Wycliffe (Early) [1850], THE HOLY BIBLE, CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, WITH THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS, IN THE EARLIEST ENGLISH VERSIONS MADE FROM THE LATIN VULGATE BY JOHN WYCLIFFE AND HIS FOLLOWERS: Edited by THE REV. JOSIAH FORSHALL, F.R.S. etc. Late Fellow of Exeter College, and SIR FREDERIC MADDEN, K.H. F.R.S. etc. Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD) [word count] [B02010].
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DEEDS OF APOSTLES.
Prolog to Actus Apostolorum.
Luk of Sirye by nacioun, whos preisinge
in the euangelye is writun, at Antioche
noble of craft of medicyne, and
the disciple of the apostlis of Crist; aftir
folowinge Poul anoon to confescioun,
other the deeth, withoute blame dwellinge
in maydenhod, chees to serue God;
the which goynge foure skore &yogh;eer of age,
in Bithyniye deiede ful of the Hooly Gost.
This thorw the Hooly Gost stiringe, in
the cuntrees of Achaye wrytynge the
gospel to Grekis bileuyde, the incarnacioun
of the Lord with trewe tale schewide;
and the same Crist he schewide to
haue dessendid of the stok and progeny
of Dauith. To whom not withoute desert
power of wrytinge the dedis of the apostlis
was &yogh;yue in mynistre, that God
in God ful, and the sone of `lost aquent,
preier of the apostlis ymaad, thorw lott
of Goddis eleccioun the noumbre schulde
be fulfillid; and so Poul schulde &yogh;yue
fulfillinge to the apostlis dedis, whom
long kykynge to a&yogh;ens, the goode God
hadde chose. The which thing to men
redynge and sechinge God he wolde rathir
schewe in schort word, than to
-- --
haue schewid ony thing lengir to men
aloothinge; whom Goddis grace so folowyde,
that not oonly to bodyes, but also
to soulis his medicyne schulde profyte.
Here endith the prolog, and bigynneth
the lessoun.
Heere bigynnen the Apostles Dedes.
CAP. I.
1 Forsothe, thou Theophile, first I made
a sermoun, `or word, of alle the thingis,
that Jhesus bygan for to do and teche,
2 til
into the day, in which he comaundinge
to apostlis `bi the Hooly Gost, whom
he chees, was takyn vp;
3 to which and
he &yogh;af hym silf alyue, `or quyke, aftir
his passioun, in manye argumentis, `or
prouyngis, by fourty dayes apperinge to
hem, and spekinge of the rewme of God.
4 And he etinge to gidere, comaundide to
hem, that thei schulden not departe fro
Jerusalem, but schulden abyde the biheeste
of the fadir, the which &yogh;e herden,
he seith, by my mouth;
5 for sotheli John
baptiside in watir, but &yogh;e schulen be baptysid
in the Hooly Gost, not aftir these
manye dayes.
6 Therfore thei that camen
to gidere, axiden him, seyinge, Lord, if
-- --
in this tyme schalt thou restore the
kyngdom of Israel?
7 Forsoth he seide to
hem, It is not &yogh;oure for to haue knowe
tymes or momentis, the whiche the fadir
hath put in his power;
8 but &yogh;e schulen
take the vertu of the Hooli Gost comynge
fro a boue into &yogh;ou, and &yogh;e schulen be
witnessis to me in Jerusalem, and in al
Judee, and Samarye, and `til to the vtmeste
of erthe.
9 And whanne he hadde
seid thes thingis, `hem seynge, he was
lift vp, and a cloud receyuede hym fro
the y&yogh;en of hem.
10 And whanne thei bihelden
into heuene `him goynge, lo!
twey men stoodyn ny&yogh; bisydis hem in
white clothis,
11 the whiche and seiden,
Men of Galilee, what stonde &yogh;e biholdinge
into heuene? This Jhesus, that is
takyn vp fro &yogh;ou into heuene, `so schal
come, as &yogh;e sy&yogh;en him goynge into heuene.
12 Thanne thei turneden a&yogh;en to Jerusalem,
fro the hil that is clepid Olyuete,
`the which is bisydis Jerusalem,
hauynge the iurney of a saboth.
13 And
whanne thei hadden entride into the
`soupyng place, thei wenten vp in to
`the hi&yogh;ere thingis, where thei dwelten,
Petre and John, James and Andrew, Philip
and Thomas, Bartelmew and Mathew,
James of Alfey, and Symound Zelotes, and
Judas of James.
