LUKE.
[This prologue is from p.] Luk hath manie special poyntis, and nameli of oure Ladi, and almoost alle the poyntis of Matheu and of Mark; and therfore he comprehendith moost lettre of alle the gospelleris, thouȝ he haue not so manye chapitris as Mathew. As Luyk was first a bodily leche bi craft of kynde, so he is a myche bettir goostli leche of cristen soulis, bi techinge, prechinge and writynge of Cristis gospel. Sith Luyk lefte his craft of bodily medecyne, and suede so bisili Poul, to lerne and preche and write the gospel; myche ouȝten Cristen preestis to putte awei worldly bisynes and erthely lucre, to lerne and preche and write the holi gospel. But as Grosthed seith, in his secunde Dicte, Manye clerkis lernen lucratijf sciencis, to gete richessis and honouris of the world. Summen lernen filosophie, to knowe kyndis of elementis, of beestis, of eerbis, and of othere creaturis, to be preisid of men for these sciencis; summen lernen fisik, to make mennis bodies hole of dyuers sijknessis, that herbi thei seme as to reise hem fro deeth to lif, and geten therwith myche riches and honouris; summen lernen musik, to chaunge mennis hertis into dyuers affecciouns bi swetnes of songis; summen lernen the craft of alkymye, to make clene of vnclene metal bi greet traueile and craft, as to make siluir and gold of vnclene metals. But, he seith, a trewe techere of Goddis lawe schal make myche bettir chaungis goostli, in turnynge synful soulis fro her synne, than ony of these othir clerkis doon bi here kyndely sciencis. For as seynt Austyn and seynt Bernard seien, It is miche bettere, that a man kneew God and himsilf, than that he kneew heuene and erthe, and alle othir elementis and kindis of creaturis, and kneew not God ne him silf. And whanne men ben sike in the mooste perilous sijknes of orrible synnes, the techere of Goddis word may reise hem to lijf of grace; and that is withouten comparisoun bettere than the lijf of kynde, and myche bettere to turne synful men out of synne bi techinge of Goddis lawe, than bi craft turne o metal into another, as alkemyneris doon. And goode God of his merci stire his peple to be more bisi aboute vertues and goostly riches, that euere schal laste, than aboute ertheli richesse, that soone schal perische. Amen.
Another prologe on Luk [This prologue is from y.] .
Whanne the gospel was spred bi Matheu in the Jewrie, and bi Mark in Italie, throuȝ the stiring of the Holi Gost, Luyk, that was the disciple of Poul, came the thridde in ordre; the which makinge hiȝere repeticioun, wroot the gospel to oon Teophile, in the cuntre of Acaye and Boyce. It is seid, that this Luyk was oon of the two disciplis, that wente to Emaws, to whom Crist aperide after his resurreccioun: and after he was the felawe of Poul, in preching to the naciouns; to whom this was a special entent of his traueil, that to the new men of Grece schulde be schewid and declarid the manhede of Crist, that they schulde not ȝeue ther entent to the fablis of Jewis for desier of the lawe; or ellis that thei schulde not be begilid thoruȝ counseil of heresye of false apostils, and turned fro sothfastnes and teching of Crist. And Luk principali tretith of the prechinge of Crist, thouȝ he lefte summe thingis vntold that other tellen. Where|fore he begynneth at the prechinge of Zacarie, Jones fadir, seiyng on this wise, There was in the daies of Eroude kinge, a prest, Zacarie bi name. And seint Luke riȝtly is lijkned to a calf, for it was a beest ordeined to sacrifise; and so of the sacrifise he tretith, of the temple, and of Jerusalem, in the processe of his gospel. In the bigynnynge he settith the preest preynge at the auter, and the folk stondinge withoute to preie. And also he tellith, as aftir the conseyu|ynge of Crist, Marie went to the bischopis hous Zacarie; where he makith mencioun of the gene|racioun of Marie and Elizabeth, the whiche was of the kyn of Aaron. And there he tellith the birthe of Baptist, and tellith also that Crist is born, and presentid with offrynge to the temple. There he tellith, how Crist with his modir visitide ech ȝeer the temple, and seith also how Crist, whanne he was twelue ȝeer oold, sat in the temple, techinge the doctouris. And aftir sich seijngis he concludith, in the eende of his gospel, how the disciplis of Crist were in the louynge of Crist, in the temple. This gospeler Luyk, in acountinge of the generacioun of Crist, goith by Nathan the prophete.
