If any sinne mortally, he must not despaire. 3. To know God rightly, is not to beleeue only,
but to keep his commandements: 7. and that this is no new doctrine, but the very primitue,
though a new life it is. 9. Therfore he hat beleeueth must also loue his Brethren: 12. and that men
must not loue the world but doe that which God willeth. 18. Many are gone out of the Church and
become Seducers, al the Ministers of Antichrist: but true Christians must continue in their old
faith, considering the reward, & that they need not goe to schole to any Heretike, the Holy Ghost
himself being the Schole-maister of the Church. 29. He doth earnestly inculcate iustice and good
workes
1. My litle children, these things I write to you, that you sinne not. But and if any
man shal sinne, we haue an
✟
παϱάκγητον.
Aduocate with the Father, Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ the iust:
2. and he is the propitiation for our sinnes: and not for ours only, but also for
the whole worldes.
3. And in this we know we haue knowen him, if we obserue his commandements.
4. He that saith he knoweth him, and keepeth not his commandements, is a lier, and
the truth is not in him:
5. But he that keepeth his word, in him in very deed the charitie of God is perfited:
in this we know that we be in him.
6. He that saith he abideth in him, ought euen as he walked, himself also to walke.
7. My Dearest, I write not a new commandement to you, but an old commandement which
you had from the beginning. The old commandement is the word which you haue heard.
8. Againe
*
Io. 13,34
15,12.
a new commandement write I to you, which thing is true both in him and
in you: because the darkenesse is passed, and the true light now shineth.
9. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkenesse
euen vntil now.
10.
*
1. Io. 3,14.
He that loueth his brother, abideth in the light, and scandal is not in him.
11. But he that hateth his brother, is in the darkenesse, and walketh in the
darkenesse, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkenes hath blinded his eyes.
12. I write vnto you litle children, because your sinnes are forgiuen you for his
name.
13. I write vnto you fathers, because you haue knowen him which is from the
beginning. I write vnto you yong men, because you haue ouercome the wicked one.
14. I write to you infants, because you haue knowen the Father. I write vnto you
yong men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you haue ouercome
the wicked one.
15. Loue not the world, nor those things which are in the world. If any man loue the
world, the charitie of the Father is not in him.
16. because
✟
How al sinne & tentation proceed of these three, see S. Thomas in his Summe. 1. 2.
quest. 77. art. 5.
al that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the
concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the
world.
17. And the world passeth and the concupiscence thereof. But he that doeth the
wil of God, abideth for euer.
18. Litle children, it is the last houre, & as you haue heard, that
✟
ὁ ἀντήχϱισθ.
Antichrist
commeth: now there are become many Antichrists, whereby we know, that it is the last houre.
19. They went out from vs; but they
✟
They were of vs for the time, that is, of and in the Church: otherwise they could not haue
gone out. But they were not of the constant sort, or of the elect & predestinat: for then
they had taried within, or returned before their death.
were not of vs. For if they had been of vs, they
would surely haue remained with vs: but that they may be manifest that they are not al of vs.
20. But you haue
✟
χρἐσμα
Chrisma.
whereof Christ & Christians.
the vnction from the Holy one, and know al things.
21. I haue not written to you as to them that know not the truth, but as to them that
know it: and that no lie is of the truth.
22. Who is a lier, but he which denieth that Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ is Christ? This is Antichrist
which denieth the Father and the Sonne.
23. Euery one that denieth the Sonne, neither hath he the Father. He that confesseth the
Sonne, hath the Father also.
24. You, that which you haue
✟
Keep that firmely & constantly which you haue heard euen from the beginning, by the mouth of
the Apostles; & not that only which you haue receiued by writing.
heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If that
abide in you which you haue heard from the beginning, you also shal abide in the Sonne & the
Father.
25. And this is the promise which he promised vs, life euerlasting.
26. These things haue I written to you concerning them that seduce you.
27. And you, the vnction which you haue receiued from him, let it abide in you. And
you haue no need that any man teach you: but as his vnction teacheth you of al things, and it is
true, and it is no lie. And as it hath taught you, abide
✟
' or, in it.
in him.
28. And now litle children abide in him: that when he shal appeare, we may haue
confidence, and not be confounded of him in his comming.
29. If you know that he is iust, know ye that euery one also
✟
We see it is Apostolical doctrine, that men may doe or worke iustice, and that so doing
they be iust by their workes proceeding of God's grace, & not by faith or imputation only.
which doeth iustice, is
borne of him.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. II.
