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 .xii. Chapter.

The texte.

Doubtlesse, it is not expedient for me to boast: I wyll come to visions and reuelaci∣ons of the Lorde. I knowe a man in Christ, aboue fourtene yeares a goe (whether he were in the bodye I cannot tell, or whether he were out of the body I cannot tell, God know∣eth) howe that he was taken vp into the thyrde heauen. And I know thesame man (whe∣ther in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth) howe that he was taken vp into Pa••adyse, and heard secrete wordes whiche no ma•• can vtter. Of this man will I boast, but of my selfe wyll I ••or boast, e••cepte it be of myne infirmities. For thoughe I would b••a••••, I ••••▪ al not be a fole. for I would saye the trouth. Neuerthelesse, I spare you: leste any man shoulde thynke of me, aboue that whiche he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And leste I shoulde be exalted out of measure thorowe the excellencye of the reuela∣cious: there was geuen vnto me vnquietnesse thorow the fleshe, euen the messenger of Sa∣ta•• to buffer me▪ because I shoulde not be exalted ou•• of measure: For this thyng besought I the Lorde thryse, that it might departe from me. And he sayed vnto me: my grace is suf∣ficient for the. For my strength is made perfect thorowe weakenesse, Very gladly therfore wyll ••▪ ••••ioyce of my weakenes, that the strength of Christ may•• dwell in me.

THis farre foorth haue we rehearsed suche thinges, as de∣clare cure troubles and miseries, and such•• ma••iers, as in mennes iudgementes br••ng vs rather in contempte, than in any renoume. But nowe whether I should also rehearse other thinges or not, I haue not fully determi∣ned, of whiche yet some falsly boaste thēselues. Shoulde I glorie or not? Yea sometyme expediente is it to glorie, namely since the brifte of myne epistle hath brought me to the visions and reuelacions of the Lorde Iesus, of whiche sorte synce false apostles fayne manye, and wantonlye boaste them, euen agaynste my wyll, as one compelled, (leste in this I seeme behynde thē) I wyll reh••arse but onelye one, and that not to my glorie neither, but to the glorie of god. I knowe a certayne manne, whiche aboue. xiiii. yeares a goe was taken vp, whether it were in the bodye, or without the bodye I cannot tell, god knoweth, whiche yet was taken vp into the thyrde heauen, and ••hence agayne taken vp into paradise, and in bothe places hearde secrete woordes, whiche no manne can vtter.

For this mannes sake, to whome through gods fre goodnes such blisfulnes befell, glory will I, but of my selfe boast wil I not, sauing in the rehearsing of such thinges as declare my weakenes and infirmitie. And yet if I in this matier also minded sumwhat to speake of my selfe, since I should neither lie nor of my selfe speake vaingloriously, though I haue acknowledged folish∣nes, yet could I not iustly be condemned thereof: but yet for your sakes, and not for myne owne abstayne I from rehearsing of them, leste some thinke more in me, thā there is, and suppose that I am some greater one, thā either myne actes, or my preaching pretende. And peraduenture it is not without ieopardie neither, to glorye of suche thinges as make vs great, and thereby nigh vnto the ieopardie of arrogancie. For this cause leste I myghte bee to proude by reason of high reuelacions, or els among men be taken for grea∣ter than it is expedient I shoulde: I haue by the sufferaunce of the moste* 1.1 merciful god, gyuen vnto me vnquietnes and affliccion of bodye, bothe to put me in remembraunce of my condicion, and also to teache all men, that I am a mortall manne, vnder lyke miseries, as other been. There is geuen (I saye) to truble me, whiche do Christes seruice, the messanger and mini∣ster of Satan, to resiste my gospell, and with mooste cruell persecucions to vexe me, as one that on the heade gyueth me buffettes, keapyng vn∣der and suppressyng me, leste I mighte to muche bee exalted. And be∣cause this punishemente exceadynglye disquieted me, thryse besoughte I the Lorde, that he woulde from this affliccion delyuer me, but he seeyng, what was better for me, than I coulde my selfe, he aunswered me after this sorte: Paule bee contente with my goodnes towardes thee, and de∣syre nomore. As for thyne affliccions appertayne bothe to the magni∣fying of my glorye, as who throughe my ayde canste not bee ouercommen, bee the stormes neuer so greate, and also to thy saluacion, whiche by bo∣dilye affliccions, arte in spirituall treasures of the soule dayelye more and more enriched.

