The Newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale, and fynesshed in the yere of our Lorde God A.M.D. & xxxiiij. in the moneth of Nouember.

❧ The Actes of the Apostles / wrytten by Sayn∣te Luke Evangelist which was present at the doynges of them. (Book Acts)

¶ The Fyrst Chapter.

[illustration]

IN the former trea∣tise [ A] (Deare frende Theophilus) I ha¦ve written of all that Ie∣sus beganne to do & tea∣che / vntyll the daye in the which he was taken vp / after that he thorowe the holy goost / had geven com¦maundementes vnto the Apostles / which he had chosen: to whom also he shewed him selfe alyve / after his passion by many tokens / apperynge vnto them fourty dayes / & speakynge of the kyngdome of god / & gaddered them togeder / and commaunded* 1.1 thē / that they shuld not departe from Ierusa¦lem: but to wayte for y^e promys of the father / wherof ye have herde of me. For Iohn bapti∣sed w^t water: but ye shalbe baptised with the holy goost / & that with in this feawe dayes. When they were come togeder / they axed of him sayinge: Lorde wilt thou at this tyme re∣store agayne y^e kyngdome to Israel? And he sayde vnto them: It is not for you to knowe the tymes / or the seasons which y^e father hath put in his awne power: but ye shall receave

power of the holy goost which shall come on you. And ye shall be witnesses vnto me in Ie∣rusalem / & in all Iewrye and in Samary / and even vnto the worldes ende.

And when he had spoken these thinges / [ B] whyll they behelde / he was takē vp / & a clou∣de receaved him vp out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly vp to heaven as he went / beholde two men stode by them in white apparell / which also sayde: ye men of Galile / why stonde ye gasinge vp into heavē? This same Iesus which is taken vp frō you in to heaven / shall so come / even as ye haue se¦ne him goo into heaven. ⊢

Then returned they vnto Ierusalem from* 1.2 mount olivete / which is nye to Ierusalem / cō¦teyninge a Saboth dayes iorney. And when they were come in / they went vp into a parler / where abode both Peter & Iames / Iohn & An¦drew / Philip & Thomas / Bartlemew & Ma∣thew / Iames the sonne of Alpheus / & Simō zelotes / & Iudas Iames sonne. These all cō∣tinued with one acorde in prayer & supplica∣cion with the wemen and Mary the mother of Iesu / and with his brethren.

✚ And in those dayes Peter stode vp in the [ C] myddes of the disciples & sayde (the noumbre of names that were to gether / were aboute an hondred & twenty) Ye men and brethren / this scripture must have nede ben fulfilled which the holy goost thorow y^e mouth of David spa¦ke before of Iudas / which was gyde to them* 1.3 that tooke Iesus. For he was noūbred with

vs & had obtayned fellouship in this ministra¦cion. And the same hath now possessed a plot of grounde with the rewarde of iniquite / and when he was hanged / brast a sondre in y^e myd∣des / & all his bowels gusshed oute. And it is knowē vnto all the inhabiters of Ierusalem: in so moche that that felde is called in their mother tonge / Acheldama / that is to saye / the bloud felde.

It is written in the boke of Psalmes: his [ D] * 1.4 habitaciō be voyde / and no man be dwellinge therin: and his bisshoprycke let another take.* 1.5 Wherfore of these mē which have cōpanyed with vs / all y^• tyme that the Lorde Iesus wēt in & out amonge vs / begynninge at the bapty¦me of Iohn vnto that same daye that he was taken vp from vs / must one be ordeyned to be are witnes with vs of his resurreccion.

And they appoynted two / Ioseph called Barsabas (whose syr name was Iustus) and Mathias. And they prayed sayinge: thou Lor¦de which knowest the hertes of all mē / shewe whether of these two thou hast chosen that the one maye take the roume of this ministra¦cion / and apostleshippe from the which Iu∣das by transgression fell / that he myght go to his awne place. And they gave forthe their lot¦tes / and the lot fell on Mathias / and he was* 1.6 counted with the eleven Apostles. ⊢

¶ The Seconde Chapter. ✚

VVhē the fyftith daye was come / they [ A] were all with one accorde togeder in one place. And sodenly ther cam a

sounde from heaven / as it had bene the com∣minge of a myghty wynde / & it filled all the housse where they sate. And ther appered vn∣to them cloven tonges / lyke as they had bene* 1.7 fyre / and it sate vpon eache of them: and they were all filled with the holy goost / and began¦ne to speake with other tonges / even as the sprete gave them vtteraunce.

And ther were dwellinge at Ierusalem Ie∣wes / devoute men / which were of all nacions vnder heaven. When this was noysed abou∣te / the multitude came to gether & were asto∣nyed / because that every man hearde thē spea¦ke his awne toūge. They wondred all & mar∣veyled sayinge amōge them selves: Beholde / are not all these which speake / of Galile? And how heare we every man his awne toūge whe¦rein we were boren? Parthians / Medes and Elamytes / and the inhabiters of Mesopota∣mia / of Iury / and of Capadocia / of Ponthus and Asia / Phrigia / Pamphilia / and of Egy∣pte / and of the parties of Libia which is be∣syde Syrene / and straungers of Rome / Ie∣wes & * 1.8 convertes / Grekes and Arabians: we have herde them speake with oure awne ton∣ges the greate workes of God. ✚ They were all amased / and wondred sayinge one to ano∣ther: what meaneth this? Other mocked thē sayinge: they are full of newe wyne.

✚ But Peter stepped forth with the elevē / & lift vp his voyce / and sayde vnto them: Ye men of Iewrye / & all ye that inhabite Ierusa¦lem: be this knowē vnto you / and with youre

eares heare my wordes. These are not dron∣ken / as ye suppose: for it is yet but the thyrde houre of y^e daye. But this is that which was spoken by y^• Prophete ••ohel: It shalbe in the [ C] * 1.9 last dayes sayth God: of my sprete I will powre out vpon all flesshe. And youre sonnes & youre doughters shall prophesy / & youre yō∣ge men shall se visions / & youre olde mē shall dreme dremes. And on my servaūts / & on my honde maydens I will powre out of my spre¦te in those dayes / & they shall prophesye. And I will shewe wonders in heaven a bove / & to∣kens in the erth benethe / bloud and fyre / and the vapour of smoke. The sunne shalbe tur∣ned into darknes / & the mone into bloud be∣fore that greate & notable daye of the Lorde co¦me. And it shalbe / that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lorde shalbe saved. ⊢

✚ Ye men of Israel heare these wordes. Ie∣sus* 1.10 of Nazareth / a mā approved of God amō¦ge you with myracles / wondres and signes which God dyd by him in y^e myddes of you / as ye youre selves knowe: him have ye taken by the hondes of vnrightewes persones / after he was delivered by the determinat counsell & foreknoweledge of God / & have crucified & slayne: whom God hath raysed vp & lowsed [ D] * 1.11 the sorowes of deeth / because it was vnpossi∣ble that he shuld be holden of it. For David speaketh of him: Afore honde I sawe God al∣wayes before me: For he is on my ryght hon¦de / that I shuld not be moved. Therfore dyd my hert reioyce / & my tonge was glad. Moreo¦ver

/ also my flesshe shall rest in hope / because* 1.12 thou wilt not leve my soul in hell / nether wilt suffre thyne holye to se corrupciō. Thou hast shewed me the wayes of lyfe / & shalt make me full of ioye with thy countenaunce. ⊢

Men & brethren / let me frely speake vnto [ E] * 1.13 you of the patriarke David: For he is both deed & buryed / & his sepulcre remayneth with vs vnto this daye. Therfore seinge he was a Prophet / & knewe that God had sworne with an othe to him / that the frute of his loynes shuld sit on his seat (in that Christ shulde ry¦se agayne in the flesshe) he sawe before: and spake in the resurreccion of Christ / that his soule▪ shulde not be left in hell: nether his fles se shuld se corrupciō. This Iesus hath God raysyd vp / wher of we all are witnesses.

Sence now that he by the right honde of God exalted is / & hath receaved of the father the promyse of the holy goost / he hath sheed forthe that which ye nowe se and heare. For David is not ascendyd into heavē: but he say∣de. The Lorde sayde to my Lorde sit on my [ F] * 1.14 right honde / vntill I make thy fooes thy fote stole. So therfore let all the housse of Israel knowe for a suerty / y^t God hath made y^• same Iesus whom ye have crucified lorde & Christ.

When they hearde this / they were pricked in their hertes / & sayd vnto Peter & vnto the other Apostles: Ye men & brethrē / what shall we do? Peter sayde vnto them: repent & be ba∣ptised every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ / for the remission of synnes / & ye shall

receave the gyfte of the holy goost. For y^• pro¦myse was made vnto you & to youre chyldrē / & to all that are afarre / even as many as y^e Lor¦de oure God shall call. And with many other wordes bare he witnes & exhorted them say∣inge: Save youre selves from this vntowar∣de generacion. Then they that gladly recea∣ved his preachynge / were baptised: and the sa¦me daye / ther were added vnto them aboute thre thousande soules. [ D]

And they continued in the Apostles doctri∣ne & felloushippe / & in breakinge of breed / & in prayer. And feare came over every soule. And many wondres & signes were shewed by the Apostles. And all that beleved kept them sel¦ves to gedder / & had all thinges cōmen / and solde their possessions and goodes / & departed them to all men / as every man had nede. And* 1.15 they continued dayly with one acorde in the tēple / & brake breed in every heu••se / & dyd eate their meate to gedder / with gladnes & single¦nes of hert praysinge God / and had faveour with all the people. And the▪ Lorde added to y^e congregacion dayly soche as shuld be saved.

¶ The .iii. Chapter.

PEter & Iohn went vp togedder into [ A] the tēple at the nynthe houre of pray¦er. And ther was a certayne man halt* 1.16 from his mothers wōbe / whō they brought and layde at the gate of the temple called beutifull / to axe almes of them that entred into the temple. Which same when he sawe Peter & Iohn / that they wolde in to the tēple /

desyred to receave an almes. And Peter faste∣ned his eyes on him with Iohn and sayde: loo¦ke on vs. And he gaue hede vnto thē / trustin∣ge to receave somthinge of them. Then sayd Peter: Silver and golde have I none / suche as I have / geve I the. In the name of Iesu Christ of Nazareth / ryse vp & walke. And he toke him by the right honde / & lifte him vp. And immediatly his fete & ancle bones recea∣ved strenght. And he sprāge / stode & also wal¦ked / & entred with them into the temple / wal∣kinge / and leapinge and laudynge God.

And all the people sawe him walke & lau¦de God. And they knewe him / that it was he which sate and begged at the beutifull gate of the temple. And they wondred & were sore astonnyed at that which had happened vnto him. And as y^• halt which was healed / helde Peter and Iohn / all the people ranne amased vnto them in Salomons porche. [ C]

When Peter sawe that / he answered vnto the people. ✚ Ye men of Israel / why marvay¦le ye at this / or why looke ye so stedfastly on vs / as though by oure awne power or holy∣nes / we had made this man goo? The God of Abraham / Isaac & Iacob / the God of oure fa¦thers hath glorified his sonne Iesus / whom ye delyvered / & denyed in the presence of Pyla¦te* 1.17 / whē he had iudged him to be lowsed. But ye denyed the holy & iust / and desyred a mor∣therar to be geven you / and kylled the Lorde of lyfe / whom God hath raysed from deeth / of the which we are wytnesses. And his

name thorow the fayth of his name / hath ma¦de this man sound / whom ye se & knowe. And the fayth which is by him / hath geven to him this health in the presence of you all.

And now brethrē I wote well that thorow ignoraūce ye did it / as dyd also youre heddes. But those thinges which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophetes / how y^t Christ shuld suffre / he hath thus wyse fulfilled. Repent ye therfore & turne / y^t youre [ D] synnes maye be done awaye ✚ / when the ty¦me of refresshinge commeth / which we shall have of the presence of the Lorde / and when God shall sende him / which before was prea¦ched vnto you / that is to wit Iesus Christ•• which must receave heavē vntyll the tyme y^• all thinges / which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophetes sence the worlde began be restored agayne.* 1.18

For Moses sayd vnto the fathers: A Pro¦phet shall the Lorde youre God rayse vp vn¦to you / even of youre brethren / lyke vnto me: him shall ye heare in all thinges whatsoever he shall saye vnto you. For the tyme will co¦me / y^• every soule which shall not heare that same Prophet / shalbe destroyed from amonge the people. Also all the Prophetes from Sa¦muel and thence forth / as many as have spo∣ken / have in lykwyse tolde of these dayes.

Ye are the chyldren of the Prophetes / & of the covenaunt which God hath made vnto oure fathers sayinge to Abraham: Evē in thy seede shall all the kinredes of the erth be bles¦sed.

Fyrst vnto you hath God raysed vp his sonne Iesus / and him he hath sent to blysse you / that every one of you shuld turne from youre wickednes.

¶ The .iiii. Chapter

AS they spake vnto the people / the pre¦stes [ A] & the rular of the tēple / & the Sa∣duces* 1.19 came vpon them / takynge it gre∣vously that they taught y^• pople & preached in Iesus the resurreccion frō deeth. And they layde hondes on them / and put them in holde vntill the nexte daye: for it was now even ty∣de. How be it many of them which hearde the wordes / beleved / and the noumbre of the men was aboute fyve thousande.

And it chaunsed on the morowe that their rulars & elders & Scribes / as Annas the che∣fe Prest & Cayphas & Iohn & Alexander / and as many as were of y^• kynred of the hye pre∣stes gadered to geder at Ierusalem / & sit the other before them / & axed: by what power or what name have ye done this syrs? ✚ Then [ B] Peter full of y^• holy goost sayd vnto them: ye* 1.20 rulars of the people / & elders of Israel / yf we this daye are examined of the good dede do∣ne to the sycke man / by what meanes he is ma¦de whoale: be yt knowen vnto you all / and to the people of Israel / that in the name of Ie∣sus Christ of Nazareth / who n ye crucified / and whom God raysed agayne from deeth:* 1.21 even by him doth this man stonde here pre∣sent before you whoale. This is y^e stone cast a syde of you bylders which is set in the ••he•• fe place of the corner. Nether is ther 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.22

in eny other. Nor yet also is ther eny other na¦me* 1.23 geven to men wherin we must be saved. ✚ [ C]

When they sawe the boldnes of Peter & Iohn / & vnderstode that they were vnlerned men & laye people / they marveyled / and they knew them / that they were with Iesu: & be∣holdinge also the mā which was healed ston¦dinge with thē / they coulde not saye agaynst it. But they cōmaunded them to go a syde out of the counsell / & counceled amōge them sel∣ves sayinge: what shall we do to these men? For a manifest signe is done by thē / & is open¦ly knowen to all them that dwell in Ierusa∣lem / & we cānot denye it. But that it be noy∣sed no farther amōge the people / let vs threa∣ten / and charge them that they speake hence forth to no man in this name. [ D]

And they called them / & cōmaunded them that in no wyse they shuld speake or teache in the name of Iesu. But Peter and Iohn an∣swered vnto them & sayde: whether it be right in the syght of God to obeye you moare then* 1.24 God / iudge ye. For we cānot but speake that which we have sene and hearde. So threate∣ned they them and let them goo / and founde no thinge how to punysshe them / because of the people. For all mē lauded God for the my¦racle which was done: for the man was abo∣ve fourty yeare olde / on whom this myracle of healinge was shewed. [ E]

Assone as they were let goo / they came to their felowes / and shewed all that the hye pre¦stes and elders had sayde to them. And when

they hearde that / they lyfte vp their voyces to God with one accorde / & sayde: Lorde / thou arte God which hast made heaven & erth / the see & all that in them is / which by the mouth of thy servaunt David hast sayd: Why dyd the hethen rage / & the people immagen vayne* 1.25 thinges. The kynges of the erth stode vp & the rulars came to gedder / agaynst the Lorde and agaynst his Christ.

For of a trueth / agaynst thy holy chylde Ie¦sus [ F] whom thou hast annoynted / bothe Hero∣de and also Poncius Pylate / with the Gen∣tils and the people of Israel / gaddered them selves to gedder / forto do whatsoever thy hon¦de and thy counsell determined before to be done. And now Lorde / beholde their threate∣nynges / & graunte vnto thy servauntes with all confidence to speake thy worde. So that thou stretche forth thy honde / that healynge and signes and wonders be done by the name of thy holy chylde Iesus. And assone as they had prayed / the place moved wheare they we∣re assembled to gedder / and they were all fil∣led with the holy goost / and they spake the worde of God boldely. [ G]

✚ And the multitude of them that beleved / were of one hert / and of one soule. Also none of them sayde / that eny of the thinges which he possessed / was his awne: but had all thin∣ges commen. And with greate power gave* 1.26 the Apostles witnes of the resurreccion of the Lorde Iesu. And greate grace was with them all. Nether was ther eny amonge them /

that lacked. For as many as were possessers of londes or housses / solde them and brought* 1.27 the pryce of the thinges that were solde / and layed yt doune at the Apostles fete. And di∣stribucion was made vnto every man accor∣dinge as he had nede. ⊢

And Ioses which was also called of the Apostles Barnabas (that is to saye the son. ne of consolacion) beynge a Levite / and of the countre of Cipers / had londe / and solde it. and layde the pryce doune at the Apostles fete.

¶ The .v. Chapter.

