Drihten cwæð to Petre, "Þu eart stænen." For ðære strencðe his geleafan, and for anrædnysse his andetnysse he underfencg ðone naman, forðan ðe he geðeodde hine sylfne mid fæstum mode to Criste, seðe is 'stán' gecweden fram ðam apostole Paule. "And ic timbrige mine cyrcan uppon ðisum stane:" þæt is, ofer ðone geleafan ðe ðu andetst. Eal Godes gelaðung is ofer ðam stane gebytlod, þæt is ofer Criste; forðan ðe he is se grundweall ealra ðæra getimbrunga his agenre cyrcan. Ealle Godes cyrcan sind getealde to anre gelaðunge, and seo is mid gecorenum mannum getimbrod, na mid deadum stanum; and eal seo bytlung ðæra liflicra stana is ofer Criste gelogod; forðan ðe we beoð, þurh ðone geleafan, his lima getealde, and hé ure ealra heafod. Se ðe ne bytlað of ðam grundwealle, his weorc hryst to micclum lyre. Se Hælend cwæð, "Ne magon helle gatu naht togeanes minre cyrcan." Leahtras and dwollic lár sindon helle gatu, forðan ðe hí lædað þone synfullan swilce ðurh geat into helle wite. Manega sind ða gatu, ac heora nan ne mæg ongean ða halgan gelaðunge, ðe is getimbrod uppon ðam fæstan stane, Criste; forðan ðe se gelyfeda, þurh Cristes gescyldnysse, ætwint ðam frecednyssum ðæra deoflicra costnunga. He cwæð, "Ic ðe betæce heofonan rices cæge." Nis seo cæig gylden, ne sylfren, ne of nanum antimbre gesmiðod, ac is se anweald þe him Crist forgeaf, þæt nan man ne cymð {370} into Godes rice, buton se halga Petrus him geopenige þæt infær. "And swa hwæt swa ðu bintst ofer eorðan, þæt bið gebunden on heofonum; and swa hwæt swa ðu unbintst ofer eorðan, þæt bið unbunden on heofenan." Þisne anweald he forgeaf nu Petre, and eac syððan, ǽr his upstige, eallum his apostolum, ðaða he him on-ableow, ðus cwæðende, "Onfoð Haligne Gast: ðæra manna synna þe ge forgyfað, beoð forgyfene; and ðam ðe ge forgifenysse ofunnon, him bið oftogen seo forgyfenys." Nellað ða apostoli nænne rihtwisne mid heora mansumunge gebindan, ne eac ðone mánfullan miltsigende unbindan, butan he mid soðre dǽdbote gecyrre to lifes wege. Þone ylcan andweald hæfð se Ælmihtiga getiðod biscopum and halgum mæsse-preostum, gif hí hit æfter ðære godspellican gesetnysse carfullice healdað. Ac forði is seo cæig Petre sinderlice betæht, þæt eal ðeodscipe gleawlice tocnáwe, þæt swa hwá swa oðscyt fram annysse ðæs geleafan ðe Petrus ða andette Criste, þæt him ne bið getiðod naðor ne synna forgyfenys ne infær þæs heofenlican rices. DE PASSIONE APOSTOLORUM PETRI ET PAULI. We wyllað æfter ðisum godspelle eow gereccan ðæra apostola drohtnunga and geendunge, mid scortre race; forðan ðe heora ðrowung is gehwær on Engliscum gereorde fullice geendebyrd.