Wén is þæt eower sum nyte hwæt sy ymbsnidennys. God bebead Abrahame, þæt he sceolde and his ofspring his wed healdan; þæt sum tacn wære on heora lichaman to geswutelunge þæt hi on God belyfdon, and het þæt he náme scearpecgedne flint, and forcurfe sumne dæl þæs felles æt {94} foreweardan his gesceape. And þæt tacn wæs ða swa micel on geleaffullum mannum, swa micel swa nu is þæt halige fulluht, buton ðam anum þæt nan man ne mihte Godes rice gefaran, ærðan þe se come þe ða ealdan ǽ sette, and eft on his andwerdnysse hí to gastlicum þingum awende: ac gehwylce halgan andbidodon on Abrahames wununge buton tintregum, þeah on helle-wite, oðþæt se Alysend com, þe ðone ealdan deofol gewylde, and his gecorenan to heofenan rice gelædde. Se ylca Hælend, þe nu egefullice and halwendlice clypað on his godspelle, "Buton gehwa beo ge-edcenned of wætere and of þam Halgum Gaste, ne mæg he faran into heofenan rice," se ylca clypode gefyrn þurh ða ealdan ǽ, "Swa hwylc hyse-cild swa ne bið ymbsniden on þam fylmene his flæsces his sawul losað, forðan þe he aydlode min wed." Þis tacen stód on Godes folce oð þæt Crist sylf com, and he sylf wæs þære halgan ǽ underþeod þe he gesette, þæt he ða alysde þe neadwislice ðære ǽ underþeodde wæron. He cwæð þæt he ne cóme to ðy þæt he wolde þa ealdan ǽ towurpan, ac gefyllan. Þa wearð he on þam eahtoðan dæge his gebyrd-tide lichamlice ymbsniden, swa swa he sylf ær tæhte; and mid þam geswutelode þæt seo ealde ǽ wæs halig and gód on hire timan, þam ðe hire gehyrsume wæron. Hit wæs gewunelic þæt þa magas sceoldon þam cilde naman gescyppan on ðam eahtoðan dæge mid þære ymbsnidennysse, ac hí ne dorston nænne oðerne naman Criste gescyppan þonne se heah-engel him gesette, ærðan þe hé on his modor innoðe geeacnod wære, þæt is, IESUS, and on urum gereorde, HÆLEND, forðan ðe he gehælð his folc fram heora synnum. Nis nu alyfed cristenum mannum þæt hi þas ymbsnidennysse lichamlice healdan, ac þeah-hwæðere nan man ne bið soðlice cristen, buton he ða ymbsnidennysse on gastlicum ðeawum gehealde. Hwæt getacnað þæs fylmenes of-cyrf on ðam gesceape, buton galnysse wanunge? Eaðe mihte þes cwyde beon læwedum mannum bediglod, nære seo gastlice getacning. Hit ðincð ungelæredum mannum dyselig to {96} gehyrenne; ac gif hit him dyslic þince, þonne cide he wið God, þe hit gesette, na wið us, þe hit secgað. Ac wite gehwa to gewissan, buton he his flæsclican lustas and galnysse gewanige, þæt he ne hylt his cristendóm mid rihtum biggenge. Be ðysum ðinge ge habbað oft gehyred, ac us is acumendlicere eower gebelh, þonne þæs Ælmihtigan Godes grama, gif we his bebodu forsuwiað. Gif ge willað æfter menniscum gesceade lybban, þonne sind ge gastlice ymbsnidene; gif ge þonne eowere galnysse underþeodde beoð, þonne beo ge swa se witega cwæð, "Se mann ðaða he on wurðmynte wæs he hit ne understod; he is forðy wiðmeten stuntum nytenum, and is him gelíc geworden."