A Certayne man named Ananias with [ A] * 1.28 Saphira his wyfe solde a possession / & kepte awaye parte of the pryce (his wy¦fe also beynge of counsell) & brought a certay¦ne parte / & layde it doune at the Apostles fe∣te. Then sayd Peter: Ananias / how is it that Satan hath filled thyne hert / that thou shul∣dest lye vnto the holy goost / and kepe awaye parte of the pryce of the lyvelod: Pertayned it not vnto the only / and after it was solde / was not the pryce in thyne awne power? How is it that thou hast cōceaved this thinge in thyne herte? Thou hast not lyed vnto men / but vn∣to God. When Ananias herde these wordes. he fell doune & gave vp the goost. And great feare came on all thē that these thinges hear¦de. And the yonge men roose vp / and put him a parte / & caryed him out / and buryed him.

And it fortuned as it were aboute the spa∣ce of .iii. houres afte•• / that his wyfe came in / ignoraunt of that which was done. And Pe∣ter

sayde vnto her: Tell me / gave ye the londe for so moche? And she sayde: ye for so moche Then Peter sayde vnto her: why have ye agreed to gether / to tēpt the sprete of the Lor∣de? Beholde the fete of them which have bu¦ryed thy husbande / are at the dore / and shall cary the out. Then she fell doune strayght waye at his fete & yelded vp the goost. And the yonge men came in / & founde her ded / and caryed her out and buryed her by her husban¦de. And great feare came on all the congrega¦cion / and on as many as hearde it.

By the hondes of the Apostles were many [ C] signes & wondres shewed amōge the people. And they were all together with one acorde in Salomons porche. And of other durst no man ioyne him selfe to them: neverth••later the people magnyfied them. The noumbre of them that beleved in the Lorde bothe of men & wemen / grewe moare & moare: in so mo¦che that they brought the sicke into the stret∣tes / & layde them on beddes & palette / that at the lest waye the shadowe of Peter when he* 1.29 came by / myght shadowe some of them. The¦re came also a multitude out of y^• cities roūd about / vnto Ierusalem / bringynge sicke fol∣kes / & them which were vexed with vnclene spretes. And they were h••aled every one.

Then y^e chefe preste rose vp & all they that* 1.30 were with him (which is the secte of the Sa∣duces) [ D] & were full of indignacion / and layde hondes on the Apostles / & put them in the cō∣men preson. But the angell of the Lorde by

nyght openned the preson dores / & brought them forthe / & sayde: goo / steppe forthe / & spea¦ke in the temple to the people all the wordes of this lyfe. When they hearde that / they entred into the temple erly in the morninge and taught.

The chefe prest came & they that were with him / & called a counsell to gedder / & all the el∣ders [ E] of the chyldren of Israel / and sent to the preson to fet them. When the ministres came and founde them not in the preson / they retur¦ned and tolde sayinge: the preson founde we shut as sure as was possible / and the kepers stondynge with out before y^e dores. But whē we had opened / we founde no man with in. When the chefe prest of all and the ruler of the temple and the hye prestes hearde the∣se thinges / they douted of them / whervnto this wolde growe.

Then came one & shewed them: beholde y^• men y^• ye put in preson / stonde in the tēple / & teache the people. Then went the ruler of the tēple with ministe••s / & brought thē with out violence. For they feared the people / lest they shuld have bene stoned. And when they had brought them / they set them before the coun∣sell. And y^• chefe presteaxed thē sayinge: dyd not we straytely cōmaunde you that ye shuld not teache in this name? And beholde ye ha∣ve filled Ierusalem with youre doctrine / & ye [ F] intende to brynge this mans bloud vpon vs.* 1.31

Peter and the other Apostles answered & sayde: We ought moare to obey God then

men. The God of oure fathers raysed vp I•• Iesus / whom ye slewe and hanged on tre. Him hath god lifte vp with his right hand / to be a ruler and a savioure / for to geve repē∣taūce to Israell & forgevenes of synnes. And we are his recordes concernynge these thing{is} & also the holy goost whom God hath gevē to them y^• obey him. When they hearde y^t / they clave asunder: & sought meanes to slee them. Then stode ther vp one in y^e counsell / a Pha∣risey named Gamali••l / a doctoure of lawe / * 1.32 had in auctorite amōge all the people / & com∣maunded to put the Apostles a syde a lytell space / & sayde vnto them: Men of Israel take hede to youre selves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men. Before these dayes rose* 1.33 vp one Theudas bostinge him selfe / to whom resorted a nombre of men / about a f••ure hon∣dred / which was slayn / & they all which bele∣ved him were scatred a broode & brought to nought. After this man arose ther vp one Iu¦das* 1.34 of Galile / in the tyme when tribute be∣gan / & drewe awaye moche people after him. [ G] He also perisshed: & all even as many as har∣kened to him / are scattered abrood.

And now I saye vnto you: refrayne youre selves from these men / let them alone. For yf y^e coūsell or this worke be of men / it will co¦me to nought. But & yf it be of God / ye can¦not destroye it / lest haply ye be founde to stry∣ve agaynst God. And to him they agreed / and called the Apostles / and bet them / & cōmaun∣ded that they shuld not speake in y^• name of

Iesu / and let them goo.

And they departed from the counsell / reioy synge y^t they were counted worthy to soffre rebuke for his name. And dayly in the tēple and in every housse they ceased not / teachin∣ge and preachinge Iesus Christ.

¶ The .vi. Chapter.

IN those dayes as the nombre of the di∣sciples [ A] grewe / ther arose a grudge amon¦ge the Grekes agaynste the Ebrues / be¦cause their wyddowes were despysed in the dayly mynystracion. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to gether & say¦de: it is not mete that we shuld leave the wor¦de of God & serve at the tables. Wherfore* 1.35 brethren / loke ye out amōge you seven men of honest reporte / & full of the holy goost & wys∣dome / which we maye apoynte to this nedfull busynes. But we will geve oureselves cōtinu¦ally [ B] to prayer / & to the ministracion of y^e wor∣de. And the sayinge pleased the whoale multi¦tude. And they chose Steven a man full of fayth & of the holy goost / & Philip / & Procho¦rus / and Nichanor / and Timon / and Perme∣nas / and Nicholas a converte of Antioche. Which they set before the Apostles / and they prayed and layde their hondes on them.

And the worde of God encreased / & the noū¦bre [ C] of the disciples multiplied in Ierusalem greatly / and a great company of the prestes were obedient to the faythe. ✚ And Steven* 1.36 full of faythe and power / dyd great wondres & myracles amōge y^e people. Then ther arose

certayne of the synagoge / which are called Ly¦bertines & Syrenites / & of Alexandria / and of Cilicia / and Asia / and disputed with Steven. And they coulde not resist the wysdome / & the sprete / with which he spake. Then sent they in men / which sayd: we have hearde him spea¦ke blasphemous wordes agaynst Moses / & agaynst God. And they moved y^e people & the elders & the scribes: and came apon him and caught him / and brought him to the counsell / & brought forth falce witnesses which sayde. This mā ceasith not to speake blasphemous [ D] wordes agaynst this holy place & the lawe: for we hearde him saye: this Iesus of Naza∣reth shall destroye this place / & shall chaun∣ge the ordinaunces which Moses gave vs. And all that sate in y^e counsell loked sted fast∣ly on him / & sawe his face as it had bene the face of an angell.

¶ The .vii. Chapter.

THen sayde y^e chefe prest: is it even so? [ A] And he sayde: ye men / brethren and fa∣thers / harken to. The God of glory ap¦pered vnto oure father Abrahā whyll he was* 1.37 yet in Mesopotamia / before he dwelt in Char¦ran / & sayd vnto him: come out of thy contre / and from thy kynred / & come into the londe / which I shall shewe the. Then came he out of the londe of Chaldey / & dwelt in Charran. And after that / assone as his father was deed / * 1.38 he brought him into this lande / in which ye now dwell / & he gave him none inheritaunce in it / no not the bredeth of a fote: but promised y^t he wolde geve it to him to possesse & to his

seed after him / when as yet he had no chylde.

God verely spake on this wyse that his sea¦de shulde be a dweller in a straunge londe and that they shulde kepe them in bondage and entreate them evyll .iiii. C. yeares. But the na¦cion to whom they shalbe in bondage will I* 1.39 iudge / sayde God. And after that shall they co¦me forthe and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenaunt of circumcision. And he begat Isaac / and circumcised him the viii. daye / and Isaac begat Iacob / and Iacob the twelve patriarkes.

And the patriarkes havinge indignaciō sol¦de Ioseph into Egipte. And God was with [ B] * 1.40 him and delivered him out of all his adversi∣ties. And gave him faveour and wisdome in the sight of Pharao kynge of Egipte which made him governer over Egipte / and over all his housholde.

Then came ther a derth over all the londe of Egipt & Canaan / & great affliccion / that our fathers founde no sustenaūce. But when Ia∣cob hearde that ther was corne in Egipte / he sent oure fathers fyrst / and at the seconde ty∣me / Ioseph was knowen of his brethren / and* 1.41 Iosephs kynred was made knowne vnto Pha¦rao. Then sent Ioseph & caused his father to be brought and all his kynne / thre score and xv. soules. And Iacob descended into Egipte and dyed bothe he and oure fathers / and we∣re* 1.42 translated into Sichem / ond were put in y^e sepulere that Abraham bought for money of the sonnes of Emor / at Sichem.

When y^e tyme of y^e promes drue nye (which* 1.43 God had sworme to Abraham) the people gre¦we [ C] and multiplied in Egipte / till another kyn¦ge arose which knewe not of Ioseph. The sa∣me dealte suttelly with oure kynred / & evyll intreated oure fathers / and made them to cast oute their younge chyldren / that they shuld* 1.44 not remayne alyve. The same tyme was Mo¦ses borne / and was a proper childe in y^e sight of God / which was norisshed vp in his fa∣thers housse thre monethes. When he was cast out / Pharoes doughter toke him vp / and norisshed him vp for her awne sonne. And Moses was learned in all maner wisdome of the Egipcians / and was mighty in dedes & in wordes.

And when he was full forty yeare olde / it came into his hert to visit his brethren / the chyldren of Israhel. And when he sawe one of them suffre wronge / he defended him / and avenged his quarell that had the harme done to him / and smote the Egypcian. For he sup∣posed hys brethren wolde have vnderstonde how y^t God by his hondes shuld save them But they vnderstode not.

And the next daye he shewed him selfe vn¦to [ D] thē as they strove / and wolde have set thē* 1.45 at one agayne sayinge: Syrs / ye are brethren / why hurte ye one another? But he that dyd his neghbour wronge / thrust him awaye say∣inge: who made y^e a rular & a iudge amonge vs? What / wilt thou kyll me / as thou dyddest the Egyptian yester daye? Then fleed Moses

at that sayenge / & was a stranger in the londe of Madian / where he begat two sonnes.

And when .xl. yeares were expired / ther ap¦pered* 1.46 to him in the wyldernes of mounte Sy¦na an angell of the Lorde in a flamme of fyre in a busshe. When Moses sawe it / he won∣dred at the syght. And as he drue neare to be∣holde / the voyce of the Lorde came vnto him: I am y^• God of thy fathers / the God of Abra¦ham / the God of Isaac / & the God of Iacob. Moses trembled & durst not beholde. Then sayde y^• Lorde to him: Put of thy showes from thy fete / for the place where thou stondest / is holy grounde. I have perfectly sene the af∣fliccion of my people which is in Egypte / and I have hearde their gronynge / and am come doune to delyver them. And now come and I will sende the into Egypte. [ E]

This Moses whom they forsoke sayinge: who made the a ruelar and a iudge: the same God sent bothe a ruler & delyverer / / by y^• hon∣des of the angell which appered to him in the* 1.47 busshe. And the same brought them out she∣wynge wonders & signes in Egypte / & in the reed see & in the wyldernes .xl. yeares. This is that Moses which sayde vnto the chyldrē of Israel: A Prophet shall the Lorde youre* 1.48 God rayse vp vnto you of youre brethren ly∣ke* 1.49 vnto me / him shall ye heare.

This is he that was in y^• congregacion / in the wyldernes with the angell which spake to him in y^• moūte Syna / & with oure fathers. This man receaved the worde of lyfe to geve

vnto vs / to whō oure fathers wolde not obeye but cast it from them / & in their hertes turned backe agayne into Egypte / sayinge vnto Aa∣ron:* 1.50 Make vs goddes to goo before vs. For this Moses that brought vs out of the lon∣de of Egypte / we wote not what is become of him. And they made a calfe in those dayes / & offered sacrifice vnto the ymage / and reioy∣sed in the workes of their awne hondes.

Then God turned him selfe / & gave them vp / that they shuld worship the starres of the skye / as it is written in the boke of the prophe¦tes.* 1.51 O ye of y^• housse of Israel gave ye to me sacrefices & meate offerynges / by the space of xl. yeares in the wildernes▪ And ye toke vnto you the tabernacle of Moloch / and the starre of youre god Remphan / figures which ye ma∣de to worshippe them. And I will translate you beyonde Babylon. [ F]

Oure fathers had the tabernacle of witnes in y^• wyldernes / as he had apoynted thē spea∣kynge* 1.52 vnto Moses / that he shuld make it acor¦dynge to the fassion that he had sene. Which tabernacle oure fathers receaved / & brought it in with Iosue into the possession of the gen∣tyls which God drave out before the face of* 1.53 oure fathers vnto the tyme of David / which founde favour before God / & desyred that he myght fynde a tabernacle for the God of Ia∣cob. But Salomon bylt him an housse.

How be it he that is h yest of all / dwelleth not in tēple * 1.54 made with hondes / as saith the Prophete: Heven is my seate / and erth is my

fote stole / what housse will ye bylde for me sayth the Lorde? or what place is it that I shuld rest in? hath not my honde made all these thinges?

Ye stiffenecked & of vncircumcised hertes and eares: ye have all wayes resisted the holy goost: as youre fathers dyd / so do ye. Which of the prophetes have not youre fathers per∣secuted? And they have slayne them / which shewed before of the commynge of that iust / whom ye have now betrayed and mordred. And ye also have receaved a lawe by the ordi∣naunce of angels / and have not kept it. [ G]

When they hearde these thinges / their her¦tes clave a sunder / and they gnasshed on him with their tethe. But he beynge full of the ho¦ly goost / loked vp stedfastlye with his eyes into heven & sawe the glorie of God / & Iesus stondynge on the ryght honde of God / & say∣de: beholde / I se the hevens open / & the sonne of man stondynge on the ryght honde of god. Then they gave a shute with a loude voyce / and stopped their eares and ranne apon him all at once / and caste him out of the cite / & sto∣ned him. And the witnesses layde doune their clothes at a yonge mannes fete named Saul.* 1.55 And they stoned steven callynge on and say∣inge: Lorde Iesu receave my sprete. And he kneled doune and cryed with a loude voyce: Lorde laye not this synne to their charge. And when he had thus spoken / he fell a sle∣pe.▪

¶ The .viii. Chapter.

SAul had pleasure in his deeth. And at [ A] y^t tyme there was a great persecucion* 1.56 agaynst the congregacion which was at Ierusalem / & they were all scattered abroa∣de thorowout the regions of Iury and Sama¦ria / except the Apostles. Then devout men dressed Steven / and made great lamentacion over him. But Saul made havocke of the con¦gregacion entrynge into every housse / & drewe out bothe man & woman / & thrust thē into pre¦son. They that were scattered abroade / went every where preachyng the worde. Then ca∣me Philip into a cite of Samaria & preached* 1.57 Christ vnto them. And the people gave hede vnto those thinges which Philip spake / with one acorde / in that they hearde and sawe the miracles which he dyd. For vnclene spretes cryinge with loude voyce / came out of many that were possessed of them. And manye taken [ B] with palsies / and many y^t halted / were healed And ther was great ioye in that cite. And ther* 1.58 was a certayne man called Simon / which be∣fore tyme in the same cite / vsed witche crafte & bewitched the people of Samarie / sayinge / that he was a man y^t coulde do greate thing{is}. Whom they regarded / from y^• lest to the grea¦test / sayinge: this felow is the great power of God. And him they set moche by / because of longe tyme with sorcery he had mocked thē. But assone as they beleved Philippes prea∣chynge of the kyngdome of God & of the na∣me of Iesu Christ / they were baptised bo∣the men and wemen. Then Simon himselfe

beleved also / and was baptised / and cōtinued with Phillip / and wondered beholdynge the miracles and signes / which were shewed.

✚ When y^• Apostles which were at Ierusa¦lem [ C] hearde saye that Samaria had receaved y^• worde of God: they sent vnto thē / Peter and Iohn / which when they were come / prayed for thē / that they myght receave y^• holy goost For as yet he was come on none of them: But they were baptised only in the name of Christ Iesu. Then layde they their hondes on them / & they receaved the holy goost. ⊢

When Simō sawe / that thorowe layinge* 1.59 on of the Apostles hondes on them / the holy goost was geven: he offered thē money sayin∣ge: Geve me also this power / that on whom soever I put the hondes / he maye receave the holy goost. Then sayde Peter vnto him: thy monye perysh with the / because thou wenest that the gifte of God maye be obteyned w^t mo¦ney. Thou hast nether parte nor fellouship∣pe in this busines. For thy hert is not ryght in the syght of God. Repent therfore of this thy wickednes / & praye God that y^• thought of thyne hert maye be forgeven the. For I perceave that thou arte full of bitter gall / and wrapped in iniquite.

Then answered Simon & sayde: Praye ye to the lorde for me y^• none of these thinges whi∣che ye have spoken / fall on me. And they / whē they had testified & preached the worde of the lorde / returned toward Ierusalem / & preached the gospellin many cities of the Samaritās.

