The Prologue.
Homily I.
1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled, of the word of life.” Who is
2. “And we have seen and are witnesses.” Perhaps some of the brethren who are not acquainted with the Greek do not know what the word “witnesses” is i
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: whi
4. “And this is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you.” What is this? Those same have seen, have handled with their hands, the
5. And may it be that we say this over-hastily? Let the apostle himself make this plain in what follows. Remember what was said at the outset of our d
6. For see what He saith “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Consequently, if thou hast confessed thys
7. And lest haply he should seem to have given impunity for sins, in that he said, “He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all iniquity ” and men
8. See John himself observing humility. Assuredly he was a righteous and a great man, who from the Lord’s bosom drank in the secrets of His mysteries
9. “And in this,” saith he, “we do know Him, if we keep His commandments.” i.e.
10. “Dearly beloved, I write unto you no new commandment, but the old commandment which ye had from the beginning.” What commandment calls he “old? Wh
11. “He that saith he is in the light”—now he is making all clear that he has been saying—“he that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, i
12. “He that loveth his brother abideth ( manet ) in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.” i.e.,
13. “For he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth.” A great thing, my brethren: mark it, w
Homily II.
1. All things that are read from the Holy Scriptures in order to our instruction and salvation, it behoves us to hear with earnest heed. Yet most of a
2. But what did the Lord show written of Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms? What did He show? Let Himself say. The evangelist
3. When we say to them, If ye be Catholic Christians, communicate with that Church from which the Gospel is spread abroad over the whole earth: commun
4. “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you through His name.” Therefore, “little children,”
5. “I write unto you, fathers.” Why first sons? “Because your sins are forgiven you through His name,” and ye are regenerated into a new life, therefo
6. “I write unto you, young men.” There are sons, are fathers, are young men: sons, because begotten fathers, because they acknowledge the Beginning
7. “I write unto you,
8. All these things, my brethren,—“because we have known That which is from the beginning, because we are strong, because we have known the Father,”—d
9. Ye have heard that “if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Let not any say in his heart that this is false, brethren: Go
10. “For all that is in the world, is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
11. But let us “not love the world, neither the things that are in the world. For the things that are in the world, are the lust of the flesh, and the
12. For “the world” is the appellation given not only to this fabric which God made heaven and earth, the sea, things visible and invisible: but the i
13. “And the lust of the eyes:” by “the lust of the eyes,” he means all curiosity. Now how wide is the scope of curiosity! This it is that works in sp
14. These three there are, and thou canst find nothing whereby human cupidity can be tempted, but either by the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the
Homily III.
1. “Children, it is the
2. Therefore it was that He forbade Mary to touch Him, and said to her, “Touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto the Father.” What is this? He ga
3. But lest any be sluggish to go forward, let him hear: “Children, it is the last hour.” Go forward, run, grow “it is the last hour.” This same last
4. Whom has he called antichrists? He goes on and expounds. “Whereby we know that it is the last hour.” By what? Because “many antichrists are come. T
5. “They went out from us but,” be not sad, “they were not of us.” How provest thou this? If they had been of us, they would doubtless have continued
6. “I write unto you not because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” Behold, we are admonished how we may
7. For hear and see. Certainly all who go out from the Church, and are cut off from the unity of the Church, are antichrists let no man doubt it: for
8. But let us not be made sad: “They went out from us, but they were not of us for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us
9. Now therefore, brethren, if deeds are to be questioned, not only do we find many antichrists gone out but many not yet maninfest, who have not gon
10. These things are now manifest, my brethren. Let no man say, I do not worship Christ, but I worship God His Father. “Every one that denieth the Son
11. “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall abide in you, ye al
12. Remember then, my brethren, that Christ hath promised us eternal life: “This,” saith he, “is the promise which He hath promised us, even eternal l
13. “And ye have no need that any man teach you, because His unction teacheth you concerning all things.”
Homily IV.
1. Ye remember, brethren, that yesterday’s lesson was brought to a close at this point, that “ye have no need that any man teach you, but the unction
2. “And it is true,” namely, this same unction i.e. the very Spirit of the Lord which teacheth men, cannot lie: “and is not false.
3. “If ye know that He is righteous, know ye that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.”
