Of them that are born of God, and of true charity. Faith overcomes the world. Three that bear witness to Christ. Of faith in his name and of sin that is and is not to death.
They that loue God, must loue his natural sonne IESVS, and his sonnes by adoption, and keepe his commaundements, vvhich to the regenerate are light. 4 But not, vnles they continue in the Catholike faith, namely of this article, that IESVS is the sonne of God, and therfore able to giue vs life euerlasting, 14 and al our petitions, 16 and our praiers for al our brethren that sinne not vnto death, dying in their mortal sinnes by impenitence. Last of al, he vvarneth them not to communicate vvith idols.
1Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him.Chiunque crede, che Gesù è il Cristo, egli è nato di Dio. E chiunque ama colui, che generò, ama ancora colui, che è nato di quello.WHOSOEVER beleeueth that IESVS is Christ, is borne of God. And euery one that loueth him vvhich begat: loueth him also vvhich vvas borne of him.Omnis qui credit quoniam Jesus est Christus, ex Deo natus est. Et omnis qui diligit eum qui genuit, diligit et eum qui natus est ex eo. 2In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commandments.Da questo conosciamo, che amiamo i figliuoli di Dio, se amiamo Dio, e osserviamo i suoi comandamenti.In this vve knovv that vve loue the children of God: vvhen as vve loue God, and keepe his commaundementes.In hoc cognoscimus quoniam diligamus natos Dei, cum Deum diligamus, et mandata ejus faciamus. 3For this is the charity of God: That we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy.Imperocché questo è amare Dio, che si osservino da noi i suoi comandamenti: e i suoi comandamenti non sono gravosi.For this is the charitie of God, that vve keepe his commaundements: and his commaundementes are not heauy.Hæc est enim caritas Dei, ut mandata ejus custodiamus: et mandata ejus gravia non sunt. 4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcometh the world: Our faith.Imperocché tutto quello, che è nato di Dio, vince il mondo: e in questo sta la vittoria vincente il mondo, nella nostra fede.Because al that is borne of God, ouercommeth the vvorld. and this is the victorie vvhich ouercommeth the vvorld, our faith.Quoniam omne quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum: et hæc est victoria, quæ vincit mundum, fides nostra. 5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?Chi è, che vince il mondo, se non colui, che crede, che Gesù è Figliuolo di Dio?Vvho is he that ouercōmeth the vvorld, but he that beleeueth that IESVS is the sonne of God?Quis est, qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit quoniam Jesus est Filius Dei ? 6This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ is the truth.Questi è quegli, che è venuto coll'acqua, e col sangue, Gesù Cristo: non coll'acqua solamente, ma coll'acqua, e col sangue. E lo Spirito è quello, che attesta, che Cristo è verità.This is he that came by vvater and bloud IESVS Christ: not in vvater only, but in vvater and bloud. And it is the Spirit vvhich testifieth, that Christ is the truth.Hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Jesus Christus: non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Et Spiritus est, qui testificatur quoniam Christus est veritas.
7And there are Three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.Imperocché tre sono, che rendono testimonianza in cielo, il Padre, il Verbo, e lo Spirito Santo: e questi tre sono una sol cosa.For there be three vvhich giue testimonie in heauen, the Father, the Vvord, and the Holy Ghost and these three be one.Quoniam tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in cælo: Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus Sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. 8And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit and the water and the blood. And these three are one.E tre sono, che rendono testimonianza in terra, lo spirito, l'acqua, e il sangue, e questi tre sono una sola cosa.And there be three vvhich giue testimonie in earth: the spirit, vvater, and bloud. and these three be one':Et tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in terra: spiritus, et aqua, et sanguis: et hi tres unum sunt. 9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son.Se ammettiamo la testimonianza degli uomini, maggiore è la testimonianza di Dio: or questa è la testimonianza di Dio, la quale egli ha renduta al Figliuolo suo, la quale è maggiore.If vve receiue the testimonie of men, the testimonie of God is greater. because this is the testimonie of God vvhich is greater, that he hath testified of his sonne.Si testimonium hominum accipimus, testimonium Dei majus est: quoniam hoc est testimonium Dei, quod majus est, quoniam testificatus est de Filio suo. 10He that believeth in the Son of God hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.Chi crede nel figliuolo di Dio, ha in se la testimonianza di Dio. Chi non crede al Figliuolo, fa lui bugiardo: perché non crede alla testimonianza renduta da Dio al Figliuol suo.He that beleeueth in the sonne of God, hath the testimonie of God in him self. He that beleeueth not the Sōne, maketh him a lier: because he beleeueth not in the testimonie vvhich God hath testified of his sonne.Qui credit in Filium Dei, habet testimonium Dei in se. Qui non credit Filio, mendacem facit eum: quia non credit in testimonium quod testificatus est Deus de Filio suo. 11And this is the testimony that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.E la testimonianza è questa, che Dio ci ha dato la vita eterna. E questa vita è nel Figliuolo di lui.And this is the testimonie, that God hath giuen vs life euerlasting. And this life is in his sonne.Et hoc est testimonium, quoniam vitam æternam dedit nobis Deus: et hæc vita in Filio ejus est.
12He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life.Chi ha il Figliuolo, ha la vita: chi non ha il Figliuolo, non ha la vita.He that hath the Sonne, hath life. he that hath not the sonne of God, hath not life.Qui habet Filium, habet vitam: qui non habet Filium, vitam non habet. 13These things I write to you that you may know that you have eternal life: you who believe in the name of the Son of God.Queste cose scrivo a voi: affinchè sappiate, che avete la vita eterna voi, che credete nel nome del Figliuolo di Dio.These thinges I vvrite to you, that you may knovv that you haue eternal life which beleeue in the name of the sonne of God.Hæc scribo vobis ut sciatis quoniam vitam habetis æternam, qui creditis in nomine Filii Dei. 14And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That, whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us.E questa è la fiducia, che abbiamo in lui: che qualunque cosa chiederemo secondo la volontà di lui, egli ci esaudisce.And this is the confidence which vve haue toward him: that, vvhat soeuer vve shal aske according to his vvill, he heareth vs.Et hæc est fiducia, quam habemus ad eum: quia quodcumque petierimus, secundum voluntatem ejus, audit nos. 15And we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask: we know that we have the petitions which we request of him.E sappiamo, che ci esaudisce, qualunque cosa gli chieggiamo: lo sappiamo, perché abbiamo l'effetto delle richieste, che a lui facciamo.And vve knovv that he heareth vs vvhatsoeuer vve shal aske: vve knovv that vve haue the petitions vvhich vve request of him.Et scimus quia audit nos quidquid petierimus: scimus quoniam habemus petitiones quas postulamus ab eo. 16He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask: and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death. For that I say not that any man ask.Chi sa, che il proprio fratello pecca di peccato, che non mena a morte, chiegga, e sarà data la vita a quello, che pecca non a morte. Havvi un peccato a morte: non dico, che uno preghi per questo.He that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not to death, let him aske, and life shal be giuen him, sinning not to death. There is a sinne to death: for that I say not that any man aske.Qui scit fratrem suum peccare peccatum non ad mortem, petat, et dabitur ei vita peccanti non ad mortem. Est peccatum ad mortem: non pro illo dico ut roget quis. 17All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death.Ogni iniquità è peccato: ed havvi peccato, che mena a morte.Al iniquitie, is sinne. And there is a sinne to death'.Omnis iniquitas, peccatum est: et est peccatum ad mortem.
18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not.Sappiamo, che chiunque è nato di Dio, non pecca: ma la divina generazione lo custodisce, e il maligno nol tocca.Vve know that euery one vvhich is borne of God, sinneth not: but the generation of God preserueth him, and the vvicked one toucheth him not.Scimus quia omnis qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat: sed generatio Dei conservat eum, et malignus non tangit eum. 19We know that we are of God and the whole world is seated in wickedness.Sappiamo, che siamo da Dio: e tutto il mondo sta sotto il maligno.Vve knovv that vve are of God, and the vvhole vvorld is set in vvickednesse.Scimus quoniam ex Deo sumus: et mundus totus in maligno positus est. 20And we know that the Son of God is come. And he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.E sappiamo, che il Figliuolo di Dio è venuto, e ci ha dato mente, per conoscere il vero Dio, e per essere nel vero Figliuolo di lui. Questi è vero Dio, e vita eterna.And vve knovve that the sonne of God commeth: and he hath giuen vs vnderstanding, that vve may knovv the true God, & may be in his true sonne. This is the true God, & life euerlasting.Et scimus quoniam Filius Dei venit, et dedit nobis sensum ut cognoscamus verum Deum, et simus in vero Filio ejus. Hic est verus Deus, et vita æterna. 21Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.Figliuolini, guardatevi da' simolacri. Così sia.My litle children, keepe your selues from Idols. Amen.Filioli, custodite vos a simulacris. Amen.
5:1
Witham
That Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messias, the Redeemer of the world, is born of God, is made his adoptive son by his grace in baptism. (Witham)
Challoner
Is born of God; that is, is justified, and become a child of God by baptism; which is also to be understood, provided the belief of this fundamental article of the Christian faith be accompanied with all the other conditions, which, by the word of God and his appointment, are also required for justification; such as a general belief of all that God has revealed and promised; hope, love, repentance, and a sincere disposition to keep God's holy law and commandments. (Challoner)
Loveth him[Ver. 1. Eum qui genuit, ton gennesanta, generantem; which, in English, may be translated, the Father.] that begot; that is the eternal Father.
Witham
Loveth him also who was born of him; that is loveth him who is his only begotten and eternal Son. (Witham)
5:2
Witham
In this we know that we love the children of God, (that is, all men, and especially the faithful, who are made his adoptive children) when we love God, and keep his commandments, for these two branches of charity, the love of God and of our neighbour, are inseparable: the one is known and proved by the other. (Witham)
5:3
Witham
And his commandments are not heavy; not burdensome. Not but that they comprehend what seems hard to human frailty, and especially to men carried away with the love of vanities in this world, who think it hard to comply with Christ's doctrine of self-denials, of renouncing their inclinations, of suffering death, sooner than to sin against God, or to renounce their faith: but the love of God, and the promises of an eternal happiness in the next life, with the assistances which God gives them, make the yoke of Christ sweet, and his burden light. See Matthew 11:30. How different is this doctrine from that of those late heretics, who pretend that God's commandments are impossible, even to just men, when they employ all their endeavours. See the first proposition of Jansenius, and this heresy of Calvin condemned by the council of Trent, session 6, cap. xi. canon. 18. (Witham)
5:4
Witham
This is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. That is, a lively faith, working by charity, makes a man victorious over the greatest temptations, and over all the adversaries of his salvation. (Witham)
Challoner
Our faith; Not a bare speculative or dead faith, but a faith working by charity. (Galatians 5:6.) (Challoner)
5:6
Witham
Came by water and blood. The sense seems to be, by water, with which he ordered every one to be baptized and made Christians; 2ndly, by his blood shed on the cross for our redemption. (Witham)
Challoner
Blood: not only to wash away our sins by the water of baptism, but by his own blood. (Challoner)
Witham
And it is the Spirit that testifieth that Christ[Ver. 6. Quoniam Christus est veritas; in most Greek copies is now read, oti to pneuma esti e aletheia, quoniam Spiritus est veritas.] is the truth. By the Spirit, which is not here called the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, as in the next verse, is either meant the Spirit or soul of Christ, which dying he recommended into the hands of his Father, and which shewed that he was truly man, against Cerinthus, and some heretics of those times; or else it may signify the spirit of grace, given in this world to the faithful, in the same sense as St. Paul says, (Romans 8:16.) that the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our Spirit, that we are the sons of God: and of which may be understood what is said here, (ver. 10.) He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony of God in himself. (Witham)
5:7
Witham
There are three that give testimony in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one: that is one in nature, in substance, and in all perfections, in the same sense as when Christ himself said, (John 10:30.) I and the Father are one, or one thing. The Socinians object that this verse is wanting in many Greek manuscripts; and even Erasmus in one edition, and Mr. Simon in his Critics, have questioned it, or rejected it, as a false reading, but without any sufficient proofs and grounds, as hath been shewn by many learned Catholics, and also by Protestant writers, who receive in their translations this verse as canonical. It is easy to account for the omission of this verse; for as both the seventh and eighth verse begin and end with the same words, this gave occasion to the oversight and omission of the transcribers, whereas it is not credible that such a whole verse could be added. And that it was only by the mistake and oversight of transcribers may further appear, because we find part of the seventh verse, to wit, and these three are one, cited by Tertullian, lib. contra Praxeam. ch. XXIII. p. 515. Ed. Rig. and twice by St. Cyprian, Epist. 73. ad Jubaianum. p. 125. Ed. Rig. in the Oxford Edition, p. 310. and in his Treatise de Unit. Ecclesiae, p. 181. Ed. Rigal. and in the Oxford Ed. p. 79, where also Dr. Fell defends this verse of St. John to be genuine. Tertullian and St. Cyprian wrote long before the dispute with the Arians. The Socinians also object that this passage is not brought by St. Athanasius and some other fathers against the Arians, which they could scarce have omitted had they read this verse, but this only proves that this omission had happened in some manuscripts in their time, or, as some conjecture, that the Arians had corrupted some copies. St. Fulgentius made use of it against the Arians, and also others about that time. See the Benedictines of St. Maur against Mr. Simon, in the first tome of St. Jerome, p. 1670. Both Catholics and Protestants, after a diligent examination, have received this verse, which is found in the best manuscripts. See Greek Testament at Amsterdam, in the year 1711.[A.D. 1711.] The three divine Persons, who are present everywhere, though said to be in heaven, gave testimony concerning Christ. The Father by a voice from heaven, both at his baptism (Matthew 3:17.) and at his transfiguration, (Matthew 17:5.) saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him:" and also by all the miracles wrought by the same power of all the three divine Persons. 2. The Son testified to the Jews on many occasions, that he was sent from God, that he was the only Son of God, that he and his Father were one, etc. as in the annotations on John 3:The Holy Ghost confirmed the same, particularly by coming down upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, and inspiring them to teach the same doctrine concerning Jesus Christ. (Witham)
An express proof of the three distinct persons and unity of nature and essence in the blessed Trinity.
5:8
Witham
And there are three that give testimony on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are one.[Ver. 8. Hi tres unum sunt. Divers Greek copies, eis en eisin, in unum sunt: and so the Protestant translation hath, and these three agree in one; though in the seventh verse they follow the manuscripts which there have, are one, kai oi treis en eisi.] This is a repetition of what was before said, ver. 6, to be expounded in the same manner. But when it is added, these three are one, the sense is, that they witness one and the same truth. (Witham)
Challoner
As the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, all bear witness to Christ's divinity; so the spirit, which he yielded up, crying out with a loud voice upon the cross, and the water and blood that issued from his side, bear witness to his humanity, and are one; that is, all agree in one testimony. (Challoner)
5:10
Witham
He that believeth not the Son, maketh him (God) a liar, by refusing to believe the testimonies given by the three divine Persons, that Jesus was the Messias and the true Son of God, by whom eternal life is obtained and promised to all that comply with his doctrine. In him we have also this lively confidence, that we shall obtain whatever we ask, according to his will, when we ask what is for our good with perseverance and in the manner we ought. And this we know and have experience of, by having obtained the petitions that we have made. (Witham)
5:16
Witham
A sin which is not unto death....and life shall be given to him. It is hard to determine what St. John here calls a sin which is not unto death, and a sin which is unto death. The difference cannot be the same as betwixt sins that are called venial and mortal; for he says, that if a man pray for his brother who commits a sin that is not unto death, life shall be given to him: therefore such a one had before lost the life of grace, and been guilty of what is commonly called a mortal sin. And when he speaks of a sin that is unto death, and adds these words, I do not say that any one should ask for that sin, it cannot be supposed that St. John would say this of every mortal sin, but only of some heinous sins which are very seldom remitted, because such sinners very seldom repent. By a sin therefore which is not unto death, interpreters commonly understand a wilful apostacy from the faith, and from the known truth, when a sinner hardened by his own ingratitude becomes deaf to all admonitions, will do nothing for himself, but runs on to final impenitence. Nor yet does St. John say that such a sin is never remitted, or cannot be remitted, but only has these words, I do not say that any one should ask for the remission of that sin; that is, though we must pray for all sinners whatsoever, yet man cannot pray for such sinners with such a confidence of obtaining always their petitions, as St. John said before, ver. 14. Whatever exposition we follow on this verse, our faith teaches us from the holy Scriptures, that God desires not the death of any sinner, but that he be converted and live. See Ezechiel 33:11. Though men's "sins be as the scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow." (Isaias 1:18.) It is the will of God that every one come to the knowledge of truth and be saved. See John 6:40. There is no sin so great but which God is willing to forgive, and has left power in his Church to remit the most enormous sins; so that no sinner need despair of pardon, nor will any sinner perish but by his own fault. (Witham)
Challoner
A sin unto death. Some understand this of final impenitence, or of dying in mortal sin, which is the only sin that never can be remitted; but, it is probable, he may also comprise under this name the sin of apostacy from the faith, and some other such henious sins as are seldom and hardly remitted: and therefore he gives little encouragement to such as pray for these sinners, to expect what they ask. (Challoner)
5:17
Witham
All iniquity[Ver. 17. Omnis iniquitas, pasa adikia, properly injustitia. It is not here anomia, as in 1 John 3:4.] is sin. The sense here is, that sin is always an injury or an injustice done to God; but though every sin implies such an injury and an offence against God, yet there are different degrees in such injuries, which are not always such an injustice as St. John calls the sin unto death. (Witham)
5:18
Challoner
Sinneth not. See the annotation on 1 John 3:6. etc. (Challoner)
Witham
The generation[Ver. 18. Sed generatio Dei: Some manuscripts, genesis; others, o gennetheis ek tou Theou. qui genitus est ex Deo.] of God preserveth him, (that is, the grace of adoption, as long as it remains in the soul; see 1 John 3:9.) and the wicked one (that is, the devil) toucheth him not. (Witham)
5:19
Witham
And the whole world is seated in wickedness;[Ver. 19. In maligno positus est, en to ponero keitai.] that is a great part of the world. It may also signify, is under the wicked one; meaning the devil, who is elsewhere called the prince of this world, that is, of all the wicked. (John 12:31.) (Witham)
5:20
And may be in his true Son.[Ver. 20. In vero Filio ejus, hic est verus Deus, en to alethino uio autou, outos estin o alethinos Theos, with the Greek article. St. Athanasius, St. Ambrose, St. Hilary, St. Augustine, St. Cyril by this sentence prove Christ truly God. See Petavius, lib. 2. de Trin. ch. IX. num. 8.] This is the true God, and eternal life. Which words are a clear proof of Christ's divinity, and as such made use of by the ancient Fathers.
5:21
Witham
Keep yourselves from idols. An admonition to the new converted Christians, lest, conversing with heathens and idolaters, they might fall back into the sin of idolatry, which may be the sin unto death here mentioned by St. John. (Witham)
5:1
Is born of God.... That is, is justified, and become a child of God by baptism: which is also to be understood; provided the belief of this fundamental article of the Christian faith be accompanied with all the other conditions, which, by the word of God, and his appointment, are also required to justification; such as a general belief of all that God has revealed and promised: hope, love, repentance, and a sincere disposition to keep God’s holy law and commandments.
5:4
Our faith.... Not a bare, speculative, or dead faith; but a faith that worketh by charity. Gal. 5.6
5:6
Came by water and blood.... Not only to wash away our sins by the water of baptism, but by his own blood.
5:8
The spirit, and the water, and the blood.... As the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, all bear witness to Christ’s divinity; so the spirit, which he yielded up, crying out with a loud voice upon the cross; and the water and blood that issued from his side, bear witness to his humanity, and are one; that is, all agree in one testimony.
5:10
He that believeth not the Son, etc.... By refusing to believe the testimonies given by the three divine persons, that Jesus was the Messias, and the true Son of God, by whom eternal life is obtained and promised to all that comply with his doctrine. In him we have also this lively confidence, that we shall obtain whatever we ask, according to his will, when we ask what is for our good, with perseverance, and in the manner we ought. And this we know, and have experience of, by having obtained the petitions that we have made.
5:16
A sin which is not to death, etc.... It is hard to determine what St. John here calls a sin which is not to death, and a sin which is unto death. The difference can not be the same as betwixt sins that are called venial and mortal: for he says, that if a man pray for his brother, who commits a sin that is not to death, life shall be given him: therefore such a one had before lost the life of grace, and been guilty of what is commonly called a mortal sin. And when he speaks of a sin that is unto death, and adds these words, for that I say not that any man ask, it cannot be supposed that St. John would say this of every mortal sin, but only of some heinous sins, which are very seldom remitted, because such sinners very seldom repent. By a sin therefore which is unto death, interpreters commonly understand a wilfull apostasy from the faith, and from the known truth, when a sinner, hardened by his own ingratitude, becomes deaf to all admonitions, will do nothing for himself, but runs on to a final impenitence. Nor yet does St. John say, that such a sin is never remitted, or cannot be remitted, but only has these words, for that I say not that any man ask the remission: that is, though we must pray for all sinners whatsoever, yet men can not pray for such sinners with such a confidence of obtaining always their petitions, as St. John said before, ver. 14. Whatever exposition we follow on this verse, our faith teacheth us from the holy scriptures, that God desires not the death of any sinner, but that he be converted and live, Ezech. 33.11. Though men’s sins be as red as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow, Isa. 3.18. It is the will of God that every one come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. There is no sin so great but which God is willing to forgive, and has left a power in his church to remit the most enormous sins: so that no sinner need despair of pardon, nor will any sinner perish, but by his own fault. A sin unto death.... Some understand this of final impenitence, or of dying in mortal sin; which is the only sin that never can be remitted. But, it is probable, he may also comprise under this name, the sin of apostasy from the faith, and some other such heinous sins as are seldom and hardly remitted: and therefore he gives little encouragement, to such as pray for these sinners, to expect what they ask.
5:19
And the whole world is seated in wickedness.... That is, a great part of the world. It may also signify, is under the wicked one, meaning the devil, who is elsewhere called the prince of this world, that is, of all the wicked. John 12.31.
5:20
And may be in his true Son. He is, or this is the true God, and life eternal.... Which words are a clear proof of Christ’s divinity, and as such made use of by the ancient fathers.
5:21
Keep yourselves from idols.... An admonition to the newly converted Christians, lest conversing with heathens and idolaters, they might fall back into the sin of idolatry, which may be the sin unto death here mentioned by St. John.
THE SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE
The Apostle commends Electa and her family for their steadfastness in the true faith and exhorts them to persevere, lest they lose the reward of their labours. He exhorts them to love one another. But with heretics to have no society, even not to salute them. Although this Epistle is written to a particular person, yet its instructions may serve as a lesson to others, especially to those who, from their connections, situation, or condition in life, are in danger of perversion.
5:3
Concordance Mao. 11, 30.
5:4
In the liturgy The Epistle vpon Dominica in albis or Low Sunday.
5:5
5. His commaundements are not heauie.] The cōmaundements possible to be kept. Hovv can the Protestants say that Gods commaundements can not possibly be fulfilled or kept in this life, seing the Apostle saith, they be not heauie: and Christ saith, Mat. ••. his yoke is svveete, and his burden light? See for the ful vnderstanding of this place. S. Augustine de perfectione iustitia c. 10. The Heretikes in fauour of their foresaid errour, Heret. translation. rather translate, His commaundements are not 〈Greek〉 greuous; then, are not heauie.
Concordance 1 Cor. 15, 57.
5:7
7. Three vvhich giue testimonie.] Three persons & one substāce in the B. Trinitie. An expresse place for the distinction of three persons, & the vnitie of nature and essence in the B. Trinitie: against the Arians and other like Heretikes, vvho haue in diuers ages found them selues so pressed vvith these plaine Scriptures, that they haue (as it is thought) altered and corrupted the text both in Greeke and Latin many vvaies: euen as the Protestants handle those textes that make against them. The Arians corrupt the text of Scripture. But because vve are not novv troubled vvith Arianisme so much as vvith Caluinisme, vve neede not stand vpon the varietie of readings or expositions of this passage. See S. Hierom in his epistle put before the 7 Canonical or Catholike Epistles.
5:9
Concordance Io. 3, 36.
5:14
Concordance Mt. 7, 7. 21, 22. 1 Io. 3, 22.
5:15
or, if vve knovv.
5:16
16. A sinne to death.] Vvhat is a sinne to death. A sinne to death is an other thing then a mortal sinne, for it is that mortal sinne onely, vvhereof a man is neuer penitent before his death, or in vvhich he continueth til death, and dieth in it. I affirme (saith S. Augustine de correp. & grat. c. 12) that a sinne to death is to leaue faith vvorking by charitie euen til death. So likevvise in the vvordes before, a sinne not to death, is not that vvhich vve call a venial sinne, but any that a man committeth and continueth not therin til death.
16. For that I say not.] If the sinne to death vvhere of he speaketh, be the sinne vvherein a man dieth vvithout repentance, according to S. Augustines vvordes before rehearsed: then the praier vvhich he speaketh of, Praier for the dead. must needes be praier for the dead. because he speaketh of praying, or not praying, for them that died in deadly sinne, exhorting vs to pray, and encouraging vs to doe it vvith confidence to be heard, if vve pray, for them that departed this life not in deadly sinne: and contrarivvise in maner dissuading & discouraging vs from praying for such as continued in vvickednes euen til their liues end. And S. Augustine setteth dovvne the Churches practise agreable to the Apostles meaning, Some of the dead may not be praied for. li. 21 c. 24. de Ciuit. Dei. if there be any (saith he) that persist til death in impenitence of hart, doth the Church novv pray for them, that is for the soules of them that so are departed? So saith he. And this is the cause, that Concilium Bracharense primum sap. 34 forbiddeth to pray for such as die in desperation, or kil them selues: and the reason, vvhy the Church forbeareth to pray for Heretikes that die in their heresie, or mainteine heresie vnto death and by their death. It is proued that the Apostle speaketh of praying for the dead.