✚ Then the angell of the lorde spake vnto Phillip sayinge: aryse & goo towardes mydde daye vnto y^• waye y^• goeth doune frō Ierusa∣lem vnto Gaza which is in y^• desert. And he arose & wēt on. And beholde a man of Ethio∣pia which was a chāberlayne / & of grete auc∣torite w^t Cādace quene of y^• Ethiopiās / & had y^• rule of all her treasure / came to Ierusalem forto praye. And as he returned home agayne sittynge in his charet / he rede Esay y^• prophet

Then y^• sprete sayde vnto Phillip: Goo nea¦re & ioyne thy selfe to yonder charet. And Phi¦lip ranne to him / & hearde him rede y^• prophet Esayas and sayde: Understondest thou what thou redest? And he sayd: how can I / except I had a gyde? And he desyred Philip that he wold come vp & sit w^t him. The tenoure of y^• scripture which he redde / was this. He was ledde as a shepe to be slayne: & lyke a lambe dōme before his sherer / so opened he not his mouth. * 1.60 Because of his humblenes / he was not estemed: who shall declare his generaciō? for his lyfe is taken frō the erthe. The cham∣ber layne answered Philip and sayde: I praye the / of whom speaketh the Prophet this? of him selfe / or of some other man?

And Philip opened his mouth / & beganne [ F] at y^e same scripture / & preached vnto him Ie∣sus. And as they went on their waye / they ca∣me vnto a certayne water / & the chamberlay∣ne sayde: Se here is water / what shall let me to be baptised? Philip sayde vnto him: Yf thou beleve with all thyne hert thou mayst.

He answered and sayde: I beleve that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God. And he cōmaun¦ded the charet to stonde still. And they went doune bothe into the water: bothe Philip & al¦so the chamberlayne / and he baptised him. And assone as they were come out of the wa∣ter / the sprete of the lorde caught awaye Phi∣lip / y^t the chamberlayne sawe him no moore. And he wēt on his waye reioysinge: but Phi∣lip was founde at Azotus. And he walked tho¦row out y^• countre preachynge in their cities / tyll he came to Cesarea. ✚.

¶ The .ix. Cha. ✚

ANd Saul yet brethynge oute threatnyn¦ges & slaughter agaynst y^• disciples of [ A] the lorde / went vnto y^• hye preste / & de∣syred* 1.61 of him letters to Damasco / to y^• synago¦ges: that yf he founde eny of this waye / whe∣ther they were men or wemen / he myght brin¦ge them bounde vnto Ierusalem. But as he went on his iorney / it fortuned y^• he drue nye to Damasco / and sodenly ther shyned rounde about him a lyght frō heven. And he fell to y^• erth / & hearde a voyce sayinge to him: Saul / * 1.62 Saul / why persecutest thou me? And he say∣de / what arte thou lorde? And the lorde sayd / I am Iesus whom thou persecutest / it shalbe harde for y^• to kycke agaynst y^• pricke. And he* 1.63 bothe tremblynge and astonyed sayde: Lorde what wilt thou have me to do? And y^• Lorde sayde vnto him: aryse and goo into the cite / and it shalbe tolde the what thou shalt do. [ B]

The men which iornayed with him / sto∣de amased / for they herde a voyce / but sawe no

man. And Saul arose from the erth / and ope¦ned his eyes / but sawe no man. Then ledde they him by the honde / and brought him into Damasco. And he was .iii. dayes with out syght / & nether ate nor dranke. And ther was a certayne disciple at Damasco named Ana∣nias / & to him sayde the lorde in a vision: Ana∣nias.* 1.64 And he sayde: beholde I am here lorde. And the lorde sayde to him: aryse & goo into the strete which is called strayght and seke in the housse of Iudas / after one called Saul of Tharsus. For beholde he prayeth / & hath sene in a vision a man named Ananias comyn¦ge in to him / & puttynge his hondes on him / that he myght receave his syght.

Then Ananias answered: Lorde I have he∣arde [ C] by many of this man / how moche evell he hath done to thy sainctes at Ierusalem / & here he hath auct orite of the hye prestes to bynde all that call on thy name. The lorde say¦de vnto him: Goo thy wayes: for he is a cho∣sen vessell vnto me / to beare my name before the gentyls & kynges / & the chyldren of Is∣rael. For I will shewe him how great thin∣ges he must suffre for my names sake.

Ananias went his waye and entryd into y^• housse and put his hondes on him and sayde: brother Saul / the lorde that apperyd vnto the in the waye as thou camst / hath sent me / that thou myghtest receave thy syght & besilled with the holy goost. And immediatly ther fell from his eyes as it had bene scales / and he receaved syght / and arose and was bapti∣sed /

/ and receaved meate and was comforted.

Then was Saul a certayne daye w^t the disci¦ples [ D] which were at Damasco. And streyght waye he preached Christ in the synagoges / how* 1.65 that he was the sonne of God. All that hearde him / were amased & sayde: is not this he that spoyled thē which called on this na∣me in Ierusalem / & came hyther for y^• entent that he shuld bringe thē bounde vnto the hye prestes? But Saul encreased in strēgth / & con¦founded the Iewes which dwelte at Oamas∣co / affirminge that this was very Christ. ⊢

And after a good whyle / y^• Iewes toke coun¦sell to gether / to kyll him. But their layinge* 1.66 awayte was knowen of Saul. And they wat∣ched at the gates daye and nyght to kyll him. Then y^• disciples toke him by night & put him thorow the wall & let him doune in a basket.* 1.67

And when Saul was come to Ierusalem / he [ E] assayde to cople him silfe with y^• discyples and they were all afrayde of hym and beleued not that he was a disciple. But Bernabas to¦ke hym & brought hym to y^• apostles & decla∣red to thē how he had sene y^• Lorde in y^• waye & had spokē wyth hym: and how he had done boldely at damasco in the name of Iesu. And he had his conuersacion with them at Ieru¦salem / and quit hym silfe boldly in the name of the lorde Iesu. And he spake and disputed wyth the grekes: and they went aboute to slee hym. But when the brethren knew of that / they brought hym to cesarea / and sent hym forth to Tharsus. Then had y^• congregaciōs

rest thorowoute all Iewry and galile and Sa¦mary / and were edified / and walked in the fea∣re of the lorde / and multiplied by the comfor∣te of the holy gost.

And it chaunsed y^• as Peter walked throu∣ghoute [ F] all quarters / he cā to y^• saynctes which dwelt at Lydda and there he foūde a certayne mā namyd Eneas / whych had kepte hys bed* 1.68 viii. yere sicke of the palsie. Then sayde Peter vnto hym: Eneas Iesus Christ make y^• who¦le. Aryse and make thy beed. And he arose im¦medyatly. And all that dwelt at lydda & assa∣ron / sawe hym / and tourned to the lorde.

Ther was at Ioppe a certayne womā (whi¦che* 1.69 was a disciple named Tabitha / which by interpretacion is called dorcas) the same was full of good workes and almes dedes / which she did. And it chaunsed in those dayes that she was sicke and dyed. When they had wes¦shed her and layd her in a chamber: Because Lydda was nye to Ioppa / & the disciples had hearde that Peter was there / they sent vnto hym / desyrynge him that he wolde not be gre¦ved to come vnto them.

Peter arose and came with them & when he was come / they brought him in to y^• chamber. [ G] And all y^• wydowes stode roūde aboute hym wepynge & shewynge the cotes & garmentes which Dorcas made whill she was with thē. And Peter put thē all forth & kneled doune & prayde & turned him to y^• body / & sayde: Tabi∣tha aryse. And she opened her eyes / & whē she sawe Peter she sat vp. And he gave her y^• hon¦de

and lyft her vp / and called the sainctes & wydowes / and shewed her alyve. And it was knowne throwout all Ioppa / and many bele∣ved on the Lorde. And it fortuned that he ta∣ryed many dayes in Ioppa with one Simon a tanner.

¶ The .x. Chapter.

THer was a certayne man in Cesarea called Cornelius / a captayne of y^• sou∣diers [ A] * 1.70 of Italy / a devoute man / & one y^t feared God w^t all his housholde / which gave moche almes to the people / & prayde God al∣waye. The same man sawe in a vision evy∣dētly aboute y^• nynthe houre of y^• daye an an∣gell of god comynge into him / & sayinge vnto him: Cornelius. When he looked on him / he was afrayde / & sayde: what is it lorde? He say¦de vnto him. Thy prayers and thy almeses ar come vp into remembraunce before God. And now sende men to Ioppa / & call for one Simon named also Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner / whose housse is by y^• see syde. He shall tell the / what thou oughtest to doo. When the angell which spake vnto Cor¦nelius was departed / he called two of his hou¦sholde servauntes / and a devoute soudier of them that wayted on him / and tolde them all the mater / and sent them to Ioppa.

On the morowe as they wēt on their iorney [ B] & drewe nye vnto the cite / Peter went vp into the toppe of y^• housse to praye / aboute the .vi. houre. Then wexed he an hongred / & wolde have eatē. But whyll they made redy. He fell into a traūce / & sawe heven opened and a cer∣tayne

vessell come doune vnto him / as it had* 1.71 bene a greate shete / knyt at the .iiii. corners / and was let doune to the erth / where in wer all maner of .iiii. foted beastes of the erth & vermen and wormes / & foules of the ayer. [ C] And ther came a voyce to him: ryse Peter / kyll & eate. But Peter sayde: God forbyd Lor∣de / for I have never eaten eny thinge that is comen or vnclene. And the voyce spake vnto him agayne the seconde tyme: what God hath clensed / that make thou not comen. This was done thryse / and the vessell was re¦ceaved vp agayne into heven.

Whyle Peter mused in him selfe what this vision which he had sene meant / beholde / the men which were sent from Cornelius / had made inquirance for Simons housse / and sto∣de before the dore. And called out won & axed whether Simon which was also called Peter were lodged there. Whyll Peter thought on this vision / the sprete sayde vnto him: Behol∣de / men seke the: aryse therfore / get the doune / and goo with them / & doute not. For I have sent them. Peter went doune to y^• men which were sent vnto him from Cornelius / & sayde / Beholde / I am he whom ye seke / what is the [ D] cause wherfore ye are come? And they sayde vnto him: Cornelius the captayne a iust man / and won that feareth God / and of good repor∣te amonge all the people of the Iewes was warned by an holy angell / to sende for the in∣to his housse / and to heare wordes of the. Then called he them in / and lodged them.

And on y^• morowe Peter wēt awaye with them / and certayne brethren from Ioppa ac∣companyed [ D] hym. And the thyrd daye entred they into Cesaria. And Cornelius wayted for them / and had called to gether his kynsmen / and speciall frendes. And as it chaunsed Pe∣ter to come in / Cornelius met hym / & fell dou∣ne at his fete / and worshipped hym. But Pe∣ter toke him vp sayinge: stonde vp: for evyn I my silfe am a mā. And as he talked with him he cam in / and founde many that were come to gether. And hesayde vnto them: Ye dokno we how that yt ys an vnlaw full thynge for a man that is a Iewe / to company or come vn∣to an alient: But god hath shewed me that I shuld not call eny man commen or vnclene: therfore came I vnto you with oute sayēge na ye assone as I was sent for. I axe therfore / for what intent have ye sent for me?

And Cornelius sayde: This daye now .iiii. dayes I fasted / & at the nynthe houre I pray de in my housse: and beholde / a man stode. befo¦re [ E] me in bright clothynge / and sayde: Corneli¦us / thy prayer is hearde / and thyne almes de∣des are had in remembraunce in the sight of God. Sende therfore to Ioppa / and call for Simon which is also called Peter. He is lod∣ged in the housse of one Simon a tanner by the see syde / y^• wich assone as he is come / shall speake vnto y^•. Then sent I for y^• immediatly and thou hast well done for to come. Now are we all here present before god / to heare all thy¦nges y^• are commaunded vnto the of God.

Then Peter opened his mouth & sayde: Of* 1.72 a trueth I perseave / that God is not parciall / but in all people he that feareth him & wor∣keth rightewesnes / is accepted with him.

Ye knowe the preachynge that God sent [ F] vnto the chyldren of Israel / preachinge pea∣ce by Iesus Christe (which is Lorde over all thinges: ✚ Which preachinge was publis∣shed thorow oute all Iewrye / & begāne in Ga¦lile / after the baptyme which Iohn preached / how God had annoynted Iesus of Nazareth with the holy goost / & with power / which Ie¦sus went aboute doinge good / and healynge all y^• were oppressed of the develles / for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all thinges which he dyd in the londe of the Ie∣wes & at Ierusalem / whom they slew / & hon∣ge on tree. Him God reysed vp y^• thyrde daye / & shewed him openly / not to all the people / but vnto vs witnesses chosyn before of God / which ate & dronke with him / after he arose [ G] from deeth. ✚ And he cōmaunded vs to prea∣che vnto the people and testifie / that it is he that is ordened of God a iudge of quycke and deed. To him geve all the Prophetes wit∣nes / that thorowe his name shall receave re∣mission of synnes all that * 1.73 beleve in him. ⊢

Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes / the holy gost fell on all them which hearde the preachinge. And they of y^• circūcision which beleved / were astonyed / as many as came w^t Peter / because that on the Gentyls also was sheed oute y^• gyfte of the * holy gost. For they

hearde them speake with tonges & magnify God. Then answered Peter: can eny man for∣byd water that these shuld not be baptised / which have receaved the holy goost as well as we? And he cōmaunded them to be bapty sed in the name of the Lorde. ✚ Then prayde they him / to tary a feawe dayes.

¶ The .xi. Chapter.

ANd the Apostles / & the brethren that [ A] were thorowout Iewry / harde saye that* 1.74 the hethen had also receaved the wor∣de of God. And when Peter was come vp to Ierusalem / they of the circumcision reasoned wyth him sayinge: Thou wentest in to men vncircumcised / and atest with them.

Then Peter began and expounded y^• thin¦ge in order to thē sayinge: I was in the cyte of Ioppa prayinge / and in a traunce I sawe a vision / a certen vessell descende / as it had be¦ne a large lynnyn clothe / let doune from he vin by the fower corners / and it cam to me. Into the which when I had fastened myn eyes / I consydered and sawe fowerfoted beastes of y^• erth / and vermen and wormes / and foules of the ayer. And I herde a voyce sayinge vnto me: aryse Peter / sley & eate. And I sayd: God forbyd lorde / for nothinge comen or vnclene / hath at eny tyme entred into my mouth. But the voyce answered me agayne from heven / [ B] coūt not thou those thinges comē / which god hath clensed. And this was done thre tymes. And all were takin vp agayne into heven.

And beholde immediatly ther were thre

men come vnto the housse where I was / sent from Cesarea vnto me. And the sprete sayde vnto me / that I shuld go with them / with out doutinge. Morover the sixe brethren accom∣panyed me: and we entred into the mās hous∣se. And he shewed vs / how he had sene an an∣gell in his housse / which stod & sayde to him: Send men to Ioppa / and call for Symon / na∣med also Peter: he shall tell the wordes / wher by both thou and all thyne housse shalbe sa∣ved. [ C] And as I begāne to preach / y^• holy goost fell on them / as he dyd on vs at the begynnin¦ge. Then came to my remembraūce y^• wordes of the Lorde / how he sayde: Iohn baptised with water / but ye shalbe baptysed with the holy goost. For as moche then as God gave thē lyke gyftes / as he dyd vnto vs / when we beleved on the Lorde Iesus Christ: what was I that I shuld havewith stonde God? when they hearde this / they helde their peace & glo¦ryfied God / sayinge: then hath God also to [ D] the gentyls graunted repentaunce vnto lyfe.

They which were scattryd abroade thorow the affliccion that arose aboute Steven / wal∣ked thorow oute tyll they came vnto Pheni∣ces & Cypers & Antioche / preachynge y^• wor∣de to no man / but vnto the Iewes only. Some of them were men of Cypers and Syrene / which when they were come into Antioche / spake vnto the Grekes / and preched the Lor∣de Iesus. And the honde of the Lorde was with them / and a greate nombre beleved and turned vnto the Lorde.

Tydinges of these thinges came vnto y^• ea∣res* 1.75 of the congregacion / which was in Ieru∣salem. [ D] And they sente forth Barnabas that he shuld go vnto Antioche. Which when he was come / & had sene the grace of God / was glad / & exhorted them all / that with purpose of hert they wolde continually cleave vnto y^• Lorde. For he was a good man / & full of the holy goost & of faythe: & moche people was ad¦ded vnto the Lorde. Then departed Barna∣bas* 1.76 to Tarsus / for to seke Saul. And when he had founde him / he brought him vnto An∣tioche. And it chaunsed y^• a whole yere they had their conversacion with the congregaciō there / & taught moche people: in somoche that the disciples of Antioche were the fyrst that were called Christen.

In those dayes came Prophete frō Ierusa¦lem vnto Antioche. And ther stode vp one of them / named Agabus / & signified by the spre∣te / that ther shuld be great derth throughou∣te all the worlde / which came to passe in y^• Em¦proure Claudius dayes. Then the disciples every man accordinge to his abilite / purpo∣sed to sende socoure vnto the brethren which dwelt in Iewry. Which thinge they also dyd / & sent it to the elders / by the hondes of Bar∣nabas & Saul.

¶ The .xii. Chapter. ▪

IN that tyme Herode the kynge stret∣ched* 1.77 for the his handes to vexe certay∣ne [ A] of the congregacion. And he kylled Iames the brother of Iohn with the swerde: and because he sawe that it pleased y^• Iewes /

he proceded forther / & toke Peter also. Then* 1.78 were the dayes of swete breed. And when he had caught him / he put him in preson / and de¦lyvered him to .iiii. * 1.79 quaterniōs of soudiers to bekepte / entendynge afterester to brynge him forth to the people. Then was Peter kep¦te in preson. But prayer was made with out ceasynge of the congregacion vnto God for him. And when Herode wolde have brought him oute vnto the people / the same nyght sle∣pte Peter bitwene two soudiers / bounde with two chaynes / and the kepers before the dore kepte the preson.

