onely waye to Goddes fauour to bee the enbracyng of his holy Scriptures the drounyng wherof had enforced God to power his indignacion vpon the Christian worlde He sawe and well perceyued that God of his mercie was wylling to ceasse his wrath and vengeaunce if the Christian people woulde returne to hym He perceyued God to offre his grace vnto the worlde by openyng their iyes if leauyng theyr errour and ignoraunce thei woulde enbrace the clere lyght of the ghospell He sawe moreouer that his moste louyng subiectes of Englande whome his godly exaumple had prouoked to tendre and seke the glorye of God dyd nowe houngre and thirste the righteousnesse of God and the knowleage of his woorde He playnly sawe that no waye there was to a reformacion but by this onely meane yf the autoritie and vsurped supremitie of the See of Rome wer extirped abolished and clene extincte For he sawe his countreimen the Englishe Israelites to bee holden in suche extreme bondage wythin the Romishe Egypte that there was no hope of deliueraunce but by the onely power and myghtifull arme of God reysyng vp some Moses that woulde in the face of that same moste cruell Pharao require that Israell myght bee freely leat goe The huige seuenfold headed draguon was to the simple inferiour people suche an obstacle that they myght not come to Christe and to all Christen princes suche a terrour that they durste not This draguon besydes the monstreous hissing of his curses and excommunicacions and besides the contagious infeccion of idolatry and superstition wherewith he had by his whelpes the cancarde papistes so adblasted the worlde that he had enwrapped and drowned all Christendome in blindnesse and errour he hadde also a mortall styng in his taill wherewyth he ceassed not by all kyndes of deathes and tormentes to destruye and mourdre as manye as woulde once open theyr lyppes agaynste his moste detestable and moste blasphemous abominacions This draguon ceassed not continually to persecute the woman clothed in the sunne that is to saye Christes dere spouse the churche of England but as a rampyng and roryng lyon he stoode euer ready watchyng that he mighte deuoure her chyldren the Christian flocke whiche she nowe groned to bryng foorth to Christe had not the Englishe Michael kyng Henry the eight taken in hande to fight agaynst the sayde draguon and been strengthened of God wyth hys Aungelles the lordes and godlye prelates to caste the sayde draguon that olde serpente and his Aungels oute of Englande This was the great harlotte that sitteth vpon manye waters wyth whome the kynges of the yearthe haue committed fornicacion and the inhabiters of the yearthe been made drounken wyth the wyne of her fornicacion the woman sittyng vpon the rosecouloured and tenhorned beaste full of names of blasphemye she sitting araied in purple and rosecolour and decked with golde precious stones perles and in her hande a cuppe of golde full of abhominacions and filthines of her fornicacion and in her forehead a name of great misterie written great Babylon the mother of whoredome and abhominacions of the yearth and the same whore drounken with the bloude of Saynctes and with the bloude of wytnesses of Iesus Thys was the huyge monstre Hydra to whome the poetes attribute seuen heades some eyghte and some an hundred heades whome aswell king Iohn of Englande as also soondrie other Cstristen princes had attempted to vanquishe but as soone as they had cutte of one heade three other heades grewe vp for it so that euerye wounde that was geuen him was a more confirmacion and encrease of his strength vntyll our Hercules Kyng Henrye the eyghte perceyuyng that no power no puissaunce no weapon was hable to confounde hym sauyng onelye the consumyng fyer of Goddes woorde prouided the Byble to bee sette forth in the Englishe tounge and to bee sette vp in euerye churche where it myght bee read of of his people Long time endured this conflycte betwene our Englyshe Hercules and the Romishe Hydra ere he could bee destruied so fast grewe vp a more numbre of serpentine heades whan any one was cut of For besydes the manyfolde moste monstruous heades of Idolatrye Pylgremages supersticions countrefaicte religions and innumerable abuses mo whiche kyng Henry had to cutte of his whelpes the indurate generacion of papistes deuised all meanes possible to kepe hys auctoritie styll in Englande ne lefte any engin vnattempted to staigh and lette the abolishyng of hys vsurped power abusyng the simple people wyth all kyndes of delusion and iuggleyng of countrefaicte myracles of feigned visions of liyng in traunces of rapcions