Bible (Early Wycliffe)/Tyte

Prolog to þe epiſtle to Tyte

Tyte he counceiliþ, and enformeþ of þe ordynacioun of preſt and of ſpiritual conuerſacioun, and of heretikis to be auoydid, þe whiche bileuen in Jewis wrytinge; he writiþ fro Nicopolis.

Here endiþ þe prolog, and bigynneþ þe epiſtle to Tyte.

Capitulum I.

Poul, þe ſeruaunt of God, apoſtle of Jheſu Criſt, vp þe feiþ of þe choſene of God, and knowynge of þe treuþe, þe which is vp pite, in hope of euere laſtyng lyf, þat God bihiȝte, þat lyeþ not, bifore worldly tymes; forſoþ he ſchewide in his tymes his word, or ſone, in preching, þat is bitakyn to me vp þe comaundement of oure ſauyour God, to Tyte, biloued ſone vp þe comun feiþ, grace and pees of God þe fadir, and of Criſt Jheſu, oure ſauyour. For grace, or cauſe, of þis þing I lefte þee at Crete, þat þou amende þo þingis þat faylen, and ordeyne by cytees preſtis, as and I diſpoſide to þee. If ony man is wiþouten cryme, or greet ſynne, houſbonde of o wyf, hauynge feiþful ſones, not in accuſacioun of leccherie, or not ſuget. Forſoþ it bihoueþ a biſchop for to be wiþoute crime, as diſpendour of God, not proud, not wraþful, not vynolent, þat is, moche ȝouun to wyn, not ſmytere, not coueitous of foul wynnynge; but holdinge hoſpitalite, benygne, prudent, ſobre, iuſt, hooly, contynent, biclippyng þat trewe word, þat is vp doctryn; þat he be myȝti for to amoneſte in hoolſum teching, and to reproue hem þat aȝen ſeyn. Forſoþ þer ben manye vnobedient, and veyn ſpekeris, and diſceyuers, mooſt þei þat ben of circumciſioun, whom it bihoueþ for to be reprouyd; þe whiche ſubuerten alle houſis, teching whiche þingis it bihoueþ not, for grace, or loue, of foul wynnyng. Summe oon of hem, þe propre prophete of hem, ſeide, Men of Crete euermore lyeris, yuel beeſtis, ſlow of wombe. Þis witneſſing is trewe. For what cauſe blame hem ſore, þat þei be hool in feiþ, not ȝyuynge tent to fablis of Jewis, and to maundementis of men, turnynge hem awey fro treuþe. Soþeli alle þingis ben clene to clene men; forſoþ to vnclene men and vnfeiþful no þing is clene, but and þe ſoule, or reſoun, and conſcience of hem ben maad vnclene. Þei knowlechen hem for to haue knowe God, forſoþ by dedis þei denyen; whanne þei ben abomynable, and vnbylueful, and reprouable to al good werk.

Capitulum II.

Forſoþe ſpeke þou þe þingis þat bicomen hoolſum teching; þat olde men be ſobre, chaſt, prudent, hool in feiþ, in loue, and pacience; alſo olde wymmen in hooly habite, not bacbiteris, or ſeyinge fals blame on oþere men, not ſeruynge moche to wyn, wel techinge, þat þei teche prudence; ȝonge wymmen, þat þei loue her houſebondis, þat þei loue ſones; þei prudent, chaſt, ſobre, hauynge cure of þe hous, benyngne, ſuget to her houſebondis, þat þe word of God be not blasfemyd. Alſo moneſte ȝonge men, þat þei be ſobre. In alle þingis ȝyue þi ſilf enſaumple of good werkis, in teching, in hoolneſſe, wiþoute ſclaundre, in ſadneſſe. An hool word, vnreprouable; þat he þat is on þat oþir ſyde, be aſchamed, or aferd, hauynge noon yuel þing for to ſeye of ȝou. Seruauntis, for to be ſuget to her lordis; in alle þingis pleſinge, not aȝen ſeiynge, not defraudinge, but in alle þingis ſchewynge good feiþ, þat þei ourne in alle þingis þe doctryn of oure ſauyour God. Forſoþ þe grace of God, oure ſauyour, haþ apperid to alle men, techinge, or lernynge, vs, þat we, forſakynge vnpite, and worldly deſyris, lyue ſobreli, and iuſtli, and piteuouſly, in þis world, abidinge þe bleſſide hope and þe comynge of þe glorie of greet God, and oure ſauyour Jheſu Criſt; þat ȝaf hym ſilf for vs, þat he ſchulde aȝen bye vs fro al wickidneſſe, and made clene a peple acceptable to him ſilf, ſuere of good werkis. Speke þou þeſe þingis, and moneſte, and arguwe, or proue, or reproue, wiþ al comaundement, or hardyneſſe; no man diſpiſe þee.

Capitulum III.

Amoneſte, or comaunde, hem, for to be ſugettis to princes, and poweris; for to obeiſche to ſeyinge, for to be redy to al good werk; for to blasfeme no man, for to be not litygious, or ful of chiding, but temperaunt, or pacient, ſchewinge al myldeneſſe to alle men. Forſoþ and we weren ſum tyme vnwyſe, vnbileueful, erringe, and ſeruynge to deſyris, and dyuerſe voluptees, in malice and enuye doynge, hateful, or worþi for to be hatid, hatynge to gidere. Forſoþ whanne þe benygnyte, and humanite, or manhed, of oure ſauyour God apperide, not of workis of riȝtwyſneſſe þat we diden, but vp his mercy he made vs ſaaf, by waiſchynge, or baptym, of aȝen bigetyng, and aȝen newyng of þe Hooly Goſt, whom he ſchedde out in to vs plenteuouſly by Jheſu Criſt, oure ſauyour, þat we iuſtifyed bi his grace, be eyris vp hope of euerlaſtyng lyf. A trewe word is, and of þes þingis I wole þee for to conferme oþere men, þat þei þat bileuen to God, curen, or do biſyneſſe, for to be bifore in goode werkis. Þes þingis ben goode and profitable to men. Forſoþ eſchewe þou foltiſche queſtiouns, and genelogies, and ſtryues, and fiȝtingis of þe lawe; forſoþ þei ben vnprofitable and veyn. Schonye þou a man heretyk, aftir oon and þe ſecunde coreccioun, or correpcioun, or reprouyng; witinge for he þat is ſuch maner man is ſubuertid, and treſpaſſiþ, dampned bi his owne dom. Soþli whanne I ſchal ſende to þee Arteman, or Tytik, hyȝe, or haſte, þou for to come to me to Nicopolis; forſoþ I haue purpoſid for to dwelle in winter þer. Biſily ſende bifore Zenam, a wyſe man of lawe, and Apollo, þat no þing fayle to hem. Forſoþe and oure men lerne for to be bifore in good werkis, to neceſſarie vſes, þat þei be not vnfruytouſe. Alle men þat ben wiþ me greeten þee wel. Greete þou wel hem, þat louen vs in feiþ. Þe grace of God wiþ ȝou alle. Amen.

Here endiþ þe epiſtle to Tyte, and bygynneþ þe prolog to Filomon.