1. That you sinne not. ) S. Iohn (saith V. Bede vpon his place) is not contrarie to himself,
in that he seeketh here to make them without sinne, whom he said in the last chapter could not be
without al sinnes: but in the former place he warned vs only of our frailety, that we should not
arrogate to our selues perfect innocencie; here he prouoketh vs to watchfulnes and diligence in
resisting and auoiding sinnes, specially the greater, which by God's grace may more easily be
repelled.
1. An aduocate ) How Christ is our only Aduocate.
The calling and office of an Adnocate, is in many things proper to Christ, and in euery condition
more singularly and excellently agreeing to him then to any Angel, Saint, or creature liuing:
though these also be rightly and truely so called, and that not only without al derogation, but
much to the honour of Christ's aduocation. To him soly and only it agreeth to procure vs mercie
before God's face, by the general ransom, price, & paiment of his bloud for our deliuerie, as is
said in the sentence following, And he is the propitiation for our sinnes, and not for ours only,
but for the whole worlds. In which sort he is our only Aduocate, because he is our only
Redeemer. And hereupon he alone immediatly, by and through himself, and without the aid or
assistance of any other, man or Angel, in his owne name, right, and merits, confidently dealeth
in our causes before God our iudge, & so procureth our pardon, which is the highest degree of
aduocation that can be.
How Angels, Saints, & men aliue are our Aduocates.
Al which notwithstanding, yet the Angels, and Saints, & our fellowes aliue, may and doe pray
for vs, and in that they deale with God by intercession to procure mercie for vs, may iustly be
called our Aduocates: not so as Christ is, who demandeth al things immediately by his owne
merits, but as secondary Intercessours, who neuer aske nor obtaine any thing for vs, but per
Christum Dominum nostrum, by and through Christ our common Lord, Aduocate, and Redeemer of
mankind.
Saints in heauen pray for vs.
And behold how S. Augustin (tract. 1. in ep. Io. vpon these very words) preuented
the Heretikes cauillations. Sed dicet aliquis, &c. But some man wil say, Doe not the Saints then
pray for vs? doe not Bishops then or Prelates and Pastours pray for the people? Yes, saith he:
Marke the Scriptures, and you shal find that the Apostles praied for the people, & againe
desired the people to pray for them, and so the head praieth for al, and the members one for
another. And likewise [lest the Heretikes should say, there is a difference betwixt the liuing
and the dead in this case) thus the same holy Father writeth vpon the 85. Psalme in fine. Our
Lord Iesus Christ doth yet make intercession for vs, al the Martyrs that be with him, pray for
vs: neither wil their intercession cease, til we cease our groanings.
The B. Virgin is our Aduocate.
In this sense therfore whosoeuer praieth for vs, either aliue or dead, is our Aduocate: as S.
Augustin (ep. 59. to Paulinus circa med.) calleth Bishops, the peoples Aduocates, when they
giue them their benediction or blessing. So doth the holy Church cal our B. Lady our Aduocate, by
the very words of S. Irenæus, that you may see such speaches be no new inuentions of the later
Ages, but Apostolical. The obedient Virgin MARIE (saith he) is made the Aduocate of the
disobedient virgin Eue
Angels are our Protectours.
And to confound the Protestants plainely, in that they thinke or pretend
that the aduocation or patronage of Saints should be iniurious to Christ, remember that * our Sauiour
acknowledgeth Angels to be deputed for the protection (which is nothing els but aduocation) of
infants before the face of God, besides the plaine examples in the old Testament Gen. 48. v.
16. Tob. 5.27. & c. 12. v. 12. Dan. 10. And this not only the Catholike Church, but the very
English Protestants themselues in their seruice booke and in the Collect of Michel-mas day,
professe, and pray for the same protection or aduocation of Angels, and defend the same against
their yonger brethren the Puritanes.
Iren. li. 3. c. 33. & li. 5. post med. D. Hiero. in Mat. 1.18.
2. For the whole worlds. ) The Catholike Church is the only true Church.
S. Augustine gathereth hereof against the Donatistes, and al other Heretikes, that would driue
the Church into corners or some certaine countries, from the vniuersalitie of al Nations (whereof
it was named by the Apostles, Catholike) that the true religion, and Church, and consequently the
effect of Christs propitiation, death, and aduocation, pertaineth not to one age, nation, or
people, but to the whole world. S. Augustine vpon this place to. 9. tract. 1 in ep. Io.