14 Alle thes weren dwellinge,
`or lastinge, `to gidere in preier,
with wymmen, and Marie, the modir of
Jhesu, and with his bretheren.
15 In tho
dayes Petre rysynge vp in the myddel
of bretheren, seide; forsoth ther was a
cumpeny of men to gidere, almest an hundrid
and twenty;
16 Men bretheren, it bihoueth
the scripture for to be fulfillid,
which the Hooly Gost bifore seyde by the
mouth of Dauith, of Judas that was leder
-- --
of hem that tooken Jhesu;
17 the which was
noumbrid in vs, and gat the sort of
this mynysterie.
18 And forsoth this weeldide
a feeld of the hyre of wickidnesse,
and he hangid, to-barst the myddel, and
alle his entrailis ben sched a brood.
19 And
it is maad knowun to alle men dwellinge
in Jerusalem, so that thilke feeld was
clepid Achildemak in the langage of hem,
that is, the feeld of blood.
20 Forsoth it
is writun in the book of Salmes, The
habitacioun of him be maad desert, and
be there not that dwellith in it, and another
take the bisshopryche of him.
21 Therfore
it bihoueth of these men, that ben
gederid to gidere with vs in al tyme, in
which the Lord Jhesu entride yn, and
wente out among vs,
22 bigynnynge fro
baptym of John `til into the day in
which he was takyn vp fro vs, oon of
these for to be maad a witnesse of his
resurexcioun with vs.
23 And thei ordeyneden
tweyne, Joseph, that is clepid
Barsabas, that is namyd Justus, and
Mathi.
24 And thei preiynge seiden, Thou,
Lord, that `hast knowe the hertis of
men, schewe whom thou hast chosun of
thes tweyne,
25 oon for to take the place
of this mynisterie and apostilhed, of the
which Judas trespasside, that he schulde
go into his place.
26 And thei &yogh;auen lottis
to hem, and the lot felde to Mathi; and
he was noumbrid `to gidere with enleuene
apostlis.
CAP. II.
1 And whanne the `dayes Pentecostes,
`that is, fyfti, weren fulfillid, alle disciplis
weren to gidere in the same place.
2 And sudenly ther was maad a sown fro
heuene, as of a greet spirit comynge
-- --
to, and it fulfillide al the hous where
thei weren sittinge.
3 And tungis dyuersly
partid as fyer apperiden to hem, and it
saat vpon ech of hem.
4 And alle `ben
fulfillid with the Hooli Gost, and thei
bigunnen for to speke with dyuerse langagis,
as the Hooli Gost &yogh;af to hem for
to speke.
5 Forsoth ther weren in Jerusalem
dwellinge Jewis, religiouse men, of
ech nacioun that is vndir heuene.
6 Sothli,
`this vois maad, the multitude cam to
gidere, and in soule, `or vndirstondyng,
`was confoundid, `or stoneyd, for ech
man herde hem spekynge in his langage.
7 Forsoth alle men weren `a stoneyd `in
witt, and wondriden, seyinge to gidere,
Wher not alle these that speken ben
Galilees,
8 and how `we herden ech man
his langage in which we ben born?
9 Party,
and Medy, and Elamyte, and thei that
dwellen in Mesopotamye, Judee, and Capadocie,
Ponte,
10 and Asie, Frigie, and Pamphilie,
Egipt, and the parties of Libie, that
is aboute Sirenen, and cumelingis Romayns,
and Jewis,
11 and proselitis, men of
Crete and Arabye, we han herd hem
spekynge in oure langagis the greete
thingis of God.
12 Forsothe alle weren
stoneyd `in witt, and wondriden, seyinge,
What wole this thing be?
13 Forsoth
othere scornyden, seyinge, For thei ben
ful of must.
14 Forsoth Petre stondinge
with enleuene, reyside his vois, and spak
to hem, Men Jewis, and alle that dwellen
in Jerusalem, be this thing knowun to
&yogh;ou, and with eeris perseyue my wordis.
15 Sothely not as &yogh;e demen, `or gessen,
these be drunkun, whanne it is the
thridde our of the day, `or vndirne;
16 but
-- --
this `thing it is, that was seid by the
prophete Johel,
17 And it schal be in the
laste dayes, the Lord seith, I schal heelde
out of my spirit on `al fleisch; and &yogh;oure
sones and &yogh;oure dou&yogh;tris schulen prophecie,
and &yogh;oure &yogh;onge schulen se visyouns,
and &yogh;oure eldris schulen dreme meetels,
`or sweuens.
