in þe newe lawe, and over, ȝif þei wolden be juste, þei mosten kepe cerymonyes, and many lawis judicialis, þat us nediþ not now to kepe. And, for þes two kepten al þis wiþouten grete blame of God or man, þerfore Luk preisiþ Baptistis eldris in keping of þe olde lawe. But woo is to hem in tyme of grace, þat þus have chargid þe newe lawe, þat we have now more to kepe þan þei hadden in þe olde lawe. For [So E; And for, A, which leaves the construction incomplete.] þes men have distroyed freedom, and pervertid Cristis Chirche, and so, as myche as in hem is, þei have maad Crist unfree, and þis un|fredom is worse þan al þe richessis of þis world.
And þei hadden noo child ȝit, for þe womman was bareyne, and þei weren boþe olde, passid wel in tyme of her eelde. And it fel þat Zacarie dide his preestis office in þe temple, as it fel to his tyme, and custom þat þanne was. He wente herbi aloone to offre ensence in þe inner part of þe temple; and al þe peple was wiþouten preiynge in þe tyme of þis ensence. And oure Lordis aungel apperide to him stonding on þe riȝt side of þe auter. And þis preest Zacarie was disturblid, and dredde herfore. But þe aungel seide to him, Drede þee not, Zacarie, for þi preier is herd; and Elizabeth þi wyf shal bere to þee a child, and his name shal be clepid Joon, and joie and gladnes shal be to þee, and many shal enjoie in his birþe. He shal be greete bifore God, and wyn and sidir [sydre, E.] [Both Wycliffite versions render the siceram of the Vulgate in this place by sydir. Ducange identifies sicera (other forms of which are sisara, cicera, and cisara) with the French cidre, whence comes our 'cider.'] he shal not drynke; and he shal be fild wiþ þe Holi Goost ȝit fro his modir wombe. And he shal turne many of þes children of Israel to þe Lord God of hem. And þis Joon shal go bifore Crist, in spirit and vertue of Helye; for Joon was Hely in figure, as Christ seiþ þat mai not lye. And þis Joon shal converte þe hertis of þe formere fadris in to þe love of þer sones, þat tellen hem þat Crist is comen; and men out of bileve Joon shal turne to prudence of juste men. For it was a greet prudence to trowe þe signes of Crist, þat he was þe prophete bihiȝt to þe fadirs of þe olde lawe. And so Baptist made redi to þe Lord a perfect folk in riȝt bileve.
