The Rheims New Testament (1582) — 2 John

The Second Epistle of Saint John, as printed in the Rheims New Testament of 1582, the English Catholic translation made from the Latin Vulgate at the English College, then in exile at Rheims, chiefly by Gregory Martin. The page gives the single chapter with its printed summary, every verse in the original spelling, the marginal notes (cross-references, the days on which passages are read, and other readings), and the annotations that follow it. The argument of Saint John's three Epistles is printed before the first and stands on the page for 1 John.

Chapter 1

He commendeth the lady and her ſonnes for continuing in the old ſaith, bidding them ſo to doe hereafter alſo, leſt they loſe the revvard of their vvorkes in the day of iudgement: and to Ioue the true beleeuers, but vvith Heretikes to haue no ſocietie: expr⟨illegible⟩ſsing alſo the points then in controuerſie.

1 THE Senior to the lady Elect and her children, vvhom I loue in truth, and not I onely, but alſo al that haue knowen the truth,

2 for the truth vvhich abideth in vs, and ſhal be vvith vs for euer.

3 Grace be vvith you, mercie, peace from God the Father, and from Chriſt IESVS the ſonne of the Father in truth, and charitie.

4 I vvas exceding glad, becauſe I haue found of thy children vvalking in truth, as vve haue receiued commaundement of the Father.

5 And novv I beſeeche thee Lady, not as vvriting a nevv commaundement to thee, but that vvhich vve haue had ″ from the beginning, * that vve loue one an other.

6 And this is charitie, that vve vvalke according to his commaundements. For this is the commaundement, that as you haue heard from the beginning, you walke in the ſame:

7 becauſe many ſeducers are gone out into the vvorld, which do not confeſſe IESVS Chriſt to haue come into fleſh: this is a ſeducer and an antichriſt.

8 Looke to your ſelues, that you loſe not the thinges vvhich you haue vvrought: but that you may receiue a ful revvard.

9 Euery one that reuolteth, and perſiſteth not in in the doctrine of Chriſt: hath not God. He that perſiteth in the doctrine: the ſame hath both the Father, and the Sonne.

10 If * any man come to you, and bring not ″ this doctrine: ″ receiue him not into the houſe, ″ nor ſay, God ſaue you, vnto him.

11 For he that ſaith vnto him, God ſaue you, communicateth vvith his vvicked vvorkes.

12 Hauing moe thinges to vvrite vnto you: I vvould not by paper and inke: for I hope that I ſhal be vvith you, and ſpeake mouth to mouth: that your ioy may be ful.

13 The children of thy ſiſter electe ſalute thee.

Marginal notes to Chapter 1

• v. 5 Io. 15, 12.
• v. 5 1 Io. 3, 11.
• v. 8 ⸬ Revvard for keeping faſt the Catholike faith.
• v. 9 ᶜ To goe backe or reuolt from the receiued truth and doctrine Apoſtolical, it damnable.
• v. 10 Ro. 16, 17.

Annotations to Chapter 1

ANNOT.

6. From the beginning.] This is the rule of a Chriſtian Catholike man, to vvalke in that faith and vvorſhip of God vvhich he hath receiued from the beginning. Vvhich is that vvhich vve novv call according to the Scriptures, the tradition of the Apoſtles: that vvhich is come to vs from man to man, from Biſhop to Biſhop, and ſo from the Apoſtles. So ſhal a faithful man auoid ſeducers that riſe vp in euery age, teaching nevv doctrine. [Margin: To hold faſt the old receiued faith.]

10. This doctrine.] The Apoſtles, and true Paſtors their lavvful ſucceſſors, and the Church of God in holy Councel, vſe to ſet dovvne the true doctrine in thoſe pointes vvhich Heretikes call into controuerſie. Vvhich being once done and declared to the faithful, they neede no other marke or deſcription to knovv an Heretike or falſe teacher by, but that he commeth vvith an other doctrine then that vvhich is ſet dovvne to them. Neither can the Heretikes ſhift them ſelues, as novv a daies they vvould doe, ſaying, ô let vs firſt be proueds Heretikes by the Scriptures, let them define an Heretike. No, this is not the Apoſtles rule. Many a good honeſt ſhepheard knovveth a vvoolfe, that can nor define him. but the Apoſtle ſaith. If he bring not this ſet doctrine, he is a ſeducer. So holy Church ſaith novv, Chriſt is really in the B. Sacrament, vnder forme of bread and vvine &c. If therfore he bring not this doctrine, he is a ſeducer, and an Heretike and vve muſt auoide him, vvhether in his ovvne definitions and cenſures he ſeeme to him ſelf an Heretike or no. [Margin: To bring vvilfully an other doctrine then the Catholike Church ſetteth dovvne, is alvvaies a marke of ſeducers and Heretikes.]

