The Colocenſis Prolouge edit
Colocenſis alſo þes as Laodicenſis ben men of Aſye, and þei weren forgon of falſe apoſtlis. And to þes þe apoſtle cam not him ſelf, but þes alſo he corectiþ by his piſtle; þei hadden herd ſoþli þe word of treuþe of Archippis, þe which took myniſterie into hem. Þerfore þe apoſtle, þennis boundyn, writiþ to hem fro Effecie bi Tyte, a dekene, and Honeſym, acolite.
Here endeþ þe prologe.
Capitulum I. edit
Poul, apoſtle of Criſt Jheſu, by þe wille of God, and Tymoþe, broþer, to hem þat ben at Coloſe, hooly and feiþful briþeren in Criſt Jheſu, grace to ȝou and pees of God oure fadir and of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt. We don þankingis to God, and þe fadir of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, euermore for ȝou preiynge, we heeringe ȝoure feiþ in Criſt Jheſu, and þe loue þat ȝe han into alle hooly men, for þe hope þat is kept to ȝou in heuenes. Þe which ȝe herden in þe word of treuþe of þe goſpel, þat cam to ȝou, as and it is in al þe world, and makiþ fruyt, and wexiþ, as in ȝou, of þat day in which ȝe herden and knewen þe grace in treuþe. As ȝe lerneden of Epaphras, oure euene ſeruaunt mooſt dereworþe, þe which is a trewe myniſtre of Jheſu Criſt for ȝou; þe which alſo ſchewide to vs ȝoure louyng in ſpirit. Þerfore and we fro þe day in which we herden, ceeſſen not for ȝou preiynge, and axynge, þat ȝe be fulfilled wiþ þe knowynge of his will in al wyſdom and gooſtly vndirſtondyng; þat ȝe walke worþily to God by alle pleſynge þingis, makinge fruit in al good werk, and wexynge in þe ſcience of God, in al vertu comfortid vp þe myȝt of his cleerneſſe, in al pacience and long abidinge wiþ ioye, doynge þankingis to God þe fadir, þe which made vs worþi in to þe part of ſort of hooly men in liȝt. Þe which delyuerede vs fro þe power of derkneſſis, and tranſlatide into þe kyngdom of þe ſone of his louynge, in whom we han aȝenbyinge and remyſcioun of ſynnes. Þe which is þe ymage of God inuyſible, þat may not be ſeyn, þe firſte bigetun of ech creature. For in hym alle þingis ben maad, in heuenes and in erþe, viſyble and inuiſyble, eþer trones, eþer domynaciouns, eþir principatis, eþer poteſtates, alle þingis ben maad of noȝt by him, and in him, and he is bifore alle, and alle þingis ben in hym. And he is heed of þe body of þe chirche; þe which is þe bigynnynge, or þe firſte þing of alle, and þe firſte bigetun of deede men, þat he be holdinge primacie, or þe firſte dignyte, in alle þingis. For in hym it pleſide to gidere al plente for to inhabite, and by him alle þingis for to be reconſylid in to hym, he peſynge by þe blood of his croſſ, eþer þo þingis þat ben in erþis, eþer þat ben in heuenes. And whanne ȝe weren ſum tyme aliened, or maad ſtraunge, and enemyes by witt in yuel werkis, now forſoþe he haþ recouncilid ȝou in þe body of his fleiſch bi deeþ, for to haue ȝou hooly, and vnwemmid, and wiþ oute reprof bifore hym. If neþelees ȝe dwellen in þe feiþ, foundid, and ſtable, and vnmouable fro þe hope of þe goſpel þat ȝe han herd, þe which is prechid in al creature þat is vndir heuene. Of which I Poul am maad myniſtre, þe which now I haue ioye in paſſiouns for ȝou, and fulfille þo þingis þat faylen of þe paſſiouns of Criſt in my fleiſch, for his body, þat is þe chirche. Of þe which I Poul am maad myniſtre, or ſeruaunt, vp þe diſpenſacioun of God, þat is ȝouun to me in ȝou, þat I fulfille þe word of God, þe myſterie, or priuete, þat was hid fro worldis and generaciouns. Now forſoþ it is ſchewid to his ſeyntis, to whom God wolde make þe richeſſis knowun of þe glorie of þis ſacrament in heþen men, þat is Criſt in ȝou, þe hope of glorie. Whom we ſchewen, reprouynge ech man, and techinge ech man in al wyſdom, þat we ȝyuen ech man parfyt in Criſt Jheſu. In which þing and I trauele, ſtryuynge vp þe worchinge of him, þat he worchiþ in me in vertu.
