¶ The synguler loue of God towarde vs: and how we agayne oughte to loue one an other.
CAPI. III.
[ A] BEholde what loue the father hathe she∣wed on vs that we shoulde be called the sonnes of God. For this cause the worlde knoweth you not, because it knoweth not hym. Derely beloued, nowe are we the sonnes of God, and yet it doeth not appeare what we shall be. But we knowe that when it shall appeare, we shall be lyke him. For we shall se hym as he is. And euerye manne that hathe this hope in hym, puryfyeth hym selfe, euen as he is pure. Who so euer com∣mytteth synne, committeth vnryghteousnesse [ B] also, for synne isφ 1.1 vnryghteousnesse. And ye knowe he appeared to take awaye oure syn∣nes, and in hym is no synne. As many as a∣byde in hym, synne not: who so euer syn∣neth, hathe not sene hym, neyther hath kno∣wen hym.
Babes, let no man deceyue you. He that doeth ryghteousnesse, is ryghteous, euen as he is ryghteous. He that committeth synne, is of the deuyll: for the deuyll synneth frome the begynnynge. For this purpose appeared the sonne of God, to lowse the workes of the deuyll.* 1.2 Who so euer is borne of God, syn∣neth not: for his seed remayneth in hym, and he can not synne, because he is borne of God. In this are the chyldren of God knowen, and the chyldren of the deuyll.
Who so euer doeth not ryghtwysnesse, is not of God, neyther he that loueth not his [ C] brother.
φ 1.3For this is the tydynges, that ye herde frome the begynnynge, that ye shoulde loue one an other: not as* 1.4 Cayn whyche was of the wycked / and slewe his brother. And wherfore slewe he hym? Because his owne workes were euyll, and his brothers good. ✚ Meruayle not my brethren, thoughe the worlde hate you. We knowe that we are translated frome death vnto lyfe, because we loue the brethren. He that loueth not his bro∣ther, abydeth in death.φ 1.5 Who so euer hateth his brother, is a murtherer. And ye knowe that no murtherer, hathe eternall lyfe aby∣dynge in hym.
* 1.6φ Hereby perceyue we the charitie of God: that he gaue his lyfe for vs: and therfore oughte we also to gyue our lyues for the bre∣thren. Who so euer hath this worldes good, and seeth his brother haue nede: and shut∣teth vp his compassion frome hym: howe dwelleth the loue of God in hym? My ba∣bes, let vs not loue in worde, ne in tongue: but with the dede, and in veritie: ✚ for ther∣by we knowe that we are of the veritie, and before hym shall appease oure hertes. But yf oure hertes condempne vs, God is greatter [ D] then oure hertes, and knoweth all thynges.* 1.7 Beloued, yf oure hertes condempne vs not, then haue we truste vpon God: and what so euer we aske, we shall receyue of hym: be∣cause we kepe his commaundementes, and do those thynges / whiche are pleasynge in his syghte.
And this is his commaundemente, that we beleue on the name of his sonne Iesu Christe, and loue one an other, as he gaue commaundemente. And he that kepeth his commaundementes, dwelleth in hym, and he in hym: and thereby we knowe that there abydethe in vs, of the spyryte, whyche he gaue vs.