18.
[A8]  Here begynnethe the first Ep-
		istle of Saynte Iohn.
			Chapi. I.
THat whiche was frome the begynninge declare we vnto you /
which we haue herde / which we haue sene with our eyes /	    5
whiche we looked vpon / and oure handes have handled of
the worde of life.  For the life apperide / and we haue 
sene / and beare witnesse and shewe vnto yowe that ever-
lastinge life / whiche was with the father and apered vnto
vs.												   10
	In that saint Iohn saithe.  The thinge which was from
the beginninge / and the euerlastinge life that was with
the father / he witnessithe that Christe is very God / as
he dothe in the begining of his gospel sainge.  The word
or the thing / was at the beginninge / and the thinge was	   15
with God / and that thing was god / and al thinges were
made by it.
	And when he saith / which we hard and sawe with our
eyes / and our handes handled him / he testifieth that Christ
is very man also / as he dothe in the beginninge of his Gos-   20
pel sayenge.  The worde or that thing was made fleshe /
that is / became man.  And thus we haue in playne & open




												19.
wordes a manifest article of oure faythe / that our
sauiour Christe is very god & veri man.
[A8v]  Whiche article who so ever not only belevithe / but
also belevithe in it / the same is the sonne of God / and
hath euerlastinge life in him / & shal never come in to	    5
condemnacion / as it is writen Iohn the .i.  He gaue them
power to be the sonnes of God / in that they belevyd in his
name.  And Iohn the .iij. he that belevythe in the sonne
hathe ever lastinge life.  And a litle before in the said
chaptre.  He that belevythe in him shal not be condemnyd.	   10
And to beleue in the wordes of this article / is that eat-
ynge of Christes fleshe and drinkinge his bloude of which
is spoken Iohn .vi.  The wordes whiche I speake ar sprite
& life / & the fleshe profiteth not at al / meaninge of the
fleshly eting of his body / & fleashly drinkyng of his		   15
bloude.  There is therfor greate difference betwene belev-
inge that there is a God & that Christ is God & man / and
to beleue in God and Christ God and man / and in the prom-
yses of mercie that are in hym.  The first is commune to
good and bad / and vnto the deuels therto and is called the    20
faithe and beleue of the historie.  The seconde is propre
vnto the sonnes of God and is their life / as it is written.




												20.
The rightwise liveth by faithe / that is / in puttinge his
trust / confidence / and hole hope in the goodnes / mercie /
and helpe of God / in al aduersities / bodely and gostlie /
and all temptacions / & even in sinne and hel / howe depe
so ever he be fallen therin.							    5
	But as he whiche fealythe not his disease / can longe
for no healthe / euen so it is impossible for any man to
beleue in Christes bloude / excepte Moses have had hym
first in cure / and withe his lawe have robbyd him of his
rightwisnes / and condemned him vnto everlastinge deeth and    10
haue shewyd hym vnder what damnation they [B1] ar in by
byrthe in Adam.  And howe all their dedes (appere they
neuer so holie) ar yet but damnable synne because they can
refer nothinge vn to the glorie of God / but seke them
selues / their awne proffyt / honoure and glorie.  So that	   15
repentaunce toward the lawe must go before this belefe /
and he whiche repentythe not / but consentythe vnto the life
of synne hathe no parte in this faithe.
	And when Iohn callyth Christ the euerlasting life that
was with the father / he signifieth that Christ is our life /  20
as after in the pistle / & in the first also of his gospell
sayenge.  In hym was life.  For vntill we receaue life of




