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.

¶ Ye wemen, submitte your selfes vnto your owne housebandes, as vnto the Lorde. For the housebande is the wyues head, euen as Christe is the head of the congregacion: and thesame is he that ministreth saluacion vnto the bodye. Therefore, as the congrega∣cion is in subieccion to Christe, likewyse let the wyues also be in subieccion to theyr hous∣bandes in all thynges. Ye housebandes; loue your wyues; euen as Christe also loued the congregacion, and gaue hymselfe for it, to sancrifye it; and clensed it in the fountayne of water throughe the woorde, to make it vnto hymselfe a glorious congregacion, withoute spot or wrinkle, or anye suche thyng: but that it should he holye, and withoute blame. So ought menne to loue their wyues, as theyr owne bodyes. He that loueth his wyfe, loueth hymselfe. For no manne euer yet bāted his owne fleshe: but nouryshéth and cherisheth it, eue•• as the Lorde dooeth the congregacion. For we are membres of his bodye; of hys flesh, & of his bones, For this cause shal a man leaue father & mother, & shalbe ioyned vnto his wife; and of two shalbe made one fleshe. This is a great secret, but I speake of Christ & of the congregaciō. Neuerthelesse, dooe ye so, y^• euery one loue his wife euē as himselfe. And lette the wyfe feare her husbande.

Let the wyues therefore acknowledge the autoritie of theyr housebandes, and be in subieccion vnto them, none otherwyse, than the congregacion is in subiec∣cion to the Lorde Iesu. For lyke as Christe is the heade of the congregacion, e∣uen so is euery housband the head of his own wife. Neuertheles like as y^• head hath preeminence ouer the bodye, to the entent the health of the body should de∣pende of it: euen so is the housebande in autoritye ouer the wyfe, not to thin∣tente to vse her cruelly like a tyranne, but to prouide for her wealth, because hys witte is more substanciall than hers. And yet the wife maye not bristle against her housebande, because he seeketh at her handes to bee more loued than feared.

But her duety is to be somuch more in subieccion in al pointes, like as y^e congre∣gaciō is so much y^e more in subieccion vnto Christ, as he hath more lowly sub∣mitted himself for the saluacion of her his spouse. And on the other parte, you y^t be housbādes, a buse not your autoritie lyke tyrannes ouer your wiues, but ra∣ther vse them with like louyng charitie, as Christ hath and doeth loue his con∣gregacion, whome beyng an aduouterer and an obstinate rebel, he did not one∣ly not caste of, but also gaue hymselfe vnto death, for the redemyng of her sal∣uacion: and so of adefiled one he made her pure and holye, and where she was vncleane and foule, he made her fayre and goodlye: and yet caste her not in the teeth with her vyle filthinesse, but washed her cleane with the streame of his own bloud, and scoured her in the fountaine of lyfe that worketh profitably by the inuocacion of the name of God, so as through his owne diligent goodnes he myght prepare for hymselfe a glorious wife, euen the congregacion: whiche nowe should neyther haue spotte nor wrincle, nor any suche lyke, that might be displeasaunt in the housebandes iye, but in euery point both fayre and faultles. And so it becommeth the housebandes to be lykewise affected to wardes theyr wiues, that they leaue nothing vndone, whereby they maye make theyr wines perfite Christian woomen, and to bee no lesse carefull for their wyues healthe, than the head is carefull for the health of the bodye. For the wyfe is the house∣bandes body. Admitte thy wyfe be of croked condicions, or a nyce wanton, or geuen to other vnthriftynesse: destroyeher not with ragyng crueltie, but heale her and amende her with so bre lenitie. Correcte the faulres, so as thou loue thy wife neuerthelesse for all that. For what would the head doe, yf it see his bodye be full of sickenes or disease? would it beginne to hate it, and for sake it? or rather heale it, if it coulde, and if it coulde by no meanes heale it, yet at least beare with it, and cherishe it? Might it not be thought a great absurditie, if the head would wishe euill to his owne bodye? He that loueth his wyfe, loueth hymself, for she is parte of hymselfe: what man had euer so litle felyng of the senses of nature, to hate his owne bodye? What man dooeth not rather nourishe and cherishe hys bodye, what a maner a one so euer it bee, to make it better and lustier? Seyng that the very Ethnikes doe naturally no lesse than so, why doeth not Christian charitie worke the same in vs a great deale more, inasmuche as we are moued thereunto by the exaumple of Christe, who did not forsake his wife the congres gacion (though she was disteyned before tyme, many sondry wāyes, and a very whorishe naughty packe) but he clensed her, he pyked her, and made her perfect∣ly trimme in euery poynt. Therefore, you house bandes doe the same vnto your wyues, that Christe hath dooen vnto vs, that are the membres of his body, whiche is the congregacion, lyke as the wyfe is the bodye of the housebande, of whose fleshe and bones she is made, to thintente it maye be manifestlye knowen, that that thyng oughte in no wyse to bee diuorced asondre that is all one selfe same thing. For thus we reade in the booke of Genesis. For the wyues sake, man shal rather forsake father and mother, than forsake his wyfe: vnto whom he shall so kepe hymselfe, that of twoo there bee made one, in moste perfite cou∣pling together both of bodies and soules. Nexte after God, we are most boun∣den to father and mother, & yet the wife is preferred a boue them. Herin is ment a certain vnspeakeable great misterie, howe that the thyng that was doen in A∣dam & Eue vnder a figure, should be performed in effect mistically in Christ and

in the congregacion. This inseparable cōiuncciō, whosoeuer wil wel weigh, shal perceiue that there lyeth hidde a great mistery. For lyke as Christ is one with the father, euen so would he haue all his to be al one with him. And albeit this mistery importeth greater circumstaunce, than can be nowe presently ex∣pressed, yet it is inough to haue applyed the exaumple to this ende, that euery man should loue his wife, none otherwise than he loueth himselfe: and considre that both he and she are al one selfesame thing, euen as Christ loued his con∣gregacion whome he vnited entierely to himselfe. Finally it shall be the wyues parte, not only to loue her husband agayn, as her companion to liue together, but also reuerence him, for the autoritie sake that he hath ouer her. And than shall hartie loue continue long together goodly, in case both parties doe theyr dueties accordingly.

Notes

• The house∣band is the wiues head euen as Christe is y^• head of the congregaciō
• Ye hous∣bādes loue your wiues as Christ al to hath lo∣uedtde con∣gregacion.
• He that Loueth his wife loueth himself.