4. Hear. “Behold what manner of love the Father hath given us, that we should be called sons of God, and be (such).”
5. For us then, what are we? Already we are begotten of Him but because we are such in hope, he saith, “Beloved, now are we sons of God.” Now already
6. What then shall “we” be, when we shall see this? What is promised to us? “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” The tongue hath don
7. “And every one that hath this hope in Him.” Ye see how he hath set us our place, in “hope.” Ye see how the Apostle Paul agreeth with his fellow-apo
8. “Every one that doeth sin, doeth also iniquity.” Let no man say, Sin is one thing, iniquity another: let no man say, I am a sinful man, but not
9. “Little children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.” What, on hearing that we are “righteous as
10. “He that doeth sin, is of the devil, because the devil sinneth from the beginning.” “Is of the devil:” ye know what he means: by imitating the dev
11. “Unto this end was the Son of God manifested.” Now then, brethren, mark! All sinners are begotten of the devil, as sinners. Adam was made by God:
12. The rest I commend to your thoughts, my beloved, that I may not burden you. For the question we labor to solve is even this—that we call ourselves
Homily V.
1. Hear intently, I do beseech you, because it is no small matter that we have to cope withal: and I doubt not, because ye were intent upon it yesterd
2. Mark now these words. As yet, I am urging it upon you, what straits we are put to that by putting your minds on the stretch, that is, by your prayi
3. Mark well, brethren we have brought forward somewhat in which, to them that have good understanding, the question is solved. But do we only walk i
4. Charity therefore we commend charity this Epistle commendeth. The Lord, after His resurrection, what question put He to Peter, but, “Lovest thou m
5. And that ye may know that it is this perfect charity which that man violates not, and against which that man sins not, who is born of God this is
6. But this, as we have said, brethren, is perfect charity. He that is born of God hath it. Mark, my beloved, see what I say. Behold, a man has receiv
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
8. “Whosoever is not righteous is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” “For this is the message:” mark how he confirms it: “For this i
9. “Marvel not, brethren, if the world hate us.” Must one often be telling you what “the world” means? Not the heaven, not the earth, nor these visibl
10. “If the world hate us: we know”—What do we know?—“that we have passed from death unto life”—How do we know? “Because we love the brethren.” Let no
11. “In this know we love:” he means, perfection of love, that perfection which we have bidden you lay to heart: “In this know we love, that He laid d
12. Whence beginneth charity, brethren? Attend a little: to what it is perfected, ye have heard the very end of it, and the very measure of it is wha
13. I suppose the thing is now made manifest to you my brethren: this great and most concerning secret and mystery. What is the force of charity, all
Homily VI.
1. If ye remember, brethren, yesterday we closed our sermon at this sentence, which without doubt behooved and does behoove to abide in your heart, se
2. But, because many such things are done by men who seek other objects, and who love not the brethren let us come back to the tes timony of conscien
3. This it is then that he enforces here. “In this we know that we are of the truth, when in deed and in truth” we love, “not only in words and in ton
4. “Beloved, if our heart think not ill of us, we have confidence towards God:” —What meaneth, “If our heart think not ill”? If it make true answer to
5. Here a question meets us: for it is not this or that man, or thou or I that come in question,—for if I have asked any thing of God and receive it n
6. Well now: I have already told you, my, beloved brethren, let no man turn toward us. For what are we? or what are ye? What, but the Church of God wh
7. But let us distinguish God’s different ways of hearing prayer. For we find some not heard for their wish, heard for salvation: and again some we fi
8. Agreeably with this, we ought to understand that God, though He give not to our will, doth give for our salvation. For sup pose the thing thou have
9. And what are those commandments? “This,” saith he, “is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one an
10. In the earliest times, “the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues,” which they had not learned, “as the Spirit gave
11. “Beloved, believe not every spirit.” Because he had said, “In this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.” But how t
12. There remains then the test by which it is to be proved to be the Spirit of God. He has indeed set down a sign, and this, belike, difficult: let u
13. What are we to do then? By what to discern them? Be very attentive let us go together in heart, and knock. Charity herself keeps watch for it is
14. Nay, and that ye may know that he has referred the matter to deeds, he saith, “And every spirit, qui solvit Christum , which does away with Christ
Homily VII.