												21.
Christ by faithe we ar dead & can be but deade / as saith
Iohn in the .iij.  He that beleuyth not in the sonne / can
se no life / but the wrathe of God abydithe vpon hym.  Of
whiche wrathe we ar heyres by byrthe sayth Paule.  Ephe. ij.
Of which wrathe we ar ignorant / vntill the lawe be pub-	    5
lisshed / & walke quietlie after oure lustes / and loue
God wickedly / that he shuld be content therwith and mayn-
tene vs therin contrary vnto his Godly & righteous nature.
But assone as the lawe (whose nature is to vtter synne
.Rom. iij. and to sette man at variance / withe God) is	   10
preached / then we first awake out of oure dreame / and se
oure damnation / and hate the lawe whiche is so contrary
vnto oure nature / & grouge against God therto / as yoinge
children doo against their eldres when they first commande /
and counte God a cruell tyraunte because of his lawe in	   15
that he condemneth vs for that thing which we can not loue /
nor of loue fulfyll.
	But when Christ is preachid / howe that God for his
sake receauyth vs to mercie / & forgiuyth [B1v] vs all that
is past / & hence forthe rekeneth not vnto vs oure cor-	   20
rupte & poysoned nature / and takyth vs as his sonnes / and
puttyth vs vnder grace and mercie / and promysithe that he




												22.
will not iudge vs by the rigorousnes of the lawe / but
nourture vs with all mercie and patience / as a father
most mercyfull.  Only if we will submitt oure selues
vnto his doctryne and lerne to kepe his lawes.  Ye and he
will therto consyder our mekenes / and what so euer chaun-	    5
seth neuer takythe away his mercy / tyll we cast of the
yoke of oure profession first / & run away with vtter
defiaunce / that we wyll neuer come more at scole.  Then
oure stubborne & harde hertys mollifie and wax softe / and
in the confidence and hope that we haue in Christ and his	   10
kindenes we go to God boldly as vnto oure father and
receaue life / that is to say loue vnto God and vnto the
lawe also.
	That whiche we haue sene & herd we declare vnto youe 
that ye may haue felowship with vs / and that oure felow-	   15
shipe may be with the father / & with his sonne Iesus
Christ.  And thes thinges we wryte vnto you that youer ioy
may be full.
	To bringe vnto the felowshipe of God and Christ / and
of them that beleue in Christ / is the final entent of al	   20
the scripture / why it was giuen of God vnto man / & the
only thinge whiche all trewe preachers seke / & wherbi ye




												23.
shal euer knowe & discerne the true worde of God frome
all false / & counterfayted doctryne of vayne traditions
[B2] & the true preacher frome the wylie hypocrite.  We
preache vnto youe (saithe Iohn) that ever lastinge life
whiche we haue herd / & in heringe receaued thorowe fayth	    5
& ar suer of it / to drawe youe to vs out of the felow-
shipe that ye haue with the damned deuells in synfull
lustes and ignoraunce of God / for we seke youe & not
youres as saith Paule .ij. Corin. xij.  We loue youe as
oure selues in God / and therfor wold haue youe felowes /	   10
and equall with vs / & byld youe vpon the foundation
layde of the Apostles and Prophetys which is Christ Iesus /
& make youe of the houshold of God for euer / that ye / &
we / felawes & brethern / and coupled to gether in one
sprite / in one faithe and in one hope / might haue oure	   15
felowshipe therby with God / and become his sonnes and
heyres / and with Iesus Christ / beinge his brethern &
coheyres / and to make youre Ioy full thoroue that glade
tydinges / as the Aungell said vnto the shepardes Luc .ij.
Beholde I shewe youe greate Ioye that shalbe vnto all the	   20
people / howe that ther is a sauioure borne vnto you this
day which is Christ the lord.  And thes tydinges we bringe




												24.
you with the word of God only which we receauid of his sprite /
and owte of the mowthe of his sonne as true messengers.
	We preache not oure selues / but Christ oure lorde /
& vs youre seruauntes for his sake / we do not loue oure
selues / to seke yours vnto vs / that after we had with	    5
wiles robbyde youe of all ye haue / we shulde exalt oure
selues ouer youe & seperat oure selues from youe & make
oure selues a seuerall kyngdome / fre & franke raynyng
ouer youe as hethen tyrauntes & holdinge youe in bondage
to serue our lucre & lustes tanglinge your [B2v] con-		   10
science withe doctryn of man which draweth from God and
Christ and fearinge youe with the bugg of excommunication
agaynst Godys word.  Or if that seruyd not / shakyng a
shwerd at youe.
	And this is the tydinges whiche we haue herd of hym /	   15
and declare vnto youe / that God is light and in hym is
no darknes at all.  If we say that we haue felowship with
hym / & yet walke in darknes we lye / and do not the truthe.
But and if we walke in light as he ys in lyght / then haue
we felowship to gether / & the bloud of Christ his sone /	   20
clensith vs from all synne.
	As the deuell is darknes and lyes / so is God light
                                                                                                                                                                                                            
