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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Prologe.
Jon, the apostil and euangelist of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, chosen and loued, in so
gret loue of dileccioun is had, that in the cene on his brest he shulde lyn, and at
the cros he hadde bitaken his owne modir to hym stondende alone, that whom willende
to be weddid to the cleping of maidenhed he hadde clepid, to hym also he
shulde han bitake a maiden to be kept. This also, whan for the word of God and
the witnesse of Jhesu Crist with outlaweri shulde be born in to the ile of Pathmos,
there of the same the Apocalips forth shewid was writen, that as in the bigynnyng
of canon, that is, of the bok of Genesis, an vncoruptible principle is fornotid, so an
vncoruptible ende bi a maiden in the Apocalips shulde be &yogh;oue of Crist, seiende, I am
alfa and oo, bygynnyng and ending. This is Jon, the whiche knowende the dai of
passing fro bodi to han becomen to hym, his disciplis in Effesy clepid togidere, wente
doun in to a delf place of his birielis, and, pre&yogh;eere fullfild, he &yogh;eld the gost, as wel
fro the sorewe of deth made straunge, as fro corupcioun of flesh he is knowen alyen.
Of whose scripture netheles the `disposing, or the ordynaunce, of the boc `therfore of
vs bi alle thingis is not expowned, that to men not knowende desyr of seching be set,
and to men sechende frut of trauaile, and to God the doctrine of maisterhed be kept.
Here endith the prologe, and bygynneth the Apocalips.
Here bigynneth the prolog on the Apocalips.
Alle men that wolen lyue mekeli in Crist, as the apostle seith, suffren persecucioun;
aftir that, thou sone, that nei&yogh;est to the seruyce of God, stonde thou in
ri&yogh;twisnesse, and in drede, and make redi thi soule to temptacioun. For temptacioun
is a mannus lijf on the erthe. But that feithful men faile not in hem, the Lord
coumfortith hem, and confermeth, seiynge, Y am with &yogh;ou `vn to the ende of the
-- --
world; and, Litil flok, nyle &yogh;e drede. Therfor God the Fadir, seynge the tribulaciouns
whiche hooli chirche was to suffre, that was foundid of the apostlis on Crist
the stoon, disposid with the Sone and the Hooli Goost to schewen hem, that me
dredde hem the lesse. And al the Trinyte schewide it Crist in his manhed, and
Crist to Joon bi an aungel, and Joon to hooli chirche; of which reuelacioun Joon
made this book. Wherfore this book is seid Apocalips, that is to seie, Reuelacioun,
for here it is conteyned that God schewide to Joon, and Joon to hooli chirche, hou
grete thingis hooli chirche suffride in the firste tyme, and now suffrith, and schal
suffre in the laste tymes of Antecrist; whanne tribulacioun schal be so greet, that
if it mowe be, thei that ben chosun, ben meuyd; and whiche meedis sche schal
resseyue for these tribulaciouns, now and tyme to come, that meedis that ben
bihote maken hem glad, whom the tribulaciouns that ben teld makith aferd. Therfor
this book among othere scripturis of the Newe Testament is clepid bi the name
of prophecie; and it is more excellent than prophetis. For as the Newe Testament
is worthier than the Olde, and the gospel than the lawe, so this prophesie passith
the profecies of the Olde Testament, for it schewith sacramentis, that ben now a
parti fulfillid of Crist, and of hooli chirche. Or ellis, for to othere is oon maner prophecie,
but to this is thre maner prophecie &yogh;eue togidre, that is, of that that is passid,
and of that that is present, and of that that is to come. And to conferme the autorite
of it, ther cometh the autorite of hym that sendeth, and of hym that berith, and
of hym that resseyueth. He that sendith, is the Trynite; he that berith, the
aungel; he that resseyueth, Joon. But whanne these thingis ben schewid to Joon
in visioun, and ther ben thre kyndis of visiouns, it is to seen vndur which kynde
this be conteyned. For sum visioun is bodili, as whanne we seen eny thing with
bodili i&yogh;en; sum is spiritual, or ymaginarie, as whanne we seen slepinge, or ellis
wakinge we biholden the ymagis of thingis, bi whiche sum other thing is signefied;
as Farao slepinge si&yogh; eeris of corn, and Moyses wakinge si&yogh; the buisch brenne. Anothir
visioun is of vndirstonding, as whanne thoru&yogh; reuelacioun of the Hooli Goost,
thoru&yogh; vndirstonding of thou&yogh;t, we conseyuen the treuthe of mysteries; as Joon sau&yogh;
tho thingis, that ben conteyned in this book. For not oneli he sau&yogh; in spirit the
figuris, but also he vndirstode in thou&yogh;t the thingis that weren signyfied bi hem.
Joon sau&yogh;, and wroot in the yle of Pathmos, whanne he was exilid of Domitian, the
most wickid prince; and a cause compellide hym to write. For while he was holdun
in outlawerie of Domycian, in the ile of Pathmos, in the chirchis, that he hadde
gouerned, ther were spronge many vices and dyuerse heresies. For there weren
summe heretikis there, that seiden, that Crist was not tofore Marie, for as myche as
he was in tyme borun of hir; whiche heretikis Joon in the bigynnyng of his gospel,
vndurnymmeth, and seith, In the bigynnyng was the Sone; and in this book whanne
he seith, Y am alpha and oo, that is, the bigynnyng and the ende. Summe also
seiden, that hooli chirche schulde ende tofore the ende of the world, for charge of
tribulaciouns, and that it schulde not vndurfonge for her traueile euerlastinge mede.
Therfor Joon wilnynge to distruye the errouris of these, schewith that Crist was
-- --
bigynnyng and ende. Wherfor Isaie seith, To for me was no God fourmed, and
after me ther schal not be. And that hooli chirche thorru&yogh; exercise of tribulaciouns,
schal not be endid, but schal profite, and for hem resseyuen an euerlastinge meede.
Joon writith to the seuene chirchis of Asie, and to her seuene bischopis of the
forseid thingis; enfourmynge and techinge bi hem al the general hooli chirche. And
so the mater of Joon in this werk is speciali of the chirche of Asie, and also of al
hooli chirche, what sche schal suffre in this present tyme, and what sche schal
vndurfonge in tyme to come. And his entent is to stire to pacience, which is to be
kept; for the traueile is schort, and the meede grete. The maner of his tretyng is
suche; firste he sette bifor a prolog, and a salutacioun, wher he makith the hereris
benygne, and takynge wel tente. And whanne he hath sette it `to fore, he cometh
to the telling; but `to fore his telling he schewith that Crist is euere with oute
bigynnyng and with outen ende, rehersynge hym that spekith, Y am alpha and oo,
bigynnyng and ende. Aftirward he cometh to his telling, and departith it in to
seuene visiouns; and whanne thei ben endid, this book is endid. He settith `to fore
the prolog, and seith, The Apocalips of Jhesus Crist; vndurstonde, that this is, as
it is in other, the Visioun of Ysaye, and also the Parablis of Salomon.
Jerom in his prologe on the Apocalips seith this.
Heere bigynneth the Apocalips.
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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