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 .v. Chapiter.

The texte.

¶ Stande faste therfore in the libertie, wherwith Christe hath made vs free, and wrappe not youre selues agayne in the yoke of bondage.

NOwe remayneth there nothyng, but that ye stedfastlye continewe in that ye haue once gotten. For what mad∣nes is it to forsake the liberall gyfte and freedome, wherin Christe of his especiall fauer hath sette you, and to become bonde? We, which of that paynfull bondage haue had experience, are glad and reioyse of oure liber∣tie, and are ye of youre libertie in suche sorte weaty, that ye are content to become bonde?

The texte.

¶ Beholde I Paule saye vnto you, that yf ye be circumcised, Christe shall profite you nothing at all.

But this wyse peraduenture ye deceyue your selfe saying, we renounce not Christ, but because we would be of euerlasting saluacion in more assu∣raunce, we ioyne Christe and the lawe together. But I tell you, that as Christe would haue this his whole benefite comen to all, so woulde he on∣lye be thanked for all, nor in this bounteouse gyfte of his, wyll he haue a∣ny copartener. But because ye shall the better vnderstande, how great a ieopardy it is to turne backe to Iewishnes: beholde, I Paule the A∣postell of the Gentiles, whome ye well knowe, yea and an apostle appoin∣ted by Christe hymselfe tell you playnly, that yf ye be circumcised, Christe shall nothyng at all profite you. Yf ye perfitelye beleue, that he is able to gyue all men healthe euerlastyng, why seeke ye for circumcision? I•• ye mistruste and feare, leste he be not able, then know ye not yet the benefite of Christe, wherof suche as mistrust, cannot be partakers: synce that gyfte is giuen to suche as beleue and truste, and not so muche for any desearte of oure workes. Either muste ye whollye become Iewes, & forsake Christ, or els christians wholly, and forsake Iewyshnes▪ As for suche as playe with both handes, he cannot awaye with, nor wyl haue newe wyne poured into olde bottels, nor yet olde wyne into newe bottels. Nor can he beare with to haue newe clothe sowed or patched to an olde garmente, nor olde clothe to be patchedlye sowed into a newe.

If the bondage of Iewyshenes were easye, it neded not peraduenture to be passed vpon: yf the rewarde for it were great, then should the payne therof in some parte be therby recompensed. But nowe, besydes that the burden is exceadyng paynful, ye shal not only by takyng of it not haue auauntage, but also great hurte.

The texte.

I testifie agayne to euery man, whiche is circumcised, that he is bounde to kepe the whole lawe. Christ is become but in vayne vnto you: as manye of you, as are iustified by the lawe, are fallen from grace.

Beware, leste with suche standyng in your owne conceytes ye deceyue your selues, saying we wyl not to the whole burden of the lawe be bound, somewhat wyl we take of the lawe, as for example circumcision onlye, lest we seme vtterly to refuse it, as for sacrificyng of beastes, with suche other obseruaunces of the lawe, them wyll we not medle with. But because ye shall not be deceyued, I tell all men playnlye whosoeuer doth circumcise hym selfe, whether he be Iewe or Gentile, the same man maketh hymselfe bonde to the kepyng of the whole lawe. For as throughe baptisme menne wholy belong to Christe: so, whoso is circumcised, byndeth hymselfe to all the law, for circumcision is the marke, wherby he becommeth a Iew. The vncircumcised Gentiles stande in libertie to gather here and there out of the lawe, suche thinges as are nedefull, but the circumcised are bounde to the whole lawe. Whoso is content to receyue circumcision, muste lykewise therwith receyue sacrifices, kepyng of the Sabboth, feastes of the newe Moone, washynges, choyse of meates, standing fasting dayes, with suche other lyke. Now wylfully to submit youre selfe to so great a burden, is it not a playne poynt of madnes, speciallye for no other rewarde, but to be vnder a moste paynful and vnprofitable bondage, fallyng from Christ y^• only gyuer of libertie and saluacion? For yf, as I nowe haue ofte tymes tolde you, ye looke to purchase perfite iustice by helpe of the law, which by a confidence in workes promiseth a certayne perfecciō, surely ye are gone and departed ferre from the felowshyp of Christe, who woulde haue his gyfte to be free, and not gyuen for desertes. And then, yf ye be once depar∣ted from Christes felowshyp, the lawe wyll do you no good neither, but rather be your confusion. For yf there were of the lawe anye vse and profit before the lyght of the gospel (as there was) al that, by the gospel preached and taught is quite gone. Yf ye esteme the lawe, Christe is abolyshed. But if ye receiue Christ, then muste the lawe gyue place. When I speake of the lawe, I vnderstande the groce and carnall parte of Moses lawe, whome the Iewes stifly mayntayne by the corporal obseruaunces therof promy∣sing themselues perfite righteousnes, thinkyng that the bloud of beastes sprinkled vpon them, pourgeth the soule from synne, and that washyng in water, scoureth out the filthines of soules, & that cleane or vncleane meat pourgeth or defileth the mynde.

