CHAP. IV.
1 He warneth them not to beleeue all teachers, who boast of the spirit, but to try them by the rules of the Catholike faith: 7 and by many reasons exhorteth to brotherly loue.
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1 Beloued, beleeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
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2 Hereby know ye the spirit of God: euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.
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3 And euery Spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof you haue heard, that it should come, and euen now already is it in the world.
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4 Ye are of God, little children, and haue ouercome them: because greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the world.
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5 They are of the world: therefore speake they of the world, and the world heareth them.
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6 We are of God: hee that knoweth God, heareth vs: he that is not of God heareth not vs, hereby know wee the spirit of trueth, and the spirit of errour.
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7 Beloued, let vs loue one another; for loue is of God: and euery one that loueth, is borne of God and knoweth God.
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8 Hee that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is loue.
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9 In this was manifested the loue of God towards vs, because that God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world, that we might liue through him.
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10 Herein is loue, not that wee loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be þe propitiation for our sins.
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11 Beloued, if God so loued vs, wee ought also to loue one another.
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12 No man hath seene God at any time. If wee loue one another, God dwelleth in vs, and his loue is perfected in vs.
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13 Hereby know wee that we dwell in him and he in vs, because hee hath giuen vs of his Spirit.
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14 And we haue seene, and doe testifie, that the Father sent the Sonne to be the Sauiour of the world.
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15 Whosoeuer shall confesse that Iesus is the Sonne of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
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16 And we haue knowen and beleeued the loue that God hath to vs. God is loue, and hee that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in God, and God in him.
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17 Herein is +our loue made perfect, that wee may haue boldnesse in the day of Iudgement, because as hee is, so are we in this world.[+Gr. loue with vs.]
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18 There is no feare in loue, but perfect loue casteth out feare: because feare hath torment: hee that feareth, is not made perfect in loue.
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19 We loue him: because hee first loued vs.
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20 If a man say, I loue God, and hateth his brother, he is a lyar. For hee that loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene, how can he loue God whom he hath not seene?
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21 And this commandement haue we from him, that he who loueth God, loue his brother also.