And beholde the angell of y^• Lorde was the¦re* 1.80 present / & a lyght shyned in the lodge. And [ B] smote Peter on the syde / & steryd him vp say∣inge: aryse vp quyckly. And his cheynes fell of frō his hondes. And the angell sayd vnto him: gyrde thy selfe & bynde on thy * 1.81 sanda¦les. And so he dyd. And he sayde vnto him: cast thy mantle aboute the / & folowe me. And he came oute & folowed him / & wist not / that it was truthe which was done by the angell▪ but thought he had sene a vision. When they were past y^• fyrst & y^• seconde watche / they ca¦me vnto y^t yron gate / y^t ledeth vnto the cyte / which opened to them by his awne accorde. And they went out and passed thorowe one strete / & by & by the angell departed frō him.

And when Peter was come to him selfe / he sayde: now I knowe of a surety / that the Lor∣de hath sent his angell / & hath delyvered me out of the honde of Herode / and from all the

waytynge for of the people of y^• Iewes. And [ C] as he consydred the thinge / he cam to y^• hous∣se of Mary the mother of one * 1.82 Iohn / which was called Marke also / where many were gad¦dered to gedder in prayer. As Peter knocked at the entry dore / a damsell cam forth to her∣ken / named Rhoda. And whenshe knew Pe∣ters voyce / she opened not the entrey for glad¦nes / but ran in and told how Peter stode befo∣re the entrey. And they sayde vnto her: thou arte mad. And she bare them doune y^t it was even so. Then sayde they: it is his angell. Pe∣ter cōtynued knockinge. When they had ope¦ned the dore / & sawe him / they were astonyed. And he beckened vnto them with y^• honde to holde their peace / & tolde them by what mea∣nes y^e Lorde had brought him oute of the pre∣son. And sayde: goo shew these thinges vnto Iames and to the brethren. And he departed and went into another place.

Assone as it was daye ther was no lyttell [ D] a doo amōge the soudyers / what was becum of Peter. When Herode had called for him / and founde him not / he examined the kepers / and comaunded to departe. And he descended from Iewry to Cesarea / and ther abode. He∣rode was displeased with them of Tyre and Sydon. And they came all at once / and made intercession vnto Blastus the kynges cham∣berlen / and desyred peace / because their coun¦trey was norysshed by the kynges londe. And vpon a daye appoynted Herode arayed him in royall apparell / and set him in his seate / &

made an oraycon vnto them. And the people gave a shoute / sayinge: it is y^• voyce of a God and not of a man. And immediatly the angell of y^• Lorde * 1.83 smote him / because he gave not God the honoure / & he was eatyn of wormes / and gave vp the goost.

And y^e worde of God grewe & multiplied. And Barnabas and Paul returned to Ierusa¦lem / when they had fulfilled their office / & to∣ke with them * 1.84 Iohn / which was also called Marcus.

¶ The .xiii. Chapter.

THere were at Antioche / in the congre∣gacion certayne Prophetes & teachers: as Barnabas & Simon called Niger / & Lucius of Cerene / & Manahen Herode the [ A] Tetrarkes norsfelowe / & Saul. As they myni¦stred to the Lorde & fasted / the holy goost say∣de: separate me Barnabas & Saul / for y^• wor∣ke* 1.85 where vnto I have called them. Then fa∣sted they and prayed / and put their hondes on them / and let them goo. And they after they were sent of the holy goost / came vnto Seleu¦tia / & from thence they. sayled to Cyprus. And when they were come to Salamine / they she∣wed y^• worde of God in y^• synagoges / of •• Ie¦wes. And they had * 1.86 Iohn to their minister.

When they had gone thorowout y^• yle vn¦to [ B] y^• cite of Paphos / they foūde a certayne sor serer / a falce prophet which was a Iewe / na∣med Bariesu which was with y^• ruler of the countre won Sergius Paulus a prudēt man.* 1.87 The same ruler called vnto him Barnabas & Saul / & desyred to heare the worde of God.

But Elemas the sorcerar (for so was his na∣me* 1.88 by interpretacion) w^t stode them / & sought to turne awaye the ruler frō the fayth. Then Saul which also is called Paul beinge full of* 1.89 the holy goost / set his eyes on him / & sayde: O full of all sutteltie & disseytfulnes / the chylde of the devyll / & y^e enemye of all righteousnes / thou ceasest not to pervert the strayght way∣es of the Lorde. And now beholde the honde of the Lorde is vpon the / & thou shalt be blin¦de & not se the sunne for a season. And imme∣diatly ther fell on him▪ a myste & a darcknes / & he went aboute sekinge them that shuld lea∣de him by the honde. Then the rular when he sawe what had happened / beleved / & wōdred at the doctryne of the Lorde.

When they that were with Paule / were de¦parted* 1.90 by shyppe frō Paph{us} / they cam to Per¦ga a cite of Pamphilia: & there Iohn departed from them / and returned to Ierusalem. But they wandred thorowe the countres / frō Per¦ga to Antioche a cite of the coūtre of Pisidia / & wēt in to the synagoge on the saboth daye / & sate doune. And after the lawe & y^e Prophe∣tes were redde / y^e rulers of the synagoge sent vnto them sayinge: Ye men & brethren / yf ye have eny sermō to exhorte y^e people / saye on.

Then Paul stode vp & beckened with the honde / & sayde: Men of Israel / & ye that feare [ C] God / geve audiēce. The God of this people* 1.91 chose oure fathers / & exalted the people whē they dwelt as straūgers in y^e londe of Egypt / & with a mighty arme brought them oute of

it / and aboute the tyme of▪ xl. yeares suffred* 1.92 he their maners in the wyldernes. And he de∣stroyed .vii. naciōs in the londe of Canaan / & devided their londe to them by lot. And after* 1.93 warde he gave vnto them iudges aboute the space of .iiii. C. & .l. yeres vnto the tyme of Sa muel y^• Prophet. And after that they desyred a kinge / & God gave vnto them Saul the son¦ne of Cis / a man of the tribe of Beniamin / by* 1.94 the space of .xl. yeres. And after he had put [ D] him doune / he set vp David to be their kynge / of whome he reported sayinge: I have founde David the sonne of Iesse / a man after myne awne hert / he shall fulfill all my will.

Of this mānes seed hath God (accordinge* 1.95 to his promes) brought forth to the people of Israel a saviour / one Iesus / when Iohn had fyrst preached before his cōminge the bapty∣me* 1.96 of repentaūce to Isràel. And when Iohn had fulfylled his course / he sayde: whome ye thinke that I am / the same am I not. But be∣holde ther cometh one after me / whose she∣wes of his fete I am not worthy to lowse.

✚ Ye men & brethren / chyldren of the gene racion of Abraham / & whosoever amōge you feareth God / to you is this worde of salvaciō [ E] sent. The inhabiters of Ierusalem & their ru¦lers / because they knewe him not / nor yet the voyces of the Prophetes which are redde eve¦ry Saboth daye / they have fulfilled them in condēpninge him. And when they founde no cause of deeth in him / yet desyred they Pylate* 1.97 t•• kyll him. And when they had fulfilled all

that were written of him / they toke him dou∣ne from the tree and put him in a sepulcre. But God raysed him agayne from deeth / and* 1.98 he was sene many dayes of them which ca∣me w^t him frō Galile to Ierusalem. Which are his witnesses vnto the people.

And we declare vnto you / how that y^• pro∣mes made vnto the fathers / God hath fulfil¦lid vnto vs their chyldrē / in that he reysed vp Iesus agayne ✚ evē as it is written in the fyr¦ste* 1.99 psalme: Thou arte my sonne / this same daye begat I the. As concernynge that he rey¦sed him vp from deeth / now no more to retur∣ne to corrupcion / he sayde on this wyse: The holy promyses made to David I will geve them faithfully to you. Wherfore he saith al¦so in another place: Thou shalt not soffre thy¦ne* 1.100 holye to se corrupcion. Howbe it David af¦ter he had in his tyme fulfilled the will of God / he slepte / and was layde with his fa∣thers / & sawe corrupcion. But he whom God reysed agayne / sawe no corrupcion.

Be it knowne vnto you therfore ye men & [ F] brethrē / that thorow this man is preached vn to you the forgevenes of synnes / & y^• by him are all y^t beleve * 1.101 iustified frō all thinges frō the which ye coulde not be iustified by y^e lawe of Moses. Beware therfore lest that fall on you / which is spoken of in the Prophets: Be holde ye despisers and wonder / & perishe ye: for I do aworke in youre dayes / which ye shall not beleve / yf a mā wolde declare it you.

When they were come out of the Synago∣ge

of the Iewes / the gētyls besought y^t they wolde preache the worde to them bitwene the Saboth dayes. When the congregacion was broken vp / many of the Iewes & verteous cō∣vertes folowed Paul & Barnabas / which spa¦ke to them & exhorted them to cōtinue in the grace of God. And y^• nexte Saboth daye / ca∣me almoste the whole cite to gether / to heare the worde of God. When y^• Iewes sawe the people / they were full of indignacion & spake agaynst those thinges which were spoken of Paul / spekinge agaynst it / and raylinge on it. Then Paul & Barnabas wexed bolde / & say∣de: it was mete that the worde of God shulde fyrst have bene preached to you. But seinge ye put it from you / & thinke youre selfes on∣worthy of everlastinge lyfe: lo / we turne to [ G] the gentyls. For so hath the Lorde cōmann∣ded vs: I have made y^• a light to the gētyls / y^• thou be salvaciō vnto y^• ende of y^• worlde.* 1.102

The gētyls hearde & were glad & glorified the worde of y^• Lorde / & beleved: evē as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall lyfe. And y^• worde of the Lorde was publisshed thorowe oute all the region. But the Iewes moved y^• worshypfull & honorable wemen / and the che¦fe men of the cyte / & reysed persecuciō agaynst* 1.103 Paul and Barnabas / & expelled them oute of their costes. And they shouke of y^• duste of their fete agaynst them / & came vnto Iconiū. And the disciples were filled with ioye and with the holy goost. ⊢

¶ The .xiiii. Chapter.

ANd it fortuned in Iconium that they went both to gether into the synagoge [ A] of y^e Iewes / & so spake / that a gret mul∣titude both of y^e Iewes & also of the Brekes beleved. But the vnbelevinge Iewes / steryd vp & vnquyeted the myndes of the Gentyls agaynste the brethrē. Longe tyme a bode they there & quyt them selves boldly with the hel∣pe of the Lorde / the which gave testimony vn¦to y^e worde of his grace / & caused signes and wondres to be done by their hondes. The people of the cyte were devided: & parte helde with the Iewes / & parte with the Apostles.

When ther was a saute made both of the [ B] gentyls and also of the Iewes with their ru∣lers / to put them to shame & to stone thē / they were ware of it / & fled vnto Listra & Derba / ci¦ties of Licaonia / & vnto the region that lyeth round aboute / and there preached the gospell. And ther sate a certayne man at Listra weake in his fete / beinge creple from his mothers wombe / and never walkyd. The same hearde* 1.104 Paul preache. Which behelde him and per∣ceaved that he had fayth to be whole / and sayd with a loude voyce: stond vp right on thy fete. And he stert vp / and walked. And when the people sawe what Paul had done / they lifte vp their voyces / sayinge in the spea∣che of Lycaonia: Goddes are come doune to vs in the lyknes of men. And they called Bar¦nabas* 1.105 Iupiter / & Paul Mercurius / because he was the preacher. Then Iupiters Preste / which dwelt before their cite / brought oxē &

garlondes vnto the churche porche / and wol∣de have done sacrifise with the people.

But when the Apostles / Barnabas & Paul herde that / they rent their clothes / and ran in amonge the people / cryinge & sayinge: syrs / [ C] why do ye this? We are mortall men lyke vn¦to you / & preache vnto you / that ye shuld tur∣ne from these vanyties vnto y^e lyvinge God / * 1.106 which made heaven & erth & the see & all that in them is: the which in tymes past suffred all nacions to walke in their awne wayes. Ne¦verthelesse he lefte not him selfe with outen witnes / in that he shewed his benefites / in gevinge vs rayne from heaven & frutefull cea¦sons / fyllinge oure hertes with fode and glad¦nes. And with these sayinges / scase refrayned they the people / that they had not done sacri∣fice vnto them.

Thither came certayne Iewes frō Antioche and Iconium / and optayned the peoples con¦sent* 1.107 and stoned Paul / and drewe him oute of the cyte / supposynge he had bene deed. How be it as the disciples stode rounde about him / he arose vp & cam into the cyte. And the nex∣te daye he departed with Barnabas to Der∣ba. [ D] After they had preached to that cite & had taught many / they returned agayne to Listra / and to Iconium and Antioche / & strengthed the disciples soules / exhortinge them to con¦tinue in the faith / affyrminge y^• we must tho∣rowe moche tribulacion entre into the kyng∣dome* 1.108 of God. And when they had ordened them elders by eleccion in every congregaciō••

after they had yrayde & fasted / they comended* 1.109 them to God on whom they beleved.

And they went thorow out Pisidia & came into Pāphilia / & when they had preached the worde of God in Perga / they descended in to Attalia / & thence departed by shippe to Antio¦che / frō whence they were delivered vnto the grace of God / to the worke which they had fulfilled. When they were come & had gadde∣red the congregacion to gedder / they reher∣sed all that God had done by them / & how he had opened the dore of faith vnto the gētyls. And ther they abode longe tyme with the di∣sciples.

¶ ¶ The .xv. Chapter.

THen cam certayne from Iewrie / and taught the brethren: excepte ye be cir∣cumcysed [ A] after the maner of Moses / ye cannot be saved. And when ther was rysen* 1.110 dissencion & disputinge not alitle vnto Paul & Barnabas agaynst them. They determined that Paul and Barnabas & certayne other of them shuld ascende to Ierusalem vnto the Apostles & elders aboute this question. And after they were brought on their waye by the congregacion / they passed over Phenices and Samaria / declarynge the conuersion of the gē¦tyls / & they brought great ioye vnto all y^• bre¦thren. And when they were come to Ierusa∣lem / they were receaved of the congregacion & of the Apostles & elders. And they declared what thinges God had done by them. Then arose ther vp certayne that were of the secte of the Pharises & dyd beleve sayinge / that it

was nedfull to circūcise them & to enioyne thē to kepe y^• lawe of Moses. And y^• Apostles &* 1.111 elders came to geder to reason of this matter.

And when ther was moche disputinge / Pe¦ter rose vp & sayde vnto them: Ye men & bre∣thren / ye [ B] knowe how that a good whyle agoo / God chose amōge vs that the gētyls by my mouth shuld heare the worde of the gospell & beleve. And God which knoweth the herte / bare them witnes / and gave vnto them the holy goost / evē as he dyd vnto vs / and he put no difference bitwene them and vs / but with fayth * 1.112 purified their hertes. Now therfore why tempte ye God / that ye wolde put a yoke on the disciples neckes / which nether oure fa¦thers nor we were able to beare. But we bele∣ve that thorowe the * 1.113 grace of the Lorde Iesu Christ we shalbe saved / as they doo. Then all the multitude was peased and gave audi¦ence to Barnabas & Paul / which tolde what signes and wondres God had shewed amon∣ge the gentyls / by them.

And when they helde their peace / Iames an¦swered [ C] sayinge: Men & brethren herken vnto me. Simeon tolde how God at the begynnyn¦ge dyd visit the gentyls / & receaved of them / people vnto his name. And to this agreith y^• wordes of y^• Prophete / as it is written. After* 1.114 this I will returne / & wyll bylde agayne the tabernacle of David which is fallen doune / & that which is fallen in dekey of it / will I bil¦de agayne / & I will set it vp / that the residue of men might seke after the Lorde / & also the

gentyls vpō whom my name is named saith y^• Lorde / which doth all these thinges: know∣ne vnto God are all his workes from the be∣gynninge of the worlde. Wherfore my sentē¦ce [ D] is / y^t we trouble not them which frō amon∣ge the gentyls / are turned to God: but y^t we write vnto them y^t they abstayne them selves frō filthynes of ymages / frō fornicaciō / from* 1.115 strāglyd & frō bloude. For Moses of olde ty∣me hath in every cite that preache him / and he is rede in the sy••agoge every saboth daye.

Then pleased it the Apostles & elders w^t the whole congregaciō / to sende chosyn men of their owne cōpany to Antioche with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Iudas called also Barsabas and Silas / which were chefe men amonge the brethrē / and gave them lettres in their hondes after this maner.

The Apostles / elders & brethren send gre∣tynges vnto the brethrē which are of the gen¦tyls [ E] in Antioche / Siria & Celicia. For as mo¦che as we have hearde y^t certayne which de∣parted frō vs / have troubled you with worde / & combred youre myndes sayinge: Ye must be circumcised & kepe the lawe / to whom we ga¦ve no soche cōmaundemēt. It semed therfore to vs a good thinge / when we were come to gedder with one accorde / to sende chosyn men vnto you / with oure beloved Barnabas and Paul / men that have ieoperded their lyves for the name of oure Lorde Iesus Christ. We have sent therfore Iudas and Sylas / which shall also tell you the same thinge by mouth.