The texte.

We looke for hope in the spirite to be iustified through faith. For in Iesu Christ, nei∣ther is circumcision any thyng worthe, neither yet vncircūcision, but fayth which wor∣keth by loue.

We contrariwyse embracyng the spirituall parte of the lawe, looke not for y^• righteousnes promised by any supersticiouse obseruaunces of corpo∣rall ceremonies, but by that we throughe the gospel beleue, that by Chri∣stes death we freelye receyue innocencie of lyfe, and full saluacion.

Nothyng skylleth it, whether ye come to Christe, circumcised or vn∣circumcised, synce all this mattier standeth, not in kepyng of the lawe,

but in fayth, whiche albeit be without the workes of Moses lawe, yet is she not idle, but secretly worketh a vehement onwardnes to all godlynes, not so muche because the lawe so byddeth, but for charities sake, whiche withoute bydding euen of her owne accorde dothe muche more than is a∣ny law with manacing wordes or punishment able to get out. Yf ye haue charitie, what nede is there to haue the rules of the lawe? If ye lacke her, what auayleth you the kepyng of the lawe?

The texte.

Ye did runne wel: who was a let vnto you, that ye should not beleue the truthe? (cō∣sente vnto noman.) Euen the counsel whiche came not of hym, that calleth you. A lytle leauen dothe leauen the whole loumpe of dowe.

In the course of the gospell, ye dyd once runne apace, makyng hastye spede euen the very ryght waye towarde the chiefe game of euerlastyng blysse, who was he that stayed your course? why approue ye not continu∣ally that thing wherewith ye were once well pleased? Why go ye frō your intended purpose, folowing other mennes myndes an other whyle? Be∣ware that no mannes authoritie weyghe so muche with you, y^• it make you drawe backe from your course apoynted. It is a foule shame for you now to fall to shadowes, after that ye once gaue credēce to the truthe. I taught you nothing, but that was commaunded me by god. But they y^• labour to persuade you the contrarie, lettyng therby the encrease of your fayth, and callyng you from youre profession, to a Iewyshenes, folowe not god, as theyr authour, (who through faythe hath called you into his fauour, and not to a Iewyshnes, through receyuing of circumcision) but folow world∣ly desyres, seekyng for theyr gaynes, glorie, and maynteynaunce of theyr tyrannie. Diligently take hede, and beware of theyr persuasions. They are but fewe, but onles ye auoyde the same fewes companie, it is to be fea∣red, leste they corrupte the whole multitude, and deface the puritie of your religion, euen as ye see, a lytle leauen sowreth the whole batche, wherwith it is myngled, castyng by lytle the sournes of it self, throughout the whole dowe, whiche before was swete. Be there neuer so smal a poynt of Iewish∣nes myngled with the gospel, the same lytle wyll corrupte in you the pure∣nes therof.

The texte.

I haue truste towarde you in the Lorde, that ye shall be none otherwyse mynded. But he that troubleth you, shall beare his iudgement, whatsoeuer he be.