18 And sotheli on my `seruauntis
men and myne handmaydens in
tho dayes I schal schede out of my spirit,
and thei schulen prophecie.
19 And I schal
&yogh;yue greete wondris in heuene aboue, and
signes in erthe bynethe, blood, and fyer,
and vapour of smoke.
20 The sunne schal
be turned into derknessis, and the mone
into blood, bifore that the gret and
opyn day of the Lord schal come.
21 And
ech man which euere schal inclepe the
name of the Lord, schal be saf.
22 &YOGH;e men
of Israel, heerith thes wordis. Jhesu of
Nazareth, a man prouyd of God in &yogh;ou
by vertues, `or myraclis, and wondris,
and tokenes, the whiche God dide by
him in the myddel of &yogh;ou, as &yogh;e `witen,
hym,
23 the counceil determyned, `or endid,
and by the prescience, `or bifore knowynge,
of God, bitakun, `or trayed, by
the hondis of wickid &yogh;e turmentinge
slowen.
24 Whom God reyside, `the sorwis
of helle vnboundun, `vp that it was inpossible
him for to be holdyn of it.
25 Sothli Dauith seith into him, I purueyde
the Lord bifore me euermore, for he is on
my ri&yogh;thalf, that I be not moued.
26 For
this thing myn herte ioyede, and my
tunge gladide, more ouer and my fleisch
schal reste in hope.
27 For thou schalt not
forsake my soule in helle, `nethir thou
schalt &yogh;yue thin hooli for to se corupcioun.
28 Thou hast maad knowun to me
-- --
the weies of lyf, thou schalt fulfille me
in myrthe with thi face.
29 Men bretheren,
be it leefful boldly for to seye to &yogh;ou of
the patriark Dauith, for he is deed and
biried, and his sepulcre is at vs til into
this day.
30 Therfore whanne he was a
prophete, and wiste, for with an ooth
God hadde sworn to him, of the fruyt of
his leende for to sitte on his seete,
31 he
purueyinge spak of the resurexcioun of
Crist, for nethir he is left in helle, nethir
his fleisch si&yogh; corupcioun.
32 God reiside
this Jhesu, to whom we alle ben witnessis.
33 Therfore he enhaunsid by the
ri&yogh;t hond of God, and the biheeste of the
Hooli Gost takyn of the fadir, he schedde
out this, that &yogh;e seen and heeren.
34 Forsoth
Dauith assendide not into heuene;
forsoth he seith, The Lord seide to my
Lord,
35 Sitt on my ri&yogh;thalf, til I schal
putte thin enemyes the stool of thi feet.
36 Therfore moost certeynly wite al the hous
of Israel, for God reyside and hym the
Lord and Crist, this Jhesu, whom &yogh;e
crucifieden.
37 `These thingis herd, thei
weren compunct in herte; and thei seiden
to Petre and to othere apostlis, Men bretheren,
what schulen we do?
38 Petre forsoth
seith to hem, Penaunce, he seith,
do &yogh;e, and ech of &yogh;ou be cristened in the
name of Jhesu Crist, into remiscioun of
&yogh;oure synnes; and &yogh;e schulen take the
&yogh;ifte of the Hooly Gost.
39 Forsoth repromiscioun,
`or eft biheeste, is to &yogh;ou, and
to &yogh;oure sones, and to alle that ben ferr,
whom euere the Lord oure God hath
clepid to.
40 Sothli with othere wordis
ful manye he witnesside to hem, and monestide
hem, seyinge, Be &yogh;e saued fro
-- --
this wickid, `or schrewid, generacioun.
41 Therfore thei that receyueden his wordis,
weren baptysid, and in that day soulis
ben putt to, aboute thre thousynd.
42 Forsoth
thei weren lastynge in techinge of
apostlis, and in comunynge of brekinge
of breed, and in preieris.
43 Forsoth drede
was maad to ech soule. And many wondris
and sygnes weren don by apostlis in
Jerusalem, and greet drede was in alle.
44 Also alle men that bileuyden weren to
gidere, and hadden alle thingis comyn.
45 Thei selden possesciouns and substaunces,
`or goodis, and departiden alle thingis
to alle men, as it was nede to ech.
