The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes

CHAP. I.

Good cause there is to beleeue the Apostles preaching. 5 And this is one point of their preaching, that to haue participation vvith God, vve must not onely beleeue, but also abstaine from al mortal sinne, 8 though vve al sinne venially.

[verse 1] THAT vvhich vvas from the begin∣ning, vvhich vve haue heard, vvhich vve haue seen vvith our eies, vvhich vve haue looked vpon, and our handes haue handled of the vvord of life: ( ✝ [leftJustify 2] and the life vvas manifested: and vve haue seen, and do testifie, and de∣clare vnto you the life eternal vvhich vvas vvith the Father, and hath appeared to vs) ✝ [leftJustify 3] that vvhich vve haue seen and haue heard, vve declare vnto you, that •• you also may haue societie vvith vs, and our societie may be vvith the Father and vvith his Sonne IESVS Christ. ✝ [leftJustify 4] And these things vve vvrite to you, that you may reioyce, and your ioy may be ful.

✝ [leftJustify 5] And this is the annuntiation vvhich vve haue heard of him,* 1.1 and declare vnto you, That * God is light, and in him there is no darkenesse. ✝ [leftJustify 6] If vve shal say that we haue societie vvith him, and vvalke in darkenesse: vve lie, and do not the truth.* 1.2 ✝ [leftJustify 7] But if we vvalke in the light, as he also is in the light: vve haue societie one tovvard an other,* 1.3 and * •• the bloud of IESVS Christ his sonne cleanseth vs •• from al sinne.* 1.4 ✝ [leftJustify 8] * If vve shal say •• that vve haue no sinne,* 1.5 vve seduce our selues, and the truth is not in vs.* 1.6 ✝ [leftJustify 9] If vve confesse our sinnes: he is faithful & iust, for to forgiue vs our sinnes, and to cleanse vs

from al iniquitie. ✝ [rightJustify 10] If vve shal say that vve haue not sin∣ned: vve make him a lier, and his vvord is not in vs.

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I.

3. You may haue societie.] S. Iohn shevveth manifestly, that vvhosoeuer desire to be partakers vvith God,* 1.7 must first be vnited to the Churches societie, learne that faith, and receiue those Sacra∣ments, vvhich the Disciples receiued of the Truth it self, conuersant vvith them in flesh. So saith Venerable Bede vpon this place. Vvhereby vve see there is no societie vvith God in sectes or schis∣mes, nor any vvhere but in the vnitie, fellovvship, and communion of that Church vvhich can proue it self to descend from the Apostles.

7. The bloud of Iesus.] Vvhether sinnes he remitted by praiers, by fasting, by almes, by faith, by charitie,* 1.8 by sacrifice, by Sacraments, & by the Priests, (as the holy Scriptures do plainely attribute remissiō to euery of these) yet none of al these do othervvise remit, but in the force, by the merite & vertue of Christs bloud: these being but the appointed meanes & instruments by vvhich Christ vvil haue his holy bloud to vvorke effectually in vs. vvhich meanes vvhosoeuer contemneth, de∣priueth him self of the cōmoditie of Christs ovvne bloud, & continueth still in sinne and vnclean∣nesse, vaunt he him self neuer so much of Christs death. Vvhich point let the Protestants marke vvel, and cease to beguile their poore deceiued folovvers, persuading them, that the Catholikes derogate from Christs bloud, or seeke remission othervvise then by it, for that they vse humbly the meanes appointed by Christ to apply the benefite of his holy bloud vnto them.

7. From al sinne.]* 1.9 From original and actual, venial and mortal, a culpa & poena, that is, from the fault and the paine due for the same. V. Bede saith, that Christs Passion doth not onely remit in Baptisme the sinnes before committed. but al other aftervvard also done by frailtie: yet so, if vve vse for the remission of them, such meanes as be requisite and as Christ hath appointed, vvhereof he reckeneth some. Bede vpon this place. See S. Augustine also vpon this place to. 9. and S. Hierome li. 2 con.▪ Pelag. c. 3.

8. That vve haue no sinne.] Vve gather by these vvordes and the former, that there be tvvo sortes of sinnes:* 1.10 one mortal, excluding vs from light and the societie of God: an other venial, vvhich is found euen in those that vvalke in the light, and are in the societie of God. Also vve note against the Pelagians,* 1.11 that vve be truely called the sonnes of God, and so iust in deede, though vve be not vvithout al sinnes, euery one of vs, as vvel iust as vniust, being taught and bound to con∣fesse our offenses, and to aske pardon daily of God, by this petition of the Pater noster, Forgiue vs our debtes. Therfore S. Augustine li. de natura & grat. c. 36. reckeneth vp al the holy Patriarches, Prophets, and renovvmed iust persons, to haue been sinners, euen vvhen they vvere in grace and Iustice: excepting alvvaies our B. Ladie, de qua propter honorem Domini, nullam prorsus, cùm de peccatis agitur,* 1.12 habere volo quaestionem. of vvhom, saith he, for the honour of our Lord. vvhen vve talke of sinnes, I vvil haue no question. And Pelagius asking vvhat sinnes Abel & such iust men did commit,* 1.13 S. Au∣gustine āsvvereth, that they might laugh sometime immoderately, or iest to much, or couet some∣vvhat intēperatly, or plucke fruite ouer greedily, or in eating take somevvhat more then aftervvard vvas vvel digested,* 1.14 or haue their intention in time of praier somevvhat distracted, and such like. thus in sense S. Augustine. Vvhereby vve may learne vvhich be venial sinnes, that consist vvith true iustice &* 1.15 can not alvvaies be auoided euen of holy men in this life. In the booke de fide ad Petrum c. 41. are excepted from this common rule of sinners, the children vvhich be nevvely baptized and haue not yet vse of reason to sinne either mortally or venially.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Io. 8, 12.
• * 1.2

  Heb. 9.
• * 1.3

  1 Pet. 1.
• * 1.4

  Apo. 1.
• * 1.5

  3 Reg. 8, 46.
• * 1.6

  2 Par. 6, 36.
• * 1.7

  No saluatiō but in the Societie of the Church.
• * 1.8

  Many meanes & instruments of remitting sinne, but al by the force & me∣rite of Christs bloud applied by them.
• * 1.9

  Al remission of sinnes is by the Passiō of Christ though by secū∣darie meanes also.
• * 1.10

  Some sinnes venial.
• * 1.11

  A man may be truely iust, not∣vvithstanding venial sinnes.
• * 1.12

  S. Augustine ex∣cepteth our B. Ladie from sin∣ners.
• * 1.13

  c. 3••.
• * 1.14

  Examples of venial sinnes.
• * 1.15

  de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 perseuerās. c. 2.