Galatians · Chapter 4

[ edit] I ſeye forſoþe, how moche tyme þe eyr is litil, he dyuerſiþ no þing fro a ſeruaunt, whanne he is lord of alle; but he is vndir tutouris and actouris, til to þe tyme determyned of þe fadir. So and we, whanne we weren litile, weren ſeruynge vndir þe elementis of þe world. But where þe plente of tyme cam, God ſente his ſone, maad of a womman, maad vndir þe lawe, þat he ſchulde aȝenbye hem þat weren vndir þe lawe, þat we ſchulde reſceyue þe adopcioun of ſones. Forſoþ for ȝe ben þe ſones of God, God ſente þe ſpirit of his ſone into ȝoure hertis, criynge, Abba, þat is, fadir. And ſo now þer is not ſeruaunt, but ſone; þat if ſone, þanne and eyr bi God.

But þanne ſoþli ȝe vnknowynge God, ſeruyden to hem þat weren not goddis, in kynde. Now forſoþ whanne ȝe han knowen God, ȝhe, raþere ȝe ben knowen of God, hou ben ȝe turned to gidere eftſoone to ſyke, or freel, and nedy elementis, to whiche ȝe wolen ſerue eftſoone? Ȝe kepen dayes, and moneþis, and tymes, and ȝeeris. Forſoþ I drede ȝou, leſt perauenture I haue trauelid in ȝou wiþoute cauſe. Be ȝe as I, for and I as ȝe. Briþeren, I biſeche ȝou, ȝe han no þing hirt me. Soþli ȝe witen, for by infirmyte of fleiſch I haue euangeliſid to ȝou now bifore; and ȝoure temptacioun in my fleiſch ȝe diſpiſeden not, neiþer forſoken, but ȝe reſceyueden me as an aungel of God, as Criſt Jheſu.

Þerfore wher is ȝoure bleſſinge? Soþli I bere witneſſinge to ȝou, for if it myȝte be don, ȝe ſchulden haue put out ȝoure yȝen, and haue ȝouun to me. Þerfore am I maad enemy to ȝou, ſeiynge trewe þing to ȝou? Forſoþe þei louen ȝou not wel, but þei wolen exclude ȝou, þat ȝe ſue hem. Forſoþe ſue ȝe good euermore in good, and not oonly whanne I am preſent anentis ȝou. My litle ſones, whom I childe, or brynge forþ by traueyl, eftſoone, til Criſt be fourmyd in ȝou, forſoþe I wolde now be at ȝou, and chaunge my vois, for I am confoundid, or ſchamed, in ȝou. Seie ȝe to me, þat wolen be vndir lawe, han ȝe not radd þe lawe?

Soþli it is writun, for Abraham hadde twey ſones, oon of þe hand mayden, and oon of þe fre wyf. Forſoþ he þat of þe hand mayden, vp þe fleiſch was borun; but he þat of þe fre wyf, by aȝenbiheeſte. Þe whiche þingis ben ſeid by allegorie, or gooſtly vndirſtondinge. Soþli þes þingis ben twey teſtamentis; ſoþli þat oon in þe mount of Syna, gendringe in to ſeruage, þat is Agar. Forſoþ Syna is an hil in Arabie, þe which is ioyned to it þat now is Jeruſalem, and ſeruiþ wiþ her ſones. Forſoþe þat Jeruſalem þat is aboue, is free, þe which is oure modir.

Forſoþ it is writun, Be glad, þou bareyne, þat childiſt not, or bryngiſt not forþ child; brek out and crie, þou þat childiſt not; for manye ſones of þe deſert, or left womman, more þan of hir þat haþ an houſbonde. Forſoþe, briþeren, we ben vp Iſaac þe ſones of biheeſte; but how þanne he þat was borun vp þe fleiſch purſuwide him þat vp þe ſpirit, ſo and now. But what ſeiþ þe ſcripture? Caſt out þe hand mayden and hir ſone, forſoþ þe ſone of þe hand mayden ſchal not be eyr wiþ þe ſone of þe free wyf. And ſo, briþeren, we ben not ſones of þe hand mayden, but of þe free wyf, by which liberte Criſt haþ maad vs free.