And so dooeth mannes weakenes make perfite the power of God,* 1.2 and infirmitie accomplyshe strengthe. For when by preachyng of vile and weake personnes the gospell not onelye holdeth on, but also flouris∣shethe agaynste the deuyll and the worlde, vsyng agaynste it all kyndes of cruelnesse, it maketh a playne profe that this geare is not, by anye worldelye power broughte aboute, but by the power of God. Nowe then the more affliccions we suffer, the more is Goddes glorye sette foorthe, whiche by vs woorketh and sheweth his power. Synce than I was thus aunswered of God, hencefoorthe wyll I of nothyng more gladlye reioyce, than of my affliccions, whereby I seeme rather feble, than greate, in whiche also if there appeare anye greatenesse or heygthe, all is to the glorye of god: that where for Christes sake I seeme feble, by hym I maye seeme strong and mightie.

The texte.

Therfore, haue I delectacion in infirmities, in rebukes, in reade, in persecucyons, & in anguyshes for Christes sake. For when I am weake, then am I strong. I am becōe a fole

in boasting my selfe, ye haue compelled me: For I ought to haue been cōmmended of you. For in nothing was I inferiour vnto the chiefe Apostles: though I be nothing, yet the to∣kens of an Apostle were wrought among you with all pacience, & sygnes and wonders, and myghtie dedes. For what is it, wherin ye were inferiours vnto other congregaciōs? Excepte it be herein, that I was not chargeable vnto you. Forgeue me this wrong. Be∣holde, nowe the thirde tyme I am ready to come vnto you: and yet wyll I not be charge∣able vnto you. For I seke not yours, but you. For the chyldren ought not to lay vp for the fathers and mothers, but the fathers and mothers for the chyldren.

And therfore I specially reioyce and triumphe in myne affliccions, in my reproches, in my pouertie and persecution, and in my distreasses suffered for Christes sake. For when I am in suffering them most forsakē, and despayre in myne owne strength, than am I through Christes healpe verely stronge and myghty. But whither am I driuen through the vehe∣mencie of this mine oration? Me thinketh I am nowe with boasting fal∣len to playne folishnes, but ye are the occasion, who compelled me therto. For synce all that euer I was able to do, was geuen me for your weale, it besemed you to haue spoken that thing to my commendacion, whiche I nowe vnsemely am compelled to reporte of my selfe. I seke not for the prayse of that thing, which I neuer dyd, but if I haue done asmuche as any other, why are other more made of then I? I am but a poore man,* 1.3 of a lowe degree, troubled and beaten vnder fote, not eloquent: I neither refuse nor improue anye of these, these thynges are myne, yf there he any incommodytie in them. Yet as vile as I am, touching you, ye founde me in no poynt behynde other Apostles, I wyll not saye, of the meane sorte onely, but not somuch as behynde the hyghest. I boaste not of that in my selfe, whiche ye haue not founde in me, for I haue playnly proued, that I am a very Apostle, and therof make I your selfes iudges. The fyrst and chiefe argument and profe of an Apostle is, for the gospelles sake gladly to suffer all troubles, in which poynte I haue certaynly shewed my selfe to be an Apostle. Neyther lacked we such gyftes, wherwith God for the vnbeleuers sake bringeth my preaching in credence, as signes, miracles, and myghtye dedes. Yf I saye not truth, tell me wherin ye are behynde other congregacions, or what gaue any of these greate Apostles to any congregacion, whiche we gaue you not? Excepte thys onely be a lacke, that I was not costly vnto you, as other Apostles were, ye cā in me finde no lacke: in which point yf I haue offended you, forgyue me this displea∣sure, euen because I haue not offended you, though in dede I repent me not of my so doyng. Nowe haue I twyes already been among you, and was chargeable to no man, & loe, nowe purpose I the thyrde tyme to see you, nor yet mynde I more to be chargeable vnto you nowe, than I haue ben before. And though I shewe yet none earnest cause for it, yet is it not* 1.4 without a cause, but for what cause soeuer I doe it, al is for your weale, and in this matier I vse my selfe as a true father. For the children ought not to laye vp for theyr fathers and mothers, but contrary the fathers & mothers, for theyr chyldren. Fathers loue is such a thing, that they are not content to bestow only the goodes, whiche they with great labours haue gotten, for the weale of theyr children, but also theyr lyues.