10. Receiue him not.] Though in ſuch times and places vvhere the communitie or moſt part be infected, neceſſitie often forceth the faithful to conuerſe vvith ſuch in vvorldly affaires, to ſalute them, to eate and ſpeake vvith them, and the Church by decree of Councel, for the more quietnes of timorous conſciences prouideth, that they incurre not excommunication or other cenſures for communicating in vvorldly affaires vvith any in this kinde, except they be by name excommunicated or declared to be Heretikes yet euen in vvordly coonuerſatiō and ſecular actes of our life, vve muſt auoid them as much as vve may, becauſe their familiaritie is many vvaies contagious and nolſome to good men, namely to the ſimple: but in matter of religion, in praying, reading their bookes, hearing their ſermons, preſence at their ſeruice, partaking of their Sacraments, and al other communicating vvith them in ſpiritual things. It is a great damnable ſinne to deale vvith them. [Margin: Vvhen & wherein to cōuerſe with Heretikes, is tolerable: vvhen & wherein, it is damnable.]

10. Nor ſay, God ſaue you.] S. Iohn ⟨illegible⟩ anotable ſtorie of this holy Apoſtle touching to is point out of S. Polycarpus, vvhich is this. There be ſome (ſaith he) that haue heard Polycarpe ſay, that vvhen Iohn the diſciple of our Lord vvas going to Epheſus, into a bath, to vvaſh him ſelf, and ſavv Corinthus the Heretikes vvithin the ſame, he ſo denly ſkipt out, ſaying that he feared leſt the bath ſhould fall, becauſe Corinthus the enemie of truth vvas vvithin. So ſaith he of S. Iohn, and addeth alſo a like vvorthie example of S. Polycarpe him ſelf: vvho on a time meeting Marcion the Heretike, and the ſaid Marcion calling vpon him, and aſking him vvhether he knew him not: Yes, quoth Polycarpe, I knovv thee for Satans ſound and heire. So great feare (ſaith S. Irernaeus) had the Apoſtles and their diſciples to communicate in vvord onely, vvith ſuch as vvere adulterers or corrupters of the truth, as S. Paul alſo uvarned, vvhen he ſaid, A man that is an Heretike, after the firſt and ſecond admonition auoid. So far Irenaeus. If then, to ſpeake vvith them or ſalute them, is ſo earneſtly to be auoided according to this Apoſtles example & doctrines vvhat a ſinne is it to flatter them, to ſerue them, to marie vvith them, and ſo forth? [Margin: S. Iohn vvould not be in one bath with Cerinthus the Heretike. · The like zeale of S. Polycarpe, and other Apoſtolike men in not communicating with Heretikes. · Tit. 3.]

Colophon

Printed edition: The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin … in the English College of Rhemes (Rhemes: Iohn Fogny, 1582; STC 2884, ESTC S102491), the Catholic New Testament translated from the Latin Vulgate chiefly by Gregory Martin. Copy transcribed: the Eton College Library copy, as filmed for Early English Books Online (image set 2646).

Transcription: Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP), Phase I text A16049 (keyed 2005–06, proofread and released 2006), placed in the public domain under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal. Converted for the Good Works Library in October 2026.

What was done: the spelling, punctuation and capitals of the transcription are kept exactly, including u/v, i/j, "vv" for w, long s (ſ), the abbreviation stroke (as in "vpō") and the edition's own marks (″ for an annotated word, ⸬ and * for marginal references, ⊢ for the end of a liturgical Gospel or Epistle; ▪ is the transcribers' sign for a punctuation mark they could not identify). Removed as apparatus: the TEI markup, page breaks, line-end hyphenation, and the small cross ✝ that the edition sets at the beginning of each verse beside the verse number in the margin; the number is given here instead. Marginal notes are gathered after each chapter, keyed to their verse; the annotations follow as the edition prints them. Words the transcribers could not read are shown as ⟨illegible⟩; words printed in Greek or other non-Latin letters, which the transcription did not key, are shown as ⟨non-Latin script⟩. No gap has been filled or guessed.

The book's heading in the edition reads: "THE SECOND EPISTLE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE." The page title gives it in ordinary capitals and lower case, without other change.

On this page 2 places are marked ⟨illegible⟩.

This is an archival transcription of a historic English Bible. It is not a Good Works Translation.

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