And that the place is most properly or onely meant of praying for the departed, this conuinceth, that neither the Church nor any man is dehorted here from praying for any sinner yet liuing, not for: he remission of any sinne in this life: al sinnes (of vvhat sort soeuer) being pardonable, so long as the committers of them be in case and state to repent: as they be, so long as they be in this vvorld. And vve see that the Church praieth, and is often heard, for Heretikes, Ievves, Turkes, Apostataes, The Caluinists blasphemie, to auoid this sense of the Apostle. and vvhat other infidels or il men soeuer, during their liues. And it is great blasphemie that the Caluinistes vtter vpon this place: to vvit, that Apostasie and certaine other sinnes of the reprobate, can not be forgiuen at al in this life. Vvhich they hold, onely to auoid the sequele of praying for the dead vpon these vvordes of S. Iohn, besides that they must take vpon them presumptuously, to knovv and discerne of Gods secretes, vvho be reprobate, and vvho be not, and according to that, pray for some, and not for othersome. al vvhich is most vvicked and absurd presumption.
As for their allegation, that S. Ieremie the Prophet vvas forbidden to pray for the Ievves, and vvarned that he should not be heard, Chap. 7. 11. 14: there is great difference. first, he had a reuelation by the vvordes of God, that they vvould continue in their vvickednes, as vve haue not of any certaine person, vvhereof S. Iohn here speaketh. secondly, Ieremie vvas not forbidden to pray for the remission of their sinnes, nor had denial to be heard therein for any mans particular case, vvhereof the Apostle here speaketh: but he vvas told that they should not escape the temporal punishment and affliction vvhich he had designed for them, and that he vvould not heard him therein.
5:17
〈Greek〉
not to death.
5:20
Concordance Luc. 24, 45.
〈Greek〉
5:21
21. From idols.] Heret, translation against sacred images. It is so knovven a treacherie of Heretikes to trāslate idola images (as here and in a number of places, specially of the English Bible printed the yere 1562) that vve neede not much to stand vpon it. As this also is seen to al the vvorld, that they doe it of purpose to seduce the poore ignorant people, and to make them thinke, that vvhatsoeuer in the Scriptures is spoken against the idols of the Gentiles (vvhich the Prophet calleth Simulachra Gentium) is meant of pictures, Psal. 113. sacred images, & holy memories of Christ and his Saincts. Against such seducers the second sacred Councel of Nice, The 2 Councel of Nice pronoū ceth anathema, that is, a curse against the Caluinists. called the seuenth Synode, Edit. Colō. an. 1567. decreeth thus Act. 4. pag. 122. Quicunque sententias sacrae scriptura de Idolis, contra venerendas imagines addu•unt, anathema. Qui venerandas imagines idola appellant, anāthema, Qui dicunt• Christiani adorant imagines vt Deos, anathema. that is, Anā thema to al them that bring the sentences of holy Scripture touching Idols; against the venerable images, Anáthema to them that call the venerable images, idols. Anáthema to them that say, Christiam adore images as gods.
Novv in their later translations the Heretikes perceiuing that the vvorld seeth their vnhonest dealing, corrected them selues in some places, and in this place haue put, idols, in the text: but to giue the people a vvatchvvord that the Churches images are to be comprised in the vvord, idols, The Bible of the yere 1577. they haue put, images, in the margent. But concerning this matter, it is most euident that neither euery idol is an image, The great difference of idol & image. nor euery image an idol: and that, hovvsoeuer the origine or etymologie of the vvord, idol, may be taken in the Greeke, yet both the vvordes and the things be in truth and by the vse of al tonges, far differing. The great dragon that the Babylonians adored (Dan. 14) vvas an idol, but not an image: the Cherubins in Salomons temple vvere images, but not idols. and the face of the Queene in her coine or elsvvhere, as Caesars face vpon the coine that Christ called for, is an image, but not an idol. and the Heretikes dare not translate that text of Scripture thus, Vvhose idol is this superscription? nor call the Queenes image, the idol of the Queene: nor Christ, the idol of his father: nor vvoman, the idol of the man: nor man, the idol of God. al vvhich in Scripture be named images for al that, and be so in deede, and not idols. vvhich conuinceth, that the Heretikes be false & corrupt translatours in this place and other the like, confounding these tvvo vvordes as if they vvere al one.
But as for the hauing of images or purtraites of holy things, not onely in priuate houses, but also in Churches, Sacred images in Churches, by Gods ovvne vvarrant. God him self doth vvarrant vs, Exod. 25. vvho cōmaunded euen the Ievves them selues (a people most prone to idolatrie, and that after he had giuen them a special precept of not hauing, making, or vvorshipping of idols) to make the images of Angels (the Cherubins) and that in the soueraine holiest place of adoration that vvas in the Temple, & about the Arke. yea and in respect of vvhich sacred images partly, they did (as S. Hierom saith ep. 17 c. 3) so great reuerence to the holy place called Sancta sanctorum. If they then vvere vvarranted and commaunded to make and haue in so great reuerēce the images of mere spirites or Angels, vvhose natural shape could not be expressed. The 2 Councel of Nice vvas gathered against Imagebreakers. hovv much more may vve Christians haue and reuerence the images of Christ, his B. mother, the Apostles, and other Saincts, being men, vvhose shape may be expressed? So doth the said Nicene Councel argue against the Heretikes vvhich at that time vvere the Aduersaries of images.
And note here, that eight hundred yeres agoe, they vvere straight counted Heretikes, that began to speake against images, and that Councel vvas called purposely for them, and condemned them for Heretikes, The antiquitie of holy images. & confirmed the former auncient reuerence and vse of sacred images. vvhich began euen in our Sauiours time or litle after, vvhen good religious folke for loue and reuerence made his image, namely the vvoman that he healed of the blouddy fluxe. vvhich image vvas also approued by miracles, as the Ecclesiastical historie telleth, and namely Eusebius Eccl. hist. li. 7 c. 14. 〈◊〉 citato. vvho also vvitnesseth that the images of Peter and Paul vvere in his daies. as you may see also in S. Augustine (li. d. consens. Euangelist. c. 10) that their pictures commonly stoode together in Rome, euen as at this day. Of our Ladies image see S. Gregorie li. 7. ep. 5. indict. 2 ad Ianuar. & ep 53. In vvhom also (li. 7. ep. 109) you may see the true vse of images, & that they are the bookes of the vnlearned, and that the people ought to be instructed and taught the right vse of them, The vse and fruite of holy images. euen as at this day good Catholike folke doe vse them to helpe & increase their deuotion, in al Catholike Churches: yea the Lutherans them selues reteine them still. S. Damascene vvrote three bookes in defense of sacred images against the foresaid Heretikes.
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.16.8
… and every spirit which separates Jesus Christ is not of God, but is of antichrist.” These words agree with what was said in the Gospel, that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Wherefore he again exclaims in his Epistle, “Every one that believeth that Jesus is the Christ, has been born of God;”
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 6.42
42. To believe, therefore, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is true salvation, is the acceptable service of an unfeigned faith. For we have no love within us towards God the Father except through faith in the Son. Let us hear Him speaking to us in the words of the Epistle;— Every one that loveth the Father loveth Him that is born from Him
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 12.11
… Moreover, the Father never bore witness to Him as being aught else but a Son, nor did the Son profess that God was aught else than His own true Father, assuredly affirming that He was born, not made nor created, as He says, Every one that loveth the Father, loveth also the Son Who is born of Him
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 11.7
7. He is then the Son of God by nature and not by adoption , begotten of the Father. And he that loveth Him that begat, loveth Him also that is begotten of Him
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret 1.3
… and that the only-begotten nature of Him Who is the Word of God, by Whom the Father created the universe out of the non-existent, standing, as it were, in the middle between the two, was begotten of the self-existent Father, as the Lord Himself testified when He said, ‘ Every one that loveth the Father, loveth also the Son that is begotten of Him
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 2
“So again in his Epistle he says ‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,’
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 35
… “And this commandment have we from Him that he who loveth God love his brother also.” Then shortly afterwards he adds, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments; for this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
1 John v. 3 . “His commandments are not grievous,” and
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Nature and Grace 83
… Now all things are easy for love to effect, to which (and which alone) “Christ’s burden is light,” —or rather, it is itself alone the burden which is light. Accordingly it is said, “And His commandments are not grievous;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Concerning Man’s Perfection in Righteousness 22
… Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ So also in the Epistle of Saint John it is written: ‘This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.’”
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Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Letters 28
… This is He that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that testifieth, because the Spirit is the truth , because there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, the water and the blood, and the three are one
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.33.2
… Moreover, how could the Lord, with any justice, if He belonged to another father, have acknowledged the bread to be His body, while He took it from that creation to which we belong, and affirmed the mixed cup to be His blood?
Clement of Alexandria † AD 215 The Stromata, or Miscellanies fragments-of-clemens-alexandri
Chap. v. 6 . He says, “This is He who came by water and blood;” and again,—
Tertullian † AD 220 On Baptism 16
We have indeed, likewise, a second font, (itself withal one with the former ,) of blood , to wit; concerning which the Lord said, “I have to be baptized with a baptism,” when He had been baptized already. For He had come “by means of water and blood,”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 3.10
… But the same Evangelist, that he might make it plain that he wrote this concerning the Holy Spirit, says elsewhere: “Jesus Christ came by water and blood, not in the water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth; for there are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are one.”
Anonymous A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer 15
… For John says of our Lord in his epistle, teaching us: “This is He who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For three bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three are one;”
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 On the Unity of the Church 6
… he who gathereth elsewhere than in the Church, scatters the Church of Christ. The Lord says, “I and the Father are one;” and again it is written of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, “And these three are one.”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 32
… for what you have reserved for common names we demand also for proper names, in accordance with your arrangement; or else you will be unfair in not conceding to others what you assume for yourself. What about John then, when in his Catholic Epistle he says that there are Three that bear witness,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 1.13
159. But as we show that the Son is called the Paraclete, so, too, do we show that the Spirit is called the Truth. Christ is the Truth, the Spirit is the Truth, for you find in John’s epistle: “For the Spirit is Truth.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Mysteries 4
20. Therefore read that the three witnesses in baptism, the water, the blood, and the Spirit,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John 11
1 Joann. v. 7, 8 . Tres sunt testes; spiritus, et aqua, et sanguis; et tres unum sunt.
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Clement of Alexandria † AD 215 The Stromata, or Miscellanies fragments-of-clemens-alexandri
Ver. 8 . “For there are three that bear witness, the spirit,” which is life, “and the water,” which is regeneration and faith, “and the blood,” which is knowledge; “and these three are one.” For in the Saviour are those saving virtues, and life itself exists in His own Son.
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.26
… It is of His last baptism, as some hold, that He speaks in the words, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished?” And it agrees with this that the disciple John speaks in his Epistle
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 32
… for what you have reserved for common names we demand also for proper names, in accordance with your arrangement; or else you will be unfair in not conceding to others what you assume for yourself. What about John then, when in his Catholic Epistle he says that there are Three that bear witness,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 1.6
77. And so these three witnesses are one, as John said: “The water, the blood, and the Spirit.”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 34
… to deny that He was truly crucified for the world’s salvation: to deny that from His side wounded by the spear flowed the blood of Redemption and the water of baptism
Anonymous A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer 19
… but He who cometh after me is greater than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” Moreover, I think also that we have not unsuitably set in order the teaching of the Apostle John, who says that “three bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three are one.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants 1.42
… he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believed not in the testimony that God testified of His Son. And this is the testimony, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
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Tertullian † AD 220 Against Praxeas 31
… But “whosoever shall confess that (Jesus) Christ is the Son of God” (not the Father), “God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” We believe not the testimony of God in which He testifies to us of His Son. “He that hath not the Son, hath not life.”
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Clement of Alexandria † AD 215 The Stromata, or Miscellanies fragments-of-clemens-alexandri
Ver. 14 . “And this is the confidence which we have towards Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us.” He does not say absolutely what we shall ask, but what we ought to ask.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 2.21
… for He says, “Every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Hence there is need of perseverance, in order that we may receive what we ask, and find what we seek, and that what we knock at may be opened.
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Tertullian † AD 220 On Modesty 2
… but John, too, will teach us: “If any knoweth his brother to be sinning a sin not unto death, he shall request, and life shall be given to him;” because he is not “sinning unto death,” this will be remissible. “(There) is a sin unto death; not for this do I say that any is to request”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Modesty 19
… intending to say, in the end, more manifestly: “If any knoweth his brother to be sinning a sin not unto death, he shall make request, and the Lord shall give life to him who sinneth not unto death. For there is a sin unto death: not concerning that do I say that one should make request.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 The Refutation of All Heresies 9.7
… while also some of them, in accordance with our condemnatory sentence, had been by us forcibly ejected from the Church. Now such disciples as these passed over to these followers of Callistus , and served to crowd his school. This one propounded the opinion, that, if a bishop was guilty of any sin, if even a sin unto death,
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 13.30
… give occasion of injury to the exceeding goodness of Christ, so, on the contrary, he who distinguishes between the brother and him who is called the brother, might teach that, in the case of the least of the sins of men, he who has not repented after the telling of the fault is to be reckoned as a Gentile and a publican, for sins which are “not unto death,”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.29
… but whoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, but he shall be guilty of eternal sin.” Of this same thing in the first book of Kings: “If a man sin by offending against a man, they shall pray the Lord for him; but if a man sin against God, who shall pray for him?”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Repentance 1.10
45. So that point of yours will have no weight, which you take from the Epistle of John, where he says: “He who knows that his brother sinneth a sin not unto death, let him ask, and God will give him life, because he sinned not unto death. There is a sin unto death: not concerning it do I say, let him ask.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.10
… We shall have to give account of the idle word no less than of adultery; but it is not the same thing to be put to the blush, and to be put upon the rack, to grow red in the face and to ensure lasting torment. Do you think I am merely expressing my own views? Hear what the Apostle John says:
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Rebuke and Grace 35
… so great a freedom, that although as long as they live here they are fighting against sinful lusts, and some sins creep upon them unawares, on account of which they daily say, “Forgive us our debts,” yet they do not any more obey the sin which is unto death, of which the Apostle John says, “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 1.22
73. But the question before us is rendered more urgent by what the Apostle John says: “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and the Lord shall give him life for him who sinneth not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John 12
1 Joann. v. 16 . Si quis scit peccare fratrem suum peccatum non ad mortem, postulabit, et dabit illi Dominus vitam qui peccat non ad mortem; est autem peccatum ad mortem; non pro illo dico ut roget.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 89.31
… I have promised; I will do. Suppose they choose to sin even as past hope, and so fall into sins as to offend their Father’s countenance, and deserve to be disinherited; is it not still God Himself, of whom it is said, “From these stones” He “will raise up sons to Abraham”? Therefore I tell you, brethren, many Christians sin venially,
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 9.34
… “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive.” For it is well for us to consider this saying of the blessed Evangelist John, by which the ambiguity of this question is clearly solved: “This is,” he says, “the confidence which we have in Him, that whatsoever we ask according to His will, He heareth us.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 11.9
… “If a man knows his brother to be sinning a sin not unto death, let him ask, and He will give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he should ask for it.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 20.8
… “Is any sick among you? Let him send for the Elders of the Church and they shall pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
Socrates Scholasticus † AD 440 The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus 4.28
… As he asked that they should not receive to the sacraments those who after baptism had committed any deadly sin
Sozomen † AD 450 The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen 1.22
… “Why, then,” said the emperor, “do you keep aloof from communion with others, if you are of one mind with them?” He replied that the dissension first broke out under Decius, between Novatius and Cornelius, and that he considered such persons unworthy of communion who, after baptism, had fallen into those sins which the Scriptures declare to be unto death;
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Tertullian † AD 220 On Modesty 19
… not concerning that do I say that one should make request.” He, too, (as I have been), was mindful that Jeremiah had been prohibited by God to deprecate (Him) on behalf of a people which was committing mortal sins. “Every unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin unto death. But we know that every one who hath been born of God sinneth not”
Socrates Scholasticus † AD 440 The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus 7.25
… ‘I approve of Novatus for refusing to commune with those who had sacrificed, for I myself would have done the same: but I cannot praise the Novatians, inasmuch as they exclude laymen from communion for very trivial offenses.’ Asclepiades answered, ‘There are many other “sins unto death,”
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St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.1
… and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil.” And at the end of the Epistle,
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 1.13
13. C. But what answer will you give to the famous declaration of John the Evangelist:
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Concerning Man’s Perfection in Righteousness 39
… “The same St. John in this very epistle says, ‘This, however, brethren, I say, that ye sin not. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin.’ Also elsewhere: ‘Whosoever is born of God sinneth not; because his being born of God preserveth him, and the evil one toucheth him not.’
5:19
Clement of Alexandria † AD 215 The Stromata, or Miscellanies fragments-of-clemens-alexandri
Ver. 19 . “And the whole word lieth in the wicked one;” not the creation, but worldly men, and those who live according to their lusts.
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 1.5.5
… whence, too, he was called the prince of this world, i.e., of an earthly habitation: for he exercised power over those who were obedient to his wickedness, since “the whole of this world”—for I term this place of earth, world—“lieth in the wicked one,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 2.3.6
… For the plan of the world is said to be contained in the clothing of the high priest, as we find in the Wisdom of Solomon, where he says, “For in the long garment was the whole world.” That earth of ours, with its inhabitants, is also termed the world, as when Scripture says, “The whole world lieth in wickedness.”
St Dionysius of Alexandria † AD 265 Exegetical Fragments 2
For in the most general sense it holds good that it is apparently not possible for any man to remain altogether without experience of ill. For, as one says, the whole world lieth in wickedness;”
St Dionysius of Alexandria † AD 265 Exegetical Fragments 4
… but He did not ask that He should have no trial whatsoever in these circumstances, or that no manner of hardship should ever befall Him. For in the most general application it holds good, that it does not appear to be possible for any man to remain altogether without experience of ill: for, as one says, “The whole world lieth in wickedness;”
Archelaus † fl. AD 278 The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes 14
… Manes replied : I hold that there are two natures, one good and another evil; and that the one which is good dwells indeed in certain parts proper to it, but that the evil one is this world, as well as all things in it, which are placed there like objects imprisoned in the portion of the wicked one, as John says, that “the whole world lieth in wickedness,”
St Methodius † AD 311 From the Discourse on the Resurrection, Part III 2
… the Lord then called “habitations,” the apostle here calls “clothing.” And what He there calls “friends” “of unrighteousness,” the apostle here calls “houses” “dissolved.” As then, when the days of our present life shall fail, those good deeds of beneficence to which we have attained in this unrighteous life, and in this “world” which “lieth in wickedness,”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 55.1
… meanings, wickedness and tribulation, which latter the Greek call κακωσίν and in this passage “tribulation” would be a better rendering than “wickedness.” But if any one demurs to this and insists that the word κακία must mean “wickedness” and not “tribulation” or “trouble,” the meaning must be the same as in the words “the whole world lieth in wickedness”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 108.1
… my soul hath been this long time a pilgrim.” It was no wonder that she sobbed out that even she was in darkness (for this is the meaning of the word Kedar) seeing that, according to the apostle, “the world lieth in the evil one;”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
1 John v. 19 . The world lieth in the evil one.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 93.32
… even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift,” we would think that all the Corinthians had been carnal and natural, not perceiving the things of the spirit of God, fond of strife, and full of envy, and “walking as men.” In like manner it is said, on the one hand, “the whole world lieth in wickedness,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 35.3
… not against those whom ye see, but against those whom ye see not; “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the world, of this darkness.”…“The whole world lieth in wickedness;”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 26
… “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven ?” We know indeed, as the Apostle John says that “the whole world lieth in the evil one
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Clement of Alexandria † AD 215 The Stromata, or Miscellanies fragments-of-clemens-alexandri
Ver. 20 . “And the Son of God hath come and given us understanding,” which comes to us, that is, by faith, and is also called the Holy Spirit. IV.—Comments on the Second Epistle of John.
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Oration of Eusebius 12.1
… surpassing the power, not of language only, but of thought itself. Uncircumscribed by place, or body; neither in heaven, nor in ethereal space, nor in any other part of the universe; but entirely independent of all things else, he pervades the depths of unexplored and secret wisdom. The sacred oracles teach us to acknowledge him as the only true God,
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 6.43
43. John speaks thus;— For we know that the Son of God is come, and was incarnate for us, and suffered, and rose again from the dead and took us for Himself, and gave us a good understanding that we may know Him that is true, and may be in His true Son Jesus Christ. He is true and is life eternal and our resurrection
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 6.46
… When the Father says of His Son, This is , and the Son of Himself, It is He that talketh with Thee , and when Peter confesses Thou art , and John assures us, This is the true God
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Expositio Fidei. (Statement of Faith.) 1
… 12 ), the true Image of the Father, equal in honour and glory. For this, he says, ‘is the will of the Father, that as they honour the Father, so they may honour the Son also’ ( Joh. v. 23 ): very God of very God, as John says in his general Epistles, ‘And we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God and everlasting life’ (
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 To the Bishops of Egypt 2
… John, for instance, saith, ‘In the beginning was the Word ;’ but these men say, ‘He was not, before He was begotten.’ And again he wrote, ‘And we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ; this is the true God, and eternal life
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.24
… but as it is, by adding Himself to the Father, He has shewn that He is of the Father’s nature; and He has given us to know that of the True Father He is True Offspring. And John too, as he had learned , so he teaches this, writing in his Epistle, ‘And we are in the True, even in His Son Jesus Christ; This is the True God and eternal life
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.25
… when He is God’s Word and Wisdom, and we were fashioned out of the earth, and He is by nature and essence Word and true God (for thus speaks John, ‘We know that the Son of God is come, and He hath given us an understanding to know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ; this is the true God and eternal life
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 4.26
… and we bear witness and declare unto you that Eternal Life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us .’ While he says here that ‘the Life,’ not ‘became,’ but ‘was with the Father,’ in the end of his Epistle he says the Son is the Life, writing, ‘And we are in Him that is True, even in His Son, Jesus Christ; this is the True God and Eternal Life
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 11.9
9. For the Father being Very God begat the Son like unto Himself, Very God
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 1.17
117. But hear again what John the Evangelist hath written in his Epistle, saying: “We know that the Son of God hath appeared, and hath given us discernment, to know the Father, and to be in His true Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is very God, and Life Eternal.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Against Publishing the Errors of the Brethren 1
… For from this zeal I have ground for feeling confidence about your health also with respect to the soul; for indeed the school of the Church is an admirable surgery—a surgery, not for bodies, but for souls. For it is spiritual, and sets right, not fleshly wounds, but errors of the mind,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 1.6
… And so He is not only God, but also very God. And the same John most expressly affirms this in his epistle: “For we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know the true God, and that we may be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 1.11
… According to the form of God, “As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself;” according to the form of a servant, His “soul is sorrowful even unto death;” and, “O my Father,” He says, “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” According to the form of God, “He is the True God, and eternal life;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 1.12
… inasmuch as, in that He is , He is life. Therefore “He gave to the Son to have life in Himself” means, He begat the Son to be unchangeable life, which is life eternal. Since, therefore, the Word of God is the Son of God, and the Son of God is “the true God and eternal life,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 5.4
… Believe then in the Son of man, that you may have eternal life; for He is also the Son of God, who can give eternal life: for He is "the true God and eternal life," as the same John says in his epistle. John also adds, that he is antichrist who denies that Christ has come in the flesh.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin 2.32
… “So hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.” Here the life is nothing less than Himself. So we understand the Son Himself to be the life, when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life;” of whom also it was said, “He is the true God, and eternal life.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 90.3
… “He,” saith He, “gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak; and I know that His commandment is life everlast ing.” Search in the Epistle of this John the Evangelist for what he hath said of Christ. “Let us believe,” he says, “His True Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God and Everlasting Life.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 90.6
6. Because then I was speaking of what I had brought forward, “And I knew,” saith He, “that His commandment is everlasting life.” Mark, Brethren, what I am saying; “I know that His commandment is everlasting life.” And we read in the same John concerning Christ, “He is The True God and Everlasting Life.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John 14
1 Joann. v. 20 . “Ut simus in vero Filio ejus Jesu Christo; ipse est verus Deus et vita æterna .”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret 1.7
… namely, that the Son is by nature only-begotten of God, Word, Power, and sole Wisdom of the Father; that He is, as John said, ‘the true God
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 12
… forsake them .” And again he says, “I was found by them that sought Me not, and openly appeared to them that asked not for Me .” And the Apostle John teaches us how this has been fulfilled, when he says, “We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and may be in Him that is true, even His Son
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 11.67
… iii. 14 ). He Who is the Son of God in heaven was the Son of man who spoke on earth. Hence John says, We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding (
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Chaplet, or De Corona 10
… What communion have Christ and Belial? Therefore flee from it; for he enjoins us to keep at a distance from idolatry—to have no close dealings with it of any kind. Even an earthly serpent sucks in men at some distance with its breath. Going still further, John says, “My little children, keep yourselves from idols,”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.2
2. This would be a real difficulty and one for ever incapable of solution were it not solved by the witness of John himself, who immediately goes on to say,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 102.19
… should think that our Scriptures intend only to declare that such affections of the human heart spring naturally from the worship of idols, it is written in the plainest terms, “All the gods of the nations are devils.” And therefore, also, the teaching of the apostles not only declares, as we read in John, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols,”
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CHAPTER 5 Ver. 1. Every one that believeth, with a living faith, which extends itself to charity, and worketh by love, that Jesus is the Christ, i.e., the Messiah, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, is born of God, by a divine and spiritual birth, which takes place by faith, love, and grace, by which a man becomes not only a friend, but a son and heir of God, and a partaker of the Divine nature (2Pe 1:5).
