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 fyrst Chapiter.

The texte.

Paule an Apostle of Iesu Christ, by the wyll of God and brother Timotheus. To al saintes, whiche are at Colossa and brethren, that beleue in Christ.

PAule an Ambassadour of Iesus Christ, and that not by any mans ordinaunce, but by the wyll of God the father, and Timothe, whom for perfite consent in preachyng the gospel I coumpt as my brother, to the dwellers at Colossa, whiche haue both a confidence in Iesus Christ, and also accordyng to his doctrine liue a holy life, nowe through like kynde of profession becomen our dearely beloued brethren.

The texte.

Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father and the lorde Iesu Christ.

Grace and peace be there among you from God our father, that as ye are freely reconciled vnto him, ye may likewyse euen as brethren that haue one comen father, one towarde an other of you alwaye norishe mu∣tual vnitie and concorde.

The texte.

We geue thankes to God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ alwayes for you in our praiers. For we haue heard of your fayth in Christ Iesu, and of the loue whiche ye beare to all saintes, for the hopes sake whiche is layd vppe in store for you in heauen, of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel, whiche is come vnto you•• euen as it is fruiteful (and groweth) as it is also among you, frō the day in the whiche ye heard of it, and had experience in the grace of God through the trueth, as ye lerned of Epaphra our deare felowe seruaunt, whiche is for you a faythful minister of Christ, whiche also declared vnto vs your loue whiche ye haue in the spirite.

And albeit it hath not yet hitherto been my chaunce to see you, yet in my continual praiers made to God, and the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both for your sakes I geue him thākes for his benefites bestowed vpon you, and desyre him also dayly to encrease the same his giftes, and also to preserue them, after y^• by Epaphra we heard of your fayth, wherby my trust is, ye shalbe saued, not by helpe of Angels, but through the free boūteousnes of our Sauiour Anoynted, by whō it hath pleased God the father to geue vs al goodnes. For him both Annoynted would he haue to be called, because of him al shuld receiue helth, & Sauiour, because no mā should elswhere looke for saluacion. And by him not onely perceiued we & vnderstode your cōfidence in him, but also your charitie ioyned ther with, whiche as Christ gaue example, ye beare towarde good people, ear∣nestly mindyng to do for them, not for any hoope of auauntage, that ye thinke to receiue therby, but in hope of the euerlasting life, whiche ye wel

knowe is layde vp in heauen for your godlynes. And suerly īto this trust are ye broughte throughe the preachyng of Christes gospell, whiche ye persuade your selfe to be a doctrin of suche trueth, y^• albeit it make great promises, & suche as neuer were heard of before this tyme, yet forsomuch as God is the author of them, ye thinke that the same cannot be but true. And as the same gospel throughout all the worlde hath been dayly more and more enlarged: so is it now come to you, euery day growyng and en∣creasyng, more and more plentifully spreadyng it self abroade, bringyng foorth the fruite of good workes, whiche freely growe out of christian charitie, as it hath done in you, growyng styl from better to better, euen synce that tyme, wherin ye fyrst heard and knewe, that through the free goodnes of God all their synnes are forgeuen, whiche beleue the gospel, if to theyr right fayth they adioyne pure & vnfained charitie. For so were ye taught by my dearely beloued felow in seruice, and messenger of trust Epaphras, who hath among you sincerely done myne office, after suche sorte in Iesus Christes behalfe preachyng the gospel, that he hath in all pointes been found without corrupcion. As I therfore by him taught you, so by him againe vnderstand I your good wyll againe towarde vs, not meanyng suche vsuall good wyll, as that is, when men wishe well to to theyr frendes and acquaintaunce, but a spiritual and heauenly fauor, wherwith we vse to loue all suche, by whom the glorye of the gospel is set foorth and stablished, though we with our bodily iyen neuer sawe them.

The texte.

For this cause we also, euer synce the day we heard of it, haue not ceased to praye for you, and to desyre that ye might be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisedome and spiritual vnderstandyng, that ye might walke worthy of the lorde, that in al thinges ye may please, beyng fruitful in al good workes, & encreasyng of y^• know∣ledge of God, strengthed with all might, through his glorious power, vnto al pacience and long sufferyng, with ioyfulnes, geuyng thankes vnto the father, which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritaūce of saintes in light. Whiche hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes, & hath translated vs vnto the kyngdome of his deare sonne By whō we haue redempcion through his bloud, euen the forgeuenes of sinnes, whiche is the image of the inuisible God, fyrst begotten of al creatures, for by him wer all thinges created, that are in heauen, and that are in yearth, visible & inuisible, whe∣ther they be maiestie or lordship, either rule or power. All thinges were created by him and for him, and he is before all thinges, and by him all thinges haue their beyng.

