to his wife. The wife likewyse geue to her housebande, that she is by the lawe of wedlocke bounde to geue him. In this eche one of them is in lyke sorte bounde to the other, in other poyntes par∣aduenture the whole gouernaunce and autoritye is in the housebandes handes. To denye this right, yf eyther of bothe aske it, is a defraudyng. For not onelye suche defraude, whiche paye not the money, that they are bounde to paye, but suche also, as refuse to doe, that they are bound to doe. Let neither of both ther∣fore for loue of chastitye defraude other, excepte it bee with consente of bothe to absteine for a season, that ye maye with more cleane myndes geue your selfes to fasting, holye prayers, and to the remembraunce of heauenlye thinges, whose perfeite freashnes suche carnall conuersacion is greatly woonte to make dulle. Let either bothe therefore, or neither absteyne, and that by comen consente, not vpon euerye flyght occasion, but for loue of heauenlye thynges, nor to long nei∣ther but for a certayne tyme, and so after that returne agayne to your olde cus∣tome, not because I thinke it not beste, to lyue in continuall prayer, but because I knowe, that there is ieopardy, leste Satan, which styll lieth in watche to de∣stroye you, perceauyng your toward disposicion to incontinencie, by occasion thereof prouoke you to worse. Rather had I haue in you that, whiche is of lesse perfeccion, so that it bee ieoperdlesse, than that whiche is muche more commen∣dable, beeyng yet suche as is ioyned with no small perill. But yet speake I not

this, because I woulde either compell any man to marie, or forbyd any man to lyue continually chaste, if he be able so to do, and if there be a mutuall cō∣sente in matrimonie: but I prouyde, vpon knowledge that I haue of youre weakenes, a remeadye agaynste your perilles. Yf this were not, yf it might be, I woulde wyshe that all men were as my selfe, whiche is, that they were free from the bonde of matrimonye, or els vsed theyr wyues, as theyr sisters, lyuyng with them in all purenes and chastitie. But I dare not of you exacte that thyng, whiche Christe neuer required of his disciples and hearers.

Blessed are they, saith he, that for the loue of the kingdom of god haue made themselues chaste: but yet refuseth he not suche, as chastlye and soberly liue vnder the lawe of matrimonie. Continuall chastitie taken vpon anye man for the auauncement of Christes affayres, is a highe thing. And so is law∣full matrimonie an honeste state, whose chiefe ordeyner and halower was God hymselfe. But betwene bodyes and soules a meruaylous great dif∣ference is there, nor are goddes gyftes in euerye manne lyke. It is perad∣uenture a thyng aboue mannes power, wholye to abstayne from the acte of matrimonie. Blessed are they, to whome god hath gyuen suche strength: but god in his people hath loued this varietie, that some in gyftes shoulde excelle other, all whiche varietie shoulde wonderfullye make towarde the swete armonie and comlynes of the whole. Lette no manne therfore re∣proue another mannes state, nor be sorye for his owne, but let euerye manne accordyng to his power godlye vse that gyfte, whiche god hath geuen hym. There is a chaste wedlocke, and there is an vnchaste virginitie. And this haue ye my counsel, touchyng marying and kepyng youre wyues.

Nowe vnderstande my mynde lykewyse, as touchyng youre question of seconde mariages. For among you (as I heare) some are there, whiche, albeit denye not but that ye are in a fredome, and maye marrye, yet when one by the deathe of the other is made free, they woulde not haue you mar∣rye agayne. Of these doubtes this thinke I. Yf any manne by reason of the death of his wyfe become single, or yf anye womanne by reason of her hus∣bandes death be wydowe, very well doen were it, if they be able, thencefurth to lyue chaste, yf neither he seeke for a wyfe, nor she for another husbande, but that bothe dedicate theyr freedome vnto goddes seruice. That haue I for myne owne parte chosen whiche I thoughte beste, because nothing shoulde lette me from preachyng gods worde, whiche I so hartely fauoure, that for loue thereof I litle set by suche pleasures, as are in marriage.

Nowe and yf I knewe, that all menne were of thesame mynde, I woulde not lette to call and exhorte euery manne to doe, as I doe. But synce the disposicions of mennes myndes and bodyes are so vnlyke, vnmeete is it to gyue all menne one kynde of counsell, but in this rather lette euerye manne weyghe his owne strengthe, and so folowe that kynde of lyfe, whereunto by nature he thynketh hymselfe moost meete. Lette suche one, as vpon a profe had of Matrimonie feeleth hymselfe vnable to resiste the violente and burnyng assaultes of the fleshe, rather marrye agayne, that by lawfull ma∣trimonie he maye remedye his vnchastnes, than by lyuyng syngle, through the vehemente desyre of the fleshe, be in ieopardie of a more grieuouse of∣fence.

So that in this neither compel I men to marie, nor yet forbyd mariage, but leaue euery man in fredome to weyghe with hymselfe, what is expediente. For nothyng haue I herein to prescribe vnto you, as taught vnto me of the Lorde. But this require I of you, as commaunded by Iesus Christe. Suche as are vnmaried, stande free, (as I saye) either to marie or not ma∣rye, as they iudge best, so that in theyr doinges they haue an iye to nothing, but to Christes glorye. But when a man is once maried, I would not haue that done, whiche is among Iewes and gentiles commonlye seene, that for euerie small matier a diuorce be made. For god hathe forbydden menne, for small offences to refuse theyr wyues, notwithstandyng Moses once in this poynte fauourably bare with the Iewes, not because he thought it good so to doe, but fearyng, leste the Iewes beyng a stubberne kynde of people and readye to do mischiefe, vpon deniall of diuorces mighte happelye doe suche thynges as are muche wurse, than anye diuorce. One cause the Lorde hym∣selfe excepted, yf the wyfe with another commyt aduoutrie: whiche thyng he doeth either because she is then fallen from the righte of wedlocke, whiche promisyng her bodye to one manne onelye hathe neuertheles departed with it vnto another, or els because it semeth an vnreasonable thyng, to con∣strayne any manne, to haue with her one house, one bedde, one fyer, and one table common▪ whiche falselye breakyng her promyse made in mariage, than whiche nothing is more holy, hath with a foule aduouterer abused her bodye. So strong and stedfaste woulde Christe haue this felowshyppe to bee. Vnlesse therfore anye suche thyng chaunce, let neither the wyfe departe from her husbande, nor the husbande thruste his wyfe from hym. But yf through other displeasures any debate aryse, by meane whereof the wyfe chaunceth to departe from her husbande, leste she throughe her owne folye stande without hope of reconcilyng, lette her abyde vnmaried: yf she continewe vntouched and vndefiled, paraduenture her husbande, beeyng in a better moode wyll be contente to receyue her agayne: but a corrupte womanne who wyll receyue? Nowe yf the womanne cannot so long re∣frayne her selfe, let her diligentlye labour to wynne her husbandes fauoure agayne. Yf she of her husbande cannot obtayne somuche, lette her assure her of this, that with whome soeuer she couple herselfe, thesame knotte maye happely be named mariage, but it is in very dede aduoutcie.

Notes

• Let euery man haue his owne wife.
• Wythdrawe not your selfes one frō another, excepte it be with consent for a time.
• Euery man hathe his proper gift of god.
• If they cannot ab∣stayne, lette thē marry: for it is bet∣ter to mar∣ry than to burne.
• Let not the wyfe be se∣perated frō the husbād.