7. This, if ye remember, we gave you to understand in beginning to read this Epistle, that nothing in it is so commended as charity. Even if it seems to speak of various other things, to this it makes its way back, and whatever it says, it will needs bring all to bear upon charity. Let us see whether it does so here. Mark: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.” We ask, what sin? because if thou understand all sin, it will be contrary to that place, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Then let him say what sin; let him teach us; lest haply I may have rashly said that the sin here is the violation of charity, because he said above, “He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.”273    1 John ii. 11. But perhaps he has said something in what comes afterwards, and has mentioned charity by name? See that this circuit of words hath this end, hath this issue. “Whosoever is born of God, sinneth not, because His seed remaineth in him.”274    1 John iii. 9. The “seed” of God, i.e. the word of God: whence the apostle saith, “I have begotten you through the Gospel. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”275    1 Cor. iv. 15. Let him tell us this, let us see in what we cannot sin. “In this are manifested the children of God and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not righteous is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”276    1 John iii. 10. Aye, now indeed it is manifest of what he speaks: “Neither he that loveth not his brother.” Therefore, love alone puts the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil. Let them all sign themselves with the sign of the cross of Christ; let them all respond, Amen; let all sing Alleluia; let all be baptized, let all come to church, let all build the walls of churches: there is no discerning of the children of God from the children of the devil, but only by charity. They that have charity are born of God: they that have it not, are not born of God. A mighty token, a mighty distinction! Have what thou wilt; if this alone thou have not, it profiteth thee nothing: other things if thou have not, have this, and thou hast fulfilled the law. “For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law,” saith the apostle: and, “Charity is the fulfilling of the law.”277    Rom. xiii. 8, 10. I take this to be the pearl which the merchant man in the Gospel is described to have been seeking, who “found one pearl, and sold all that he had, and bought it.”278    Matt. xiii. 46. This is the pearl of price, Charity, without which whatever thou mayest have, profiteth thee nothing: which if alone thou have, it sufficeth thee. Now, with faith thou seest, then with actual beholding279    Cum specie. thou shalt see. For if we love when we see not, how shall we embrace it when we see! But wherein must we exercise ourselves? In brotherly love. Thou mayest say to me, I have not seen God: canst thou say to me, I have not seen man? Love thy brother. For if thou love thy brother whom thou seest, at the same time thou shalt see God also; because thou shalt see Charity itself, and within dwelleth God.

7. Hoc, si meministis, commendavimus, cum istam Epistolam legere inciperemus, nihil in ea nobis sic commendari, quomodo charitatem. Et si videtur alia et alia dicere, illuc facit reditum; et ad ipsam charitatem omnia vult referre quaecumque dixerit. Videamus si et hic hoc facit. Attende: Omnis qui natus est 2016ex Deo, non facit peccatum. Quaerimus quod peccatum: quia si omne intellexeris, contrarius erit illi loco, Si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nosmetipsos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Ergo dicat quod peccatum, doceat nos; ne forte ego temere dixerim peccatum hoc esse violationem charitatis, quia supra dixit, Que odit fratrem suum, in tenebris est, et in tenebris ambulat, et nescit quo eat, quia tenebrae excaecaverunt oculos ejus (I Joan. II, 11). Sed forte dixit aliquid in posterioribus, et nominavit charitatem . Videte quia circuitus ille verborum hunc habet finem, hunc habet exitum. Omnis qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat; quia semen ejus in ipso manet. Semen Dei, id est, verbum Dei: unde dicit Apostolus, Per Evangelium ego vos genui (I Cor. IV, 15). Et non potest peccare, quia ex Deo natus est. Dicat hoc, videamus in quo non potest peccare. In hoc manifestati sunt filii Dei et filii diaboli. Omnis qui non est justus, non est a Deo, et qui non diligit fratrem suum. Certe jam manifestum est unde dicat, Et qui non diligit, inquit, fratrem suum. Dilectio ergo sola discernit inter filios Dei et filios diaboli. Signent se omnes signo crucis Christi; respondeant omnes, Amen; cantent omnes, Alleluia; baptizentur omnes, intrent Ecclesias, faciant parietes basilicarum: non discernuntur filii Dei a filiis diaboli, nisi charitate. Qui habent charitatem, nati sunt ex Deo: qui non habent, non sunt nati ex Deo. Magnum indicium, magna discretio. Quidquid vis habe; hoc solum non habeas, nihil tibi prodest: alia si non habeas, hoc habe, et implesti Legem. Qui enim diligit alterum, Legem implevit, ait Apostolus: et, Plenitudo Legis charitas (Rom. XIII, 8, 10). Puto istam margaritam esse illam quam homo negotiator quaesisse describitur in Evangelio, qui invenit unam margaritam, et vendidit omnia quae habebat, et emit eam (Matth. XIII, 46). Haec est margarita pretiosa, charitas, sine qua nihil tibi prodest quodcumque habueris: quam si solam habeas, sufficit tibi. Modo cum fide vides, tunc cum specie videbis. Si enim amamus cum non videmus, quomodo amplectemur cum viderimus? Sed ubi nos debemus exercere? In amore fraterno. Potes mihi dicere, Non vidi Deum; numquid potes mihi dicere, Non vidi hominem? Dilige fratrem. Si enim fratrem quem vides dilexeris, simul videbis et Deum; quia videbis ipsam charitatem, et intus inhabitat Deus.