



This eBook was produced by David Widger
from etext #1581 prepared by Dennis McCarthy, Atlanta, Georgia
and Tad Book, student, Pontifical North American College, Rome.





THE HOLY BIBLE




Translated from the Latin Vulgate


Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek,
and Other Editions in Divers Languages


THE OLD TESTAMENT
First Published by the English College at Douay
A.D. 1609 & 1610

and

THE NEW TESTAMENT
First Published by the English College at Rheims
A.D. 1582


With Annotations


The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with
the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner
A.D. 1749-1752





THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE

The same vein of divine love and charity towards our neighbour, which
runs throughout the Gospel written by the beloved disciple and
Evangelist, St. John, is found also in his Epistles. He confirms the two
principal mysteries of faith: The mystery of the Trinity and the mystery
of the incarnation of Jesus Christ the Son of God. The sublimity and
excellence of the evangelical doctrine he declares: And this commandment
we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother (chap.
4,21). And again: For this is the charity of God, that we keep his
commandments, and: His commandments are not heavy (chap. 5,3).  He shews
how to distinguish the children of God from those of the devil: marks
out those who should be called Antichrists: describes the turpitude and
gravity of sin. Finally, he shews how the sinner may hope for pardon. It
was written, according to Baronius' account, sixty-six years after our
Lord's Ascension.


1 John Chapter 1

He declares what he has seen and heard of Christ who is the life
eternal, to the end that we may have fellowship with God and all good
through him. Yet so if we confess our sins.

1:1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have
handled, of the word of life.

1:2. For the life was manifested: and we have seen and do bear witness
and declare unto you the life eternal, which was with the Father and
hath appeared to us.

1:3. That which we have seen and have heard, we declare unto you: that
you also may have fellowship with us and our fellowship may be with the
Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1:4. And these things we write to you, that you may rejoice and your joy
may be full.

1:5. And this is the declaration which we have heard from him and
declare unto you: That God is light and in him there is no darkness.

1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we
lie and do not the truth.

1:7. But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another: And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin.

1:8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us.

1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

1:10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar: and his
word is not in us.

1 John Chapter 2

Christ is our advocate. We must keep his commandments and love one
another. We must not love the world nor give ear to new teachers, but
abide by the spirit of God in the church.

2:1. My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not
sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the just.  2:2. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not
for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

2:3. And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his
commandments.

We have known him, if we keep his commandments...  He speaks of that
practical knowledge by love and affection, which can only be proved by
our keeping his commandments; and without which we can not be said to
know God as we should do.

2:4. He who saith that he knoweth him and keepeth not his commandments
is a liar: and the truth is not in him.

2:5. But he that keepeth his word, in him in very deed the charity of
God is perfected. And by this we know that we are in him.

2:6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as
he walked.

2:7. Dearly beloved, I write not a new commandment to you, but an old
commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the
word which you have heard.

2:8. Again a new commandment I write unto you: which thing is true both
in him and in you, because the darkness is passed and the true light now
shineth.

A new commandment... Viz., the commandment of love, which was first
given in the old law; but was renewed and extended by Christ.  See John
13.34.

2:9. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in
darkness even until now.

2:10. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light: and there is no
scandal in him.

2:11. But 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.

2:12. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven
you for his name's sake.

2:13. I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him who is from
the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome
the wicked one.

2:14. I write unto you, babes, because you have known the Father. I
write unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God
abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

2:15. Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any
man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.

2:16. For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh and
the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, which is not of the
Father but is of the world.

2:17. And the world passeth away and the concupiscence thereof: but he
that doth the will of God abideth for ever.

2:18. Little children, it is the last hour: and as you have heard that
Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby
we know that it is the last hour.

It is the last hour... That is, it is the last age of the world.  Many
Antichrists;... that is, many heretics, enemies of Christ and his
church, and forerunners of the great Antichrist.

2:19. They went out from us but they were not of us. For if they had
been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us: but that they may
be manifest, that they are not all of us.

They were not of us... That is, they were not solid, steadfast, genuine
Christians: otherwise they would have remained in the church.

2:20. But you have the unction from the Holy One and know all things.

The unction from the Holy One... That is, grace and wisdom from the Holy
Ghost. Know all things... The true children of God's church, remaining
in unity, under the guidance of their lawful pastors, partake of the
grace of the Holy Ghost, promised to the church and her pastors; and
have in the church all necessary knowledge and instruction; so as to
have no need to seek it elsewhere, since it can be only found in that
society of which they are members.

2:21. I have not written to you as to them that know not the truth, but
as to them that know it: and that no lie is of the truth.

