The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

[Here bigynneth the first pistle of Petre [The firste epistle of Petir. E. Heere sueth the firste pistle of Petir. R. No initial rubric in CIKMQUX abcgho.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] PETRE, apostle of Jhesu Crist, to the chosun men, to the comelingis [comelingis; that ben con|uertid fro he|thennesse. bi the prescience; this is referred to that that is seid bifore. to chosen men; presciense is take here for predestina|cioun, that is, graciouse bifore ordynaunce to blisse. Lire here. v.] of scater|yng abrood, of Ponte, of Galathie, of [verse 2] Capadosie, of Asye, and of Bitynye, bi the `bifor knowyng [forknowing KQR.] of God, the fadir, in halewyng of spirit, bi obedience, and springyng of the blood of Jhesu Crist, grace and pees be multiplied to [in R.] ȝou. [verse 3] Blessid be God, and the fadir of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, which bi his greet merci bigat [gat K pr. m.] vs aȝen in to [to the hk.] lyuynge hope, bi the aȝen risyng of Jhesu Crist fro [verse 4] deth, in to eritage vncorruptible, and vn|defoulid, and that schal not fade, that is [verse 5] kept in heuenes for ȝou, that in the vertu of God ben kept bi the feith in to heelthe, and is redi to be schewid in the last tyme. [verse 6] In which ȝe schulen make ioye, thouȝ it bihoueth now a litil to be sori in [verse 7] dyuerse temptaciouns [temptacioun A pr. m. et alii.] ; that the preuyng of ȝoure feith be myche more preciouse than gold, that is preuyd bi fier; and be foundun in to heriyng, and glorie, and onour, in the reuelacioun of Jhesu Crist. [verse 8] Whom whanne ȝe han not seyn, ȝe louen; in to whom also now ȝe not seynge, bi|leuen; but ȝe that bileuen schulen haue ioye, and gladnesse that may not be teld

[verse 9] out, and ȝe schulen be glorified, and haue the ende of ȝoure feith, the helthe of ȝoure soulis. [verse 10] Of which helthe profetis souȝten, and enserchiden, that profecieden [verse 11] of the grace to comyng in ȝou, and souȝt|en which euer [ether IK.] what maner tyme the spirit of Crist signyfiede in hem, and bifor telde tho passiouns, that ben in Crist, and the latere glories [ioies R.] . [verse 12] To which it was schewid, for not to hem silf, but to ȝou thei mynystriden tho thingis, that now ben teld to ȝou bi hem that prechid|en [prechen k.] to ȝou bi the Hooli Goost sent fro heuene, in to whom aungelis desiren to biholde. [verse 13] For which thing be ȝe gird [that is, be chast in body and soule. Lire here. ve.] the leendis of ȝoure soule, sobre, perfit, and hope ȝe in to the ilke grace that is profrid to ȝou bi the schewyng of Jhesu [verse 14] Crist, as sones of obedience, not made lijk to the formere desiris of ȝoure vn|kunnyngnesse, [verse 15] but lijk him that hath `clepid ȝou hooli [hooli clepid ȝou A pr. m. h.] ; that also `ȝe silf [ȝe ȝou silf IK. ȝoure h.] be [verse 16] hooli in `al lyuyng [al thing I.] ; for it is writun, Ȝe schulen be hooli, for Y am hooli. [verse 17] And if ȝe inwardli clepe him fadir, which demeth withouten accepcioun of per|soones bi the werk of ech man, lyue ȝe in drede in the time of ȝoure [oure C.] pilgrimage; [verse 18] witynge that not bi corruptible gold, ethir siluer, ȝe ben bouȝt aȝen of ȝoure [verse 19] veyn liuynge of fadris tradicioun, but bi the [Om. b.] precious blood as [Om. gk pr. m.] of the lomb vn|defoulid [verse 20] and vnspottid, Crist Jhesu, that was knowun bifor the makyng of the world, but he is schewid in the laste [verse 21] tymes, for ȝou that bi hym ben feithful in God; that reiside hym fro deth, and ȝaf to [Om. k pr. m.] hym euerlastynge glorie, that ȝoure feith and hope were in God. [verse 22] And make ȝe chast ȝoure soulis in obedience of charite, in loue of britherhod; of simple

herte loue ȝe togidre more bisili. [verse 23] And be ȝe borun aȝen, not of corruptible seed, `but vncorruptible [Om. A pr. m. Eg. but k pr. m.] , bi the word of lyu|ynge God, and dwellynge in to with outen ende. [verse 24] For ech fleisch is hey, and al the glorie of it is as flour [the flour k.] of hey; the hei driede vp, and his flour felde [verse 25] doun; but the word of the Lord dwell|ith with outen ende. And this is the word, that is prechid to ȝou.