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

CAP. VII.

It is leueful to se, that `the storie of [Om. EFI.] Genesis `be ful knowin [is ful opyn BDEFHI.] , in the which of the creature [creatour HI.] of the world, of [and I.] the [Om. I.] bigynnyng of mankynde, of the deuysioun of the erthe, of the confusioun of tungis and of folkis, and of descendyng of the folk of Ebrew vnto Egipt, and vnto the goyng out is writun. Exodus is open with the ten plagis, with the [Om. D.] ten hestis, with mystik [the mistik I.] , and with Goddis preceptis. Prest is the book of Leuy, in the which alle sacrifyces, ȝhe, and al|most alle silablis, and the clothis of Aron, and the hole ordre of Leuy, enspiren heuenli sacra|mentis. Numeri forsothe, whether thei con|teynen not the `mysteries of al the [Om. I.] hole craft of noumbrarie, and of prophecie [the prophecie BDEFHI.] of Balaam, and of the two and fourti mansiouns thurȝ wilder|nes? Deutronomy forsothe the secounde lawe, and the prefiguracoun of the lawe of the euan|gelie, hath he not so thilk [tho I.] thingis, that ben ra|ther [bifore I.] , that neuertheles [neuere the lattere I.] alle thingis ben newe of the olde? Hider to Moyses, `hider to [Om. B.] Penta|teuchon, that is, the fyue bokis, with the which fyue wordis the apostle glorieth hym silf wilne [willeth D. to wilne I.] to speke in the chirche. Job, the sawmpler [ensampler F.] of pacience, the which whethir not mysteries with his word knytteth? In proos he bigynneth, in verse he goth forthe, in word a fote, that is, in meke word, he is endid; and he determyneth alle the lawes of dialatik, in proposicoun, assump|coun [in assumpcion I.] , confirmacioun, conclusioun. Ech wordis in it ben ful of wittis; and, that I holde my pees of other, the resurreccoun of bodies so pro|fecieth [prophecie I.] , that no man of that, othere more open, or more slyly, myȝt wryte. "I wote," he seith, "that [Om. I.] my forbier [forbigger BDEFH. biere I.] lyueth, and in the last dai Y

am to aryse [rise I.] fro the erthe; and eftsones I shal be enuyround with my fel [skyn I.] , and in my flehs [self I.] Y shal se God, my Saueour, whom Y my silf am to se, and myn eiȝen ben to biholden, and noon othere. This is myn hope put vp into [in BDEFHI.] my bosum." Y shal com to Jhesu of Naue, the which berith the figure of the Lord, not oonli in gestis [gestis or in werkis I.] , but also in name. He passith Jordan, the rewmes of enemyes turneth vpsedoun, he de|uydeth the erthe to the puple ouercomer, and [that I.] bi alle cytees, villagis, hillis, and [Om. BDEFHI.] flodis, rennynge watres, and the nyȝ coostis he discriuede of the chirche, and of the [Om. I.] heuenli Jerusalem the spi|ritual rewmes. In the book of Juges [Domes I.] how feel princes of the puple, so feel figurys there ben. Ruth Moabites fulfillith the prophecie of Ysaie seiynge, "Lord, sende out the lomb, the lord|shiper of erthe, fro the stoon of desert to the mownt of the dowȝter of Syon." Samuel shewith the old lawe don awey in Heli deed, and in the slaȝter of Saul. Forsothe in Sadok and Dauid ben witnessid the sacramentis of the new presthod, and of new [the newe BDEFHI.] empyre. Malachym, that is, the thrid and the ferthe book of Kynges, discryueth the rewme of Juda, and the rewme of Israel, fro Salomon to Jecony, and fro Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, vnto Osee, the which was led into Asyries. If thow biholdist the storye, the wordis ben symple; if in the lettres thow bi|holdist the preuey witt, the fewnesse of the chirche, and the batails [bataile BDFH.] of eretikis aȝens the chirche, ben told. The twelue prophetis, togidre artid [ben artide I.] into the narewnes [narownessis BEH.] of o [one BDEFH.] volym, myche othere than sowneth in the lettre bifore figuren. Osee often nemneth Effraym, Samary, Joseph, Jez|rael, and the fornycary wijf, and the sonis of for|nycacoun, and the auowtres closid in the bed of the husbond to setten myche tyme wydow, and vndir the [Om. I.] mornyng cloth of the husbond to abide the comyng aȝen to hir. Joel, the sone of Pha|tuel, discryueth the lond of the twelue lynagis wastid thurȝ the wort worm, bruk, locuste, thurȝ [and thorou BDEFHI.] rust wastynge; and after the outturnyng of the rather [formere I.] puple, the Holi Gost shed out vpon the seruauntis of God and hond maydenes, that is,