46 `Forsoth
day bi day thei `lastinge to gidere
in the temple, and brekinge breed aboute
housis, token mete with gladyng and
symplenesse of herte,
47 heriynge to gidere
God, and hauynge grace to al the peple.
Forsoth the Lord encreside hem that
weren maad saaf, ech day into the same
thing.
CAP. III.
1 Forsothe Petre and John sti&yogh;eden into
the temple, at the nynthe our of preiyng.
2 And sum man that was lame fro the
wombe of his modir, was borun, whom
thei puttiden ech day at the &yogh;ate of the
temple, that is seid fair, that he schulde
axe almes of men entrynge into the temple.
3 This, whanne he sy&yogh; Petre and John
bigynnynge for to entre into the temple,
preiede that he schulde take almes.
4 Forsoth
Petre with John biholdinge him,
seide, Bihold into vs.
5 And he biheeld
into hem, hopinge him to take sum
thing of hem.
6 Forsoth Petre seide, Siluer
and gold is not to me; forsoth that
that I haue, I &yogh;yue to thee. In the name
of Jhesu Crist of Nazareth, ryse thou,
-- --
and go.
7 And `his ri&yogh;thond takun, he
lifte him vp; and anoon the groundis
and plauntis, `or solis, of him ben
saddid to gidere;
8 and he lippinge stood,
and wandride. And he entride with hem
into the temple, wandrynge, `and lippinge,
and heriynge God.
9 And al the peple sy&yogh;
him walkinge, and heriynge God.
10 Forsoth
thei knewyn him, for he it was that sat at
almes at the fair gate of the temple. And
thei weren fulfillid with wondryng, and
exstasie, `that is, leesyng of mynde of
`resoun and lettyng of tunge, in that
thing that bifel to him.
11 Sothli whanne
thei sy&yogh;en Petre and John, al the peple
ran to hem at the porche that `was clepid
of Salomon, wondringe greetly.
12 Forsoth
Petre seynge answeride to the peple, Men
of Israel, what wondren &yogh;e in this
thing? or what biholden &yogh;e vs, as by
oure vertu `or power we maden this
for to walke?
13 God of Abraham, and
God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, God of
oure fadris, `hath glorified his sone Jhesu,
whom &yogh;e sothli bitraieden, and denyeden
bifore the face of Pilate, `him demynge
for to be dismyttid, `or left.
14 `&YOGH;e forsothe
denyeden the hooly and iust, and
axiden a `man homeside, or mansleer,
for to be &yogh;ouun to &yogh;ou.
15 Forsoth &yogh;e slowen
the maker of lyf, whom God reiside fro
deed men, of whom we ben witnessis.
16 And in the feith of his name he hath
confermyd this, whom &yogh;e seen and han
knowe; the name of him, and the feith
that is by him, &yogh;af this ful heelthe in the
si&yogh;t of alle &yogh;ou.
17 And now, bretheren, I
woot that by vnwittinge &yogh;e diden, as
and &yogh;oure princes.
18 `God forsoth `that bifore
toolde bi the mouth of alle prophetis
-- --
his Crist for to suffre, fulfillide so.
19 Therfore
be &yogh;e repentaunt, and be &yogh;e conuertid,
that &yogh;oure synnes be do awey,
20 whanne
the tymes of kelynge, `or refreischinge,
fro the si&yogh;t of the Lord schulen come, and
he schal sende him that is now prechid
to &yogh;ou, `Jhesu Crist.
21 Whom sotheli it bihoueth
heuene for to resceyue, til into
the tyme of restitucioun of alle thingis,
the whiche the Lord spak by the mouth
of his hooli prophetis fro the world.
22 Forsothe
Moyses seide, For the Lord &yogh;oure
God schal reyse to &yogh;ou a prophete, of &yogh;oure
britheren; as me, &yogh;e schulen heere him
vp alle the thingis, what euere he schal
speke to &yogh;ou.
23 Forsoth it schal be, euery
soule that schal not heere `the ilke prophete,
schal be distryed of the peple.
24 And alle prophetis fro Samuel and aftirward,
that spaken, tolden thes dayes.
25 &YOGH;e
forsothe ben the sones of prophetis, and
of the testament, that God ordeynede to
oure fadris, seiynge to Abraham, In thi
seed alle the meynees of erthe schulen be
blessid.