But forasmuche as ye haue hitherto staggered throughe the entice∣ment of other, I despayre not, but that ye wyll hencefurth stedfastlye con∣tinewe in youre olde godly purpose, standyng in this truste, muche vpon knowledge and triall of youre natures, but speciallye vpon the helpe of Christe, who wrought in you to begynne with a mery chere, and wyll lyke∣wyse worke in you grace, manfully to continew. But whosoeuer he be, that hath with new learning troubled the quietnes and purenes of your faith, albeit he deceyue menne, yet shall he not escape goddes iudgement.

Hym at this tyme for certayne consideracions vtter I not, nor vse extre∣mitie agaynste hym, but at goddes handes, to whome he is not vnknow∣en, he is sure to be punyshed, who is without regarde of any mannes au∣thoritie, whome he hath muche rather offended than me. Nor let this moue you, though some saye, that I abhorre not the kepyng of the law▪ whiche haue with the Iewes lyued lyke a Iewe, and caused Timothie to be circumcised. I dyd so by compulsion, and oftentimes resisting, gyuyng yet place at that tyme, wherin I sawe no greate ieopardie at hande in so doyng, and contrarie, yf I had not done it, there had bene a great commo∣cion. But nowe vpon diuersities of the tyme and circumstaunce, expedi∣ent it is to folowe another way. And to tell you briefly herein my mynde, it is not all one to suffer and permit circumcision, and to preache it. I suf∣fered Timothie to be circumcised, but I neuer taught, that either he, or a∣nye els should be circumcised.

So lykewyse when I oftetymes was conuersaunt among the Iew∣es, I abstayned from meates forbydden by the lawe, but neuer enioyned I vnto anye man, that suche choyse in meates shoulde be had, but rather taught the contrarie, that it forced nothyng what kynde of meates a mā eate, so that he vse them soberly and with thankes geuyng to god. The tyme was, when it was nedefull to beare with the sinistre rooted persuasi∣on of the Iewes, but nowe, synce the gospell is clearelye knowen, and the Iewes stubbernely labour to drawe the Gentiles into theyr supersticion, it is neither wel done, nor ieopardiles to beare with it any lynger, but ra∣ther besemeth it euery man, boldely to preache, that Moses lawe is expi∣red, and that all men ought to embrace the libertie of the gospell.

The texte.

Brethren yf I yet preache circumcision, why do I then suffer persecucion? Then is the sclaunder of the crosse ceased. I woulde to god, they were separated from you, whiche trouble you.

For yf this were trewe, that they reporte of me, that I preache, and set furth circumcision, what cause is there then whye vntyll this daye the Iewes so maliciously and hatefully persecute me? Thence is al my coun∣trey mennes displeasure against me, because I in suche sorte preache Chri∣stes gospell, that therwith I teache, that Moses lawe is gone and abo∣lished. The Iewes thynke, that they among men should be more made of, yf the rites of Moses law might be myngled with Christes doctrine. But nowe great enuie haue they that all other people through fayth are recei∣ued into goddes fauour, whyles they vpon them carie about them the vn¦profitable marke of circumcision. And this is the cause, why they without al pitie haue long tyme gone about my destrucciō, because I euery where preache and promi••e all men perfite weale, without any helpe of circumci∣sion. Yf it so were, that I preached circumcisiō, as some falsly report of me, why do the Iewes styll persecute me, synce the cause of al theyr displeasure borne towarde me is vtterly taken awaye? Trust ye me ye people of Ga∣lacia, my preachyng hath alwayes ben one, and so shall it hencefurth con∣tinewe lyke.

On youre parte see lykewyse, that your fayth be, as myne is. For so farre am I from the mynde to agree with them, that teache circumcision, that yf theyr stubbernes wyll not suffer them to forsake theyr lawe, rather thā they should vtterly withdrawe you from the gospell, and with theyr per∣suasions plucke you out of the ryght waye, I woulde wyshe them vtter∣ly separate from the felowshyp of the gospell. Yf they be so frowardly gy∣uen to circumcision, god graunt them not only to be circumcised, but also to be vtterly cutte of, that they maye more plenteously haue theyr desyer. Better is it, that they only perishe, than drawe so many other with them in to damnacion.