vpon an hundrid and twenty names of bileuers, and the sunne shynynge like a reynbow held [ȝott I.] oute in the comune etyng place of Syon, the whiche hundrid and twenti, fro oon vnto fyftene, arawe [an arowe I.] and bi encrees arysynge, maken oute the noumbre of the fyftene grees, the whiche in the Sawter ben mystili conteyned. Amos, shepherd [a shepherd E.] and cherl, and wel knowynge the beries of busshis, may not be openyd in fewe wordes. Who for|sothe worthili [worthierly D.] may shew out the thre and foure wickidnessis of Damask, of Gaze, of [and of I.] Tyry, of Ydume, of the sones of Amon, and of Moab, and, in [Om. H.] the seuenth [seuenty A. seuente BE. seuene D. sentence F.] and eiȝte degre, of Juda and of Israel? This spekith [spekis D.] to the fatt kien, that ben in the mownt of Samarie, and witnessith the more hows and the lesse to fallen. He seeth the maker of the locust, and the Lord stondynge vpon the dawbed wal and the adamauntyn, and the appel croke drawynge tourmentis to synful men, and hunger in the erthe, not hunger of bred, ne thrist of water, but of heryng of [Om. A sec. m. BDEFH.] the word of God. Abdias, that is as myche to seie as the seruaunt of the Lord, ful thundreth aȝens Edom, and the blodi and erthli [the ertheli I.] brother; also the euermore enemye of the brother Jacob, he smytith with a goostli dart. Jonas, the moost fayre culuer, in his shipbreche bifore figurynge the passioun of the Lord, clepith [calleth I.] aȝen the world to penaunce, and, vndir name of Nynyue, tellith helthe to Gentils. Micheas of [and A.] Moraschym, the witheire of Crist, tellith the wastyng of a [the BDEFHI.] dowȝ|ter of a priue thef, and he settith bisegyng aȝens hire, for she smote the cheke bone of the iuge of Israel. Naum, coumfortour of the world, blameth the citee of blodis, and after his turnyng awey spekith, "Loo, vpon the hillis the fete of the euangelisynge and tellynge pees." Abacuc, a strong wristeler and a [Om. BDFH.] sharp, stondith vpon his waard, and ficcheth a weie of grees vpon the strengthe, that Crijst in cros [the crosse BEFI.] he biholde [behelde DI.] , and seie [sayth D.] , "The glorie of hym coueride [curith D.] heuenes [heuene E.] , and [Om. H.] of hys preisyng ful is the erthe; his shynyng shal be as liȝt, and hornes in his hondis, there his strengthe is hid." Sophonyas, the wayter and the knower of the priuetees [preuete D.] of