26 God reysinge his sone first to
&yogh;ou, sente him blessinge &yogh;ou, that ech
man conuert him fro his wickydnesse.
CAP. IV.
1 Forsothe `hem spekinge to the peple,
prestis and magistratis of the temple
camen vpon,
2 and Sadducees, sorwynge
that thei `schulden teche the peple, and
toolden into Jhesu a&yogh;en rysinge fro deed
men.
3 And thei leyden hondis into hem,
and puttiden hem into kepinge til into
the morwe; sothli it was `now euen.
4 Forsoth manye of hem that hadden herd
the word, bileuyden; and the noumbre of
`hem is maad fyue thousendis.
5 Forsothe
in the morwe it is don, that the princes
of hem, and eldere men and scribes
`schulden be gederid in Jerusalem;
6 and
-- --
Annas, prince of prestis, and Cayphas,
and Joon, and Alisaundre, and how manye
euere weren of the kynde of preestis.
7 And thei ordeynynge hem in the myddel
axiden, In what vertu, `or what name,
han &yogh;e don this thing?
8 Thanne Petre
fulfillid with the Hooly Gost, seide to
hem, &YOGH;e princes of the peple, and eldre
men,
9 heere, If we to day ben demyd in
the good dedis of a syke man, in the
which this is maad saaf,
10 be it knowun to
&yogh;ou alle, and to al the peple of Israel, for
in the name of `oure Lord Jhesu Crist
of Nazareth, whom &yogh;e crucifieden, whom
God reyside fro deed men, in this this
man stondith hool bifore &yogh;ou.
11 This is
the stoon, which was reproued of &yogh;ou
bildinge, the which is maad into the
heed of the corner;
12 and heelthe is not
in ony othir. Forsoth nethir othir name
is vndir heuene &yogh;ouun to men, in the
which it bihoueth vs to be maad saf.
13 Forsoth thei seynge the stedfastnesse of
Petre and John, founden that thei weren
men with oute lettris, and idiotis, wondriden,
and knewen for thei weren with
Jhesu.
14 And seynge the man stondinge with
hem, that was heelid, thei my&yogh;ten no thing
withseye.
15 Forsoth thei comaundiden hem
for to go forth withoute the counceil.
16 And thei spaken to gidere, seyinge, What
schulen we do to thes men? for sothli the
sygne is maad knowun by hem to alle
men, dwellinge at Jerusalem; it is opyn,
and we mown not denye.
17 But that it be no
more pupplischid into the peple, manase
we to hem, that thei speke no more in
this name to ony of men.
18 And thei clepinge
hem denounsiden, that on no maner
-- --
thei schulden speke, ne teche, in the name
of Jhesu.
19 Forsothe Petre and John answeringe,
seiden to hem, If it be ri&yogh;tful
in the si&yogh;t of God for to heere &yogh;ou rathere
than God, deme &yogh;e.
20 Forsoth we `mown
not not speke the thingis that we han
seyn and herd.
21 And thei manasinge leften
hem, `not fyndynge how thei schulden
ponysche hem, for the peple; for alle men
clarifieden that thing that was don in that
thing that bifel.
22 Forsothe the man was
more than of fourty &yogh;eeris, in `the which
this sygne of heelthe was maad.
23 Forsoth
thei left, camen to hern, and toolden
to hem, how manye thingis the princes
and eldere men seiden to hem.
24 The
whiche whanne thei herden, with oon
herte reysiden voys to the Lord, and
seiden, Lord, thou that madist heuene
and erthe, see, and alle thingis that ben
in hem,
25 the which by the Hooly Gost, by
the mouth of oure fadir Dauith, thi child,
seidist, Whi hethene men wraththiden,
`or beten with teeth to gidere, and peplis
thou&yogh;ten veyn thingis?
26 Kyngis of the erthe
stooden ny&yogh;, and princes camen to gidere
into oon, a&yogh;ens the Lord, and a&yogh;ens his
Crist.
27 For thei camen to gidere verily
in this citee a&yogh;ens thi hooly child Jhesu,
whom thou anoyntidest, Heroude and
Pounce Pilat, with hethene men, and
peplis of Israel,
28 for to do the thingis,
that thin hond and thi counceil demiden
for to be don.
29 And now, Lord, bihold
into the thretingis of hem, and &yogh;yue to
thi seruauntis with al trist for to speke
thi word,
30 in that thing that thou holde
forth thin hond, heelthis and signes and
wondris for to be maad by the name of
thin hooly sone Jhesu.