												25.
and trueth only / and ther is no darknes of falshed and
consentynge to wikednes in hym.  And the brightnes of his
light is his word and doctrine / as the .c. and .xix.
Psalme saith.  Thy word is a lantern vnto my fete and a
light to my pathes.  And Christ is the light that lightneth	    5
all men.  And Thapostles ar called the light of the world /
because of the doctrine.  And all that knowe trueth ar
light.  Ye wer once darknes saith Paule .Ephe. v.  But nowe
light in the lorde / walke therfor as the chyldren of lyght.
And good workes ar callyd the frutes of light.  And all	   10
that lyue in ignoraunce ar called darknes / as he saith
afterward / he that hateth his brother walketh in dark-
nes.  For if the light of the glori[B3]ous Gospell of
Christ did shyne in his harte / he coulde not hate his bro-
ther.											   15
	By walkynge vnderstonde / consentinge / doynge / and
workinge.  If then we walk in darknes / that is / consent
and work wykednes / and say we haue felowship with God we
lye.  For / to haue felowshipe with hym / is to knowe and
consent and professe his doctrine in oure hertes.  Nowe	   20
if the commaundementes of God be writen in oure hertes /
oure membres can not but practise them and shewe the frute.




												26.
So whether light or darknes be in the hert / it wyll
apere in the walkinge.  For thoughe our membres be neuer
so deade vnto vertue / yet if oure soules knowlege the
truthe & consent vnto rightwisnes / we haue the sprite of
life in vs.  And saith Paule Roma. viij.  If the sprite of	    5
hym that reysed vp Iesus from deth be in youe then will
he that raysed vp Iesus from deeth / quicken your mortall
bodies / by the reason of the sprite that dwellyth in
youe.  So that it is not possible for hym that knoweth
the trueth & consentyth therto to contynewe in synne.  And	   10
then finally if we haue the light in oure hertes & walke
therin / then we haue felowship with God / and ar his
sonnes and heires / and ar purged from all synne thoroue
Christes bloud.
	If we saye we haue no synne we disceaue oure selues 	   15
and trueth is not in vs.
	If we thinke ther is no synne in vs / we ar begyld
and blynde and the light of Godes word is not in vs / &
ether folowe synne as bestys without conscience at all.
Or if we se the grosse synnes / as Murther / Thefte / and	   20
adultery / yet [B3v] we haue hanged a vayle of false
gloses vpon Moses face and / se not the brightnes of the




												27.
lawe / howe that it requireth of vs as pure an herte to
God / and as greit loue vnto oure neybours as was in oure
sauioure Iesus and ceaseth not before to condemne vs as
synners.
	If we knowlege oure synnes he is faythfull and iust 	    5
to forgive vs oure synnes and to clense vs frome all
vnrightwisnes.
	If we confesse oure synnes / not in the prestes eare
(thoughe that tradition restoryd vnto the right vse were
not damnable) but in our hertes to God with trewe repen-	   10
tance and fast beleue.  Then is he faithful to forgiue and
to purge vs / because of his merciful truthe and promise.
For he promysed Abraham that in his seede all the world
shuld be blesside frome the curse of sinne.  And hathe
aboundantlie renued his everlastinge mercie vnto vs in the	   15
newe testament / promysinge that oure sinnes shalbe for-
given vs in Christes bloude / if we repent and trust
therto.
	If we say we haue not synned we make him a lyer and
his worde is not in vs.								   20
	For his word testifieth against vs / that we ar al
synners / ye and else Christe died in vayne.  Salomon




