¶ He commendeth the Lorynthians, exhorteth them to be of one mynde, and rebuketh the veuision that was amoge them. Wordly wysdome is folishnes before God, y•••• there to no wysdom but in the despysed crosse of God.
CAPI. I.
PAul called an A∣postle [unspec A] of Iesus Chryste, thorowe the wyl of God, and brother Softenes. Unto the congregacyon of God whiche is at Co∣rynthum. To them that are sanctified by Christ Iesu, called saync∣tes, wyth all that call on the name of oure Lorde Iesus Christ in euery place, ether of theyrs or of oures.
Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father, and from the lord Iesus Christ
✚ I thanke my God alwayes on youre behalf, for the grace of god, which is geuen you by Iesus Christ, that in all thinges ye are made ryche by hym, in all vtteraunce and in al knowledge, by the which thinges the testimony of Iesus Christ was confer∣med in you, so that ye are behynde in no gyft, waytynge for the appearynge of oure Lord Iesus Christ, which sha also strēgth [unspec B] you vnto the ende, that ye maye be blame∣lesse in the day {fleur-de-lys} (of the commynge) of oure Lord Iesus Christ. ⊢ God is faythfull, by whom ye are called vnto the fellishyppe of his sonne Iesus Christ oure Lord. I be∣sech you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Chryst, that ye all speake one thing, and that there be no discencion among you but that ye maye be a whole body: of one mynde and of one meanynge. For it is shewed vnto me (my brethren) of you, by them whiche are of the house of Cloe, that there is stryfe amonge you. I speake of the same that euery one of you sayeth: I holde of Paul: I holde of Apollo: I hold of Ge∣phas. I holde of Christ. Is Christ deuided? Was Paul crucified for you? ether were ye baptysed in the name of Paule? I thancke God, that I baptysed none of you, but Cri∣spus [unspec C] and Gaius: lest any shulde saye, that I had baptised in myne owne name. I bap¦tised also the house of Stephana. Forther∣more know I not, whether I baptised any man (of you) or no. For Christ sent me not to baptyse, but to preach the Gospel, not with wysdome of wordes, lest the crosse of Christ shulde haue bene made of none effecte. For the preachynge of the crosse; is to them that perisshe, foolishnes: but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of god. For it is writ¦ten: ‡ I wyl destroy the wysdom of the wyse, and wyl cast away the vnderstandynge of the prudent. Where is the wyse? Where is the scrybe? Where is the dysputer of thys worlde? Hath not God made the wysdome of thys worlde folishnes? For after that the [unspec D] worlde thorowe wysdome knewe not god, in the wysdome of god, it pleased God tho∣rowe folishnes of preachyng, to saue them that beleue. For the Iewes requyre a sygne, and the Grekes seke after wisdome. But we preache Christe crucified, vnto the Iewes an occasyon of fallynge and vnto the Grekes folisshnes: but vnto them whi∣che are called both of the Iewes & Grekes, we preach Christe the power of god and the wysdome of god. For the folyshnes of god, is wyser then men: and the weakenes of god is stronger then men. Brethren, ye se your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesshe, not many myghtye, not many of hye degre, are called: But God hath chosen the folish thinges of the world to cōfounde the wyse. And god hath chosen the weake thynges, of the worlde, to con∣founde thynges whiche are myghtye. And vyle thinges of the worlde, & thynges whi∣are despised, hath God chosen, yee and thin¦ges of no reputacion, for to brīge to ••ought thynges of reputacyon, that no flessh shuld reioyce in hys presence. And of him are ye, in Christ Iesu, which of god is made vnto vs, wysdome, and rightwesnes, and sancri∣fyinge, and redempcyon. That accordynge as it is wrytten: he which reioyseth, shulde reioyce in the Lorde.