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¹ Poul, the seruaunt of God, and apostle of Jhesu Crist, bi the feith of the chosun of God, and bi the knowing of the treuthe,² whiche is aftir pitee, in to the hope of euerlastinge lijf, which lijf God that lieth not, bihiyte bifore tymes of the world;³ but he hath schewid in hise tymes his word in preching, that is bitakun to me bi the comaundement of `God oure sauyour,⁴ to Tite, most dereworthe sone bi the comyn feith, grace and pees of God the fadir, and of Crist Jhesu, oure sauyour.

⁵ For cause of this thing Y lefte thee at Crete, that thou amende tho thingis that failen, and ordeyne preestis bi citees, as also Y disposide to thee.

⁶ If ony man is withoute cryme, an hosebonde of o wijf, and hath feithful sones, not in accusacioun of letcherie, or not suget.⁷ For it bihoueth a bischop to be without cryme, a dispendour of God, not proud, not wrathful, not drunkelew, not smytere, not coueytouse of foul wynnyng;⁸ but holdinge hospitalite, benygne, prudent, sobre, iust,⁹ hooli, contynent, takinge that trewe word, that is aftir doctryn; that he be miyti to amoneste in hoolsum techyng, and to repreue hem that ayenseien.¹⁰ For ther ben many vnobedient, and veyn spekeris, and disseyueris, moost thei that ben of circumcisyoun,¹¹ whiche it bihoueth to be repreued; whiche subuerten alle housis, techinge whiche thingis it bihoueth not, for the loue of foul wynnyng.¹² And oon of hem, her propre profete, seide, Men of Crete ben euere more lyeris, yuele beestis, of slowe wombe.¹³ This witnessyng is trewe. For what cause blame hem sore, that thei be hool in feith,¹⁴ not yyuynge tent to fablis of Jewis, and to maundementis of men, that turnen awei hem fro treuthe.¹⁵ And alle thingis ben clene to clene men; but to vnclene men and to vnfeithful no thing is clene, for the soule and conscience of hem ben maad vnclene.¹⁶ Thei knoulechen that thei knowen God, but bi dedis thei denyen; whanne thei ben abhominable, and vnbileueful, and repreuable to al good werk.