euen vnto the thyrde heauen of sophistycall learning of holy contestacions of subtily inuented prophecies of bolde comminacions and threateninges of voices auouched to haue come from heauen of peruertyng the sence of scripture to mainteine his power of wrytyng bookes in derogacyon of the kynges procedynges And to the ende there shoulde not lacke any kinde of wickedenesse that the saied Hydra and his adherentes moonkes fryers and other cloystreers were hable to weorke he founde meanes besydes many other stormes of forrayne warres and conspiracies so ferre to abuse the credulitie of the simple ignoraunte people that he brought theim halfe in a detestacion and hatered of Gods woorde and seduced theim to aduenture with a lytle blaste of sedicion to distourbe the cogitacions of suche a noble and a good kyng beeyng than moste eaâ—nestelye yea I maye saye onely sette in studiyng for the establishemente and continuacion of peace and tranquilitie in this Royalme for euer All whiche terrours coulde not appalle kyng Henryes moste stoute courage but that he wente thorough with the reformacion whiche the spirite of God so wrought in hys harte and conscience that he sawe it to bee necessarie and hymselfe to bee chosen of God to bee the instrumente therof All this whyle Englande thoughe not yet veray wyllyngly ne vniuersally receyuyng the grace of the ghospell offreed vnto vs together wyth the moste heauenly iewell and treasure of Goddes holy scripture in the mother language yeâ— neuerthelesse as oure partyes and moste bounden dueties were tenderlye consideryng the moste vigilaunte care and studie and moste earneste trauayle of oure moste gracious soueraigne employed for our behoufe and daily bestowed in fortifiyng all parties of the Royalme agaynst the malicious assaultes and conspiracies of the said Romishe Hydra or any other enemies by his procuremente Englande I saye ceassed not with continuall prayer to beseche the goodnesse of almyghtye God to rewarde the godlye mynde and dooynge of our kyng nowe wearyng oute hys bodye in trauayllyng for vs and spendyng his lyfe in procuryng for our wealth and safegarde wyth a soonne to whome whan he shoulde departe hence to heauen he myght safely committe and leaue his croune with the gouernaunce of vs his moste dere beloued subiectes Thus did all Englande by the space of many yeres persiste in continuall prayer but almyghtie God wyllyng to shewe for what persones he reserueth hys blyssynges as
The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the newe testamente Enpriented at London in Fletestrete at the signe of the sunne by Edwarde Whitchurche the last daie of Ianuarie Anno. Domini 1548. Cum priuilegio Regali ad imprimendum solum EW To the moste puissaunt prince and our moste redoubted soueraigne Lord Edward the sixthe by the Grace of God King of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendour of the faith and on yearth next and immediatly vnder God of the Churches of Englande and Irelande the supreme head your moste humble louyng and obedient subiecte Nicolas Udal wisheth al grace and peace from God with long and thesame moste prosperous Reigne ouer vs in all honour health and condigne felicitie MOste noble and moste worthie Soueraigne it myght in me so basse and simple a persone appeare no small presumpcion to write vnto your Emperiall Maiestie were not the cause of our publique gratulacions so iust and so greate that no manne what euer he bee hauyng occasion to wryte maye thynke hymselfe voyde of cryme if he shoulde omytte to declare and testifie the vnestimable comforte and ioye whiche your vniuersall moste louyng and obedient subiectes daily more and more doe take of your Maiesties singuler good procedinges and most excellent towardnesse For where by the space of many yeres vntil it pleased the goodnesse of God to sende you vnto vs the earneste prayers of all Englande was that we might haue a Prynce and after the tyme of your natiuitie whan God had so gracyously heard our peticions we eftsons prayed that ye myght haue grace to folowe the godly steppes and proceadynges of your moste noble father euerye man seeth nowe in your Maiestee suche towardenes of vertue and godly zele that we haue conceyued no lesse then an vndoubted hope that ye wyll by Goddes gouernaunce ferre passe your saied father to whom our daily wysshinges and prayers thought it enough to haue you eguall We all see in your highnesse suche liuely sparkes of vertue and Christian regiment toward that we cannot but thynke Englande the moste fortunate Royalme that euer was to whome God hath geuen suche a Kyng