Romans · Chapter 13

[ edit] Euery ſoule, or lyuynge man, be ſuget to hiȝer poweris. Forſoþ þere is not power no but of God; ſoþli þo þingis þat ben of God, ben ordeyned. And ſo he þat aȝen ſtondiþ power, aȝen ſtondiþ þe ordynaunce of God; forſoþ þei þat aȝenſtonden, getiþ to hem ſilf dampnacioun. Forwhi princis ben not to þe drede of good werk, but of yuel. Soþli wilt þou not drede power? Do þou good þing, and þou ſchalt haue preyſyng of it; forſoþ he is þe mynyſtre of God to þee into good. Soþli if þou doiſt yuel þing, drede þou; for not wiþoute cauſe he beriþ þe ſwerd, for he is þe myniſtre of God, vengere into wraþþe to him þat doþ yuel þing.

And þerfore by nede be ȝe ſuget, not oonly for wraþþe, but and for conſcience. Soþli þerfore and ȝe ȝyuen tributis, þei ben þe myniſtris of God, for þis ſame þing ſeruynge. Þerfore ȝelde ȝe to alle men dettis, to whom tribut, tribut, to whom tol, or cuſtom for þingis borun aboute, tol, or ſuch cuſtom, to whom drede, drede, to whom honour, honour. To no man owe ȝe ony þing, no but þat ȝe loue to gidere. Soþli he þat loueþ his neiȝbore, haþ fulfillid þe lawe.

Forwhy, Þou ſchalt do no leccherie, Þou ſchalt not ſle, Þou ſchalt not ſtele, Þou ſchalt not ſeye fals witneſſinge, Þou ſchalt not coueite þe þing of þi neiȝbore, and if þere be ony oþir maundement, it is inſtorid, or encloſid, in þis word, Þou ſchalt loue þi neiȝbore as þi ſilf. Þe loue of þi neiȝbore worchiþ not yuel; þerfore loue is þe plente, or fulfillinge, of þe lawe. And we witinge þis tyme, for hour is now, vs for to ryſe of ſlepe; ſoþli now oure heelþe is neer, þan whanne we bileueden. Þe nyȝt wente byfore, forſoþe þe day ſchal neiȝe. Þerfore caſte we awey þe workis of derkneſſis, and be we cloþid wiþ þe armeris of liȝt.

As in day wandre we honeſtly, not in ofte etyngis and drynkyngis, not in couchis and vnchaſtitees, not in ſtryf and in enuye; but be ȝe cloþid in þe Lord Jheſu Criſt, and do ȝe not cure, or biſyneſſe, of fleiſch in deſyris.