And every one... loveth also Him who is born of Him. Born: 1st Christ the Son of God is properly He who is born of God the Father. 2d Born of God applies to every believer, who is adopted of God through the grace of Christ. And this is S. John's reasoning, by which he proves that our neighbours ought to be loved: Whosoever loveth God the Father who begat, loveth equally God the Son who was begotten. But he who loveth God the Son loveth also all the other sons of God, as being His brethren and members. Therefore he who loveth God the Father loveth also all the children of God who are born of Him. It is in favour of this exposition, says S. Augustine, that the Apostle here says Son in the singular as understanding the Only Begotten of the Father. But presently, in the next verse he says sons in the plural as intending the just, by adoption and regeneration sons of God. Ver. 2. By this we know that we love the children (τέκνα) of God, when (όθαν, i.e., because) we love God, &c. We know, i.e., we conclude, we show and demonstrate. S. John uses this expression, we know, in a similar sense 1Jo 3:16 and 1Jn 3:19, and 1Jo 4:2 1Jn 4:6. We know, i.e., we are convinced that we love Christians as the children of God. We know this, i.e. we prove it by this argument, that we love God. The following is S. John's syllogism and demonstration. All the sons of God are believers and Christians. Whosoever therefore loves God loves also the children of God. Therefore he who loves God loves faithful Christians as being the brethren and members of Christ, born of the same God the Father. For as from the love of our neighbour we infer and conclude the love of God, so in turn and reciprocally from the love of God we infer and conclude the love of our neighbour. Again, whosoever keeps the commands of God keeps also the love of his neighbour: for this is one of the commandments. But he who keeps the command of love, this man loves his neighbour. Therefore whosoever keeps the commands of God is a lover of his neighbour. Moreover, in this place S. John does not speak of all our neighbours, but only of such as are born of God, that is, believing Christians, because he seeks to kindle amongst them mutual love, in order that by their faith and Christian life they may defend, animate, help, and be profitable to one another against the heathen. Ver. 3. For this is the charity of God, &c.. He means, Charity consists in the keeping of the commandments of God. For charity is the love and friendship of God. For this is what is said (Wisd. 6:9), "Love is the keeping of His laws." So it is said in Eccles. xii. 13, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole man." It means, the whole good of man; all his duty, all his happiness; his end and perfection consist in the fear of God. As S. Jerome says, "For this man was created." And as Salonius says, He who lives otherwise is not a man but a beast, because he does not live according to reason, which pertains to man's nature. But if he lives gluttonously, he lives like a hog. If he lives deceitfully, he lives like a fox. If he lives proudly, he lives like a lion, and so on. All this you may apply to charity.
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And His commandments are not heavy (gravia), much less impossible, as heretics say. He alludes to the words of Christ, "My yoke is sweet, and My burden light." The reason is, 1st Because Christ has freed Christians from the heavy and manifold burden of the ceremonial and judicial precepts of the Old Law, and has imposed upon them only the moral Law, or the ten precepts of the natural Law, adding to them a few things concerning faith, baptism, and the rest of the sacraments. The Rabbi Moses numbers 218 positive, and 365 negative precepts of the Old Law (More Hannelbuchim, caps. 56 and 57). From all these Christ has set us free. 2d. Because to charity and him who loves God nothing is heavy. "For how can it be heavy when it is the command of love? For either a man loves not, and thus it is heavy; or else he does love, and it cannot be heavy," says S. Augustine. 3d. Because Christ gives grace as it were wings, with which we fulfil the commandments. Yea, we as it were fly over them, according to the words, "I ran the way of Thy commandments when Thou hadst enlarged my heart." (Ps. cxix.) As S. Augustine says, "There is nothing heavy either in loving, or fearing. For perfect love casts out fear, and makes the burden of the commandment light, not depressing to the ground with its weight, but lifting it up instead of wings. Let the soul therefore which feels the commandments heavy, pray and sigh with the will that it may obtain the gift of the sense of lightness." Wherefore S. Bonaventura says, "The commandments are heavy to fallen and corrupt nature, but light to that which is whole and sound." For grace heals our nature, even as sin wounds and as it were maims it. Therefore sin makes the commandments to be as "a talent of lead." (Zech. v. 7.) 4th. Because, although certain things be heavy in themselves, such as to mortify all the lusts, to undergo martyrdom, to suffer all adversity, yet they become light when we consider the example of Christ and His Saints, and God's promise of heavenly glory, according as S. Paul says, "The sufferings of this present time are not comparable to the future glory which shall be revealed in us." As S. Augustine says (Serm. 18 de Sanct.), "If we must needs endure daily torments, if hell itself for a brief space, that we might be worthy to behold Christ coming in His glory, and to be reckoned in the company of His Saints, would it not be worth while to suffer anything that is sad, so that we were made partakers of such great good and such great glory?" Ver. 4. For every thing which is born of God, &c. He proves what he had said that His commandments are not heavy, because the faithful, who are born again of faith, and charity, and are armed by God, overcome the world, i.e. the lusts and terrors of the world, which alone resist charity, and make the keeping of the commandments difficult. When therefore they are taken away, the commandments become easy. "The proof of a heavenly generation is victory over temptation," says S. Bernard. Observe: he says every thing (neuter), not every one who is born of God overcometh. This is to signify, 1st That this victory falls to the believer, not of himself, but from the love and grace of God. This is why he adds by way of explanation, And this is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. 2d. The expression every thing is emphatic, and signifies the whole company of all nations. There is an allusion to the animals of every kind, both clean and unclean, which were in Noe's ark, and which Peter saw in vision in the linen sheet of the Church. (Acts. x. 12.) By these it was signified that all sorts of men, of every nation, state, and condition, were to be admitted into the Church by the new Birth of Baptism. For the same reason, and with the same emphasis, Christ said, " Everything that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me." Hence S. Cyprian, S. Leo, and others say that a believer is greater than the world, and having his conversation in heaven he looks down upon the little point of the world. Beautifully does S. Augustine write (lib. 2 de Synub. and Catechum), "Admirable, truly admirable, is our combat" (spectaculum), "in which God helps, faith obtains strength, innocence fights, holiness conquers, and the reward which follows is such that whilst he who has conquered receives, he who gives loses nothing."
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And this is the victory, &c., victory, i.e., the victor, the conqueror. The victory then is the cause of victory, the arms by which the victory is obtained, i.e., faith. This victorious faith is not naked and idle faith, but clothed with charity and good works, struggling and fighting bravely, according to the words, "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness," &c. (Heb. xi.) And as S. Paul says (Eph. vi. i6), "And in all taking the shield of faith by which ye can quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked one." For overcomes the Greek has νικήσασα, aorist overcame. By this all time is signified. He hath overcome, he overcomes, and shall overcome. So S. Augustine teaches that the faith of Christ has subdued the whole world to itself by the sanctity, chastity, patience, constancy, of the Apostles, Virgins, and Martyrs, by whom the nations of the whole world have been converted to Christ. And as he saith again (Ser. de Verb. Apost.), "There are no greater riches, or treasures, no substance of this world greater than the Catholic Faith. It saves sinful man, gives sight to the blind, heals the sick, baptizes catechumens, restores the penitent, helps the just, crowns the martyrs." And S. Bernard says, "Faith reaches things inaccessible, discovers the unknown, comprehends the infinite, seizes the remotest bounds of things, and in short embraces eternity itself in its own most spacious bosom. I would say boldly that the eternal and Blessed Trinity, whom I cannot understand, I believe in and hold firmly by faith, a thing which I am not capable of by mere soundness of intellect.
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Ver. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, &c. For by believing he hopes, by hoping he invokes, by invoking he loves Christ, and therefore he is strengthened by the grace of Christ to despise the world, and by despising he overcomes it, according to the saying of S. Paul, "I am able to do all things in Him who strengtheneth me." For he who believes in Christ, ought to follow the precepts of Christ and obey Him, not the world. S. John proves his thesis ex hypothesi, the general from the particular. He proves, I say, that faith is the victory of believers, because the faith of Christ is the victory over the world. And at the same time he confutes Cerinthus, Ebion, and the other heretics of that age, who denied the Divinity of Christ. Hence when Peter confessed this doctrine, saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," he deserved to hear from Him, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church."
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Ver. 6. This is He who cometh by water and blood, Jesus Christ. This is Messias, the Son of God, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, whom the Prophets foretold should come to redeem the world by His Blood, and purify it by the water of baptism, as is plain from Eze 36:47, and Zec 12:13. John proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that is, that Jesus is true Man and true God. He does this, 1st Because He is He who came, Greek, ό ε̉λθὼν, i.e., He, the Coming One, the Messias, who indeed the Prophets promised should come: whom the Scripture (Isa 9:6. and elsewhere) signified should be God and the Son of God. Wherefore Coming or About to come is the Name of Messiah. For so the Jews called Him from the prophetic oracles. This is plain from S. Joh 1:15, &c. Again, he proves the same thing from the water and the blood of which the Body of Christ was constituted, and which He shed for us. For they signify, 1st That Christ was a true man, and not a phantasm, as Simon Magus and Manes pretended. For the human body is composed of water and blood. 2d. The water and blood proved that Christ is true God. One reason is that the Blood of Christ was the full price of our redemption, entirely satisfying God for the offences of our sins. Therefore it was necessary that the Blood should be the Blood of a God-man, a man hypostatically united to God: for the blood of a mere man could not be an adequate price for offences against God. A second reason is, because Christ by the virtue of His Blood in ordaining baptism, endowed it with a Divine power to expiate all the sins of all men. Therefore it was necessary for Him to be God. For Christ did this per se, and authoritatively, not ministerially as dependent upon some one else. But per se to institute a sacrament to remit and atone for sin is a work of Divine power. There is an allusion in the first place to the water and blood of the victims with which Moses ratified the Old Testament (Exo 24:8). By this he signified that Christ by His own Blood and Water would ratify the New Testament. Hear S. Paul, Heb 9:19, "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop," &c. There is an allusion, secondly, to the water and blood which miraculously flowed from the side of Christ when He was dead upon the Cross. For a dead body, instead of the blood and water of a living one, naturally emits gore (saniem). S. John alone of the Evangelists records this emission of blood and water. By these two it was set forth that by the power of the blood of Christ the faithful should be cleansed from their sins by the water of Baptism. And this is the meaning of the Bride, i.e., the Church, when she says (Son 5:10), "My Beloved is white and ruddy." (So Cyril, Hieros. Cat. 13; S. Augustine, lib. 2 de Catech. rud. c. 6; S. Leo, Epist. 45, Hier. 83; Damascene, 4 de Fide, c. 10; Suarez, 3 part. quæst. 53, disput. 41, and others.) From hence our Salmeron is of opinion that Christ always mingled water with His Blood, viz., tears at His circumcision, His Bloody Sweat, His Scourging, and on the Cross before His death. And that this was why He ordered water to be mingled with wine in the Eucharistic Chalice to be converted into His Blood. Moreover, S. John distinguishes Christ's Baptism from that of John the Baptist, because the latter was in water only, and, therefore unavailing for the remission of sins. But Christ's Baptism was in water and blood, and therefore availing to that end. Again, he confutes the Ebionites, who thought that God was appeased with mere water, and who therefore washed themselves daily with water, and offered water only, without wine, in the Eucharistic Chalice, because they denied that we were redeemed by the Blood of Christ. (See Irenæus, lib. 5 c. 1.) Lastly, Tertullian (lib. de Bapt. c. 16) says, Christ came by water when he was baptized by John, by blood when He suffered, that "He might be washed by water, glorified by blood," by the victory of His Passion and Death. "He would have us called by water, elected by blood. This twofold Baptism He shed forth from the wound in His pierced side, that they who believed in His Blood might be washed with water, and that those who were laved with the water of Baptism might also drink His Blood in the Eucharist." Tropologically, S. Bernard explains it to mean a twofold baptism and a twofold martyrdom: 1st Of compunction by tears; 2nd, By the desire of mortification. "Now because we have said that baptism is signified by water, martyrdom by blood, remember that there is one only and daily baptism, one only and daily martyrdom. For there is indeed a kind of martyrdom and a certain effusion of blood in the daily affliction of the body. There is also a species of baptism in compunction of the heart and frequent tears." Ver. 6. This is He who cometh by water and blood. Some Greek codices add καί πνεύματος, i.e., and by spirit: not by water only, but by water and blood, and by spirit.
And the Spirit it is which testifies that Christ is Truth. (Vulg.) The Greek has ότι τὸ πνεύμα έστιν ή α̉λήθεια, i.e., The Spirit is the Truth. This is also the reading of the Syriac. The meaning is, It is the Spirit who recently at Pentecost testified that Christ is the Son of God. Him therefore we must believe because He is the Spirit of Truth, and the Truth Itself. But the genuine reading is, Because Christ is Truth. For the Apostle is here treating of Christ, and Christ's proper name is the Truth. To the obscure and as it were dead testimony of water and blood, is added the clear and living witness of the Holy Ghost. For He as well during Christ's (earthly) life, in which He wrought miracles by Him to bear witness to this, as also after His death and resurrection, when He was sent by Him to the Apostles at Pentecost, testified by their mouth, and preached everywhere that Christ was the Truth, i.e., true God. For Christ, in that He is God is the Word, and therefore the Truth and Wisdom of the Father. In that He is man, He is the true ambassador and interpreter of the Father, who opened out the shadows of the Old Law, and published the true doctrine concerning God, according to His own words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Hence too the Aaronic High Priest bore, as a type of Christ the true and real High Priest, the Urim and Thummim, i.e., doctrine and truth, in his breastplate. Ver. 7. Because there are Three which bear witness in Heaven, &c. S. John here more fully explains and confirms the testimony already adduced of the water, the blood and the spirit concerning Christ. The particle because is partly confirmatory of what He had said in the 5th ver. that Jesus is the Son of God, partly of what he said in the 6th, that the Spirit bears witness that Jesus is true God. For this is here confirmed because the Holy Spirit is one of the three witnesses who in heaven bear testimony to Christ. S. Jerome (Pref. in Epist. Canon.) observes that this verse had been erased by unbelievers, i.e. the Arians, from some Greek copies. Therefore it is not found in the Syriac, Clement of Alexandria, Bede, Œcumenius, and some others. It is, however, the constant reading of the Latin Bibles, and the more correct Greek MSS. and of many of the ancients, SS. Athanasius, Augustine, Jerome, Cyprian, the Lateran Council, at which Greeks were present. Therefore it is certain that these words are to be taken as canonical Scripture. The meaning then is this All the Three Persons of the Sacred Trinity in heaven and from heaven bear testimony to the angels, but especially to men (for to men S. John chiefly refers) concerning Christ, that He is the true Messiah and the Son of God. This the Father did at His Baptism and Transfiguration. Again, when He answered Christ by thunder out of heaven, "I have both glorified, and will glorify Thee again " (Joh 12:18). Similarly also the Holy Ghost bore witness when He descended upon Christ in the form of a dove, and poured out Himself upon the Apostles and other Christians at Pentecost. And this was the result of Christ's prediction, promise, and mission. Wherefore the same Holy Spirit by the mouths of the Apostles preached little else save Christ. The Son also very often declared, taught, and proved convincingly by His miracles that He was the Messias and the Son of God, as is plain from the whole Gospel of S. John. Therefore heaven and earth mutually agree, yea the whole universe appears at one, in bearing this witness to Christ.
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And these Three are One as in nature and Divine Essence, so likewise in intelligence, voice, and testimony, concerning Christ. For all these things in the Holy Trinity are one and the same. There is another reading of these words in the Greek, signifying These Three are into One (in unum), but the Latin and other Greek copies have These Three are One (Hi tres unum suns), signifying the oneness of Substance of the Holy Trinity, that the Three Persons have one and the same undivided Godhead. Ver. 8. And there are three which give witness in earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Three (tres in the masc.). He might have said tria in the neuter, for the Greek πνευ̃μα ϋδως αίμα, are all in that gender. But he chose to say tres, to show that these three earthly witnesses concur with, yea represent, the Three Heavenly witnesses already spoken of. So says S. Augustine. By a figure of speech, personality is attributed to these earthly witnesses, as speaking with man's voice. S. John sets the human and earthly testimony over against the Divine. Some think that the Three Witnesses in heaven are witnesses to Christ's Divinity, and the three on earth witnesses to His Humanity. Among these are Innocent III. (cap. in quad de Celebrat. Miss.), and S. Thomas. But it is better to take both classes as attesting the Divinity. For this is what S. John undertook to prove (ver. 5), because Cerinthus and others denied it. And this is why he subjoins presently, He that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness of God in himself.
There are Three. S. John places a twofold Trinity of witnesses to Christ, who testify of His Divinity, and that He is the Son of God. And he sets the one over against the other. Indeed, he unites them as regards their office of witness-bearing. The first are uncreated, viz., the Father, the Son, and the Ghost. The second are created, the Spirit, the water, and the blood. These emanate from the uncreated witnesses, and correspond to them. For water refers to the Father, blood to the Son, spirit to the Holy Ghost. For the Father is the beginning (principium) of all things, as likewise is water. For out of water were formed the heavens, the air, the birds and the fishes, as I have shown in the beginning of Genesis. Again, water nourishes herbs, trees, plants, and every living thing. Wherefore, also, the heavens are called in Hebrew scamiam, i.e., waters. Again, water signifies the affluence of goods and graces which there is in God the Father, according to the words in Is. xii., "Ye shall draw water with joy from the wells of the Saviour." (Vulg.) It is well known that the Egyptians worshipped the Nile as a god, because all their crops were due to the over- flowing of the Nile. Moreover, water appositely represents the mercy and goodness of God the Father. At the present day some of the Indians adore water. Suidas, under the word Brachmans, says that the Brahmins lived to a very great age because they drank nothing but water. Apollonias of Syana was wont to say that those who drink water never suffer from giddiness in the head.
5:8
On earth from earth: like as the first Three testify in heaven, i.e., from heaven, to men dwelling on earth.
The Spirit, the water, and the blood the spirit, namely, which Christ when dying on the Cross committed into the hands of the Father. Also the water and the blood which flowed from the side of Christ testify that Christ was truly not only man, but God, because by these, as by a just price, Christ made satisfaction to an offended God. Again, His spirit, because it went forth with a loud cry, showed Him to be God. Wherefore the centurion, when he saw that He thus cried out and expired, said, "Truly this man was the Son of God." For speech fails those who are at the point of death. This cry of Christ was then miraculous and not natural, signifying that Christ was more than human, and therefore that He died of His own will, and not through weakness. 2d. S. Augustine Lyra and the Gloss understand by the Spirit in this place the Holy Ghost shed forth at Pentecost. For He testified that Christ was God. 3d. Œcumenius understands by Spirit the Holy Ghost given at Baptism. "In Baptism," he says, "by water Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the witness of the Father." Anagogically, but very appropriately, and almost literally, the water, the blood, and the spirit that were emitted by Christ upon the Cross, but resumed by Him at His resurrection, signify that He was the very promised Messiah, the conqueror of death and hell, and therefore the Son of God. For Christ rose again by His own power, and resumed these three things. Mystically, by spirit, water, and blood are signified the three things which concur for our justification. As S. Ambrose says, "By the Spirit our mind is renewed, by water we are washed; the blood is the price." Allegorically, by these three things are signified the three chief sacraments which bear testimony to Christ, as instituted by Him, and as sanctifying by virtue of His merits. Water signifies Baptism, blood the Eucharistic Chalice, the Spirit penance. Whence by breathing the Spirit upon His Apostles Christ gave them the power of remitting sins. Symbolically, Baldwin of Canterbury whose work I examined in manuscript at Louvain (lib. 1 de Eucharist, c. 48) says, "The spirit of the righteous, the tears of penitents, the blood of the martyrs bear witness that Christ is the Redeemer." S. Augustine upon this passage thinks that by these three earthly witnesses the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are denoted, viz., the Father by the spirit, the Son by the the blood, the Holy Ghost by the water. For of the Father it is said, "God is a Spirit" (Jno. iv. 14), the Son assumed the blood and flesh of man's nature. Of the Holy Ghost it is spoken: "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (Joh 7:18.) And for this reason they are called tres in the masculine, not tria, three things, in the neuter. Tropologically, S. Bernard (Serm. 2 in Oct. Pasch.) says, "By the blood, the water, and the spirit thou hast witness unto righteousness, that thou art born again through Christ, if thou refrainest from sin, if thou bringest forth worthy fruits of penance, if thou doest living works." The blood there signifies continence, the water tears, the Spirit spirit, and works which testify that we are regenerated and made holy. "He also shows that these three things are opposed to three things which are in the world, and overcome them. For the concupiscence of the flesh is overcome by the mortification of the blood, the lust of the eyes by the compunction of tears, the pride of life, or the spirit of vanity, by the spirit of charity." S. Bernard adds (Serm. 76) that there are in like manner three witnesses in hell, the worm by which the conscience is gnawed, the fire which burns both soul and body, and the spirit of despair. "By the witnesses in heaven," he says, "is given the witness of beatitude, by those in earth of justification, by those in hell of damnation. The first testimony is of glory, the second of grace, the third of wrath."
And these three are one. Some Greek and Latin codices, as the Complutensian and the Royal, omit these words. Wherefore S. Thomas (Opusc. 24 in 2 decret.) says, that they were foisted in by the Arians, that it might be gathered that the Three heavenly Persons are not spoken of as being one in Essence, but only as bearing witness. But many of the Latin and the more correct Greek copies have the words, but read, These three are into one (in unum). And the Syriac, These Three are in one (in uno), meaning to say, the water, the blood, and the spirit of Christ are not one as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are One, but that they are referred to One, &c., Christ and His Humanity, or mystically to one justifying and perfecting of man. Ver. 9. If we receive the witness of men, &c. If we give credit to man's testimony, much more ought we to believe the witness of God concerning Christ. It is greater both in dignity and authority, in truth and certainty. For God infinitely surpasses all men and angels in majesty and veracity. He is the first and supreme Verity, who cannot lie, neither can He deceive, or be deceived. As S. Paul declares (Rom 3:4), "Let God be true, and every man a liar." Moreover, the testimony of the Church, of the Apostles and Prophets, is the testimony of God, for the Church is governed by the Holy Ghost, who is the Spirit of Truth.
5:9
Because this is the witness of God, &c. The word because here is not so much causative as explanatory, and means the same as but. The meaning is, But this is God's testimony, because, i.e., which, He has testified, &c., namely, as He testified at the Baptism of Christ, and at many other times, "This is My Beloved Son." Ver. 10. He that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself. 1st Because he hath in him the thing attested by God, namely this truth, that Christ is the Son of God. 2d. Because he hath in himself the very witness of God, and God Himself attesting. 3d. This testimony is the faith itself by which we believe the witness of God. There is a metonymy, because the object is put instead of the habit, or act tending to the object. It means, he who believes has a special gift of God, viz., faith. And this includes the witness, or testimony of God, and God Himself attests, which marvellously honours the believer, and makes him strong to confess Christ. 4th This testimony may be taken to signify the regeneration and adoption, the grace and glory of the believer meaning, He who believes in the Son of God hath in himself the witness of God, namely, that by which God witnesses to his soul and conscience by means of this faith with which he believes in Christ, that he is faithful, and a son and heir of God.
5:10
He that believeth not the Son, &c. As he that believeth in the Son, and receives God's testimony concerning Him, makes God to be true, and honours and worships Him; so, on the contrary, he that believeth not the Son, and rejects God's testimony concerning Him, makes God false, and does Him great despite. Observe: instead of believe, the Greek has πεπίστευκεν, hath believed. This is a Hebraism by which the perfect is put for any tense. Ver. 11. And this is the testimony, &c. This means, 1st God hath not only testified that Christ is His Son, but also that He is our Saviour and Redeemer, so that he who believes in Him is justified, and receives the spiritual life of grace and glory. 2d. This very thing is the end and fruit of the testimony, i.e., of the faith by which we believe God's witness concerning Christ, that by this faith we obtain the life of grace and glory. There is an allusion and reference to the words of the Gospel (xvii. 3), "This is life eternal, that they may know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."
5:11
Hath given to us eternal life. By these words hath given, S. John denotes the firmness and certainty both of the Divine promise and of our hope, namely, that we are just as sure of everlasting life, if we persevere in faith and obedience, as if it had been actually now bestowed upon us. The primitive Christians represented this faith and hope of life eternal by the Phœnix, which after death is said to be born again and rise up in a fresh and youthful life, as Lactantius testifies in his poem on the Phœnix. Therefore it was often depicted on the tombs of the faithful. S. Cecilia, as the Acts relate, ordered it to be sculptured on the sarcophagus of S. Maximus the Martyr. So too at Rome the Phœnix is often found depicted on tombs in the catacombs. For Christ rising again to life eternal is our Phœnix. And He by raising up Christians to the same life, will make them phœnixes likewise. Ver. 12. He that hath the Son, i.e., by faith, love, and obedience, hath life, of grace in fact, of glory in hope. He alludes to the words in his own Gospel, "He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." (Joh 3:35.) Ver. 13. These things I write unto you, that ye who believe in the name of the Son of God have eternal life. The Greek adds, that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God. But this seems to be tautologous. The name of the Son of God is put for the thing signified, the Son of God Himself. There is an allusion to his own Gospel (Joh 20:31): "These things are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life in His name." S. John here reckons up three fruits of a living faith in Christ. The first, life eternal in this verse; the second, confidence of obtaining all things from God (ver. 14); the third is complete banishment of sin, and moral sinlessness (ver. 18). Ver. 14. And this is the confidenre, &c. Truly says S. Augustine, "Whatsoever we ask unprofitable for our salvation we do not ask in the name of the Saviour."
5:13
And we know: the Greek adds ε̉ὰν, i.e., if. This makes the words of the verse more connected: And if we know that He heareth us, whatsoever we shall ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him. Ver. 16. He who knows his brother to sin a sin not unto death, let him ask, and life shall begiven him for him that sinneth not unto death. (S. Ambrose, lib. 1 de Penitent. c. 9, and Tertullian, de Pudicit. c. 2, read, because he sinneth not to death.) There is a sin unto death, &c. Instead of I do not say, S. Augustine reads in this place, non præcipio, I do not command. He means, If any one knows his brother to commit any sin, let him pray for him, and God will give him repentance and forgiveness. I except, however, the sin unto death. If any one sins a sin unto death, I dare not promise, nor have any certain hope, that thou wilt obtain pardon for him. Yet I do not altogether forbid prayer in such a case. Pray if thou wilt, but with a doubt of obtaining.