For it semed good to the holy gost and to vs / to put no grevous thinge to you more then these necessary thinges: that is to saye / that ye abstayne from thinges offered to ymages / from bloud / from strangled and fornicacion. From which yf ye kepe youre selves / ye shall do well. So fare ye well. [ F]

When they were departed / they came to An¦tioche & gaddred the multitude to geder & dely¦vered y^• pistle. When they had redde it / they reioysed of that consolacion. And Iudas & Sy¦las beinge * 1.116 prophetes / exhorted the brethren with moche preachynge▪& strengthed them. And after they had taryed there a space / they were let goo in peace of the brethren vnto the Apostles. Not with stondynge it pleasyd Sy¦las to abyde there still. Paul & Barnabas con¦tinued in Antioche teachynge and preachyn∣ge the worde of the Lorde with other many.

But after a certayne space / Paul fayde vnto [ G] Barnabas: Let vs goo agayne and visite oure brethren in every cite where we have shewed the worde of the Lorde / and se how they do. And Barnabas gave counfell to take w^t them Iohn / called also Marke. But Paul thought* 1.117 it not mete to take him vnto their company whiche departed from them at Pamphylia / & went not with them to the worke. And the dissencion was so sharpe bitwene them / that they departed a sunder one from the other: so that Barnabas toke Marke and sayled vnto Cypers. And Paul chose Sylas & departed delyvered of y^e brethren vnto the grace of god.

And he went thorowe all Cyria and Cilicia / stablisshynge the congregacions.

¶ The .xvi. Chapter.

THen came he to Derba and to Lystra. [ A] And beholde a certayne disciple was* 1.118 there named Timotheus / a womans sonne which was a Iewas and beleved: but his father was a Greke. Of whom reported well / the brethren of Lystra and of Iconium. The same Paul wolde y^t he shuld goo forth with him / & toke and circumcised him because of the Iewes which were in those quarters: for they knewe all that his father was a Gre¦ke. As they went thorow y^e cities / they delyve¦red thē the decrees for to kepe / ordeyned of the Apostles & elders which were at Ierusalem. And so were the congregacions stablisshed in the fayth / and encreased in noumbre dayly. [ B]

When they had goone thorow out Phri∣gia / & the region of Galacia / & were forbyddē of the holy gost to preach the worde in Asia / they came to Misia / & sought to goo into Be∣thinia. But the sprete soffered thē not. Then they went over Misia / & cam doune to Troa∣da. And a vision appered to Paul in y^e nyght. There stode a man of Macedonia and prayed him sayinge: come into Macedonia & helpe vs. After he had sene y^e vision / immediatly we prepared to goo into Macedonia / certified y^• the lorde had called vs for to preache the gos∣pell vnto them. Then lowsed we forth from Troada / & with a strayght course came to Sa¦mothracia / and the nexte daye to Neapolim /

& from thence to Philippos / which is the che¦fest citie in y^e parte of Macedonia / & a fre cite.

We were in that cite abydynge a certayne dayes. And on the saboth dayes we went out [ C] of the cite besydes a ryver where men were wont to praye / & we sate doune and spake vn¦to the wemen which resorted thyther▪ And a certayne woman named Lydia / a seller of pur∣ple / of the cite of Thiatira / which worship∣ped* 1.119 God / gave vs audience. Whose hert the Lorde opened that she attended vnto the thin∣ges which Paul spake. When she was bapti∣sed and her housholde / she besought vs say∣inge: Yf ye thinke that I beleve on the Lor∣de / come into my housse / and abyde there. And she constrayned vs.

And it fortuned as we went to prayer / a cer¦tayn [ D] damsell possessed with a sprete that pro∣phesied* 1.120 / met vs / which brought her master and mastres moche vauntage with prophe∣syinge. The same folowed Paul and vs and cryed sayinge: these men are the servauntes of the most hye God / which shewe vnto vs the waye of salvacion. And this dyd she ma∣ny dayes. But Paul not cōtent / turned about and sayd to the sprete: I commaunde the in the name of Iesu Christ / that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

And when her master & mastres sawe y^t the* 1.121 hope of their gaynes was gone / they caught Paul & Sylas / & drue thē into the market pla¦ce vnto the rulars / & brought them to the of∣ficers sayinge: These men trouble oure cite /

which are Iewes and preache ordinaunces / which are not laufull for vs to receave / nether [ E] to observe / seinge we are Romayns. And the people ranne on them / and the officers rent their clothes / and cōmaunded them to be bea∣ten with roddes. And when they had beaten* 1.122 them sore / they cast them into preson / cōmaun dynge the iayler to kepe them surely. Which iayler when he had receaved suche cōmaund∣ment / thrust them into the ynner preson / & ma¦de their fete fast in the stockes.

At mydnyght Paul & Sylas prayed / & lau∣ded God. And the presoners hearde them. And sodenly ther was a greate erth quake / so that y^e fonndacion of the preson was shaken / and by and by all the dores opened / & every mannes bondes were lowsed. When the ke∣pe•• [ F] of y^e preson waked out of his slepe & sawe the preson dores open / he drue out his swear∣de and wolde have▪ kylled him selfe / supposyn¦ge the presoners had bene fledde. But Paul cryed with a lowde voyce sayinge: Do thy sel∣fe no harme / for we are all heare.

Then he called for a lyght and sprange in / and came tremblynge / and fell doune before Paul and Sylas / & brought them out & say∣de: Syrs / what must I do to be saved? And they sayde▪ beleve on the Lorde Iesus / & thou shalt be saved and thy housholde. And they preached vnto him the worde of the Lorde / and to all that were in his housse. And he to∣ke them the same houre of the nyght & was∣shed their woundes / & was baptised with all

that belonged vnto him strayght waye. Whē he had brought them into his housse / he set meate before them / and ioyed that he with all his housholde / boleved on God.

And when it was daye / the officers sent the [ G] ministres sayinge: Let those men goo. The ke¦per of y^• preson tolde this sayinge to Paul the officiers have sent worde to lowse you. Now therfore get you hence & goo in peace. Then sayde Paul vnto them: they have beaten vs openly vncomdempned / for all y^t we are Ro∣mayns / & have cast vs into preson: and now wolde they sende vs awaye prevely? Naye not so / but let them come thē selves & ••et vs out. When the ministres tolde these wordes vn∣to the officers / they feared when they hearde that they were Romayns / & came & besought them / & brought them out / & desyred them to departe out of the cite. And they wēt out of y^• preson & entred into the housse of Lidia / & whē they had sene the brethren / they comforted them & departed.

¶ The .xvii. Chapter.

AS they made their iorney thorow Am∣phipolis / and [ A] Appolonia / they came to Thessalonica where was a synagoge of the Iewes. And Paul as his maner was / went in vnto them / & thre saboth doyes decla∣red oute of the scripture vnto them / openynge & allegynge that Christ must nedes have suf∣fred & rysen agayne from deeth / and that this Iesus was Christ / whom (sayde he) I prea∣che to you. And some of them beleved and ca∣me and companyed with Paul and Sylas:

also of the honourable Grekes a greate mu••∣titude / and of the chefe wemen / not a feawe. [ B]

But the Iewes which beleved not / havyn¦ge indignaciō / toke vnto thē evyll men which were vagabondes / and gad••red a company / and set all the cite on a ••oore / and made a sau∣te vnto the housse of Iason / & sought to brin∣ge thē out to the people. But when they foun¦de them not / they drue Iason and certayne brethren vnto the heedes of the cite cryinge: these that trouble the worlde / are come hyd∣der also / which Iason hath receaved prevely. And these all do contrary to the elders of Ce∣sar / affirmynge another kynge / one Iesus. And they troubled the people and the offi∣cers of the cite when they hearde these thin∣ges. And when they were sufficiently answe∣red of Iason / & of the other / they let thē goo.

And the brethren immediatly sent awaye Paul & Sylas by nyght vnto Berrea. Which when they were come thyther / they entred in∣to [ C] y^e synagoge of the Iewes. These were the noblest of byrthe amonge thē of Thessalonia which receaved the worde w^t all diligence of mynde / & searched * 1.123 y^e scriptures dayly whe∣ther those thing{is} were even so. And many of thē beleved: also of worshipfull wemē which were Grekes / & of men not afeawe. When the Iewes of Thessalonia had knowledge that y^• worde of God was preached of Paul at Ber∣rea / they came there and moved the people. And then by & by y^e brethrē sent awaye Paul to goo as it were to y^e see: but Sylas & Timo∣theus

abode there still. And they that gyded Paul / brought him vnto Attens / & receaved a cōmaundment vnto Sylas & Timoth••us for [ D] to come to him atonce / and came their waye.

Whyll Paul wayted for them at Attens / his sprete was moved in him / to se the cite ge¦ven* 1.124 to worshippinge of ymages. Then he di∣sputed in the synagoge w^t the Iewes / & with the devout persones / and in the market dayly with thē that came vnto him. Certayne philo¦sophers of y^• Epicures & of y^• stoyckes / dispu¦ted with him. And some ther were which say∣de: what will this babler saye. Other sayd: he s••meth to be a tydynges bringer of newe de∣vyls / because he preached vnto them Iesus and the resurreccion. And they toke him / and [ E] brought him into Marsestrete sayinge: maye we not knowe what this newe doctrine wher¦of thou speakest / is? For thou bringest straun¦ge tydynges to oure eares. We wolde knowe therfore what these thinges meane. For all the Attenians & straungers which were the∣re / gave thē selves to nothinge els / but ether to tell or to heare newe tydynges.

Paul stode in the myddes of Marse strete [ F] & sayde: ye men of Attens / I perceave that in all thinges ye are to supersticious. For as I passed by and behelde the maner how ye wor∣ship youre godde / I founde an aultre wher in was written: vnto y^• vnknowen god. Whom* 1.125 ye then ignor••tly worship / him shewe I vnto you. God that made the worlde & all that are in it / seynge that he is Lorde of heven & erth /

he dwelleth not in temples made with hon∣des / nether* 1.126 is worshipped with mennes hon∣des / as though he neded of eny thinge / seinge he him selfe geveth lyfe and breeth to all men every where / and hath made of one bloud all nacions of men / for to dwell on all the face of the erthe / and hath assigned / before how lon∣ge tyme / and also the endes of their inhabita∣cion / that they shuld seke God / yf they myght fele and fynde him / though he be not farre from every one of vs. For in him we lyve / mo∣ve and have oure beynge / as certayne of youre ••wne Poetes sayde. For we are also his gene¦racion. For as moche then as we are the gene¦racion of God / we ought not to thynke that the godhed is lyke vnto golde / silver or stone / graven by crafte and ymaginacion of man.

And the tyme of this ignoraunce God re∣garded [ G] not: but now he byddeth all men eve∣ry where repent / because he hath apoynted a daye / in the which he will iudge the worl∣de acordynge to ryghtewesses / by that man whom he hath apoynted / and hath offered faith * 1.127 to all men / after that he had raysed him from deeth.

When they hearde of y^e resurreccion from deeth / some mocked / and other sayde: we will heare the agayne of this matter. So Paul de∣parted from amonge them. Howbeit certay∣ne men clave vnto Paul and beleved / amonge* 1.128 the which was Dionysius a senatour / and a woman named Damaris / & other with them.

¶ The .xviii. Chapter.

AFter that / Paul departed from Attens / * 1.129 & came to Corinthū / & founde a certay¦ne Iewe named Aquila / borne in Pon∣thus / latly come from Italie w^t his wyfe Pri∣scilla [ A] (because that the Emperour Claudius had cōmaunded all Iewes to departe frō Ro¦me) and he drewe vnto them. And because he was of the same crafte / he abode with them & wrought: their crafte was to make tentes.* 1.130 And he preached in y^e synagoge every saboth daye / & exhorted the Iewes and the gentyls.

When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia / Paul was constrayned by [ B] the sprete to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. And whē they sayde cōtrary* 1.131 & blasphemed / he shoke his rayment & sayde vnto thē: youre bloud apon youre awne heed∣des / & frō hence forth I go•• blamelesse vnto y^e gentyls. And he departed thence / & entred in∣to a certayne mānes housse named Iustus a worshiper of god / whose housse ioyned harde to y^e synagoge. How be it one ••rispus y^e chefe rular of the synagoge beleved on y^e lorde with all his housholde / & many of the Corinthiās gave audience and beleved & were baptised.

Then spake the lorde to Paul in the nyght [ C] by a vision: be not afrayde / but speake / & holde not thy peace: for I am with the / and no man shall invade the that shall hurte the. For I have moche people in this cite. And he conti∣nued there a yeare and sixe monethes / and taught them the worde of God.

When Gallio was rular of the countre of

Acaia / the Iewes made insurreccion with one accorde agaynst Paul / & brought him to the [ D] iudgement seate saying: this felow counce∣leth men to worship God contrary to y^e lawe. And as Paul was about to open his mouth / Gallio sayde vnto y^• Iewes: yf it were a mat∣ter of wronge / or an evyll dede (o ye Iewes) reason wolde that I shuld heare you: but yf it be a question of wordes / or of names / or of youre lawe / loke ye to it youre selves. For I wilbe no iudge in soche maters / and he drave them from the seate. Then toke all the Gre∣kes Sostenes the chefe rular of the synago∣ge and smote him before the iudges seate. And Gallio cared for none of tho thinges.

Paul after this / taryed there yet a good why¦le / & then toke his leave of the brethren / & say∣led [ E] thence into Ciria / Priscilla and Aquila ac∣companyinge him. And he shore his heed in Cenchrea / for he had a vowe. And he came to* 1.132 Ephesus and lefte them there: but he him selfe entred into the synagoge / and reasoned with the Iewes. When they desyred him to tary longer tyme with thē / he consented not / but bad thē fare well sayinge. I must nedes at this feast that cometh / be in Ierusalem: but I will returne agayne vnto you yf God will. And he departed from Ephesus & came vnto Cesarea: & ascended and saluted the congrega¦cion / &* 1.133 departed vnto Antioche / & when he had taryed there a whyle / he departed. And went over all the countre of Galacia and Phrigia by order / strengthynge all the disciples.

And a certayne Iewe named Apollos / bor∣ne* 1.134 at Alexandria / came to Ephesus / an elo∣quent man / & myghty in the scriptures. The same was informed in the waye of the Lorde / and he spake fervently in the sprete / & taught [ F] diligently the thinges of the Lorde / & knewe but the baptim of Iohn only. And the same began to speake boldely in the synagoge. And when Aquila and Priscilla had hearde him: they toke him vnto them / and expounded vn∣to him the waye of God more perfectly.

And when he was disposed to goo into A∣caia / the brethren wrote exhortynge the disci∣ples to receave him. After he was come thy∣ther / he holpe them moche which had bele∣ved thorowe grace. And myghtely he overca∣me the Iewes / and that openly / shewynge by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ.

¶ The .xix. Chapter. ✚

IT fortuned / whyll Appollo was at Co¦rinthum / that Paul passed thorow the* 1.135 vpper costes & came to Ephesus / & foū∣de [ A] certayne disciples and sayd vnto them: ha∣ve ye receaved the holy gost sence ye beleved? And they sayde vnto him: no we have not hearde whether ther be eny holy goost or no. And he sayd vnto them: wher w^t were ye then baptised? And they sayd: with Iohns baptim* 1.136 Then sayde Paul: Iohn verely bapiised with the baptim of repentaunce / sayinge vnto the people that they shuld beleve on him which shuld come after him: that is on Christ Ie∣sus. When they hearde that / they were bapti∣sed

in the name of the lorde Iesu. And Paul* 1.137 layde his hondes apon them / & the holy gost came on them / and they spake with tonges / & prophesied / & all the men were aboute .xii.

And he went into the synagoge / & behaved [ B] him selfe boldely for the space of thre mone∣thes / disputynge and gevynge them exhorta∣cions of the kyngdome of God. ✚ When dy∣vers weyed harde herted and beleved not / but spake evyll of the waye / and that before the multitude: he departed from them / and sepe∣rated the disciples. And disputed dayly in y^• scole of one called Tyrānus. And this conty∣nued by the space of two yeares: so y^t all they which dwelt in Asia / hearde the worde of the lorde Iesu / bothe Iewes & Grekes. And god wrought no finall miracles by the hondes of* 1.138 Paul: so that from his body / were brought vn¦to the sicke / napkyns or partlettes / and the di∣seases departed from thē / and the evyll spre∣tes went out of them.

Then certayne of the vagabounde Iewes [ C] exorcistes / toke apon them to call over them which had evyll spretes / the name of the lorde Iesus sayinge: We adiure you by Iesu whō Paul preacheth. And ther were seven sonnes of one Sceva a Iewe & chefe of the prestes which dyd so. And the evyll sprete answered & sayde: Iesus I knowe / & Paul I knowe: but who are ye? And y^• man in whō the evyll spre∣te was / ranne on thē / and overcame thē / & pre∣vayled agaynst them / so that they fledde out of that housse naked & woūded. And this was

knowen to all y^• Iewes & Grekes also / which dwelt at Ephesus / & feare came on them all / & they magnified the name of y^• lorde Iesus.

And many y^• beleved / came & confessed & she¦wed their workes. Many of thē which vsed [ D] curious craftes / brought their bokes & burned thē before all men / & they counted the price of thē & foūde it fifty thousande * 1.139 silverlynges. So myghtely grewe y^• worde of god / & prevay¦led. After these thinges were ended / Paul pur¦posed in the sprete / to passe over Macedonia & Achaia / & to goo to Ierusalem saying: After I have bene there / I must also se Rome. So sent he into Macedonia two of thē that mini∣stred vnto him Timotheus and Erastus: but he him selfe remayned in Asia for a season.

