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¹ Rebuke not an elder: but exhorte him as a father and the yonger me as brethren² the elder wemen as mothers ye yonger as sisters with all purenes.

³ Honoure widdowes which are true wyddowes.⁴ Yf eny wyddowe have chyldren or neves let them learne fyrst to rule their awne houses godly and to recompence their elders. For that is good and acceptable before God.⁵ She that is a very wyddowe and frendlesse putteth her trust in god and continueth in supplicacion and prayer nyght and daye.⁶ But she that liveth in pleasure is deed even yet alive.⁷ And these thynges commaunde that they maye be without faut⁸ Yf ther be eny that provideth not for his awne and namly for them of his housholde the same denyeth the fayth and is worsse then an infydell.⁹ Let no wyddowe be chosen vnder threscore yere olde and soche a one as was the wyfe of one man¹⁰ and well reported of in good workes: yf she have noresshed children yf she have bene liberall to straugers yf she have wesshed the saynctes fete yf she have ministred vnto them which were in adversite yf she were continually geve vnto all maner good workes.¹¹ The yonger widdowes refuse. For when they have begone to wexe wantone to the dishonoure of Christ then will they mary¹² havynge damnacio because they have broke their fyrst fayth.¹³ And also they learne to goo from housse to housse ydle ye not ydle only but also tryflynge and busybodyes speakynge thynges which are not comly.¹⁴ I will therfore that ye yonger weme mary and beare childre and gyde the housse and geve none occasio to ye adversary to speake evill ¹⁵ For many of them are all redy turned bake and are gone after Satan.¹⁶ And yf eny man or woman that beleveth have widdowes let the minister vnto them and let not the congregacion be charged: that yt maye have sufficient for them that are widdowes in dede.

¹⁷ The elders yt rule wel are worthy of double honoure most specially they which laboure in ye worde and in teachinge.¹⁸ For the scripture sayth: Thou shalt not mousell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne. And the labourer is worthy of his rewarde.¹⁹ Agaynst an elder receave none accusacion: but vnder two or thre witnesses.²⁰ Them that synne rebuke openly that other maye feare.²¹ I testifie before god and the lorde Iesus Christ and the electe angels that thou observe these thynges with out hasty iudgement and do nothynge parcially.²² Laye hondes sodely on no man nether be partaker of other mes synnes: kepe thy silfe pure.²³ Drynke no lenger water but vse a lytell wyne for thy stommakes sake and thyne often diseases.²⁴ Some mennes synnes are open before honde and goo before vnto iudgement: some mennes synnes folowe after.²⁵ Lykwyse also good workes are manyfest before honde and they that are other wyse canot be hid.