Therfore I seye, Wher God hath putt 1    awey his peple? Ferr be it. Forwhy and I am an Israelyte, of the seed of Abraham, of the lynage of Beniamyn. 2   `The Lord `putte not awey his peple, `the which he bifore wiste. Wher &yogh;e witen not, `in Helye `what the scripture seith? How he preieth God a&yogh;ens Israel, 3   Lord, thei han slayn thi prophetis, thei han vndirdoluen thin auteris, and I am left aloone, and thei seken my lyf. 4   But what seith Goddis answere to him? I haue left to me seuene thousand of men, that han not bowid her knees bifore Baal. So therfore and in this tyme, 5   the relyfs ben mad saaf, vp the chesynge of the grace of God. 6   For if bi the grace of God, now not of workis; ellis grace is not now grace. 7   What therfore? Israel hath not getyn that that he sou&yogh;te, forsothe eleccioun hath getyn; sothli the

othere ben blyndid. 8   As it is writun, He &yogh;af to hem a spirit of compunccioun, y&yogh;en that thei se not, and eeris, that thei heeren not, til in to this day. 9   And Dauith seith, Be the boord of hem maad `bifore hem in to a gnare, and in to catchinge, and in to sclaundre, and into &yogh;eldinge a&yogh;en to hem. Be the y&yogh;en of hem maad derke, 10   that thei se not; and incroke algatis the bak of hem. 11   Therfore I seye, Wher thei offendiden so, that thei schulden falle doun? Fer be it. But bi the gilt of hem heelthe is maad to hethene men, that thei sue hem. 12   That if the gilt of hem ben richessis of the world, and the menusinge, `or makinge lesse, `of hem ben richessis of hethen men, hou moche more the plente of hem? 13   Sothli I seye to &yogh;ou, hethen men, hou longe sothli I am apostle of hethen men, I schal honoure my mynysterie, `or seruyse, 14   if on ony maner I stire my fleisch for to folwe, and I make summe of hem saaf. 15   Forsoth if the losse of hem is reconsilinge of the world, what takinge vp, no but lyf of deede men? For if the sacrifise, 16   `or litel part of tastynge, be hooly, and the hool gobet; and if the roote is hooly, and the braunchis. That if ony of the braunchis ben broken, 17    thou sothli, whanne thou were a wylde olyue tre, art `sett yn among hem, and ert maad felowe of the roote, and of fatnesse of the olyue tre, 18   nyle thou glorie a&yogh;eyns the braunchis. For if thou gloriest, thou berist not the roote, but the roote thee. Therfore thou seist, 19   The braunchis ben broken, that I be `yn sett. 20   Wel, for vnbileue the braunchis ben broken; forsoth thou stondist by feith. Nyle thou sauere hi&yogh;e thing, 21   but drede thou, forsothe if

God sparide not the kyndely braunchis, lest perauenture he spare not thee. Therfore se the goodnesse, 22   and feersnesse of God; sothli feersnesse in to hem that felden doun, sothli the goodnesse of God in thee, if thou `schalt dwelle in goodnesse, ellis and thou schalt be kitt down. 23   But and thei schulen ben ynsett, if thei `schulen not dwelle in vnbileue. Forsoth God is my&yogh;ty, eftsoone for to ynsette hem. 24   Forwhi if thou ert kitt doun of the kyndely wylde olyue tre, and a&yogh;ens kynde ert inseet in to a good olyue tre, how moche more thei that by kynde, schulen be ynsett to her olyue tre? 25   Forsothe, britheren, I nyle &yogh;ou vnknowe this mysterie, that &yogh;e ben not wyse to &yogh;ou silf; for blyndnesse hath felde of party in Israel, til the plente of hethen men entriden, 26   and so al Israel schulde be maad saaf. As it is writun, He schal come of Syon, that schal delyuere, and turne awey the vnpite of Jacob. 27   And this testament to hem of me, whanne I schal do awey her synnes. 28   Sothli vp the gospel enemyes for &yogh;ou, forsothe moost dereworthe vp the eleccioun for fadris. Sothli the &yogh;iftis and clepynge of God ben 29    withouten forthinkynge, `or reuokynge. Sothli as sum tyme and &yogh;e bileueden not 30    to God, `now forsothe &yogh;e han gete mercy for the vnbileue of hem; 31   so and thes now bileueden not in to &yogh;oure mercy, that and thei gete mercy. 32   Forsothe God closide to gidere alle thingis in vnbileue, that he haue mercy on alle. 33   A! the hi&yogh;nesse, `or depnesse, of the richesse of wysdom and kunnynge of God; hou incomprehensyble ben his domes, and his weyis vnserchable.

Forsothe who knew the witt 34    of God, 35   or who was his councelour? or who formere &yogh;af to hym, and it schal be quyt a&yogh;en to him? 36   For of him, and by him, and in hym ben alle thingis. To him `honour and glorie in to worldis. Amen.

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