Good cause there is to beleeue the Apostles preaching. 5. And this is one
point of their preaching, that to haue participation with God, we must not only beleeue, but also
abstaine from al mortal sinne, 8. though we al sinne venially.
1. THAT which was from the beginning, which we haue heard, which we haue seen with our
eyes, which we haue looked vpon, and our hands haue handled, of the Word of life:
2. (and the life was manifested: and we haue seen, and doe testifie, and declare
vnto you the life eternal which was with the Father, and hath appeared to vs)
3. that which we haue seen and haue heard, we declare vnto you, that you also may
haue societie with vs, and our societie may be with the Father and with his Sonne Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
Christ.
4. And these things we write to you, that you may reioyce, and your ioy may be ful.
5. And this is the annuntiation which we haue heard of him, and declare vnto you,
That
*
Io. 8,23.
God is light, and in him there is no darkenesse:
6. If we shal say that we haue societie with him, and walke in darkenesse, we lie,
and doe not the truth.
7. But if we walke in the light, as he also is in the light: we haue societie one
toward another, and
*
Heb. 9.
1. Pet. 1.
Apo. 1.
the bloud of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ his Sonne cleanseth vs from al sinne.
8.
*
3. Reg. 8,46.
2. Par. 6,
If we shal say that we haue no sinne, we seduce our selues, and the truth is not
in vs.
9. If we confesse our sinnes, he is faithful & iust, for to forgiue vs our sinnes,
and to cleanse vs from al iniquitie.
10. If we shal say that we haue not sinned, we make him a lier, and his word is
not in vs.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. I.
3. You may haue societie.) No saluation but in the Societie of the Church.
S. Iohn sheweth manifestly, that whosoeuer desire to be
partakers with God, must first be vnited to the Churches societie, learne that faith, and
receiue those Sacraments, which the Disciples receiued of the Truth it-self, conuersant
with them in flesh. So saith Venerable Bede vpon this place. Whereby we see there is no
Societie with God in Sectes or schismes, nor any-where but in the vnitie, fellowship,
& communion of that Church which can proue it-self to descend from the Apostles.
7. The bloud of Iesus. ) Many meanes & instruments of remitting sinne, but al by the
force & merits of Christ's bloud applied by them.
Whether sinnes be remitted by praiers, by fasting, by almes, by faith, by charitie, by Sacrifice, by
Sacraments, & by the Priests, ( as the holy Scriptures doe plainely attribute remission to euery of
these ) yet none of al these doe otherwise remit, but in the force, by the merit & vertue of Christs
bloud: these being but the appointed meanes & instruments by which Christ wil haue his holy bloud to
worke effectually in vs. Which meanes whosoeuer contemneth, depriueth himself of the commoditie of
Christ's owne bloud & continueth stil in sinne and vncleannesse, vaunt he himself neuer so much of
Christ's death. Which point let the Protestants marke wel, and cease to beguile their poore deceiued
followers, persuading them, that the Catholikes derogate from Christ's bloud, or seeke remission
otherwise then by it, for that they vse humbly the meanes appointed by Christ to apply the benefit of
his holy bloud vnto them.
7. From al sinne.)Al remission of sinnes is by the Passion of Christ though by secundarie
meanes also.
From original and actual, venial and mortal, a culpa & pœna, that is, from the fault and the
paine due for the same. V. Bede saith, that Christ's Passion doth not only remit in Baptisme the
sinnes before committed, but al other afterward also done by frailtie: yet so, if we vse for the
remission of them, such meanes as be requisit and as Christ hath appointed, whereof he reckeneth
some. Bede vpon this place. See S. Augustin also vpon this place to. 9. and S.
Hierome li. 2. con. Pelag c. 3.
8. That we haue no sinne. ) A man may be truely iust, notwithstanding venial sinnes.
We gather by these wordes and the former, that there be two sorts of sinnes: one mortal, excluding
vs from light & the societie of God: another venial, which is found euen in those that walke in
the light, and are in the societie of God. Also we note against the Pelagians, that we be truely
called the sonnes of God, and so iust indeed, though we be not without al sinnes, euery one of vs,
as wel iust as vniust, being taught and bound to confesse our offenses, and to aske pardon daily of
God, by this petition of the Pater noster, Forgiue vs our debts.
S Augustin excepteth our B. Ladie from sinnes.
Therfore S. Augustin li. de natura & grat. c. 36. reckneth vp al the holy Patriarches,
Prophets, and renowmed iust persons, to haue been sinners, euen when they were in grace, and iustice:
excepting alwaies our B. Ladie, de qua propter honorem Domini, nullam prorsus, cum de peccatis
agitur, habere volo quæstionem; of whom, saith he, for the honour of our Lord, when we talke
of sinnes, I wil haue no question.
Examples of venial sinnes.
And Pelagius asking what sinnes Abel and such iust men did commit, S. * Augustin answereth, that they
might laugh sometime immoderately, or iest too much, or couet some-what intemperatly, or plucke fruite
ouer greedily, or in eating take some-what more then afterward was wel digested, or haue their
intention in time of praier some what distracted, and such like. Thus in sense S. Augustin. Whereby
we may learne which be venial sinnes, that consist with true iustice & * can not alwaies be auoided
euen of holy men in this life. In the booke de fide ad Petrum c. 41. are excepted from this
common rule of sinners, the children which be newely baptized and haue not yet vse of reason to sinne
either mortally or venially.
* c. 38.
* de dono perseuerans, c. 2.