1. So is this world to all the faithful seeking their own country, as was the desert to the people Israel. They wandered indeed as yet, and were seeki
2. “Now,” saith he, “are ye of God little children, and have overcome him:” whom but Antichrist? For above he had said, “Whosoever unmaketh
3. “These are of the world.” Who? The antichrists. Ye have already heard who they be. And if ye be not such, ye know them, but whosoever is such, know
4. “We are of God.” Let us see why see whether it be for any other thing than charity. “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not
5. Now see that to act against love is to act against God. Let no man say, “I sin against man when I do not love my brother, (mark it!) and sin agains
6. In what sense then was it said a while ago, “Love is of God ” and now, “Love IS God?” For God is Father and Son and Holy Ghost: the Son, God of God
7. “In this was manifested the love of God in us.” Behold, in order that we may love God, we have exhortation. Could we love Him, unless He first love
8. This we have said in the case where the things done are similar. In the case where they are diverse, we find a man by charity made fierce and by i
9. “In this is love—in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into this world, that we may live th
10. “No man hath seen God at any time:” He is a thing invisible not with the eye but with the heart must He be sought. But just as if we wished to se
11. If any of you perchance wish to keep charity, brethren, above all things do not imagine it to be an abject and sluggish thing nor that charity is
Homily VIII.
1. Love is a sweet word, but sweeter the deed. To be always speaking of it, is not in our power: for we have many things to do, and divers businesses
2. For, brethren, ye heard just now when the Gospel was read, at least if ye had for it the ear not only of the body but also of the heart. What said
3. Then, brethren, this I would say, this I do say, this if I might I would not leave unsaid: Let there be in you now these works, now those, accordin
4. But perchance it will have struck some of you all along, while we have been expounding to you this epistle of blessed John, why it is only “brother
5. All love, whether that which is called carnal, which is wont to be called not “ dilectio amor dilectio diligere amare Petra, amas me
6. For in this the proud soul has passed bounds, and, in a manner, become avaricious. For, “The root of all evils is avarice ” and again it is said, “
7. Mark what I say: God, man, beasts: to wit, above thee, God beneath thee, the beasts. Acknowledge Him that is above thee, that those that are benea
8. So then ought the Christian to be, that he glory not over other “men.” For God hath given it thee to be over the beasts, i.e. to be better than the
9. And see what great works pride does. Lay it up in your hearts, how much alike, how much as it were upon a par, are the works it doeth, and the work
10. Shew mercy then, as men of merciful hearts because in loving enemies also, ye love brethren. Think not that John has given no precept concerning
11. These things have I said, brethren, and somewhat at length: yet because charity was to be more earnestly commended to you, beloved, in this way wa
12. “No man hath seen God at any time.” See, beloved: “If we love one another, God will dwell in us, and His love will be perfected in us.” Begin to l
13. “And we have seen, and are witnesses, that God hath sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.” Set your minds at rest, ye that are sick: such a
14. “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God.” Now we may say it in not many words “Whosoever shall c
Homily IX.
1. Ye remember, beloved, that of the epistles of John the apostle the last past remains to be handled by us and expounded to you, as the Lord vouchsaf
2. “Herein is our love made perfect in us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.” He tells how e
3. “In this is His love perfected in us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.” Why shall we have boldness? “Because as He is are we also
4. Now therefore concerning this same boldness, let us see what he says. Whence do we understand that charity is perfect? “There is no fear in charity
5. But there is another sentence, which seems contrary to this if it have not one that understands. Namely, it is said in a certain place of the Psalm
6. One cannot better explain the difference between these two fears, the one which charity casteth out, the other chaste, which endureth for ever, tha
7. Let us speak then first to these who fear God, just in the manner of that woman who delights in wickedness namely, she fears her husband lest he c
8. We have addressed that soul which hath as yet the fear which endureth not for ever, but which love shuts out and casts forth: let us address that a
9. “Let us love, because He first loved us.” i.e.
10. “If any man say, I love God.” What God? I love
11. “For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment have we from Him, that he who lovet
Homily X.
