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 .x. Chapter.

The texte▪

¶I Paule my selfe beseche you by the meekenes and softenes of Christe whiche when I am presente among you, am of no reputacion: but am bolde towarde you, beeing absente. I beseche you that I neede not to be bolde when I am presente (with that same confidence, where with I am supposed to haue bene bolde) againste some which repute vs as though we walked carnally. For though we walke in the fles••, yet we ••o not warre fleshly. For the weapens of our warrefare are not carnall thynges, but thinges mighty in God to caste downe strong holdes, wherewith wee ouerthrowe councels and euerye hye thyng that exalteth itselfe againste the knowledge of God, and bring into captiuitie all imaginacion to the obedience of Christe, & are readye to take vengeaunce on all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Loke ye on thin∣ges after the vtter appearaunce?

BVt to let passe these thinges, & to come to other, I that am no meane apostle, but the verye selfesame Paule, whome ye knowe well, whiche for your sake bothe haue suffered and dooe suffer so greate troubles, doe be∣seche you, for the mekenes, softenes, and mercie of Ie∣sus Christ, whose exaumple folowyng, I dooe humble my selfe among you, outwardelye so behauyng my self, as though I were some rascall and an outcaste, not ta∣king vpō me an apostles dignitie and authoritie, which the false apostles thynke to stande in highe lookes, and yet in myne absence, (as these caytifes quarell) fraye you with roughe and cruell letters, beeyng bolde vpon youre obedience: I beseche you (I saye) so to redresse youre lyfe, that at my cummyng, I bee not compelled to execute the selfesame authoritie once a∣gayne, which I seame to haue vsed agaynst certaine false apostles, which thin∣kyng me to bee suche as they bee, reporte, that I carnally lyue among you, as a flatterer, while I am presente to courye fauel for feare, and beeyng absente, b•• letters, boaste my selfe, as though I feared nothyng. Nothyng do I of a∣ny carnall minde, but whatsoeuer I do▪ alis for your weale, and for the glory of the gospel. For though we bee clothed with this mortall fleashe, yet warre

wee not vnder the rule and gouernaunce of the fleashe, but holpen wyth the as∣sistence of the spirite of god. As lowe and weake as ye thinke vs, yet are we not vnweaponed, nor without strength to suppresse the aduersaries of the gospel. For the weapons of our spiritual warrefare, are not mighty by reason of yron or steele, as worldlye mennes are wont to be, but mighty by the power of god, able to throwe downe all that euerseameth stronglye buylded agaynste hym. ••ith these ouerthrow we and tourne vpsyd down al crafty deuises, and euery high state of wicked people, whiche exalte and auaunce themselfes vpon theyr worldly wisedome agaynst the wisedome of god, which we by the gospel pro∣fesse: and not only suppresse, but also subdue & bryng into captiuitie al world∣lye imaginacion, to make the same hencefoorth obediente vnto Christe, whome it before resisted. But and yf any manne stubbernly rebelle, readye are wee to re∣uenge vpon al disobedience, which power for your sakes we haue hytherto for∣borne, leste by vsing extremitie vpon such as are among you, and such as some of you as yet fauoure, supposyng that they bee excellente apostles, we myghte trouble your commen quietenesse, whiche I will yet hereafter vse paraduenture when I see your obedience growen to suche perfeccion, that ye canne quietly be contented, that suche shoulde bee excluded out of youre coumpanye, as ye were with the punishemente of the haynous and incestuous fornicatoure. I tell you that the dignitie and power of an apostle is not a bodily power, but a spiritu∣all. Are ye yet no wiser, but to iudge an apostle by suche thynges, as are seene, lyke as the commen people esteame a Lorde to bee a gaye felowe by his oute∣warde ambicious por••e, gyftes of fortune, and bande of men?

The texte.

Yf any manne truste in himselfe that he is Christes, let him consider this agayne af himselfe, that as ••e is Christes, euen so are wee Christes. For though I boast my self s••m••∣what more of oure authoritie (whiche the Lorde hath geuen vs to edifie and not to destroy you) it shal not bee to my shame, leste I shoulde seame as thoughe I wente aboute to make you afrayed with letters. For the epistles (saieth he) are sore and strong, but his bo∣dily presence is weake, and his speche rude. Let him that is suche, thinke on this wise: y^• as wee are in woordes by letters when we are absente, suche are wee in deedes when we are presente.

For a tyme I nothyng speake of false apostles, but generally speakyng this I saye: yf any man thynke that he is Christes, eyther because he saw him in his mortall bodye here in earth, or because he is vnto hym of nigh aliaunce and kin∣red, lette hym agayne likewise remembre this wyth hymselfe, that as he is Christes so are wee Christes, and so in this beehalfe, wee are as good as he, so y^• nothing hath he, wherewith to please hymselfe, and to despyse vs. It is the spirite whiche maketh vs ••igher to Christe, and not carnall kynred. Nothyng dooe I yet hytherto, but make my selfe equall with other apostles. But now & yf I somewhat tooke vpon me aboue them, and gloried of myne authoritie, or rather not myne but geuen vnto me of the Lorde, and geuen vnto me to doo•• you good, and not to hurte, I thynke it should not be to my shame, as thoughe I had more vaynly bosted of my self, than truely. But of my hyghe authoritye will I speake nothyng, lest any thinke, that I with threatening epistles would make you afrayed.

