schul be vndone, & þe elementis þorow brennynge of fyre schul fayle. [verse 13] Soþfastly newe heuenes & newe erþe we abyde & his byhestes, in þe whyche ryȝtwysnes dwelliþ. [verse 14] Wherfore abydynge þes þinges, my dere breþeren, bysy ȝow to be founden a-nentes him in pees vnsoyled & vnfouled, [verse 15] & trowiþ wel þat þe longe a-bydynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist is for oure hele, ryȝt as oure dere broþur Poule, aftur þe witte þat was ȝeuen him, wrote vnto ȝow; [verse 16] & as he in alle his pistelys spake of þes þinges, in þe whyche somme beþ harde to vndurstonde, þat þei þat be vnstable & vn-tauȝt deprauen, as þei don oþur wrytynges, vnto þeire oune dampnacyon. [verse 17] And þerfore, ȝe my breþeren, knowiþ it byfore, kepeþ ȝoure-self, þat þorow þe errour of hem þat beþ vnwyse ȝe be nouȝt deceyuyd, fallynge fro ȝoure firste strengþe. [verse 18] But beþ wexynge in grace & in þe knowynge of oure Saueoure Iesu Crist; to him be ioye & worschupe, worlde wiþ-outen ende. Amen.
Here bygynnyþ þe first pystyl of seynt Ion þe a-postele.
I JOHN. [folio 72b]
[verse 1] The lyf þat was wiþ-outen ende fro þe bygynnynge, þe whuche we herde, and wiþ oure eyȝen sawe, þat we byholde, & oure hondis him handlede, of þe whuche word of lyfe we haue drawe, [verse 2] & we him sawe, & bere wittnes, & schewe vnto ȝow þe lyf euerelastynge (þat is, Crist Godis sone) [Underlined.] þat was wiþ þe Fadur & to us apperud: [verse 3] þat we haue herde & seyne we schewe it vn-to ȝow, þat ȝe mowe haue felowschupe wiþ vs, & þat oure felowschepe be wiþ þe Fadur and wiþ his sone Iesu Crist. [verse 4] & þis haue we wryte vnto ȝow þat ȝe make ioye, & þat ȝoure ioye be fulle. [verse 5] & þis is þe schewynge þat we herde of him, & we schewe it vnto ȝow: for God is þe lyȝt, & þer is in him no manere of derknes. [verse 6] If we seye þat we haue felowschepe wiþ him, & we in derknes walke, we lye & doþ not soþfastnes. [verse 7] Soþly if we walken in lyȝte, so as he is in lyȝte, þanne haue we felouschype to-gedur, & þe blode of Iesu Crist his sone [MS. sonne.] makeþ vs clene of alle synne. [verse 8] If þat we seye we haue no synne, we diceyue vs-self, & soþfastnes is not in vs. [verse 9] If þat we schryue us of oure synnes, God is trewe & ryȝtwyse, & forȝeueþ oure synnes, [folio 73] and he schal make vs clene of alle manere of wickednes. [verse 10] If þat we seye we synned nouȝt, we make him a lyere, & his word is not in vs.
[verse 1] My children, þis I write to ȝow, þat ȝe synne not. But whoso-euere haþ synned, we haue Iesu Crist oure ryȝtwyse avocat byfore þe Fadur: [verse 2] & he is socoure and helpe for oure synnes; soþly not only for oures, but also for al þe worlde, þat wiþ trewe trowþe wile to him clepe. [verse 3] And in þat we wote þat we haue knowen him, if þat we kepe his biddynges. [verse 4] Whoso seiþ þat he knoweþ God, & kepeþ not his biddynges, he is a lyere, & soþfastnes is not in him. [verse 5] Soþly whoso-euere kepuþ his word, verreyly, in him is Godes charite parfyte. & in þat we knowe þat we dwelle in him, if þat we be parfyte in him. [verse 6] Whoso seiþ þat he in him dwelleþ, as he haþ go mote he go. [verse 7] My dere frendes, I wryte vnto ȝow not