2:22. Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ?  This
is Antichrist, who denieth the Father and the Son.

2:23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that
confesseth the Son hath the Father also.

2:24. As for you, let that which you have heard from the beginning abide
in you. If that abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning,
you also shall abide in the Son and in the Father.

2:25. And this is the promise which he hath promised us, life
everlasting.

2:26. These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce
you.

2:27. And as for you, let the unction, which you have received from him
abide in you. And you have no need that any man teach you: but as his
unction teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lie. And as it
hath taught you, abide in him.

You have no need, etc... You want not to be taught by any of these men,
who, under pretence of imparting more knowledge to you, seek to seduce
you (ver. 26), since you are sufficiently taught already, and have all
knowledge and grace in the church, with the unction of the Holy Ghost;
which these new teachers have no share in.

2:28. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear
we may have confidence and not be confounded by him at his coming.

2:29. If you know that he is just, know ye, that every one also who doth
justice is born of him.

1 John Chapter 3

Of the love of God to us. How we may distinguish the children of God and
those of the devil. Of loving one another and of purity of conscience.

3:1. Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called and should be the sons of God.  Therefore the
world knoweth not us, because it knew not him.

3:2. Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet
appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be
like to him: because we shall see him as he is.

3:3. And every one that hath this hope in him sanctifieth himself, as he
also is holy.

3:4. Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity. And sin is
iniquity.

Iniquity... transgression of the law.

3:5. And you know that he appeared to take away our sins: and in him
there is no sin.

3:6. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: and whosoever sinneth hath
not seen him nor known him.

Sinneth not... viz., mortally. See chap. 1.8.

3:7. Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is
just, even as he is just.

3:8. He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from
the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.

3:9. Whosoever is born of God committeth not sin: for his seed abideth
in him. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Committeth not sin... That is, as long as he keepeth in himself this
seed of grace, and this divine generation, by which he is born of God.
But then he may fall from this happy state, by the abuse of his free
will, as appears from Rom. 11.20-22; Cor. 9.27; and 10.12; Phil. 2.12;
Apoc. 3.11.

3:10. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the
devil. Whosoever is not just is not of God, or he that loveth not his
brother.

3:11. For this is the declaration which you have heard from the
beginning, that you should love one another.

3:12. Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother.
And wherefore did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked: and
his brother's just.

3:13. Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you.

3:14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.

3:15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no
murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself.

3:16. In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid
down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren.

3:17. He that hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother
in need and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of
God abide in him?

3:18. My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in
deed and in truth.

3:19. In this we know that we are of the truth and in his sight shall
persuade our hearts.

3:20. For if our heart reprehend us, God is greater than our heart and
knoweth all things.

3:21. Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have
confidence towards God.

3:22. And whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of him: because we
keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his
sight.

3:23. And this is his commandment: That we should believe in the name of
his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as he hath given commandment
unto us.

3:24. And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in
him. And in this we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he
hath given us.

1 John Chapter 4

What spirits are of God, and what are not. We must love one another,
because God has loved us.

4:1. Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if
they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Try the spirits... Viz., by examining whether their teaching be
agreeable to the rule of the Catholic faith, and the doctrine of the
church. For as he says, (ver. 6,) He that knoweth God, heareth us [the
pastors of the church]. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the
spirit of error.

4:2. By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

Every spirit which confesseth, etc... Not that the confession of this
point of faith alone, is, at all times, and in all cases, sufficient;
but that with relation to that time, and for that part of the Christian
doctrine, which was then particularly to be confessed, taught, and
maintained against the heretics of those days, this was the most proper
token, by which the true teachers might be distinguished form the false.

4:3. And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus is not of God. And this is
Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh: and he is now already
in the world.

That dissolveth Jesus... Viz., either by denying his humanity, or his
divinity. He is now already in the world... Not in his person, but in
his spirit, and in his precursors.

4:4. You are of God, little children, and have overcome him.  Because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

4:5. They are of the world. Therefore of the world they speak: and the
world heareth them.

4:6. We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of
God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit
of error.

4:7. Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And
every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.

4:8. He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is charity.

4:9. By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God
hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him.

4:10. In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he
hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

4:11. My dearest, if God hath so loved us, we also ought to love one
another.

4:12. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God
abideth in us: and his charity is perfected in us.

4:13. In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he
hath given us of his spirit.

4:14. And we have seen and do testify that the Father hath sent his Son
to be the Saviour of the world.

4:15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth
in him, and he in God.

4:16. And we have known and have believed the charity which God hath to
us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and
God in him.

4:17. In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have
confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this
world.

4:18. Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear,
because fear hath sin. And