Capitulum II. edit
Soþli I wole ȝou for to wite, what biſyneſſe I haue for ȝou, and for hem þat ben at Laodice, and whiche euere ſayen not my face in fleiſch, þat þe hertis of hem be comfortid, þei tauȝt in charite, and in to alle richeſſis of plente of vndirſtonding, into þe knowyng of myſterie of God, þe fadir of Jheſu Criſt, in whom ben al þe treſours hid of wyſdom and ſcience. Forſoþ þis þing I ſeie, þat no man diſceyue ȝou in hiȝþe of wordis. Forwhi and if I be abſent in body, but by ſpirit I am wiþ ȝou, ioyinge and ſeinge ȝoure ordre and þe ſadneſſe of þat ȝoure bileue þat is in Criſt. Þerfore as ȝe han takun Jheſu Criſt oure Lord, walke ȝe in hym, ȝe rootid and byldid aboue in Criſt, and confermyd in þe bileue, as and ȝe han lerud, haboundinge in hym in doynge of þankyngis. Se ȝe þat no man diſſeyue ȝou by philoſofye and veyn fallace, or gilouſe falſhede, vp þe tradicioun of men, vp elementis of þis world, and not vp Criſt. For in hym dwelliþ bodilich al plente of Godhede. And ȝe ben fulfillid in him, þat is heed of al principat and power. In whom and ȝe ben circumſidid in circumciſioun not maad wiþ hond, in nakidneſſe of þe body of fleiſch, but in circumciſioun of Criſt; to gidere biryed to hym in baptym, in whom and ȝe han riſun aȝen by feiþ of þe worching of God, þat reyſide hym fro deede men. And whanne ȝe weren deede in giltis, and in þe prepucie of ȝoure fleiſch, he quykenyde to gidere ȝou wiþ hym; forȝyuynge to ȝou alle giltis, or treſpaſſis, doynge awey þat wryting of decree, or dom, þat was aȝens ȝou, þat was contrarie to ȝou; and he took þat fro þe myddel, picchinge it to þe croſſ, ſpoylinge princepatis and poweris, led out triſtily, openly ouercomynge hem in him ſilf. Þerfore no man iuge ȝou in mete, or drynke, or in part of feeſte day, or neomenye, or of ſabotis, þe whiche ben ſchadowe of þingis to come; forſoþ þe body is of Criſt. No man diſſeyue ȝou, willinge in mekeneſſe, and religioun of aungels, þe whiche þingis he haþ not ſeyn, walkynge veynly; ynblowyn wiþ witt of his fleiſch, and not holdynge þe heed, of which al þe body, by bondis and ioynyngis to gidere vndirmyniſtrid and maad, wexiþ into þe encreeſſyng of God. Forſoþe if ȝe ben deede wiþ Criſt fro þe elementis of þis worlde, what ȝit as men lyuynge to þe world deme ȝe? Neþer ȝe ſchulen touche, neþer taſte, neþer trete wiþ hondis þo þingis, þe which alle ben into deeþ by þe ilke vſſ, vp preceptis and techingis of men; þe whiche ben ſoþeli hauynge reſoun of wyſdom in ſuperſticioun, or veyn religioun, or honour, and mekeneſſe, and not for to ſpare þe body, not in ony honour to þe fulneſſe of fleiſch.
Capitulum III. edit
Therfore if ȝe han riſun to gidere wiþ Criſt, ſeke ȝe þo þingis þat be aboue, where Criſt is ſittinge in þe riȝþalf of God. Sauere, or vndirſtonde, ȝe þo þingis þat ben aboue, not þo þat ben vpon þe erþe. Forſoþ ȝe ben deede, and ȝoure lyf is hid wiþ Criſt in God. Forſoþe whanne Criſt ſchal appere, ȝoure lyf, þanne and ȝe ſchulen appeere wiþ him in glorie. Þerfore ſle ȝe ȝoure membris, þe whiche ben on þe erþe, fornycacioun, vnclenneſſe, leccherie, yuel couetyſe, and auarice, þe which is ſeruage of ſymylacris; for whiche þingis þe wraþþe of God cam vpon þe ſones of vnbileue; in þe whiche and ȝe walkiden ſumtyme, whanne ȝe lyueden in hem. Now forſoþ and ȝe putte awey alle þingis, wraþþe, indignacioun, malice, blasfemye, foul word of ȝoure mouþ. Nyle ȝe lyie, or gabbe, to gidere, ſpulinge þe olde man wiþ his deedis, and cloþinge þe newe man, þat is maad newe aȝen into þe knowynge of God, vp þe ymage of him þat maad hym; wher is not male and female, heþen man and Jew, circumciſioun and prepucie, barbar and Scita, ſeruaunt, or þral, and fre man, but alle þingis