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¹ I saye the trueth in Christ and lye not in that wherof my conscience beareth me witnes in the holy gost² that I have gret hevynes and continuall sorowe in my hert.³ For I have wysshed my selfe to be cursed from Christ for my brethren and my kynsmen as pertayninge to the flesshe⁴ which are the Israelites. To whom pertayneth the adopcion and the glorie and the covenauntes and the law that was geven and the service of God and the promyses:⁵ whose also are the fathers and they of whome (as concernynge the flesshe) Christ came which is God over all thinges blessed for ever Amen.

⁶ I speake not these thinges as though the wordes of god had take none effecte. For they are not all Israelites which came of Israel:⁷ nether are they all chyldren strayght waye because they are the seed of Abraham. But in Isaac shall thy seede be called:⁸ that is to saye they which are the chyldren of the flesshe are not the chyldren of god. But the chyldren of promes are counted the seede.⁹ For this is a worde of promes aboute this tyme will I come and Sara shall have a sonne.¹⁰ Nether was it so wt her only: but also when Rebecca was with chylde by one I meane by oure father Isaac¹¹ yeer the chyldren were borne when they had nether done good nether bad: that the purpose of God which is by election myght stonde¹² it was sayde vnto her not by the reason of workes but by grace of ye caller: the elder shall serve the yonger.¹³ As it is written: Iacob he loved but Esau he hated.

¹⁴ What shall we saye then? is there eny vnrightewesses with God? God forbyd.¹⁵ For he sayth to Moses: I will shewe mercye to who I shewe mercy: and will have compassion on whom I have copassion.¹⁶ So lieth it not then in a mans will or cunnynge but in ye mercye of god.¹⁷ For the scripture sayth vnto Pharao: Even for this same purpose have I stered ye vp to shewe my power on ye and that my name myght be declared thorow out all the worlde.¹⁸ So hath he mercye on whom he will and whom he will he maketh hearde herted.¹⁹ Thou wilt saye then vnto me: why then blameth he vs yet? For who can resist his will?²⁰ But o man what arte thou which disputest with God? Shall the worke saye to the workeman: why hast thou made me on this fassion?²¹ Hath not the potter power over the claye even of the same lompe to make one vessell vnto honoure and a nother vnto dishonoure?²² Even so God willynge to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen suffered with longe pacience the vessels of wrath ordeyned to damnacion²³ that he myght declare ye ryches of his glory on the vessels of mercye which he had prepayred vnto glorie:²⁴ that is to saye vs which he called not of the Iewes only but also of ye gentyls.

²⁵ As he sayth in Osee: I will call them my people which were not my people: and her beloved which was not beloved.²⁶ And it shall come to passe in the place where it was sayd vnto them ye are not my people: that there shalbe called the chyldren of the lyvynge God.²⁷ But Esaias cryeth concernynge Israel though the nomber of the chyldren of Israel be as the sonde of the see yet shall a remnaut be saved.²⁸ He finyssheth the worde verely and maketh it short in ryghtwesses. For a short worde will god make on erth.²⁹ And as Esaias sayd before: Except the Lorde of sabaoth had left us seede we had bene made as Zodoma and had bene lykened to Gomorra.

³⁰ What shall we saye then? We saye that the gentyls which followed not rightewesnes have overtaken rightewesnes: I meane the rightewesnes which cometh of fayth.³¹ But Israel which folowed the lawe of rightewesnes coulde not attayne vnto ye lawe of rightewesnes.³² And wherfore? Because they sought it not by fath: but as it were by the workes of the lawe. For they have stombled at the stomblynge stone.³³ As it is written: Beholde I put in Syon a stomblynge stone and a rocke which shall make men faule. And none yt beleve on him shalbe a shamed.