It is not for the sonnes of God, to sinne mortally, but for the sonnes of the Diuel, wherby
they are knowen one from another, & not by only faith. 11. True faith is, that we also loue our
Brethren, giuing both our life and substance for them. 19. Such vnfeined loue may haue great
confidence before God. 23. Because the keeping of his commandements doth much please him, which he
consist in faith and charitie.
1. SEE what manner of charitie the Father hath giuen vs, that we should be named
and be
✟
Not by nature, as Christ is: but by grace and adoption.
the sonnes of God. For this cause the world doth not know vs, because it hath not
knowen him.
2. My Dearest, now we are the sonnes of God; & it hath not yet appeared what we
shal be. We know that when he shal appeare, we shal be like to him: because we shal
✟
How we see God & be like vnto him in the next life, see S. Augustin. ep. 111 112. & li. 12.
de ciuit. Dei c. 29.
see him as
he is.
3. And euery one that hath this hope in him,
✟
This teacheth vs that man sanctifieth himself by his freewil working together with
Gods grace, S. Augustin vpon this place.
sanctifieth himself, as he also is
holy.
4. Euery one that committeth sinne, committeth also iniquitie: and sinne is
iniquitie.
5. And
*
Es. 53,4.
you know that he appeared to take away our sinnes:
*
1. Pet. 2,24.
and sinne in him there
is none.
6. Euery one that abideth in him, sinneth not: and euery one that sinneth, hath not
seen him, nor knowen him.
7. Litle children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth iustice, is iust: euen as he
also is iust.
8.
*
Io. 8,44.
He that committeth sinne, is of the diuel: because the diuel sinneth from the
beginning. For this, appeared the Sonne of God, that he might dissolue the workes of the diuel.
9. Euery one that is borne of God, committeth not sinne: because his seed abideth in
him, and he can not sinne because he is borne of God.
10. In this are the children of God manifest, and the children of the diuel. Euery
one that is not iust, is not of God, and he that loueth not his brother.
11.
⋮
The Epistle for S. Polycarpus, Ian. 26.
Because this is the annuntiation, which you haue heard from the beginning,
*
Io. 13,15.
That
you loue one another.
12. Not as
*
Gen. 4,8
Cain, who was of the wicked, and killed his brother. And for what cause
killed he him? Because his workes were wicked: but his brother, iust.
13.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 2. Sunday after Pentecost.
Maruel not, Brethren, if the world hate you.
14. We know that we are translated from death to life, because we loue the Brethren. He
that loueth not, abideth in death.
15. Whosoeuer hateth his brother, is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath
life euerlasting abiding in himself.
16.
*
Io. 15,13.
In this we haue knowen the charitie of God, because he hath yealded his life for
vs: and we ought to yeald our liues for the Brethren.
17.
*
Ia. 2,15.
He that shal haue the substance of the world, and shal
✟
Euery man is bound to giue almes according to his abilitie, when he seeth his brother in
great necessitie.
see his brother haue need,
and shal shut his bowels from him: how doth the charitie of God abide in him?
18. My litle children, let vs not loue in word, nor in tongue but in deed and truth.
19. In this we know that we are of the truth: and in his sight we shal persuade our
harts.
20. For if our hart doe reprehend vs, God is greater then our hart, and knoweth al things.
21. My Dearest, if our hart doe not reprehend vs, we haue confidence toward God.
22. And
*
Mt. 21,
Io. 14.
1. Io. 5.
whatsoeuer we shal aske, we shal receiue of him: because we keep his commandements,
and doe those things which are pleasing before him.
23. And
*
Io. 17,3.
13,34.
this is his commandement, that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
Christ: and
✟
Lest any man should thinke by the words next before, only faith in Christ to be
commanded or to please God, he addeth to faith, the commandement of charitie or loue
of our neighbour.
loue one another, as he hath giuen commandement vnto vs.
24. And
*
Io. 14,23.
he that keepeth his commandements, abideth in him, and he in him. And in this
we know that he abideth in vs, by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. III.
4. Sinne is iniquitie.) Concupiscence remaining after Baptisme is no sinne, without
consent.
Iniquitie is not taken here for wickednes, as it is commonly vsed both
in Latin and in our language, as is plaine by the Greek word ἀνομία,
signifying nothing els but a swaruing or declining from the straight line of the law of God or
nature. So that the Apostle meaneth, that euery sinne is an obliquitie or defect from the rule
of the law: but not contrarie, that euery such swaruing from the law, should be properly a
sinne, as the Heretikes doe vntruely gather, to proue that concupiscence remaining after
Baptisme is a very sinne, though we neuer giue our consent vnto it. And though in the 5. chapter
following vers. 17. the Apostle turne the speach, affirming euery iniquitie to be a sinne,
yet there the Greek word is not the same as before, ἀνομίαν, but ἀδικία. By which it is plaine
that there he meaneth by iniquitie, mans actual and proper transgression which must needs
be a sinne. See S. Augustin cont. Iulian. li. 5. c. 3. S. Ambr. li. de Apologia Dauid
c. 13.
6. Sinneth not.) Heretical exposition of Scriptures.
Iouinian & Pelagius falsely (as Heretikes vse to doe) argued vpon these words and those that follow
vers. 9: the one, that the baptized could sinne no more; the other, that no man being or remaining
iust could sinne.
No man in grace sinneth mortally,
But among many good senses giuen of this
place, this seemeth most agreable, that the Apostle should say, that mortal sinne doth not consist
together with the grace of God, & therfore can not be committed by a man continuing the sonne
of God. And so is the like speach in the 9. verse following to be taken. See S. Hierom li. 2.
cont. Iouinianum c. 1.
7. He that doeth iustice.) True iustice.
He doeth inculcate this often, that man's true iustice or righteousnes
consisteth in doing or working iustice, and that so he is iust, and biddeth them not to be
seduced by Heretikes, in this point.
8. Sinneth from the beginning.) The Diuel was created holy and in grace, and not in sinne:
but he fel of his owne free wil from God.
How the Diuel sinneth from the beginning.
Therfore these wordes, from the beginning, may
be interpreted thus, from the beginning of sinne, and so the Apostle wil say, The Diuel
committed the first sinne. So S. Augustine li. 11. de ciu. Dei c. 15. expoundeth it. The
most simple meaning seemeth to be, that he sinned from the beginning of the world, not taking the
beginning precisely for the first instant or moment of the creation, but straight vpon the
beginning, as it must needs also be taken in S. Iohn's Ghospel c. 8,44.
22. We shal receiue, because.) Not only faith.
Let the Protestants be ashamed to say, that we obtaine al
of God by only faith, the Apostle here attributing it to the keeping of God's commandements.
Note here also that God's commandements are not impossible to be kept, but were then, and are
now obserued of good men.