The texte.

Brethren ye were called into libertie: only let not your libertie be an occasion vnto the fleshe, but by loue (of the spirite) serue one an other▪ For all the lawe is fulfylled in one worde whiche is this: thou shalte loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. Yf ye byte and deuoure one another: take hede, leste ye be lykewyse consumed one of another.

Synce they are so content, let them styll continewe on in theyr shame∣full bondage. But ye my brethren throughe the gospell are called to liber∣tie, and not to be bonde. So that nothyng elles nowe remayneth, but to take hede, that the libertie gyuen vnto you by the spirite of Christe be not applyed, to y^• occasion of fleashlye lustes. The bondage of the lawe is in suche sorte taken awaye, that in her steede is come charitie taughte by the gospell, whiche by fayre meanes obtayneth more than the lawe was able to do with compulsion. And yet for all that among frendes, of whome one is glad to do for an other, there is nor may stershyp nor bondage. The law byddeth noman to put his lyfe in ieopardye for defence of his frende, nor that a man shoulde by defraudyng nature ease his brothers nede, nor that thou whiche arte stronger, shouldest beare with the weaker, or the learned with the vnlearned, or the better with the worse, all whiche yet commaun∣deth charitie, whiche so alwaye telleth, that thynges are to be done, not by force, but euen of good wyll▪ and voluntarily. Besyde this onlye charitie comprisyng in her the whole strength and effecte of the lawe briefly, bryn∣geth that aboute, that the lawe with so many rules and threatnynges is not able to do.

For all that the brablyng law with so many rules laboreth to bryng to passe, all that is in a shorte sentence concluded, written in Liuiticum, whiche is this, thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. Wherfore yf ye with charitie be knytte together, ye shall one by an others diligent la∣bour helpe an other, and with mutuall seruice labour to comforte other. But contrarye, yf ye, as carnal men are wont, do disagree eche one hating an other, and not onlye helpe not eche one another, but also backbite and gnawe one another, and not onlye backbyte and gnawe, but lyke outragi∣ouse wylde beastes, asmuche as in you is. deuoure other, great cause sure∣lye haue ye to feare, leste ye lyke beastes tearyng one another be with ey∣thers woundes destroyed.

To this inconuenience fall they, whiche beyng withoute the charitie taught by the gospell stycke styll to the carnall law, whyles they measure

al thynges by theyr priuate commodities, wheras contrary christian cha∣ritie is in a readynes to do other men good.

The texte.

I say▪ walke in the spirite, and fulfill not the lustes of the fleshe. For the fleshe lu∣steth contrary to the spirite, and the spirite contrarye to the fleshe, these are contrarye one to an other, so that ye cannot do, whatsoeuer ye would. But and if ye be led of the spirite, then are ye not vnder the lawe.

The whole effecte of my woordes drawe to this ende, that forsomuche as ye are deliuered from the bondage of Moses carnal lawe, ye should leade your life accordyng to the spiritual lawe of charitie, as ye shall in dede do, if ye neither esteme perfite righteousnes to stande in Iewishe ceremonies, nor liue vnder carnal desires. If ye liue vnder carnal lustes ye shal alway be vnder the lawe. Endeuour ye therfore to leade a spiri∣tual life, & if ye thus do, then shal ye abstaine frō suche actes, as the fleshe shal prouoke you vnto. For as▪ in one manne there is a grosse and heauy body, and a soule that is heauenly and immortal, and as in one law there is a grosse parte, whom we call the letter, and again a heauenly thyng, whiche is called the spirite: so in one mannes soule one power there is, whiche styl calleth to goodnes, and an other to this power contrary, like vnto the body & the letter of the law, whiche prouoketh vs to dishonestie. Betwene these partes there is a cōtinual battaile, whiles the fleshe figh∣teth against the spirite, and the spirite against the fleshe. Well may the fleshe be restrained frō her desyres, but yet wyll it not be so oppressed, but that it wyl labor and striue against the spirite. And if the fleshe happen to haue the vpper hand, it is sometyme seen, that where a man hath a desyre to godlines, yet beyng ouercomen by the fleshe, he doth suche thinges, as he knoweth should be auoyded. And if the spirite of Christ sufficiently moue you to do willyngly suche thynges, as are good & godly, then hath Moses lawe vpon you none authoritie.

