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."
Forðy sealde God mannum gesceád, þæt hi sceoldon oncnawan heora Scyppend, and mid biggenge his beboda þæt ece lif geearnian. Witodlice se fyrenfulla bið earmra ðonne ænig nyten, forðan þe þæt nyten næfð nane sawle, ne næfre ne ge-edcucað, ne þa toweardan wita ne ðrowað. Ac we ðe sind to Godes anlicnysse gesceapene, and habbað únateorigendlice saule, we sceolon of deaðe arísan, and agyldan Gode gescead ealra ura geðohta, and worda, and weorca. Ne sceole we forðy sinderlice on anum lime beon ymbsnidene, ac we sceolon ða fulan galnysse symle wanian, and ure eagan fram yfelre gesihðe awendan, and earan from yfelre heorcnunge; urne múð fram leasum spræcum, handa fram mándædum; ure fotwylmas fram deadbærum siðfæte, ure heortan fram facne. Gif we swa fram leahtrum ymbsnidene beoð, þonne bið ús geset níwe nama; swa swa se wítega Isaías cwæð, "God gecígð his ðeowan oðrum naman." Eft se ylca wítega cwæð, "Þu bist gecíged niwum naman, þone ðe Godes múð genemnode." Se níwa nama is 'Cristianus,' þæt is, Cristen. Ealle we sind of Criste cristene gehátene, ac we sceolon ðone arwurðfullan naman mid æðelum þeawum geglengan, þæt we ne beon lease cristene. Gif we ðas gastlican ymbsnidennysse on urum ðeawum healdað, þonne sind we Abrahames cynnes, æfter soðum geleafan; swa swa se þeoda lareow Paulus { 98} cwæð to geleaffullum, "Gif ge sind Cristes, þonne sind ge Abrahames sǽd, and æfter behate yrfenuman." Petrus eac se apostol tihte geleaffulle wíf to eadmodnysse and gemetfæstnysse, ðus cweðende, "Swa swa Sarra gehyrsumode Abrahame, and hine hlaford het, ðære dohtra ge sind, wel donde and na ondrædende ænige gedrefednysse."