1. I Suppose ye remember, those of you who were present yesterday, to what place in the course of this epistle our exposition has reached: namely, “He
2. Let us see then what it is to believe in Christ what to believe that Jesus, He is the Christ. He proceeds: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the
3. “In this we know that we love the sons of God.” What is this, brethren? Just now he was speaking of the Son of God, not of sons of God: lo, here on
4. And by what do we know that we love the sons of God? By this, “that we love God, and do His commandments.” We sigh here, by reason of the hardness
5. Ye have heard in the Psalm, “I have seen the end of all perfection.” He hath said, I have seen the end of all perfection: what had he seen? Think w
6. See, brethren, how many things we pass, in which is not the end. These we use as by the way we take as it were our refreshment at the halting plac
7. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” Already ye have heard, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
8. Let us run then, my brethren, let us run, and love Christ. What Christ? Jesus Christ. Who is He? The Word of God. And how came He to the sick? “The
9. Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, ascending into heaven on the fortieth day, did for this reason commend to us His Body where it would continue to lie,
10. And what have we done, say they? We are the persecuted, not the persecutors. Ye are the persecutors, O wretched men. In the first place, in that y
2. “Herein is our love made perfect in us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.”455 1 John iv. 17. He tells how each may prove himself, what progress charity has made in him or rather what progress he has made in charity. For if charity is God, God is capable neither of proficiency nor of deficiency: that charity is said to be making proficiency in thee, means only that thou makest proficiency in it. Ask therefore what proficiency thou hast made in charity, and what thine heart will answer thee, that thou mayest know the measure of thy profiting. For he has promised to show us in what we may know Him, and hath said, “In this is love made perfect in us.” Ask, in what? “That we have boldness in the day of judgment.” Whoso hath boldness in the day of judgment, in that man is charity made perfect. What is it to have boldness in the day of judgment? Not to fear lest the day of judgment should come. There are men who do not believe in a day of judgment; these cannot have boldness in a day which they do not believe will come. Let us pass these: may God awaken them, that they may live; why speak we of the dead? They do not believe that there will be a day of judgment; they neither fear nor desire what they do not believe. Some man has begun to believe in a day of judgment: if he has begun to believe, he has also begun to fear. But because he fears as yet, because he hath not yet boldness in the day of judgment, not yet is charity in that man made perfect. But for all that, is one to despair? In whom thou seest the beginning, why despairest thou of the end? What beginning do I see? (sayest thou.) That very fear. Hear the Scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”456 Prov. i. 7; xv. 13. Well then, he has begun to fear the day of judgment: by fearing let him correct himself, let him watch against his enemies, i.e. his sins; let him begin to come to life again inwardly, and to mortify his members which are upon the earth, as the apostle saith, “Mortify your members which are upon the earth.”457 Col. iii. 5. By the members upon earth he means spiritual wickedness:458 Spiritualia nequitiæ. for he goes on to expound it, “Covetousness, uncleanness,”459 Eph. vi. 12. and the rest which he there follows out. Now in proportion as this man who has begun to fear the day of judgment, mortifies his members which are upon the earth, in that proportion the heavenly members rise up and are strengthened. But the heavenly members are all good works. As the heavenly members rise up, he begins to desire that which once he feared. Once he feared lest Christ should come and find in him the impious whom He must condemn; now he longs for Him to come, because He shall find the pious man whom He may crown. Having now begun to desire Christ’s coming, the chaste soul which desires the embrace of the Bridegroom renounces the adulterer, becomes a virgin within by faith, hope, and charity. Now hath the man boldness in the day of judgment: he fights not against himself when he prays, “Thy kingdom come.”460 Matt. vi. 10. For he that fears lest the kingdom of God should come, fears lest his prayer be heard. How can he be said to pray, who fears lest his prayer be heard? But he that prays with boldness of charity, wishes now that He may come. Of this same desire said one in the Psalm, “And thou, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver my soul.”461 Ps. vi. 4. 5. He groaned at being so put off. For there are men who with patience submit to die; but there are some perfect who with patience endure to live. What do I mean? When a person still desires this life, that person, when the day of death comes, patiently endures death: he struggles against himself that he may follow the will of God, and in his mind desires that which God chooseth, not what man’s will chooseth: from desire of the present life there comes a reluctance against death, but yet he takes to him patience and fortitude, that he may with an even mind meet death; he dies patiently. But when a man desires, as the apostle saith, “to be dissolved and to be with Christ,”462 Phil. i. 23, 24. that person, not patiently dies, but patiently lives, delightedly dies. See the apostle patiently living, i.e. how with patience he here, not loves life, but endures it. “To be dissolved,” saith he, “and to be with Christ, is far better: but to continue in the flesh is necessary for your sakes.” Therefore, brethren, do your endeavor, settle it inwardly with yourselves to make this your concern, that ye may desire the day of judgment. No otherwise is charity proved to be perfect, but only when one has begun to desire that day. But that man desires it, who hath boldness in it, whose conscience feels no alarm in perfect and sincere charity.
