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¹ Rebuke not an Elder, but exhorte him as a father: and the yoger men as brethren:² the elder wemen as mothers: the yonger as sisters with all purenes.

³ Honor wedowes, which are true wedowes.⁴ Yf eny wedowe haue children or neves, let them lerne first to rule their awne houses godly, and to recompence their elders. For yt is good & acceptable before God.⁵ But she that is a right wedowe, & desolate, putteth hir trust in God, & cotynueth in prayer and supplicacion nighte and daye.⁶ But she that lyueth in pleasures, is deed, euen yet a lyue.⁷ And these thinges commaunde, that they maye be without blame.⁸ But yf there be eny man that prouydeth not for his awne, and specially for them of his houssholde, the same hath denyed the faith, and is worse then an infydele.⁹ Let no wedowe be chosen vnder threscore yeare olde, and soch one as was ye wife of one man,¹⁰ and well reported of in good workes, yf she haue brought vp children well, yf she haue bene harberous, yf she haue wasshed the sayntes fete, yf she haue mynistred vnto the which were in aduersite, yf she were continually geuen to all maner of good workes.¹¹ But ye yonger wedowes refuse. For whan they haue begonne to waxe wanton agaynst Christ, then wil they mary,¹² hauynge their damnacion, because they haue broke ye first faith.¹³ Besydes this they are ydell, and lerne to runne aboute fro house to house. Not onely are they ydell, but also tryflinge & busybodies, speakynge thinges which are not comly.¹⁴ I wil therfore that the yonger wemen mary, beare children, gyde the house, to geue ye aduersary no occasion to speake euell.¹⁵ For some are turned back allready after Satha.¹⁶ Yf eny man or woman that beleueth haue wedowes, let them make prouysion for the, and let not the congregacion be charged: that they which are righte wedowes, maye haue ynough.

¹⁷ The Elders that rule well, are worthy of double honoure, most specially they which laboure in the worde & in teachinge.¹⁸ For ye scripture sayeth: Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of ye oxe yt treadeth out ye corne. And: The labourer is worthy of his rewarde.¹⁹ Agaynst an Elder receaue none accusacion, but vnder two or thre witnesses.²⁰ The that synne, rebuke in the presence of all, that other also maye feare.²¹ I testifye before God and the LORDE Iesus Christ, and ye electe angels, that thou obserue these thinges without haistie iudgment, and do nothinge parcially.²² Laye hondes sodenly on no ma, nether be partaker of other mes synnes. Kepe yi selfe pure.²³ Drynke no lenger water, but vse a litle wyne for yi stomackes sake, and because thou art oft tymes sicke.²⁴ Some mes synnes are ope, so that they maye be iudged afore hande: but some mens (synnes) shal be manifest herafter.²⁵ Likewyse also good workes are manifest afore hade: and they that are otherwyse can not be hyd.