A PARAPHRASE ΟΝ ΤΗΕ Firft EPISTLE GENERAL O F St. 70 H N. The PREFACE. HERE being no reasonable Dispute against $1. St. John being one of thofe Apoftles, whose main Business was to Convert the Jews, as that of Paul and To whom Barnabas was to Preach to the Gentiles and Jews together, * Gal. ii. 9. in Foreign Parts; and, it being agreed on by Antiquity, that he exercised his Miniftry in the Parts of Afia the Greater, after he had left Judea; and in thofe of the Leffer Afia, after the Death of St. Peter and St. Paul; thefe Circumftances, with the Strain of these Writings themselves, render it fufficiently clear that this First Epiftle was directed to the Jewish Chriftians (not Excluding the Gentile ones) of thofe Provinces in General; as the Two Latter were, the The Time. The Occafion. the one to the Elect Lady, the other to Gaius in particular. Though, from what Place they were Dated, must be confefs'd a Secret, from the perfect Silence of all Ancient Writings concerning it. § 2. His mentioning the Laft Hour; i. e. Christianity abolishing the Jewish Difpenfation, along with the Antichrifts and Falfe Prophets that our Saviour foretold would be the Forerunners of the Destruction of that Nation, feem most strongly to imitate (if not abfolutely concludes) the Time of this First Epiftle to have been before the Deftruction of Jerufalem; and is, therefore, I think, with the most Probability, placed by Dr. Whitby in, or about the Year 67 or 68. §3. The incurable Obftinacy, Wickedness and Rage of the Infidel Jews, which we have obferved, in the Prefaces to several of the foregoing Epistles, to have been growing up to a defperate Height, and wherewith the Jewish Chriftians were, in feveral Refpects, too much tainted, was now fo far advanced in its wretched Effects, as to fhoot out into feveral Pernicious Hereftes in the Christian Church: Simon Magus, the Head of these Hereticks, was followed by the Lewd Train of the Nicholaitans, Cerinthians, Ebionites, Menandrians, Gnofticks, &c. moft of them probably of Jewish Extraction, and all poffeffed with the Wicked Notions of their Zealots. The Vile Maxims wherewith they had infected the Chriftian Church, as we learn from the earliest Antiquity, were fuch as thefe *. I. That * I will here refer the Reader to fuch few Paffages of the Ancient Christian Writers, relating to the Opinions and Practices of thefe Hereticks, as appear plainly to be the true Key to St. John's Epiftles. (A) Thus Irenæus, Lib. I. Chap. 20. "Simon Magus taught, "That they who hoped in him needed not take any further "Care; but might live as they pleased. Accordingly the "Priests of their Myfteries live Uncleanly." And Lib. 1. 24. "The Carpocratians lead a Life of Luxury And fay, that "Actions are Good or Bad only in the Opinions of Men." Again, Lib. I. 27. "As for the Nicholaitans They live diforderly ; as teaching that Fornication, &c. are indiffe86 rent Things. Wherefore the Text fays-The Deeds of the "Nicholaitans, which I hate ; Revel. ii. 6. 1. That meer External Profeffion, and the Privileges of being of the True Church, would juftify and fave Men, whatever their Life and Practice were. Against this the Apostle urges, Epift. i. 1-5. to the End. Chap. ii. 18-15, 16, 17. Chap. iii. 3-12. Chap. v. 2, 3, 4. 2. That those Privileges would warrant the most virulent and uncharitable Behaviour toward all that differed from them. Against this St. John warns them in this 1 Epift. Chap. ii. 9-11. Chap. iii. 10. to the End. Chap.iv. 7, 8-11, 12-20, 21. 3. That the Man Jefus was not Chrift, was not The Son of God, and that Chrift did not Really and Actually Live and Suffer in our Flefh, but in Appearance only. This is Confuted, 1 Epift. i. 1-5. Chap. ii. 23, to 27. Chap. iii. 1-7-14, 15, 16. Chap. v. 1-5, 16-20. Chap. iv. 1, 2, 3. 4. That, to avoid Perfecution, it was Lawful for Chriftians to diffemble their Faith, to deny Chrift, and to join in Idolatrous Worship: Againft which are the Warnings of Chap. v. 16—21. (4) (B) (C) (D) § 4. Against these pernicious Principles, then prevailing, Antichrift were the feveral Parts of thefe Epistles levelled, and from who? the (B) Iren. Lib. I. 34. "Others of the Gnofticks fay, that "Cain with Efau, Corah, and the Sodomites were ally'd to "Them.” Ignat. Epift. ad Philad. §. "Avoid the impure "Nicholaitans, thofe Lovers of Pleasure, thofe Calumniators." And Tertullian de Prefcrip. Hær. § 47. They magnify Cain [the Murderer.] (C) Thus Iren. Lib. I. Cap. 25. Cerinthus taught, That Chrift [the Word] defcended from