The same tyme ther arose no lytell a do [ E] aboute that waye. For a certayne man named Demetrius / a silvermyth / which made silver* 1.140 schrynes for Diana / was not a lytell benefi∣ciall vnto the craftes men. Which he called to geder with the worke men of lyke occupa∣cion / and sayd: Syrs / ye knowe that by this crafte we have vauntage. Moreover ye se and heare that not alone at Ephesus / but almost thorowe oute all Asia / this Paul hath per∣suaded & turned awaye moche people / saying y^• they be not goddes which are made w^t hon¦des. So that not only this oure crafte cometh into parell to be set at nought: but also that y^• temple of y^• greate goddas Diana shuld be de∣spysed / & her magnificence shuld be destroyed which all Asia / and the worlde worshippeth.

When they hearde these sayinges / they we¦re full of wrathe / & cryed out saying: Greate is Diana of the Ephesians. And all the cite was on a roore / & they russhed in to the comen [ F] hall with one assent / & caught Gayus & Ari∣starcus / men of Macedonia / Pauls compa∣niōs. When Paul wolde have entred in vnto the people / y^• disciples suffered him not. Cer∣tayne also of y^• chefe of Asia which were his frendes / sent vnto him / desyrynge him that he wolde not preace into the comen hall. Some cryed one thinge & some another / & the congre¦gacion was all out of quiet / & y^e moare parte knewe not wherfore they were come togeder.

Some of the company drue forth Alexan∣der / the Iewes thrustynge him forwardes. [ G] Alexander beckened with the honde / & wolde have geven y^• people an answer. When they knewe y^• he was a Iewe / ther arose a shoute almost for the space of two houres / of all men cryinge / greate is Diana of the Ephesians.

When the toune clarcke had ceased the peo¦ple / he sayd: ye men of Ephesus / what man is it that knoweth not how that the cite of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great god∣das Diana / & of y^• ymage which came frō he∣ven: Seinge then y^t no man sayth here aga∣ynst / ye ought to be content / & to do nothinge rasshly: For ye have brought hyther these mē whiche are nether robbers of churches / nor yet despisers of youre goddes. Wherfore yf Demetrius and the craftes men which are w^t him / have eny sayinge to eny man / the lawe is

open / and ther are ruelars / let thē accuse one another. Yf ye goo about eny other thinge / it maye be determined in a lawfull cōgregacion For we are in ieoperdy to be accused of this dayes busines: for as moche as ther is no cau¦se wherby we maye geve a rekenynge of this concourse of people. And when he had thus spoken / he let the congregacion departe.

¶ The .xx. Chapter.

AFter the rage was ceased / Paul called the disciples vnto him / & toke his leave [ A] of them / & departed for to goo into Ma∣cedonia. And when he had gone over those parties / and geven them large exhortacions / he came into Grece / and there abode .iii. mone thes. And when the Iewes layde wayte for him as he was about to sayle into Syria / he purposed to returne thorowe Macedonia. Ther acompanied him into Asia / Sopater of Berrea / and of Thessalonia Aristarcus & Se∣cundus / & Gayus of Derba / & Timotheus: and out of Asia Tychicus and Trophimos. These went before / and taryed vs at Troas. And we sayled awaye frō Philippos after the ester holydayes / & came vnto them to Troas in five dayes / where we abode seven dayes.

And on the morowe after the saboth daye the disciples came to geder for to breake breed [ B] and Paul preached vnto them (redy to depar∣te on the morowe) & cōtinued the preachynge vnto mydnyght. And there were many lygh∣tes in the chamber where thy were gaddered to geder / and there sate in a wyndowe a cer∣tayne

yonge man named Eutichos / fallen in∣to* 1.141 a depe slepe. And as Paul declared / he was the moare overcome with slepe / & fell doune from the thyrde lofte / and was taken vp deed. Paul went doune and fell on him / and embra∣sed him / and sayde: make nothinge a do / for his lyfe is in him. When he was come vp agayne / he brake breed / and tasted / and come∣ned [ C] a longewhyle even tyll the mornynge / and so departed. And they brought the yoūge man a lyve / and were not alytell comforted.

And we went a fore to shippe and lowsed vnto Asson / these to receave Paul. For so had he apoynted / and wolde him selfe goo a fote. When he was come to vs vnto Asson / we to∣ke him in / & came to Mytelenes. And we say∣led thence / and came the nexte daye over aga∣ynst Chios. And the nexte daye we aryved at Samos / and taryed at Trogilion. The nexte daye we came to Myleton: for Paul had de∣termined to leave Ephesus as they sayled / because he wolde not spende y^e tyme in Asia. For he hasted to be (yf he coulde possible) at Ierusalem at the daye of pentecoste. Wherfo¦re from Myleton he sent to Ephesus / & called the elders of the cōgregacion. And when they were come to him / he sayde vnto thē: Ye kno∣we frō the fyrst daye y^t I came vnto Asia / af∣ter [ D] what maner. I have bene w^t you at all cra∣sons / servynge the lorde with all humblenes* 1.142 of mynde / & with many teares / & temptacions which happened vnto me by the layinges awayte of the Ieues / & how I kept backe no

thinge that was profitable: but that I have shewed you & taught you openly and at home in youre houses / witnessinge bothe to the Ie∣wes / & also to the Grekes / the repentaunce to¦ward* 1.143 God / & faith towarde oure Lorde Iesu.

And now beholde I goo bounde in the spre¦te [ E] vnto Ierusalem / & knowe not what shall co¦me on me thers / but that the holy goost wit∣nesseth in every cite sayinge: y^• bondes & trou∣ble abyde me. But none of tho thinges mo∣ve me: nether is my lyfe dere vnto my selfe / that I myght fulfill my course w^t ioye / & the ministraciō which I have receaved of y^e Lorde Iesu / to testify the gospell of y^• grace of god.

And now beholde / I am sure y^t hence forth [ F] ye all (thorow whō I have gone preachinge y^e kyngdome of God) shall se my face no moo∣re. Wherfore I take you to recorde this same daye / that I am pure frō the bloude of all mē. For I have kepte nothinge backe: but have shewed you all the counsell of God. Take he∣de therfore vnto youre selves / & to all the floc¦ke / wherof the holy goost hath made you oversears / to rule the congregacion of God / which he hathpurchased with hisbloud. For I am sure of this / that after my departynge* 1.144 shall greveous wolves entre in amonge you / which will not spare the flocke. Moreover of youre awne selves shall men aryse speakinge perverse thing{is} / to drawe disciples after thē. [ G] Therfore awake & remember / that by the spa¦ce of .iii. yeares I ceased not to warne every one of you / both nyght and daye with teares.

And now brethren I cōmende you to God and to the worde of his grace / which is able [ G] to bylde further / & to geve you an inheritaun∣ce amōge all them which are sanctified. I ha¦ve* 1.145 desyred no mās silver / golde / or vesture. Ye knowe well y^• these hondes have ministred vnto my necessities / and to them that were w^t me. I have shewed you all thing{is} / how that so laborynge ye ought to receave the weake / & to remember the wordes of the Lorde Iesu / howe that he sayde: It is more blessed to ge∣ve / then to receave.

When he had thus spoken / he kneled dou∣ne / and prayed with them all. And they wept all aboundantly / and fell on Pauls necke / & kissed him / sorowinge most of all for the wor∣des which he spake / that they shuld se his fa∣ce no moore. And they acompanyed him vnto the shyppe.

¶ The .xxi. Chapter.

ANd it chaunsed that assone as we had [ A] launched forth / & were departed from them / we came with a strayght course vnto Choon / and the daye folowinge vnto the Rhodes / & from thence vnto Patara. And we founde a shippe redy to sayle vnto Phenices / and went a borde & set forthe. Then appered vnto vs Cyprus / and we lefte it on the lefte honde / and sayled vnto Syria / and came vnto Tyre. For there the shyppe vnladed her bur∣then. And when we had founde brethren / we taryed there .vii. dayes. And they tolde Paul thorowe y^e sprete: that he shuld not goo vp to

Ierusalem. And when the dayes were ended / we departed & went ••ure wayes / and they all brought vs on oure waye / w^t their wyves and chyldren / tyll we were come out of the cyte. And we kneled doune in the shore & prayde. And when we had taken oure leave one of another / we toke shyppe / and they returned home agayne. [ B]

When we had full ended the course frō Ty¦re / we aryved at Ptolomaida / & saluted the bre¦thren / & abode with thē one daye. The nexte daye / we that were of Pauls cōpany / depar∣ted & came vnto Cesarea. And we entred into the housse of Philip y^• Evāgelist / which was* 1.146 one of the sevē deacones / & abode with him. The same man had fower doughters virgēs / which dyd prophesy. And as we taried there a good many dayes / there came a certayne pro¦phete from Iurie / named Agabus. When he* 1.147 was come vnto vs / he toke Pauls gerdell / & bounde his hondes & fete / & sayde: thus saith the holy goost: so shall y^• Iewes at Ierusalem bynde the man y^t oweth this gerdell / & shall delyver him into the hondes of the gentyls.

When we hearde this / both we & other of [ C] the same place / be sought him / that he wolde not goo vp to Ierusalem. Then Paul answe∣red & sayde: what do ye wepynge & breakin∣ge myne hert? I am redy not to be bound on∣ly / but also to dye at Ierusalem for y^e name of y^• Lorde Iesu. When we coulde not turne his mynde / we ceased sayinge: the will of y^• Lorde be fulfilled. After those dayes we made oure

selfes redy / & went vp to Ierusalem. There went with vs also certayne of his disciples of Cesarea / & brought with them one Mna∣son of Cyprus / an olde disciple with whom we shuld lodge. And when we were come to Ierusalem / the brethren receaved vs gladly. And on the morowe Paul wēt in with vs vn to Iames. And all the elders came to geder. And when he had saluted them / he tolde by [ D] order all thing{is} that God had wrought amō¦ge the gētyls by his ministracion. And when they hearde it / they glorified the Lorde / & say∣de vnto him: thou seist brother / how many thousande Iewes ther are which beleve / and they are all zelous over y^• lawe. And they are informed of the / that thou teachest all the Ie∣wes which are amōge the gentyls / to forsake Moses / & sayst that they ought not to circum¦cise their chyldren / nether to live after the cu∣stomes. What is it therfore? The multitude must nedes come togeder. For they shall hea∣re that thou arte come. Do therfore this that we saye to the.

We have .iiii. men / which have a vowe on [ E] * 1.148 them. Them take / and purifye thy selfe with them / & do cost on them / that they maye shave their heeddes / & all shall knowe y^t tho thing{is} which they have hearde concerninge the / are nothinge: but that thou thy selfe also walkest & kepest the lawe. For as touchinge the gen∣tyls which beleve / we have written & conclu∣ded / y^• they observe no soche thinges: but that they kepe them selves from thinges offred to

ydoles / from bloud / frō strangled & frō forni∣cacion. Then the nexte daye Paul toke the men / & purified him selfe with them / & entred into the tēple / declaringe that he observed the dayes of y^• purificaciō / vntyll that an offerin¦ge shuld be offred for every one of them.

And as the seven dayes shuld have bene en¦ded / y^• Iewes which were of Asia when they sawe him in the tēple / they moved all the peo¦ple / & layde hondes on him cryinge: men of Israel helpe. This is the man that teacheth all men every where agaynst the people / & the lawe / and this place. Moreover also he hath brought Grekes into the tēple / & hath pollu∣ted this holy place. For they sawe one Tro∣phimus an Ephesian with him in the cyte. Him they supposed Paul had brought into the tēple. And all the cyte was moved / & the people swarmed to geder. And they toke Paul & drue him out of the tēple / & forthwith the dores were shut to.

As they went about to kyll him / tydinges came vnto the hye captayne of the soudiers / that [ F] all Ierusalem was moved. Which im∣mediatly toke soudiers & vndercaptaynes / & ranne doune vnto them. When they sawe y^• vpper captayne & the soudiers / they lefte smy¦tinge of Paul. Then the captayne came nea∣re & toke him / & cōmaunded him to be boun∣de with two chaynes / & demaunded what he was / & what he had done. And one cryed this / another that amōge the people. And whē he coulde not knowe the certayntie for y^• rage /

he cōmaunded him to be caryed into the cast∣le. And whē he came vnto a grece / it fortuned that he was borne of the soudiers of the vio∣lence of the people. For the multitude of the people folowed after cryinge: awaye w^t him.

And as Paul shuld have bene caryed into [ G] the castle / he sayde vnto the hye Captayne: maye I speake vnto the? Which sayde: canst thou speake Greke? Arte not thou that Egy∣pcian which before these dayes made an vp roure & ledde out into the wildernes .iiii. thou sande men that were mortherers? But Paul sayde: I am a mā which am a Iewe of Tha•• sus a cite in Cicill a Citesyn of no vyle cite / •• beseche y^e soffre me to speake vnto y^e people. When he had gevē him licēce / Paul stode on y^e steppes & beckned with the honde vnto the people / & ther was made a greate silence. And he spake vnto thē in y^e Ebrue tonge sayinge:

¶ The .xxii. Chapter.

YE men / brethrē & fathers / heare myne [ A] answere which I make vnto you. Whē they hearde that he spake in y^e Ebrue tonge to them / they kept the moore silence. And he sayde: I am verely aman which am a Iewe / borne in Tharsus / a cite in Cicill: neverthelesse yet brought vp in this cite / at y^• fete of Gamaliel and informed diligently in the lawe of the fathers / and was fervent myn¦ded to Godwarde / as ye all are this same da∣ye / and I persecuted this waye vnto the deeth byndynge and delyveringe into preson bothe men and wemen / as the chefe prest doth bea∣re

me witnes / and all the elders: of whom also I receaved letters vnto the brethren / & wēt to Damasco to bringe them which were there / bounde vnto Ierusalem for to be punysshed.

And it fortuned / as I made my iorney and was come nye vnto Damasco aboute none / y^t [ B] sodenly ther shone frō heaven a greate lyght rounde aboute me / and I fell vnto the erth / & hearde a voyce sayinge vnto me: Saul / Saul / why persecutest thou me? And I answered: what arte thou Lorde? And he sayd vnto me: I am Iesus of Nazareth / whom thou persecu¦test. And they that were with me / sawe verely alyght & were a frayde: but they hearde not the voyce of him that spake with me. And I sayde: what shall I do Lorde? And the Lorde sayde vnto me: Aryse & goo into Damasco & there it shalbe tolde the of all thinges which are apoynted for the to do. And when I sa∣we nothynge for the brightnes of that light / I was ledde by the honde of them that were with me / and came into Damasco.

And one Ananias a perfect man / & as per∣tayninge [ C] to the lawe / havinge good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt / came vnto me / & stode & sayd vnto me: Brother Saul / lo∣ke vp. And that same houre I receaved my sight and sawe him. And he sayde / the God of oure fathers hath ordeyned the before / that thou shuldest knowe his will / and shuldest se that which is rightfull / & shuldest heare the voyce of his mouth: for thou shalt be his wit¦nes vnto all men of tho thinges which thou

thouhast sene & hearde. And now: why tariest thou? Aryse & be baptised / and wesshe awaye [ D] * 1.149 thy synnes / in callinge on y^• name of y^• Lorde.

And it fortuned / when I was come agayne to Ierusalem & prayde in the tēple / y^t I was in a traūce / & sawe him sayinge vnto me. Ma∣ke haste / & get the quickly out of Ierusalem: for they will not receave thy witnes y^e thou bearest of me. And I sayde: Lorde they knowe that I presoned / & bet in every synagoge them that beleved on the▪ And when the bloud of thy witnes Steven was sheed / I also stode by / and consented vnto his deeth / and kept the rayment of them that slewe him. And he say¦de vnto me: departe / for I will sende the a far∣re hence vnto the Gentyls.

They gave him audience vnto this worde / [ E] & then lifte vp their voyces & sayde: a waye w^t soche a felowe frō the erth: yt is pitie that he shuld live. And as they cryed & cast of their clothes / & thrue dust into y^• ayer / y^• captayne bade him to be brought into the castle / & com∣maunded him to be scourged / & to be exami∣ned / that he myght knowe wherfore they cry∣ed on him. And as they bounde him with thō¦ges / Paul sayde vnto the Centurion that sto∣de by: Ys it laufull for you to scourge a man that is a Romain & vncondempned? When the Centurion hearde that / he went / and tolde the vpper captayne sayinge: What intendest thou to do? This man is a Romayne.

Then the vpper captayne came / & sayde to [ F] him: tell me / art thou a Romayne? He sayde:

Yee. And the captayne answered: with a grea¦te some obtayned I this fredome. And Paul sayde: I was fre borne. Then strayght waye departed from him / they which shuld have examyned him. And the hye captayne also was a frayde / after he knewe that he was a [ G] Romayne: because he had bounde him.

On the morowe because he wolde have kno¦wen the certayntie wherfore he was accused of the Iewes / he lowsed him from his bon∣des / & commaunded the hye Prestes & all the counsell to come together / and brought Paul / and set him before them.

¶ The .xxiii. Chapter.

PAul behelde the counsell & sayde: men & brethrē / I have lived in all good cō∣science before God vntill this daye. [ A] The hye prest Ananias cōmaunded thē that stode by to smyte him on the mouth. Then sayde Paul to him: God smyte the thou payn¦tyd wall. Sittest thou & iudgest me after the lawe: & commaundest me to be smytten con∣trary to the lawe? And they that stode by / say¦de: revylest thou Goddes hye preste? Then sayd Paul: I wist not brethren / that he was* 1.150 the hye preste. For it is writtē / thou shalt not curse the rular of thy people.

