The fyrst Epistle to the Corinthyans. The .ix. Chapter.
- Am I not an Apostle? am I not fre? have I not sene Jesus Christ oure lorde?
- Are not ye my worke in the lorde. Yf I be not an Apostle vnto other yet am I vnto you. For the seale of myne Apostleshippe are ye in the lorde.
- Myne answer to them that axe me is this.
- Have we not power to eate and to drynke?
- Ether have we not power to leade about a sister to wyfe as wel as other Apostles and as the brethren of the lorde and Cephas?
- Ether only I and Barnabas have not power this to do?
- who goeth a warfare eny tyme at his awne cost? who planteth a vynearde and eateth not of the frute? Who fedeth a flocke and eateth not of the mylke?
- Saye I these thinges after the manner of men? Or sayth not the lawe the same also?
- For it ys written in the lawe of Moses. Thou shall not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne. Doth God take thought for oxen?
- Ether sayth he it not all to gedder for oure sakes? For oure sakes no doute this is written: that he which eareth shuld eare in hope: and that he which thressheth in hope shuld be parttaker of his hope.
- Yf we sowe vnto you spirituall thynges: is it a greate thynge yf we reepe youre carnall thynges
- Yf other be parttakers of this power over you? wherfore are not we rather.Neverthelesse we have not vsed this power: but suffre all thinges lest we shuld hynder the gospell of Christ.
- Do ye not vnderstoder how that they which minister in the temple have their fyndynge of the temple? And they which wayte at the aulter are partakers with ye aultre?
- Even so also dyd ye lorde ordayne that they which preache ye gospell shuld live of the gospell.
- But I have vsed none of these thinges. Nether wrote I these thinges that it shuld be so done vnto me. For it were better for me to dye the yt eny man shnld take this reioysinge from me.
- In that I preache the gospell I have nothinge to reioyce of. For necessite is put vnto me. Wo is it vnto me yf I preache not the gospell.
- If I do it with a good will I have a rewarde. But yf I do it agaynst my will an office is committed vnto me.
- What is my rewarde then? Verely that whe I preache the gospell I make the gospell of Christ fre yt I misvse not myne auctorite in ye gospel
- For though I be fre from all men yet have I made my silfe servaunt vnto all men that I myght wynne the moo.
- Vnto the Jewes I became as a Jewe to winne ye Jewes. To the that were vnder the lawe was I made as though I had bene vnder the lawe to wynne the that were vnder the lawe.
- To them that were without lawe be ca I as though I had bene without lawe (whe I was not without lawe as perteyninge to god but vnder a lawe as concerninge Christ) to wynne the that were without lawe.
- To the weake became I as weake to wynne the weake. In all thinge I fassioned my silfe to all men to save at ye lest waye some.
- And this I do for the gospels sake that I might have my parte therof.
- Perceave ye not how that they which runne in a course runne all yet but one receaveth the rewarde. So runne that ye maye obtayne.
- Euery man yt proveth masteryes abstaineth from all thinges. And they do it to obtayne a corruptible croune: but we to obtayne an vncorruptible croune:
- I therfore so runne not as at an vncertayne thinge. So fyght I not as one yt beateth the ayer:
- but I tame my body and bringe it into subieccio lest after that I have preached to other I my silfe shuld be a castawaye.