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▪

Wherfore I desire that ye faint not because of my tribulacions that I suffre for your sakes: whiche is your praise. For this cause I bowe my knees vnto the father of our lorde Iesus Christ: which is father ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth, that he would graunt you, accordyng to the riches of his glorie, that ye maye bee strengthed with might by his spirite in the ••••••er man, that Christe maie dwell in your hertes by faith, that ye beyng rooted and grounded in loue, mighte bee hable to comprehende with al sayntes, what is that bredth a••d length, depth and height: and to knowe the excellente loue of the knoweledge of Christ, that ye mighte bee fulfilled with all fulnes, which cummeth of God. Vnto him y^• is hable to doe exceading aboundantly aboue al that we aske or thinke, according to the power that worketh in vs, be prayse in y^• congregacion by Christe Iesus, thorow••••t al generacious from tune to tyme. Amen.

This secrete counsayle of God, forasmuch as I preache boldely in euery place, I suffre exceadyng punishemente, of such, as yet cannot possibly be perswaded of this matter. But I beseche you, let not myne affliccions, whiche I suffre for your sakes, anythyng disquiete or dismaye you. For there is no cause why you shoulde be ashamed of suche an Apostle, though I bee laden with fetters. For like as the crosse of Christe is our glorie, euen so my fetters, which I we are not for any euill dedes, but for the sinceritie of the Ghospel, are for your honestie, and no rebuke. For, the more displeasures we suffre with a constaunt mynd for the Ghospell of Christe, the more entierly we cause the people to beleue, that the promises of Christe are not vayne, inasmuch as through assured hope of them, we faint not for any displeasures of this life. And it is not Ioyous to me onely to suffre for the ghospelles businesse, but it also becommeth al men, that are en∣tred vnto Christe, to folowe the example of their autour and head. And truely for this cause sake, I bowe my knees, and praye earnestly euen from the botome of myne harte vnto God our father, and the same, the father of our lorde Iesus Christe, of whome, as the supreme head, dependeth all spirituall kynred, wher∣by by are incorporated together whether they bee angelles in heauen, or faithfull people vpon earth: and of whome onely, as of the fountaine, springeth what∣soeuer is belongyng to true felicitie: that like as he hath begonne to declare hys

aboundaunte glorye in you, so he maye more and more augmente his liberall goodnesse to you ward: that as you are engraffed to Christ through baptisme, and as it were borne newe agayne, so you maye gather courage and strengthe with daylye encrease, not accordong to the bodye, but accordyng to the mynde and soule, that is to saye, by the gyfte of the spirite of the father, continually en∣creacyng in vs, by whome we are made stronge and valiaunt, to withstande al dredes of persecucion: and that the constancie of your fayth maye be suche, that you thynke surelye, that Christe will neuer fayle you, but rather dwelle in ward∣ly in your hertes, for y^e faythful trustes sake, wherwith you commit your selues wholy vnto him. For with such is he most specially presente, as distruste theyr owne strength and depende wholye of his helpe. And this shall the rather come to passe, yf hauyng a Ghospellike fayth, you practyse also a Ghospellike charitie, knittyng the oue to thother, so as it maie vtterlye reste and take rote in your soules, to y^e entent, that being established and groūded vpon this sure foū∣dacion, you maye ware greater, and greater in your spirite, and after a certayn wise, be correspondent to the vnmeasurable spirite of God, that you maie grow and go forward so perfitely, that not onelye with the Iewes, but also with the vniuersall multitude of Sayntes, whiche are encorporated to the bodye of Christe, through the beliefe of the Ghospell, you maie bee hable to comprehend how infinitely the goodnesse of God extendeth it selfe, and how it is not restrai∣ned within narrowe bondes and limittes: in heigth reachyng vp to the angels, in depth pearcyng downe to the helles, in length and breadth spreadyng it selfe vnto all coastes of the worlde: and that you maye be hable also to vnderstand the inestimable charitie of Christe towardes mankynde, whose knowledge ex∣celleth all the knowledge of man, how excellente so euer it be. And that you may in these gyftes so encreace, that as perfite and lustye membres, you maye bee answerably mete for so noble a heade, and so hygh a father. For lyke as the bo∣dyly byrth hath degrees of ages, hath his encreases, and hath his measure, as long as his growing time endureth, euen so this spiritual generacion also hath his childehood, hath his springing time, and than his perfite lusty growen age. For these thynges (I saye) I praye often vpon my knees vnto God the father. Which thinges in dede although thei be greate, and far about mannes power, yet I desyre them of hym, whose power is so myghty that we cannot possibly Imagyne so great a matter, but he is hable to dooe muche greatter: and is so good and so gentill, that he dooeth not onelye accoumplishe our desyres wyth his owne liberalitye, but also geueth vs muche more than we can hope for: And yet there is nothyng in this behalfe dooen other throughe our merites or powers. For we are nothyng elles, but the instrument of the diuyne power, that woorketh his owne myghte in vs, so that all glorye, that florisheth in the congregacion, is wholy to be ascribed to hys largesse, through Christ Iesus, by whose participacion the congregacion is endowed with so excellente gyftes: and of this glorye there shall bee no ende, but it shall endure through all ages to ternally, like as the congregacion of Christ shal also haue none end. That, that I haue sayed, is certayne and vndoubtedly true.

Notes

• That he ••••ul•• graunt you accordīg to y^• riches o•• his glory.
• which is fa¦ther of all.
• Ye beeyng rooted and grounded in loue.
• myght bee hable to cō∣prehende
• Unto hym that is ha∣ble.