Jefus [the Man] at his Baptifm; but aftewards flew away from Jefus; and Jefus fuffer'd and rose again, but Chrift was impaffible: But, fays He, Lib. III. Cap. 18. "St. John knew but one and the fame Word of God, 66 namely, He that was the only begotten, who was Incarnate, " even Jefus Chrift our Lord." See him at large in Lib. I. 4. iii, x, xi, xii, xvii, & xviii. Chapters, and Lib. IV. 4-16. and elsewhere. So Origen. Hic Chriftus Natus eft, & paffus eft in Veritate, & non per imaginem; Vere mortuus eft, Vere enim à morte refurrexit, Proleg. in epi ȧpx. (D) Iren, Lib. I, 27. "As for the Nicholaitans, they live "diforderly; as teaching that Fornication, and eating what is "offered to Idols, are indifferent Things." the Obfervation whereof the Phrafes made ufe of, in them, are to receive their due Light. The Authors of these wretched Errors St. John brands with the Name of Antichrifts (Chap. ii. 18.) The Characters given of Antichrift in this Epistle, is that of Denying the Father and the Son, or that Jefus was the True Chrift (Chap. ii. 22. and iv. 3.) Which being compared with the virulent and perfecuting Spirit fpoken of, and referred to in the feveral Paffages of the ii, iii, and iv. Chapters, fhow the People he speaks of, to be the fame with St. Paul's Man of Sin, and Wicked One, 2 Theff. i. Moreover, there being a plain Distinction between St. John's i arrixpis (Chap. ii. 22. and iv. 3.) Great or Special Antichrift, and the Many Antichrifts even Then come, Chap. ii. 18. feems to make it very clear that what thefe Two Apostles spoke of the Jews and Heretical Chriflians of their Own Times, they in a much higher, and more Eminent Senfe intended to mean of thofe Chriftian Corrupters of the True Faith in after Ages, who by the exorbitant Use of Temporal and Perfecuting Power, would arbitrarily impofe fuch Doctrines and Practices upon Mankind, as contradicted the plain Rules and Defigns of Chriftianity, and deftroyed its Credit, i. e. in Effect, deny'd its Truth and Authority. See Sir Ifaac Newton's Obfervat. on the Apoc. Chap. 2. pag. 256- and in many other Places of that incomparable Book. Wherefore, that Difpute, whether the Church of Rome be Antichrift, or no, is reduced to a fmall Compass. That She is not the Jewish or Heretical Antichrift, whom St. John affirms to have been Already Come in His Time, is eafily granted. But whether, for almost a Thousand Years laft paft, the Inspirations She has falfly pretended to, the Miracles She has Forged, the monstrous Articles She has Coined, and the Brethren She has Hated and Perfecuted, be not fo many, as to make Her the Great Chriftian Antichrift, and the Man of Sin, will be no longer a Doubt with Impartial Readers of St. Paul and St. John, than 'till there arife another Community that can excel Her in Error, Superftition and Cruelty. See and compare Preface to the Theffalonians, § 4. and fee my Paraph. on the Revelations. С НА Р. CHAP. I. The CONTENTS. The Clear and Evident Teftimonies of the Life and Actions of Chrift, the Ground of our Chriftian Hope. Moral Virtue the only Condition of future Happiness, and the chief Mark of a true Chriftian. Pardon and Salvation by Chrift to be had, not by mere External Profeffion of his Religion, but by Confeffion of Sins, and Reformation of Life, as the Fruit of Faith. T Hat which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the I. M Y Defign in this Epiftle, dear Brethren, is to preferve you from those false and dangerous Notions, fpread among you by the Jewish Zealots, and fuch Heretical Teachers in the Chriftian Church, as are Corrupted by Their Principles, relating to the Doctrines of the Gospel, and the Conditions of our enjoying the final Bleffings promised in it. And particularly to warn you against that Notion of theirs, "That "Jefus was not that Chrift, or Word, or Son of God, who word of life : Written A. D. 67. was with the Father before the World was made; and was incarnate and fuffered for us here upon Earth: Which I fhall do, by laying them before you, as I received them, by undoubted Evidences from Christ * *¿r' áp×ñs. Himself. 2 & 3. And firft, as to the Reality and Certainty of the Life, Actions, and Death of Chrift (whom the Infidel Jews deny to have been fent into the World as the true Meffiah, and thefe Hereticks pretend to have Lived and Died in Appearance only) let me remind you, that these Fats were the very Things determined by God the Father concerning Chrift, foretold all along by the Prophets, and now Actually fulfilled, before L |