												28.
saith .3. Reg. 8.  That there is noman that synneth not
agaynst God.  And Paule proueth by thauctorite of the
scripture vnto the Romayns that we ar al synners with out
exception.  [B4]  And the scripture witnessith that we
ar damnable synners / and that oure nature is to synne.	    5
Which corrupt and poysoned nature / thoughe it be begunne
to be healed / yet is it never thorowe hole vntil the
hower of death.  For the which cause with al our best
frutes / ther growe wedes amonge.  Nether can ther be any
dede so perfecte that could not be amendyd.  When a 		   10
blynde bongler wonderyth at his gloriouse workes / a con-
nynge worke man that hathe a clere iudgment perceaveth
that it is impossible to make a worke that coulde not be
made better.  Nowe the lawe requireth workes of vs in the
hiest degre of perfection and ceaseth not to accuse vs / 	   15
vntil our workes flowe naturallie / as glorious in per-
fection as the workes of Christ.  And Christ teachith vs
to pray in our pater noster forgeue vs our trespasses as
we forgeue our trespasers.  Wherby ye may easlie vnder-
stonde that we synne daily one against a nother and al		   20
against God.  Christ taught also to pray that oure father
shuld not let vs slyp in to temptation / signifieng that




												29.
our nature can not but sinne if occasions be geven /
except that God of his especial grace kepe vs bake.
Which pronite to synne is damnable synne in the lawe of
God.  Dauid prayed in the .68. Psalme.  Let not the tem-
pest drowne me / let me not fal in to the bottom / and		    5
let not the pyt shut hir mowthe vpon me / as who shulde
saye.  Fyrst kepe me God frome synnynge / then if I shal
chaunce to fall as no fleshe can escape / one tyme or
other / then cal me shortly bake agayne / and let me not
synk to depe therin / & thoughe I yet fal never so depe / 	   10
yet Lorde let not the way of mercie be stopped / signi-
fieng that it is impossible to stand of our selfs / &
moche lesse to ryse agen.  [B4v]  Whiche impotencie and
feblenes is damnable in the lawe of God / except that we
sawe it / and repentyd and wer fled to Christ for mercie.	   15
	Chapitre .ij.
My little chyldren / I write thies thynges vnto youe that
ye synne not.  And thoughe any man synne / yet we haue an
Aduocate withe the father / euen Iesus Christ / whiche is
righteous.										   20
	I write vnto youe on the one syde / that God is light
& therfor that no man which willinglie walkyth in the




												30.

vnfrutefull workes of darknes hathe eny fealowship with
that light or parte in the bloude of his sonne.  And this
I write and testifie vnto you my deare children / that ye
synne not / that is that ye consent not vnto synne / and
shuld synne of lust and purpose malitiously but contrarie	    5
wise that ye feare God & resist synne with all your might
and powre accordinge as ye haue promised.  For who so euer
synneth of purpose after the knowlege of trouthe / the same
synneth against the holie gost remediles.  Hebreus .vi. and
also .x.											   10
	And on the other syde I testifie vnto you that we be
all way sinners / though not of purpose & malice / after
the nature of damned deuells / but of infirmitie & frail-
tie of oure fleshe / which flesh not only lettyth vs that
oure workes cannot be perfect / but also nowe and then		   15
thorowe manyfold occasions and temptacions caryeth vs
cleane out of the right waye spite of oure hertes.  [B5]
How be it (I say) if when the rage is past / we turne vnto
the right way agayne / and confess oure sinnes vnto our
father with a repenting hert / he hath promysed vs mearcie /   20
& is true to fulfil it.  So that if we sinne not diuellish-
lie againe the holie gost / refusing the doctrine which we



												31.
can not improve that it shuld not be true / but after the
frailtie of man / ther is no cause to dispaire: For we have
an aduocat & an intercessor with the father / even Iesus
Christ that is righteous.
	The name of our aduocat is Iesus / that is to say a	    5
savioure.  Cal his name Iesus said thaungel to Ioseph /
for he shal saue his people frome their sinnes.  Matth. I.
And this aduocat and our Iesus to save vs from our sinnes /
continueth ever / as it is writen .Hebre. 7. and hath Sem-
piternum sacerdotium / an everlastinge office to make an	   10
attonment for sinne.  By the reason wherof saith the text /
he is able ever to save them that come to God thoroue hym /
with repentance and faithe / & livethe ever to speake for
vs.  And beside that oure Iesus is God / and almightie.
He toke our nature vpon hym / and felte al oure infirmities    15
and siknesses / and in felynge lernyd to haue compassion
on vs / & for compassion cryed mightely in prayers to God
the father for vs / and was herd.  And the voyce of the
same bloude that once cryed / not for vengeance as Abels /
but for mercye only / and was herd / cryeth nowe and ever /    20
and is ever herd / as ofte as we call vnto remembrance with
repentynge faithe howe that it was shed for oure sinnes.




