The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

¶The .vj. Chapter.

3 Seuen deacons are ordeyned in the Churche. 11 Steuen is accused.

[unspec A] 1 AND in those dayes, when the number of y^e disciples grewe, there arose a grudge among the Grekes agaynst y^e Hebrues, because their wydowes were despy∣sed in the dayly ministerie.

2 Then the twelue called the multitude of the disciples together, and sayde: It is not good that we shoulde leaue the worde of God, and serue tables.

3 Wherfore brethren, loke ye out among you seuen men * 1.1of honest report, & full of the holy ghost, and wysedome, to whō we may commit this busynesse.

[unspec B] 4 But we wyll geue our selues continu∣ally to prayer, and to the ministerie of the worde.

5 And the saying pleased the whole mul∣titude. And they chose Steuen, a man full of fayth, and of the holy ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, & Timon,* 1.2 and Permenas, and Nicolas a conuert of Antioche.

6 These they set before the apostles: and whē they had prayed, they * 1.3layde their handes on them.

7 And the worde of God encreased, & the number of y^e disciples multiplied in Hie∣rusalem greatly, and a great companie of the priestes were obedient to y^e fayth.

8 ☞And Steuen full of fayth & power, [unspec C] dyd great wonders & miracles among the people.

9 Then there arose certaine of the (a) 1.4 sy∣nagogue, which is called [the synagogue] of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and of Alexandria, and of Cilicia, & of Asia, disputyng with Steuen.

10 *And they coulde not resiste the wise∣dome and the spirite by the *whiche he spake.

11 Then they priuilie prepared men, whi∣che sayde, (b) 1.5 we haue heard him speake blasphemous wordes agaynst Moyses, and agaynst God.

12 And they moued the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came vppon hym, and caught him, and brought him to the counsell.

13 And brought foorth false witnesses, which sayde: This man ceasseth not to [unspec D] speake blasphemous wordes agaynste this holy place and the lawe.

14 For we hearde hym say, that this Ie∣sus of Nazareth shal destroy this place, & shall chaunge the ordinaunces which Moyses gaue vs:

15 And all that sate in the counsell, loking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had ben the face of an angell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  i. Tim. iii. c.
• * 1.2

  Apoca. ii. b.
• * 1.3

  Nu. xxvii. d i. Tim. iiii. d ii. Tim. i. b.
• (a) 1.4

  Or ••∣ledge. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in y^e citie 〈…〉〈…〉 were erect many hon¦or scooles wherein the youth of the Iewes and straungers were instruc∣ted: as nowe adayes are v∣sed in our vni∣uersities.
• (b) 1.5

  The wic∣ked setteth foorth false witnesses, when they by reas••nyng cā¦not preuayle agaynst the trueth: And thus malice seketh false Christes, when the trueth fay∣leth her.