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

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] So a man gesse, `or deme [Om. VX.] , vs, as myn|istris of Crist, and dispenderis of the [verse 2] mynisteries [mynystris G. mysteries Q.] of God. Now it is souȝt

here a mong the dispenderis, that a man be founden trewe. [verse 3] Forsoth to me it is for the leeste thing, that I be demyd of [for W.] ȝou, or of mannis day [day, that is, here in this lyf Q.] ; but nethir I deme my silf. [verse 4] Sothli [For V.] I am no thing gilty to my silf, but not in this thing `I am [am I X.] ius|tified [iustified, or made ryȝtwyse Q.] ; forsoth he that demeth [deemys Q.] me, is [Om. G pr. m. T.] the Lord. [verse 5] `And so [Therfore V.] nyle ȝe deme bi fore the tyme, til that the Lord come, the [Om. V.] which `and schal [schal bothe V.] aliȝtne [liȝtne GMPSTV. aliȝtte N. al liȝtnen X.] the hid thingis of derknessis, and schal schewe the counceils of hertis; and thanne preisynge schal be to ech man of God [God, aftir his deseruynge Q.] . [verse 6] Sotheli, britheren, `this thing [Om. V.] I haue transfigurid [transfigurid these thingis V.] in to [Om. S.] me and in to [Om. S.] Apollo [Apollo for ȝou V.] ; that in vs ȝe lerne [lere S.] , lest that [Om. NV.] ouer that it [that N.] is writun, oon aȝens anothir be inblowyn [blowen X.] `with pride [Om. X.] for [fro K.] anothir man. [verse 7] Who forsoth demeth thee? What sothli hast thou, that thou hast not resseyued? Sothli if thou hast resseyued, what gloriest thou, as thou haddist not resseyued? [verse 8] Now ȝe ben fulfillid [fillid V.] , now ȝe ben maad ryche; ȝe regnen with oute vs; and I wolde ȝe [that ȝe V.] regne, `that and [and that V.] we regneden [regne QVX.] with ȝou. [verse 9] Sothli I wene [gesse V.] , that God schewide vs the laste apostelis, as maad redy to deeth [the deeth AGMNPQSTVWXY.] ; for we ben maad a spectacle to the world, and to aungels, and to men. [verse 10] We foolis for Crist [Crist, prechinge his passioun, and suffrynge therfore repreues Q.] , ȝe for|sothe prudent in Crist [Crist ben gessid, beynge stille Q.] ; we syke [seeke, for turmentynge Q.] , ȝe for|sothe stronge [stronge, in ȝoure mageste Q.] ; ȝe noble, we forsoth [sothely AGMNPQSTWXY.] vn|noble. [verse 11] Til into this hour `and we [we bothe V.] hungren, and thirsten, and ben nakid, and ben smytun with boffatis, and we ben vnsta|ble [vnstable, mouynge fro place to place Q.] [verse 12] , and we trauelen worchinge with oure hondis; we ben cursid, and we blessen; we suffren persecucioun, and we susteynen, [verse 13] `or abyden longe [Om. X.] ; we ben blasfemyd, and we bisechen [bisechen God for hem Q.] ; as clensyngis of this world we ben maad, the paringis, `or out|castinge

[outcastyngis AGMNPQTW. Om. X.] , of alle thingis til [to G.] ȝit. [verse 14] I write not thes thingis, that I confounde ȝou, but I amoneste [warne ȝou A pr. m. moneste ȝou S. amoneste ȝou V. moneste X.] , `or warne [Om. X.] , as my moost dereworthe sones. [verse 15] Forwhi if ȝe han ten thousandis [thowsynde A sec. m. GMNPQSTVX.] of litle maistris in `Crist Jhe|su [Jhesu Crist X.] , but not manye fadris; forwhi in Crist Jhesu I haue gendrid ȝou by [in W.] the gospel. [verse 16] Therfore [Therfore, britheren V.] I preie ȝou, be ȝe foloweris of me, as and I of Crist. [verse 17] Ther|fore I sente to ȝou Tymothe, that is my mooste dereworthe sone, and feithful in the Lord, the [Om. V.] which schal moneste ȝou, `or teche [Om. X.] , my weyes, that ben in Crist Jhesu; as I teche euerywhere in ech chirche. [verse 18] As [As if V.] I [Om. T.] `be not [not beinge G sec. m. am not V.] to come to ȝou [ȝou lettinge G pr. m. ȝou for speedful lettynge Q.] , so summen [summe A sec. m. GMPSVWY.] ben ynblowen `with pride [with pride, not deemynge to come Q. Om. X.] ; [verse 19] I schal come to ȝou soone, if God schal [Om. V.] wylne [wole GMPV.] ; and I schal knowe not the word of hem that ben ynblowen [blowen V.] `with pride [Om. X.] , but the vertu [vertu in good wirchynge Q.] . [verse 20] Sothli [Forwhi V.] the rewme of God [God, or cause to haue the rewme Q.] is not in word, but in vertu [vertu of byleeue Q.] . [verse 21] What wolen ȝe? Schal I come `to ȝou [Om. T.] in a [Om. G pr. m. QTWX.] ȝerd [ȝerd of chastisynge Q.] , or [either G.] in charite, and in spirit of bonernesse [debonernesse GMPQT.] , `or myldenesse [Om. X.] ?