as in his minoritye of tendre babehood learneth to haue mynde on his funccion and to considre whose mynistre he is If Royalmes after the saiyng of Plato are than and neuer els in blissed state whan eyther Philosophiers that is to saye suche as knowe and loue God doe reigne ouer thesame or els the Kynges geue themselues to philosophie that is to saye to the due knowledge of God to the disciplyne of vertue and to the vpryght execucion of their office towardes all people howe happye are we Englishmen of suche a Kyng in whose chyldehood appereth as perfeict grace vertue godly zele desire of literature grauitie prudence iustice magnaniraitie as hath heretofore been found in Kinges of most mature age of ful discrecion of auncient reigne and of passing high estimacion But suche is the goodnesse of God that to a people eagerly hongreyng and thrysting his iustice earnestly sekyng the wayes of his trueth tendrely enbracyng his moste holy woorde readily acceptyng the grace of his ghospel wyllyngly conformyng themselfes to the sincere doctryne of his commaundementes he forgeateth not to geue a sapient Kyng and gouernour And that God hath of a singuler fauoure and mercye towardes this Royalme of Englande sente youre grace to reigne ouer vs the thyng selfe by the whole processe doeth declare the summe whereof I shal in a short discourse no more but briefly touche passe ouer leste I might seme rather to haue sought an occasioÌ„ in the waye of flatery to extolle you and your progenie then as this present cause enforceth me to geue due testimonie of the trueth In dede your singular excelleÌ„cie in al kindes of princely towardenesse is such that no place no tyme no cause no booke no person either in publique audience or els in priuate couÌ„paignie maketh any mencion of your Maistie but he thynketh hymself euen of a veray conscience bouÌ„d to powdre thesame with manyfold praises of your incoÌ„parable vertues giftes of grace Al which prayses magnifying though they bee in dede muche inferiour to your moste woorthye desertes hytherto yet your maiestie muste take and repute not as a matter of insolencie by your moste louyng and faithful subiectes ministred vnto you but rather as a thyng wrought in them by the instincte of god to admonishe you of the Regal estate that he hath called you vnto not as a prouocacioÌ„ of wordelye gloriyng in your self but as an instrumente of admonicion to continue you in remembraunce of thankes geuing and of discharging youre office not as the baites of flatery meaning to fede your Maiestie in any conceipte of pryde but rather as a glasse wherein to beholde your self what ye are and how ye ought to continue not as the pleasaunt ticleing or clawyng of adulacion but rather as a caucion that ye dooe nothing in all your life whereby ye maye bee founde or thought vnwoorthie the laude that is geueÌ„ you and finally not as a nourishmente of any humam vanitie but rather as a spur of exhortacion not onely to beware â—hat ye goe not backe ne degenerate or decline from the godly trade of religioÌ„ of vertue of litterature of prudeÌ„ce of benigâ—itie of iustice of princely regiment that ye are nowe entred into but also that ye procede as ye haue begoonne and still goe forwarde encreasyng in all godlinesse that your procedynges and consummacion maie bee aunswerable to your moste princely and Christian begynnynges Neyther is there any subiect of yours worthie life whiche woulde to any other ende or purpose attempt to magnifye you in thys tendre age but in hope that if ye bee not alreadye come to the perfeccion propouned vnto you ye wyll labour and contende as age maye suffre to growe and reache vnto it For if Philip of Macedonie being an ethnike and a pagane Kyng whan he was railed at and muche euil spoken of by the Atheniens toke therof an occasioÌ„ well to reigne gouerne his people alleagyng himself to bee enforced and coÌ„streigned theruÌ„to that he might proue his enemyes vntrue men of their reportes howe muche more necessitie of well doyng is incumbent to your highnesse that ye maye in tyme comyng verifie the praises and coÌ„mendacions whiche the publyque consent of the worlde dooeth nowe attribute vnto you Howebeeit we your moste feythfull louyng subiectes dooe nothyng doubte but that God beeyng the geuer of all good gyftes the father of all mercie and the God of all coumforte who of his infinite goodnesse hath prouided you to reigne ouer vs wyll also in suche wyse directe all your wayes that he wyll euydentely declare hymself by his eternall wysedome and by his counsayll inscrutable to haue purposely ordeyned and appoynted you to dooe high thynges whome he hath by his myghtifull arme so woondrefully sent For where your moste noble father of famous memorie Kyng