the Lord, herith a cry fro the ȝaat of fisshes, and ȝellynge fro the secound, and contricoun fro litle hillis; he tellith also the crie of weilynge to the dwellers of Pile; for al the puple of Cha|naan helde his pees togidre, and echon ben dis|parpulid, that weren inlappid with siluer. Ag|geus, solempne and glad, the whiche sewe [seweth D.] in teres that he repe in ioy, edifieth [edifie O.] the temple dis|truyed, and ledith in God the fadre spekinge, "Ȝit and [Om. I.] a [O E.] litle while and Y shal moue to gider heuene and erthe, the see and the drye, and I shal moue al folk, and the desyred shal com to al folk." Zachary, mynde [meued I.] of his Lord, manyfold in profesie, Jhesus clothid with fowle clothes, and the stoon of seuene eiȝen, and the goldun candilstik with as feel [many I.] lanternes as eiȝen, and two olyues fro the left syde of the lawmpe he biholdith, and fro the riȝt side; that after the reed horsis specked [spleckid E.] whith [and whiȝte I.] , and scatered plowes [chartes D.] of fowre horsis [hors BDEFHI.] of Effraym, and the hors of Jeru|salem, he prophecie [prophecyeth D.] the pore kyng, and preche [prechith D.] the kyng sittynge vpon the colt, sone of the she asse vsed to ȝok. Malachi, apertlich and in [into I.] the ende of alle prophetis, of the castyng out of Is|rael and the clepyng [wepyng H. callyng I.] of Gentilis seith, "Wil is not to me in ȝow, seith the Lord of oostis, and ȝift shal I not take of ȝoure honde [hondis D.] ; fro [forsothe fro BEFHI.] the sunne arysyng [risyng I.] vnto the goyng down greet is my name in Gentilis, and a clene offryng is sacrified, and offrid to my name in alle places [place BDEFHI.] ." Ysaie, Jeremye, Ezechiel, and Danyel, who may other vndirstond or expown? Of whom the first is not seyn to me to [Om. D.] weuen prophecie, but euangelie. The secounde knyttith the note ȝerde, and the pot a [of a fire F.] fier fro the face of the north, and the leparde spuylide his colours, and the foure fold abice in dyuerse metres. The thrid hath bigynnyngis and ende with so feel derknessis enuolued, that, as anentis the Ebrewis, thilk [tho I.] partis with the bigynnyng of Genesis shulde not be rad bifore thretti wynter. The ferthe forsothe, the which and the laste among the foure pro|phetis, knower of tymes, a [Om. D.] louer of stories of al the world, feer bifore tellith the stoon before kit of the hil with outen hondis, and al rewmes

subuertynge, with a clere sermoun. Dauid, oure Symphonydes, Pyndarie, and Alcheus [Acheus A.] , Flaccus, and Catullus, and Serenus, precheth Crist with the harp, and in the ten `cordid sawtri [cordis of the psautrie H.] arereth [reiseth I.] vp the ariser [riser I.] fro [of B.] helle [the helle D sec. m. hellis I.] . Salomon, the pesible and the ful loued of the Lord, mendith maneres, techith kynde, ioyneth Crist and the chirche, and the swete bryde song singith of the holi brydalis. Hester, in [is a I.] figure of the chirche, delyuerith the puple fro peril, and, Aman, that [Om. I.] is as myche to sey as wyckidnes, slawn, she sendith partis of the feest, and a solempne day into the after geten. Perlipomynon, that is, the book of the olde in|strument, recapitulatour, word bregger [brynger A.] , is suche and so myche, that who so euere with outen it wole [wyll E.] prowdli take to hym kunnynge of scrip|tures, scorne he hym silf; forsothe be alle names `o rewe [arewe D. on rowe I.] , and ioynters of wordis, outlaft [outtake D.] stories in the boke of Kyngis ben towched, and questiouns vnnoumbrable of the euaungelye ben maad open. Esdras and Neemy, helper, that is to sey, and coumfortour fro the Lord, ben artyd [arettide I.] in o volume, enstoren the temple, the walles of the citee maken out, and al that [Om. B.] congregacoun of the puple aȝengoynge into her cuntre, and the discripcoun of prestis, of deknes, of Israel, and of men takun fro hethenes to the ryte of Jewis, and the deuydid werkis of walles and of toures bi singuler meynes, bryngen forth other thyng in the rynde, and in [Om. B.] the mergh other thing withholden. Seest thow me for the loue of scrip|turys rauyshid to haue passid the maner of a pistle, and ȝit not haue fillid [fulfellid D.] that I wolde? We han herd oonlich, what we mowe know, what coueyten, and forsothe that we mowe sey, "my soule coueytide to desire thi justyfyyngis in al tyme." Forthermore that of Socrates is ful|fyllid in vs, "this oonli Y knowe [knewȝ I.] that Y knowe not." I shal towche and shortly the newe tes|tament. Mathew, Mark, Luke, and Joon, the foure hors plowes [plow D. plowȝ E.] of the Lord, and the verrey cherubyn, that is to sey, plente of kunnyng, thoruȝ out al the bodi ben iȝed, sparklis shynen out, liȝtes hidir and thidir rennen, han riȝt feet and streychynge into heiȝe [the hyeȝe H. heiȝte I.] , rigges fethered, and

