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I say ye trueth in Christ, I lye not, my conscience also bearyng me witnesse by the holy ghost,
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That I haue great heauinesse, & continuall sorowe in my heart.
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For I haue wisshed my selfe to be cursed from Christe, for my brethren, my kynsmen as pertaynyng to ye fleshe,
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Which are the Israelites: To whom pertayneth the adoption, and the glory, & the couenauntes, and the lawe that was geuen, and the seruice of God, and the promises.
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Of whom are the fathers, of whom as concernyng the fleshe, Christe [came,] which is God, in all thynges to be praysed for euer.
Amen.
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And it can not be, that the worde of God shoulde take none effect.
For they are not all Israelites, which are of Israel:
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Neither are they all chyldren that are the seede of Abraham: But in Isaac shall thy seede be called.
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That is to say: They which are the chyldren of the fleshe, are not the chyldren of God: But they which be the childre of promise, are counted the seede.
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For this is a worde of promise: About this tyme wyll I come, and Sara shall haue a sonne.
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Not only this, but also Rebecca was with chylde by one [euen] by our father Isaac.
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For yer the [chyldren] were borne, when they had neither done good neither bad, (that the purpose of God by election might stande: not by the reason of workes, but by the caller)
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It was sayde vnto her: The elder shall serue the younger.
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As it is written: Iacob haue I loued, but Esau haue I hated.
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What shall we say then?
Is there any vnrighteousnes with God?
God forbid.
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For he sayth to Moyses: I wyll shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy: And wyll haue compassion, on whom I haue compassion.
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So then it is not of the wyller, nor of the runner: but of the mercy of God.
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For the scripture sayth vnto Pharao: Euen for this same purpose haue I stirred thee vp, to shewe my power in thee, & that my name myght be declared throughout all the worlde.
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So hath he mercy on whom he wyll, and whom he wyll, he hardeneth.
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Thou wylt say then vnto me: Why then blameth he [vs] yet?
For who hath ben able to resist his wyll?
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But O man, what art thou which disputest with God?
Shall the worke say to the workeman, why hast thou made me on this fashion?
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Hath not the potter power ouer the clay, euen of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour, and another vnto dishonour?
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If then, God wyllyng to shewe his wrath, and to make his power knowe, suffred with long patience, the vessels of wrath, ordayned to destruction,
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To declare the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy, which he had prepared vnto glory:
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Whom also he called, not of ye Iewes only, but also of the Gentiles.
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As he sayth also in Osee: I wyll call them my people, which were not my people: and her beloued, which was not beloued.
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And it shall come to passe, that in the place where it was sayde vnto them: Ye are not my people, there shall they be called ye chyldren of the lyuyng God.
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And Esaias cryeth concerning Israel: Though the number of the children of Israel, be as the sande of the sea, yet [but] a remnaunt shalbe saued.
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For he finisheth the worde, and maketh it short in ryghteousnesse: For a short worde wyll the Lorde make on earth.
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And as Esaias sayde before: Except the Lorde of Sabboth had lefte vs seede, we had ben made as Sodoma, and had ben lykened to Gomorrha.
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What shall we say then?
that the gentiles which folowed not ryghteousnes, haue obtayned righteousnesse: euen the ryghteousnesse which cometh of fayth.
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But Israel, which folowed the lawe of ryghteousnesse, hath not attayned to the lawe of ryghteousnesse.
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Wherfore?
Because [they sought it] not by fayth: but [as it were] by the workes of the lawe.
For they haue stumbled at the stumblyng stone,
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As it is written: Beholde, I put in Sion a stumblyng stone, and a rocke of offence: And whosoeuer beleueth on hym, shall not be confounded.