5:16
You will ask, what is the sin unto death? 1st Tertullian (de pudicit. caps. 2 and 19) is of opinion from this passage that there are some sins, like those of the devils while they were yet in a state of probation, so deadly that they are absolutely irremissible in this life. Such a sin was adultery after baptism. But this is an error condemned in Scripture and the Lateran Council under Innocent III. 2d. Origen thinks it is a sin which leads to destruction, and drags down to hell. 3d. Surrianus (lib. 4 pro Epist. Epist. Pont. c. 3) thinks it is a sin which involves excommunication. For an excommunicate person is impenitent. And it is not lawful to pray for one excommunicate in the public prayers of the Church. But S. John is speaking of any kind of prayer, even in private. 4th. S. Augustine (lib. 1 in Serm. Dom.) thought it was the sin of envy, by which any one envies his brother's grace, virtue, and salvation. But this opinion S. Augustine afterwards modified and retracted. 5th. The same S. Augustine (lib. de corrept. et grat. c. 12) and many others think it is the sin in which any one perseveres unto death. Lorinus thinks that it is the sin of hatred and murder. Others think it means the sins of the reprobate, and of those who will be damned. But it is uncertain who and what those are. Yet S. John says, he who knows his brother sin a sin not onto death. 6th. The Gloss supposes it to be a mortal sin. For to pray for such sins is the duty ex officio, so to say, of the Priest alone. But for venial sins any layman whatever may pray. But what S. John says is opposed to this, for he intimates that he is speaking, not of venial, but of mortal sins, and subjoins, " life shall be given him." 7th. S. Jerome (in cap. 14 Jerem.) thinks it is some very grave sin which God has determined to punish. "For he who once," saith be, "hath been devoted to the sword, or famine, or pestilence, cannot be delivered by any prayers. Wherefore it was said to the Prophet that he should not ask in vain what he could not obtain." 8th. Dionysius thinks it is the sin of final impenitence. Wherefore the Bishop of Rochester (Art. 17 cont. Luther) proves the doctrine of Purgatory from this passage. For S. John says we are to pray for those who are not finally impenitent, that is, who depart in a state of justification or repentance. And this surely implies prayer that they be delivered from Purgatory. 9th. Anastasius Niceenus thinks it is a sin against God, such as blasphemy, concerning which it is said (1Sa 2:25), "If a man sin against God, who shall pray for him?" 10th. Gagneius thinks it is the sin of apostasy and infidelity, by which any one falls from the faith into heresy or idolatry. 11th. S. Hilary (in Ps. cxl.) thinks it is the sin which any one commits of set purpose and malice. 12th. S. Ambrose thinks (lib. 1 de Pen. c. 8) it is every very grave sin which is remitted with difficulty. Most of these opinions are true, and partly explain, but few touch the exact point of the difficulty. My own opinion is, that the sin unto death is every very grave sin which, either on account of its enormity or long habit, obstinacy or malice, is irremediable according to the ordinary rule of grace which God gives. Such was the sin of Judas in betraying Christ. It was sin unto death because of its enormity; and incorrigible, because of his obstinate persistence in it. So too the sin of the Jews in blasphemy and slaying Christ was a sin unto death, because so heinous and persisted in. Therefore the sin unto death is a chronic and irremediable one, the pardon of which is despaired of, and which so provokes the wrath of God that the ordinary prayers of the saints cannot pacify it, and one therefore which with absolute certainty brings the sinner to the destruction of hell, unless some especially eminent saint, like another Moses, obtains for him from God extraordinary grace and forgiveness. This sin unto death is as if a physician was summoned to a sick man, and after examining, him were to say, I cannot heal him, he is sick unto death, the vital parts are mortifying. In like manner, says S. John, when a Christian sees a heretic and an apostate, let him say, I should not dare to pray for him, he is sinning unto death. His vitality is gone. He casts away faith, which is the principle of spiritual life. This is the mind and general opinion of S. Augustine and Jerome, Origen, Bernard, Bonaventura, S. Thomas, and many others. There is a reference to the words of Christ to the Jews (Joh 8:21 and Joh 8:24), "I go away, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin." From which passage we gather that though the sin unto death be of various and multiform kinds, as impenitence, obstinacy, determination to persevere in any sin until death, and so on, yet strictly by the sin unto death S. John understands and intends a sin by which a Christian departs from the faith and Church of Christ, and maliciously attacks them, and strives to draw others away into his own heresy, or idolatry. This was what some were doing in S. John's time, to his great fear and grief. Wherefore, in order to deter the faithful from being led away, he calls such persons sinners unto death. There is a reference to such passages as Jer. xvii. 1, "The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, in an adamantine nail, it is ploughed deep upon the breadth of their heart." (Vulg.) On which verse S. Gregory says, "The finger-nail is the extremity of the body: but the diamond is so hard a stone that it cannot be cut with iron. Now by the iron style is signified the strong sentence, but by the adamantine nail the eternal result. Therefore the sin of Judah is said to be written with an iron stylus in an adamantine nail, because the offence of the Jews by the strong sentence of God is reserved for an eternal end." By this sin a man opposes himself directly to Christ, from whom is the only hope of salvation. He drives Him from him, yea he blasphemes Him by whom alone he can be healed. So the disease is said to be incurable which does not admit of food or medicine. Whence S. Paul saith to the Hebrews (Heb 6:4-6), "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened," &c. From what has been said it is plain that the sin unto death is distinguished from blasphemy against the Spirit, spoken of in S. Mat 12:21, although it is akin to it. Christ calls the sin of the Scribes blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, because they ascribed His Divine works, such as the casting out devils, which He did by the power of the Holy Ghost, to an unclean spirit. And they did this knowingly and maliciously, because they might and ought easily have known that those works were wrought by the Holy Ghost, and not by a devil. Christ opposes such blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of God to blasphemy against the Son of Man, by which some who were offended at the human conversation and condescension of Christ calumniated His actions as man. They called him a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. And this was a less and therefore more easily remissible sin. But as the sin spoken of in S. Matthew was the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, so here the sin unto death is blasphemy and treachery against Christ. And both one and the other are with difficulty remitted. This sin is not to be healed by any one but by Christ alone. For such a sinner is like unto Lazarus, of whom Martha said unto Christ, "Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he has been buried four days." Wherefore Jesus, with great effort, weeping and lifting up His eyes to heaven, and crying with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" raiseth him again to life.
I do not say that any one should pray for it. Thus the Greek and Latin. S. Gregory has a reading, that any one should pray for him. The meaning is, I do not forbid prayer for such, but I dare not promise that the prayer will be answered. For often God will not hear those who pray on behalf of the sin unto death, according to the words in Jer 7:16, "Pray not thou for this people, for I will not hear thee." S. Bernard says (de Grad. Humil. cap. ult.), "The Apostle John says, for such a one I do not say that any one should pray. But dost thou say, O Apostle, that any one should despair? Indeed let him who loves him groan. Though he may not persume to pray, yet let him weep. Thus Martha and the Magdalen wept the death of Lazarus, and by weeping obtained his resurrection." Ver. 17. A11 iniquity is sin, and there is a sin unto death: the Greek and Syriac add the negative proposition, and there is a sin not unto death. He opposes the two kinds of sin. Every iniquity is sin, but not every iniquity unto death, because it is a peculiar kind of sin which, as is said, is sin unto death.
5:17
For iniquity the Greek has α̉δικία, injustice, which is properly opposed to justice. But as in Scripture, so also in Aristotle and the ethical writers, justice is taken generally for any virtue, and injustice or iniquity for any sin. Ver. 18. We know that every one who is born of God sinneth not, but the generation of God preserveth him. The Latin translator reads, γένεσις ε̉κ του̃ Θεου̃ τηζει̃ αυ̉τόν. The present Greek reading is γεννηθείς ε̉κ του̃ Θεου̃ τηζει̃ αυ̉τόν, i.e. he who is born of God keepeth himself, viz., by the virtue received from his divine birth.
5:18
And the wicked one toucheth him not. This is the third fruit of the living faith, or regeneration, by which any one through faith and grace is born again in Christ, viz., preservation from at least grave and deadly sin, and consequently from the power of the malignant one, i.e. the devil. I have explained this in cap. 3 vers. 6 and 9.
Generation is here put for the grace generating. S. Gregory and S. Bernard, for generation of God read heavenly generation. By generation here S. Gregory understands knowledge of the Divine will, with the love of the same; S. Bernard, the Divine predestination; Didymus, the regeneration of the will which takes place by voluntary conversion and repentance. But others better understand it to mean grace and charity. For by these are wrought the regeneration and renovation of the new man, that is to say, of the faithful and holy soul, and its continuance in charity.
And the wicked one (malignus),&c. By the wicked one Didymus and Thomas English understand the world. But others, generally with more correctness, understand it of the devil. For the devil is more especially the wicked or the evil one. He does not touch, i.e., does not hurt, him who is born of God. The Syriac translates, doth not come nigh him. This is what is said in Zec 2:8, "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of Mine eye." And Psa 104:15, "Touch not My Christs" (Vulg.); and S. Paul says, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able."
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Ver. 19. e know that we are of God, and the whole world is placed in the wicked one. For is placed the Greek reads κείται, i.e., lieth. The wicked one (malignus) i.e., the devil, as in the last verse. This is the epilogue of the Epistles. As though S. John said, This is the conclusion and the sum of my words. We ought greatly to rejoice that, being born of God, we live and abide in Him, and lead in Him a pure and holy and heavenly life. Whilst, on the contrary, the world, i.e., worldly men, are situated in the wicked one. That is, they live oppressed beneath the tyrannical power and domination of the devil, and in him they lead a life impure and wicked, which leads to hell. The Manichæans, however, are in error who think that the world is placed in the wicked one because it was made by the devil, as if he in making it breathed into it his own wickedness and malignity. Another meaning that may be given to wicked is that it is put for wickedness, depravity. Whence Salviatus (lib. 4 de Provid.) recalls, The whole world is placed in evil. There is an allusion to Gen 6:5, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that the whole thought of his heart was intent to evil." The Hebrew is, "the whole fashioning, or imagination, of the thoughts of his heart was evil." The whole world therefore is placed in wickedness and concupiscence which entices to every wickedness. For indeed the world, i.e. all the people of the world, in the Sin of Adam contracted original sin and concupiscence, and by this they are led to all evil. The world therefore is an ocean of crimes and a deluge of vices, according to the words in Osee (Hos 4:2), "Cursing and lying and murder and theft and adultery have been a flood, and blood hath touched blood." Experience teaches us that the world, like Sodom, is full of covetousness, pride, deceit, luxury, gluttony, and every evil. S. John seems to be alluding to the three evils of the world which he spoke of in chap. ii. 16, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Wherefore he who is wise flies from the world, and the conversation of worldlings, and betakes himself to a congregation of the Saints, as Lot saved himself from the burning of Sodom by fleeing to the mountain. Listen to what was represented to S. Anselm in a heavenly vision concerning the unnumbered evils of the world, as it is related in his life: "Being rapt in an ecstasy, he beheld a mighty rushing river, into which all the filth in the world flowed from every quarter, so that nothing could be more horribly polluted than its waters. And wherever these waters reached, they carried off and bore down with them men and women, rich and poor. Anselm being full of wonder and pity at this sight, inquired how these persons were fed, and how they could live. He was told that the unhappy wretches drank and were delighted with the filthy mud by which they were borne along. Then there was added an explanation of this mystery. The world itself was the torrent in which blind mortals are hurried along by the riches and honours and other objects of their lust. And although they are so wretched that they cannot even stand, yet they count themselves happy and fortunate. After this he was led into a certain spacious and ample enclosure, and whose walls were overlaid with the purest silver, and shone in a marvellous manner. In the midst there was a meadow, and the plants which were therein were not common herbs, but all of a soft and living silver. They gently gave way to him who sat upon them, and when he arose they again stood up. The air, too, was calm and pleasant. And in short all things were sweet and delightful, so that nothing more could seem to be desirable for felicity. And it was shown to him that this was the religious life. So that without doubt God willed to teach him by this image that all things in the world are unclean, uncertain, deadly, ever rushing headlong; but that in religion, on the other hand, all things are pleasant in fine, they are all like silver, fair and precious." Ver. 20. And we know that the Son of God has come, &c. S. Ambrose (lib. 1 de Fid. c. 7) reads, hath appeared. The Apostle now explains what he had said, that we are of God, and therefore have overcome the world and the wicked one; namely, that this has been done and is being done through Christ. God for this very end sent His Son into the world in our flesh, that by His Divine doctrine He might give us the sense and the knowledge of heavenly things, that forsaking our idols, and being freed from sin, the devil, and the world, as from false gods, we might know the true God, and might, by faith, hope, and charity, be incorporated into Christ His Son and His Church, and so be endowed by Him with the life of grace and everlasting glory. For He is the very true God, and the true, uncreated, everlasting Life itself
5:20
And hath given us sense. (Vulg.). Instead of sense the Greek has διανοίαν, which the Syriac lenders understanding, i.e., illumination of the mind, divine knowledge. Vatablus translates, mind. That we may know the true God, i.e. the Father.
And may be in His true Son. (Vulg.). The Greek, the Syriac, and S. Athanasius (Orat. Deus de Deo) read, And may be in Himself the True, namely in His Son Jesus Christ. By this is meant that the Son is of the same substance with the Father, because He is True and the Truth essentially; namely, true God, even as the Father. In these few words S. John gives as it were a compendium of his whole epistle, and of the Christian faith and creed. He marks its two chief mysteries; namely, the oneness of Substance of the Father and the Son, and the Incarnation of Christ. Wherefore Bede saith, "What can be plainer than these words? What more sweet? What stronger utterances can there be against all heresies?" And S. Athanasius (Disp. c. Arius) says, "This is the very thing which Arius asked for, a written demonstration of the Godhead of the Son." And S. Cyril (12 Thesau. c. 13) says, "If He (the Son) is true God, this must be as to His Substance, not participatively, as a creature. For He who is true God is God by nature." And S. Ambrose (lib. 1 de fide, cap. ult.) says, "If He be true God, surely He was not created, having nothing fallacious or unreal, nothing confused or dissimilar." And in the 8th chap. he intimates that the expressions in the Nicene Creed, "God of God, Light of Liaht, very God of very God," &c., are drawn from this verse. And S. Jerome says, "If He were not true (God), He would be like an idol."
This is the true God. Erasmus, Arianising after his manner, says, and twisting, as he does many passages of Scripture which speak of the Divinity of the Son, perverts this passage also. He, he says, viz., the true God that is, the Father, not the Son is true God. But this would be tautology. For who does not know that the true God is true God? Wherefore the pronoun He, or This (hic), does not refer to the words true God, which preceded, but refers to the true Son of God. We may add that in S. John's age, just as in later ages, no one doubted about the Divinity of the Father, but many doubted about, yea denied, the Godhead of the Son. It is this therefore which S. John labours to maintain. Listen to S. Athanasius on the words, " things are delivered to Me of My Father:" This Father is Light, the Son is a beam and ray of Light, the Father is true Light and true God. The Son is true God. For so it is written by S. John, We are in Jesus Christ the True: He is the true God and eternal Life." Ver. 21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. S. John gives this last admonition, because in that age idolatry was a great danger, and it was most needful to warn against it. For at that time the whole world lay in the wicked one, i.e. in idolatry, and so Christians who were recently converted from it were obliged to be continually conversant with their Gentile and idolatrous relations and friends, to dine and feast with them, when meats offered to idols were set before them as sacred things to be eaten, concerning which I have spoken on 1 Cor. viii. Lest, therefore, by their examples and entreaties they should fall back into idolatry which they had lately forsaken, S. John in this last verse diligently warns them, so that he may fasten it deeply in their mind and their memory, that they should abstain from all commerce with idols, and from all meats offered to idols. So Didymus, Lyra, Cajetan, &c. Beza and the heretics falsely render the words, Little children, keep yourselves from images. For an image is the likeness of some thing true, or real: but a simulchrum or idol, of something false, as for instance of a false god. Thus Scripture and the Fathers distinguish those two words. And the Seventh Œcumenical Council pronounces an anathema against those who say that the images of Christ and the Saints are idols. Now S. John says, Keep yourselves from, he does not say, Destroy idols, for this would excite the rage of the heathen against all Christians. Wherefore S. Augustine warns us that the idols in men's hearts ought first to be destroyed, afterwards those in the temples. He adds that those must not be accounted Martyrs who are killed for destroying idols. But this must be understood of those who did it rashly and imprudently so as to cause scandal. For those who did it advisedly out of greatness of soul, or by a Divine prompting, either to confound the heathen or to confirm the faithful, are reckoned among the Martyrs. Such were S. Theodoras, S. Barbara, S. Christina, and many others.
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Keep yourselves from idols. This means, Do not carve, or paint, or polish them. Do not uncover the head or bend the knee to them, or pay them any honour. Do not swear by them. Do not eat meats offered to them. Do not hold any office connected with their worship or honour. Do not bear offerings, frankincense or wine, to them. Do not celebrate their fame either in prose or verse. With the greatest circumspection, therefore, were the faithful to keep themselves from idols, and to be on their guard against them, so as not to consent to, or take part in, and so be defiled in any manner with idolatrous rites and ceremonies. Lastly, S. John in these words rebukes the heresy of Elxai, which arose towards the close of his life. Amongst other things he taught that it was no sin if any one chanced to adore idols in a time of hot persecution, if only a man did not adore them in his conscience, and if belief in them were professed only with the lips and not in the heart. And this crafty deceiver was not ashamed to cite in confirmation of his doctrine a certain priest of the name of Phinees, a descendant of Aaron and of the ancient Phinees, who in the time of the Babylonish captivity worshipped Diana, and thus at Susa escaped destruction in the presence of King Darius. So S. Epiphanius (Hæres, 19).
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1. OmniSj qui credit, quoniam Jesus e$t Christus, ex Deo natus est. Exhortationem superiorem de diligendis fratribus deinceps continuat sub nomine fiUorum Dei, argumento exhortationis sumpto ex eo nomine, per quod insinuat, eosdem esse nostros fratres, et Dei filios; quod et Cajetanus observavit. Quamquam non per hoc excluditur dilectio eorum, qui nondum sunt fratres nostri, aut filii Dei, cujusmodi sunt infideles aut peccatorea. Licet enim non sint diligendi, quia fratres sunt aut filii Dei, ad hoc tamen diligendi sunt, ut Deo renascantur, et fratres nostri fiant. Non enim sohim actu, sed et praedestinatione filii Dei nominantur; quo sensu Joan. 11. dicitur Jesus moriturus, ut filios Dei, qui erant dispersi, congregaret in unum. Vide supra ad cap. 2. v. 9. de acceptione fratris. Primum igitur describit Joannes filium Dei, non quidem naturalem, sed adoptivum. Omnis, inquit, qui credit, Jesum esse Christum illum in lege promissum et aPatribus exspectatum (nam in Graeco cum articulo legitur: 6 XpiaToq), ex Deo natus est, utique per regenerationem ex 8piritu;^et proinde Dei filius est. Sed cr€6?ere jntellige fide viva, obediente, eflficace, qua quis ita credit, Jesum esse Christum, ut totam ejus doctrinam recipiat, legem ejus amplectatur ac servet. Nam si quis hoc tantum credat, Jesum esse Christum, caeteris articulis fidei rejectis; aut si credat quidem, quidquid credendum est, sed fidem operibus non osteDilat: nondum ille ex Deo natus est. Similis est locus Joan. 1.: Quotquot receperunt eum, dtdit eis potestatem, filios Dei fieri, his, qui credunt in nomine Ejus, etc.
Et omnis, qui diligit eum, qui genuit, diligit et eum, qui natus est ex eo. Hoc quidam interpretantur de Filio Dei naturali; ut sensus sit: Quisquis diligit Deum Patrem, is etiam diligit Dei Filium. At consequentia textus magis postulat generalem intellectum, vjdelicet hujusmodi: Ita natura comparatum est, ut, qui patrem diligit, ejus causa filium quoque diligat. Ut sit argumentum sumptum a propensione naturali, quae cernitur in hominibus. Recte tamen utimtur hac sententia Theologi, ut probent, in divinis nec diligi, nec videri posse Patrem sine Filio, adeoque nec Filium sine Patre. Hinc ait Dominus: Qui me odit, et Patrem meum odit, Joan. 15., et ad Philippum: Qui videt me, videt et Patrem meum, Joan. 14. Quod enim ordinarium est in humanis, id perpetuum est in divinis.
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2. In hoc cognoscimus, quoniam diligimus natos Dei, cum Deum diligamus, et mandata Ejus faciamus. Argumentatur Apostolus ad hunc modum: Qui diligit eum, qui genuit, diligit et natos ex eo; nos ergo, si Deum diligimus, eo signo cognoscimus, nos diligere natos Dei, qui iidem sunt fratres nostri. Ubi notandum est, Apostolum convertere quodammodo ratiocinationem, quam paulo ante fecit, qua ex negata dilectione fratris inferebat negationem dilectionis, qua Deus diligatur. Utrumque rectissime; tum quia proceditur ab opposito consequentis, hoc modo: Si quis non diligit fratrem, non diligit Deum; ergo si quis diligit Deum, diligit et fratrem, et contra; tum quia utraque dilectio quadam ratione prior et notior est altera; fratris quidem dilectio secundum ordinem naturae; Dei autem dilectio secundum ordinem gratiae, sicut supra dictum est. Sed et contingit, nunc hanc, nunc illam dilectionem esse notiorem nobis, prout animus actu vel circa ea, quae sunt divini honoris, vel circa ea, quae sunt humanae necessitatis, exercenda magis occupatur. Addit autem: Et mandata Ejus faciamus, Graece: Tr^pU)|i£V, servemus; ne quis semet ipsum fallat, existimans, se Deum (^iligere, nec tamen faciens ea, quae praecipit. Nam qui dicit, se nosse (id est, diligere) Deum, et mandata ejus non custodit, mendax est-j supra cap. 2. Tale igitur est, quod hic ait Apostolus: Rursum, et e diverso per hoc judicium cognosces, te diligere Deum, si serves ejus mandata. Quod ipsum verbis subjunctis declarat:
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3. Haec est enim caritas Dei, ut mandata Ejus custodiamus. Graece: servemus. Caritatem Dei intelligit objective, nempe eam, qua Deus a nobis diligitur. Sic alibi legimus fidem Dei, qua in Deum creditur, ut Marci 11.: Ha^ bete fidem Dei; sic orationem Dei, qua Deus oratur, ut Luc. 6.: Et erat pernoctans in oratione Dei. Sensus: Idcirco adjeci de mandatis ejus,S8rvaudis, quia diligere Deum per consequentiae rationem est, mandata Ejus servare. Caritas siquidem erga Deum, ait Cajetanus, ratio est servandi mandata Ejus. Unde, quamvis praeceptum diligendi Deum ab aliis ejus praeceptis diversum sit, quicumque tamen hoc dilectionis servat praeceptum, ex ea dilectione etiam caetera Dei praecepta servat, ut quorum observatio ex dilectione Dei necessario dependeat ac sequatur, tamquam effectus ex propria causa. Quod etiam significant illa Christi verba Joan. 14.: Qui habet mandata mea, et servat ea, ille est, qui diligit me; et iterum: Si quis diligit me, sermonem meum servabit; et cap. 15.: Vos amici mci estis, si feceritis, quae ego praecipio vobis. Simile est huic loco, quod supra capite secundo dixit Joannes: Qui servat verbum Ejus, vere in hoc caritas Dei perfecta est. Qui locus cum isto conferatur.
Et mandata Ejus gravia non sunt. Ne quis audiens, neminem diligereDeum, nisi qui servat ejus mandata, animo dejiciatur, tamquam dilectione Dei ad conditionem valde diflScilem revocata, ad observationem ipsam nimirum mandatorum Dei: hac addita particula erigit atque excitat animum ad hanc conditionem praestandam, afHrmans, mandata, quae y Deus a nobis servari vult, gravia non esse. Quo in sermone Liptote est, qua minus dicitur, et plus intelligitur. Sensus enim est, mandata Dei esse servatu levia atque facilia, juxta sententiam Salvatoris Matth. 11.: Jugum meum suave est, et onus meum leve. Sed dicit aliquis: Quomodo mandata Dei facilia sunt, et non gravia, cum Deus jubeat omnia dura perferre pro ipsius amore; velut inopiam, famem, persecutiones, opprobria, membrorum cruciatus ac tormenta, mortem denique ipsam, quae est omnium maxime terribilis? Quod nec Joannes tacuit in hac Epistola, supra cap. 3.: Et nos, inquit, debemus pro fratribus animas ponere. Deindo, quid difficilius, quam omnibus, quae in hoc saeculo diliguntur, renuntiare, etiam sibi ipsi ac propriae voluntati, suamque animam odisse? Haec tamen omnibus nobis in praecepto sunt, Domino protestante Lucae 9.: Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semet ipsum, et tollat crucem suam quotidie, et sequatur me; et cap. 14.: Si quis venit ad me, et non odit patrem suum et matrem, et uxorem et filios, et fratres et sorores, adhuc autem et animam suam: non potest meus esse discipuluSf proinde nec amicus. Et infra: Qui non renuntiat omnibus, quae possidet, non potest meus esse discipulus. Quapropter et viam salutis angustam portam vocat, et arctam viam, Matth. 7. et Luc. 13., addens, paucos esse, qui eam viam inveniant, et eam portam intrare possint, licet multi sint, qui quaerant intrare. Quae omnia permagnam significant difficultatem observationis mandatorum Dei. Quo et illud pertinet Apostoli Pauli Rom. 7.: Lex spiritualis est; ego autem carnalis sum, venundatus sub peccato. Unde exclamat: Infelix ego homo! Quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus? Respondeo, nihil istorum adversari sententiae Joannis Apostoli, imo Christi Salvatoris, affirmantium, facilia esse Dei mandata. Siquidem aliter atque aliter affectis et facilia sunt, et gravia. Nam 81 mandata Dei, quae principalia sani, et a quibus caetera dependent, considerentur in se ipeis, quum eint mandata caritatis, qua Deus diligatur propter se ipsum, et proximus propter Deum, hac utique ratione servatu facillima sunt. Nihil enim per se facilius est, quam diligere id, quod est summe diligibile, id est, summum bonum, Deum ipsum; et ex ea dilectione diligere etiam caetera, quae ille praecipit diligi, etfacere, quaecumque praecipit, ut faciamus. Eadem ratio est, si comparatio fiat mandatorum Dei ad nos, quales conditi sumus in primo parente, id est, integri let recti, et secundum omnes animae corporisque vires Deo perfecte subjecti; denique similes angelis, qui sic conditi fuerunt, ut perfecta dilectione Deo adhaererent. His enim facilia ab initio fuisse Dei mandata, nemo sanae mentis dubitet. Quod si vero comparentur ad naturam hominis peccato vitiatam, sic affectae procul dubio gravia 8unt ac difficilia. Semper enim in hac naturae corruptione caro concupiscit adversus spiritum, ut non, guaecumque volumus, illa faciamus, Gal. 5. Veruntamen adhuc subdistingueudum est. Aliter enim loquendum de homine nondum renato per Christi gratiam, aliter de renato. Nam si respectus fiat ad eum, qui nondum iu Christo renatus sit, sed adhuc a gratia Dei alienus, huic mandata Deifatemur gravia esse, et quodam sensu impossibilia; quod non obscure significat Concil. Trident. sess. 6. cap. 14., agens de possibilitate observationis mandatorum Dei. Si vero respectus sit ad hominem jam in Christo renatum, et per ejus gratiam renovatum ac justificatum, patitur quidem ille adhuc difficultatem in via mandatorum Dei, propter rebellionem carnis adversus spiritum, ut hac ratione cum Paulo dicere debeat: Ego carnalis sum, venundatus sub peccato. Sed quia voluntatem habet absolute conformem voluntati divinae, ut cum eodem Apostolo ibidem dicere possit: Consentio legi Dei, quoniam bona est, etiterum: Condelector legi Dei secundum interiorem homi^ nem, Rom. 7., consequens est, illi tali levia, facilia et delectabilia esse Dei mandata; quamvis interdum opus, quod praecipitur, habeat difficultatem ex suo genere. Quale est opus martyrii, quod est pro fratribus animam ponere. Versatur enim circa terrorem mortis, qui non superatur sine labore et molestia. Id quod etiam in ipso Christo locum habuit, cui tamen aliqaod mandatum Patris grave aut difficile fuisse, nefas est dicere. Sunt autem omnibus justis et caritate Dei praeditis facilia Dei mandata, non tamen aequaliter, sed eo magis aut minus, quo plus minusve profecerint in caritate et justitia. Sensu jam explicato facilia esse Dei mandata, nempe justis hominibus, idque ratione caritatis, qua Deum diligunt, docet Sjnodus Tridentina loco memorato. Cum enim dixisset: Cujus mandata gravia non sunt, cujus jugum suave est et onus leve, pro ratione subjunxit: Qui enim sunt filii Dei, Christum diligunt; qui autem diligunt eum, ut ipsemet testatur, servant sermones ejus, utique ex dilectione, quae praestat facilitatem. Et quidem optime convenit hic commentarius loco praesenti, ubi de filiis Dei sermo est, de quibus et continuo subjungitur vice probationis: Omne, quod natum est ex Deo, vincere mundum. De hoc eodem argumento legatur Augustinus lib. de natura et gratia, cap. 43. 68. et 69. et lib. de perfectione justitiae circa medium, item Leo Papa sermone 5. de Quadragesima. Porro si mandata Dei homini justificato gravia non sunt, multo minus ei sunt impossibilia; quod hodie docent sectarii, quorum hanc sententiam anathemate condemnant Patres Tridentini, tam in decreto supradicto, quam can. 18. ejusdem sessionis.