												32.
He is also callyd Christus / that is to say king anoynted
with al might and powre over sinne / deth and hel and over
al sinnes / so that none that flyeth vnto hym shal ever
com in to iudgement of damnation.  [B5v]  He is anoynted
with al fulnes of grace / and hath al the treasure and		    5
riches of the sprite of God in his hande / with whiche he
blessith al men according to the promyse made to Abraham /
and is therto mercyful to giue vnto al that cal on hym.
And howe moch he louyth vs I report me vnto the ensample
of his dedes.										   10
	And he is righteous / both towarde God in that he
neuer sinned / and therfor hath obtayned al his favoure
and grace / and also toward vs in that he is true to ful-
fil al the mercie that he hath promised vs / euen vnto the
vttermost Iot.										   15
	And he is the satisfaction for oure synnes / and not
for oures only / but also for all the worldes.
	That I cal satisfaction the Greke callithe Ilasmos /
and the Hebrewe Copar.  And it is first taken for the
swagynge of woundes / sores / and swellinges / and the 	   20
takinge away of payne and smart of them.  And thence is
borowyd for the pacifieng and swaging of wrath and angre /




												33.
and for an amendes makyng / a contentyng / satisfaction /
a raunsome / and makynge at one / as it is to se aboun-
dantlie in the Bible.  So that Christ is a ful contentynge /
satisfaction and raunsome for oure sinnes.  And not for
oures only whiche are Apostles & disciples of Christ while	    5
he was yet here / or for oures which ar Iues or Israelits
& the seed of Abraham / or for ours that nowe beleue at
this present time / but for al mens sinnes / bothe for
their sinnes which went before and beleved the promises to
come / & for oures which haue sene them fulfilled / and	   10
also for al them which shal afterwarde beleue vnto the
worldes ende / of what so ever nation or degre they be.
For [B6] Paule commaundeth .1. Thimoth. 2. to pray for al
men & al degrees / sainge that to be acceptable vnto our
savioure God / which wil haue al men saued & come to the 	   15
knowleg of the trueth / that is some of al nations and al
degrees / and not the Iewys only.  For (saith he) there is
one God / and one mediatoure betwen God and man / the man
Christ Iesus / which gaue hym self a redemption and ful
satisfaction for al men.								   20
	Let this therfore be an vndoubted article of thy
faythe / not of an historie faithe as thoue beleuest a




												34.
gest of Alexandre / or of the olde Romaynes / but of a
liuely faith and belefe / to put thy trust and confidence
in / & to by & sel theron / as we saye / & to haue thy
sinnes taken away / & thy soule saued therbie / if thou
hold it fast: & to continewe euer in sinne / and to haue 	    5
thy soule damned if thou let it slip / that our Iesus /
our sauioure that savyth his people from their sinnes /
and our Christ / that is our kynge ouer al sinne / deth
and hel / anoynted with fulnesse of al grace & with the
Sprit of God / to distribut vnto al men / hath accordinge	   10
vnto the Epistle to the Hebrues and al the scripture / in
the dayes of his mortall fleshe / with fasting / praing /
soffering / & cryeng to God mightilie for vs / & with
shedinge his bloude made ful satisfaction both a pena &
a culpa (with our holy fathers leue) for al the sinnes		   15
of the world bothe of theirs that went before / & of theers
that come after in the faith / whether it be Original
sinne or actual / & not only the sinnes committid with
consent to evyl in tyme of ignorance befor the knouleg of
the truth / but also the sins done of frailte after we		   20
haue forsaken euel & consented to the lawes of God in our
hertes promising to folow Christ & walke in the light of