Whan the Apostles which were at Ieru¦salem, herde, that Samaria had receaued ye worde of God, they sent vnto thē Peter and Ihon. Which, whā they were come, prayed for thē, yt they might receaue the holy goost. For as yet he was come vpon none of them but they were baptysed onely in the name of Christ Iesu. Then layed they their hādes on them, and they receaued the holy goost.
But whan Simon sawe, that by the lay¦enge on of the Apostles hādes yt holy goost was geuen, he offred thē money, and sayde: Geue me also this power, that, on whomsoe¦uer I put the hōdes, he maye receaue the ho¦ly goost. Howbeit Peter sayde vnto him: Pe¦rishe thou with thy money, because thou thinkest that ye gifte of God maye be optay¦ned with money. Thou shalt haue nether parte ner felashipe in this worde, for ye hert is not righte before God. Repente therfore of this ye wickednesse, and praye vnto God, yf happly the thought of thy hert maye be forgeuē ye. For I se, yt thou art full of bytter gall, and wrapped in wt vnrighteousnesse.
[ C] Then answered Simon, & sayde: Praye ye vnto the LORDE for me, yt none of these thinges wherof ye haue spoken, come vpon me. And they, whā they had testified and spo¦kē the worde of the LORDE, turned agayne to Ierusalem, and preached the Gospell in many townes of the Samaritanes.
But the angell of the LORDE spake vn∣to Philippe, and sayde: Aryse, & go towar∣de the South, vnto the waye that goeth downe from Ierusalem vnto Gaza, which is deserte. And he rose, and wente on. And beholde, a mā of the Morians lōde (a cham∣berlayne and of auctorite with Candace ye quene of the londe of the Morians) which had the rule of all hir treasuries, ye same ca∣me to Ierusalē to worshipe. And returned home agayne, and satt vpon his charet, and red the prophet Esay.
The sprete sayde vnto Philippe: Go nea∣re, and ioyne thy selfe to yonder charet. Thē ranne Philippe vnto him, and herde him rede the prophet Esay, and sayde: Vnder∣stōdest thou what thou readest? He sayde: How can I, excepte some mā enfourme me?
[ D] And he desyred Philippe, that he wolde come vp, and syt with him. The tenoure of the scripture which he red, was this: He was led as a shepe to be slayne, and as a lambe voycelesse before his sherer, so ope∣ned he not his mouth. In his humblenesse is his iudgment exalted. Who shal declare his generacion? for his life is taken awaye from the earth. Then answered the cham∣berlayne vnto Philippe, and sayde: I praye the, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himselfe, or of some other man?
Philippe opened his mouth, and began∣ne at this scripture, and preached him the Gospell of Iesus. And as they wēte on their waye, they came to a water. And the cham∣berlayne sayde: Beholde, here is water, what hyndereth me to be baptysed? Philip∣pe sayde: Yf thou beleue from thy whole her¦te, thou mayest. He answered, and sayde: I beleue, that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God. And he commaunded to holde styll the charet, and they wente downe in to the water, both Philippe and the chamberlay∣ne. And he baptysed him. But whan they were come vp out of the water, the sprete of the LORDE toke Philippe awaye. And the Chamberlayne sawe him nomore. But he wente on his waye reioysinge. As for Philip¦pe, he was founde at Aszdod, and walked aboute, and preached the Gospell vnto all the cities, tyll he came to Cesarea.