We may not beleeue al that boast of the spirit, but trie them, whether they teach Catholike
articles of the faith (namely the incarnation of Christ:) whether their doctrine be not worldly,
and themselues disobedient hearers of the Apostles. 7. We must loue one another, considering the
exceeding loue of God in sending his Sonne to saue vs. 17. An argument of perfect charitie is, if
we haue nothing in our conscience to feare in the day of iudgement. 19. And an argument that we loue
God is, if we loue our Brethren.
1. MY Dearest, beleeue not euery spirit, but proue the spirits if they be of God:
because many false Prophets are gone out into the world.
2. In this is the spirit of God knowen. Euery spirit that confesseth Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
Christ to haue come in flesh, is of God:
3. and euery spirit that dissolueth Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, is not of God: and this is
✟
τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου.
Antichrist,
of whom you haue heard that he commeth, and now he is in the world.
4. You are of God, litle children, and haue ouercome him. Because greater is he that
if in you, then he that is in the world.
5. They are of the world: therfore of the world they speake, and the world heareth them.
6. We are of God.
*
Io. 8,47.
10,17.
He that knoweth God, heareth vs. He that is not of God, heareth vs
not. In this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of errour.
7. My Dearest, let vs loue one another: because charitie is of God. And euery one
that loueth, is borne of God, & knoweth God.
8.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the first Sunday after Pentecost.
He that loueth not, knoweth not God: because God is charitie.
9.
*
Io. 3,16.
In this hath the charitie of God appeared in vs, because God hath sent his
only-begotten Sonne into the world that we may liue by him.
10. In this is charitie: not as though we haue loued him, but because he hath loued vs,
and sent his Sonne a propitiation for our sinnes.
11. My Dearest, if God hath so loued vs, we also ought to loue one another.
12.
*
Io. 1,18.
1. Tim. 6,16.
God
✟
No man in this life, nor with corporal eyes, can see the proper essence or substance of the
Deitie See S. August. ad Paulin. de videndo Deo. ep. 112.
no man hath seen at any time. If we loue one another, God abideth in vs,
and his charitie in vs is perfited.
13. In this we know that we abide in him, and he in vs: because he of his Spirit
hath giuen to vs.
14. And we haue seen, and doe testifie, that the Father hath sent his Sonne the
Sauiour of the world.
15. Whosoeuer shal confesse that Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ is the Sonne of God, God abideth in
him, and he in God.
16. And we haue knowen and haue beleeued the charitie, which God hath in vs. God is
charitie: and he that abideth in charitie, abideth in God, and God in him.
17. In this is charitie perfited with vs, that we may haue confidence in the day
of iudgement: because as he is, we also are in the world.
18. Feare is not in charitie: but perfect charitie casteth out feare, because feare
hath painefulnes. And he that feareth, is not perfect in charitie.
19. Let vs therfore loue God, because God first hath loued vs.
20. If any man shal say, that I loue God; and hateth his brother, he is a lier. For
he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth, God whom he seeth not, how can he loue?
21.
*
Io. 13,34. 15,12.
And this commandement we haue from God: that he which loueth God, loue also
his brother.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. IV.
1. Beleeue not euery spirit.)
That is, Receiue not euery doctrine of such as boast them selues to haue the spirit. For there
be many false prophets, that is to say, Haeretikes, which shal goe out of the Church, and
chalenge the spirit, and vaunt of Gods word, Scripture, and Gospel, which in deede be seducers.
1. Proue the spirites.)
It is not meant by this place, as the Protestants would haue it, that euery particular person
should of him self examine, trie, or iudge who is a true or false doctor, and which is true or
false doctrine. But the Apostle here would euery one to discerne these diuersities of spirites, by
taking knowledge of them to whom God hath giuen the gift of discerning spirites and doctrines
(which S. Paul expresly saith is giuen but to some, and not to euery one, 1 Cor. 12.) and by
obeying the Church of God, to whom Christ hath giuen the Spirit of truth. And this is onely the
sure way to proue the spirites and doctrines of these daies. And al they that would bring vs from
our Pastors and the Churches iudgement, to our owne priuate trial, seeke nothing els but to driue vs
to miserable vncertainty in al our beleefe. as Caluin doth, who vpon this place saith, that
priuate men may examine the general Councels doctrines.
2. Euery spirit that confesseth.)
The Apostle speaketh according to that time, and for that part of Christian doctrine which then was
specially to be confessed, taught, & mainteined against certaine wicked Haeretikes, Cerinthus,
Ebion, and the like, that taught wickedly against the person and both natures of Christ IESVS.
The Apostle therfore giueth the faithful people this token to know the true teachers of those daies
from the false. Not that this marke would serue for al times, or in case of al'other false doctrines,
but that it was then a necessarie note. As if a good Catholike writer, Pastor, or parents would
warne al theirs, now in these daies, to giue care onely to such teachers as acknowledge Christ our
Sauiour to be really present, and sacrificed in the B. Masse, & that al such are true preachers and
of God, the rest to be of the Diuel, or to be counted the spirit of Antichrist. Which spirit of
Antichrist (he saith) was come euen then, and is no doubt much more now in al Haeretikes, al being
precursors of that great Antichrist which shal come towards the later end.