31 And whanne thei
hadden preied, the place was moued, in
-- --
which thei weren gederid; and alle `ben
fulfillid with the Hooli Gost, and spaken
the word of God with trist.
32 Forsoth of
the multitude of men bileuynge ther was
oon herte and oon soule, `or wille; nethir
ony man seide ony thing `of tho thingis
that he weeldide for to be his owne, but
alle thingis weren comune to hem.
33 And
with greet vertu apostlis &yogh;oldun witnessyng
of the a&yogh;en rysynge of Jhesu Crist
oure Lord, and greet grace was in `alle
hem.
34 Forsoth nethir ony nedy man
was among hem, for how many euere
weren possescioners, `or weelders, of
feeldis or howsis, thei sellynge brou&yogh;ten
to the prices of tho thingis that thei
solden,
35 and puttiden bifore the feet of
apostlis. Forsoth `thei departiden to ech,
as it was nede to ech.
36 Forsoth Joseph,
that is named Barnabas of apostlis, that
is interpretid, the sone of coumfort, a
`dekene,
37 of the kynde of Cypre, whanne
he hadde a feeld, solde it, and brou&yogh;te to
the prijs, and puttide bifore the feet of
apostlis.
CAP. V.
1 Forsoth sum man, Ananye by name,
with Safyra, his wife, seelden a feeld,
and defraudide of the priys,
2 his wyf
gilty, `or witinge. And he bryngynge
sum part, puttide bifore the feet of apostlis.
3 Forsoth Petre seide, Anany, why
hath Sathanas temtid thin herte, thee for
to lye to the Hooly Gost, and for to defraude
of the prijs of the feeld?
4 Wher it
dwellinge dwelte not to thee; and it sold
was in thi power? Whi hast thou put this
thing in thin herte? Thou hast not lyed
-- --
to men, but to God.
5 Forsoth Ananye
heerynge thes wordis felde doun, and
deiede. And greet drede was maad into
alle that herden.
6 Forsoth &yogh;onge men
rysinge mouedyn hym awey, and `berynge
out birieden.
7 Forsothe ther was
maad as the space of thre houris, and the
wyf of him `not knowynge that thing
that was don, `entride yn.
8 Forsothe
Petre answeride to hir, Womman, seye
to me, if &yogh;e solden the feeld for so
moche? And she seide, &YOGH;he, so moche.
9 Forsoth Petre seide to hir, What sothli
`cam to gidere to &yogh;ou, `or acordide, for
to tempte the spirit of the Lord? Lo!
the feet of hem that han biried thin hosebonde
at the dore, and thei schulen bere
thee out.
10 Anoon she felde down at his
feet, and deiede. Forsoth the &yogh;onge men
entrynge founden hir deed, and thei
baren out, and birieden to hir hosebonde.
11 And greet drede is maad in al
the chirche, and into alle that herden thes
thingis.
12 Forsothe by the hondis of apostlis
signes and many wondris ben maad
in the peple. And alle weren `to gidere
in the porche of Salomon.
13 Forsoth no
man of othere durste ioyne him silf with
hem, but the peple magnyfiede hem.
14 Forsoth
the multitude of men and wymmen
bileuynge in the Lord was more encresid,
15 so that into streetis thei brou&yogh;ten out sike
men, and puttiden in litle beddis and
cowchis, that Petre comynge, namely the
schadowe of him schulde schadowe ech of
hem, and thei weren dilyuered fro `al
syknesse.
16 Forsoth the multitude `of
citees ny&yogh; to Jerusalem ran, brynginge
to syk men, and trauelid of vnclene spiritis,
the whiche weren heelid alle.
17 Forsoth
the prince of prestis rysinge, and
-- --
alle that weren with him, that is the
heresye of Saducees, `ben fulfillid with
enuye;
18 and leiden hondis into apostlis,
and puttiden hem in comun kepyng.
19 Forsoth the aungel of the Lord by ny&yogh;te
openynge the &yogh;ate of the prisoun, and
ledinge hem out,
20 seyde, Go &yogh;e, and `&yogh;e
stondinge speke in the temple to the
peple alle the wordis of this lyf.