When Paul perceaved that the one parte* 1.151 were Saduces / & the other Pharises: he cryed [ B] oute in the counsell. Men & brethren / I am a Pharisaye / the sonne of a Pharisaye. Of the* 1.152 hope / & resurreccion frō deeth / I am iudged. And when he had so sayde / ther arose a debate

betwene the Pharisayes & y^• Saduces / & the multitude was devided. For y^• Saduces saye* 1.153 that ther is no resurrecciō / nether angell / nor sprete. But the Pharisayes graunt bothe. And ther arose a great crye / and the Scribes which were of the Pharisayes parte / arose & strove sayinge: we fynde none evyll in this man. Though a sprete or an angell hath ape∣red to him / let vs not stryve agaynst God.

And when ther arose greate debate / the cap¦tayne [ C] fearynge lest Paul shuld have bene pluckt asondre of them / cōmaunded the sou∣diers to goo doune / & to take him from amon¦ge them / and to bringe him into the castle. The nyght folowyng / God stode by him and sayde: Be of good cheare Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem / so must thou beare witnes at Rome.

When daye was come / certayne of the Ie∣wes gaddered them selves to geder / & made a vowe / sayinge that they wolde nether eate [ D] nor drinke till they had killed Paul. They we¦re aboute .xl. which had made this conspira∣ciō. And they cam to y^• chefe prestes & elders / & sayde: we have boūde oure selves with a vo∣we / that we will eate nothinge vntill we ha∣ve slayne Paul. Now therfore geve ye know∣lege to the vpper captayne & to the counsell / that he bringe him forth vnto vs to morow / as though we wolde knowe some thing{is} mo¦re perfectly of him. But we (or ever he come neare) are redy in y^• meane season to kill him. [ E]

When Pauls sisters sonne hearde of their

layinge awayte / he wēt & entred into the cast∣le / & tolde Paul. And Paul called one of y^• vn¦der captaynes vnto him / & sayde: bringe this younge man vnto y^e hye captayne: for he hath a certayne thinge to shewe him. And he toke him / & sayd: Paul y^• presoner called me vnto him & prayed me to brige this yoūge mā vnto y^• / which hath a certayne matter to shewe y^•.

The hye captayne toke him by the hond / & wēt a parte with him out of the waye: & a ••ed him: what hast thou to saye vnto me? And he sayd: the Iewes are determined to desyre the y^• thou woldest brynge forth Paul to morowe into the counsell / as though they wolde en∣quyre somwhat of him more parfectly. But folowe not their mindes: for ther lye•• wayte for him of thē / moo then .xl. men / which have boūde thē selves w^t a vowe / that they will ne∣ther eate ner drinke till they have killed him. And now are they redy / & loke for thy promes.

The vpper captayne let y^• yōge man depar¦te & charged: se thou tell it out to no man that [ F] thou hast shewed these thing{is} to me. And he called vnto him two vnder captaynes / sayin∣ge: make redy two hondred soudiers to goo to Cesarea / and horsmen threscore and ten / & speare men two houndred / at the thyrde hou∣re of the nyght. And delyvre them beastes that they maye put Paul on / and bringe him safe vnto Felix the hye debite / and wrote a letter in this maner.

Claudius Lisias vnto y^• most mighty rular Felix / sendeth gretinge. This man was takē

of the Iewes / and shuld have bene killed of them. Then cam I with soudiers / & rescued him / and perceaved that he was a Romayne. And when I wolde have knowen the cause / wherfore they accused him / I brought him forth into their coūsell. There perceaved I y^• he was accused of questiōs of their lawe: but was not giltye of eny thinge worthy of deeth or of bondes. Afterwarde when it was she∣wed me how that y^• Iewes layde wayte for y^• man / I sent him strayght waye to the / & gave commaundmēt to his accusars / yf they had [ G] ought agaynst him / to tell it vnto y^•: fare well.

Then y^• soudiers as it was cōmaunded thē / toke Paul / & brought him by nyght to Antipa¦tras. On the morowe they lefte horsmen to goo with him / and returned vnto the castle. Which when they cam to Cesarea / they deli¦vered the epistle to the debite / and presented Paul before him. When the debite had redde the letter / he axed of what countre he was / & when he vnderstode that he was of Cicill / I will heare the (sayde he) whē thyne accusars are come also: & commaunded him to be kep¦te in Herodes pallys.

¶ The .xxiiii. Chap.

AFter .v. dayes / Ananias the hye preste [ A] descended / with elders & with a certay¦ne Oratour named Tartullus / & enfor¦med the ruelar of Paul. When Paul was cal¦led forth / Tartullus beganne to accuse him saying: Seynge y^• we live in great quyetnes by the meanes of the / & that many good thin∣ges are done vnto this nacion thorow thy pro¦vidence:

that alowe we ever & in all places / most myghty Felix with all thankes. Not¦withstondinge / that I be not tedeous vnto the / I praye the / that thou woldest heare vs of thy curtesy a feawe wordes.

We have founde this mā a pestilent felo∣we / and [ B] a mover of debate vnto all the Iewes thorowe out the worlde / & a mayntayner of y^• secte of the Nazarites / & hath also enforsed to pollute the temple. Whom we toke & wolde have iudged acordinge to oure lawe: but the hye captayne Lisias came vpon vs / and with great violence toke him awaye out of oure hō¦des / cōmaundinge his accusars to come vnto the. Of whō thou mayst (yf thou wilt enquy∣re) knowe the certayne of all these thinges where of we accuse him. The Iewes lyke wy¦se affermed / sayinge that it was even so.

Then Paul (after that the rular him selfe [ C] had beckened vnto him that he shuld speake) answered: I shall with a moare quvet minde answere for my selfe / for as moche as I vnder¦stonde y^• thou hast bene of many yeares a iud¦ge vnto this people / because that thou mayst knowe y^• there are yet .xii. dayes sence I went vp to Ierusalem for to praye / & that they ne∣ther founde me in the tēple disputinge with eny man / other raysinge vp the people / nether in the Synagoges / nor in the cite. Nether can they prove y^• thinge wher of they accuse me.

But this I confesse vnto y^• / that after that waye (which they call heresy) so worshippe I the God of my fathers / belevinge all thin∣ges

which are writtē in the lawe & y^• Prophe∣tes / & have hope towardes God / that y^• same resurreccion from deeth (which they them sel¦ves loke for also) shalbe / both of iust & vniust. And therfore stody I to have a cleare consciē¦ce towarde God / and toward man also. [ E]

But after many yeres I came & brought al¦mes to my people & offeringes / in the which they founde me purified in the tēple / nether with multitude / nor yet w^t vnquyetnes How beit there were certayne Iewes out of Asia which ought to be here present before the / & accuse me / yf they had ought agaynst me: or els let these same here saye / if they have foun∣de eny evell doinge in me / whill I stonde here in y^• counsell: except it be for this one voyce / y^• I cryed stondinge amōge thē / of the resutrec∣cion frō deeth am I iudged of you this daye. [ F]

When Felix hearde these thinges he de∣ferde them / for he knowe very well of y^t waye & sayde: when Lisias the captayne is come / I will know the vtmost of youre matters. And he commaunded an vnder captayne to kepe Paul / and that he shuld have rest / and that he shuld forbyd none of his aquayntaūce▪ to mi∣nister vnto him / or to come vnto him.

And after a certayne dayes / cā Felix & his wyfe Drusilla which was a Iewas / & called [ G] forth Paul / & hearde him of the fayth which is toward Christ. And as he preached of righ¦teousnes / temperaūce & iudgement to come / Felix trembled & answered: thou hast dóne ynough at this tyme / departe / when I have a

conveniēt tyme / I will sende for the. He ho∣ped also that money shuld have bene geven him of Paul / that he myght lowse him: wher∣fore he called him y^• oftēner & cōmened with him. But after two yeare / Festus Poreius ca¦me into Felix roume. And Felix willinge to shewe y^• Iewes a pleasure / lefte Paul in pre∣son bounde.

¶ The .xxv. Chapter.

[ A] * 1.154

VVhen Festus was come into the pro¦vince / after thre dayes / he ascended frō Cesarea vnto Ierusalem. Then enformed him the hye prestes & the chefe of the Iewes of Paul. And they be sought him / & desired faveour agaynst him / that he wold sende for him to Ierusalem: & layde awayte for him in the waye to kill him. Festus answe¦red / that Paul shuld be kept at Cesarea: but that he him selfe wold shortly departe thi∣ther. Let thē therfore (sayd he) which amōge you are able to do it / come doune with vs and accuse him / if ther be eny faute in the man.

When he had taried there moare then ten [ B] dayes / he departed vnto Cesarea / & the nexte daye sate doune in the iudgemēt seate / & com¦maunded Paul to be brought. When he was come / the Iewes which were come frō Ierusa¦lem / came aboute him & layde many & greve∣ous complayntes agaynst Paul / which they coulde not prove as longe as he answered for him selfe / that he had nether agaynst the lawe of the Iewes / nether agaynst the temple / nor yet agaynst Cesar offended eny thinge at all.

Festus willinge to do the Iewes a pleasu¦re / answered Paul & sayde: wilt thou goo to [ C] Ierusalem / and there be iudged of these thin¦ges before me? Then sayd Paul: I stonde at Cesars iudgemēt seate / where I ought to be iudged. To y^e Iewes have I no harme done / as thou verely well knowest. If I have hurte them / or cōmitted eny thinge worthy of deeth I refuse not to dye. Yf none of these thinges are / where of they accuse me / no man owght* 1.155 to delyver me to them. I appeale vnto Ce∣sar. Then spake Festus with deliberacion / & answered. Thou hast appealed vnto Cesar: vnto Cesar shalt thou goo.

After a certayne dayes / kinge Agrippa and* 1.156 Bernice came vnto Cesarea to salute Fe∣stus. And when they had bene there a good [ D] ceason / Festus rehersed Paules cause vnto y^• kynge sayinge: ther is a certayne man left in preson of Felix / about whom when I came to Ierusalem / the hye prestes & elders of the Iewes enformed me / & desyred to have iudge∣ment agaynst him. To whom I answered: It is not the maner of the Romayns to delyver eny man / that he shuld perisshe / before that he which is accused / have the accusars before him / and have licence to answer for him selfe / conserninge y^• cryme layde agaynst him: whē [ E] they were come hidder / w^t out delaye on the morowe I sate to geve iudgement / & cōmaun¦ded y^• mā to be brought forthe. Agaynst whō when y^• accusers stode vp / they brought none accusacion of soche thing{is} as I supposed: but

had certayne questions agaynst him of their awne supersticion / & of one Iesus which was ded: whom Paul affirmed to be alyve. And be¦cause I douted of soche maner questions / I ayed him whyther he wolde goo to Ierusa∣lem / & there be iudged of these matters. Then when Paul had appealed to be kept vnto the knowledge of Cesar / I commaunded him to be kept / tyll I myght sende him to Cesar.

Agrippa sayd vnto Festus: I wolde also [ F] heare y^e man my selfe. To morowe (sayde he) thou shalt heare him. And on y^e morowe when Agrippa was come and Bernice with greate pompe / & were entred into the counsell housse with the captaynes & chefe men of the cite / at Festus commaundement Paul was brought forth. And Festus sayde: kynge Agrippa / & all men which are heare present w^t vs: ye se this man about whom all the multitude of the Ie¦wes have bene with me both at Ierusalem and also here / cryinge that he ought not to ly∣ve eny lenger. Yet founde I nothinge worthy [ G] of deeth that he had cōmitted. Neverthelesse seinge that he hath appealed to Cesar / I ha∣ve determined to sende him. Of whom I ha∣ve no certayne thinge to wryte vnto my lorde. Wherfore I have brought him vnto you / and specially vnto the / kynge Agrippa / that after examinacion had / I myght have sum∣what to wryte. For me thynketh it vnreaso∣nable / for to sende a presoner / and not to she∣we the causes which are layde agaynst him.

¶ The .xxvi. Chapter.

AGrippa sayde vnto Paul: thou arte permitted to speake for thy selfe. Then [ A] Paul stretched forth the honde / & ans∣wered for him selfe. I thynke my selfe happy kynge Agrippa / because I shall answere this daye before the / of all the thinges wherof I am accused of y^• Iewes / namely because thou arte experte in all customes and questions / which are amonge the Iewes. Wherfore I beseche the to heare me paciently.

My lyvynge of a chylde / which was at the fyrst amōge myne awne nacion at Ierusalem [ B] knowe all the Iewes which knew me from y^e beginnynge / yf they wolde testifie it. For af∣ter the most straytest secte of oure laye / lyved I a pharisaye. And now I stond & am iudged for the hope of the promes made of God vn∣to oure fathers: vnto which promes / oure .xii. tribes instantly servynge God daye & nyght / hope to come. For which hopes sake / kynge Agrippa / am I accused of the Iewes. Why shuld it be thought a thinge vncredible vnto [ C] you / that god shuld rayse agayne the deed?

I also verely thought in my selfe / that I ought to do many cōtrary thinges / clene aga∣ynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth: which thinge I also dyd in Ierusalem. Where ma∣ny of the sainctes I shut vp in preson / & had receaved auctorite of y^• hye prestes. And whē they were put to deeth / I give the sentence. And I punysshed them ofte in every synago∣ge / and compelled them to blaspheme: & was yet more mad apon them / and persecuted thē /

even vnto straunge cities. About the which thinges as I went to Damasco with aucto∣rite and licence of the hye Prestes / even at myddaye (o kynge) I sawe in y^e waye a lyght from heven / above the brightnes of the sun∣ne / shyne rounde about me and them which iorneyed with me.

When we were all fallen to the erth / I hear¦de a voyce speakynge vnto me / & sayinge in y^e [ D] Hebrue tonge: Saul / Saul / why persecutest thou me? It is harde for the to kicke agaynste the pricke. And I sayde: Who arte thou lor∣de? And he sayde I am Iesus whom thou persecutest. But ryse & stond vp on thy fete. For I have apered vnto the for this purpose / to make the a minister & a witnes / both of tho thinges which thou hast sene / and of tho thin¦ges in the which I will appere vnto the / dely¦verynge the from the people / and from y^• gen¦tyls vnto which nowe I sende the / to open their eyes that they myght turne from darck¦nes vnto lyght / & from the power of Satan vnto God / that they maye receave forgevenes* 1.157 of synnes and inheritaūce amonge thē which are sanctified byfayth in me.

Wherfore kynge Agrippa / I was not di∣sobedient [ E] vnto the hevenly vision: but shewed fyrst vnto them of Damasco / and at Ierusa∣lem / and thorow out all the costes of Iewry / and to the gentyls / that they shuld repent / & turne to God / and do the ryght workes of re∣pentaunce. For this cause the Iewes caught me in the temple / and went about to kyll me.

Neverthelesse I obtayned helpe of God / & cō¦tynew vnto this daye witnessyng bothe to small and to greate saying none other thin∣ges / then those which the prophetes and Mo¦ses dyd saye shuld come / that Christ shulde suffre / & that he shuld be the fyrst that shulde ryse from deeth / and shuld shewe lyght vnto the people / and the gentyls.

As he thus answered for him selfe: Festus sayde with a lowde voyce: Paul / thou arte be∣sides thy selfe. Moche learnynge hath made the mad. And Paul sayde: I am not mad most dere Festus: but speake the wordes of trueth & sobernes. The kynge knoweth of these thin¦ges / before whom I speke frely: nether thyn∣ke I that eny of these thinges are hydden frō him. For this thinge was not done in a cor∣ner. Kynge Agrippa belevest thou y^e prophe∣tes? I wote well thou belevest. Agrippa say∣de vnto Paul: Sumwhat thou bringest me in mynde for to be come a Christen. And Paul sayd: I wolde to God that not only thou: but [] also all that heare me to daye / were / not sum∣what only / but altogeder soche as I am / ex∣cept these bonde. And when he had thus spo∣ken / the kynge rose vp / & the debite / and Ber∣nice / and they that sate with them. And when they were gone aparte / they talked betwene them selves sayinge: This man doeth nothin¦ge worthy of deeth / nor of bondes. Then say∣de Agrippa vnto Festus: This man myght have bene lowsed / yf he had not appealed vn∣to Cesar.

¶ The .xxvii. Chapter.

VVhen it was cōcluded that we shuld [] * 1.158 sayle into Italy / they delivered Paul & certayne other presoners vnto one named Iulius / an vnder captayne of Cesars soudiars. And we entred into a ship of Adra∣micium / & lowfed from lond / apoynted to say¦le by the costes of Asia / one Aristarcus out of Macedonia / of the contre of Thessalia / bein∣ge with vs. And the nexte daye we came to Sidon. And Iulius courteously entreated Paul / & gave him liberte to goo vnto his fren∣des / & to refresshe him selfe. And from thence lanched we / and sayled harde by Cypers / be∣cause the wyndes were contrarye. Then say∣led we over the see of Cilicia / and Pamphy∣lia / and came to Myra a cite in Lycia. [ B]

And there y^• vnder captayne founde a ship∣pe of Alexanderredy to sayle into Italy & put vs therin. And when we had sayled slowly many dayes / & scace were come over agaynst Gnydon (because the wynde with stode vs) we sayled harde by the costes of Candy / over agaynste Salmo / and with moche wor∣ke sayled beyonde yt / and came vnto a place called good porte. Nye whervnto was a citie called Lasea. When moche tyme was spent and saylinge was now ieoperdeous / because also that we had overlonge fasted / Paul put them in remembraunce / and sayde vnto them [ C] Syrs / I perceave that this vyage wilbe with hurte and moche domage / not of the ladynge and ship only: but also of oure lyves. Never∣thelather the vndercaptayne beleved the go∣verner

and the master / better then tho thinges which were spoken of Paul. And because the haven was not cōmodius to wynter in / many toke counsell to departe thence / yf by eny mea¦nes they myght attayne to Phenices and the∣re to wynter / which is an haven of Candy / and servith to the southwest and northwest wynde. When the south wynde blewe / they supposynge to obtayne their purpose / lowsed vnto Asson / and sayled paste all Candy.

