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

Here begynneth another prolog [This Prologue is taken from the Ms. Brit. Mus. Add. 15, 521, (marked y) into which it was transcribed by Joseph Ames, from a Ms. written, as he states, in 1424, and belonging in 1731 to Thomas Granger. The editors have not been able to trace this last Ms.] .

Sithen aftir the assencioun of Crist the Holy Goost enspiride the hertis of the apostils, and sent them, and hertide hem to preche what Crist dide and tauȝte, four speciali of alle weren departide, that prechide the conuersacioun of God in erthe. And also ther prechinge, the which is propirli callid the gospel, thei wroot in ther owne volyms for this entencioun, that the lif of oure Lord Jhesu and his conuersacioun in erthe, the which was perfiȝt ensample to oure lyuynge, schulde be in our mind, and shulde euermore be had bifore oure iȝen as the rule of our lyuynge, and that his doctryne shulde not be distried thoruȝ the witness of fals techinge of heretikis. Of the foure that made the gospel, first was Matheu, that whanne he first in the Jewrie with the apostlis hadde prechide the gospel of Crist, he in wil to passe to techinge of othir naciouns, that were callid gentilis, he wroot the gospel in Ebrew tunge, that he shulde be as present thoruȝ his writinge to his britheren, fro whom he wente bodili awei. The which writinge he left aftir him, as a thinge that schulde stirre hem to haue mynde of him, and speciali that he schulde conferme the feith of his firste britheren in God; that the schadowe of the old lawe schulde no more be vsid, but the sothfastness of the gospel; and also that false prechouris and peruerters of holi chirche schuld not ouer sowe in the gospel of Crist ony [onth y. This and a few similar errors, which seem to have proceeded from the pen of Ames, have been corrected from conjecture, but probably many more faults of transcription may remain.] errouris. And aftir that holi chirch was largid, holi fadris bisiede hem, that the same gospel schulde be translatid into the langage of Grew and Latyn. And Mathews tretinge is speciali of the manhede of Crist, thouȝ he seie othere secundarie thingis. Wherefore he bigynneth at the generacioun of his manhede, seijnge in the bigynninge of his writinge, The booke of the generacioun of Jhesu Crist. And riȝtly is Matheu first sett, not as bi naturel order, bot bi artificial ordre; for bi the naturel ordre Joon, that was last, and moost passingli tretith of the godhede of Crist, schulde be first; for the godhede was or the manhede, and the godhede is hede of the manhede. But we trowen, that this was doon thoruȝ the counseil of the Holi Goost, that he that tretith of the manhede of Crist, is sett first in ordre. For it is acordinge and skilful, that oure witt ascende litil and litil to the bettere, and that bi feith and the sacrament

of the manhede taken of God, it schulde be brouȝt to the euerlasting hede of the godhede. Netheles summe seien, that Matheu tellith the incarnacioun of Crist after the king of kingis, and therefore the kingis, `he seith [beseith y.] , come to seke, and seiden, Where is he, that is borne king of Jewis? And also he apperide as king bi the sterre; and also it is seid, that Heroude dredde the king that was born. Also Mathew, in acountinge of the generacioun of Crist, goith by Salamon. For Matheu to his bigynning, at the generacion of Crist aftir his manhede, and the ordre of his tellinge, he ledith to the resurreccion of Crist. Netheles, as it is seid, Matheu wroot the gospel for cause of them that reiside [vside?] the circumcisioun, and wolde not fulli be drawen fro there obseruaunce, thouȝ thei hadde taken the baptym; and therefore his entente is to reise them fro ther fleischli vndirstondinge of the lawe to the goostli vndirstondinge of Crist, that thei schulde more sikirly take the sacrament of cristen feith, and that thei schulde more stabli hold the feith; in as miche as thei se not ellis fulfillide, but that was bifore seid in the prophetis. And therefore to hem he writith his book, and seith, The book of the generacioun of Jhesu Crist. In the bigynninge of the book Matheu schewith opinli, that he wole trete of the gene|racioun of Crist, but of the fleischli generacioun, and not of the tothir, the which is euerlast|ynge. For holi scripture axith, and seith, Who schal telle his generacioun? Also in this, that Matheu is taken in liknes of man, is declaride that he biginnyth at the begynnynge of the generacion of Crist aftir his manhede. And it is to note also, that Matheu at the bigynnynge of his book followith the maner of the men of Ebrews; for thei were wont in the byginnyng of ther bookis for to set in the bigynnynge the name of the book, telling what thei treten in that book; as the first book of Moises is callyd the book of Genesis, for it tretith of the bigynnynge of the world and first formyng of mankinde. And as other books haue ther name of ther bigynnynge and tretinge, so Matheu, for he bigynneth at the generacioun of Crist after his manhede, therfore he bigynneth his gospel, and seith, The book of the generacioun of Jhesu Crist. And it is to note, that Matheu settith the generacioun of the new man Jhesu Crist aȝens the generacioun of the olde man Adam, thoruȝ whom we fell to the deeth and to synne, for to schewe to vs, that we ben fulli restorid by the generacioun of Crist, as we fell doun thoruȝ the filid generacioun of Adam. Weel therfore acordith this new testament to the olde, for the old testament bigynnyth at the generacioun of the first man, and making of the world, and the new testament bigynneth at the generacioun of the second man Jhesu Crist, and at the restoringe of the world. The first book is callid the book of Genesis, and it treteth of the ordynancis, the which were in the biginnynge, but not perfiȝt; for the old lawe brouȝt no man to perfeccion, or to heuene. But this new book of the new lawe is callid the book of gene|racioun, and treteth of goostli thingis, the which bringith man to perfeccioun. The old book tretith of hostis offringe, and of old preesthood, and this not but in figure. But this book tretith of the verri preest Crist Jhesu, and how he was in the verri hoost offrid and parfit for vs, and fulfillid in the old lawe. The book of the old lawe tretith of the delyuering of the children of Israel out of Egipt; this book of the newe lawe tretith of the delyuering of the peple of God fro helle. The book of the olde lawe tretith of the entre of the children of Israel into the lond of promission or of biheste; this book of the newe testament tretith how our caytifte was lede into heuene, and also it tellith of oure entring into the bliss of heuene. So alle thingis that were in figure in the tothir lawe, in this lawe of the gospel ben schewid alle tho fulfillid goostli. But it is seid bifore, this new generacioun is sette in remedie aȝens the old generacioun; for the firste generacioun brouȝte vs to dampnacioun, and the secunde bringith vs to saluacioun and blis; that brouȝte vs out of paradijs, this bringith vs into paradijs.