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.
Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536., Coverdale, Miles, 1488-1568., Old, John, fl. 1545-1555., Allen, Edmund, 1519?-1559.
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Howbeit wherin soeuer any man dare be bolde (I speake foolishly) I dare be bolde also. They are Hchrues, euen so am I▪ They are Israelites, euen so am I. They are the sede of Abrahā, euen so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speake as a foole) I am more. In labore more aboūdaunt: In st••ps aboue measure: In prieson more plentousy: In death out. Of y Iewes ••ue tmes receiued I euery ••ne fortie stripes saue one. Thrise was I beaten with oddes. I was once stoned. I suffered thrise •••pwracke. Nyghte and day haue I bene in the dpesa. In ourneing often: •• parels of waters: •• parels of robbers: In ••opardies o••ne one ne••o: in eoperdies among the Heathen: in parels in the ••te: in parels in wydernes: in parels in the ea: in parels mong false brethren: in labor and trauail: in watching oten: in hunger: in thiste: in fastnges often: in could and in nakednes: besyde the thynges which ou••ardly happen vnto me. I ••••• bred dayly and doe ar for al congregacions. ho is weake, & I am not weake? Who is offended, and I burne not? If I ust nedes boaste, I will boaste o the thinges that concerne myne infirmities.

And (for a while to speake lyke a foole) what crake they of, or what is it that maketh them so much to stand in their own conceites, wherin I can not match thē? They would haue it seme a great mater to bee an Hebrue, as though god much regarded of what stoke a man cūmeth, and yet if it bee any thing wurth to bee an Hebrue borne, I am an Hebrue also. They are Israelites, so am I: they are of the sede of Abraham, euen so am I. For with such vain tytles brag they themselues, in which yet if we lusted to glory, we are as good as they, & in such poyntes, whiche verely make toward the glorye of an apostle, we passe them. They are the ministers of Christ, let it be so, but (to speake thys foolishly but yet truely) more am I. That I so am, I declared neither wth high looke, nor with takyng of presentes, nor by braggyng of my kyndred, but by suche meanes, as uidētly proued mine apostolique spirite. I haue takē more paines than any of them, more stryes haue I suffered, more oft times emprisoned, in eoprdie of death more often And if ye lust to heare a particular rehearsall, of the Iewes fyue tymes receyued I euery time fortye stripes saue one: thryse was I beaten with argeauntes roddes, once was I stoned, thrise suffered I shipwracke, night and day haue I bene in the deape sea, not without extreme desperacyon of my lyfe. What nede I of these to make a syngulare rehearsall? synce I for the gospels sake haue oftimes bene in ieoperdie, not onely by sea, but also by lande: oftentymes in ieoperdies of waters, in peryll of robbers, in perill by reason of perecucion of the Iewes, in eoperdies among the violent Heathen, in perill in the ci•••s, in peril in wildernes, in peril in the sea, when we were lyke to haue bene slayne of the mariners: in ieoperdie of suche, which vn∣der the false name of christian men resisted our gospel. Now wil I let passe my continual labours and trauayls taken for the Gospels sake, and not reheare my continual and often watchinges, my hūger and thrust suffered often times, my often fastynges, nor the payne of coldenesse and nakednes. But the paines, which I haue hitherto rehersed, appertain onely to bodely affliccion, which in the meane season was lykewyse in no lesse trouble and carefulnesse of mynde, which I take for suche a multitude of congregacions, which I so hartely ten∣der, that whatsoeuer chaunceth vnto them, I thinke it to chaūce vnto my self. For whose miseries am I not as sory as for myne owne? Who is weake and diseased, with whose weakenes, I am not also gieued my selfe? Who is offē∣ded, with whose displeasures I am not in mind offēded? Yf I must nedes bost, rather wil I bost of such thinges, which shew mine infirmitie, than of such, as shew my greatnes. Let other bost, how for y gospels sake they are much made of that they grow riche, that vnder Christes tytle they beare great rule, more ūly thinke it to boast, y I for Christes sake haue suffered vilany & affliccion.