Þe prologe in Þe ſecunde piſtle to Þe Teſſalonycenſis edit
To Teſſalonycenſis þe apoſtle wrytiþ þe ſecunde piſtle, and makiþ knowe to hem of þe laſte tymes, and of þe diſtruccioun of þe aduerſarie, þat is, anticriſt; wrytinge þis piſtle from Aþenys by Titicus, a dekene, and Honeſym, a colyt.
Here endiþ þe prolog, and bigynneþ þe ſecunde piſtle to Teſſalonycenſis.
Capitulum I. edit
Poul, and Siluan, and Tymoþe, to þe chirche of Teſſalonycenſis, in God oure fadir, and in þe Lord Jheſu Criſt, grace to ȝou and pees of God, oure fadir, and of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt. We ſchullen, or owen, do þankyngis euermore to God for ȝou, briþeren, ſo as it is worþi, for ȝoure feiþ ouerwexiþ, and þe charite of ech of ȝou to gidere haboundiþ. So þat we ſilf glorien in ȝou in þe chirchis of God, for ȝoure pacience and feiþ in alle ȝoure perſecuciouns and tribulaciouns. Þe whiche ȝe ſuſteynen into þe enſaumple of þe iuſt dom of God, þat ȝe be had worþi in þe kyngdom of God, for which and ȝe ſuffren. If neþeles it is iuſt at God for to quyte ȝeldyng to hem þat trublen ȝou, and to ȝou þat ben trublid, reſte wiþ vs in þe ſchewinge of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt fro heuene, wiþ aungels of his vertu, in þe flawme of fyer, ȝyuynge veniaunce to hem þat knewen not God, and þat obeyen not to þe euangelie of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt. Þe whiche ſchulen ȝyue, or ſuffre, euere laſtinge peynes, in periſching fro þe face of þe Lord, and fro þe glorie of his vertu, whanne he ſchal come for to be glorified in his ſeyntis, and for to be maad wondirful in alle men þat bileueden, for oure witneſſyng is bileued on ȝoun, in þat day. In which þing alſo we preien euermore for ȝou, þat oure God foucheſaf for to clepe ȝou in his clepyng, and fulfille al þe wille of his goodneſſe, and þe werk of feiþ in vertu; þat þe name of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt be clarified in ȝou, and ȝe in it, vp þe grace of oure God, and of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt.
Capitulum II. edit
Forſoþe, briþeren, we preien ȝou by þe comynge of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, and oure congregacioun into þe ſame þing, þat ȝe be not moued ſoone fro ȝoure witt, neþer be agaſt, neþir bi ſpirit, neþir by word, neþer by epiſtle as ſent by vs, as þe day of þe Lord be nyȝ. Þat no man diſceyue ȝou in ony maner. For no but departyng awey, or diſſencioun, ſchal come firſt, and þe man of ſynne ſchal be ſchewid, þe ſone of perdicioun, þat is aduerſarie, and is enhaunſid vpon al þing þat is ſeid God, or þat is worſchipid, ſo þat he ſitte in þe temple, or into þe temple, of God, ſchewinge him ſilf as he be God. Wher ȝe holden not, þat ȝit whanne I was at ȝou, I ſeide þes þingis to ȝou? And now what wiþholdiþ, ȝe witen, þat he be ſchewid in his tyme. Forwhi þe myſterie, or priuyte, of wickidneſſe worchiþ now; oonly þat he þat holdiþ now, holde, til it be maad of þe myddel. And þanne þe ilke wickid man ſchal be ſchewid, whom þe Lord Jheſu ſchal ſle wiþ þe ſpirit of his mouþ, and ſchal diſtroye wiþ þe illumynyng, or ſchynyng, of his comyng. Jheſus ſchal ſle him, whos comyng is vp þe worching of Saþanas, in al vertu, and ſignes, and grete wondris, lyinge, or fals, and in al diſſeit of wickidneſſe, to hem þat periſchen. For þat þei reſceyueden not þe charite of treuþe, þat þei ſchulden be maad ſaaf. Þerfore God ſchal ſende to hem a worching of errour, þat þei bileue to leſſyng, or gabbyng, þat alle be demyd, or dampned, þe whiche bileueden not to treuþe, but conſentiden to wickidneſſe. Forſoþ we owen for to do þankingis euermore to God for ȝou, ȝe breþeren loued of God, þat God chees vs primyſſis, or firſte fruytis, into heelþe, in halowyng of ſpirit and feiþ of treuþe; in þe which and he clepide ȝou by oure goſpel, into getynge of þe glorie of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt. And ſo, briþeren, ſtonde ȝe, and holde ȝe þe tradiciouns, or techingis, þat ȝe han lerud, eþir by word, eþir by oure piſtle. Forſoþe oure Lord Jheſu Criſt him ſilf, and God and oure fadir, þe which louede ȝou, and ȝaf euerlaſting comfort and good hope in grace, ſtirre, or moneſte, ȝoure hertis, and conferme in al werk and good word.
Capitulum III. edit
Briþeren, hennis forþward preie ȝe for vs, þat þe word of God renne, and be clarified, as and anentis ȝou; and þat we be delyuered fro vncouenable, or noyous, and yuele men; ſoþli feiþ is not of alle men. Forſoþ þe Lord is trewe, þat ſchal conferme vs, and ſchal kepe fro yuel. Soþli, briþeren, we triſten of ȝou in þe Lord, for what euere þingis we bydden, and ȝe don and ſchulen don. Forſoþ þe Lord dreſſe ȝoure hertis, in þe charite of God, and pacience of Criſt. Forſoþe, briþeren, we denouncen to ȝou in þe name of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, þat ȝe wiþdrawe ȝou fro ech broþer wandrynge vnordynatly, or aȝens good ordre, and not vp þe tradicioun, þat þei reſceyueden of vs. Soþli ȝe ȝe ſilf witen, how it bihoueþ for to ſue vs. For we weren not inquyet, or reſte, or in peſyble, among ȝou, neþer frely, or wiþoute oure owne traueil, we eeten breed of ony man, but in trauel and weryneſſe nyȝt and day worchinge, þat we greueden noon of ȝou. Not as we hadden not power, but þat we ſchulden ȝyue vs ſilf a foorme, or enſaumple, for to ſue vs. Forwhi and whanne we weren anentis ȝou, þis þing we denounſiden, or warneden, to ȝou, for if ony man wole not worche, neþer ete he. Soþli we han herd ſumme among ȝou for to wandre inquyet, or reſte, or in peſibli, no þing worchinge, but doynge curiouſly. Forſoþ we denounſen to hem þat ben ſiche maner men, and biſechen in þe Lord Jheſu Criſt, þat þei wiþ ſilenſe, or ſtilneſſe, worchinge, ete her owne breed. Forſoþe nyle ȝe, briþeren, fayle wel doynge in Criſt Jheſu oure Lord. Þat if ony man ſchal not obeie to oure word by epiſtle, marke ȝe hym, and comune ȝe not wiþ him, þat he be confoundid, or ſchamed; and nyle ȝe geſſe hym as an enemy, but reproue ȝe him as a broþer. Forſoþe þe ilke God of pees ȝyue to ȝou euerlaſtyng pees in al place. Þe Lord be wiþ alle ȝou. My ſalutacioun by þe hond of Poul; þat is ſigne in ech epiſtle. I write þus. Þe grace of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt be wiþ alle ȝou. Amen.
Here endiþ þe ſecunde piſtle to Teſſalonycenſis, and bigynneþ þe prolog to þe firſte piſtle to Tymoþe.