3. “And we are witnesses, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us:” i.e., manifested among us: which might be more plainly expressed, manifested to us. “The things,” therefore, “which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you.”16    1 John i. 3. Those saw the Lord Himself present in the flesh, and heard words from the mouth of the Lord, and told them to us. Consequently we also have heard, but have not seen. Are we then less happy than those who saw and heard? And how does he add, “That ye also may have fellowship with us”? Those saw, we have not seen, and yet we are fellows; because we hold the faith in common. For there was one who did not believe even upon seeing, and would needs handle, and so believe, and said, “I will not believe except I thrust my fingers into the place of the nails, and touch His scars.”17    John xx. 25–29. And He did give Himself for a time to be handled by the hands of men, who always giveth Himself to be seen by the sight of the angels; and that disciple did handle, and exclaimed, “My Lord, and my God!” Because he touched the Man, he confessed the God. And the Lord, to console us who, now that He sitteth in heaven, cannot touch Him with the hand, but only reach Him with faith, said to him, “Because thou hast seen, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believe.” We are here described, we designated. Then let the blessedness take place in us, of which the Lord predicted that it should take place; let us firmly hold that which we see not; because those tell us who have seen. “That ye also,” saith he, “may have fellowship with us.” And what great matter is it to have fellowship with men? Do not despise it; see what he adds: “and our fellowship may be 18    Et societas nostra sit. So Vulg. Mill cites one ms. ᾖ μετὰ τοῦ πατρός. with God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son. And these things,” saith he, “we write unto you, that your joy may be full.”19    1 John i. 4. Full joy he means in that fellowship, in that charity, in that unity.

3. Et testes, inquit, sumus; et annuntiamus vobis vitam aeternam, quae erat apud Patrem, et manifestata est in nobis: hoc est, manifestata est inter nos; quod apertius diceretur, manifestata est nobis. Quae ergo vidimus et audivimus, nuntiamus vobis. Intendat Charitas vestra: Quae ergo vidimus et audivimus, nuntiamus vobis. Illi viderunt ipsum Dominum praesentem in 1980 carne, et audierunt verba ex ore Domini, et annuntiaverunt nobis. Et nos ergo audivimus, sed non vidimus. Minus ergo sumus felices quam illi qui viderunt et audierunt? Et quomodo adjungit, Ut et vos societatem habeatis nobiscum? Illi viderunt, nos non vidimus, et tamen socii sumus; quia fidem communem tenemus. Nam et quidam videndo non credidit, et palpare voluit, et sic credere, et ait: Non credam nisi digitos meos misero in locum clavorum, et cicatrices ejus tetigero. Et praebuit se ex tempore palpandum manibus hominum, qui semper se praebet videndum aspectibus Angelorum: et palpavit ille discipulus et exclamavit, Dominus meus et Deus meus. Quia tetigit hominem, confessus est Deum. Et Dominus consolans nos qui ipsum jam in coelo sedentem manu contrectare non possumus, sed fide contingere, ait illi: Quia vidisti, credidisti; beati qui non vident et credunt (Joan. XX, 25-29). Nos descripti sumus, nos designati sumus. Fiat ergo in nobis beatitudo quam Dominus praedixit futuram: firme teneamus quod non videmus; quia illi nuntiant qui viderunt. Ut et vos, inquit, societatem habeatis nobiscum. Et quid magnum societatem habere cum hominibus? Noli contemnere; vide quid addat: Et societas nostra sit cum Deo Patre, et Jesu Christo Filio ejus. Et haec, inquit, scribimus vobis, ut gaudium vestrum sit plenum. Plenum gaudium dicit in ipsa societate, in ipsa charitate, in ipsa unitate.