¶ Mynysters (or deacons) are ordeyned in the congregacyon to do seruyce in necessary thynges of the body, that the apostles may wayte onely vpon the worde of god Steuen is accused.
CAPI. VI.
IN those dayes (when the nombre of the [unspec A] disciples grewe) there arose a grudge a∣monge the Grekes agaynst the Hebrues, bycause theyr wydowes were despysed ☞ in the dayly ministracion. Then the twelue cal∣led the multitude of the disciples togyther & sayde: it is not mete, that we shulde leaue the worde of god, and serue tables. Wherfore bre¦thren, loke ye out among you seuen men * 1.1 of honest reporte, and full of the holy goost and wysdome, to whom we may commyt this bu∣synesse. But we wyll gyue our selues conty∣nually to prayer, and to the ministracyon of the worde.
And the sayeng pleased the hole multitude. [unspec B] And they chose Steuen, a man full of fayth and of the holy goost, and Philip, and Proco¦tus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Perme∣nas, and * 1.2 Nocholas a conuerte of Antioche. These they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they * 1.3 layd theyr handes on them. And the worde of God encreased, and the nombre of the disciples multiplied in Ie∣rusalem greatly, and a great company of the preestes were obedient to the fayth.
✚ And Steuen, full of fayth and power, [unspec C] dyd great wonders and myracles among the people. Then there arose certayne of the Sy¦nagoge, whiche is called the Synagoge of the Libertines and Syrenites, and of Alex∣andria, and of Celicia, and of Asia disputyng with Steuen. * 1.4 And they coulde not resyst the wysdome, & the spirite, * 1.5 which spake. ⊢
Then sent they in men, whiche sayde: We [unspec D] haue herde him speake blasphemous wordes agaynst Moses, and agaynst God. And they moued the people, and the elders, and the scribes: and came vpon hym and caught him and brought hym to the counsell, & brought forth false wytnesses whiche sayde. This mā ceaseth not to speake blasphemous wordes agaynst this holy place and the law: For we herde hym say: This Iesus of Nazareth shal destroy this place, and shall chaunge the ordi¦naunces whiche Moses gaue vs. And all that sat in the counsell, loked stedfastly on hym, and saw his face as it had bene the face of an angell.