The texte.

The dedes of the fleshe are manyfest, whiche are these, adultrie, fornicacion, vnclen∣nes, wantonnes, worshippyng of idolles, witchecrafte, hatred, variaunce, zeale, wrath, strife, sedicion, sectes, enuiyng, murder, drōkennes, glotonie, and suche like: of the whi∣che I tel you before, as I haue tolde you in tyme past, that they whiche committe suche thinges, shal not be inheritors of the kyngdome of God.

But because ye shal not be ignorant, the spirite wherof we now speake, is a thyng that cannot be seen, the fleshe may be seen. And yet is it not hard to coniecture, whether a man be seruaunt to the fleshe, or be ledde by the spirite of God. For as the welsprynges be, suche are the waters and other that flowe from thence. A mannes life, maners, & doynges plainly shewe what a man is within. But because we wyl not at this tyme speake of doubtful or hidden matters, these be they, that make plaine profe, that a man is styl seruaunt to the fleshe, notwithstannyng he be baptised, and haue shaken of the bondage of the lawe, aduoutry (I say) fornicacion, vn∣clennes, wātonnes, idolatry, witchecrafte, hatred, variance, zeale, wrath, strise, sedicion, sectes, enuy, murder, dronkennes, glotony. To these who∣soeuer be bonde, albeit the same man be baptised, yet is he not throughly▪

free, but bondslaue to naughtie desyres. Nor be ouer bolde, because ye are baptised, or for your workyng of myracles. What tyme I was a∣mong you, I warned you, and now by my letter I earnestly warne you a¦gaine, that al they whiche do suche thinges, shalbe excluded from the en∣heritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen.

The texte.

Contraryly, the fruite of the spirite is loue, ioy, peace, long sufferyng, gentlenes, goodnes, faythfulnes, mekenes, temperancie. Against suche there is no lawe. They truely, that are Christes, haue crucified the fleshe with the affeccions and lustes.

On the othersyde, suche as are perfitely free, and ruled by the spirite of God are knowen by these fruites. For with this spirite are ioyned cha∣ritie, ioy, peace, long sufferyng, gentlenes, goodnes, faythfulnes, meke∣nes, temperancie. They that of theyr owne good wyll do these, haue no nede to be pricked foorth with compulsories of the lawe, for them theyr owne innocencie maketh free from it. Besyde this, they that truely are Christes, as it besemeth spiritual people, haue crucified the fleshe with all the vices and desires therof. For by baptisme we dye with Christ, and are buried also with him.

The texte.

If we li••e in the spirite, let vs walke in the spirite. Let vs not be desirous of vayne glory, prouokyng one an other, enuiyng one at an other.

We may not stande doubtfully betwene the fleshe and the spirite, whe∣ther of both we should folowe. If the spirite geue life to the body, reason it is that the body be vnder the gouernaunce of the spirite. If we haue receiued life through the spirite of Christ, and not by the law, let vs liue accordyng vnto the inclinacion of the same spirite. If we haue truely ta∣sted of the spirit of Christ, let vs bryng foorth the fruites of it, and ab∣staine from al carnal workes. Let vs not be desyrous of vainglory, for the same prouokyng eche one an other of vs to debate and strife, enuiyng one an other of vs. For euen them, that pro∣fesse the rule of godly life, these vices oftetymes trouble, whiche, yet are in very dede the pe∣stilence and destruccion of true godlynes.

Notes

• As manye of you, as are •••• stified by the lawe. &c.
• Who was a lette to you y^• ye should not beleue the truthe.
• Why do I th••n suffer persecucion?
• For the lawe is fulfilled in one word. &c.
• The fleshe lusteth cōtra∣ry to y^• spirit.
• The dedes o•• the fleshe. &c. are th••se, ad∣ultrie. &c.