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4. Quoniam omne, quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum. Ostendit, natis ex Deo mandata Dei non esse gravia; sane ob hoc ipsum, quia nati sunt ex Deo, quia filii Dei, quia Deum ut patrem diligunt. Est autem probatio facilitatis duplex: alteraexuniversali s\guo:omne; altera ex generalitate significata per mundum. Non enim grave est, quod omnes praestant; itaque non est grave ulli filiorum Dei, quod praestant omnes ejus filii. Deinde ei, qui tam potens ac validus est, ut totum mundum vincat amore Dei (id enim intelligitur), mandata Dci gravia esse non possunt. Quid enim grave ei, qui toto mundo superior est atque potentior? Yincere mundum dicitur, qui vincit omne, quod in mundo est^ nempe concupiscentiam carniSj et concupiscert,tiam oculorum et superbiam vitae. Supra cap. 2. Hoc est, qui superat omnes istorum vitiorum tentationes, ita ut per eas a Dei caritate non separetur. Quis enim, inquit Paulus, nos separabit a caritate Christi? An tribulatio, an angustia, an fames? etc. Sed in his om~ nibus superamus propter eum, qui dilexit nosj Rom. 8. Dicit autem Joannes neutro genere: Omney quod natum est ex Deo, quomodo Christus in Evangelio: Omne, quod dat mihi Pater, ad me veniet, Joan. 6.; nimirum ad comprehendendum expressius omne genus hominum; ut virorum, mulierum; senum, puerorum; Judaeorum, gentilium; servorum, etiam eorum, qui vel abjectissimi, vel infirmissimi sunt, ut ne quidem hominum vocabulo videantur digni; ac si dicat: Qualiscumque demum sit, si natus est ex Deo, vincit mundum, eoque superior est. Intellige: quamdiu gratiam regenerationis servat, et semen Dei in ipso manet. Quo sensu docuimus accipiendas esse sententias illas huic similes, supra cap. 3.: Omnis, qui in Eo manet, non peccat, et: Omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit, quoniam semen Ipsius in eo manet; et non potest peccare, quoniam ex Deo natus est. Quibus simile, quod sub finem hujus capitis dicitur: Omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat; sed generatio Dei conservat eum.
Et haec est victoria, quae vincit mundum, fides nostra. Quae vi^icit, Graece aoristum: vtxijoaoa^ quae vicit; ut significetur victoria jam parta. Quod antea tribait Apostolus nativitati ex Deo, id est, gratiae regeneranti, nunc adscribit fidei; fidem intelligens non qualemcumque, sed vivam et operosam per dilectionem. Est autem sermo causalis, hunc habens sensum: Et haec victoria, qua mundus vincitur (aut victus et superatus est) a nobis filiis DQi, per fidem nostram, qua in Christum credimus, obtinetur. Fides enim excitata et exercitata nobis proponit auxilium et gratiam Dei per Christum; monstrat etiam promissa futuri saeculi bona, bene certantibus proposita; quibus animantur ad fortiter pugnandum filii Dei. Haec igitur fides iu filiis Dei vincit mundum, quia mundi victores facit. Hac fide quondam armati, martyres omnia mundi tormenta superaverunt. Per hanc fidem quanta et operati sint, et passi Patres antiqui, qui Deo placuerunt, late disserit Apostolus Paulus Heb. 11. Quapropter et fideles admonet, ut i/j. omnibus sumant scutum fidei, in quo possint om" nia tela nequissimi, id est, diaboli, ignea exstinguere, Eph. 6. De quo et Petrus 1 Epist. 5.: Cui resistite, fortes in fide.
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5. Quis est, qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit, quoniam Jesus est Filius Dei? Declarat, quae sit illa fides, qua mundus vincitur; ea nimirum, qua quis credit, Jesum esse Filium Dei; non quasi solus ille articulus fide receptus suflicere possit ad vincendum mundum; sed hoc sermone mediatorem ostendit (at declarat versus sequens), per quem sohim victoria de mundo reportanda sit; ac si dicat: Ille vincit mundum, et non alius (eam enim vim habet: Quis nisi?), qui, credens, Jesum esse Filium Dei, per eum, ut mediatorem ac salvatorem, accedit ad Patrem, impetraturus gratiam et fortitudinem, qua superet omnem mundi tentationem. Hanc autem fidem constat non otiosam esse, sed obedientem, invocantem, operosam. Caeterum emphatica est interrogatio: Quis est, qui vincit mundum, nisi etc.; qualis et illa: Quis est mendax, nisi is, qui negat, quoniam Jesus est Christus? Supra cap. 2.
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6. Hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Jesus Christus, non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Qui venitj Graece: IX^(wv, participium praeteriti significativura. Nec diversa sunt: per aquam et sanguinem, et: in aqua et sanguine. Nam et alibi passim indifferenter his duabus praepositionibus utitur Scriptura. Admodum varie exponitur totus hic locus ab interpretibus; quam varietatem diligenter recensuit Lorinus. Nos eum sensum, qui ex aliarum Scripturarum collatione maxime germanus esse videtur, adferemus. Igitur notandum in primis est, omnes Evangelistas studiose referre de Joanne Baptista, Domini praecursore, quod in aqua baptizaverit, et ad hoc venerit a Deo missus, ipso Joanne de se testificante: Quoniam, inquit, ego baptizo vos in aqua, Matth. 3., Marc. 1., Luc. 3., Joan. 1. Quod et de eo repetit Dominus Act. 1., et Petrus Act. IL, et Paulus Act. 19. Quin et Joan. 1. sic de Baptista loquitur: Ut manifestetur in Israel, propterea veni ego in aqua baptizans. Ubi certe monstrat, se eum esse, qui venit in aqua solum, ad differentiam ejus, qui venturus esset, non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et snnguine; sicut hic dicitur. Et quamvis expresse non dixerit, post se venturum, qui baptizaret in sanguine, sed qui in Spiritu saticto, ut testantur iidem omnes Evangelistae: de sanguine tamen non tacuit. Nam in sanguine venturum, satis aperte significavit, quando de eo dixit: Ecce, agnus Dei, qui tollit peccatum mundi. Ag?ius Dei tollit, utique per sangninera, quem ad tollendum mundi peccatum erat effusurus in cruce. De quo sanguine hic idem Apostolus supra cap. 1.: Et sanguis Jesu Christi, Filii Ejus, emundat nos ah omni peccato. Pertinet autem huc evidentius historia aquae et sanguinismanantiselatere Christiin cruce mortui, narrante eoJem Joanne Apostolo cap. 19. sui Evangelii. Quam rem adeo voluit inculcatara lectori, propter mysterium in ea latens, ut adjecerit asseverationem huiusmodi: Et qui vidit, testimonium perhibuit; et verum est testimonium ejus, scilicet ad confirmandum, quod ille, de cujus latere haec effluxerunt, sit idem ipse, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem. Ostendit igitur Apostolus hoc loco, Jesum esso verum mundi salvatorem, utpote qui venerit non in aqua solum, id est, non solum exterius homines abluturus aqua, et eo ritu poenitentiam praedicaturus; quomodo Joannes Baptista sua ipsius professione venit in aqua solum; sed qui venerit etiam in sanguine et Spiritu; quod utrumque de eo idem Joannes praedixerat, uti jam docuimus. Siquidem aqua sola ad Deum placandum inutilis erat. Venit autem Jesus in aqua, quia instituit baptismum aquae, quem significavit aqua, quae fluxit ex ejus latere. Venit et in sanguine, quia per suum sanguinem vivificat animas, tum in baptismo aquae, tum in aliis sacramentis, tum etiam extra sacramenta. Nam sanguis vitae significationem habet in Scripturis. Unde illud: Anima carnis in sanguine est, Lev. 16. et 17. Haec autem animarum per Christi sanguinem vivificatio significata est per sanguinem ex ejus latere manantem. Sanctus quidem Bernardus serm. in octava Paschae putat, istud: non in aqua solum, esse dictum ad discrimen Mosi, veteris legislatoris; quem venisse dicit in aqua solum, quia de aquis assumptus est, unde et nomen accepit, Exod. 2. Sed cum Moses etiam sacrificia cruenta vel maxime instituerit, non apparet, cur propter illam de aquis assumptionem venisse dicatur iu aqua solum, et non etiam in sanguine; praesertim cum legatur eodem capite, quod interfecerit Aegyptium, priusquam assumeretur in ducem populi. Id quod erat venire in sanguine, si illud erat venire in aqua. Porro Christus Jesus quomodo et in Spiritu venerit, quod futurum de eo praedixerat Joannes, jam sequitur:
Et Spiritus est, qui testificatur, quoniam Christus est veritas. Duobus testibus, qui sunt aqua et sanguis, nunc tertium adjungit Spiritum, quem hic non alium intelligimus, quam Spiritum sanctum; maxime secundum Graecam et Syriacam lectionem, quae habet: Quoniam Spiritus est veritas. Quam lectionem habet etiam Leo Papa Epist. 10. cap. 5. in fine, et S. Augustinus de dono persover. cap. 23. Nostrae lectionis hic sensus eet: Sed et Spiritus sanctus testificatur, Christum esse veritatem, sicut ipse se nominat in Evangelio: Ego sum via, veritas et vita, Joan. 14.; veritatem autem, id est, per omnia veracem in omni verbo et doctrina, quam tradidit. Hoc testificatus est Spiritus sanctus, primum in die Pentecostes, quando super Apostolos in specie linguarum ignearum descendit, eosque ita replevit, ut loquerentur variis linguis magnalia Dei, Act. 2. Deinde per multa ac varia charismata, quae deinceps in Christi fidelibus operatus est; qualia Paulus enumerat 1 Cor. 12. Et quidem id facturum Spiritum sanctum, Christus ipse de eo praedixerat: Illej inquit, testimonium perhibebit de me, Joan. 15., et iterum: Ille me clarificabit, Joan. 16. Unde et Petrus: Nos, inquit, testes sumus horum verborum, et Spiritus sanctus, quem dedit Deus omnibus obedientibus sibi, Act. 5. Secundum Graecam lectionem sensus est: Insuper Spiritus sanctus est, qui testificatur, Jesum esse Christum Dei Filium et mundi Salvatorem (per ea nimirum testimonia, quae jam dicta sunt); cujus testimonium haudquaquam rejici potest, quoniam Spiritus est veritas, quum sit Deus, ideoque nec falli possit, nec fallere. Juxta hanc lectionem et hunc sensum particula: oxt, quoniam, causalis est; juxta priorem vero determinativa, ut Latine dicas, Spiritum testificari, quod.. Christus est veritas. Utraque tamen lectio probabilitatem habet, nec facile dixerim, utra sit alteri praeferenda. BARTHOLOMEIS PETIIUS LECTORI. tribuentes.
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7. Quoniam tres sunt, qui testimonium etc. Dixerat Apostohis vers. praecedente, Spiritum testificari de Jesu, quod ipse sit Christus, ille humani generis Salvator, quondam a Deo Patre prcmissus, verus unicusque Dei Filius, idem verus homo. Hoc suum dictum nunc sive confirmat, sive amplificat; quasi dicat: Quod Jesussit Mariae virginis verusfilius, utest unigenitus Filius Dei, quodque sit Salvator mimdi, contra quam nunc hominibus persuadere nituntur F»asilides cum siio grege, ct alii haeretici: ejus rei sunt testes irrefragabiles in coelo tres, in terra itidem tres. In coelo quidem Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus sanctus, tres divinitatis personae, sed unius omnino naturae. Unde consequens est, supremam his testibus esse auctoritatem, tam singulis, quam tribus simul junctis. Pater testimonium perhibuit Domino Jesu, quod ipse sit Salvator mundi, variis temporibus et modis. Primo quando per angelum suum jussit sancto Joseph, ut commaneret conjugi suae, sine humano opere jam gravidae, filiumque ex ea nasciturum nominaret Jesum, eo quod populum suum a peccatis ipsius esset salvaturus, Matth. 1. Deinde quum, ipso a Joanne baptizato, vox Patris intonuit (sicut et in ipsius transfiguratione): Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui; ipsum audite, Matth. 3. et 17. Quale quiddam accidit et Jerosolymis, Joan. 12., quum Jesu dicente: Pater clarifica nomen tuum, venit vox de coelo: Et clarificavi, et iterum clarificabo. De qua voce ipse Dominus dixit astanti turbae: Non pro^ pter me haec vox venit, sed propter V08; ut intelligamus, testimonium de Christo fuisse. Praeterea Deus Pater testificatus est, Jesum esse suum Christum, quando per eum tot tantaque ediditmiracula, ac tali modo, quali Jesus utebatur, nempe significans, de sua ipsius (quam tamen ex Patre una cum divina natura habebat) potestate illa facere. Ipse Dominus in Evangelio variis locis declaravit, sua miracula huc valuisse, ut forent Dei Patris de ipso, quod esset Messias, testimonia. Joan. 5, 19. et 36. cum seqq.; cap. 8, 18. et 54.; cap. Ve7'hum. Secundam Trinitatis personam designat Apostolus eodem nomine, quo in principio Evangelii sui, de qua ibi dixit: Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. De Fib*o igitur Dei unigenito nunc ait, quod etipsedese ipso incarnato sit testificatus, sese esse illum promissum a Deo Patre Messiam. Hoc testatus est et veibis, et miraculis in hujus veritatis confirmntionem ab ipso factis, Joan. 5, 17. et seqq., 36. et seqq.; cap. etseqq., 37. et seqq.; cap. 12, 44. et seqq.; cap. 13, 17.; cap. 14, 29. Denique, omissis pluribus, hoc testimonium reddidit Dominus jam captivus, adjuratus a Principe sacerdotum, ut diceret, num ipse esset Filius Dei ac ille promissus Messias. Quo respondente idem, quod saepe dixerat, sase esse, ac venturum Judicem in nubibus coeli, condemnatus est mortis a toto illo consessu, tamquam blasphemus, iit nawant Evangelistae in historia passionis Domini. Et hanc causam repetiverunt Judaei coram Pilato, Joan. 19.: Nos legem habemus, et se~ eundum legem nostram debet mori, quia Filium Dei se fecit. Atque haec est causa, cur Dominus in originali Sciiptura vocetur martyr, et martyrium ei tribuatur, quae Latine sonant: Testis et Testimonium, Apoc. 1, 5. et 1 Tim. 6, 13. Nam sanguinis sui effusione ipsiusque mortis perpessione testatus est hanc veritatem, quod ipse esset verus ille exspectatus Messias. Et hac notione proprie dicuntur Martjres Christi. Martyres Dei sunt illi quoque, qui ob justitiae defensionem moriuntur.
Et spiritus sanctus. Spiritus sanctus testificatus est de Jesu, quod sit unigenitus Dei Filius, et in natura humana assumpta verus ille Salvator mundi; hoc, dico, testificatus est iis modis, qui proxime sunt expositi ad verba praecedentia illa: Et spiritus est, qui testificatur etc. Tum etiam singulariter illo modo, quod super Jesum baptizatum descendit in specie columbae. Nam id factum fuisse ad testandum et publice declarandum, quod ipse sit Salvator mundi, Joanni Baptistae fuerat divinitus revelatum, ipso narrante Joan. 1.: Qui me misit baptizare in aqua, ille inihi dixit: Super quem videris Spiritum sanctum descende7item, et manentem super eum, hic est, qui baptizat in Spiritu sancto. Et ego vidi, et testimonium perhibui, quod hic est Filius Dei.
Et hi tres unum sunt. De unitate naturae, et quidem numerali (quoniam non est, nisi unus Deus) est sermo. Nimirum hoc est illud, quod Christus Dominus Joan. 10. dixit: Ego et Pater unum sumus. Quod ncn de consensione duntaxat voluntatis posse accipi, liquet ex ipsa serie sermonis eo loco. Vult enim Christas hinc docere, quod nemo possit oves ejus rapere de manu ipsius, sicut non potest eas quisquam rapere de manu Patris; unam videlicet esse Patris et suam potentiam, ideoque naturam. Spiritum quoque sanctum esse unum cum Patre et Filio unitate jam dicta, Dominus nobis declaravit inter caetera, quando jussit Apostolis suis gentes conversas baptizare in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti, copulans cum Patre et Filio Spiritum sanctum, tamquam non exsistentem ex numero creaturarum, sed ejusdem cum ipsis naturae et potentiae, per quam sacramento baptismi regeneret homines, et adoptivos Dei filios efficiat; quod ost solius Dei. Objiciunt novi Ariani novique Eunomiani ac Macedoniani locum ex Joan. 17., ubi Dominus, alloquens Patrem, ait: Pater sancte, serva eos in nomine Tuo^ quos dedisti mihi, ut sint unum, sicut et nos. Et infra: Ego claritatem, quam dedisti mihi, dedi eis, ut sint unum, sicut nos unum sumus. Atqui pro Apoetolis non rogabat Christus, ut essent unum unitate naturae, sed ut voluntatis unitate; ergo neque in proposito est necessarium intelligere unitatem naturae. Respondendum est, non valere consequentiam propter materiae diversitatem, etsi locutionis forma sit eadem. Et hoc indicant verba Domini, non illa solum, quae protulimus ex cap. 10. Joannis, sed illa quoque, quae sunt eodem cap. 17.: Sicut Tu, Pater, in me, et ego in Te ', ut et ipsi in nobis unum sint, ut credat mundus, quia Tu me misisti. Nam profecto, tum his verbis, tum aliis ejusdem cap. sententiis, satis declarat Dominus, longe arctiore unitate Patrem et Filium in Deitate esse unum, quam fideles sint inter se, etiam per gratiam caritatis. Quod ipsum tam multis aliis Scripturae locis manifeste docetur, quae contra Arianos et Pneumatomachos protulerunt veteres Ecclesiae doctores et propugnatores. Quod vero dicitur, hos tres testimonium dare in coelo, videtur significare (ut supra insinuavimus), eos testari auctoritate divina, ideoque omnium suprema. Sicut, quod dicitur versu seq.: in terra, significat, testes ibi commemoratos testificari auctoritate, quae sit infra divinam. Atque haec expositio confirmari potest illis verbis Domini Matth. 21., ubi quaestionem proponebat primoribus Judaeorum: Baptismus Joannis e coelo erat, an ex hominibus? Id est divina auctoritate fuit institutus, an humana? Fuisse e coelo, ipse Joannes Baptista illis verbis dicit: Qui misit me baptizare in aqua, ille^mihi dixit: Super quem videris etc, Joan. 1. Nam profecto, nisi sic intelligat Apostolus, hos tres testificari in coelo, multo plures tribus sunt in coelo testes divinitatis et humanitatis Domini Jesu, tot scilicet myriades beatorum angelorum, quorum nonnulli pro omnibus suis collegis haec de Christo sunt testati nobis mortalibus, Judaeis et gentibus.