be restored to her owne body The whiche as soone as it shall bee doen whosoeuer shall belong to this holy felowship and sticke constantly vnto me shal be translated with me vnto euerlasting life to be partakers of felicitie which were felowes and partakers of affliccyons After they ye haue taughte these thynges yf they beleue the thinges that ye haue taught yf they repent them of their former lyfe if they be ready to embrace the doctrine of the ghospell then dippe them in water in the name of the father the sonne and the holy gost that by this wholy signe they may trust themselues to be deliuered from the filthines of al theyr sinnes freely through the benefite of my death and nowe to be chosen to the number of the children of God Lette no manne be circumcysed let no manne bee baptized in the name of Moyses or of any manne Let them all knowe to whome they be bounde for their health vpon whome they oughte wholy to hang. Let them not bee burdened with the ceremonyes of Moyses or of manne Lette this token be sufficient for all menne that cumme to the profession of the ghospell whiche is easye to bee had in euery place But leste any manne myghte thinke it sufficient to saluacion once to be baptysed and to professe the faythe of the ghospell they must be taughte agayne by what meanes they may kepe theyr innocencie by what meanes they may goe forwarde to perfeccyon of the euangelicall godlines I haue omitted nothyng whiche may make to the obteining of euerlasting health And that heauenly spirite whiche ye shall receiue will not suffer you to forget that whiche ye haue learned of me Therefore whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you deliuer ye the same to be kepte of them I haue not prescribed vnto you the ceremonies of Moyses law whiche like shadowes must now vanishe away at the light of the euangelicall trueth I haue not prescribed vnto you pharisaicall constitucions but those thinges whiche onely bringeth true innocencie and godlines and whiche onely maye make you derely beloued of God and truely happy Therefore teache these thynges to them that professe my name not onely in woorde but also in life as I whatsoeuer I taught I perfourmed it in dedâ— Whiles ye be doyng of these thynges and whyles ye bring mortall menne to heauen the worlde will ryse agaynste you lyke as it rose agaynste me For my spirite agreeth not with the spirite of thys worlde and my doctryne is wholy agaynst the affeccions of them whiche loue the thinges that be of this world They will ryse agaynste you with greate tumultes but there is no cause why ye nede to distrust though ye be but lowe and abiecte vnlearned weake and fewe I haue ouercome the worlde and ye shall ouercome through my helpe by mynâ— exaâ—mple Ye shal ouercome through my might and not your owne whatsoeuer is terrible in this worlde ¶ And loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the worlde And although I shall take vp this body into heauen because it is so expediente for you yet I wil neuer forsake you For after that I shall ceasse to bee with you in body than I shall be more effectually with you in my spirite And I will be with you vnto the worldes ende but whan the worldes ende shal be it profiteth not nor behoueth not you to know In the meane season do what is commaunded you euer ready agaynst that daye Whiche whansoeuer it shal come than ye also your mortalitie layed aparte shal bee wholy with me felowes of my fathers kyngdome whiche shall neuer haue ende FINIS To the most excellent and vertuous princesse quene Catherine wyfe to our moste gracious soueraigne Lorde Henry the eyght Kyng of England Fraunce â–ª and Irelande defendour of the faythe and of the Churche of EnglaÌ„d and also of Irelande in earthe supreme heade Thomas Key her dayly Oratoure wisheth perpetuall felicitie AMoÌ„ge the innumerable benefites whiche we haue receiued of almighty God most worthye and excellent Princesse there is none in myne opinioÌ„ for the whiche we are more bounden vnto his merciful goodnesse then for that it hath pleased hym more clearely to illumine vs of this age with the knowledge of his holy woorde then our forefathers and elders For who knoweth not how long this realme hath bene miserably seduced through ignoraunce of the Scriptures Who euen amonge the vplandishe perceyueth not what intollerable abuses haue bene vnder pretence of true religion and Godlynesse mayntayned in this Churche of Englande tyll suche tyme that God of