4. He that saith he knoweth. ) Not only faith.
To know God here, signifieth (as it doth often in the Scriptures) to loue, that is, as in the
last chapter, to be in societie with him, and to haue familiar and experimental knowledge of his
graces. If any vaunt them selues thus to know God, and yet keepe not his commaundements, he is a
lier, as al Caluinistes and Lutherans, that professe them selues to be in the fauour of God by
onely faith: affirming, that they neither keepe• not possibly can keepe his commaundements.
18. Many Antichrists. ) Al Heretikes are Antichrists, the fore-runners of the great
Antichrist.
The holy Apostle S Iohn (saith S. Cyprian) did not put a difference betwixt one heresie or schisme
and an other, not meant any sort that specially separated them selues, but generally called al
without exception, Antichristes, that were aduersaries to the Church, or were gone out from the
same. And a litle after, It is euident that al be here called antichristes, that haue seuered
them selues from the charitie and vnitie of the Catholike Church. So writeth he ep. 76. nu. 1
ad Magnum. whereby we may learne, that al Heretikes, or rather Arch-heretikes be properly the
precursors of that one and special Antichrist, which is to come at the last end of the world,
& which is called here immediatly before, ὁ ἀντίχϱισθ, that peculiar and singular
Antichrist.
19. They went out from vs. ] The marke of al heretikes is, their going out of the Catholike
societie.
An euident note and marke, whereby to conuince al Heretikes and false teachers. to wit, that
being once of the common Catholike Christian fellowship, they forsooke it, and went out from
the same. Simon Magus, Nicolas the Deacon, Hymenaeus, Alexander, Philétus, Arîus, Macedonius,
Pelagius, Nestorius, Eutyches, Luther, Caluin, and the like, were of the common societie of al vs
that be Christian Catholikes, they went out from vs whom they saw to liue in vnitie of faith and
religion together, and made them selues new conuenticles. therfore they were (as the Apostle here
sheweth) antichristes, and we and al that abide in the auncient fellowship of Christian religion,
that went not out of their fellowship, in which we neuer were, nor out of any other societie of
knowen Christians, can not be Schismatikes or Heretikes, but must needes be true Christian
Catholike men. Let our aduersaries tel vs, out of what Church we euer departed, when, and where,
and vnder what persons it was that we reuolted, as we can tel them the yere, the places, the
Ringleaders of their reuolt.
19. They were not of vs. ) How Heretikes aro of the Church, before they fal.
He meaneth not, that Heretikes were not, or could not be in or of the Church, before they went out
or fel into their heresie or schisme: but partly that many of them which afterward fall out,
though they were before with the rest, and partakers of al the Sacraments with other their
fellowes, yet in deede were of naughtie life and conscience when they were within, and so being
rather as if humors and superfluous excrements, then true and liuely partes of the body, after a
sort may be said not to haue been of the body at al. So S. Augustine expoundeth these wordes in
his commentarie vpon this place. tract. 3. but els where, more agreably as it seemeth, that the
Apostle meaneth, that such as wil not tarie in the Church, but finally forsake it to the end, in
the prescience of God, and in respect of the small benefite they shal haue by their temporal
smal abode there, be not of or in the Church, though according to this present state, they are
truely members thereof. Li. de corrept. & gr. c. 9 & de dono perseu••. c. 8.
19. That they may be manifest. ) By heresies constant Catholikes are knowen.
God permitteth heresie to be, that such as be permanent, constant, and chosen members and children
of the Catholike Church, onely knowen to God before, may now also be made manifest to the world, by
their constant remaining in the CHVRCH, when the winde and blast of euery heresie or tentation
driueth out the other light and vnstable persons.
20. Know al things.) Euery good Catholike is sufficiently taught by the Church to
saluation.
They that abide in the vnitie of Christes Church, haue the vnction, that is, the Holy Ghost, who
teacheth al truth, not that euery member or man thereof hath al knowledge in him self personally,
but that euery one which is of that happie societie to which Christ promised and gaue the Holy
Ghost, is partaker of al other mens giftes and graces in the same holy Spirit, to his saluation.
Neither neede any to seeke truth at Heretikes handes or others that be gone out▪ when it is within
them selues and onely within them selues in Gods Church. If thou loue vnitie (saith S. Augustine)
for thee also hath he, whosoeuer hath any thing in it, take away enuie, it is thine which I haue,
it is mine which thou hast. &c. Tract. 32 in Euang. Ioan.