ȝow þorow þe Holy Gost sent fro heuene; in whom angelis desyre to be|holde. [verse 13] Wherfore drawe uppe ȝoure herte fro wordly lustes, & beþ sobre & parfyte & tristiþ þer-inne, þat is, in schewynge þat grace þat is offrud to ȝou in þe reuelacyon of Iesu Crist; [verse 14] as sones of buxomnes, not lyke to ȝoure firste desyres of ȝoure vnknowynge, [verse 15] but aftir him þat cleped ȝow holy. & be ȝee holy in al ȝoure conuersasyoun; [verse 16] for it is wretyn, Be ȝee holy, for I am holy. [verse 17] & if ȝe clepe him Fadur þat, wiþ-oute rewarde-takynge [folio 63] of eny persone, demeþ echone aftur his deedis, leueþ in drede þe tyme of ȝoure duellynge heere: [verse 18] wetynge weel þat ȝee be noȝt bouȝt wiþ roten seluer, or golde þat soone wyle ruste & rote, of ȝoure veyn lyuynge, þat ȝee of ȝoure formere fadres tooken; [verse 19] but wiþ þe precyouse blood, as of þe lombe wiþ-outyn filþe þat may not be defoulyd, of Iesu Criste. [verse 20] He was knowen of God or euere þe worlde were maade, & afturwarde he was schewyd in þe laste tymys of þe worlde for ȝowe: [verse 21] þat þorow him ȝee be made trewe in God þat reysid him froo deeþ, & ȝafe to him ioye wiþ-outen ende, þat ȝoure feiþe & ȝoure hope schulde be in God, [verse 22] chastysynge ȝoure soules in buxomnes of charite, in loue of breþurhede. Loueþ echone oþur bysyli in lowenes of herte: [verse 23] eft-borne nouȝt of sede þat may be roten, but of þat þat may not be roten, þorow þe word of lyuynge God & lastynge wiþ-outen ende. [verse 24] For al flesch is but as muke or hey, & alle þe ioye of it is as þe floure of hey or of mucke. Þe hey wexiþ drye, & þe floure þer-of felle: [verse 25] but soþely þe word of God lasteþ wiþ-outen ende. And þis word it is þat is preched a-monges ȝow.
[verse 1] Wherefore doþ a-wey alle malice & alle treccherye & alle feynynges & enuyes & alle bakbytynges, [verse 2] as children þat be now bore, koueytynge resonable mylke, [folio 63b] wiþ-outen trecherye, þat ȝee helfully wexe þer-wiþ: [verse 3] but not forþi ȝee haf tasted how swete oure Lord is.
[verse 4] Drawe ȝow to him þat is þe leuynge stone, reproued of men, but chosen soþely of God, & honoured; [verse 5] & ȝe as quyke stones beþ maked in worke, in gostly houses, holy presthode, to offure gostly offrynges þat beþ acceptable to God þorow Iesu Criste. [verse 6] Wherfore is conteynyd in holy writt [ysay in margin.] , Lo, I schal putte in Syon a stone hyȝest cornarde, precyous and chosen, & eche þat troweþ in him schal not be confounded: [verse 7] þerfore to ȝou þat troweþ, honour: to hem þat troweþ not he is made a stone þat was reproued, & kaste a-wey of hem þat housed, heere he is maked a heued stone in þe corner, (þat is, þat makeþ boþe one in charite) [underlined.] [verse 8] & he is a stomblynge stone, & to sporne aȝeyn, & a stone of sclawndre to hem þat stumblen þer|aȝeyn þorow worde, & troweþ not; in whom þei beþ putte (þat is, in whom is here dome or þeire sauacyoun putte) [underlined.] . [verse 9] Ȝe soþeliche beþ a chosen kynrede, ryal presthode, a holy folke, peple i-chose (þat is, gete þorw passyoun & bore þorw bapteme) [underlined.] ; þat ȝe schulde schewe þe vertu of him þat cleped ȝow fro derknesse in-to his merueilouse lyȝt; [verse 10] þe whuche some tyme were not his folke, now soþely ȝe beþ Godes folke; þe whuche some tyme folwyd not [folio 64] aftur mercy, now soþely ȝe folwe þer-aftur.
[verse 11] My deere frendes, I beseche ȝow as comelynge[s] & pilgrymes, þat ȝe
