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

CAP. VIII.

But Saul was consentynge to his deth. [verse 1] And greet persecucioun was maad that dai [in that dai; that is, in that tyme; for thilke persecu|scioun duride many daies. Lire here. ve.] in the chirche, that was in [at a.] Jeru|salem. And alle men weren scatered bi the cuntrees of Judee and Samarie, ou|takun the apostlis. [verse 2] But good men [men dreed|ful; that is, dredinge God, among whiche Gamaliel was the principal, as it is seid in the legende of the fyndinge of the bodi of seint Steuene. ve greetly distroi|ede the chirche; and enforside to brynge it [to] nouȝt. drow in to kep|ing; that is, in to presoun; it is not seid that he killede, for as the Glose seith, God bi|fore kept hise hondis, that tho weren not defoulid with the blood of innocent men; and therfore as Austyn seith, God is so almyȝti and good, that of yueles he drawith out goodis; therfore of this persecuscioun he drow out the good of sowing abrood of Cristen feith. Lire here. Ve. Wherfore it sueth, therfore thei that weren scaterid, passid forth bi diuerse citees, euangelising the word of God to Jewis dwellinge in tho citees. Filip; this was Filip, the secunde dekene. Lire here. v.] biri|eden Steuene, and maden greet mornyng on hym. [verse 3] But Saul greetli distruyede the chirche, and entryde bi housis, and drowe [drouȝ out k pr. m.] men and wymmen, and bitook hem in to prisoun. [verse 4] And thei that weren scaterid, passiden forth, prechynge the word of God. [verse 5] And Filip cam doun in to a citee of Samarie, and prechide to hem Crist. [verse 6] And the puple ȝaf tent to thes thingis that weren seid of Filip,

with o wille herynge and seynge the signes that he dide. [verse 7] For manye of hem that hadden vnclene spirits, crieden with a [Om. gkα.] greet vois, and wenten out. [verse 8] And manye sijk [sijk men k.] in the palsi, and crokid, weren heel|id. [verse 9] Therfor greet ioye was maad in that citee. But there was a man in that citee, whos name was Symount, a witche, that hadde disseyued the folc of Samarie, seiynge, that him silf was sum greet man. [verse 10] Whom alle herkeneden, fro the leest to the moost, and seiden, This is the vertu of God, which is clepid greet. [verse 11] And thei leueden hym, for long tyme he hadde maddid [ether wodid K marg.] hem with his witche craftis. [verse 12] But whanne thei hadden bi|leued to Filip, `that prechide [prechinge g sec. vice. k pr. m.] of the kingdom of God, men and wymmen weren baptisid in the name of Jhesu Crist. [verse 13] And thanne also Symount him silf bileued; and whanne he was baptisid, he drouȝ to Filip; and he sai also that signes and grete vertues weren don, he was astonyed, and wondride. [verse 14] But whanne the apostlis [whanne apo|stlis, etc.; this Filip was oonly a dekene, ther|fore thouȝ he miȝte cristene, he miȝte not set on hondis, either con|ferme, neither ȝeue the ȝifte of the Hooly Goost in singne visible; for whi this perteynede to the postlis; therfore bi|schopis aloone that ben suc|cessouris of the apostlis, in 21. distinccioun in novo testamen|to, setten on hondis, either confermen. Therfore Filip singnefiede to apostlis, that summe of hem schulden come in to Samarie, that thei schul|den fille that thing that per|teynede not to his offis. Lire here. ve.] that weren at Jerusalem, hadden herd that Samarie hadde res|seyued the word of God, thei senten to hem Petre and Joon. [verse 15] And whanne thei camen, thei preieden for hem, that thei [verse 16] schulden resseyue the Hooli Goost; for he cam not ȝit in to ony of hem [cam not ȝit in to eny of hem; that is, in singne visible, natheles he cam to hem vnuisibly, as also now in baptym. bap|tizide oonly in the name of the Lord Jhesu; not in exclud|inge othere persoones in the Trinite, for tho ben enclos|id in the name of Jhesu, but in excludinge this, that thei hadden not resseyued the setting on of hondis. Lire here. v.] , but thei weren baptisid oonli in the name of the Lord Jhesu. [verse 17] Thanne thei leiden hoondis on hem, and thei resseyueden the Hooli Goost. [verse 18] And whanne Symount hadde seyn, that the Hooly Goost was ȝouun bi leiyng on of the [Om. EIQR ghkoαβ.] hoondis of the apostlis, and he proferide to hem mo|ney, [verse 19] and seide, Ȝyue ȝe also to me this power, that whom [to whom K sec. m. on whom R sec. m.] euere Y schal leye [put k.] on myn [Om. gk.] hoondis, that he resseyue the