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8. Et tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in terra. Testimonium dant, ejusdem illius rei, Jesum unicum illum Messiam Domini, non minus verum hominem, quidquid fingat schola Basilidis, quam verum Deum, et contra. Hujus rei tres sunt testes in terra, id est infra divinitatem, utpote ex numero creaturarum; qui sunt: Spiritus, aqua et sanguis. De aqua et sanguine satis dictum videtur ad V. 6. hujus cap. Superest inquirere, quid per Spiritum hoc loco intelligatur. S. Augustinus contra Maximinum lib. 3. cap. 22. accipit humanum Christi Domini spiritum, hoc est, ipsam ejus animam. Et hunc intellectum plerique expositores videntur secuti, tametsi Venerabilis Beda Spiritum sanctum hic intelligat. Sed videtur sane B. Augustinus congrue intelligere eundem illum spiritum in his Apoetoliverbis, de quo idem in evangelica Chvisti patientis historia dixit: Et inclinato capite tradidit spiritum, Joan. 19., clamans nimirum Christus voce magna illud ex Psalmo 30.: Pater, in manus Tuas commendo spiritum meum, ut est Luc. 23. Sed huic expositioni videtur objici posse, quod v. 6., ubi aquae et sanguini tertio loco additur Spiritus, illis verbis: Et Spiritus est, qui testificatur etc, intelligitur Spiritus sanctus; ergo et hoc loco versu 8. Respondendum est, nec antecedens esse certum, nec consequentiam valere. Antecedens non est certum, quia non videtur sine ratione esse, quod Apostolus versu 6. et 8. nude nominat spiritum, non adjiciens epitheton sancti, ut adjicit versu 7., quum tres illos nominat testes coelestes. Et haud dubie S. Augustinus, qui v. 8. per spiritum intelligit animam Christi, ut dictum est, eodem nomine eandem intelligit vers. 6., quum praesertim media verba, id est totum versum 7., ipse in suis codicibue non habuerit, qua de re paulo post. Si roges, quis bonus sensus futurus sit versus 6., si illic per spiritum intelligatur humana Christi anima, praesertim autem in Graeca illius versus lectione, quae habet: Et spiritus est, qui testificatur, quoniam spiritus est veritas: respondetur, futurum hunc, quem insinuat Venerabilis Bada: Spiritus, quem Christus moriens tradidit in manus Patris, ipsa sui emissione testificatus est de ipso, quod sit verus homo; quippe cum solus homo spiritum seu animam rationalem habeat corpori consertam. Idem sui depositione testatus est de Christo, quod sit verus Deus, quoniam potestate sua animam posuit, eadem potestate resumpturus, sicut ipse praedixerat Joan. 10. De quo est repetendum memoria, quod habet S. Thomas 3. p. q. 47. art. 1. His igitur rationibus separatio spiritus Christi ab ipsiufl corpore testata est seu probavit, quod Christus est Veritas, id est verus homo, non phantasma, ut mentitur Basilides; item quod in assumpta humanitate sit verus Salvator mundi, ideoque per omnia verax, in omni doctrina, in omni sermone, in omni opere. Juxta autem Graecam lectionem sensus fuerit: Spiritus Christi, discedens a corpore, hoc ipso, eum fuisse verum hominem, ostendit, quoniam spiritus humanus non est phantasma, sed vera substantia; quae proinde facit, vere esse hominem, cui iiifuerit; ut non solum impius, sed etiam stultus sit Basilides cum suis, qui negat, Christum fuisse verum hominem, fingens, fuisse duntaxat spectrum, quod illuserit oculis mortalium. Nam ita de Basilide Tertullianus de praescript. cap. 46. et S. Epiphanius haeresi 24., paulopost init. Et uterque paulo post addit, illum et hoc docuisse, quod Jesu causa non sit subeundum martyrium. Porro ex variis hujus Epistolae sententiis, sicut etiam ex v. 7. epist. 2., satis apparet, hanc Epistolam directe scribi (inter caetera) contra illud impium figmentum Basilidis, negantis veram Christi humanitatem, quod postea resumpsit Manes, parens Manichaeorum. Loca hujus Epistolae sunt cap. 1, 1.; cap. 2, 18. et seqq.; cap. 4, 1. 2. 3.; hujus cap. v. 1. scripsit adversus Ebionis haeresim, negantis Christi divinitatem; etiamsi multa interspergat, quibus vera ejus humanitas probetur; sicut in hac Epistola interseruntur complura, quibus adstruatur ejus divinitas, vel quae ad alias illius temporis haereses destruendas valeant, in primis autem Simonis Magi, qui Deum faciebat auctorem malorum, et solam fidem ajebat sufficere ad consequendam salutem. Adversus quam detestabilem haeresim Apostolus hic tam multa dixit de necessitate caritatis et observationis divinorum mandatorum. Sicut contra illud alterum dogma Basilidis, non esse necessarium subire martyrium, dicuntur, quae sani hujus Epist. cap. 3, 16.; cap. item dem facit quartum post Christi adventum haeresiarcham, Ebionem autem decimum, hinc (ut hoc obiter addamus) non male quis ratiocinetur, hanc Epistolam diu ante Evangelium fuisse scriptam. Quod autem consequentia propositae objectionis non valeat, facile liquet, si cogitemus, nihil esse incommodi, quod, cum V. 7. commemoretur Spiritus, expresse adjuncto epitheto sancti, in praecedcnto versu eodem modo faerit intellectus; versu aiitem 8., sine illo epitheto positus, aliter accipiatur, pro humano scilicet spiritu, materia illius versus ita poscente. Restat videre, quomodo Spiritus, aqua et sanguis testata sint seu probaverint, Jesum fuisse et esse, sicut vere Dei Filium, ita etiam verum hominem. Et quidem quomodo hoc probaverit spiritus humanus Domini suo ip.«nus a corpore discessu in ejus morte, proxime dictum est; de aqua et sanguine videndum. Itaque Dominum fuisse et esse verum ho minem, aqua et sanguis, quae de latere jam mortui fluxerunt (de his enim pl«rique omnes expositores accipiunt id, quod hic dicitur), hac ratione probant, quod ex illis constet, verum ac non phantasticum ejus corpus fuisse; nec solummodo verum, sed etiam humanum corpus, utpote quod animae rationali ejus fuerat eo usque conjunctum, ut homo esset, et ex quo sanguis verus, ut ex carne solet, manaverit. Legendus de hac re Innocentius III. in rescripto, quod exstat in Decretal Tit. De celebrat. miss. cap.: In quadam y ubi operose ostendit, verum sanguinem et veram aquam hic esse intelligenda, non vero nomine aquae pituitam seu phlegma, unum ex quatuor humoribus, qui ad sustentationem et vegetationem humani corporis concurrunt. Sed legenda est haec decretalis tota, prout exstat suppleta in editione Gregoriana. Vidit hanc Innocentii Decretalem B. Thomas, legendus 3. p. q. 74. art. 7. ad 2. et 3. Nimirum ad demonstrandum, quod corpus Domini fuerat compositum ex quatuor elementis, fluxit vera aqua; ad demonstrandum vero, quod ex quatuor illis humoribus, sanguis fluxit; sicut illic Innocentius latius declarat, Praeter vero hanc, de qua hic agitur, testificationem, cujus gratia Dominus e suo jam mortui latere, militari lancea perfosso, edaxit sanguinem et aquam, etiam mysticae significationis gratia hoc ipsum fecit; quam mysticam significationem expositores Evangelii B. Joaonis solent enarrare, unam alteramve. Id quod breviter et plene inter caeteros fecit Jansenius. Et dictum est aliquid ad vers. 6. Illud hic addendum, posse alicui videri, quod Joannes Apostolus hoc loco per aquam et sanguinem, non intelligat eum duntaxat sanguinem et eam aquam, quae ex latere jam defuncti Salvatoris emanarunt; licet plerique enarratores horum duntaxat in sua expositione meminerint; eo quod non ea sola accipienda sunt in verbis paulo ante praecedentibus V. 6. his: Hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Jesus Christus; non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine; sicut in illorum verborum commentario est declaratum. Et certe, Dominum fuisse verum hominem, monstravit omnis ille sanguis, quem tota passione sua eff^udit. Verum hominem fuisse, monstravit etiam aqua illa, qua a Joanne, ut unus hominum, baptizatus est. Lacrymae quoque, quas tota vita fudit, verum hominem esse demoQStrarunt; quas hic sub aquae nomine comprehendi, intelligit Commentator S. Thomae praeferens nomen. Sed responderi potesfc, quod sanguis ille, qui ex latere Domini jam defuncti profluxit, significaverit (omnium consensu) universum illum sanguinem, quem tota vita pro nobis fudit, ejusque efficaciam, sicut aqua, ex latere manans crucifixi, baptismi sacramentum significabat; etiamsi ista hoc V. 8. sub nominibus aquae et sanguinis non comprehendantur. Superest solvere objectionem, quam adversus hujus capitis versum 7. faciunt nostri temporis Ariani et Macedoniani, negantes scilicet veram divinitatem Filii et Spiritus sancti. Objiciunt ergo, totum V. 7. in Graecis codicibus non legi, ut neque in quibusdam veteribus Latinis; et a veteribus scriptoribus non agnosci. Itaque veram hujus loci lectionem omittere totum v. 7., et ita nullum hinc duci posse argumentum pro trium personarum una divina natura. Responsio: Antecedens quadam duntaxat ex parte verum est; ideoquenon valetconsequentia. Nam, ut ad singulas trium antecedentis partium aliquid dicamus, Robertus ex sedecim vetustis exemplaribus Graecis, ab Italia, Hispania, Gallia petitis, sokiramodo notat septem, quibus iste versus defuerit. Ad secundam partem antecedentis dicimus, Lovanienses Theologos ex magno illo numero manuscriptorum codicum, ad quos sacra Biblia semel iterumquo contulerunt, duntaxat quinque reperisse, quibus iste versus deesset. Ad tertiam vero partem respondemus, paucos quosdam Patrum, qui mutilatos codices nacti fuerant, hunc versum non legisse; legisse caeteros, tam eos, qui ante exortam haeresim Arianam (vix enim dubium est, Arianos fuisse hujus mutilationis auctores, ut faerunt aliarum corruptelarum) floruerunt, quam qui ea vigente, quam qui poBt. Quae ut ordine declaremus, inter paucos illos, quorum codicibus hic versus defuerit, est S. Augustinus lib. 3. contra Maxim. cap. illo 22., quod et paulo superius indicavimus. Videtur et S. Ambroeins non habuisse, quum in libro de Spiritu S. nusquam citet, omnibus aliis de Spiritu sancto Scripturis diligenter undique allegatis. S. Leo epist. 10. cap. 5. in fine non legit, ut neque Venerabilis Beda in Comment. Atque hi pauci Latini. Inter Graecos aeque pauci, S. Cyrillus Alexandrinus Thesauri lib. 14. cap. penult. et Oecumenius in hujus loci enarratione. Qui autem veteres hunc versum habuerunt, sunt hi ex nobis notis: S. Hyginius pontifex epist. 1. cap. 1.: Joannes Evangelista ad Parthos: Tres in nobis sunt, qui testimonium perhibent in coelo; Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus: et hi tres unum sunt. Coepit sedere anno Christi 154. diu ante Arium natum. Ita etiam B. Cyprianus, vetustior ipse quoque Ario, in libro de Unitate Ecclesiae, cap. 4. ad finem his verbis: De Patre et Filio et Spiritu S. scriptum est: Et hi tres unum sunt. Citavit hunc B. Cypriani locum ad Unitatis in Trinitate, et Trinitatis in Unitate probationem S. Fulgentius lib. contra decem objectiones Arianorum, in responsione ad ultimam. Item habuit hunc versum B. Athanasius in disp. contra Arium, illi attributa. Idem libro priore de unitaDeitate Trinitatis: Dicit Joannes Evangelista in Epistola sua: Tres sunt, qui testimonium dicunt in coelo: Pater, Ver~ bam, etc. Ex quibus testimoniis notum est (ut hoc addamus), quod tunc temporis Graeci codices eum versum constanter habuerint. Nam Athanasius scriptor Graecus utique Graeco codice usus est; nec hunc locum Arianis objecisset, si tunc temporis ea pars Graecis codicibus defuisset. Graeco item codice et sua propria versione (non hac nostra vulgata) usi sunt Cyprianus et Hyginius; quare et illorum temporibus haec fuit Graecorum librorum lectio. Paulo posterior Athanasio, eodem tamen saeculo, videtur Idacius Clarus, in Hispania Episcopus, qui etiam ipse hujus versus septimi sententia intrepide utitur contra Arianos, resumens ipsissima verba Hyginii Papae ex epist. 1. superius recitata, libro contra Varimadum, Arianae sectae diaconum. Ejusdem temporis est S. Hieronymus, cujus haec sunt verba in Prologo in septem Epist. cathol. ad Eustochium, virginem Christi: In prima Joannis Epistola ab infidelibus translatoribus (vult dicere: Ab interpretibus Latinis Ariana lue infectis) multum erratum esse a fidei veritate, comperimus; trium tantummodo vocabula, hoc est, aquae, sanguinis et spiritus in ipsa sua editione ponentibus, et Patris Verbique ac Spiritus testimonium omittentibus, in quo maxime fides catholica roboratur, et Patris, Filii, ac Spiritus sancti una divinitatis mbstantia comprobatur. Quibus in verbis est considerandum, quod S. Hieronymus tantummodo culpet perfidos interpretes Latfnos; tamquam ipsi Graeci codices nulla tunc adhuc (Hieronymo jam sene, ut ipse in fine illius Epistolae ait, id est post annum Domini quadriugentesimum) mutilatione hoc in loco fuissent diminuti. Citavit hanc sub nomine divi Hieronymi praefationem Erasmus in Annotat. ad hunc locum B. Joannis; ut mirum sit, ab eodem, opera B. Hieronymi lecognoscente, fuisse omissam, tamquam dubii auctorig. Mirum et illud, quod Marianus Victorius, novus Hieronymi operum recognitor et scholiastes, eam non restituerit; quum satis Hieronymum sapiat, etsi non habeat illam summe floridam disertitudinem, scripta scilicet a sene et ad virginem. Exstat haec S. Hieronymi praefatio in vetustioribus Bibliis, etiam itnpressis, proxime ante B. Jacobi Epistolam, idque in nonnullis sub ipsius Hieronymi nomine. Exstat et apud Liranum; indigna sane, quae pereat. Quod autem Hieronymus de solis loquatur interpretibus Latinis, non de ulla varietate Graecorum codicum, tum ipsa verba nunc recitata clare docent, tum vero illa, quae in eadem illa Epistola praecedunt haec: Ephtolarum septem, quae catholicae nuncupantur, prima est una Jacobi j tum duae Fetri, tres Joannis, et Judae una. Quae si sic, ut ab eis digestae sunt, ita ab interpretibus fideliter in Latinum verterentur eloquium, nec ambiguitatem legentibus facerent, nec sermonum sese varietas impugnaret, illo praecipue loco, ubi de unitate Trinitatis in prima Joannis Epistola positum legimus. In qua ab infidelibus translatoribus etc., ut supra recitavimus. Ita ibi S. Hieronymus. Ex C|uilus omnibus ejus verbis liquet, non temero Arianis hanc mutilationem objici; tametsi non desint, qui in solos scribas, Graecos et Latinos, hane culpam conjiciant, homoeoteleuto deceptos mediam sententiam omittentes, illud scilicet: testimonium dant, priore loco positum, per incariam negligentes cum annexis, et solum posteriore positum loco legentes. Quale fecerunt saepe alibi in omni genere scriptorum. Superioribus testibus addere possumus B. Fulgentium, libro Responsionum ad decem objectiones Arianorum, responsione ultima, ad fin.: In Patre, ait, et Filio et Spiritu sancio unitatem substantiae accipimus, personas confundere non audemus. Beatus enim Joannes Apostolus testatur, dicens: Tres sunt, qui testimonium perhibent in coelo: Pater, Verbum et Spiritus; et tres unum sunt. Idem in libro de Trinitate (quem cum nonuuUis aliis Fulgentii opusculis nuper primum vulgavit Parisiis vir pius et doctus Jacobus Sirmundus) his verbis utitur: Ego et Pater unum sumus, inquit Dominus; unum, ad fiaturam referre nos docet; sumus, ad personas. Similiter et illud: Tres sunt, inquit, qui testimonium dicunt in coelo: Pater, Verbum et Spiritus; et hi tres unum sunt. Audiat Sabellius: sunt; audiat: tres; et credat, esse tres personas etc. Audiat et Arius: unum, et non dicat, Filium differentis esse naturae. Ita Fulgentius. Atque haec ad ostendendum imbecillitatem allatae objectionis sufficiant; quibus et illud potest addi ad demonstrandum, vitiosos esse libros, qui omittunt vers. 7.; illud, inquam, quod pauci illi, sive libri, sive ecclesiastici scriptores, qui eum omittunt, non consentiunt inter se in lectione versus octavi, dum alii habent illud: in terra, alii omiftunt, fortassis tamquam otiosum, postquam non est quidquam, ad cujus distinctionem apponatur, sublata praecedente sententia, versu scilicet 7. Omittebat codex, quo usus est B. Augustinus loco supra citato. Item codex, quo utebatur S. Leo, ut itidem liquet ex loco prius citato. Omittunt B. Cjrillus et Oecumenius locis allegatis. In textu Venerabilis Bedae non omittitur. Ultimo loco expendenda est finalis clausula versus octavi: Et hi tres unum sunt. De qua illud dicendum est, in multis Latinis libris eam non haberi. Lovanienses correctores quindecim tales sibi conspectos testantur. Innocentius III. in Decretali superius citata, prout ea legitur suppleta in editione Gregoriana, ait, in plerisque codicibus (Latinis scilicet, nam de his loquitur) non haberi. Qui omiserunt scribae Latini, videntur existimasse adjectam ab Arianis ad elevandam praecedentis sententiae auctoritatem, ubi Pater, Filius et Spiritus sanctus unum esse dicuntur. Sed magis credibile est, eam clausulam non esse adjectitiara, verom nonnihil corruptam, fortassis per Arianos. Graeci enim codices (excepta Complutensi editione, et siquae ex ea prognatae sunt) constanter habent, sed ita: Et hi tres in (sive ad) unum sunt, £?g t6 £V. Quo modo et nostrum interpretem in Latina hac editione scripsisse, aut certe B. Hieronymum correxisse, valde probabile est; sed voculam, in, deinde sive Arianorum fraude, sive scribarum oscitantia vel audacia fuisse omissam. In nostris codicibus si ea vocula non legitur, debet tamen ipsa haec clausula ita exponi, ac si legeretur, ut respondeat originali, ac sensus sit: Et ki tres ad unum de Christo lestimonium ferendum concununt; ut exponit Oecumenius; seu: Hi tres ad unam eandemque rem testandam consentiunt; scilicet Christum fuisse et esse verum hominem, contra ac fingit Basilides. Videndum, an possit etiam sic exponi: Et hi tres ad unam Christi humanitatem constituendam conveniunt. Nani spiritus humanus et illi humores corpoiales, qui totius corporis sunt quasi prima basis, ad imius hominis substantiam coccurrunt, et ad eam requiruntur.
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9. Si testimonium hominum accipi" mus etc. Auctoritatem divini testimonii, quod commemoravit vers. 7., et specialiter quatenus illud est Dei Patris, amplificat comparatione minoris 5 quasi dicat: Quum in rebus humanis quotidie ita fieri videamus, ut hominum duorum aut trium concorditer de una aliqua re asseverantium testimonium recipiatur, ac secundum illud dicatur jus partibus litigantibus: certe longe majore ratione Deo Patri credere debemus, testificanti de Jesu, filio Mariae, quod sit Filius suus dilectus, quem ipse velit esse praeceptorem ac Salvatorem miseris mortalibus. Quibus temporibus et quibus modis hoc Deus Pater sit testatus, dictum est supra initio annotationis ad vers. 7.
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10. Qui credit in Filium Dei, habet testimonium Dei in se etc. Est principalis conclusio, quam initio capitis proposuerat; ac simul est tacita cohortatio ad fidem suscipiendam, ac susceptam firmiter retinendam, de Jesu, quod sit verus Deus et verus homo, datus hominibus a Deo Christus seu Messias, Salvator ac Mediator. Ait ergo: Qui credit in Filium Deij hunc scilicet designate Jesum supra vers. 1., habet testimonium Dei in se. Graece legitur paulo significantius: Habet illud (scilicet Dei Patris, de quo dictum est) testimonium in se ipso. Non una est hujus partis explicatio; sed perpendenti antithesin partis sequentis, probabitur expositio, quae inter alias legitur in Commentario, qui S. Thomae adscribitur; haec nimirum: Qui credit in Jesum, quod sit Filius Dei, is Deum Patrem hoc honore afficit, quod ejus testimonium de Jesu datum intra animum suum admittit, mente firmoque assensu recipit et retinet; quum contra (quae est pars hujus versus posterior), qui Jesum fingitPatre minorem, aut fingit, non verum hominem fuisse, sed phantasma, Deum Patrem hac ignominia afficiat, quantum quidem est in ipso, ut eum dicat mendacem, tamquam qui falso sit testatus de Jesu; perinde, inquam, faciat, ac si disertis verbis diceret, Deum Patrem esse fallacem, dum non vult credere ejus testimonio. In hac secunda hujus versus parte multi Graeci codices ita legunt: Qui non credit Deo, mendacem facit Eum etc.j quum sint nonnuUi, qui consentiant nostris libris, legentes: Filio, pro illo: Deo; quae lectio magis probabitur ei, qui totius orationis seriem perpenderit. Qui mutarunt, videntur id fecisse propter sequens relativum eum; quasi alioqui non posset ad Deum referri, quod secus est.
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11. Et hoc est testimonium, guoniam vitam aeternam dedit nobis Deus. Et haec vita in Filio Ejus est. Quoniam, oti, quod; et pertinet ad utramque sententiam sequentem. Explicat Apostolus illud Dei Patris de Jesu testimonium, cui necessario credendum sit; nimirum esse illum verum Deum et hominem, unicum Redemptorem et Salvatorem humani generis. Hoc aliis verbis hic dicit B. Joannes, inquiens, Deum Patrem esse testatum de Jesu, quod vitam aeternam ipse Pater dat his, qui recta atque obediente fide eum colunt (nam hoc latet in illo: nobis), et quod haec vita, in praesenti saeculo inchoata, in altero autem semper duratura, hominibus donetur merito Domini Jesu, tamquam in quo illa vita resideat, ut in auctore quidem secundum divinam naturam, ut autem in eo, qui nobis eam meruit, secundum naturam assumptam. Itaque hoc versu idem paene iisdem^ verbis dicit Joannes, quod Evangelii cap. 1., loquens de Verbo increato: In ipso vita erai; et cap. 3. ipse Dominus: Sic Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret etc; et postea: Qui credit in eum, non judicatur; qui autem non credit, jam judicatus est; quia non credidit in nomine Unigeniti Filii Dei. Ac Joannes Baptista io fine ejusdem cap.: Qui credit in Filium, habet vitam aeternam; qui autem incredulus est Filio, non videb^it vitam, sed ira Dei manet super eum. Adde ex Joan. 6, 46. 47. et cap. 17. in princ, et ex cap. 4. hujus Epistolae illam sententiam: In hoc apparuit caritas Dei in nobis j quoniam Filium suum unigenitum misit in mundum, ut vi~ vamus per eum. Ex quibus omnibus jam patet, quod vita ista aeterna ab hominibus sic per Filium Dei habetur, ut sine eo ac fide in ipsum haberi non possit. Id quod hoc etiam loco Apostolus verbis disertis exprimit versu sequenti:
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12. Qui habet Filium, habet vitam; qui non habet Filium Dei, vitam non habet. IUud: Dei, additur Graece, estque in bonis libris Latinis, necnon in veteribus Concordantiis; et ea de causa hic apponimus, tametsi absit a textu Bibliorum Clementinorum, Est hic iterata conclusio adhortatoria ad fidem in Jesum Christum, cum argumento ex spirituali utilitate, imo necessitate; hac videlicet, quod sine hac fide vera vita, neque in hoc saeculo, neque in futuro, obtineri possit; cum e contrario, quisquis eam habet, non siccam aut sterilem, sed qualem Scripturae passim intelligunt, cum fidem commendant, pie scilicet afi^ectuosam et obedientem, is habeat vitam et sahitem, etiam in praesenti saeculo, sed inchoatam et amissibilem. Quod autem illud: Qui habet Filium, intelligendum sit eo modo, quo jam dictum est, nempe: Qui Filium Dei vera, affectuosa ct obediente fide tenet, ex similibus hujus Apostoli sententiis doceri potest, qualis est illa cap. 2.: Omnis, qui negat Filium, nec Patrem habet. Qui confitetur Filium, et Patrem habet. Ita fit, ut hoc versu idem dicatur, quod Petrus Apostolus inquiebat, loquens de Domino Jesu: Non est in aliquo alio salus. Nec enim est aliud nomen sub coelo datum hominibus, in quo no8 oporteat salvos fieri, Act. 4. Et quod illae Scripturae testantur, quas allegabamus ad versum praecedentem; illa quoque Domini sententia: Nemo venit ad Patrem, nisi per me, Joan. 14. Magnum igitur hoc loco est testimonium de fide Mediatoris, quod omnibus ad salutem semper fuerit et sit necessaria. Id quod Apostolus sequente etiam versu inculcat, ut, utilitate tanta, adeoque necessitate proposita, confirmet fideles in retinenda vera de Domino Jesu fide, adversus grassantes eo tempore perditionis sectas. Ait ergo, tamquam epilogo (inquit Oecumenius) summatim repetens praedicta:
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13. Haec scribo vobis, ut sciatis, quo^ niam vitam habetis aeternam, qui cre' ditis in nomine Filii Dei. Graecus codexpropraesente: scribo, habet: scripsi, £"]fp3((j;a, ut habent multi boni Latini libri, etiam impressi, et textus Venerabilis Bedae. Verum sensus non mutatur. Praeterea illam clausulam: Qui creditis in nomine Filii Dei, plerique codices Graeci annectunt principio hujus versus, sic: Haec scripsi vobis, qui creditis etc.; sed id quoque non magni momenti est. Illud majoris, quod iidem plerique Graeci codices addunt huic versui unam clausulam, istam nimirum: Et ut credatis in nomine Filii Dei. Propter quam additionem ipse etiam Erasmus veretur, ne hoc loco Graeci codices sint depravati. Certe Bobertus notat, sibi conspectos duos veteres, qui eam partem omittentes cum nostra vulgata consentirent; et nostrum Interpretem in suo exemplari Graeco clausulam istam non habuisse, satis aper^m videtur. Nec tamen idcirco sine majore auctoritate e Graecis libris est tollenda, quoniam, ea retenta, nihilominus totus versus commodum sensum habere potest, quem accipimus ex Oecumenio hunc: Haec ego vobis, jam vera, affectuosa atque obediente fide credentibus in Jesum, Dei Filium, eo fine scripsi, ut sciatis, quod per eum jam in hoc saeculo habetis vitam aeternam; sed inchoatam duntaxat, eoque amissibilem; habetis autem in illa ipsa fide, utpote caritatem sibi associante; eo item fine, ut, fidem hanc constantissime retinentes, semper sic credatis in Dominum Jesum, quantumcumque undique vobis obstrepant vel insusurrent pseudoprophelae falsa sua dogmaca, huic salutari fidei contraria. Ex qua interpretatione etiam nostrae lectionis sensus habetur, illa Graecorum clausula omissa. Ex eadem interpretatione, conformi his, quae dixit Apostolus vers. 11., patet, non esse laborandum in ea quaestione, au hoc loco verbum: scia' tis, significet certitudinem absolutam, aa solum quandam moralem. Clarum est enim, absolutam significare, quia indubitatum est, omnem eum, qui fide illa, quam intelHgit ApostoluR, affectuosa nimirum et obediente, credit in Filium Dei, jam habere illam vitam aeternam. Sed non propterea est absolute certum de hoc vel illo in particulari, quod sit in statu hujus aeternae vitae seu salutis; sicut neque sic est certum de quoquam, quod habeat eam fidem, de qua hic sermo est. Quod autem sermo Apostoli sit de vita seu salute hujus vitae, quae idcirco amitti potest, liquet tum ex verbo: habetis, tum ex paulo post sequentibus, ubi significat, fratrem posse peccare ad mortem. Liquet etiam ex fine hujus capitis, ubi monet generaliter omnes fideles, quibus scribit, ut caveant se ab idolis. Et, omissis aliis, in 2. Epist. vers. 6. 7. 8. monet Christianos, ut in fide obediente perseverent, caveantque sibi ab haereticorum doctrina, ne perdant, quae eo usque bene operati fuerant, sed ut mercedem plenam accipiant. Quoniam igitur fides in Christum caritate formata hominem in statu salutis seu verae vitae constituit, quae est maxima spiritualis utilitas: idcirco hujus tanti fructus consideratione Apostolus hoc loco et superioribus versibus vult excitare fideles ad perseverandum in ojusmodi fide. Sed deinceps alium quoque commemorat permagnum talis fidei fructum, cujus contemplatione illi provocentur; nempe fiduciam sive certam spem obtinendi a Deo, quod rite ab illo petiverimus. De hoc fructu est versus sequens:
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14. Et haec est fiduciay quam habemus ad Eum: Quia, quodcumque petierimus secundum voluntatem Ejus, audit nos. Quam habemus, nos scilicet, vere et obedienter fideles. Omnes enim hi possunt confidere, quod ipsorum orationes sint exaudiendae a Deo, modo fuerint factae, ait Apostolus, secundum voluntatem Ejus. Est autem voluntas Dei nobis consideranda et circa rem, quae petenda sit, et circa pelendi modum. Circa rem quidem petendam, ut ab ipso petamus secundum praecepta vel consilia ejus, hoc est, necessaria vel bene utilia ad salutem, dicente Salvatore Matth. 6.: Primum quaerite regnum Dei, et justitiam Ejus (Dei nimirum), et haec omnia (temporalia huic vitae transigendae necessaria) adjicientur vobis. Circa vero petendi modum est voluntas Dei, ut pie petamus et perseveranter. Ea pietas multa includit. Primo loco fidem veram et integram de omnibus, quae Deus nobis revelavit. Quam fidem hic praesupponit Apostolus, ut patet. Haec fides etiam hoc requirit, ut unusquisque de se in particulari credat, se consecuturum, quae salutaria petit eo modo et tantum, quo modo et quantum ea petere oportet. Non autem, se consecuturum, quidquid (quamvis salutare) quomodocumque petiverit. Horum prius liquet ex divinis promissionibus, quae sunt Matth. 8.; Joan. 14, 13. 14., cap. 15, 7. 16., cap. 16, 23. 24.; Jacobi 1, 5. 6. 7., et hoc Apostoli loco, et versu sequenti. Posterius autem eorum, quae diximus, manifestum est ex hoc ipso loco, ubi non sine causa apponitur illa limitatio: Quodcumque petierimus secundum voluntatem Ejus. Unde est Psalm. 65.: Iniquitatem si aspexi in corde meOy non exaudiet Dominus. lit neque apud Apostolum Jacobum, loco allegato, sine causa apponuntur ista: Postulet autem in fide, nihil haesitans, id est, nihil in corde suo disceptans adversus fidem catholicam. Secundo loco petitionis pietas requirit in petente spem impetrandi. Huc faciunt, per argumentum a minore, Scripturae jam allegatae pro fidei necessitate. Huc valent illae collationes patris, amici, judicis duri, propositae a Salvatore Luc. 11. et 18.; et quod dixit hic Apostolus supra cap. 3, 21.; item, quod dicit hoc loco. Tertio loco pietas requirit,.ut, qui Deum rogat, mandata ejus ex dilectione observet, saltem eo usque, ut veram poenitentiam agat, si nondum est reconciliatus. Quod significabat Apostolus per illa verba cap. 3.: Si cor nostrum non reprehenderit nos, quidquid petierimus, accipiemus ab eo. Porro inter caetera Domini mandata est illud (quod huc adfert Venerabilis Beda) de animi adversus proximum rancore deponendo, quando nos accingimus ad orandum, Marci 11.: Cum stabitis ad orandum, dimittite, siquid habetis adversus aliquem; ut et Pater vester, qui in coelis est, dimittat vobis peccata vestra. De poenitentium vero oratione, quod sit fructuosa, B. Thomas 2. sec. quaest. 83. artic. 16. Quarto loco pietas requirit attentionem animi in eo, qui Deum aliquid rogat. De qua attentione B. Thomas ejusdem quaest. art. 13. Quinto loco requirit pietas humilitatem in petente; humilitatem vero, non solum respectu Dei, sed etiam respectu aliorum hominum, quibus sese indigniorem debet reputare coram Deo. Qua de re est peculiaris art. num. 3. q. 161. in 2. sec. Humilitas petentis etiam hoc includit, ut absque respectu laudis humanae fiat ora tio, juxta doctrinam Domini Salvatoris Matth. 6. Ex qua doctrina, idem in omni bono opere esse observandum, manife- fiiii). Estii Coiiiin. Toiu. Ul. stum est. Atque haec de pietate in petitionibus, quas Deo facimus, adhibenda dicta sint paucis. Sed, ut diximus, Dei voluntas a nobis, praeter pietatem in petendi modo, exigit etiam perseverantiam in precando. De qua orationis conditione videndus est S. Thomas d. 2. sec. q. illa 83. art. 14. Porro voluntas Dei de nostra in orando perseverantia nobis innotescit per ea, quae leguntur Lucae 11. in parabola amici per petentis perseverantiam victi, et cap. 18. in parabola illius judicis iniqui, et per illa Domini verba cap. 21.: Vigilate omni tempore orantes. Cui consonat illud Apostoli 1 Thess. 5.: Sine intermissione orate. Consonat et hoc, quod sacerdos Domini magnus Israelitas monet Judith. 4. Et exemplum illud memorabile primitivae Ecclesiae, orantis pro liberatione Apostoli Petri ab Herode capti, Act. 12., ubi dicitur: Oratio fiebat sine intermissione ab Ecclesia ad Deum pro eo. Quaeritur merito hoc loco, au, supradictis conditionibus positis, infallibiliter exaudiatur oratio petentis pro se ipso duntaxat, an etiam pro alio. Ac videri posset, quod otiam pro alio petens, supradictis conditionibus positis, infallibiliter exaudiatur, ex vers. 16. mox sequente; praesertim juxta distinctionem, quae in Graecis codicibus videtur debere esse versuum decimi quinti et decimi sexti (coli scilicet, non, ut vulgo est, periodi), qua de re paulo post. Respondendum tamen est, non semper exaudiri justos pro aliis orantes, etiamsi conditiones illae orationi adsint. Et hoc significat ipse Apostolus dicto v. 16., quatenus sententiam suam restringit adjectione illius clausulae: Peccatum non ad mortem, et quatenus addit: Est peccatum ad mortem, non pro illo dico, ut roget quis. Atque hoc est, quod docet S. Augustinus Tract. 102. in Joan., ubi expendit illa verba Domini Joan. 16.: Amen, dico vobis, si quid petieritis Patrem in nomi7ie meo, dabit vobis. Verba Augustini sunt: Ita sane est intelligendum, quod ait: Dabit vobis, ut ea beneficia Bignificata sciantur his verbis, quae proprie ad eos pertinent, qui petunt. Exaudiuntur quippe omnes sancti pro se ipsis; non autem pro omnibus exaudiuntur vel amicis suis, vel inimicis, vel quibusvis aliis, quia non utcumque dictum est: dabit, sed: dabit vobis. Ita illic S. Augustinus. Ratio hujus est, quia potest esse impedimentum ex parte ejus, pro quo oratur, quod impedimentum Deus justo suo judicio tollere nolit. Conferatur S. Thomas d. q. 83. in 2. sec. art. 7. ad 2. et 3. et art. 15. ad 2. in fine solnt. Quando autem pro se ipso quispiam ro gat secundum voluntatem Dei, id est, rogat illa, quae dicta eunt superius, et eo modo, qui dictus est: tunc eo ipso jam «Bt dispositus ad obtinendum, quod petit.