holden hem to gidre ouer al fleynge, and to hem siluen ben thurȝ out pleitid, and as a wheel with ynne a wheel ben turned, and gon whidre euer the breeth of the Holi Goost hem perfitly ledith. Poul the apostle writith to seuene chirches; the eiȝt forsothe to Ebrewis [the Hebrewis BDEFHI.] of summe men out of the [Om. I.] noumbre is put. Tymothe he enfourmeth, and Tite; Philomon he preieth for the seruaunt fugitife, vpon the whiche I wene beter to be stil, than to few thingis write. The Actes of the [Om. I.] Apostlis forsothe nakid [the nakid I.] storye semen to sownen, and to weuen the childhood of the waxynge chirche; and for [Om. A.] we knowen the wryter of hem Luke to ben a phisisian, whos preysyng is in the euangelie, we taken hede there with alle his wordis to ben medecyn of the langwissynge soule. James, Petre, Joon, Jude [and Jude I.] , seuene epistlis maden as wel mistik [mistiliche D.] as [Om. AD.] redi, and short togidre, and long; short in wordis, long in sentencis, that he be seldom, that not wexeth [waxe I.] blynd in the redyng of hem. The Apocalips of Joon so fele hath sacramentis, how fele wordis. Litle Y haue seid, and for the desert of the volym, al the preysyng is the lower; in euery [euereche BDEFHI.] wordis manyfold vnderstondyngis sitten hid. I prey thee, dere brother, among these thingis to lyuen, these thingis to thenken, noon othre thingis [thing BEFHI.] to knowun, and no thing ellis to sechen. Semeth it not to thee now here in erthis a dwellyng place of [in B.] heuenli kyngdom? I wole [wille BDEF.] not, that thou be offendid in holi scripturis thurȝ symple|nes, and as thurȝ foulnes of wordis, the whiche, or [other BDFH.] thurȝ the vice of the [Om. I.] vndoers, or of verrey purpose, ben so spokun, that the liȝtloker thei myȝten enfourme a [an I.] churlishe [churliche BDEFHI.] cumpany; and that [Om. D.] in oon and the [in the DH.] same sentence other wise the tauȝt, othre wise the vntauȝt myȝten fele. I am not so lustsum and dul, that I shulde bi|hote thes thingis me to know, and the fruytis of hem to gadere [gidere AFI. gyther B. geder D.] in the erthe, whos rotis ben ficchid [stykyd D.] in heuene; but I knowelech to wiln, but I professe me to enforse, I profer me to the sitter; forsakynge mayster [the maister I.] Y [and I I.] bihote a leder, "to the asker me ȝyueth, to the knocker me openeth, the seker fyndith;" lerne we in erthis whos

nyng to vs dwellith in heuene. I shal take thee with met hondis aȝens othre, and that I heelde out sum what vncouenably that be of the [Om. H.] bol|nyng of Ermagore, what euer thou shulde [schuldist BDI.] seek with thee, I shal enforse to kunne.