Letters to the Churches

In that yee are buried with him through baptisme, in whome ye are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God, which raised him from the dead.

And you which were dead in sinnes, and in the vncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, forgiuing you all your trespasses,

And putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs, which was contrarie to vs, hee euen tooke it out of the way, and fastened it vpon the crosse,

And hath spoyled the Principalities, and Powers, and hath made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse.

Let no man therefore condemne you in meate and drinke, or in respect of an holy day, or of the newe moone, or of the Sabbath dayes,

Which are but a shadowe of thinges to come: but the body is in Christ.

Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde, and worshipping of Angels, aduauncing himselfe in those thinges which hee neuer sawe, rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde,

And holdeth not the head, whereof all the body furnished and knit together by ioyntes and bands, increaseth with the increasing of God.

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world, why, as though ye liued in ye world, are ye burdened with traditions?

As, Touch not, Taste not, Handle not.

Which al perish with the vsing, and are after the commandements and doctrines of men.

Which thinges haue in deede a shewe of wisdome, in voluntarie religion and humblenesse of minde, and in not sparing the body, which are thinges of no valewe, sith they perteine to the filling of the flesh.

If yee then bee risen with Christ, seeke those thinges which are aboue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.

Set your affections on things which are aboue, and not on things which are on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ which is our life, shall appeare, then shall ye also appeare with him in glory.

Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, vncleannes, the inordinate affection, euill concupiscence, and couetousnes which is idolatrie.

For the which things sake ye wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience.

Wherein ye also walked once, when ye liued in them.

But now put ye away euen all these things, wrath, anger, maliciousnes, cursed speaking, filthie speaking, out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, seeing that yee haue put off the olde man with his workes,

And haue put on the newe, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him,

Where is neither Grecian nor Iewe, circumcision nor vncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, free: But Christ is all, and in all things.

Now therfore as the elect of God holy and beloued, put on the bowels of mercies, kindnesse, humblenesse of minde, meekenesse, long suffering:

Forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, if any man haue a quarel to another: euen as Christ forgaue, euen so doe ye.