And for this cause we againe not as one vnworthy of this your fauor, heartely loue you againe, though I neuer sawe you, by and by euen frō that day wherin we were fyrst certifyed of your fayth and charitie, in my dayly prayers callyng vpon God for you, and with feruent peticions be∣sechyng him, that it may please him in you to make perfite and to bryng at full suche giftes, as he hath begunne to geue, that ye bothe may more throughly knowe his pleasure, beyng taught neither by worldely wise∣dom, nor yet by any supersticious and vaine persuasion of some men, but by a spiritual wisedome and policie, wherof as yehaue already gotten a good part: so would I wishe, that ye lacked nothyng, that ye may in such godly perfeccion passe ouer your life, that the same be to gods honor, and in al pointes also please him, lettyng no good thing vndone, for so doyng is the meane to please him.

For to geue onely a credence to the gospel is but a beginnyng to salua∣cion, but the same is with godly and holye workes made perfite and full. Nor suffiseth it to haue learned through preachyng of the gospel, that God through his sonne Iesus Christ is the author and worker of salua∣cion, vnlesse by the same knowledge ye growe vppe and bring foorth the fruites of christian charitie, continually profityng from better to better, so surely, constantly, and manfully standyng in them, that neither vio∣lence nor storme of persecucion driue you out of y^• right course, for whose perfourmaūce surely ye nede great assistence and strength. Of strength of oure owne powers we cannot assure our selfes. God it is, whiche must geue it, to the ende that the whole glory of all suche thinges as are by vs valiauntly done, may be geuen againe vnto him, whiche of his goodnes enrycheth vs with great pacience and long sufferyng to endure & abyde for Christes gospelles sake all suche troubles, as may in the meane tyme befal vs. In whiche persecucions suffering it is not inough to be strong without all feare, but rather besemeth it vs, euen ioyfully & with a good courage to vndertake & suffer them, geuyng thankes to God the father, who hath vouchesaued to call you to suche honour, that wheras hereto∣fore ye worshipped deuils & idols, ye are now of his goodnes called vnto the felowshippe of the Iewes, whiche by reason that they worshipped the true God were in comparison of you, holy, whiche hath also vouchsaued to cal you to the enheritaunce of life euerlastyng, in hope wherof al thin∣ges whiche in this world either feare or flatter vs, must be despised, both for that he hath geuen you wanderyng before in the deepe doungeon of ignoraunce, the light of the gospel, and for that also ye whiche heretofore were vnder a vile and stauishe bondage subiecte vnto the tyranny of the deuil prince of darkenes, are deliuered thence and conueighed into the kyngdome of his most derely beloued sonne, to thentent, that ye beyng ioyned into his body should with him enioy one kingdome.

Wherin suche as are thral to synne, haue no place, and therfore hath God by his sonne made vs free, by whō the sinnes of our olde life are for∣geuē. So that now his are ye becomen, by whose benefite & mercy ye are restored. Consider now, how good a chaunge ye haue made. Before your reconciliacion ye were membres of the deuil, now are ye planted into Christes body, whose dignitie is so great, that he is the image of God the father, whiche father dwelleth in light, whervnto no man can come, whi∣che is suche as can be seen of no man, though after a certaine sorte he be through the sonne seen, whiche to the father is in all pointes verye like & equal. For neither is the sonne lesse wyse, nor lesse of might, or of lesse goodnes than is the father. Nor of late daies receiued he these perfecci∣ons, but euerlastyngly before any thyng was made, was he the image of his euerlastyng father, not made, but borne of him, by whō all thynges are made, and by him, whiche onely hath no beginnyng.

He therfore of him selfe begotte his sonne, and by his sonne, and with his sonne made and create al that is either in heauen or yearth, both that may be seen and not seen, the verye angels selfe not excepted, no not the chiefe of them, whither they be maiesties, lordshippes, rules or powers.

And albeit these orders and powers farre excede all other creatures, yet are they passing measure vnder him, to whom ye are ioyned: forasmuche as whatsoeuer is made, must to his maker nedes be inferior. Now are al thinges not onely made by Christ, but also by him gouerned & preserued, in whiche pointe he is also to his father like & equal. Nor was the sonne begotten after other creatures, but was before al other thinges, by whō al thinges haue theyr beyng, and should without him perishe, were they not by him mainteined. Thus see ye the excellencie and preeminence of Christ, whiche thing I tel you of, lest any manne of Angels thinke more, than he should.

The texte.

And he is the head of the body, euen of the congregacion: he is the beginnyng and first begotten of the dead, that in all thinges he might haue the preeminence.

And lest perauenture his glorious and excellent maiestie so feare you away from him, that to aspire and comevnto the fauor of God the father ye thinke it necessarie to seeke vpon some other meane, heare againe and learne to knowe, how good he is. Christ is in suche sorte chiefe ruler and Lorde of Angels, as I sayd, that he nethelesse vouchesaueth also to be head of the churche, whom he hath so ioyned vnto him, that it cleaueth & is coupled vnto him, euen as the natural body cleaueth vnto the head. Whatsoeuer therfore is alreadye done in the heade, the same must to vs be cōmen.

He fyrst of all other rose againe from death, not to the intent he would be immortall onely him selfe, but to the ende he might enhaunce vs his membres to the felowship of his immortal life. Loke what is in the fyrst fruites of grayne offered, the same is generally in the whole heape. He is in dede prince and author of resurreccion, and so shall we through him also rise againe. And as among thynges create he is chiefe, in suche sorte yet, that himself was not create and made: so is he in testoryng creatures chiefe, so that as we are for our beyng & byrth bounde vnto his goodnes: so should we for oure seconde byrthe baptisme to liue euerlastyngly, be muche more beholdyng vnto him.

The texte.

For it pleased the father, that in him should all fulnes dwell, and by him to recon∣cile al thinges vnto him selfe, and to set at peace by him through the bloud of his crosse both thinges in heauen and thinges in yearth,

For so hath it pleased the father, that the sonne should with all fulnes of godly power and goodnes be replenished, which shuld in him so abide and dwel, that we should nede no where to borowe any thyng, synce the fa¦ther neither wyll nor can do any thing but that the sonne can do and will. And syth the fathers pleasure was, that so it should be, it besemeth not vs curiously to demaunde and serche why, fynce it can not be but best, what∣soeuer his wysedome hath once decreed.

This wyse to do (I say) God the father thought beste, bothe for oure weale and saluacion, and most for his owne glory, to reconcile al thinges vnto him, not by the ministerie of Angels, but by his owne sonne, whiche with his bloud sheddyng, and tourmentyng vpon the crosse, should abo∣lishe

synne, whiche broke the peace and concorde betwixte heauenly and yearthly creatures, & set all thinges at peace, bothe heauenly & yerthly, makyng them in Christ to agre together, and to be at an vnitie one with an other.

The texte.

And you whiche were sometyme farre of and enemies, because your myndes were set in euil workes, hath he now yet reconciled in the body of his fleshe, through death in make you holy & vnblameable, & without fault in his owne sight, if ye continue groū∣ded and stablished in the fayth, and be not moued awaye from the hoope of the gospel, wherof ye haue heard, how that it is preached among all creatures whiche are vnder heauen, wherof I Paule am made a minister,

Of this numbre so reconciled are ye now becomen, ye, (I saye) whiche in yeres past were in suche sorte straungers to God, that in steede of him ye worshipped images of deuils, not only wilfully dissentyng from him, but also vsing your selfes as his cruel aduersaries, whom he hath yet to him selfe reconciled beyng suche as neither loked for so much at his hād, and muche lesse deserued it, and made of you his enemies, his frendes & sonnes, not by the ministery of Aungels but by the bodily death of his onely begotten sonne, whom for that purpose his pleasure was, that he shuld take our mortal fleshe vpon him.

And because there can be betwixte God and synners no peace, it hath pleased him frely to forgeue al the offences of our former li••e, to thentent he would in his sight make you holy, vnblameable, and faultles. Who I pray you can lay your olde debtes to your charge, if he be once cōtented? And surely cōtented wyl he be, if once vpō his fre receiuyng of you vnto the fayth of the gospel, ye continually abide in your profession, & leanyng vpon this sure and sounde foundacion she we your selfes so stedfast and stable, that neither man nor angel be able to moue you frō Christ, of whō ye must hope to receiue all suche giftes as the gospel promiseth, whet vn¦to ye gaue credence, whiche hath not onely been preached vnto you, but also to all nacions contained vnder heauen.

Unstedfastnes it is to fal away frō that, whiche ye haue once allowed, an impudent and a shameles point to reken and coumpte that thing for vaine, in belief wherof al the worlde agreeth, and finally to flit from that whose preacher and minister I Paule am, whiche would not leaue and forgoe inf••••e owne countreys law, & chaunge it with the gospel of Christ; were I not fully persuaded, that this geare is heauenly and commeth frō God.

The texte.