Hooli Goost. [verse 20] But Petir seide to hym, Thi money be with thee into perdicioun, for thou gessidist [gessist kβ.] the [that the I sec. m.] ȝifte of God schulde be had for monei. [verse 21] Ther is no part, ne sort to thee, in this word, for thin herte is not riȝtful bifor God. [verse 22] Ther|for do thou penaunce for this wickid|nesse of thee, and preie God, if perauen|ture this thouȝt of thin herte be forȝouun to thee. [verse 23] For Y se that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the boond of wickidnesse. [verse 24] And Symount answeride, and seide, Preie ȝe for me to the Lord, that no thing of these thingis [Om. O.] that ȝe han seid, com on [to a.] me. [verse 25] And thei witness|iden, and spaken the word of the Lord, and ȝeden aȝen to Jerusalem, and prech|iden to many cuntrees of Samaritans. [verse 26] And an aungel of the Lord spak to Filip, and seide, Ryse thou, and go aȝens the south, to the weie that goith doun fro Jerusalem in to Gasa; this is desert. And he roos, and wente forth. [verse 27] And lo! a man [a man; bi this that it is seid a man, it is singnefied that he is not seid a gelding, but kitting of membris able to gendring, but of chastite and onest of vertues. for to worschipe in Jerusalem; for many hethene came of deuo|cioun for to worschipe God in Jerusalem, in xii. c^o. of Joon; ether in hap this man was conuertid fro hethenesse to the feith of Jewis. as a scheep he was ledde to sleeing; whanne he with oo word myȝte cast doun alle his aduersaries, he suffride himself to be led to sleeing. and as a lomb, etc.; for he ȝeldide not wrongful wordis for wrongis; whanne he was accusid falsly bifore Pilat, he was felle, in xxvii. c^o. of Mt. in meeknesse his dom was taken vp; in liii. c^o. of Isaie, thus he was taken fro an|guishe and dom, that is, fro anguisch of deth, and fro dom, bi which alle men that diȝeden, weren holden bi God|dis sentense in helle; he was taken up bi power of his rising aȝen; and in the same manere this lettre schal be expounned. in mekenesse; that is, bi deeth which he suf|fride meekely in manhed taken. his dom; that is, Goddis sentence, that was his, in as myche as he is God. was taken up; for whanne Crist roos aȝeen, hooly men that weren withholden in helle, weren taken up fro thennes. who schal telle out the generacioun of hym; that is, the multiplying of feithful men, that ben gendrid aȝen in Crist by baptym. Lire here. v.] of Ethiopie, a myȝti man seru|aunt, a ȝelding of Candace, the queen of Ethiopiens, which was on alle her rich|essis, cam to worschipe in Jerusalem. [verse 28] And he turnede aȝen, sittinge on his chare, and redinge Isaie, the profete. [verse 29] And the spirit seide to Filip, Neiȝe thou, and ioyne thee to this chare. [verse 30] And Filip `ran to [ran Cb pr. m. cam a.] , and herde hym redynge Ysaie, the prophete. And he [Om. a.] seide, Gessist thou, whether thou vndirstondist, what thingis thou redist? [verse 31] And he seide, How may Y, if no man schewe to me? And he preiede Filip, that he schulde come vp, and sitte with hym. [verse 32] And the place of the scripture that he redde, was this, As a scheep he was led to sleyng, and

as a lomb bifor a man that scherith [schere Abcoβ.] him is doumb with out vois, so he open|yde not his mouth. [verse 33] In mekenesse his dom was takun vp; who schal telle out the generacioun of hym? For his lijf schal be takun awei fro the erthe. [verse 34] And the gelding answeride to Filip, and seide, Y biseche thee, of `what profete [whom K pr. m.] seith he this thing? of him silf, ethir [or Eb.] of ony [an k sec. m.] othere? [verse 35] And Filip openyde his mouth, and bigan at this scripture, and prechide to him Jhesu. [verse 36] And the [Om. I.] while thei wenten bi the weie, thei camen to a water. And the gelding seide, Lo! wa|tir; who forbedith me to be baptisid? [verse 37] And Filip seide, If thou bileuest of al the [thin b.] herte, it is leueful. And he answer|ide, and seide, Y bileue that Jhesu Crist is the sone of God. [verse 38] And he comaundide the chare to stonde stille. And thei wenten doun bothe into the watir, Filip and the gelding, and Filip baptiside hym. [verse 39] And whanne thei weren come vp of the watir, the spirit of the Lord rauyschide Filip, and the gelding say hym no more [more; but he wente in his weie ioying A sec. m. marg. more; and he wente in his weye ioiynge R. more [and he wente ioyinge bi his weye] β.] . [verse 40] And Filip was foundun in Azotus; and he passide forth, and [and he a.] prechide to alle citees, til he cam to Cesarie.