3. That dissolueth.)
To dissolue, loose, or separate IESVS a sunder, was proper to al those old Heretikes that taught
either against his Diuinitie, or Humanitie, or the Vnitie of his person, being of two natures, as
Cerinthus, Ebion, Nestorius, Eutyches, Manes or Manichaeus, Cerdon, Apelles, Apollinaris and the
like. And this is one place by which we may see that the common Greeke copies be not euer
authentical, and that our old approued translation may not alwaies be examined by the Greeke that
now is, which the Protestants onely folow: but that it is to be presupposed, when our old Latin
text differeth plainely from the Greeke, that in old time either al or the more approued Greeke
reading was otherwise, and that often the said Greeke was corrupted then or since by Heretikes
or otherwise. For of the Greekes, S. Irenaeus li. 3. c. 18: among the Latin fathers, S. Augustine
tract. 6. in fine, S. Leo ep. 10. c. 5, and Venerable Bede did reade as we doe. and this reading
maketh more against the said Heretikes, then that which the common Greeke now hath, to wit,
Euery spirit that confesseth not Christ to haue come in flesh, is not of God. which is also in
effect said before vers. 2. And that therfore it was corrupted and altered by Heretikes, see the
wordes of Socrates also a Greeke writer, very agreable to this purpose.Nestorius (saith he)
being eloquent by nature, which is often in Heretikes, accounted him self therfore learned, &
disdained, to study the old interpreters, counting him self better then them all: being ignorant
that in S. Iohns Catholike epistle old (Greeke) copies had, EVERY ONE THAT DISSOLVETH IESVS, IS
NOT OF GOD. So saith he, adding moreouer that such as would separate the diuinitie from the,
dispensation of Christs humanitie, tooke out of the old copies this sense. for which the old
expositours noted that these which would loose IESVS, had corrupted this Epistle. See also the
Tripartite li. 12. c. 4.
6. In this, we know.)
This is the most sure & general marke to know the true spirites and prophets from the false: that
those which be of God, wil heare and obey their Apostles and lawful pastors succeding the
Apostles, and submit them selues to the Church of God: the other, that be not of God, wil not
heare either Apostle, pastor, or Church, but be their owne iudges.
17. That we may haue confidence.)
Confidence called in Latin Fiducia, is neither alone with faith, nor a persuasion infallible that
maketh a man no lesse secure and certaine of his saluation, then of the things that we are bound
to beleeue, as the Protestants falsely
teach: but it is onely a hope wel corroborated, confirmed, and strengthened vpon the promises
and grace of God, and the parties merites. And the wordes both folowing & going before, proue
also euidently against the Protestants, that our confidence and hope in the day of iudgement
dependeth not onely vpon our apprehension of Christs merites by faith, or vpon his grace and mercie,
but also vpon our conformitie to Christ in this life, in charitie and good workes. And that is
the doctrine of S. Peter when he said, Labour, that by good workes you may make sure your
vocation and election. and S. Paules meaning, when he said, I haue fought a good fight, there is
laid vp for me a crowne of iustice, which our Lord wil render to me in that day, a iust iudge.
18. Feare is not in charitie.)
The Heretikes very falsly vnderstand this place so, that Christian godly men ought to haue no
doubt, mistrust, or feare of hel and damnation. Which is most euidently against the Scriptures,
commending euery where vnto vs the awe and feare of God and his iudgements. Feare him (saith our
Sauiour Mat. 10) that can cast body and soul into hel. And Psal. 118. Pearse my flesh with thy
feare. Which feare of Gods iudgements caused S. Paul & al good men to chastise their bodies,
lest they should be reprobate and damned. And the wise man for this cause affirmeth him to be
happie, that is euer fearful. And holy Iob faith, I feared al my workes. And the Apostle, with
feare and trembling worke your saluation. Which kinde of feare is euen in the iustest men and
most ful of charitie, consisting wel with the same vertue, and is called Filialis is timer,
because it is such as the good childe ought to haue toward his father.
But there is a kinde of feare which standeth not with charitie, and is cleane against hope also,
that which bringeth such perplexitie and auxietie of conscience, that it induceth a man to
mistrust or despaire of Gods mercies. That seruile feare also which maketh a man often to leaue
sinning and to doe the external workes of iustice, not for any loue or delight he hath in God or
his lawes, but onely for feare of damnation, though it be not il in it self, but very profitable,
as that which helpeth toward the loue of God, yet it standeth not with charitie neither, but is
daily more and more lessened, and at length quite driuen out by charitie. Of these kinde of feares
then the Apostle speaketh, and (as some expound) of the feare of men also, of which our Sauiour
saith, Feare not them that kil the body.