2. In hoc perfecta est dilectio in nobis, ut fiduciam habeamus in die judicii: quia sicut ille est, et nos sumus in hoc mundo. Dicit quomodo se probet unusquisque, quantum in illo profecerit charitas: vel potius quantum ipse in charitate profecerit. Nam si charitas Deus est, nec proficit nec deficit Deus: sic dicitur proficere in te charitas, quia tu in ea proficis. Interroga ergo quantum in charitate profeceris, et quid tibi respondeat cor tuum, ut noveris mensuram profectus tui. Promisit enim ostendere nobis in quo cognoscamus 2046 eum, et ait, In hoc perfecta est in nobis dilectio. Quaere, in quo? Ut fiduciam habeamus in die judicii. Quisquis fiduciam habet in die judicii, perfecta est in illo charitas. Quid est habere fiduciam in die judicii? Non timere ne veniat dies judicii. Sunt homines qui non credunt diem judicii; isti fiduciam non possunt habere in die quam venturam esse non credunt. Praetermittamus istos: excitet illos Deus, ut vivant; de mortuis utquid loquimur? Non credunt futurum diem judicii, nec timent, nec desiderant quod non credunt. Coepit aliquis credere diem judicii: si coepit credere, coepit et timere. Sed quia timet adhuc, nondum habet fiduciam in die judicii, nondum est in illo perfecta charitas. Numquid tamen desperandum est? In quo vides initium, cur desperas finem? Quod initium video, inquis? Ipsum timorem. Audi Scripturam: Initium sapientiae timor Domini (Eccli. I, 16). Coepit ergo timere diem judicii: timendo corrigat se; vigilet adversus hostes suos, id est, adversus peccata sua; incipiat reviviscere interius, et mortificare membra sua quae sunt super terram, sicut Apostolus dicit, Mortificate membra vestra quae sunt super terram. Spiritualia nequitiae dicit membra super terram: nam sequitur et exponit, Avaritiam, immunditiam (Coloss. III, 5), et caetera quae illic exsequitur. Quantum autem mortificat iste, qui timere coepit diem judicii, membra sua super terram, tantum surgunt et corroborantur membra coelestia. Membra autem coelestia, omnia opera bona. Surgentibus coelestibus membris, incipit desiderare quod timebat. Timebat enim ne veniret Christus, et inveniret impium quem damnaret; desiderat ut veniat, quia inventurus est pium quem coronet. Jam cum coeperit desiderare venientem Christum casta anima, quae desiderat amplexus sponsi, renuntiat adultero; fit virgo interius ipsa fide, spe, et charitate. Habet jam fiduciam in die judicii: non contra se pugnat quando orat, et dicit, Adveniat regnum tuum (Matth. VI, 10). Qui enim timet ne veniat regnum Dei, timet ne exaudiatur. Quomodo orat, qui timet ne exaudiatur? Qui autem orat cum fiducia charitatis, optat jam ut veniat. De ipso desiderio dicebat quidam in Psalmo, Et tu, Domine, usquequo? Convertere, Domine, et erue animam meam (Psal. VI, 4, 5). Gemebat se differri. Sunt enim homines qui cum patientia moriuntur: sunt autem quidam perfecti qui cum patientia vivunt. Quid dixi? Qui adhuc desiderat istam vitam, quando illi venerit dies mortis, patienter tolerat mortem: luctatur adversum se, ut sequatur voluntatem Dei; et hoc potius agit animo, quod eligit Deus, non quod eligit voluntas humana: et ex desiderio vitae praesentis fit lucta cum morte; et adhibet patientiam et fortitudinem, ut aequo animo moriatur: iste patienter moritur. Qui autem desiderat, sicut dicit Apostolus, dissolvi et esse cum Christo, non patienter moritur; sed patienter vivit, delectabiliter moritur. Vide Apostolum patienter viventem, id est, cum patientia hic non amare vitam, sed tolerare. Dissolvi, inquit, et esse cum Christo multo magis optimum manere autem in carne necessarium propter vos (Philipp. I, 2047 23, 24). Ergo, fratres, date operam, intus agite vobiscum, ut desideretis diem judicii. Aliter non probatur perfecta charitas, nisi cum coeperit ille dies desiderari. Ille autem eum desiderat, qui fiduciam habet in illo: ille autem fiduciam habet in illo, cujus conscientia non trepidat in charitate perfecta atque sincera.
