¶ The synguler loue of God towards vs: and howe we a∣gayne ought to loue one another.
CAPI. III.
BEhold, what loue the father hath shew¦ed [unspec A] on vs, that we shuld be called * 1.1 (at. d be in dede) the sōnes of God. For this cause ye world knoweth you not, bycause it know∣eth not hī. Derely beloued, no we are we the sōnes of God & yet it doth not appere, what we shalbe. But we know, that when it shall appere, we shalbe lyke him. For we shal se hi as he is. And euery mā that hath thys hope in him, pourgeth himself, euen as he also is pure. Whosoeuer commytteth synne, com∣mytteth vnryghtuousnes also, and synne is vurightuousnes. And ye knowe, that he ap∣pered, to take awaye our synnes, and in him is no synne. As many as byde in hym, synne not: whosoeuer synneth, hath not sene hym, [unspec B] neyther knowen hym.
Babes, let no man deceyue you. He that both ryghtuousnes, is ryghtuous, euen as he is ryghtuous. He that committeth sinne,* 1.2 is of the deuyll: for the deuyll synneth sence the begynnyng. For this purpose appeared the sonne of God, to lowse the workes of the deuyll. Whosoeuer is borne of God synneth not: for his sede remayneth in hym, & he can not sine, because he is borne of god. In this are the chyldren of god knowen, & the chyl∣dren of the deuyl. Whosoeuer doth not righ¦teousnes is not of god, nether he that loueth not his brother.
For thys is the tydynges, that ye hearde [unspec C] from the begynnyng, that ye shuld loue one another, not as‡ 1.3 Cayn whych was that wis ked, & slew his brother. And wherfore ile we he him? Because his owne work{is} were euyl, & his brothers good. ✚ Maruayle not my brethrē though ye world hate you. We know that we are translated from death vnto life, because we loue the brethrē. ‡ 1.4 He that loueth not his brother, abydeth in death. Whoso∣euer hateth his brother, is a man 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And ye knowe, that no man ••••a••, hath eternal lyfe abydyng in him.
Hereby perceyue we loue: bicause he gaue his lyfe for vs: and we ought to gyue out li∣ues for the brethren. But whoso hath thys worldes good and * 1.5 seyth hys brother haue nede: and shutteth vp his compassyon from him: howe dwelleth the loue of God in him? My babes, let vs not loue in worde, neither in tong: but in dede and in verite. ⊢ Hereby we know, that we are of the verite, and can quyet our hertes before him. For yf our hert condēpne vs▪ God is greater then our hert, & knoweth all thinges. Derely beloued, yf our herte condempne vs not, then haue we [unspec D] trust to God warde: and ‡ 1.6 what soeuer we aske we receyue of him, bycause we kepe his cōmaundementes, & do those thinges which are pleasyng in his syght.
And this * 1.7 is his commaundement, that we beleue on the name of hys sonne Iesus christ, & loue one another, as he gaue cōmaū¦dement. And he that kepeth his cōmaunde∣mentes, dwelleth in him, & he in him, & here∣by we know that he abideth in vs, euē by the spirit which he hath geuen vs.