The texte.

I will very gladly bestowe, and wilbe bestowed for your soules: though the more I loue you, the lesse I am loued agayn. But be it that I was not chargeable vnto you: neuerthe∣lesse whan I was craftie, I tooke you with gyle. Did I pyll you by any of them, whome I sent vnto you? I desyred Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Dyd Titus defraude you of any thing? walked we not in one spyryte? Walked we not in like steppes? Agayne, thinke ye, that we excuse our selues vnto you? We speake in Christe in the sight of God. But we doe all thynges (dearly beloued) for your edifying. For I feare, leste it come to passe, that when I come▪ I shall not fynde you suche as I woulde, and that I shall be founde vnto you suche as ye would not. I feare, leste there be founde among you debate, enuying, wrathe, stryfe, backbytinges, whysperynges, swellynges and discorde. I feare, leste when I come agayne, God bryng me lowe among you, and I be constrayned to be∣wayle many of them whiche haue synned all readie and haue not repented of the v••c••ea∣nesse, fornicacion, and wantonnesse, whiche they haue commytted.

And therfore so farre am I from exacting any thyng of you, that I not only am ready with all my harte to bestowe, that I haue vpon you, but also my selfe, if it be expedient for your soule helth. Sufficient is it for me, that I as a father this doe for my chyldren, albeit I am not ignorant, that it is with me towardes you, as it is with many fathers with theyr chyldren: that wheras I tenderly loue you, I am not lykewyse loued a∣gayne, but lesse regarded than they, whiche would you not so well as I. Put the case, that I was not my selfe chargeable vnto you fearing en∣uye, but yet that through craftie conueyaunce, I beguyled you, workyng that by some hiered therunto, which I was ashamed to doe my selfe. For paraduenture some wil make this cauilacion, thinking me to be such as o∣ther bee. Tell me I pray you, exacted I any thing of you by any of thē, whiche came vnto you in my name? I desyred Titus to goe vnto you, to* 1.5 hym adioyned I as a companion, the brother, whiche is well tryed and knowen of all the congregacions. Exacted Titus any thyng of you? Had we not both one mynde? Walked not we both lyke steppes? For I refuse not to haue that layed to my charge, whiche was done by suche as I sent vnto you. But no we thinke ye agayne, that whyles we this speake, we pleade our owne matter? no not so, but whatsoeuer we speake, whether it be in humbling of our selfe, or exalting, laying your vnkyndnes to your charge, al is done for your weale, dearly beloued brethren, as God is my witnesse whiche knoweth my conscience, and as Christ also is my witnesse whose cause I haue in hande. I assay all wayes, I leaue no meane vnsear∣ched, I shape my selfe into al fashions, & all to bryng you to better frame. I nothyng feare these counterfayte Apostles for my owne sake, but this feare I, leste whē I come, vnto you, I fynde you not such, as I would ye were, & ye agayne fynde me such, as ye would not. My desyre is to see you in al poyntes faulteles, that ye may againe see me mylde and wel pleased. But if ye continew to geue eare to some, I feare, leste I shall fynde among you debate, enuying, wrathe, strife, backbytynges, whisperinges, swel∣linges, & discorde, so that yf I come agayne, I feare leste it chaunce, that whom it semed to be seen of you mery and pleasaunt, as one sufficiently troubled with your outragiousnes already, the Lorde among you bring me lowe agayne, so that in steade of a tryumphe I be compelled to morne in all theyr behalfes, whiche haue already synned, and not repented as yet their vncleanes, fornicacion and wantonnes, which they haue committed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  There was geuen vnto me vnquiet∣nesse tho∣rowe the fleshe.
• * 1.2

  For my strengthe is made per∣fect thorow weakenesse
• * 1.3

  For in no∣thing was I inferi∣oure vnto the chiefe Apostles.
• * 1.4

  For I se•••• not yours, but you.
• * 1.5

  Dyd I pyll you by any of them whō I sent vnto you?