For so sayeth one, whome I for honours sake name not: Paule sendeth arro∣gante and vehemente letters: But when he is presente, he is altogether vnlike hymselfe, that is to we••e, both of a weake bodye, wherein there is no maiestye, and in hys speche so rude, that it in no parte resembleth that authoritye, wher∣wyth his epistles, as it were, thunder and lyghten. He that for this despiseth our authoritie, I do hym well to we••e, that as my speche is in myne epistles, when I am absence, whiche these menne saye is vehemente, suche is oure pow∣er and authoritie beeyng presente, yf wee see cause, why to vse it. To bragge wyth woordes suche thynges, as I cannot in deede perfourme, is for lyghte persones, and not for me.

The texte▪

For wee cannot fynde in oure hertes to make oure selues of the noumbre of them, or to compare oure selfes to them whiche prayse themselues. Neuerthelesse whyle they mea∣sure themselues wyth themselues, and compare themselues wyth themselues, they vnder∣stande noughte. But we will not reioyce aboue measure: but accordyng to the measure of the rule, whiche God hath distributed vnto vs, a measure to reache euen vnto you. For wee stretche not oure selues beyonde measure, as thoughe wee reached not vnto you. For euen to you also haue we come wyth the Gospel of Christ, and wee boaste not oure selues oute of mea∣sure in other men••es labours. Yea, and wee hope it wyll cumme to passe that when your faith is increased among you, wee shal bee magnified accordyng to oure measure more largelye, and that I shal preache the Ghospell in those regions whiche are beeyonde you: and not to boaste of those thynges, whiche by another mannes measure are prepared alreadye. But lette hym that reioyseth, reioyce in the Lorde. For he that prayseth hymselfe, is not alowed, but he whō the Lorde prayseth.

Nor canne wee fynde in oure heartes to accoumpt our selfes in the noum∣bre of them, or to compare oure authoritie wyth suche, as wyth deceytefull meanes, and crakyng woordes auaunce themselfes, and not with deedes: whiche in the meane season forgea••e, howe they measure not themselfes by theyr owne dooynges, but settefoorthe themselfes in comparison of menne without courage, as they themselfes bee, nor by anye other waye proue theyr owne syngularnesse, but by deprauynge other mennes actes, and praysynge theyr owne. God forbydde, that wee shoulde wythoute ende glorye, as these dooe. For and yf euerye manne hadde the desyre to bee taken for so greate, as he with arrogauncye woulde make hymselfe, certaynelye there woulde bee of boastyng ney••her measure nor ende. Nor yet take wee vpon vs other mennes glorye, but accordyng vnto the measure and condicion of suche actes, as we haue by Goddes helpe doone, esteame oure selues, as wee bee. So that as∣muche as he gaue vs, so muche take we vpon vs, and beyonde thys, glory not we. And surelye wee haue not sklendrelye enlarged the dominion of oure capi∣tayne, as whiche came euen as farre as to you, not of myne owne head onely, but sente by God. A sufficient matter to glorye of haue wee, in that we came not vnto you after the commen sorte, but after suche a sorte, that by vs the gospell of Christe was preached vnto you, so that wee neede not with hyghe woordes to prayse oure selfes, as thoughe wee in deede reached not vnto you, whyche els wyse were not verye easye to bee wo••••e. Nor came wee vnto you beyng alreadye brought into beliefe, as false apostles vse to do, but fyrst of al other perswaded you in it.

Nor boaste wee oure selfes aboue measure of other mennes labours, takynge vpon vs the prayse of other mennes actes, as cowardly capitaines dooe which chalenge the prayses of winnyng a holde whiche another manne gote. But ra∣ther wee truste, that as your fayth daylye encreaseth and groweth more and more, wee shall also through you geate more praise, accordyng vnto the marke appoynted vnto vs by God, and preache also the gospell of Christe in coun∣treyes beyonde you, and so auaunce hys banners further then wee haue hy∣therto doone, not dooyng these actes throughe anothers guidyng, as an vn∣der souldier, nor enteryng vpon that, which is already gotten, and so malapert∣ly taking vpon vs y^• praise of other mennes labours, but at this point are wee rather, not onely not to boaste our selfes of other mennes actes, but also not to take vpon me the glorye of myne owne, knowyng that whosoeuer doth reioyce, muste reioyce in Christes name, whose businesse he doeth. Nor is he commended of god, whiche bloweth abrode hys own prayses, but he that is chosen of God as a meete persone, and faythefullye doothe the office cō∣mitted vnto hym, is the onely one, whome the Lorde approueth and prayseth.