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.

Nowe come I the thyrde tyme vnto you: in the mouth of two or thre witnesses shall e∣uery woorde be stablyshed. I tolde you before, and tell you before: and as I sayed when I was present with you the seconde tyme, so wryte I nowe beyng absent, to them whiche in tyme past haue synned, and to all other: that yf I come agayne, I wyll not spare, seyng that ye seke experience of Christ whiche speaketh in me, which amonge you is not weake, but is myghtie in you. For though he was crucifyed in weaknes, yet lyueth he throwe the power of God. And we no dout are weake in him: but we shal liue with him: by the myght of God amonge you.

THis shalbe my thyrde cummyng vnto you, againste which let euery of you be in a readines. For I wil no lōger wynke at matters, but minde in them to procede straitly, and as the extreme rigoure of the lawe will. Whosoeuer shall be accused, shall by the wytnes of two or thre either be quited or condemned. Once haue I already warned you, and agayne nowe warne you, and as I sayed, when I was present with you the se∣conde tyme, so wryte I vnto you nowe beyng absent, not only to them, whiche euen at that tyme hadde offended, but also to all such, as are offenders, yf I fynde them vnamended, forasmuch as I haue nowe twyse geuen you warnyng, I will no more spare you, as I haue hertofore done. For what meane you? Seke ye to your owne displeasure to haue experience, whether suche thynges as I speake, I speake of my selfe, or by the spirite of Christe, which by me speaketh vnto you? What, despise ye hym also, as weake? He towarde you was not weake, though he once were suche vnto the Iewes and Pilate, but rather among you he declared himselfe mighty, by whose name ye sawe the dead to liue againe, deuils to flee, and the sycke to be made whole. For albeit he once touching the weakenes of nature, whiche he had taken vpon hym, would he faste∣ned vpon a crosse, yet must he not therfore be coumpted as weake. He dyed by reasō of the infirmitie of his body, but he lyueth through the power of God the father. Lykewise we Apostles, though folowyng the steppes of Christ our maister, to vnbeleuers seme feble, whyles we are of them bea∣ten, emprisoned, and reuiled, yet through the power of God, mightie shal we be by hym againste you, yf you with stoubernes prouoke my pacience.

The texte▪

Proue your selfes: whether ye are in the fayth or not. Examen your owne selues: knowe ye not your owne selues howe that Iesus Christe is in you, excepte ye be cast awayes? I trust ye shall knowe, that we are not cast awayes. I desyre before God that ye doe none e∣uyll, not that we should seme commendable, but that ye should doe that whiche is honest▪ and let vs be counted as castawayes: We can doe nothyng against the trueth, but for the trueth. We are glad when we are weake and ye strong. This also we wishe for, euen your perfectnesse. Therfore wryte I these thynges beyng absente, leste when I am presente, I should vse sharpenes, according to the power, whiche the Lorde hath geuen me, to edifie, and not to destroy. Finally brethren, fare ye well: be perfecte, be of good comforte, be of one mynde, lyue in peace, and the God of loue and peace▪ shalbe with you. Gr•••••• on: ano∣ther in an holy kysse. All the sayntes salute you. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christe, and the loue of God, and the felowshyp of the holy ghoste be with you all. Amen.

Seke not to haue a profe of vs, but rather proue your selfes, whether ye continew in the gyft of fayth, or els be fallen from it. Searche and ex∣amine one an other of you. Ye had playne experience by your workyng of miracles, and by sondrye other gyftes howe that not so muche as in you was Christ weake. Yf that power be gone from you, it is a plaine profe, that eyther your fayth is waxen faynte, or that Christe beyng displeased with your euyll lyfe hathe altered his good mynde to warde you. Ye knowe not your selfes, and wyll ye haue experience of me, when youre selfes knowe not, whether Christe bee in you, or not? For he is in you, yf the strength of faythe bee in you, onlesse peraduenture your faythe beeyng after a sorte safe, ye haue through vncleane lyuyng deserued to bee reiected of Christe. But howesoeuer the matter goe with you, I truste ye shall in vs euidently perceyue, that we are not forsaken. My faythe is whole, and thereby shall Christe in me bee able to punyshe al suche, as wyll not with a good will come to amendmente. But what sayd I, (I truste?) yea rather contrarie muche more wyshe we and desyer God that through your faultes I be not compelled to shewe my power, not because we feare, leste we be founde weake, if we goe a∣bout to shewe thesame, as some vaynly talke of me: this rather is my de∣syer, that we be coumpted as castawayes, so that ye be vpright and ho∣neste. For yf ye contynewe in fayth and godly lyfe, cause haue I none, whye to vse my power agaynste you. Nor refuse I after thys sorte to seme weake, and for thys to bee reakened to haue no power, because ye gaue me none occasion to exercise it. For agaynste the truth we can do no∣thyng, but whatsoeuer we can doe, all is for the truth: in somuche that we agaynste innocentes haue no power, but agaynste offenders are we of power. Yf there be in you nothing founde worthy of correccion, ye shall as it were vnarme vs, with innocencie declaryng your selfes mightie, by reason that ye shal fro me as a weake one take away the power geuen vnto me to punishe with all. The slaunderers of my name will saye I can doe nothing, affirmyng that I coulde not for some lacke in me, doe that thing, whiche by reason of your integritie I coulde not doe. But gladde am I, as often as after this sorte ye be stronge, though we be iudged weake, yea we be not only gladde, yf this so be, but also moste heartely wyshe, that I seme to lacke somewhat, so that ye be perfecte. And for this cause thought I it good more earnestly to warne you by letters, leste when I come, I myght be compelled to vse rigoure. Muche more wyshe I to haue you amended with threatnynge woordes, than to vse my power in punyshyng you, geuen vnto me of the Lord for your weale, and not to hurte you. Against innocentes I canne doe nothyng, but it ma∣keth muche matter, that suche as with haynouse vices corrupte your con∣gregacion, scape not alwaye vnpunished. I haue nowe in aduertising you done my parte, it remayneth, that ye doe yours. Diligently apply your selfe vnfaynedly to reioyce, all occasions of sorowe sette a parte, encrea∣sing styll from better to better, vntyll that ye become perfecte, amending suche thynges, as hurte your innocencie, that when your faultes are suf∣ficiently corrected, ye may of your amendemente take comforte. Agre to∣gether, and striue not eche one with other of you through sondrye opini∣ons,

lette there bee among you peace and mutuall loue. Yf ye so do, then wil the god of loue and auctour of peace, alwayes fauour you and with you bee contented. Greete eche one another of you in a holy kysse, not after the com∣mon sorte, but euen with your heartes, All the sayntes, whiche are here, grete you. The fauour of oure Lord Iesus Christ, and the loue of god the father, and the felowshyp of the holy ghost bee among you al: that acknowlegyng the benefite of the sonne, the charitie of the father towarde you, whiche in suche sorte loued you, that he gaue you his onely sonne to bee your redemer, and the goodnes of the holye ghost, by whome he alwaye geueth vs his gif∣tes, ye maye after the exaumple of the vndeuided trinite, lyue in a lyke vnitie, that is to witte in concord, bothe pure, & perfite.

Notes

• We can do nothyng a∣gainste the trueth but for the tru∣eth.