Now ioy I in my sufftynges for you, & fulfil that whiche is behynd of the passions of Christ in my fleshe, for his bodies sake, which is the cōgregacion: wherof I am made a minister, accordyng to the ordinaunce of God, which ordinaunce was geuen me vnto you warde to fulfil the worde of God, y^• ministerie whiche hath been hid synce y^• world begunne, and synce the beginnyng of generacions, but now is opened to his saiutes, to whō God would make knowen, what the glorious riches of this misterie is among the gentiles, which riches is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preache, war••yng all men, and teachyng all men in al wysedome, to make all men perfite in Christ Jesu, Wherin I also labor & striue, euē as farfourth as his streugth worketh in me mightely,

Now am I so throughly persuaded, y^• the gospel is a thyng of trueth, that I not onely am so farre from beyng ashamed or repentyng my selfe therof, that I wyll also ioyfully suffre, & coumpte stripes, emprisonment

and chaynes, euen matier to reioyse and glorie of, which tormentynges I endure not for any offence of myne, but suffer them for your weale, whom I saye, though the Iewes neuer so muche saye naye, haue no lesse righte to the benefite of the gospell, than haue the Iewes themselues. And why should I not saye, that I for your weale suffer, for whom Christ suffered? Why should the Apostle be lothe to do that, whiche Christ our prince and maister disdayned not to do? Christ suffered for vs not onelye in his owne body, but also in maner suffereth in oures, euē as one supplying and ful∣filling by his ministers suche thynges as mighte in his affliccions seeme vnperfecte, not that his death of it selfe is insufficient, but because the af∣fliccions and punishmentes of the head and members, of the prince and ministers, are in maner one. These punishmētes the greater and more ve∣hemente they be, the more redounde and make they to the fulnes and per∣feccion of your saluacion. And not for your saluaciō onely, but for y^• weale also of Christes whole body, whiche is the churche, do I the office commit¦ted vnto me, for to me is committed the cure and ouer sight of the congre∣gacion. For Christe hath set and placed me in his stede, and hath deliuered vnto me the custody of his owne bodye, specially for that porcion, whiche is of the Gentiles to be receyued to the gospell, to the intente I should w^t my labour supply that, whiche he semed to lacke, and to publyshe y^•, which was so many hundred yeares before this tyme hidden from the Gentiles, and to teache, that not only the Iewes, but the Gētiles also haue through fayth an entry into this welthy state of the gospel. This to do was by god long since purposed, but yet was this his purpose hidden vntill this tyme from the worlde, and is nowe through my preachyng opened to all suche, as forsakyng theyr former vngraciouse lyfe embrace y^• doctrine of Christ, to whome it hath pleased god to declare, howe glorious his ryches is to∣warde vs, when by publyshing this his so long hidden misterie the whole worlde perceyueth, howe that free saluacion, whiche men firste thoughte was offered onely to the Iewes, is nowe commen vnto al nacions, & that the kepyng of Moses lawe is not requyred, but fayth onelye, so that men doubte not of the promises made in the gospell. In stede of all suche thyn∣ges, wherin the Iewes haue had a foolyshe confidence, Christ onely is for you sufficient. If he be in you, ye haue no cause to be sorye of the hope ye stande in, beyng both sure ynough, and also through hym glorious, who of hymselfe wyll vndoubtedly perfourme, as muche as he hath promised. Hym preache we of, and not Moses nor aungels, aduertisyng & teaching not onely the Iewes, but also all people of the world, and in so doong lea∣uyng nothyng vntouched, which appertayneth to the wisdome of the gos∣pell. And this do we to the intent all men should vnderstand, that whither they be circumcised, or not circumcised, theyr weale is in nothyng els to be set, but in Christ Iesus. To bryng whiche fayth into mennes myndes I in suche sorte labour, that for auauncing therof I thynke it not paynfull to put my selfe in so many ieopardies and perilles, which are in dede more weightie, than our weakenes is able to abyde & suffer. But strong & migh∣tie is he, by whose ayde and mayntenaunce I do these actes, who also whē nede requireth, with working of myracles by vs, bryngeth my preaching in eredence.

Notes

• We haue heard of your fayth i Christ Iesu. &c.
• Of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel.
• Whiche also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue in the spirite.
• Ye might be fulfilled with the know∣ledge. &c,
• Strengthed with al might through his glorious po∣wer. &c.
• Whiche hath made vs mete to be parta∣kers of the inheritaunce of sainctes in light.
• For by him were all thin∣ges created.
• He is the be∣g••nnyng and first begotten of the dead. &c
• That in him should all ful∣nes dwell. &c.
• Now ioye I in my suff••¦rīges for you &c.
• For his bo∣dies sake whiche is the congregaciō.
• Whome we preache, war∣nyns all men and teaching &c. ••