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

Whosoeuer beleueth that Iesus is Christ, is borne of God. And euery one that loueth hym whiche begat, loueth hym also whiche was begotten of hym. By thys we knowe, that we loue the children of God, when we loue God and kepe his commaundementes. For thys is the loue of God, that we kepe hys commaundementes, and hys commaundementes are not greuous. For all that is borne of God, ouercommeth the worlde. And thys is the victory that ouercom∣meth the worlde, euen our fayth. Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde: but he whiche bele∣ueth, that Iesus is the sonne of God? This Iesus Christ is he that came by water and bloud, not by water onely: but by water and bloude. And it is the spirite that beareth witnes, because the spirite is trueth. (For there are thre whiche beare recorde in heauen, the father, the worde, and the holy ghost. And these thre are one.) And there are thre whiche beare recorde in (earth) the spirite, and water, and bloud: and these thre are one. Yf we receyue the witnes of men, the witnes of God is greater. For thys is the witnes of God (that is greater) whiche▪ he testifie

of his sonne. He that beleueth on the sonne of God, hath the witnes in himselfe. He that bele∣ueth not god, hath made hym a lyar, because he beleued not the record that god gaue of his son. And thys is the recorde, howe that God hath geuen vnto vs eternall lyfe, and this lyfe is in hys sonne. He that hath the sonne hath lyfe: & he that hath not the sonne of god, hath not lyfe.

WHo soeuer beleueth that Iesus is Christ, that is to say, him of whom we must nedes aske al the succoures of our salna∣cion, and beleueth that in his hearte: he is borne of god, and is called alredy into the nūmbre of the sonnes of God. In dede he can not chose but loue, y^e is a sonne. Thā whosoeuer loueth him heartely that is y^• father, loueth him also y^e was borne of him, that is to wete, his brother, with whome he hath all one commune father. By this tokē we proue, that we doe truly loue y^• children of God, yf we first loue God him selfe heartely. For there is nothing truely loued, except it be loued for his sake. Than that we loue God, it shall eui∣dently so appeare, yf we kepe his commaundementes, and kepe them chearfully and gladly: for his commaundementes are none otherwyse greuous. For what is greuous to the louer? what is greuous to him that goeth post haste to suche maner rewardes. The worlde obiecteth terrible appearaunces of euilies, pouertie, vanyshement, slaunder, enprisonmentes, whippinges, deathes. It is a great fraye, but the victorie is made readye: For what soeuer is borne of God, ouercommeth the worlde. But with what furnitures doeth he ouercome y^• worlde? with riches? with garisons of men? with engines of warre? with worldly learning? no, no: they ouer∣come the worlde (as cruelly rageing as it is) throughe a stedfast onely faithe, wherwith they committe them selues wholy vnto God their pro∣tectour. Thy riches are snatched awaye, yea but what sayeth faithe to that? Thou haste a treasure in heauen. Thou art throwen out to be a vanished man, yea but the countrey of heauen loketh for his countreyman. Thy body is turmoyled with tormentes: yea, but with them, are bought euerlasting ioyes. Death is deuised for the: yea but after it shall folowe lyfe that neuer shall dye. Who is it than that ouercometh the worlde? not a lorde, not the riche man, not a philosopher, not a kyng, but he who soeuer he be, that beleueth verely, that Iesus is the sonne of God. Beleue that which he hath promised, and it shal nothing moue thee, whatsouer the worlde purposeth against thee. He ouercame the world first, & atteyned im∣mortalitie: he came into this world hauīg takē our mortal body, to get the victorye for vs, to shew the meane of victorye getting, to cause y^• rewardes to be certaynely reckoned vpon. But with what furnitures came he armed withall? He came by water and bloude, euen Iesus Christe: by water, that he myght washe vs cleane from our synnes: by bloude, that he myght geue vs immortall lyfe. Hys owne wyll was to be baptised, beinge cleane voyde from all synne, that he myght frelye geue vnto vs innocencye: hys owne wyll was to dye on the crosse, that he myght open vnto vs the waye vnto immortalitie. He dyd not onelye testifie by these two tokens, that he was Christ and the sauiour of the worlde, in that he receyued baptisme, as a synfull man: in that he dyed as a malefactour, where he one onely & none among all but he, was Innocent from all synne: but the spirite also ap∣pearynge in the likenes of a doue, bare recorde of him, that it was he, whō the father had geuen to be the sauyour of the worlde. For the spirite is al∣so the trueth, as the father and the sonne is: there is one trueth of all, like as there is one nature of all.

For there are three in heauen, that beare recorde vnto Christ, the father, the worde, and the spirite: the father, whiche sending once and eftsones a voice downe from heauen, testified openly, that he is his dearly beloued sonne, in whom nothing coulde doe amisse: the worde, whiche hauing done so many miracles, whiche in his death and resurreccion declared him selfe to be the true Christ, bothe God and man, the peacemaker betwene God and men: the holy gooste, whiche descended vpon his head whan he was baptised, and that after his resurreccion fell vpon his disciples. And of these three there is all one most perfite agrement: the father is the autor, the sonne the messanger, the holy goost the remembrauncer. There are three thinges also on earthe, that beare recorde vnto Christ: his humayne spirite whiche he put from him one the crosse: the water and the bloode, that ranne out of his syde whan he was deade. And these three witnesses doe agree The other declared him to be God, these recorde that he was man. Iohn also bare witnesse. And yf we receyue witnesse of men, it is reason, that the witnesse of God be of more importaunce with vs. For the testimonie of God the fa∣ther is manifest: Thys is my VVelbeloued Sonne, in VVhom I am pleased, heare him. What thing can be spoken more plainly or more fully? he that beleueth truly in goddes sonne Iesus Christ, and hath reposed al the succours of his lyfe in him, so that trusting in his promisses he contemneth all thinges, that this worlde can make a shewe of, whether they be amiable or dreadfull, hathe a witnesse in him selfe, and beareth witnesse vnto the sonne of God. For whan (throughe thinspiracion of the spirite of Christe) he defieth euen deathes for his loue, he beareth no trifling witnesse vnto mē, that they are no vaine thīges that Christ hath taught and promised. He that trusteth not in god, but putteth his trust in the worlde, he, as muche as in him is, maketh god a lyer, whiche hath promised felicitie vnto them that woulde herkē vnto his sonne Iesu Christ: where as he in his conuersaciō teacheth that felicitie is to be asked of the worlde, & cleaueth so vnto the cōmodities of this lyfe, as thoughe nothing of a man remayned after the deathe of the bodye. The father cryeth: Heare him. And his lyfe, that beleueth not, sayeth: Heare the worlde. For whan the sonne prayed the father, that those whiche beleued or shoulde beleue in him, might haue eternall lyfe, the fathers voyce was heard, testifiyng as by the sound of a trompet, that his prayers should be allowed. The father therfore hath geuen vs euerlastyng lyfe, she∣winge of whome it should be asked, euen of his sonne Iesus Christe. His doctrine who soeuer embraceth, his example whosoeuer foloweth, hys promises whosoeuer trusteth vnto, he bothe possedeth the sonne and hath life: the pledge wherof he kepeth in the meane time, euen the spirite of god, throughe the vndoubted confidence whereof he is bolde to call God, father: He that is a straunger from the sonne, is estraunged also from lyfe.