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15. Et scimus, quia audit nos, quidquid petierimus; scimus, quoniam habemus petitioneSj quas postulamus ab eo. Ita legitur hic versus in codicibus Latinis, nisi quod nonnulli vetusti in secunda parte habent praeteritum: postulavimus, conformiter originali. Et hac lectione posita, iste versus absolvit sententiam, ac (ut ait Venerabilis Beda) repetitio est et inculcatio proxime dictorum, facta ab Apostolo, ut nos ad orandum vivacius excitet. Quamquam non simplex repetitio videtur, sed cum augmento quodam. Nam quum vers. 14. dixisset, nos habere fiduciamj hic ait, nos habere scientiam, seu absolute certos esse, quod simus exaudiendi in petitionibus, quas Deo fecerimus, nimirum secundum voluntatem Ejus, ut expressit versu praecedente. Quod quomodo verum sit, satis videtur declaratum in illius versus expositione. At in Graecis codicibus in principio hujus versus additur vocula: lav, si, hoc modo: Et, si scimus, quod audit nos, etc; quae vocula videtur in secunda hujus versus parte illis in codicibus subaudiri; ut scilicet versus hic 15. a 16. non periodico signo, sed tantum coli distinctione separetur; quamvis expositores Graeci, quos habemus, hanc de distinguendo difficultatem vel non adverterint vel dissimulaverint, nisi quod Oecumeniusid, quodhic dicimus, subindicet. Certe in Graecorum lectione non potest terminari sententia cum hoc versu 15., praesertim quum in secunda ipsius versus parte habeant praeteritum: postulavimus, ut dictum est; sed altera pars hujus conditionalis enuntiationis esse debet versus decimus sextus. Neque enim, quod antehac factas petitiones obtinuerimus a Deo, vult probare Apostolus per hoc, tamquam per quiddam notius, quod scimus, illum nos exaudire, quidquid petierimus; sed contra potius hoc ex illo colligendum erat. Sicut profecto hunc locum intellexit Didymus, qui proinde ilhid Graecorum lav, non in principio totius versus hujus 15., sed initio secundae partis habuisse videtur; ita nimirum: Et scimus, quod audit nos Deus, quidquid petierimus, si (id est, quia, quandoquidem, ut saepe alias) scimus, quod jam habemus petitiones, quas antehac postulavimus ab Eo. Ad quem sensum etiam nostra vulgata lectio facile revocatur, si cum vetustis illis libris Latinis legamus: postulavimus, in secunda parte, ut sensum hunc accipiamus: Scimus, quod audit nos Deus, quidquid petierimus; scimus enim, quod habemus pelitiones, quas antehac ab Eo postulavimus. Quem quidem sensum pulchre expressit S. Eucherius Lugdunensis apud B. Augustinum serm. 176. de tempore, his verbis: Fidelis quisque, cum jam fanta perceperit, per ea, quae cognoscit praestita, discat sperare promissa, et Dei sui praeteritam praesentemque bonitatem quasi futurorum teneat cautionem.
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16. Qui scit, fratrem suum peccare peccatum non ad mortem, petat, et dabitur ei vita peccanti non ad morttm. Haec sententia est conclusio specialis, deducta ex assertionibus generalibus versuum 14. et 15. Id quod maxime apparet in Graecis codicibus, ubi sententia versu 15. revera suspenditur, nec absolvitur, nisi hoc loco, ut paulo ante dizimu8. Per hanc autem specialem conclusionem delabitur Apostolus (quod Oecumenius annotat) ad certum quoddam fraternae caritatis (quam passim tota Epistola tantopere inculcavit) officium fidelibus commendandum; quod est orare pro Christiano, peccante quidem, sed non ad mortem; quasi dicat: Quam habeamus bonam fiduciam, imo cum sciamus, nos auditum iri a Deo, siquid secundum voluntatem ejus petiverimus; cumque sciamus, nos jam habere, quae ante hoc tempus ab eo petivimus; cum (inquam) haec sciamus: siquis noverit, fratrem quempiam suum, hominem Christianum dico, peccatum aliquod admisisse, seu peccato aliquo teneri (in Graeco est: peccantemj ubi nos habemus: peccare), quod non sit ad mortem, petat a Deo, ut illum ab eo peccato liberet, et Deus dabit illi vitam, peccanti (ut praedixi) non ad mortem. Id quod addo, quia quaedam peccata sunt ad mortem, pro quibus non jubeo, non moneo, non hortor, ut ipse roget. Hic est sensus verborum Apostoli toto hoc versu 16., et eorum cum praecedentibus connexio. Ex hac declaratione intelligitur, quod, quamvis in originali pro illo: petat, sit futurum indicativi: petetj aiTOJast^ tamen illud pro imperativi seu hortativi modi verbo sit accipiendum, ut fit in similibus quotidiano sermone. Ita intellexisse Oecumenium, est apertum ex ipsius explanatione, quae hunc textum immediate praecedit; et sic esse intelligendum, liquet ex verbis Apostoli sequentibus illis: Non pro illo dicOf ut roget. Quare, licet veteres quidam codices Latini hic habeant: petety non idcirco textus noster est mutandus. Illi iidem Latini codices verba sequentia, conformiter originali, ita legunt: Et dabit ei vitam, peccantibtis non ad mortem. Dabit, sine dubio subauditur: DeuSj ex praecedentibus; quare in nostra lectione quum dicitur: Dabitur ei vitnj similiter est subintelligendum: a Deo. IUud autem, quod sequitur: peccantibus non ad mortem, prima fronte videbitur quibusdam esse soloecum, quod post illud: ei, sequatur hoc: peccantibus; sed haec oratio, ut aliae similes apud optimos quosque auctores, facile defenditur, quod sensu congi*uitatem servet. Ad ipsum enim genus talium fit sermonis transitus, licet de uno quopiam fratre sermo praecesserit; quasi dicat: Dens dabit ei vitam; dico: his, qui peccant non ad mortem. Nostra lectio vitat hoc, quidquid est incommodi; et ut nostri textus communiter habent, ita legit etiam Venerabilis Beda. Quamquam, qui veteresLatini libri hic consentiunt Graecis (Lovanienses testantur, sex tales sibi conspectos), ii non debent corrigi propter hanc incongruitatis speciem, nisi quis et Graecos codices velit mutare. Similis paene forma locutionis est in Graecis et nostris libris, Joan. 17, 2., et in 2. B. Joannis Epist. V. 7. contrario modo antecedens est plurale, relativum singulare. Sunt nasutuli et delicatuli quidam, quibus facile aliquid displicet in sermone sacrae Scripturae, saepe sine ratione, ut hoc certe loco. Meminisse illi debebant horum et similium, apud Comicum: Aperite aliquis actutum ostium 'j apud Nasonem: Hoc pecut omne meum, multae stabulantur in antris 'j apud Boetium Consol. lib. 2. prosa 6.: Quid verOj si corpus spectea, imbecillius homine reperire queas? quos saepe muscularum quoque morsus, vel in secreta quaeque reptantium necat introitus. Si plura talia desiderant, videant ex Tullio, Marone, Livio, Comico apud Ninivitam in magno opere Syntaxeos, ne nos ad Grammaticorum arcana ipsis aperienda excurrere cogamur. In fine hujus versus cum dicitur: Ut roget quis, illud quis non est in Graeco codice, sed suppositum verbi: roget, subauditur ex praecedentibus. Recte fecit noster Interpres, quod hic illud quis expressit; nam in fronte totius versus, ubi originalis codex habet: Si quis, ipse solum posuit istud: Qui. Atque hactenuB quidem facilem habent explicationem, quae sunt isto versu. Sed illud difficilius est, exponere, quid Apostolus intelligat per peccatum ad mortem, et consequenter ex opposito, quid accipiendum sit per peccatum non ad mortem; et tamen nisi haec explanentur, non potest Apostoli sententia intelligi. Ac certe, ut in aliis obscuris locis, sic in isto videmus verissimum esse, quod nonnulli dicere solent, nullam esse diversarum interpretationum foecundiorem matrem, quam obscuritatem. Unde S. Augustinus lib. de corr. et grat. cap. 12., quum hunc ApoEtoIi locum attulisset, subjecit: De quo peccato, quoniam non expressum est, possunt multa et diversa sentiri; ego autem dico, id esse peccatum, fidem, quae per dilectio-nem operatur, deserere usque ad mortem. Videntur ergo expositiones diversae adferendae, et modeste refutandae, ut tandem ad unam deveniatur, quae nihil patiatur incommodorum.
Peccatum ad mortem nonnulli accipiunt, ut idem sit, quod a Theologis dicitur peccatum mortale. Unde secundum eos peccatum non od mortem debebit intelligi peccatum veniale, mortali altera ex parte oppositum. Haec expositio facile refellitur ex verbis Apostoli, ubi dicit: Petat, et dabitur ei vita, peccanti non ad mortem. Ergo peccatum non ad mortem Apostolo nuncupatum, abstulerat vitam animae, et proinde non est Apostolo veniale, sed mortale certi generis. Cujus autem certi generis, inquirimus hac variarum expositionum discussione, ut ad unam stabilem perveniatur. Secunda igitur expositio est, qua peccatum ad mortem intelligitur esse illud, quo post agnitionem Dei, quae per gratiam Christi cuipiam data est, ipse fraternitatem oppugnat, et adversus ipsam gratiam, qua reconciliatus est Deo, invidentiae facibus agitatur. His enim verbis a Venerabili Beda haec expositio proponitur in Comment. Est autem sumpta ad verbum ex B. Augustini libro priore de serm. Domini in monte, cap. 22. alias 4,3., ubi ait, se ita putare; ideoque credibile est, non fuisse sollicitum de confirmanda illa expositione. Sed ad eam infirmandam nobis sufficit, quod ipsemet Retract. lib. 1. cap. 19. eam supplendam fuisse docet. Verba ejus sunt: Haec ita dixi, nec confirmavi, quia putare me dixi; sed addendum fuit: Si in hac tam scelerata mentis perversitate finierit hanc vitam. Quoniam de quocumque pessimo in hac vita constituto non est utique desperandum: nec pro illo imprudenter oratur, de quo non desperatur. Tertiam expositionem verbis istis indicat S. Augustinus, quam etiam cap. illo 12. de corr. et grat. attulit; \xt peccatum ad mortem sit peccatum mortale quodcumque, cujus non agitur poenitentia ante mortem. Dico: quodcumque; nam secunda expositio, praeterquam quod erat imperfecta, nimis restringebat ad mortem; quasi B. Joannes unicam peccati in Spiritum sanctum speciem hac appellatione intellexisset. Tertia igitur expositio est latior hac ex parte, quam secimda; sed nihilominus etiam ipsa videtur strictior altera ex parte, quam par sit, nec verbis Apostoli convenire. Ait ille: Siquis scit (Graece est: viderit), fratrem suum peccantem peccatum non ad mortem etc. Praesupponit igitur posse a bono Christiano, etiamlaico, sciri, anpeccatum, quod novit alium Christianum commisisse, sit ad mortem, an non; et tamen ab eo non potest sciri, an is, quem post pecca- ^ tum mortale, ipsi notum, mori contingit, ^ agat vel egerit sinceram ejus poenitentiam. Deinde si constaret, aliquem in mortali quopiam peccato sine poenitentia esse defunctum, non liceret pro eo orare; nec umquam id Apostolus Christi permitteret. Atqui pro expiatione peccati ad mortem Deum rogare, ut Apostolus non monet, non hortatur, ita neque prohibet; tantummodo declarat, se bonos Christianos non audere hortari, ut pro eo peccato rogent, sicut hortatur eos rogare pro fratris peccato, quod noverunt non esse ad mortem. Haec igitur incommoda premunt tertiam expositionem; tametsi ea reperiatur etiam apud S. Gregorium Moral, lib. 16. cap. 28. alias 31. Est aliquid auferendum de hac expositione tertia, quo sublato videntur omnia incommoda evitari, et mens Apostoli in tota hac sermonis serie apte declarari. Quarto igitur peccatum ad mortem intelligitur quodvis peccatum mortale, cujus non agitur poenitentia, quamdia et quatenus tale est. Ita non quodvis mortale intelligitur, nec tamen illud solum, cui est conjuncta finalis impoenitentia; sed omne illud, cui conjuncta est impoenitentia etiam temporalis, seu in cujus affectu quispiam haeret. Ad hunc modum Gelasius Pontifex in tomo de anathemate (exstat tomo secundo Conciliorum) sese declaravit intelligere, dum inquit: Est peccatum ad mortem in eodem peccato manentibus 'j est peccatum non ad mortem ab eodem peccato recedentibus. Eodem tendit expositio horum verborum, quae est apud S. Hieronymum in 14. Jeremiae, ad illud: Dixit Dominus ad me: Noli orare pro populo isto in bonum. Et quae apud Oecumenium in hujus loci comment. Ejus verba sunt ista: Hoc solum est peccatum ad mortem, quod ad poenitentiam non respicit. Sed et illi peccant ad mortem, qui injuriarum sunt memores. Nam et hi, servantes iram contra proximum, sine poenitentia peccant. Quare ex adverso peccatum non ad mortem dicitur Apostolo, quod est mortale quidem, sed agitur ejus poenitentia. Ita describimus, quoniam de solis mortalibus hic loqui videtur Apostolus, dum peccatorum alia vocat ad mortem, alia non ad mortem; ita, inquam, videtur propter illud: Dabitur ei vita. Videbitur hoc mirum alicui, quod peccatum quoddam mortale dicatur non esse ad mortem. Unde enim est mortale? Sed meminisse debet, quod Salvator Joan. 11. dicebat: Infirmitas haec non est ad mortem, cum tamen Lazarus ex ea infirmitate mortuus fuerit. Sic in proposito peccatum mortale, cujus vera poenitentia agitur, non est ad mortem, quoniam nec ipsa mors, qua ipsum mortale est, est ad mortem, sed ad gloriam Dei; sicut de corporali morte Lazari dixit B. Augustinus in illius loci commentario, Tract. 49. in Joan.
Est peccatum ad mortem, non pro illo dico, ut roget quis. Magnam prima fronte difficultatem parit haec Apostoli sententia, quoniam Dominus nos orare jubet etiam pro persequentibus et calumniantibus nos, Matth. 5. Et ipsius Domini exemplum videtur aliud requirere, qui in cruce pendens oravit pro interfectoribus suis, Luc. 23. Simile fecit protomartyr Stephanus, Act. 7. Responsio: Apostolus Joannes hoc loco non prohibet, fideles pro fratribus orare, quos sciant teneri peccato ad raortera; sed ad id non audet hortari quemlibet Christianum, ut scilicet pro tali oret cura ea impetrandi fiducia, de qua locutus est vers. 14. et hujus parte priore; hoc est, qua pro fratre peccante non ad mortem, sive sui peccati poenitentiam agente. Responsio ista habetur ex S. Ambrosio lib. priore de poenit. cap. 9. et ex B. Hieronymo lib. 2. contra Jovin. ultra medium. Oritur dubium, an igitur vulgares Ohristiani non teneantur orare pro persequentibus et calumniantibus, sive ipsos, sive catholicam religionem, et in talium peccatorum affectu haerentibus. Et idem de quibusvis aliis, quos sciamus teneri aliquo peccato ad mortem, quaeri potest. Certe praeceptum Domini Matth. 6. videtur generale: Orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos', et vel in primis de talibus loqui, in sua contra nos injuria permanentibus. Et quicumque in mortali aliquo peccato sic haerent, et ejus affectu ita sunt irretiti, ut salutem suam quodammodo contemnant, hi profecto in graviore caeteris peccatoribus versantur periculo, ideoque magis indigent, ut pro ipsis oretur. Sidicas: Non volunt juvari, quia non agunt poenitentiam, sed placent sibi in peccato suo; replicabitur: Tanto magis indigent, ut a piis Deus rogetur ipsis dare poenitentiam. Respondendum alicui videretur ex mente S. Ambrosii loco nunc proxime citato, quod pro talibus orandum est, sed a magno intercessore et magna cum prece. Tanto autem major apud Deum precator ac intercessor eet quispiam, quanto est major Dei amicus; est autem eo major apud Deum ami- CU8, quanto est sanctior. Res valde magna est talium peccatorum conversio; est autem praesumptionis, vel speciem praesumptionis habet, si rem valde magnam pro alio quilibet a Deo audeat petere, dicente Heli. 1 Reg. 2.: Si in Dominum peccaverit vir, quis orabit pro eo? Unde et S. Bernardus pro homine sepulto in consuetudine mala, vel excommunicato, dicit ingemiscendum potius, quam orandum, Tract. de duodecim grad. humilit. in fine. -Sed ille gemitus oratio est. Itaque ad dubitationem de vulgaribus, id est, mediocris sanctitatis Christianis propositam, vel etiam de poenitentibus, an pro alterius peccato ad mortem orare teneantur, respondendum est affirmative, teneri; non tamen fiducia suae sanctitatis, vel amicitiae, quae ipsis cum Deo sit, hoc facere debere; sed intentione satisfaciendi divino praecepto nunc allegato, et alioqui generali praecepto caritatis, quo omnes proximos jubemur diligere. Conformis est haec responsio iis, quae leguntur apud S. Augustinum de corr. et grat. cap. 15. et 16. et apud S. Thomam 2. sec. q. 83- art. 7. ad 3.
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17. Omnis iniquitas peccatum est, et est peccatum ad mortem. Etiamhoc addit Apostolus ad declarationem versus praecedentis, ubi duplex genus fecerat peccati, quoddam ad mortem, quoddam non ad mortem. Sensus est: Omnis injuria, injustitia, iniquitas (Graece est aSixia) peccatum est, quoniam scilicet peccatum est dictum, factum vel concupitum contra legem Dei aeteinam, ut est B. Augustini definitio apud Theologos notissima; atque ita est Deo injurius, quisquis peccat, quoniam legem ejus violat, cui ex justitia tenetur obedire; et vice versa omnis ejusmodi iniquitas, seu in Deum injuria peccatum est. Reciprocantur enim haec duo inter sese, ut hic locus demonstrat. Atque hoc in primis verum est de iis peccatis, quae exstinguunt caritatem, vitam animae, mortalia idcirco dicta; et tamen haec ipsa in dispare gradu reperiuntur, ita ut alia sint ad mortem, alia non ad mortem, juxta explicationem versu praecedente traditam. Hoc ipsum posteriore hujus versus parte significat Apostolus per illa verba: Et est peccatum ad mortem. Ubi non est putandum, esse propositionem ex est tertio adjacente, ut loquuntur Logici; quasi sensus sit: Omnis iniquitas est peccatum, adeoque omnis est peccatum ad mortem; sed ex est secundo adjacente, hoc sensu: Omnis iniquitas est peccatum; et reperitur quoddam peccatum f quod sit ad mortem. Unde relinquitur ex adverso subaudiendum, esse etiam quoddam peccatum, quod non sit ad mortem. Hanc enim peccati divisionem innuit his verbis Apostolus; quae divisio in originali codice non minus innuitur, ubi haec pars legitur cum negatione, hoc modo: et est peccatum non ad mortem; sed relinquitur subaudiendum alterum membrum, affirmans scilicet, ita ut nostrae lectionis sensus eodem recldat, quo Graecanicae. renda cum versu hoc 17., ista: Omnis, qui facit peccatum, etiam iniquitatem facit; et peccatum est iniquitas. Ubi in Graeco pro vocabulo iniquitatis, quod ut hic, ita iilic dedit noster Interpres, non est: adiyJ.a, ut hocloco, sed dvo/Jiia, quasi dicat: illegalitas. Quaeritur ergo, an, sicut hoc loco dicit Apostolus: Omnii iniquitas peccatum est, ita similiter vere dicatur: Omnis dvojiia peccatum est; ut loco illo cap. 3. Apostolus sati.'' dicit, omne peccatum esse dvo/xiav. Videtur autem non esse concedendum, quod omnis anomia sit peccatum, quoniam anomia non solum significat transgressionem legis, quae observari debeat; sed etiam justarum legum defectum seu carentiam quae potest esse sine peccato eorum, qui carent. Item recessus ille, quo fomes peccati prava concupiscentia a Dei lege deviat, et rationi non auscultat, quin hominem justificatum, viriliter Dei gratia repugnantem, ad deviandum sollicitatj is dico, recessus, et ea ad malum sollicitatio non est vere proprieque peccatum, ut in moribus loquimur (nam naturae peccatum seu vitium merito dicas), quoniam non est voluntaria; est tamen avofxta, id est, a lego Dei deflexio, imo contra legem Dei repugnantia, ut ex cap. 7. ad Roman. manifestum est. Quare non videntur nobis confundenda ista duo apud hunc Apostolum loca; is scilicet, qui ost cap. 3. v. 4., et qui hic v. 17. Non tamen ita differunt peccatum et anomia, quin haec sit illius genus, ideoque omne peccatum sit anomia, quamvis non omnis anomia sit proprie nominis peccatum.
