Through the works we are sure that we continue in Christ, and Christ in us; and that his Spirit dwelleth in us. For his Spirit it is that keepeth us in faith, and through faith in love, and through love in works, THE FOURTH CHAPTER. Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they be of God. For many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Spirits are taken here for preachers, because of the preaching or doctrine, which, if it be good, then is it? of the Spirit of God; and if it be evil, of the spirit of the devil. Now ought we not to believe every man’s doctrine unad- visedly, or condemn any man’s preaching ere it be heard and seen what it is: but a christian man’s part is to examine, judge and try it, whether it be true or no. Quench not the. Spirit,” saith Paul, “neither despise prophesyings; but prove all things, and keep that which is good.” Destroy not the gifts of the Spirit of God; but try whether they be offcveio God, and good for the edifying of his congregation: and keep that which is good, and refuse that which is evil. And suffer every person that hath any gift of God to serve God therein, in his degree and estate, after a christian manner and a due order. Why shall we try the doctrines? Verily, for there be many false prophets abroad already. We told you before that antichrist should come; as our master Christ told us that he should come: but now I certify you that antichrist’s kingdom is begun already; and his disciples are gone out to preach. Try therefore all doctrine. Wherewith shall we try it? With the doctrine of the apostles, and with the scripture, which is the touchstone: yea, and because ye love compendiousness, ye shall have a short rule to try them withal.
[2 So P. C. L., but D. omits then and it.] 13—2]
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of 4 God. And the same is that spirit of antichrist, of whom ye have heard that he should come; and even now he is in the world 3 already. e Whatsoever opinion any member of antichrist holdeth, the ground of all his doctrine is, to destroy this article of our faith, that Christ is come in the flesh. For though the most part of all heretics confess that Christ is come in the flesh, τ after their manner, yet they deny that he is come as the scripture testifieth, and the apostles preached him to be come. The whole study of the devil and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should have in Christ’s flesh, and in those things which he suffered for us in his flesh, and in the testament and promises of mercy which are made us in his flesh. For the scripture testifieth that Christ hath taken away the sin of the world in his flesh; and that at the P same hour that he yielded up his spirit into the hands of his — — Father, he had full purged, and made full satisfaction for all E the sins of the world: so that all the sin of the world, both a before his passion and after, must be put away through repentance toward the law, and faith and trust in his blood, 1 without respect of any other satisfaction, sacrifice, or work. For if I once sin, the law rebuketh my conscience, and setteth variance between God and me: and I shall never be at peace with God again, until I have heard the voice of his mouth, how that my sin is forgiven me for Christ’s blood sake. And as soon as I believe that, I am at peace with Godand love his law again, and of love work. 1 And that Christ hath done this service in his flesh, deny all the members of antichrist. And hereby thou shalt know [ them. All doctrine that buildeth thee upon Christ to put thy E trust and confidence in his blood, is of God, and true doctrine: and all doctrine that withdraweth thine hope and trust from Christ is of the devil, and the doctrine of antichrist. Examine ^ the Romish bishop by this rule, and thou shalt find that all he doth is to the destruction of this article. He wresteth all the scriptures, and setteth them clean against the woll’, to
[[! So P. C. L. and Day. Woll was not an unusual way of spelling]
[will; and seems equivalent here to intent or purpose]]
destroy this article. He ministereth the very sacraments of Christ unto the destruction of this article; and so doth he all other ceremonies, and his absolution, penance, purgatory, dispensations, pardons?, vows, with all disguisings. The Romish bishop preacheth that Christ is come to do away sins, E yet not in the flesh, but in water, salt, oil, candles, boughs?, ashes, friars’ coats, and monks’ cowls; and in the vows of them that forswear matrimony to keep whores, and swear beggary to possess all the treasure, riches, wealth and pleasures of the world; and have vowed obedience, to disobey with authority all the laws both of God and man. For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices teacheth he us to trust for the forgiveness of sins, and not in Christ’s flesh. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them. For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
He that dwelleth in you, and worketh in you through faith, is greater than he which dwelleth and worketh in them through unbelief. And in his strength ye abide by your profession, and confess your Lord Jesus; how that he is come in the flesh, and hath purged the sin of all that believe in his flesh. And through that faith ye overcome them in the very torments of death: so that neither their jugglings, neither their pleasures, neither their threatenings, nor their torments, nor the very death wherewith they slay your bodies, can prevail against you. They be of the world, and therefore they speak of the world, and the world attendeth unto them. We be of God, and he that knoweth God heareth us; and he that is not of God heareth us not. And hereby we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
There be, and ever shall be, two generations in the world: the one of the devil, which naturally hearken unto the false apostles of the devil, because they speak so agreeable unto their natural complexion; and another of God, which hearken unto the true apostles of God, and consent unto their doctrine. And this is a sure rule to judge spirits withal; that we judge Γ them to have the spirit of truth which hearken unto the true
[2 P. C. L. omits pardons.] [5 P. C. L. omits boughs.)]
doctrine of Christ’s apostles, and them to have the spirit of ἡ error, which hearken unto worldly and devilish doctrine, abhorring the preaching of the apostles. And look whether the bishop of Rome’s doctrine be worldly or no, if pride and ΐ eovetousness be worldly, yea, and lechery too. For what other is all his doctrine, than of benefices, promotions, digni- ~~ ties, bishopricks, cardinalships, vicarages, parsonages, prebends, change of bishopricks and resigning of benefices, of unions, 1 pluralities, totquots, and that which cometh once into their E hands may not out again; yea, and of whores and con- cubines, and of captiving of consciences for covetousness? And all that hearken to that doctrine abhor the doctrine of the! apostles, and persecute it, and them that preach it. Dearly beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God: and all that love are born of God, and know God. And he that loveth John singeth his old song again; and teacheth an innot, knoweth not God; for God is love. falible and sure token, which we may see and feel at our t fingers’ ends, and thereby be out of all doubt, that our faith - is unfeigned, and that we know God, and be born of Godand that we hearken unto the doctrine of the apostles purely ^ and godly, and not of any curiosity, to seek glory and honour therein unto ourselves, and to make a cloak thereof to cover our covetousness and filthy lusts: which token is, if we love one another. For the love of a man’s neighbour unfeignedly SPringeth out of the unfeigned knowledge of God in Christ’s blood: by which knowledge we be born of God, and love God and our neighbours for his sake. And so he that loveth his neighbour unfeignedly is sure of himself, that he knoweth Godand is of God unfeignedly: and contrariwise, he that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God in Christ’s blood is such a love, that if a man saw it, it were impossible that he should not break out into the love of God again, and of his neighbour for his sake. Herein appeared the love of God unto us-ward, because God sent his only Son into the world, that we should live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son a satisfaction for our sins.