and in alle þingis Criſt. Þerfore cloþe ȝou, as þe choſun of God, and hooly, and þe loued of God, þe entrailis of mercy, benygnite, and mekeneſſe, temperaunce, and pacience; ſupportinge, or beringe vp to gidere, and ȝyuynge to ȝou ſilf, if ony man aȝens any haþ querel, or pleynt; as and þe Lord Criſt ȝaf to ȝou, ſo and ȝe. Forſoþ vpon alle þes þingis haue ȝe charite, þat is þe bond of perfeccioun. And þe pees of Criſt enioye in ȝoure hertis, in þe which and ȝe ben clepid in o body, and be ȝe kynde, or fre of goodwill or ȝifte. Þe word of Criſt dwelle in ȝou plenteuouſly, in al wyſdom, techinge and moneſtinge ȝou ſilf in ſalmes, and ymnes, and ſpiritual ſongis, in grace ſyngynge in ȝoure hertis to þe Lord. Al þing, what euere þing ȝe don, in word or in dede, alle þingis in þe name of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt, doynge þankyngis to God þe fadir by hym. Wymmen, be ȝe ſuget to ȝoure houſbondis, as it bihoueþ in þe Lord. Men, loue ȝe ȝoure wyues, and nyle ȝe be bitter to hem. Sones, obeye ȝe to fadir and modir by alle þingis; forſoþe þis is wel pleſynge to þe Lord. Fadris, nyle ȝe terre ȝoure ſones to indignacioun, þat þei be not maad of litel ynwitt, or reſoun. Seruauntis, obeye ȝe by alle þingis to fleiſchly lordis, not ſeruynge at yȝe, as pleſynge to men, but in ſympleneſſe of herte, dredinge þe Lord. What euere ȝe don, worche ȝe of ynwitt, as to þe Lord and not to men; witinge þat of þe Lord ȝe ſchulen take retribucioun, or ȝeldinge aȝen, of heritage. Serue ȝe to þe Lord Criſt. Forſoþ he þat doþ iniurie, or wrong, ſchal reſſeyue þat þat he dide yuele; and accepcioun of perſoones is not anentis God.
Capitulum IIII. edit
Lordis, þat þat is iuſt and euene ȝyue ȝe to ſeruauntis, witinge þat and ȝe han a Lord in heuene. Be ȝe biſy to preier, wakinge in it, in doyngis of þankyngis; preiynge to gidere and for vs, þat God opene to vs þe dore of word, for to ſpeke þe myſterie of Criſt; for which alſo I am boundun, þat I ſchewe it, ſo as it bihoueþ me for to ſpeke. In wyſdom walke ȝe to hem þat ben wiþoute forþ, aȝen byynge tyme. Ȝoure word be ſauerid in ſalt, þat is, wyſdom, euermore in grace; þat ȝe wite, hou it bihoueþ ȝou for to anſwere to ech man. Titicus, mooſt dere broþer, and feiþful mynyſtre, and euene ſeruaunt in þe Lord, ſchal make alle þingis knowun to ȝou, þat ben aboute me. Whom I ſente to ȝou to þis ſame þing, þat he knowe what þingis ben aboute ȝou, and comforte ȝoure hertis, wiþ Oneſyme, mooſt dere and feiþful broþer, þe which is of ȝou; þe which ſchal make alle þingis þat ben don here, knowun to ȝou. Ariſtark, myne euene caytyf, or priſoner wiþ me, greetiþ ȝou wel, and Mark, þe coſyn of Barnabas, of whom ȝe han take maundementis; if he ſchal come to ȝou, reſceyue ȝe him; and Jheſus, þat is ſeid Juſt; þe whiche ben of circumciſioun; þei aloone ben myne helperis in þe kingdom of God, þat weren to me in ſolace. Epaphras, þat is of ȝou, þe ſeruaunt of Jheſu Criſt, greetiþ ȝou wel; euere biſy for ȝou in preieris, þat ȝe ſtonde perfyt and ful in al þe wyll of God. Soþli I bere witneſſyng to him, þat he haþ moche trauel for ȝou, and for hem þat ben at Laodice, and þat ben at Ierepolym. Luk, leche mooſt dere, and Demas, greeten ȝou wel. Greetiþ ȝe wel þe briþeren þat ben at Laodice, and Nympham, and þe chirche þat is in his hous. And whanne þis piſtle ſchal be rad at ȝou, do ȝe, þat it be rad in þe chirche of Laodicencis; and þat þat is of Laodicenſis be rad at ȝou. And ſeie ȝe to Archyp, Se þe myniſterie, þat þou haſt takun of þe Lord, þat þou fulfille it. My ſalutacioun, by þe hond of Poul. Be ȝe myndeful of my boondis. Þe grace of þe Lord Jheſu be wiþ ȝou. Amen.
Here endiþ þe epiſtle to Colocenſis, and bigynneþ þe prolog.