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18. ScimuSj quia omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat; sed generatio Dei conservat eum, et malignus non tangit eum. Hoc versu et duobus sequentibus reducit Apostolus sermonem suum ad superiora, ubi (ab initio capitis usque ad vers. 14.) fideles fuerat cohortatus ad constanter perseverandum in vera atque affectuosa et obediente fide in Jesum, Dei Filium, propter nos factum hominem. Nam vers. 14. et tribus seq. fuit quidam velut excursus a principali proposito, ad quod nunc redit. Ait ergo: Scimus, quod omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat; quasi dicat: Ingens ille fructus, quem ex Christianismo accipitis, merito vos permovere debet, ut constanter in eo permaneatis. Omnis enim, qui per fidei sacramentum baptismum natus est ex Deo, accepta gratia justificationis, per quam adoptatus est Deo filius, non solum habel remissionem praecedentium peccatorum, sed etiam servatur deinceps a peccatis. Nam retinens gratiam illam, qua Dei filius factus est, numquam ullum mortale peccatum admittet, quo dignitatem illam perdat. Ut autem eam gratiam conatanter retineat, iu ipso situm est, divino auxilio assidue illum praeveniente et subsequente, quod fideliter petenti serioque ambienti Deus non denegabit. Videtur verbo peccandi Apostolus hoc loco solum intelligere peccatum mortale, quod simpliciter et insignite peccatum est, faciens hominem simpliciter et absolute peccatorem. Hoc ita videtur, quoniam, qui ex Deo natus est, retenta etiam gratia et dignitate hujus adoptionis, committit peccata venialia, propter quae hic idem Apostolus supra cap. 1. dixit generaliter: Si dixerimus, quod peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Et iterum: Si dixerimus, quod non peccavimus, mendacem facimus Eum, et verbum Ejus non est in nobis. Eodem valent, quae leguntur cap. 3. v. 6. 7. 8. 9. et passim tota Epistola. Quo versu 9. causam hujus, quod nunc dicitur, Apostolus reddiderat, inquiens: Omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit, quoniam semen ipsius in eo mantt; et non potest peccare, quoniam ex Deo natus est. Eandem hoc loco iisdem paene verbis repetit, dicens: Sed generatio Dei conservat eum. In Graeco logitur nunc quidem: Sed genitus ex Deo conservat se ipsum; at noster Interpres pro relativo reciproco: sAoxuv, legit non reciprocum: auTOV, quae sane lectio videtur aptior; et ea data est clarior ac major oppositio hujus partis ad sequentem illam: Et malignus non tangit eum. Quid noster in suo codice habuerit, ut redderet: generatio Dei, quum Graeca nunc legant: genitus ex Deo, non satis liquet. Sed per generationem Dei potest intelligi idem, quod supra cap. 3. per semen Dei; nempe ipsa caritas seu gratia justificans, quae facit hominem filium Dei adoptivum. Ita plerique Latini intelligunt; et hoc modo in eundem censum utraque lectio concurret, nostra et Graeca hodierna. Quoniam, qui per spiritum adoptionis genitus est ex Deo, non conservat se ipsum nisi per hunc ipsum spiritum, et quotidiana Dei, ut Patris, auxilia. Atque ita hic sermo intelligitur non solum formaliter, sed etiam causaliter. Ex Deo natus, remanens talis, nullum lethale peccatum admittit; idque ideo, quia ex Deo natus est, Haec enim adoptio, seu fundamentum ejus caritas, illum conservat a gravioribus peccatis, quotidianis Dei auxiliis et protectionibus commitata.
Et malignus non tangit eum. Per malignum intelligi diabolum, non est, cur dubitetur. Sic enim passim tota hac Epistola nomen maligni accipit Apostolus, nt cap. 2, 13. 14., iterum cap. 3, 12. Graece est: 6 TiovTjpog, omnibus bis locis, idem nomen, quod in fine Orationis Dominicae, et in sacris literis fere tribuitur personae; licet generalem habeat significationem, qua etiam rei, vitiosae nimirum aut calamitosae, tribui queat. }^on tangit eum. De tactu virtutis malae sermo est, qua illum tangit diabolus, quem ad consentiendum alicui sceleri permovet. Ita Venerabilis Beda, quem sequuntur Commentator S. Thomae nomen praeferens, et alii. Nam quod nonnulli exponunt, hunc tactum esse afflictionem, nimis exile videtur, nec congruere verbis Apostoli. Dei enim permissione affligit diabolus sanctissimcs quosque, et afflixit ipsum Sanctum Sanctorum. Nec adveisus hunc tactum ordinatur semen Dei, seu generatio ista divina, sed ab illo alio malae virtutis tactu filios Dei conservat.
5:19
19. Scimus j quoniam ex Deo sumus, et mundus totus in maligno positus est. Quoniam, ozi, quod. Haec est assumptio ad propositionem geneialem prnxime praecedentem; quasi dicat: Scimus autem, quod omnes boni Christiani sunt nati ex Deo, ideoque tuti a peccato, et a violenlia ac fraudulentia diaboli, qaamdiu hoc Dei semen et hanc filialem adoptionem retinere satagunt. Nec tantum omnes, sed etiam soli boni Christiani ex Deo nati sunt: nam reliqui omnes homines sub potestate sunt diaboli. Hoc volunt illa hujus versus posteriora verba: Et mundus totus in maligno positus est. Nam mundum nominavit homines mundanos, homines, hujus mundi et rerum sensibilium amatores iisque ad offensam Dei, homines spiritu Dei non renovatos, ut saepe alias in Scripturis nomen mundi accipitur, quando in malo pouitnr. Inculcat hoc isto loco Didymus et Oecumenius, ut saepe S. Augustinus propter Manichaeos, qui substantiam hujus mundi credebant esse malam per se, a malo quodam Deo productam, et sub illius potestate, jure creationis, coUocatam. Nomen mundi eodem modo, quo hic sumi diximus, accipitur in hac ipsa Epistola cap. 3, 1. et 13., cap. 4, 5., ut omittamus tam multa alia ex Evangelio loca, velut Joan. 7, 7., cap. 14, 17. 22. 27. 30., cap. Omnes ejusmodi homines, seu omnium talium hominum congeries, mundus figurate dictus, sub potestate diaboli est; non per diaboli, tamquam Dei cujusdam, potentiam, sed unici illius veri Dei justo judicio, relinquentis istum malum mundum sub diaboli (cui se vohmtarie subjecit) tyrannide; ut nimirum ejusmodi homines captivos teneat in servitute peccati, et paulatim ex scelere in scelus praecipitet, nisi Deus poenitentiam cordibus eorum inspirans misereatur et liberet. Nimirum hoc est, quod Paulus dicit 2 Tim. 2.: Det illis Deus poenitentiam ad cognoscendam veritatem, tt resipiscant a diaboli laqueis, a quo captivi tenentur ad illius (Dei nimirum) voluntatem. Hac videlicet ratione diabolus princeps hujus mundi dictus est Joan. 12. et 14. Hic idem, postquam homines in scelera induxit, Dei minister est ad justum supplicium iis inferendum, carcerarius et tortor divinae justitiae. Quo quidem in officio is libentissime versatur, non justitiae amore, non Deo subserviendi studio, sed odium in homines suum gaudens pascere eorum tormentis. Hunc esse germanum istius loci sensum, ut per malignum intelligatur diabolus, satis apparet ex versu praecedente, et his, quae ilhic allata sunt. Nam et hic in originali legitur, et quidem cum articulo: Iv Tcp Tiovr^pw. Et Didymus ac Beda plane sic intelligunt tam nomen mundi, quam nomen maligni, quomodo dictum est. Itaque istud: in maligno, idem valet, quod: in potestate, in regno diaboli; quomodo ad Col. 1. dicuntur omnia in Christo constare, et versu proxime eequenti dicimur esse in Filio Dei. Ex hoc loco Didymus et Venerabilis Beda probant originale peccatum, et urgent notam universalem: totus. Nam quum parvuli non regenerati sint pars totius mali mundi {quod enim natum est ex carne, caro est, Joan. 3.), sequitur, ipsos sub istius maligni potestate esse. Id quod fieri non posset, si nullum peccatum haberent. Verba Didymi sunt: Totus, ait, mundus maligno est subjectus, quod omnes sub peccato nascimur, quorum ipse ortus in vitio est, Quae Didymi verba legebantur apud S. Ambrosium in libro adversus Novatianos, et inde citat S. Augustinus lib. 2. contra Julian. cap. 3. et Beda in hujus loci commentario. Magnum igitur Dei beneficium his verbis Apostolus nobis ob oculos ponit, nempe quod soli boni Christiani sunt extra potestatem diaboli. Quod idem Paulus Apostolus Ephesiis inculcat cap. 2., et Colossensibus cap. 1. Eandem hanc assumptionem aliis verbis S. Joannes repetit versu sequenti:
5:20
20. Et scimus, quoniam Filius Dei venit, et dedit nobis sensum, ut cognoscamus verum Deum. Scimus, quoniam (id est, quod, oxt) Filius Dei venitj nimirum per assumptam humanitatem, conversatus inter nos, et operatus salutem, nostram passione et morte sua. Hoc sciunt omnes Christiani certitudine fidei.
Et dedit nobis sensum. In hac secunda parte non est necesse subaudire illud: OTi^ quod praecessit; sed recte intelligtur, ut sit assertio per se, non pendens ex praecedente. Idem judicium (ut hoc obiter addamus) de posteriore parte versus 19. relata ad priorem ejusdem. Sensum, Graece est: Stavoiav; sed recte noster Interpres, quoniam usitatissimum est omni generi auctorum, verba videndi et sentiendi, et iis conjugata vocabula transferre ad mentem.
Ut cognoscamus verum Deum. Tametsi multi Graeci codices non habeant illud: Deum, meliores tamen videntur, qui habent, quoniam illud verum masculinum est, ut patet ex articulo addito: TOv dXrj^^tvov. Congruit itaque hic locus cum verbis Salvatoris Joan. 17. in principio. Verus Deus nominatur ad differentiam falsorum deorum, idolorum scilicet et aliorum. Videtur autem hoc loco esse nomen personale, et significare Deum Patrem, propter illa relativa proxime sequentia.
Et sumus in Vero, Filio Ejus. Sumus, scripsisse interprotem conformiter originali, vix est dubitandum; et qui bene perpendet commentarium Bedae et Thomae, sentiet eos ita legisse. Mutaverint audaces scribae, non advertentes, quod hac parte sit assertio per se, non vero dependeat ex praecedente conjunctione; ut. Secunda igitur et tertia parte hujus versus exprimit Apostolus duos effectus adventus Christi et redemptionis per eum factae, quos omnes boni Christiani jam sint adepti. Prior est vera fides, nam haec est ille sensus, quo unicus ille verus Deus cognoscitur. Posterioi est incorporatio in corpus Christi, adeoque in ipsum Christum; quae facta est per justificationem acceptam in baptismo. Ea declaratur verbis illis: Et sumus in Vero, Filio Ejus. Ubi illa duo nomina: Vero et Filio, commate separanda sunt in nostris libris; nam Graece repetitur et interponitur vocula Iv. Ita enim legitur: Et sumus in illo Vero, in Filio Ejus Jesu Christo. Haec duo namque postrema illic adduntur. Potest esse ambiguum, an illud Vero, qucd est in hac tertia istius versus parte, significet Patrem, an Filium. Et videtur rectius, intelligi Patrem, sicut intelligitur parte secunda; et nihilominus etiam Filius ab Apostolo verbis expressis nominatur verus Deus parte hujus versus quarta, quae sequitur:
Hic est verus Deus et vita aeterna. Filius Dei unigenitus est sua divina vita aeterna per essentiam; est angelorum et hominum vita aeterna causaliter; idque bifariam. Nam et materia est vitae aeternae, quoniam ejus divina natura est beatificae contemplationis objectum; et ipse in beatis efficit illam ipsam contemplationem, per lumen gloriae mentem ipsorum veluti elevando et roborando, et speciali cooperatione eam contemplationem in iis faciendo. Est vero vitae aeternae hominum beatorum Christus homo causa etiam alio modo, quatenus passione et morte sua ipsis eam a Deo Patre promeruit. Et haec de vita aeterna proprie sic dicta, quae est in patria; est autem etiam vitae aeternae, quae est in via, Filius Dei et materia, et causa effectrix, et causa meritoria. Ita fit, ut cum hoc versu 20. consonet id, quod Salvator, audientibus Apostolis, ad Patrem dicebat, Joan. 17.: Pater, venit hora, clarifica Filium Tuum, ut et Filius Tiius clarificet Te; sicut dedisti ei potestalem omnis carnis, ut omne f quod dedisti ei, det eis vitam aeternam. Hnec est autem vita aeterna, ut cognoscant Te, solum Deum verum, et quem misisti Jesum Christum. Hi ergo sunt fructus, praerogativae et dignitates Christianismi, quos et quas toto capite, imo tota Epistola S. Joannes exposuit; propter quos et quas sit constanter in Christi affectuosa et obediente fide permanendum, inter omnes violentias et fraudulentias diaboli et clientum ejus, hominum scilicet ethnicorum, haereticorum vel alio quovis modo infidelium, aut alioqui malorum. Porro fideles tantis beneficiis a Deo affectos, tanta praemia exspectantes, tanto suo malo a fide vel obedientia Christidefecturos, si desciscant, putavit Apostohis eo tempore, iisque in locis, una insuper de re serio monendos, claudens Epistolam hac adhortatione:
5:21
21. Filioli, custodite vos a simulacris! Amen. Graeca sonant ad verbum, ut noster Interpres reddidit. Nam pro isto: simulacris, illic est: tdiv eiSwACDV, ut sensus sit: Carissimi filii, extremo hoc loco illud vobis etiam atque etiam volo impressum in animos, ut caveatis vobis ab idolis. Quae sit hujus clausulae sententia, expendendum est; et quorsum eamParthis fidelibus, ad quos haec prima Epistola scribitur, inculcatam velit Joannes Apostolus. Sunt variae interpretationes. Prima, et haud dubie maxime germana, quam Didjmus priore loco ponit, et solam ex eo repetit Oecumenius, est, ut sensus sit: Cavete vobis ab omni idololatria, omnique idololatriae parte ac specie. Sed continuo quaestio oritur, cur hoc sive moneat, sive praecipiat B. Joannes fidelibus, jam ab idololatria ad unius veri Dei et Christi Domini fidem conversis, praesertim quum in variis hujus Epistolae partibus eos laudaverit tamquam sanctos, tamquam victores diaboli, tamquam filios Dei. Kespondet Didymus, atque ex eo Oecumenius, et recte, quod haec Epistola scribitur universae Ecclesiae Parthorum Christianorum: in qua (ut in quavis alia) erant omnis generis fideles, et inter alios quidam non satis firmi et lutegri in fide Christiana, sed lubrici, aut retinentes adhuc quasdam veteris idololatriae reliquias. Idcirco hac finali monitione eorum saluti consulere voluisse Apostolum. Confirmat hanc responsionem Didymus ex Paulo Apostolo, qui cum 1 Cor. 1. laudasset eos tamquam divites in Christo, et quibus nihil deeseet in ulla gratia, idem tamen in eadem Epistola eosdem Corinthios de variis peccatis reprehendit, vel praemonet, ac nominatim de idololatria; volens nimirum, ut nuUo modo contaminarentur cultu idolorum, neque directe, neque indirecte, neque specie tenus, veluti comedendo idolothyta, aut recumbendo in idolio. Unde ejusdem prioris ad Corinthios cap. 5. ita scribit: Si is, qui frater nominatur, est fornicator, aut avarus, aut idolis serviens, cum ejusmodi nec cibum sumere. Ecce, nominat fratrem, qui tamen serviat idolis, scilicet externa professione aut professionis specie, contaminando nimirum sese manducatione eorum, quae idolis erant immolata; sicut idem Apostolus se ipsum exponit cap. 8. toto et parte cap. 10. Quo posteriore loco concludens doctrinam et exhortationem suam de idolothjtis, italoquitur: Propter quod, carissimi mihij fugite ab idolorum cultura. Quae est eadem sententia cum hac Apostoli Joannis. Hac nimirum de causa in generali Apostolorum concilio erat prohibitum, ne fideles vescerentur idolothytis, Act. 15. Quae utique prohibitiones non solius scandali vitandi causa factae sunt his Scripturae locis, sed etiam periculi. Nec enim mediocre erat periculum Christianis in medio idololatrarum de gentibus, praesertim rudioribus vel infirmioribus, ne vel metu, vel pudore, vel placendi studio facerent saltem externum aliquid ad idolorum cultum pertinens. Quomodo nunc (ah dolor!) nonnuUi catholici, habitantes inter haereticos rerum per diversas provincias potientes, interdum quaedam faciunt aut dicunt fidei catholicae ant institutis Ecclesiae dissentanea. Et ex his liquet, quanta vel imperitia, vel improbitate sectarii hunc locum B. Joannis detorqueant adversus imagines Christi Domini et Sanctorum, asserentes, non posse intelligi de idolis ethnicorum, eo quod (ut aiunt) fidelibus, ad quos scribit Apostolus, nullum erat periculum cultus idololatrici. Dicant igitur, de quibus idolis locuti sint Apostoli in suo decreto Jerosolymis facto, Act. 15, et de quibus sit locutus Paulus Apostolus in Epistola ad Corinthios, locis citatis. Dicant etiam, qua in schola didicerint imagines Christi aut Sanctorum appellare idola. Nos autem cum Synodo Nicaena secunda, actione quinta et septima (utrobique sub finem), anathema dicimus omnibus, qui eas idola appellant. Audiant potius sectarii, quae sit hujus Apostolicae sententiae altera apud Didymum expositio, eademque prima inter eas tres, quas ponit Venerabilis Beda; nimirum idola hic appellari opiniones et doctrinas haereticorum. Quae expositio, si non est plane genuina et ab Apostolo his in verbis intenta, est certe illi proxima. Nam de cavendis pseudoprophetis et autichristis multa dixerat Apostolus hac Epistola cap. 2. et 4. Porro eorum opiniones et doctrinae merito dicuntur idola, quia ab illis proponuntur tamquam Dei verbum, et tamquam earum susceptione ac veneratione colatur Deus; quum sint impiae falsitates. Idola igitur merito appellentur. quum sint quaedam repraesentationes, sive sensibiles, sive intelligibiles, cultus divini exercendi causa formatae ac propositae, quibus tamen nihil rei subest. Videtur autem Didymus hanc suam posteriorem expositionem priori quodammodo praeferre, quando subjungit, quod, si hoc modo ista Apostoli verba intelligantur, congruus finis per ea huic Epistolae imponatur, in qua de pseudoprophetis et antichristis cavendis fideles monuerat. Pro eodem hujus Scripturae intellectu adferri possunt B. Hieronymi diversa loca: in cap. 2. et in 44. Jesaiae, in cap. 3. Danielis, in cap. 2. Abacuc Prophetae, V. 18., in cap. 13. Zachar. v. 2. Adde S. Augustinum Confess. lib. 7. cap. 14., ubi significat, quod haeretici suam ipsorum animam faciunt templum idolo, in quo collocant figmentum erroris sui. Adde Vincentium Lirinensem sui libelli cap. 15., ubi ait, quod in vetere testamento per deos alienos allegorice intelliguntur haereses, quod ita ab haereticis opiniones suae, sicut a gentilibus dii sui, observentur. Tertia expositio est apud Commentatorem S. Thomae nomen praeferentem, qua per idola hic intelligitur simulata haereticorum pietas, ipsique adeo haeretici, quatenus pietatem simulant. Posset generaliter totum genus hypocriseos nomine idolorum censeri, quia species sanctitatis assumitur a simulatoribus, quum non habeant. Huc adferri queat illud Zachariae Prophetae, cap. 11.: O pastor et idolum, derelinquens gregem. Quarta expositio, quae est secunda apud Bedam, hic per idola intelligit avaritiam, quam Paulus Apostolus dixit esse idolorum servitutem, Eph. 5., Col. 3. Quinta expositio est, quae apud eundem Venerabilem Bedam his verbis paraphrastice eflPertur: Observate, ne quas mundi illecebras conditoris amori prae- COMMENTARIUS IN CAP. ponatis; nam et hoc inter idola reputabitur. Caeterum satis per se liquet, quartim et quintam expositiones, tametsi verissimam doctrinam contineant, nun esse ad mentem Apostoli iu verbis istis: Cavete vobis ab idolis. Secunda et tertia propius accedunt; prima vero indubie est maxime genuina, ut dictum est. Sed ex hac postrema clausula unum quiddam colligeie debemus, quod concernat eos, quibus haec Epistola scripta est. Nempe, quum satis constet, sriptam esse ad Parthos, ut testantur S. Hjginius Papa Epist. 1. cap. 1. in fine, S. Augustinus Qaaest. Evang. lib. 2. q. 39., et Possidius in ludiculo, commemorans Tractatus B. Augustini in Epistolam primam Joannis, his verbis: De Epistola Joannis Apostoli ad Parthos, Sermones decem, necnon Joannes II. Papa in Epist. ad Valerium; quum (inquam) hi omnes sine dubitatione tradant, esse scriptam ad Parthos, ex hac finali clausula debemus ratiocinari, non esse scriptam solis JuJaeis in Parthia ac finitimis provinciis degentibus, ad fidem Christi conversis; sed etiam ad earum regionum gentiles, V. EPIST. I. B. JOANNIS. jam factos Christianos. Nam post adventum Christi Judaei non coluerunt idola, ut soliti erant facere quondam; ut hoc beneficium ea gens a Christo Jesu acceperit, tametsi ab ea non recepto. Proinde non propter Judaeos Parthos, ad Christianismum conversos, posita est haec ultimis verbis monitio; sed propter eos, qui illis in provinciis ex ethnicis idololatris fuerant ad fidem Christi adducti.
Amen. Hac vocula, velut sigillo quodam, obsignat Epistolam saam Apostolus. Valet autem ad confirmandum, ea, quae tota Epistola tradiderat, fide tenenda; tamquam diceret: Vere haec ita sc habent; veritatem coram Deo dixi vobis. Valet item ad approbandum praecepta et monitiones, quas per totam Epistolam fecit; quarum ultima est extremis Epistolae verbis proxime explicatis. Approbat enim, qui optat aliquid fieri. Et horum respectu istud: Amen, positum est pro eo, quod diceretur: Ita fiat. Nam LXX. Interpretes ad finem Psalm. 40. Amen, amen, reddiderunt: Fiat, fiat. Diximus ea de voce satis multa in commentario ad finem Psalmi illius 40.
5:1
… The central theme of apostolic preaching is that Jesus is the Ch., from Peter (Act. 2:36) and Paul (Act. 9:22; 17:3; 18:5, 28) to John (Io. 20:31; I Io. 2:22; 5:1; II Io. 7, 9). The polemic on this point burns against the Jews, who awaited the Ch. (Io. 1:20, 25, 41; 3:28; Lc. 3:15), suspected that it was Jesus (Io. 4:29; 7:26 ff. 31, …
5:4
… object the primacy of the obligation of faith over all other obligations (Acts 15:7 ff.; cf. 10:34-43). St. John also declares it expressly: "This is the law that God imposes on us: to believe in his Son" (1 Jn 3:23); faith is the victory over the world (ibid., 5:4 ff.). …
5:7
… He published much on the subject, and also wrote notable studies on the Greek version of Daniel (1897), on the Jews at Alexandria (1906), on Etheria (1927), etc. Especially to be noted are his articles on the Comma Ioannaeum (1 Jn. 5:7b-8a), which perhaps contributed to the modification of the decree of the
… of the divine Substance: "There are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are one" (1 Jn. 5:7).
Estius, Guilielmus (Messel van Est, Willem)
Among the biblical ones we note: In omnes D. Pauli epistolas commentaria (2 vols. in-fol., Douai 1614); In quinque epistolas catholicas commentaria (ibid. 1616). The notes from I Io. 5:7 to the end of the epistles and those concerning the minutiae of John were added by the publisher B. Petters (Petrus). …
… Apart from the so-called "Comma Johanneum" (I Jn. 5:7), on whose scope discussion remains open (cf. T. Ayuso, Nuevo estudio sobre el « Comma Johanneum », in Biblica, 28 [1947], pp. 83-112, 216-35), one must consult the great Trinitarian …
… of secular Greek and in the Christian ones of "word of God," "divine commandment," "biblical saying," "Revelation," "evangelical preaching," and in St. John with the meaning of "divine Word" 6 times (Jn. 1:1 [three times]; 1:14; 1 Jn. 1:1; Rev. 19:13; 1 Jn. 5:7 is not to be considered: v. COMMA GIOVANNEO).
… If it is proved that a reading of the V. (cf. Jn. 8, 25; 1 Jn. 5, 7) has no counterpart in the original, the text cannot be presented as a scriptural argument, while still preserving its doctrinal value because it is the expression of a constant tradition. …
5:11
John, Apostle, Evangelist, Saint
… 8:47); ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἶναι (I Jn. 4:5 = Jn. 3:23); ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλεῖν (I Jn. 4:5 = Jn. 3:31); τῆς γῆς, ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατεῖν (I Jn. 2:11 = Jn. 8:12; 12:35). Likewise "life" (α) is Christ (Jn. 1:4; [6:48]; 11:25; 14:6 = I Jn. 1:1 f.; 5:11, 20); the "light" φῶς is God and Christ (Jn. 1:4, 5, 7; 3:19 = I Jn. 1:5, 7; 2:8).
5:16
… proclaimed by Christ as irremissible, not through any defect of the power of the keys, but because, as a conscious resistance to the work of the Spirit intended to facilitate faith and conversion, it (morally) excludes such remission; β) the sin "ad mortem" (1 John 5:16 ff.), according to the context of the whole letter, is the deliberate and total defection from faith in Christ, committed by those who not only de facto transgress the commandments, but …
5:18
… to attain union with God without the mediation of the historical Christ and without observance of the commandment of charity; for such a sin the word of 1 John 3:9 holds ("omnis qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit... et non potest peccare," cf. ibid. 5:18); it presupposes a disposition with which impenitence is connaturally united, hence a sin not "simply" mortal (in our sense), but one that leads (πρὸς indicates the final term) to …
… 8:38; I Cor. 15:24), who govern all those who do not belong to God (Io. 15:19; 17:14; I Io. 4:4-5). As ruler of this world, S. has nothing in Jesus, who is not of the world (Io. 8:23; 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 17:14-16); S. cannot harm the children of God (I Io. 5:18). S. confesses that his power is derived (Lc. 4:6). He is a tempter who knows how to exploit even Scripture (Mt. 4:6) to seduce the Messiah; Judas is his victim (Lc. 22:3; Io. 13:27); …
5:19
… The entire "world" (in a pejorative sense: Io. 1:10; 7:7; 15:18; 16:20; 17:9-16; I Io. 2:16; 5:19; Mt. 18:7; Gal. 6:14) is subject to S. because of the extreme sharpening of the ontological-ethical dilemma (God or nothingness, life or death, holiness or iniquity) tending toward …
… from it, over all (Rom. 5:12-14; I Tim. 2:14), and humanity is subject to his baleful influence; he has in it "strongholds and heights rising up against the knowledge of God" (II Cor. 10:4-5); the entire world lies in the evil one (ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται; I Jn. 5:19); because he is the irreducible enemy of light his sin is irremissible (Jn. 1:5, 9-11; 15:22-24; 17:9; Mt. 12:32). It is more than an empire; it is almost a mystical body, as, echoing …
5:20
… For he is qualified as the Son of God properly so called (Rom. 8:32), only-begotten (Mt. 3:17; 17:5), unique (Io. 1:14, 18; 3:16), firstborn (Col. 1:15), true (I Io. 5:20); appellations that absolutely exclude any sonship other than the natural one.
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.