¶ Paule the seruaunt of Iesus Christ, called to the office of an Apostle, put aparte for the gospel of God, whiche he had promised afore by his prophetes in the holy scrip¦tures of his sonne, whiche was borne vnto him of the seede of Dauid after the fleashe: and hath bene declared to be the sonne of god with power, after the spirit that sancti∣fieth, synce the tyme that Iesus Christ our lorde rose againe from death, by whom we haue receiued grace & Apostleship, that obedience might be geuen vnto the fayth in his name among all heathen, of whose numbre you be the electe of Iesus Christ.
PAule, euen I the very same, so becomen of Saule, that is to say, of an vnquiet person, a peacemaker of late subiect to Moses lawe, now made fre ther∣of, and becomen the seruaunt of Iesus Christ, not like a false souldiar that falleth from his capitain or one that like a truant forgoeth his olde profes∣sion, but called foorth to do this message, & muche more to my cōtentacion deuided now, than at that tyme whā I was a mainteiner of the deuided Pha¦risaical secte, vpō an vngodly zeale, and light per∣suasion wanderyng out of the right way: now, and neuer before meete to be called by the surname of vnfained diuision, as one deuided and chosen* 1.1 out by Christ him self to labour and trauaile in a muche more weyghtie mat••er, to preache (I say) the ioyfull tidynges of God, whiche is no new found phātasie, but promised many yeres synce in his owne prophecies, whiche remayne still in bookes of no smal credence, but in suche as are of an holy and moste vndoubted trueth of his sonne, whiche was touchyng his frayle manhed, borne in tyme, of the seede of Dauid, and was neuer∣thelesse declared to be the euerlastyng sonne of God euerlastyng, by the holy gooste, as well appeared bothe by diuerse other profes, as moost•• specially, by that he ouercame death, and rose againe from the dead, now becomen to al suche, as in him are borne againe, the prince and chiefe au∣thour of resurreccion, I meane Iesus Christ our Lord, by whom we haue obtayned not onely suche fauer, as the kepyng of the lawe could not help* 1.2 vs to, but also in suche sorte to be his messagier, that as by other Apostles Christes gospel hath bene spread abroad among the Iewes, so may it by me likewyse be set foorth among all heathens, whatsoeuer they be: not to trouble them with the burdaine of the lawe, but to make them yelde and submit them selfes obediently to the doctrine of Christes fayth, stedfast∣ly cleauyng therto, not to the vaine wysedome of Philosophers: of whi∣che noumbre of heathens ye Romaines are also touchyng your nacion, but by adopcion & fatheryng called all to the right title of inheritaunce & surname of Iesus Christ, whiche point I incidently geue you warnyng