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.

Children, obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde: for that is right. Honoure thy fa∣ther and mother, (the same is the firste cōmaundement in the promes) that thou mayest pros∣per, and liue long on the earthe. Ye fathers moue not youre children to wrathe: but ye shall bryng them vp through the norter and informacion of the Lorde. Ye scruauntes bee obedient vnto them that are your bodely masters, with feare and tremblyng, euen with the synglenes of youre hearte, as vnto Christe: not dooyng seruice vnto the eye, as they that go aboute to please menne: but as the seruauntes of Christ, dooyng the wyll of God from the hearte with good wyll, seruyng the Lorde & not menne. Knowyng this, that whatsoeuer good thyng any manne dooth, the same shall he receyue agayne of God, whether he be bonde or free. And ye masters dooe euen the same thynges vnto them, puttyng awaye threatenynges: Knoweyng, that your master also is in heauen, nether is there any respect of person wyth hym.

LEt autoritie be gouerned by charitie, that in any wyse it practise no tirannie. And on the other side, let reuerent feare holde vnder the lower sort, so as through to much sufferaunce they waxe not rebellious. For there can no concorde nor quietnes possibly be, where all is hauocke without ordre. Ouer the wyfe the husband onely hath autoritie. But the children are bounden to acknowlege the autoritie both of father and mother. Therefore ac∣cordyng to this rule, you children be curteous and obe∣dient vnto your father and mother at al theyr honeste Christian commaunde∣mentes. For this doeth euen the equitie of nature also require, that we shoulde honour them to whome we are bounden for bringing vs in to the worlde: and be kinde vnto thē, by whose goodnes, we are nourished and broughte vp. And to be briefe, the very lawe of god commaundeth the same, and sayeth: honour thy father & thy mother. And it was not inough to geue that commaundement, as it doth in the other commaundementes. Thou shalt doe no murther. Thou shalt not steale. &c. But he added also a reward vnto it, to allure them the rather to doe theyr duetie: although those thinges that are honest, ought to be dooen frely without rewarde. But what rewarde doeth the scripture promise? That it may happen wel vnto the, sayth it, and that thou mayest be long liued vpon earth. Ʋerely it is to be thought, that persone not to be worthy of long life, that is vnkynde and rebellious agaynst them, by whome he hath receiued the vse of his life. On the other part, you fathers abuse not your autoritie, & the obedi∣ence of your children, thinking that you may lawfully do to thē what you lust.

They are children, and not bonde seruauntes. Let gentlenes mitigate auto∣ritie. You must beware that through waiwardnes of your old age, or through strayt dealing, or immoderate frowardnes, you amend them not, but prouoke their stomakes to bee wurse. In case they doe amisse, by reason of youthe, they ought so to be admonished, that they may be rather taught than discouraged. Let this be the speciallest poynt of your charge, so to enforme them with mo∣uicions and instruccions from theyr tender yeares, and so to allure them with the exaumples of godlines, that it may appeare, they were brought vp vnder Christian parentes accordyng to the doctrine of Christe. For by this meanes shal they soner be brought to good frame, then with threatninges, or crueltie, if they be taught and not altogether compelled. You seruauntes, let it appere by you, that the profession of the gospel, hath made you better and more profita∣ble. And the duetie that other doe to their maisters, vnto whom they are boun∣den after the temporall condicion of seruitude, loke you on your behalfe doe it much more aboundauntly. For the office of baptisme is not to geue this liber∣tie, that you shoulde bee in bondage no more, but that you shoulde dooe youre bounden seruice the more diligently: nor that your will shoulde be to disdayne your maisters, because they are become brethren with you in profession, but so muche the more you ought to haue them in reuerence, and be the more afrayde to offend them: Nor do not, as the common sorte of seruauntes doth, your due∣tie for feare, and in your mynde curse them and watche them: but with an vp∣right sincere conscience obey them, considering this with your self, that you do this duetie vnto Christ, vnto whose wil you are obedient, although peraduen∣ture your maisters deserue not that obedience. By this meanes shall it come to passe, that you shall not be lyke to the common trade of seruauntes, that dooe theyr maisters commaundementes, while they be presently in syght, for feare of displeasure. But assone as they thynke no body seeth them, than they wil do as they luste. In dede thys is to serue vnto the eye and not of a conscience, and nothing elles but to couet to please men and not Christe. In whose syghte no∣thing is acceptable, that is counterfayetly done or els by coaccion. But be you as it becummeth the seruauntes of Christe, hartely and faythfully curteous & diligent in your dueties doing towardes your maysters, not because necessitie enforceth you, but because God so willeth you. And see you alienate not your selues from doing your dueties, albeit you haue croked and wieked mē to your maisters. For in dede it is an expediente forwardenes of the Gospell, that you shoulde be curteous vnto them, so that your obedience turne not vnto vngod∣linesse. And considre with your selues, that you doe that vnto Christ, that you doe vnto them for the Gospels sake, and that you doe it vnto God, and not vn∣to men, inasmuche as you doe it to men for the loue of God. And in case you winne them vnto Christe, through your diligence, it is a righte well bestowed duetie. But and if they shew themselues vnthankeful, yet know you for a cer∣taintie, that no man shall lose the rewarde of his well doing. And although he shal not receiue it at mans hand, yet he shall once vndoubtedly receyue it of the lord, not onely the bondman but also the freeman, whatsoeuer good turne he shall hartely bestow vpon an vnthankeful man. Now to conclude, like as those bondseruauntes that professe Christe ought to be so much the more profita∣ble vnto their maisters, euen so is it requisite, that christiā maisters be the more gentle in commaunding their seruauntes, and in their behauiours to vse them∣selues

in such wise, as they may appeare, to couet rather to be loued then fea∣red, and to be hartely louing vnto theyr bond seruauntes, inasmuch as they be receiued into the felow ship of brethren: and not alwayes ready to threate and to beate, as the common sorte of maisters is accustomed to doe. Let your ser∣uauntes perceiue, that you are become the more gentle by reason of the Gos∣pel, so as they also may the rather be allured vnto that professiō as wel as you, if peraduenture they haue not yet alredy professed: and considre, that maisters autoritie is but a temporali thing and onely established by mans lawe: And for all that it becummeth not vs in any wise to disturbe it: yet neuertheles there is no respect of persons with god. For he maketh neuer a whit the lesse of any mā because he is a bonde seruaunte, nor maketh the more of any manne, because he is a gentleman borne. According to mans lawes, you maisters haue power o∣uer your seruauntes vpon earth, but for all that in the meane tyme you haue a maister in heauen as well as they. And hys will is, that you care for youre ser∣uauntes commoditie, through reasonable commaunding, and not to presse thē with tirannie. These thynges that we haue hitherto treated of, tend to this end, that you should aswel be lyke vnto your head Christ in holines of life, as to a∣gree together among your selues in mutuall concorde.

Notes

• Ye seruaū∣tes be obe∣diēt to your bodely ma∣sters. &c,