But anone after ther arose agaynste their [ D] purpose / a flawe of wynde out of the northe∣este. And when the ship was caught / & coul∣de not resist the wynde / we let her goo & drave with the wether. And we came vnto an yle na¦med Clauda / & had moche worke to come by abote / which they toke vp and vsed helpe / vndergerdynge the shippe / fearynge lest we shuld have fallen into Syrtes / and we let dou¦ne a vessell & so were caryed. The nexte daye when we were tossed w^t an exceadynge tem∣pest / they lyghtened y^• ship / & the thyrde daye we cast out with oure awne hondes / the tack∣lynge of the shippe. When at the last nether sunne nor starre in many dayes appered / & no small tempest laye apon vs / all hope that we shuld be saved / was then taken awaye.

Then after longe abstinence / Paul stode [ E] forth in the myddes of them & sayde: Syrs ye shulde have harkened to me / & not have low∣sed from Candy / nether to have brought vnto vs this harme and losse. And nowe I exhor∣te you to be of good chere. For ther shalbe no

losse of eny mās lyfe amonge you / save of the ship only. For ther stode by me this nyght the angell of God / whose I am / and whom I serve / sayinge: feare not Paul / for thou must be brought before Cesar. And lo / God hath ge¦ven vnto the all that sayle with y^•. Wherfore Syrs be of good chere: for I beleve God / that so it shalbe even as it was tolde me. How be it we must be cast into a certayne ylonde.

But when y^e fourtēthe nyght was come / as [ F] we were caryed in Adria about mydnyght / the shipmen demed that ther appered some coun∣tre vnto thē: and sounded / & founde it .xx. fed∣doms. And when they had gone a lytell fur∣ther / they sounded agayne / & founde .xv. fed∣doms. Then fearinge lest they shuld have fal¦len on some Rocke / they cast .jiii. ancres out of the sterne / & wysshed for y^• daye. As the ship∣men were about to fle out of the ship / and had let doune the bote into the see / vnder a coloure as though they wolde have cast ancres out of the for shippe: Paul sayd vnto y^• vnder captay¦ne & the soudiers: excepte these abyde in the ship / ye cannot be safe. Then the soudiers cut of the rope of the bote / and let it fall awaye.

And in y^• meane tyme betwixt that & daye Paul besought them all to take meate / sayin∣ge: [ G] this is y^• fourtenthe daye that ye have ta∣ried and continued fastynge / receavinge no∣thinge at all. Wherfore I praye you to take meate: for this no dout is for youre helth: for ther shall not an heere fall frō the heed of eny of you. And when he had thus spokē / he toke

breed and gave thankes to God in presence of thē all / and brake it / & begāne to eate. Then were they all of good cheare / & they also toke meate. We were all together in y^• ship / two [ G] hundred thre score & sixtene soules. And whē they had catē ynougth / they lightened y^• ship and cast out the wheate into the see.

Whē yt was daye / they knew not y^• lande but they spied a certayne haven with a banke into y^e which they were mynded (yf yt were possible) to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken vp the ancres / they cōmytted them selves vnto the see / & lowsed the rudder bon∣des & hoysed vp y^• mayne sayle to the wynde & drue to londe. But they chaunsed on a pla∣ce / which had the see on bothe the sydes / and thrust in the ship. And the foore parte stucke fast and moved not / but y^e hynder brake with the violence of the waves.

The soudears counsell was to kyll y^• pre∣soners / lest eny of them / when he had swome out / shulde fle awaye. But the vndercaptay∣ne willinge to save Paul / kept thē from their purpose / & commaunded that they y^t could swyme / shulde cast thē selves first in to y^• see / and scape to londe. And the other he cōmaun∣ded to goo / some an bordes / and some on bro∣ken peces of the ship. And so it came to passe / that they came all safe to londe.

The .xxxiii. Chapter.

[ A]

ANd when they were scaped / then they knewe that the yle was called Milete. And the people of the countre shewed

vs no lytell kyndnes: for they kyndled a fyre and receaved vs every one / because of the pre∣sent rayne / & because of colde. And when Paul had gaddered a boundle of stickes / & put them into the fyre / ther came a viper out of the heet and lept on his honde. When the men of the contre sawe the worme hange on his honde / they sayde amonge thē selves: this man must nedes be a mortherer. Whome (though he ha¦ve escaped the see) yet vengeaunce suffreth not to lyve. But he shouke of the vermen into the fyre / and felt no harme. Howbeit they wayted when he shuld have swolne / or fallen doune deed sodenly. But after they had lo∣ked a greate whyle / and sawe no harme come to him / they chaunged their myndes / and say∣de that he was a God.

In the same quarters / the chefe man of the [ B] yle whose name was Publius / had a lordship pe: the same receaved vs / and lodged vs thre dayes courteously. And it fortuned that the fa¦ther of Publius laye sicke of a fiever / and of a bluddy flixe. To whō Paul entred in & pray∣de / & layde his hondes on him & healed him. When this was done / other also which had* 1.159 diseases in the yle / came and were healed. And they dyd vs gret honoure. And when we de∣parted / they laded vs with thinges necessary.

After thre monethes we departed in a ship of Alexandry / which had wyntred in the yle / whose badge was Castor & Pollux. And whē we came to Cyracusa / we taryed there .iii. day∣es. And from thence we fet a compasse & came

to Regium. And after one daye the south wynde blowe / and we came the next daye to Putiolus: where we founde brethren / & were desyred to tary with them seven dayes / and so came to Rome. And from thence / when y^• bre∣thren [ D] hearde of vs / they came agaynst vs to Apiphorum / & to y^• thre taverns. When Paul sawe thē / he thanked God / and wexed bolde. And when he came to Rome / y^• vnder captay∣ne delyvered y^e presoners to y^• chefe captayne of y^e host: but Paul was suffered to dwell by him selfe with one soudier that kept him.

And it fortuned after thre dayes / that Paul [ E] called y^e chefe of y^• Iewes together. And whē they were come / he sayde vnto thē: Men & bre¦thren / though I have cōmitted nothinge aga∣ynst the people or lawes of oure fathers: yet was I delyvered presoner from Ierusalem in to the hondes of y^e Romayns. Which when they had examined me / wolde have let me goo / because they founde no cause of deeth in me. But when y^• Iewes cryed cōtrary / I was constrayned to appeale vnto Cesar: not becau¦se I had ought to accuse my people of. For this cause have I called for you / evē to se you & to speake with you: because that for the ho∣pe of Israel / I am bounde with this chayne.

And they sayde vnto him: We nether recea¦ved letters out of Iewry pertayninge vnto y^e / nether came eny of the brethren that shewed [ F] or spake eny harme of the. But we will hea∣re of the what thou thynkest. For we have hearde of this secte / that every wheare it is

spoken agaynst. And when they had apoyn∣ted him a daye / ther came many vnto him into his lodgynge. To whom he expounded & te∣stifyed the kyngdome of God / and preached vnto thē of Iesu: both out of the lawe of Mo∣ses and also out of the prophetes / even from mornynge to nyght. And some beleved y^e thin¦ges which were spoken / & some beleved not.

When they agreed not amonge thē selves / they departed / after that Paul had spoken one worde. Well spake the holy goost by Esay y^e* 1.160 prophet vnto oure fathers / sayinge: Goo vn to this people & saye: with youre eares shall ye heare / and shall not vnderstonde: and with* 1.161 youre eyes shall ye se and shall not perceave.

For the hert of this people is wexed gros∣se / and their eares were thycke of hearynge / [ G] & their eyes have they closed: lest they shuld se with their eyes / and heare with their eares / and vnderstonde with their hertes / and shuld be converted / and I shulde heale them. Be it knowen therfore vnto you / that this salva∣cion of God is sent to the gentyls / and they shall heare it. And when he had sayde that / the Iewes departed / and had grete despiciōs amonge them selves.

And Paul dwelt two yeares full in his lod¦gynge / and receaved all that came to him / prea¦chyng the kyngdome of God / and teachynge those thinges which concerned the lorde Ie∣sus / with all confidence / vnforboden.

¶ Here endeth the Actes of the Apostles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  luke .xxiiij. g
• * 1.2

  luke .xxiiij. g
• * 1.3

  psal. xl. c io. xviij. mathew .xxvij. a
• * 1.4

  psalm .lxviij.
• * 1.5

  psal. cviij
• * 1.6

  Mathias
• * 1.7

  Tonges
• * 1.8

  Conuer¦tes: that is / hethen or genti∣les cōuer∣ted to the Iewes fayth
• * 1.9

  iohel .ij. g
• * 1.10

  roma. x. ••.
• * 1.11

  Deathe psal. xv. c
• * 1.12

  Hell.
• * 1.13

  iij. re. ij. b
• * 1.14

  p••a••. cjx. ••
• * 1.15

  Commē.
• * 1.16

  The halt is cured
• * 1.17

  mathew .xxvii. mar. xv. e luc. xxiii. Iohn .xvii. a
• * 1.18

  dut. xviii
• * 1.19

  Saduces
• * 1.20

  Peter.
• * 1.21

  ••sa. cx vi•• ••a••. xxi. ma••. xi•• •• ••••••. ••••. ••.
• * 1.22

  S••lvaciō▪
• * 1.23

  ••••m. ix. g
• * 1.24

  God is more to be obeyed then man
• * 1.25

  psal. ij. a.
• * 1.26

  Commen
• * 1.27

  Love.
• * 1.28

  Ananias Saphira
• * 1.29

  The sha∣dow of Peter.
• * 1.30

  Sadnces
• * 1.31

  God must be obeyed
• * 1.32

  Gamali∣el
• * 1.33

  Theu∣das.
• * 1.34

  Iudas y^• Galilean
• * 1.35

  Seven deacones
• * 1.36

  Steven.
• * 1.37

  The ser∣mon of Stephin.
• * 1.38

  gen. xij. a
• * 1.39

  ge. xviij. gen. xxj. gen. xxv ge. xxix.
• * 1.40

  Patriar∣ckes. ge. xxx. ••. xx v. genesis. xxx viij. ge. ••lj. e
• * 1.41

  gen. xliij. gen. xlv.
• * 1.42

  gen. xlvj ge. xlix. gene. l. b.
• * 1.43

  exo. j. a
• * 1.44

  exo. ij. a.
• * 1.45

  exo. ij. ••
• * 1.46

  exo. iij. a
• * 1.47

  exo. vij. and .viij. ix. x. xi. xiiij exo. xvj.
• * 1.48

  deu. xviij
• * 1.49

  exo. xix.
• * 1.50

  ex. xxxij
• * 1.51

  aino. v. ••
• * 1.52

  ex. xxv d he. vii••. b iosua. iij c
• * 1.53

  j. re. xvj. ps. cxxxj
• * 1.54

  God dw¦elleth not in tem∣ples or churches made wi∣th hādes.
• * 1.55

  Saul
• * 1.56

  Saul.
• * 1.57

  Philip.
• * 1.58

  Simon magus.
• * 1.59

  Layenge on of han¦des.
• * 1.60

  Becau∣se he was of so lowe degree in this worl¦de: but a poore car penter / & humbled him selfe vnto all men / and was obe∣dient euē vnto the moost vy¦le deathe of the cros¦se: therfo¦re cannot the Iewes esteme h•• for the ve¦rie messi∣as.
• * 1.61

  gala. j. b.
• * 1.62

  j. cor. xv. ij. cor. xij
• * 1.63

  Saul is cōuerted.
• * 1.64

  Ananias
• * 1.65

  Paule preacheth Christ.
• * 1.66

  Paule is persecu∣ted.
• * 1.67

  ij. cor. xj.
• * 1.68

  Eneas.
• * 1.69

  Tabitha dorcas.
• * 1.70

  Corneli∣us.
• * 1.71

  Peters vision.
• * 1.72

  deu. x. d. ij. pa. xix Iob xxxiiij. sap. vj. b. ecclesiast. xxxv. rom. ij. b. gala. ij. b. ephe. vj. b coll. iij. d. j. pe. j. c.
• * 1.73

  Fayth is the re∣mission of synnes hie. xxxj mich. vij. * The ho¦lye gho∣ost com∣meth wi∣thoute la∣ynge on of hondes.
• * 1.74

  The A∣postles were he∣re first ta∣ught and certified by the ho¦ly ghost of the con¦uersion of the genty¦les.
• * 1.75

  Barna∣basis sent to Antio∣che.
• * 1.76

  Barna∣bas seke∣th Paule.
• * 1.77

  Iamys the bro∣ther of I∣ohn is kyl¦led.
• * 1.78

  Peter is taken.
• * 1.79

  Duater nions of soudyou∣res: is fou¦re cōpany¦es of sou dyoures.
• * 1.80

  Peter is lowsed.
• * 1.81

  Sanda∣les are so les to be bounde vnder the fete.
• * 1.82

  This Iohn is the same Marcke / that wry¦te the gos¦pell of Marcke.
• * 1.83

  Herode is slayne & eatē of wormes.
• * 1.84

  Iohn is Marcke the euan∣gelist.
• * 1.85

  Barna∣bas & pau¦le are sent to prea∣che.
• * 1.86

  This Iohn is Marke the euan∣gelist.
• * 1.87

  Bariesu▪ Sergus Paulus.
• * 1.88

  Elemas.
• * 1.89

  Paul
• * 1.90

  Marke the euan∣gelist o∣therwise called Iohn bre∣aketh cō∣panie.
• * 1.91

  ••exo. j. a. ••exo. xiij.
• * 1.92

  ex. xvj. a
• * 1.93

  iosu. xiiij judi. iij. d. i. re. viij a j. reg. ix. c and .x. a.
• * 1.94

  psalmo. lxx viij. j. reg. xvi
• * 1.95

  esa. xj. a.
• * 1.96

  mat. iiij. a mark .j. a. luc. iij. a. marc .j. a.
• * 1.97

  mathew .xxvij. mar. xv. lu. xxiij. lo. xix. c.
• * 1.98

  mathew .xxviij. mar. xvj. lu. xxiiij io. xx.
• * 1.99

  esa. ib. b Rebre. j. b
• * 1.100

  esa. lb. b. psal. xv d j. Reg. j. b
• * 1.101

  Fayth iustifieth & not the lawe Abac. j. b
• * 1.102

  esa. xlix.
• * 1.103

  mat. x. b mar. v••. b luc. ix. a
• * 1.104

  A creple is healed
• * 1.105

  Goddes.
• * 1.106

  psa. ••xlv apo. xiiij
• * 1.107

  Paule is stoned.
• * 1.108

  Tribula¦cion.
• * 1.109

  Prayer & fastynge go to ge∣ther.
• * 1.110

  Circum∣cision.
• * 1.111

  Councell
• * 1.112

  Fayth purifieth the heart.
• * 1.113

  the gra¦ce of Ch∣rist saue∣th.
• * 1.114

  Amos. ••x
• * 1.115

  Images. Fornica∣cion. strāgled. Bloude.
• * 1.116

  Prophe¦tes are he¦re taken & in diuerse places of the new testament for expo∣unders of the scrip∣ture.
• * 1.117

  Marcke the euan∣gelist.
• * 1.118

  Timoth∣eus.
• * 1.119

  Lidia.
• * 1.120

  A spirite is cast ou¦te.
• * 1.121

  Vaunta∣ge.
• * 1.122

  ••. cor. x••. l
• * 1.123

  Sear∣che the scriptu∣res for by thē may ye trye all doctrine.
• * 1.124

  Attens.
• * 1.125

  ••nknow¦en God.
• * 1.126

  God dwe∣lleth not in the tem¦ple.
• * 1.127

  Fayth is here ta¦ke for the promises of mercie which th∣or••w fay¦th saue vs. whi∣ch promy¦ses after the resur∣reccion of Christ god cōma¦unded to be prea∣ched vnto all naciōs▪ & not to the Iues onlye / as before.
• * 1.128

  Diony∣sius. Dama∣ris.
• * 1.129

  Corin∣thum.
• * 1.130

  Tentes.
• * 1.131

  Shoke his ray∣ment.
• * 1.132

  Ephesus
• * 1.133

  Here went Pau¦le to Ieru¦salem.
• * 1.134

  Apollos.
• * 1.135

  Ephesus
• * 1.136

  mat. iij. ••▪
• * 1.137

  Layenge on of han¦des.
• * 1.138

  Napkin. Partlet.
• * 1.139

  These syluerlin¦ges whi∣ch we now and then call pence the Iues call sicles / ād are worth a .x. pēce sterlynge.
• * 1.140

  Demetri¦us.
• * 1.141

  Euti∣chos.
• * 1.142

  The ser∣mon of Paule to the Ephe¦sians.
• * 1.143

  Repen∣taūce and fayth
• * 1.144

  Greuous wolues.
• * 1.145

  j. cor. iiij. j. tess. ij. b ij. tess. iij.
• * 1.146

  Phillip.
• * 1.147

  Agabus.
• * 1.148

  nume. vj.
• * 1.149

  Baptime
• * 1.150

  exo. xxij
• * 1.151

  Saduces pharises.
• * 1.152

  phi. iij. ••.
• * 1.153

  ▪mat xxij
• * 1.154

  Festus Porcius.
• * 1.155

  Paule ap¦pealed.
• * 1.156

  Agrippa
• * 1.157

  Fayth.
• * 1.158

  ij. cor. xi.
• * 1.159

  Layenge on of han¦des.
• * 1.160

  esai. vi. c. mar. xiij.
• * 1.161

  mar. iiij. b luc. viij. f ioh. xij. f rom. xj. b