comp. ver. G ; but lie reduces them to a triad, solely with reference to the three who bear witness in heaven. From the circumstance, that the Father, and the Word, and the Spirit, are properly three, and are bearing witness, and are one, the same things also are, by a trope, predicated of the spirit, and the water, and the blood ; although it is evident of itself, that the things thus predicated are of themselves less applicable to the subjects spoken of: and this has been perceived by those who, in the verse respecting the spirit, and the water, and the blood, have changed the masculine ( tres ) into the neuter (tria).1 See Apparatus, pp. 750, 755. If there is any rela- tion between those who bear witness on earth and those who bear witness in heaven, the arrangement of the w^ords, the spirit , and the water , and the blood , requires, that the spirit be referred to the Father , the water to the Word, and the blood to the Spirit : but this is confirmed only by the express reading of the Father , and the Word , and the Spirit : in the absence of which reading a variously fluc- tuating allegory has changed the order of the words. See Appar., pp. 757, 764. The apostle, in asserting that the commandments of God are not grievous, deduces their observance not only from the sacraments, but chiefly also from faith in the Sacred Trinity, as the Lord Himself does, Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. This whole paragraph shows, on the part of John, a perception derived from God, and a style worthy of this perception. They who do not admit the 8th verse, can give no suitable explanation of the 7th. They reduce the Metalepsis , which we noticed above, into an open Catachresis :2 but the 8th verse being admitted, the Metalepsis is altogether softened down, and the order in which the spirit is placed, before the wrater and the blood, is explained, and an account is given of all the words. In short, there is an intimate connection between both verses, a complete rhythm, an inseparable parody (correspondence between the verses) ; and the one without the other is as a compound period, or a poetical strophe, where the half is wanting.
7, 8. *Ev r?j iv rty ovpavQi, on earth : in heaven) The testimony is not given in heaven, but on earth : but they who bear witness, are some on earth and some in heaven ; that is, the former are of an earthly and human nature, the latter of a divine and glorious nature. Moreover, because they who are witnessing on earth, and
1 Origen 4,I43c says, “ The disciple John has described the spirit, the water, and the blood, roc rpix (neuter) tig h yiv6ptvu.> the three things, as concurring in one.” — E.
2 See Append.