Footnotes

1. 1 John 4:1 Taking occasion by the name of the Spirit, lest love and charity should be separated from the worship of God, which chiefly dependeth of his true knowledge, he returneth to that which he spake in the second Chapter touching the taking heed of Antichrists. And he will have us here to take heed of two things, the one is, that seeing there be many false prophets, we do not lightly give credit to every man: the other is, that because many men teach false things, we should not therefore believe any. We must then observe a mean, that we may be able to discern the Spirit of God, which are altogether to be followed from impure spirits which are to be eschewed.
2. 1 John 4:1 This is spoken by the figure Metonymy, and it is as if he had said, Believe not everyone that saith that he hath a gift of the holy Ghost to do the office of a Prophet.
3. 1 John 4:2 He giveth a certain and perpetual rule to know the doctrine of Antichrist by, to wit, if either the divine or human nature of Christ, or the true uniting of them together be denied: or if the least jot that may be, be derogate from his office who is our only King, Prophet, and everlasting high Priest.
4. 1 John 4:2 He speaketh simply of the doctrine, and not of the person.
5. 1 John 4:2 The true Messiah.
6. 1 John 4:2 Is true man.
7. 1 John 4:4 He comforteth the elect with a most sure hope of victory: but yet so, that he teacheth them that they fight not with their own virtue, but with the virtue and power of God.
8. 1 John 4:5 He bringeth a reason: why the world receiveth these teachers more willingly than the true: to wit, because they breathe out nothing but that which is worldly: which is another note also to know the doctrine of Antichrist by.
9. 1 John 4:6 He testifieth unto them that his doctrine and the doctrine of his fellows, is the assured word of God, which of necessity we have boldly to set against all the mouths of the whole world, and thereby discern the truth from falsehood.
10. 1 John 4:6 True Prophets against whom are set false Prophets, that is, such as err themselves, and lead others into error.
11. 1 John 4:7 He returneth to the commending of brotherly love and charity.
12. 1 John 4:7 The first reason: Because it is a very divine thing: and therefore very meet for the sons of God: so that whosoever is void of it, cannot be said to know God aright.
13. 1 John 4:8 A confirmation: For it is the nature of God to love men, whereof we have a most manifest proof above all others: in that that of his only free and infinite goodwill towards us his enemies, he delivered unto death not a common man, but his own Son, yea, his only begotten Son, to the end that we being reconciled through his blood, might be made partakers of his everlasting glory.
14. 1 John 4:8 In that he called God, Love he saith more than if he had said that he loveth us infinitely.
15. 1 John 4:11 Another reason by comparison: if God so loved us, shall not we his children love one another.
16. 1 John 4:12 A third reason: Because God is invisible, therefore by this effect of his Spirit, to wit, by charity, he is understood, yea, and to be not out of us, but joined with us, and in us, in whom he is so effectually working.
17. 1 John 4:12 Is surely in us, in deed and in truth.
18. 1 John 4:14 He underlayeth this charity with another foundation, to wit, faith in Jesus, which joineth us indeed with him, even as charity witnesseth that we are joined with him. Furthermore he testifieth of Christ, as who had seen him with his eyes.
19. 1 John 4:15 With such a confession as cometh from true faith and is accompanied with love, so that there be an agreement of all things.
20. 1 John 4:16 A fourth reason: God is the fountain and wellspring of charity, yea, charity itself: therefore whosoever abideth in it, hath God with him.
21. 1 John 4:17 Again (as a little before) he commendeth love, for that seeing that by our agreement with God in this thing, we have a certain testimony of our adoption, it cometh thereby to pass, that without fear we look for that latter day of judgment, so that trembling and that torment of conscience is cast out by this love.
22. 1 John 4:17 This signifieth all likeness, not equality.
23. 1 John 4:18 If we understand by love, that we are in God, and God in us, that we are sons, and that we know God, and that everlasting life is in us: he concludeth aright that we may well gather peace and quietness thereby.
24. 1 John 4:19 Lest any man should think that that peace of conscience proceedeth from our love as from the cause, he goeth back to the fountain, to wit, to the free love, wherewith God loveth us although we deserved and do deserve his wrath. And hereof springeth another double charity, which both are tokens and witnesses of that first, to wit, that, wherewith we love God who loved us first, and then for his sake our neighbors also.
25. 1 John 4:20 As he showed that the love of our neighbor cannot be separate from the love wherewith God loveth us, because this last engendereth the other: so he denieth that the other kind of love wherewith we love God, can be separate from the love of our neighbor: whereof it followeth, that they lie impudently which say they worship God, and yet regard not their neighbor.
26. 1 John 4:20 The first reason taken of comparison, why we cannot hate our neighbor and love God, to wit, because that he that cannot love his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not?
27. 1 John 4:21 A second reason, why God cannot be hated and our neighbor loved, because the selfsame Lawmaker commanded both to love him and our neighbor.