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¹ Brethren I wolde not that ye shuld be ignoraunt of this how yt oure fathers were all vnder a cloude and all passed thorow the see² and were all baptised vnder Moses in the cloude and in the see:³ and dyd all eate of one spirituall meate⁴ and did all drincke of one maner of spirituall drincke. And they dranke of that spretuall rocke that folowed them which rocke was Christ.⁵ But in many of them had god no delite. For they were overthrowen in the wildernes.

⁶ These are ensamples to vs that we shuld not lust after evyll thinges as they lusted⁷ Nether be ye worshippers of Images as were some of them accordynge as it is written: The people sate doune to eate and drynke and rose vp agayne to playe.⁸ Nether let vs comit fornicacion as some of them committed fornicacion and were destroyed in one daye .xxiii. thousande.⁹ Nether let vs tempte Christ as some of them tempted and were destroyed of serpentes.¹⁰ Nether murmure ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed of ye destroyer¹¹ All these thinges happened vnto them for ensamples and were written to put vs in remembraunce whom the endes of the worlde are come apon.¹² Wherfore let hym that thynketh he stodeth take hede least he fall.¹³ There hath none other temptacion taken you but soche as foloweth ye nature of ma. But God is faythfull which shall not suffer you to be tempted above youre strenght: but shall in the myddes of the temptacion make awaye to escape out.¹⁴ Wherfore my deare beloued fle from worshippynge of ydols.

¹⁵ I speake as vnto them which have discrecion Iudge ye what I saye.¹⁶ Ys not the cuppe of blessinge which we blesse partakynge of ye bloude of Christ? ys not the breed which we breake partetakynge of the body of Christ?¹⁷ because that we (though we be many) yet are one breed and one bodye in as moch as we all are partetakers of one breed.¹⁸ Beholde Israhell which walketh carnally. Are not they which eate of the sacrifyse partetakers of the aultre?¹⁹ What saye I then? that the ymage is eny thinge? or that it which is offered to ymages is eny thinge?²⁰ Nay but I saye that those thinges which the gentyle offer they offer to devyls and not to god. And I wolde not that ye shuld have fellishippe with ye devils²¹ Ye canot drincke of the cup of the lorde and of yt cup of ye deuyls. Ye cnanot be partetakers of the lordes table and of the table of deuelles.²² Ether shall we provoke the lorde? Or are we stronger then he? All thynges are laufull vnto me but all thynges are not expedient.

²³ All thynges are lawfull to me but all thinges edifye not.²⁴ Let no man seke his awne proffet: but let every man seke anothers welthe.²⁵ What soever is solde in the market that eate and axe no questions for conscience sake²⁶ For the erth is the lordis and all that therein is.²⁷ Yf eny of them which beleve not bid you to a feest and yf ye be disposed to goo what soever is seet before you: eate axinge no question for conscience sake.²⁸ But and yf eny man saye vnto you: this is dedicate vnto ydols eate not of it for his sake that shewed it and for hurtynge of conscience.²⁹ Conscience I saye not thyne: but the coscieuce of that other. For why shuld my liberte be iudged of another manes conscience:³⁰ For yf I take my parte with thakes: why am I evell spoken of for that thynge wherfore I geve thankes.³¹ Whether therfore ye eate or dryncke or what soever ye do do all to the prayse of God.³² Se that ye geve occasion of evell nether to ye Iewes nor yet to the gentyls nether to ye cogregacion of god:³³ euen as I please all men in all thinges not sekynge myne awne proffet but the proffet of many that they myght be saved. Folowe me as I do Christ.