Epistola II B. Joannis
by Anselm of Laon and his school
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://migne.app/pl/114/epistola-ii-b-joannis/
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## THE ARGUMENT.

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So far does he write to a holy woman, that he does not hesitate to call her lady in his letter, and he bears witness to her sons that they walk in truth.

## THE ONLY CHAPTER.

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VERS. 1.-- *Not I only.* About to write against the heretics who have fallen away from the truth, he says that of all who have known the truth there is one love toward the saints, so that by the likeness of catholics he may deter them from [0705A] the fellowship of heretics. For all the faithful agree in one truth; heretics attack one another in their errors.

VERS. 4.-- *I rejoiced greatly.* As if he should say: What you hold, hold. Receive nothing else from the heretics, because I rejoice in these things which you have; I seek that nothing else be added to you unto salvation. Since therefore I rejoice at your good beginning, do not make me grieve at your falling away, because, as a watchful guardian, I know all the things that are done about you. *Walking in truth.* Adam was placed in paradise, that he might work and keep it. Working designates the advancement of the effect; keeping designates the state and the constancy of that perfection itself.

VERS. 8.-- *Look to yourselves,* etc. Do not consent to such men as these, but rather consider in what manner you are perfectly [0705B] instructed unto faith and constancy. *But that you may receive a full reward,* that is, that you may lay hold of the true God with full gladness, by persevering in the doctrine delivered to you, and by not consenting to their error.

VERS. 9.-- *And abideth not.* If anyone separates himself from the [0706A] divine doctrine, so as to be outside the right faith and the manner of life of the commandments of God, he separates himself from God, that he may not have God. Through the active and the contemplative life he who is the Creator of all becomes the God of someone, by manifesting himself to him. *He that abideth.* He abides in the doctrine of the Gospel who thinks and acts according to it; he separates himself from it who thinks and acts otherwise.

VERS. 10.-- *Neither say ye Ave to him.* Because it seems a sign of consent to error, for this we say to friends whose works please us; and if perchance you were not deceived, others nevertheless might be deceived through such familiarity of yours, who would believe that those men pleased you, and so would believe them.

VERS. 12.-- *Having more things to write to you.* Understand that this admonition will be very useful to you, because for the confirmation [0706B] of it I have determined to come to you also, nor yet could I meanwhile be altogether silent.

VERS. 13.-- *They salute thee.* As he forbids to say Ave to the adversaries of the truth, so on the contrary he salutes the elect in the person of the elect.
