The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XIV.

[verse 1] Eft an other man thenkynge to seile in schip [a ship S.] , and bigynnynge to make iournei thorouȝ ferse wawis [watris C.] , inwardli clepith [he clepith I.] a tre [a tre; that is, an idol of tre. frelere than the tre; that is, the schip. thou fadir; of heuene. gouernest; the seiling of men, but thilke idol doith not this. Lire here. C.] frelere [more freel I.] than the tre that berith hym. [verse 2] For whi couetise to gete money foond that idol; and a crafti man made it bi his wisdom. [verse 3] But thou, fadir, gouernest bi puruyaunce, for thou ȝauest weie in the see, and a most stidfast path among [verse 4] wawis; schewynge that thou art miȝti to make hool of alle thingis, ȝhe, if a man [verse 5] goith to the see with out schip; but that the werkis of thi wisdom [werkis of thi wisdom, etc.; God made low|ere creaturis for man, and therfor if tho seruede not to the nedis of man, tho schulden seme to be veyn as to this, in hise profitis; so|thely these pro|fitis ben maad bi seiling, bi which mar|chauntis carien tho thingis, that ben plen|teouse in o lond, to an other, where is scarsite of siche thingis; and thus the nedynessis of londis ben re|leeuyd. But at the bigynnyng; that is, in the firste age of the world, that duride fro A|dam til to the grete flood. the hope of the world; that is, Noe, and his wiyf, and hise sones, and her wyues. seed of birthe; for whi man|kynde was multiplied bi him and hise sones, aftir the greet flood. Lire here. C.] schulden not be voide, for this thing men bitaken her lyues, ȝhe, to a litil tre, and thei passen the see, and ben delyuered bi a schip. [verse 6] But at the bigynnyng, whanne proude giauntis perischiden, the hope of the world fledde to a schip, and sente efte seed of birthe to the world, which [which; schip. the tre; that is, thilke schip maad of trees. Lire here. C.] was gouerned bi thin hond. [verse 7] For whi blessid is the tree, bi which riȝtfulnesse was maad. [verse 8] But the idol which is maad bi hond is cursid, bothe it, and he that made it, for sotheli he wrouȝte grete trespas; sotheli that idol, whanne it was freel, was nemyd God. [verse 9] Forsothe in lijk maner the wickid man [the wickid man; that is, the maker of an idol, and the idol maad of him. that is maad; that is, the deuel, that was worschipid in the idol, and ȝaf answeris there sum tyme. to the idolis of naciouns; that is, to fendis dwelling in idolis. not be biholding; that is, of Goddis mersi, for whi the synne of fendis may not be forȝouun. the creaturis of God; that is, fendis maad of God, as to the kynde. ben maad in to hatrede; for her synne, which is not of God autour, but of defaute of fre wille. and in to temptacioun; for thei that ben caste doun fro heuene, studien to lette men fro her helthe. and in to a trappe to the feet of vnwise men; that ben ouercomun bi temptaciouns of fendis, but to wise men, that aȝenstonden manly; siche temptaciouns ben not in to a trappe, but more in to victorie and in to a coroun. Lire here. C.] and his wickid|nesse ben hateful to God. [verse 10] For whi that that is maad schal suffre turmentis, with hym that made it [Om. CEF pr. m. GHMNPQRSUVXYaç.] . [verse 11] For this thing and to the idols of naciouns schal not be biholdyng; for the creaturis of God ben maad in to hatrede, and in to tempta|cioun to the soule of men, and in to a trappe to the feet of vnwise men. [verse 12] For the bigynnyng of fornycacioun [of fornycacioun; that is, idolatrie, which is goostly fornicacioun. corrupcioun of liyf; that is, of goostli liyf, that stondith in onyng to God, which onyng is brokun bi idol|atrie. the voidnesse of men; that is, defaute of her wisdom. Lire here. C.] is the sek|yng out of idols, and the fynding of tho

