CAP. IV.

[verse 1] But Y seie, as long tyme as the eir is a litil child, he dyuersith no thing fro a seruaunt, whanne he is lord of alle [verse 2] thingis; but he is vndur keperis and tutoris*. [vndir tutours a.], in to the tyme determyned of the fadir. [verse 3] So we, whanne we weren litle children, we serueden vndur the ele|mentis of the world. [verse 4] But aftir that*. [Om. h.] the*. [Om. a.] fulfilling of tyme*. [the tyme R.] cam, God sente [verse 5] his sone, maad of a womman, maad vn|dur the lawe, that he schulde aȝenbie hem that weren vndur the lawe, that we Page  403 schulden vnderfonge the adopcioun*. [adopcioun, either purchasyng R.] of sones. [verse 6] And for ȝe ben Goddis sones, God sente his spirit in to ȝoure hertis, criynge, Abba, fadir. [verse 7] And so ther is not now a seruaunt, but a sone; and if he is a sone, he is an eir bi God. [verse 8] But thanne ȝe vnknowynge God, serueden to hem that*. [the whiche I.] in kynde weren not goddis. [verse 9] But now whanne ȝe han knowe God, and ben knowun of God, hou ben ȝe turned eftsoone to the febil and nedi elementis, to the whiche ȝe wolen eft serue? [verse 10] Ȝe taken kepe to daies, and monethis, and tymes, and ȝeris. [verse 11] But Y drede ȝou, lest without cause Y haue trauelid among ȝou. [verse 12] Be ȝe as Y, for Y am as ȝe. Britheren, Y biseche ȝou, ȝe han hurt me no thing. [verse 13] But ȝe knowen, that bi infirmyte of fleisch Y haue prechid to [verse 14] ȝou now bifore; and ȝe dispiseden not, nether forsoken ȝoure temptacioun in my fleisch, but ȝe*. [Om. R pr. m.] resseyueden me as an aungel of God, as `Crist Jhesu*. [Jhesu Crist R.]. [verse 15] Where thanne is ȝoure blessyng? For Y bere ȝou witnesse, that if it myȝte haue be don. ȝe wolden haue put out ȝoure iȝen, and haue ȝyuen hem to me. [verse 16] Am Y thanne maad an enemye to ȝou, seiynge to ȝou the sothe? [verse 17] Thei louen not ȝou wel, but thei wolen exclude ȝou*. [that is, fro treuthe of the gospel. sue hem; in ob|seruauncis of Moises lawe. Lire here. ve.], that ȝe suen hem. [verse 18] But sue ȝe the good euermore in good, and not oneli whanne Y am pre|sent with ȝou. [verse 19] My smale children, whiche*. [the which k.] Y bere eftsoones, til that Crist [verse 20] be fourmed in ȝou, and Y wolde now be at ȝou, and chaunge my vois, for Y am confoundid among ȝou. [verse 21] Seie to me, ȝe that wolen be vndir the lawe, `han ȝe*. [ȝe han Rbc pr. m. ehk sec. m. Oβ.] not red the lawe? [verse 22] For it is writun, that Abraham hadde two*. [twei CEQk.] sones, oon of Page  404 a*. [the a.] seruaunt, and oon of a fre womman. [verse 23] But he that was of the seruaunt, was borun after*. [of E.] the flesh; but he that was*. [was borun k pr. m.] of the fre womman, by a biheeste. [verse 24] The whiche thingis ben seid bi an othir vn|dirstonding*. [bi gostli vn|dirstonding, thouȝ it is fer fro Jerusalem bi space of londis. Lire here. ve.]. For these ben two*. [tweie k.] testa|mentis; oon in the hille of Synai, gen|dringe in to seruage, which is Agar. [verse 25] For Syna is an hille that*. [which C.]is in*. [to R pr. m.] Arabie, which hille is ioyned to it that is now Jerusalem, and seruith with*. [to k.] hir chil|dren. [verse 26] But that Jerusalem that is aboue, is fre, whiche is oure modir. [verse 27] For it is writun, Be glad, thou bareyn, that berist not; breke out and crye, that bringist forth no children; for many sones ben of hir that is left of hir hosebonde, more than of hir that hath an hosebonde. [verse 28] For*. [But EKQRbceghkoαβ.], britheren, we ben sones of biheeste [verse 29] aftir Isaac; but now as this*. [he this I.] that was borun after the fleisch pursuede him that was aftir the spirit, so now*. [and now R.]. [verse 30] But what seith the scripture? Caste out the seruaunt and hir sone, for the sone of the seruaunt schal not be eir with the sone of the fre wijf. [verse 31] And so, britheren, we ben not sones of the seruaunt, but of the fre wijf, bi which fredom Crist hath maad vs fre.