his infinite mercy sent vs a newe Iosias by whose righteous administracion and Godly policie the light of Gods worde that so many yeares before was here extincte began to shyne agayne to the vtter extirpacion of false doctrine the rote and chiefe cause of all such abusioÌ„s This Iosias is our mooste redoubted soueraigne Lorde Kyng Henry theyght a Prince garnished with so many excellent gyftes of grace nature Fortune that he is in very dede therfore mooste worthely called the perfite mirroure pearle of all Christen Princes To wade here in the prayse of his princely qualities noble actes atchieâ—ed to Gods honoure and the publique weale of this realme is not my purpose for that I knowe it to be an enterpryse farre exceadyng the compasse of my symple learning and barrayne eloquence But onely to declare howe muche we are bounden chiefly vnto God and nexte vnto his moste excellent Maiestie that we haue the Scriptures in our mother toÌ„gue are cured of our olde blindnesse by the medicine of veritie For nowe hauing our spirituall iyes opened and daily receyuing into the same the cleare light of Gods worde we begyn to see perfectly to knowe our onely sauiour Iesus Christ whome to knowe is euerlasting lyfe and saluacioÌ„ But so longe as the saide Scriptures were hyd and kept from the knowledge of the people fewe knewe Christ aryght and none lesse then they who appeared to be the chiefe professours of christian religion For what els is it to knowe Christ but to knowe and confesse that of him onely and by hym cummeth oure saluacion that by hâ—moure good dedes are acceptable vnto almyghty God the father that by him the fathers wrathe is appeased that by him we be enfraunchised from the captiuitie and thraldome of the deuell and to be shorte that by hym we are adopted and chosen to be the children of God and enherytours of the kyngdome of heauen Whoso knoweth Christ aryght surely beleueth to attayne saluacioÌ„ by him onely who saythe Cum vnto me all ye that do trauaile and are charged and I shall refresh you The very office of Christ is to saue therfore he was called by the high wisdome of God Iesu that is as muche to say as a sauiour because so saythe the angell in Mathew he shall saue the people from their sinnes So that it appeareth hereby how greatly they are deceiued that thinke
to be saued by any other waye or meane then by Christ or that make theÌ„selues quarter sauiours with him ascribing any parte of their saluacioÌ„ vnto their owne workes and deseruinges Nowe howe could Christ be knowen aright that is to say to be our onely sauioure and iustifier so long as the scriptures were shut vp kept from the people And Legenda aurea with such like truÌ„perye lay open for them to passe the time withall and reade in stede of the byble For this cause chiefly and also for lacke of good preachers to preache and teache the truthe it came to passe that he was almost cleane out of knowledge in this realme insomuche that during the tyme of this great ignoraunce and blyndes many a thousand putte more confidence of soule healthe in workes that were but of mennes phantasying as in pardons in pilgrymages in kyssing of relyques in offeryng to saintes in halowed beades in numberyng of prayers in mumblyng vp of psalmes not vnderstand in the merytes of those that called them selfes relygious and in other lyke thynges disalowed by god and his holy word then in Christe thonly auctor as is aforesayde of mannes saluacion But nowe that by the gracious permission of our sayde soueraigne Lorde the scriptures are open for euery man to read soberly and reuerently for his owne edifying in vertue and godly lyuing it is right well knowen that the foresayd abusions were doctrines of Antichristes inuencion and not of god and that al such as teache any other waye or meane to attayne saluacioÌ„ then by hym who sayth I am the waye veritie are false teachers seducers and liers Nowe do the commaundementes of God no lenger giue place as they were wonte to do vnto mans tradicioÌ„s Now haue we learned what is our dutie to God what obedeÌ„ice we owe vnto our price gods chief minister and supreme head in earth of our churche coÌ„gregacion Now is idolatry hipocrisy and supersticion â—â—eane plucked vp by the rootes and true religion euery where planted Nowe is false doctrine exiled Gods worde truely setforthe and preached Nowe hathe England cleane forsaken Antichrist of Rome the greatest enemy of gods holy worde with al his moste vngodly deuices and diuilyshe inuencioÌ„s And all this came of the mere mercy and goodnes of almygty god towardes vs who vndoubtedly for thassercioÌ„ of his holy word and the delyuerauÌ„ce of vs his people out of captiuitie ignoraunce and blydnes hathe raysed vp in oure tymes thi Christen Iosias and ioyned vnto the same by most lawful matrimony youre noble grace a Lady besydes other speciall gyftes and singuler qualities wholy geuen to the study of vertue and godlynesse Wherfore all England hathe iuste occasion to reioyce at this youre graces honorable aduauncement yea rather hyghly to thanke god that our moste gracious soueraigne hathe matched himselfe with so vertuous a Lady in whome is the very expresse resemblance of all his maiesties excellent vertues but specially of that his graces ardent zele and deuocion in fauouryng and setting forthe of Gods word the mother of all ioyful prosperitie A manifest argument wherof besydes many other is that your grace so muche desyreth to haue the Paraphrases of the renoumed clerke Erasmus of Roterdame vpon the new testament a worke very fruitefull and necessary for the true vnderstandyng of this parte of holy scripture tourned into Englishe and for the xploiture and spedy accomplishement of this your graces most Godly desyre hath as is sayde commauÌ„ded certein well learned persoÌ„s to translate the sayde worke the paraphrase vpon S. Marke excepted which the right worshypfull maister Owen a man of muche lerning no lesse honestie and therfore worthyly Phisician to the kynges moste royall person moued me your graces pleasure fyrst knoweÌ„ to go in haÌ„d withall affirming that I should do a thyng right acceptable vnto your hyghnes if I would diligently trauell therin The whiche thing being very desyrous to gratify your highnes and with my pore seruice and diligence to further as much as in me lay the godly purpose of the same I right gladly promised him to do trusting rather vpon the benigne acceptacion of your gracious goddnes then vpon the slendernesse of my wytte lerning farre vnable worthely to atchiue so weyghty an entreprise For thauctour hereof was a man of incomparable eloqueÌ„ce and therfore it is not possible for a person scarcely of meane learning as I am to set out euery thing specially in our English tongue being very barrain of wordes and phrases I will not saye barbarous withall so lyuelye with like grace as he wrote it fyrst in the Latine Wherfore I mynded nothyng lesse then to contend with him in ornate speache and eloquence but haue done my diligent endeuour so to interprete the sayde worke that it shoulde be bothe plaine and pleasaunte vnto the reader and not onely that but also to discharge the chiefest office of an interpretour whiche is faythfully to translate and expresse euery thing according to the true sence meaning of thauctoure If I haue most vertuous PriÌ„cesse any where fayled thus to do it hath bene rather for lacke of learning and better knowledge then of any good will and diligence To speake here any thyng eyther in praise of thauctour of this present worke or of the worke selfe in myne opinion shall not be nedefull for that thauctour is so muche renoumed for his excellency in lerning that my prayses can no more illustrate and set forthe his glory then a candell as the common prouerbe is giue light vnto the sunne and the great vtilitie of thother cannot so well be set out by any mans prayse and commendacion as it shall euidently appeare vnto them that wyll diligently reade and peruse it If this my good wil and endeuour maye be acceptable vnto your highnes as the great fame of your bountye and gracious goodnes putteth me in comforte it shal be I wyll hereafter god assisting me employ my whole study and labours in suche wise that the fruite thereof shal be more worthy to be presented vnto your noble grace then this rude translacion the whiche I am bolde at this present throughe thaffiauÌ„ce of your natural gentlenesse to dedicate vnto the same I beseche almighty God long to preserue our sayde soueraigne Lorde your grace and that moste confortable flower of all England noble Prince Edward in continuall honour ioy and prosperitie ¶ To the moste christian prince Frauncis the Frenche Kinge the first of that name Erasmus of Roterodame sendeth greting THat I haue not tyll this day most ChristiaÌ„ Kyng FrauÌ„cis enioyed the commoditee of your maiesties speciall fauour and beneuolence towardes me hathe nether been thorowe my defaulte or negligeÌ„ce neyther yet can the cause thereof iustly be ascribed vnto your excellency but among sondry lettes and impedimeÌ„tes that hytherto hath chaunced there hath none so muche enuied me this felicitie as hathe this troublous and vnquiet worlde For I haue euer loked when