21 The
whiche whanne thei hadden herd, entriden
erly into the temple, and tau&yogh;ten. Forsoth
the prince of prestis comynge, and
thei that weren with him, clepiden togidere
the counceil, and alle the eldere
men of the sones of Israel; and senten to
the prisoun, that thei schulden be brou&yogh;t
forth.
22 Sothli whanne the mynistris camen,
and, the prisoun openyd, `founden hem
not,
23 thei turned a&yogh;en telden, seiyng,
Forsoth we founden the prisoun schit
with al diligence, and the keperis stondinge
at the &yogh;atis; forsoth we openynge
founden no man ther ynne.
24 Sothli as the
magestratis of the temple, and the princes
of prestis herden these wordis, thei doutiden
`of hem, what `schulde be don.
25 Forsothe sum man `comynge to, tolde
to hem, For lo! tho men whom &yogh;e han
put into prisoun, ben in the temple, stondinge,
and techinge the peple.
26 Thanne the
magestrat wente with mynistris, and
brou&yogh;ten hem to with outen strengthe;
forsoth thei dredden the peple, lest thei
schulden be stooned `to deeth.
27 And
whanne thei hadden brou&yogh;t hem to,
thei ordeyneden in the counceil; and
the princes of prestis axiden hem,
28 seyinge,
In comaundinge we comaundiden
&yogh;ou, that &yogh;e schulden not teche in this
-- --
name, and lo! &yogh;e han fulfillid Jerusalem
with &yogh;oure teching, and &yogh;e wolen brynge
yn on vs the blood of this man.
29 Forsoth
Petre answeringe, and apostlis, seiden, It
bihoueth for to obeye to God, more than
to men.
30 The God of oure fadris reyside
Jhesu, whom &yogh;e slowen, hangynge in a
tree.
31 God enhaunside with his ri&yogh;thond
this prince and sauyour, for to &yogh;yue penaunce
to Israel, and remyscioun of synnes.
32 And we ben witnessis of thes wordis, and
the Hooly Gost, whom God &yogh;af to alle
obeischinge to him.
33 Whanne thei herden
thes thingis, thei weren turmentid, and
thou&yogh;ten for to sle hem.
34 Forsoth sum
man rysinge in the counceil, a Pharise,
Gamaliel by name, a doctour of the lawe,
a worschipful man to al the peple, comaundide
men for to be maad withouteforth
to a schort tyme.
35 And he
seide to hem, &YOGH;e men of Israel, take tent
to &yogh;ou silf on thes men, what &yogh;e be to
doynge.
36 Forsoth bifore thes dayes Theodas
was, seyinge him silf for to be sum
man, to whom a noumbre of men consentide,
aboute foure hundrid; the which is
slayn, and alle whiche euere bileueden to
him, ben disparplid, and brou&yogh;t to nou&yogh;t.
37 Aftir this, Judas Galilee was in tho
dayes of profescioun, and turnede awey
the peple aftir him; and alle how manye
euere consentiden to him, ben scaterid,
and he perischide.
38 And now sothli I
seie to &yogh;ou, departe &yogh;e fro thes men, and
suffre &yogh;e hem; for if it `is of men this
counceil or werk, it schal be vndon;
39 forsothe
if it is of God, &yogh;e mown not vndo
hem. `But suffre &yogh;e hem, lest perauenture
and &yogh;e be foundun for to repugne
-- --
God. Forsoth thei consentiden to him;
and thei clepinge `to gidere apostlis,
40
denounciden to hem betun, that thei
schulde no more speke in the name of
Jhesu, and leften hem.
41 And sothli thei
wenten ioyinge fro the si&yogh;t of the counceil,
for thei ben had worthi for to
suffre dispysing, `or wrong, for the
name of Jhesu.
42 Forsoth ech day thei
ceessiden not in the temple, and aboute
housis, techinge and euangelisynge Jhesu
Crist.
CAP. VI.
1 Forsoth in tho dayes, the noumbre of
disciplis wexynge, grucchinge of Greekis
is maad a&yogh;ens Ebrews, for that the widewis
of hem weren dispisid in euery
daies mynistring.
2 Forsoth the twelue
clepinge to gidere the multitude of disciplis,
seiden, It is not euene thing, `vs
to forsake the word of God, and for to
mynistre to bordis.
3 Therfore, bretheren,
biholde &yogh;e men of &yogh;ou, of good witnessing,
`or fame, seuene, ful of the Hooly
Gost and wysdom, whom we schulen ordeyne
on this werk;
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