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

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] So a man gesse vs, as mynystris [the mynystris k sec. m.] of Crist, and dispenderis of the mynys|teries [mysteries CIβ.] of God. [verse 2] Now it is souȝt here [Om. I pr. m.]

among the dispenderis, that a man be foundun trewe. [verse 3] And to me it is for the leest thing, that Y be demyd of ȝou, or of mannus dai; but nether Y deme my silf. [verse 4] For Y am no thing ouer trowynge to my silf, but not [Om. R.] in this thing Y am [am not R.] iustified; for he that demeth me, is the Lord. [verse 5] Therfor nyle ȝe deme bifore the tyme, til that the Lord come, which schal liȝtne the hyd thingis of derk|nessis, and schal schewe the counseils of hertis; and thanne preisyng schal be to ech man of God. [verse 6] And, britheren, Y haue transfigurid these thingis in to me and in to Apollo, for ȝou; that in vs ȝe lerne, lest ouer that it is writun, oon aȝens another be blowun with pride for an|other. Who demeth thee? [verse 7] And what hast thou, that thou hast not resseyued? And [Om. k pr. m.] if thou hast resseyued, what glori|est thou, as thou haddist not resseyued? [verse 8] Nowe ȝe ben fyllid [with the doc|trin of feith. He spekith this in scorn, to schewe that her presump|cioun is worthi to be scorned. ȝe regnen; that is, ben in the staat of perfec|cioun by ȝoure gessinge. Lyre here. e.] , now ȝe ben maad riche; ȝe regnen with outen vs; and Y wolde that ȝe regnen, that also we regnen with ȝou. [verse 9] And Y gesse, that God schewide vs [to vs X.] the laste apostlis [of apostlis caoβ.] , as thilke that ben sent to the deth; for we ben maad a spectacle to the world, and to aungels, and to men. [verse 10] We foolis for Crist, but ȝe prudent in Crist; we sike, but ȝe stronge; ȝe noble, but we vnno|ble. [verse 11] Til in to this our we hungren, and thirsten, and ben nakid, and ben smytun [verse 12] with buffatis, and we ben vnstable [vnstable; that is, han no stidfaste dwell|ing place. as clensingis; that is, as filthis de|foulinge the world, that owen to be re|moued; forwhi Jewis and hethen men seyden, that the world was in|fect ether poi|sened by the lijf and tech|inge of the apostlis, and so it schulde be purgid by the deeth of hem. Lyre here. e.] , and we trauelen worchynge with oure hondis; we ben cursid, and we blessen; we suf|fren persecucioun, and we abiden longe; [verse 13] we ben blasfemyd, and we bisechen; as clensyngis of this world we ben maad the `out castyng [out castynges til ȝit R.] of alle thingis `til ȝit [Om. R.] .

[verse 14] Y write not these thingis, that Y con|founde ȝou, but Y warne [warne ȝou a sec. m. k.] as my moste dereworthe sones. [verse 15] For whi if ȝe han ten thousynde of vndur maistris in Crist, but not many fadris; for in Crist Jhesu Y haue gendrid ȝou bi the gospel. [verse 16] Therfor, britheren, Y preye ȝou, be ȝe foleweris of me, as Y of Crist. [verse 17] Therfor Y sente to ȝou Tymothe, which is my most dereworthe sone, and feithful in the Lord, which schal teche ȝou my weies, that ben in Crist Jhesu; as Y teche euery where in ech chirche. [verse 18] As thouȝ Y schulde not come to ȝou, so summe [summen R.] [verse 19] ben blowun with pride; but Y schal come to ȝou soone, if God wole; and Y schal knowe not the word of hem that ben blowun with pride, but the vertu. [verse 20] For the rewme of God is not in word, but in vertu. What wole ȝe? [verse 21] Schal Y come to ȝou in a ȝerde, or in charite, and in spirit [a spirit R.] of myldenesse?