idols is the corrupcioun of lijf. [verse 13] Forsothe tho weren not at the bigynnyng, nethir tho schulen be with out ende. [verse 14] For whi the voidnesse of men foond these idols in to the world; and therfor the ende of tho is foundun schort [in schort C.] . [verse 15] For whi the fadir makinge sorewe with bittir morenyng, made soone to hym an ymage [an ymage; that is, bifor the deth of the fadir. hooli thingis; to be ȝouun to the ymage. Lire here. C.] of the sone `that was [Om. FIKSa.] rauyschid; and bigan to wor|schipe hym now as a god, that was deed thanne as a man; and he ordeynede hooli thingis and sacrifices among hise seru|auntis. [verse 16] Aftirward in tyme comynge bi|twixe [bitwene I.] , whanne the wickid custom was strong, this errour was kept as a lawe, and ymagis weren worschipid bi lordschip of tirauntis. [verse 17] The figure of hem was brouȝt fro fer, whiche the men miȝten not onoure in opyn, for thei weren fer; and thei maden an opyn ymage of the kyng, whom thei wolden onoure; that bi her bisynesse thei schulden worschipe hym as present, that was absent. [verse 18] Forsothe the noble diligence of a crafti man brouȝte in also hem, that knewen not, to the wor|schipyng [wurship S.] of thes kyngis [thingis I.] . [verse 19] For he will|ynge more to plese that [the a.] kyng, that took hym [took him; that is, chees him to make an ymage to the king. a licnesse; that is, ymage. in to betere; in makinge the king fairere. Lire here. C.] , trauelide perfitli [more perfitli A pr. m.] bi his craft, to make a [Om. S.] licnesse in to betere. [verse 20] Sotheli the multitude of men, disseyued bi the fairnesse of werk, gessiden hym now a god, that was onourid as a man bifore that tyme. [verse 21] And this was the disseit of mannys lijf; for whi men seruynge greetli, ethir to affeccioun, ethir to kyngis, puttiden to stoonys and trees the name that mai not be comynyd. [verse 22] And it suffiside [may not be comynyd; that is, the name of Godhed, that may not be ȝouun bi truthe and kynde, no but to God aloone; netheles it is comynyd bi name and licnesse to hooly men. Lire here. C.] not, that thei erriden aboute the kunnyng of God; but also thei lyuynge in greet batel of vnkunnyng, clepen so many and so grete yuels pees. [verse 23] For ethir thei sle|ynge her sones in sacrifice, ethir makynge derk sacrifices, ethir hauynge wakyngis [verse 24] ful of woodnesse, kepen now nether cleene

lijf, nether cleene weddyngis; but also o man sleeth another man bi enuye, ethir doynge auowtrie makith sory his neiȝbore. [verse 25] And alle thingis ben medlid [medlid; that is, schent, and put out of ordre of resoun. Lire here. C.] togidere, blood [blood; in wounding of the neiȝbore. feynyng; that is, ipocrisie. corrupcioun; that is, defoul|ing of virgyns. noyse; in stiring of dissencioun. chaunging of birthe; that is, synne of Sodom. vnstidfastnesse of weddingis; bi which summen chaungiden to|gidere her owne wyues. Lire here. C.] , mansleyng, thefte, and feynyng, corrupcioun, vnfeithfulnesse, disturblyng, [verse 26] and forsweryng, noise, forȝetyng of goodis of the Lord, defoulyng of soulis, chaung|yng of birthe, vnstidfastnesse of wed|dyngis, vnordeyning of letcherie and of vnchastite. [verse 27] For whi the worschipyng of cursid idols is the cause, and the bigyn|nyng, and the ende of al yuel. [verse 28] For whi ethir thei wexen woode, while thei ben glad; ether certis thei profecien false thingis, ethir thei lyuen vniustli, ethir thei forsweren soone. [verse 29] For the [Om. I.] while thei tristen in idols, that ben with out soule, thei sweren yuele, and hopen not, that thei schulen be anoyed. [verse 30] Therfor euer eithir [Therfor euer either; that is, it is iust, that thei ben pun|ischid for euer eithir synne, that is for idol|atrie, and for swering. Lire here. C.] schulen come to hem worthili; for thei demeden yuele of God, and ȝauen tent to idols, and thei sworen vniustli in an idol, and thei [Om. CV.] dispisiden riȝtfulnesse. [verse 31] For whi an ooth is not vertu [an ooth is not vertu; that is, an ooth owith not to be de|sirid as good bi it silf, but it is to vse it onely in nede; to the stidefastnesse of truthe and of feithfulnesse among men. going forth euere; that is, wexith and is encreessid. in to the brek|ing of iust thingis; that is, of Goddis heestis, that ben iust; for no thing no but iust may come forth of God. Lire here. C.] , but the peyne of synneris goith forth euere, in to the breking of iust thingis.