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The argument vpon the fyrst Epistle of thapostle. S. John / by Erasmus of Roterodam.
THat this is Saincte Iohn thapostles epis∣tle, whiche wrote the Gospell, the very stile of the wordes selfe is a playne argument. He maketh muche a dooe in the rehersall of light and darckenes, life and deathe, hare and loue, in often repetinge the wordes, as though they were taken out of the sayinge nexte before. Of the whiche sorte (to open my saying more plainly by example) this is one: Loue not the Vuorlde, nether those thinges that are in the VVorld. Yf any manne loue the VVorlde, the loue of the father is not in hym for all that is in the VVorlde &c. And anon after: He is not of the father, but of the VVorlde: and the Vuorlde passeth aVuaye. How often here is the worlde rehearsed? Fynally in all hys sayinge there is lesse compendyous shortenes, and more open plainesse than in the writynge of the reste of thapostles. And as for thepistle, it is more euidently plaine, than nedeth any argumente, like as the two Epistles folowinge are, whiche are ascribed to one Iohn a cer∣tayne senior, and not to Iohn the apostle.
The paraphrase of Erasmus vp∣on the firste Epistle of Sainct Iohn.
The fyrste Chapter.
That which was from the beginnyng, which we haue herd, which we haue sene with our eyes, which we haue loked vpon, and oure handes haue handled, of the worde of the lyfe. And ••he lyfe appeared, and we haue sene and beare witnes, and shewe vnto you that eternall life, whiche was with the father, and appeared vnto vs. That whithe we haue sene and hearde, declare we vnto you, that ye also maye haue felowshyp with vs, and that oure felowship maye be with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ. And thys wryte we vnto you, that (ye maye reioyce, and that) youre ioye may be full.
VVE write not vnto you, dearely beloued brethren, of stender or meane thinges, or of thinges vnknowen, but of a newe matter: howbeit so newe vnto vs, that with God it was from euerlasting. This is the worde of God, euen Iesus Christe bothe God and manne: whiche where he was al∣wayes the sonne of God, woulde of late be the sonne of a mayden: and which after hys diuine nature was inuisible to mans eies, vouchesafed to take vpon hym an humayne bodye: and did vouchesafe to be famyliarly conuersaunte among men, that he might ••arye vs vp from the darkenes of our ignoraunce to the lyght of Gos∣pelli••••