A Call to Maturity 1Therefore leauyng the doctrine of the begynnyng of Christe, let vs go foorth vnto perfection, not laying agayne the foundatio of repentaunce from dead workes, and of fayth towarde God, 2Of the doctrine of baptismes, and of laying on of handes, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternall iudgement. 3And this wyll I do, yf God permit. 4For it can not be that they which were once lighted, and haue tasted of the heauenly gyft, and were become partakers of the holy ghost, 5And haue tasted of the good worde of God, and the powers of the worlde to come: 6And they fall away, shoulde be renued agayne into repentaunce, hauyng crucified to the selues the sonne of God a fresshe, and made a mocke of hym. 7For the earth which drynketh in the rayne that commeth oft vppon it, and bringeth foorth hearbes meete for them by whom also it is dressed, receaueth blessyng of God: 8But that grounde whiche beareth thornes and bryers, is reproued, and is nye vnto cursyng, whose ende is to be burned.
9Neuerthelesse, deare frendes, we haue perswaded our selues better thynges of you, and thynges whiche accompanie saluation, though we thus speake.
10For God is not vnryghteous, to forget your worke & labour of loue, whiche ye haue shewed towarde his name, hauyng ministred to the saintes, and God’s Unchangeable Promise 13For when God made promise to Abraham, because he had no greater to sweare by, he sware by hym selfe,
14Saying: Surely, blessyng I wyll blesse thee, and multipliyng, multiplie thee.
15And so after that he had taryed paciently, he enioyed the promise.
16For men veryly sweare by the greater, and an oth for confirmation, is to them an ende of all stryfe.
17Wherein God wyllyng very aboundauntly to shewe vnto the heires of promise, the stablenesse of his counsayle, confirmed by an oth:
18That by two immutable thynges, in whiche it was vnpossible for God to lye, we myght haue a strong consolation, which haue fledde to holde fast the hope layde before vs:
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