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

CAP. VIII.

[verse 1] Britheren, forsothe we maken knowe to ȝou the grace of God, that is ȝouun in [verse 2] the chirchis [chirche MP.] of Macedonye, and [Om. V.] that in moche asayinge of tribulacioun, the ha|boundaunce, `or plente [Om. OX.] , of the ioye of hem was, and the hiȝeste pouert [profit Q.] of hem was plenteuous into the [Om. GMPQT.] richessis [richesse X.] of the symplenesse of hem. [verse 3] For I bere witness|inge and [Om. AGMNPQST VWXY.] to hem, vp vertu [the vertu QV.] , `or power [Om. OX.] , [verse 4] `and aboue vertu thei weren wilful [Om. Q.] , with [Om. T.] moche monestynge bisechinge vs [Om. S.] the grace and comenynge of mynysterie [the ministerie O. mysterie V.] , that is maad in [Om. V.] to hooly men [men, hou thei myȝten make her propre goodis comoun to the need of holy men. Q.] . [verse 5] And not as we hopiden, but [Om. Q.] thei ȝauen hem silf first to the Lord, aftirward to vs by the wille of God. [verse 6] So that we preieden Tyte, that as he bigan, so and he perfoorme in ȝou also this grace. [verse 7] But as ȝe [Om. O.] abounden in alle thingis, in feith, word [and word V.] , and science [kunnynge O.] , `or kunnynge [Om. OX.] , and al [al good Q.] bisynesse, more|ouer and [Om. V.] in ȝoure charite in to vs, that and [Om. N.] in this [the V.] grace ȝe habounde. [verse 8] I seie not as comaundinge, but by the bisynesse of othere men `also prouynge to gidere [appering also V.] the good wit of ȝoure [ȝoure aller Q.] charite. [verse 9] Sothli ȝe witen the grace of oure Lord Jhesu Christ, forwhi he was made nedy for vs [ȝou V.] , whanne he was ryche, that ȝe schulden be maad ryche by his myseste [mysese N. nedynesse O.] , `or nedynesse [Om. OX.] . [verse 10] And I ȝyue counceil in this thing; sothli this is profitable to ȝou, that not `oonly bigynnen [han bigunne V.] for [Om. SX.] to do, but and for [Om. X.] to wilne [onely for to do mynystracioun of ȝoure goodis to pore men, but and for to wolen ȝe bygynne Q.] fro the formere ȝeer. [verse 11] Now forsothe and in dede performe ȝe, that as the yn|witt [discrescioun V.] of wil is redy [redy to wilne good Q.] , so be it and of per|formynge [perfourmynge, in dede doynge Q.] of that thing that ȝe han. [verse 12] Sothli [For V.] if the wille be redy, it is acceptid vp [aftir GMNPQT.]

that that [Om. NX. at O.] it hath [hath, in ȝeuynge to releeue the need of nedy men Q.] , not vp [aftir GMNPQT.] that that [Om. NT. at O.] it hath not. [verse 13] Forsoth not `that it be re|myssioun [that the largenesse of ȝour almes be slewthe Q.] , `or slouthe [Om. OQX. or ydilnesse V.] , to othere [other that taken it Q. othere men V.] , forsoth [verse 14] to ȝou tribulacioun [tribulacioun, for ȝoure foly ȝeuynge Q.] ; but [bot I wole Q.] of euenesse, in the [this GNQT. Om. MP.] present tyme ȝoure haboundaunce [aboundaunce of worldly goodis Q.] fulfille the myseste [mysese N.] of hem [hem that ben nedy Q.] , that and [Om. X.] the haboundaunce of hem [hem, that is, the plente of her goostly help Q.] be `supplement, or [Om. OX.] fulfillinge, of ȝoure myseste [mysese, or nede N.] , that euenesse [verse 15] be maad; as it [Om. X.] is writun, He that hath moche [gaderide myche V.] , haboundide not, and he that [that hade Q.] litil [gaderide litil V.] , hadde [hath N.] not lasse [lessid N.] . [verse 16] Forsoth I do thank|yngis to God, that ȝaf [hath ȝouen N.] the same bysy|nesse [verse 17] for ȝou in the herte of Tyte, for sotheli he resceyuede exortacioun [oure exortacioun Q.] , `or monestynge [or amonestynge GMPT. Om. OX. of amonestynge to enfourme ȝou to abounde in this symplenesse Q.] ; but whanne he was bisyere, with [bi V.] his wille he wente forth to ȝou. [verse 18] Forsoth we senten with hym oure [a V.] bro|ther [brother, Luke or Barnabas Q.] , whos preisynge is in the gospel [gospel, in writynge or prechynge Q.] by alle chirchis. [verse 19] Forsoth not oonly [oonli hym N. onely the preysinge of hym is in the gospel Q.] , but and he is ordeyned of chirchis the felowe of oure pilgrymage into this grace, that is mynystrid of vs to the glorie of the Lord, [verse 20] and to oure ordeyned wille; eschewinge [ethchewynge GQ.] this thing, that no man blame, `or dispise [Om. OX.] , vs in this [the N.] plente, that is mynystrid of vs to the glorie of the Lord. [verse 21] Sothli we pur|ueyen goode thingis, not oonly bifore God, but also bifore alle men. [verse 22] Forsoth we senten with hem and oure brother [brother Apollo Q.] , whom we han prouyd in manye thingis ofte, for [Om. SX.] to be bisy, now forsoth moche bisyer, in [for V.] [verse 23] moche trist in [to N.] ȝou, ethir [other M et P passim.] for Tyte, that is my felowe, and in ȝou helpere, ether oure [othere V.] britheren, apostlis of chirchis [chirchis, opynly, that othere taken ensaumple Q.] of the glorie of Crist. [verse 24] Therfor schewe ȝe in to [to hem V.] the faces [face V.] of chirchis, the [that V.] schewynge that is of ȝoure charite and of oure [ȝoure GSTVXY pr. m.] glorie for

ȝou `into hem [Om. V.] . [verse 1] [Chapter IX. commences here in V.] Forwhi of [and of S.] the myn|ysterie that is maad into [to V.] hooly men, it is to me of [Om. AN.] `haboundaunt, or plente [aboundaunce, or plente GMPSTVY. abound. or a plente O. aboundaunce, or plente ouer mesure Q. aboundaunce X.] , for [Om. OQSX.] to wryte to ȝou.