Letters to the Churches

And persuadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde, a light of them which are in darkenesse,

An instructer of them which lacke discretion, a teacher of the vnlearned, which hast the forme of knowledge, and of the truth in ye Law.

Thou therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thy selfe? thou that preachest, A man should not steale, doest thou steale?

Thou that saist, A man should not commit adulterie, doest thou commit adulterie? thou that abhorrest idoles, committest thou sacrilege?

Thou that gloriest in the Lawe, through breaking the Lawe, dishonourest thou God?

For ye Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

For circucision verely is profitable, if thou do the Lawe: but if thou be a transgressour of the Lawe, thy circumcision is made vncircumcision.

Therefore if the vncircumcision keepe the ordinances of the Lawe, shall not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

And shall not vncircumcision which is by nature (if it keepe the Lawe) condemne thee which by the letter and circumcision art a transgressour of the Lawe?

For hee is not a Iewe, which is one outwarde: neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

But he is a Iewe which is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirite not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

What is then the preferment of the Iewe? or what is the profite of circumcision?

Much euery maner of way: for chiefly, because vnto them were of credite committed the oracles of God.

For what, though some did not beleeue? shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid: yea, let God be true, and euery man a lyar, as it is written, That thou mightest be iustified in thy words, and ouercome, when thou art iudged.

Now if our vnrighteousnes comend the righteousnes of God, what shall we say? Is God vnrighteous which punisheth? (I speake as a man.)

God forbid: els how shall God iudge ye world?

For if the veritie of God hath more abounded through my lye vnto his glorie, why am I yet condemned as a sinner?

And (as we are blamed, and as some affirme, that we say) why doe we not euil, that good may come thereof? whose damnation is iust.

What then? are we more excellent? No, in no wise: for we haue alreadie prooued, that all, both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne,

As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.

There is none that vnderstandeth: there is none that seeketh God.

They haue all gone out of the way: they haue bene made altogether vnprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no not one.

Their throte is an open sepulchre: they haue vsed their tongues to deceit: the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes.

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse.