Acts 15

Matthew^{(i) 1} Then came certayne from Iewrye, and taughte the brethren: excepte ye be circumcised after the maner of Moyses, ye can not be saued. ² And when there was rysen dissention and disputyng not a lytle vnto Paul and Barnabas against them. They determyned that Paule and Barnabas, and certayne other of them, should ascende to Hierusalem vnto the Apostles and elders about this question. ³ And after they were brought on theyr waye by the congregacyon, they passed ouer Phenices and Samaria declarynge the conuersyon of the Gentyls, and they brought great ioye vnto all the brethren. ⁴ And when they were come to Ierusalem, they were receyued of the congregacyon, and of the Apostles and elders. And they declared what thynges God had done by them. ⁵ Then arose there vp certayne that were of the secte of the Pharises which dyd beleue, saying, that it was nedefull, to circumcyse them and to enioyne them to kepe the lawe of Moyses. ⁶ And the Apostles and elders came together to reason of thys matter. ⁷ And when there was muche disputynge, Peter rose vp, and sayde vnto them: Ye men and brethren ye knowe howe that a good whyle a go, God chose amonge vs that the gentils by my mouth shoulde heare the worde of the Gospell, and beleue. ⁸ And God which knoweth the herte bare them wytnes, and gaue vnto them the holy ghost, euen as he dyd vnto vs: ⁹ and he put no difference betwene them and vs, but with fayth purified theyr hertes. ¹⁰ Now therfore why tempte ye God, that ye woulde put a yoke on the disciples neckes, which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare. ¹¹ But we beleue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesu Christ, we shalbe saued, as they do. ¹² Then all the multitude was peased, and gaue audience to Barnabas and Paul which told what sygnes and wondres God had shewed among the gentyls by them. ¹³ And when they helde theyr peace, Iames aunswered, saiynge: Men and brethren herken vnto me. ¹⁴ Simon told, how God at the beginnynge dyd visite the gentyls, and receyued of them people vnto hys name. ¹⁵ And to this agreeth the wordes of the Prophetes, as it is wryten. ¹⁶ After thys I wyll returne, and wyll buyld agayne the tabernacle of Dauid which is fallen doune, and that whiche is fallen in dekeye of it, wyll I buylde agayne, & I wyll set it vp, ¹⁷ that the resydue of men myghte seke after the Lorde, and also the gentyls vpon whome my name is named (sayth the Lorde) which doth all these thynges: ¹⁸ knowen vnto God are all hys workes from the beginning of the worlde. ¹⁹ Wherfore my sentence is that we trouble not them whiche from among the gentyls are turned to God, ²⁰ but that we write vnto them, that they abstayne them selues from fylthynes of ymages, from fornicacyon, from stranglyde and from bloude. ²¹ For Moses of olde tyme hath in euerye cytie that preache hym, and he is reade in the synagoges euerye saboth daye. ²² Then pleased it the Apostles and elders with the whole congregacion, to sende chosen men of theyr owne companye to Antioche wt Paule and Barnabas. They sent Iudas called also Barsabas and Sylas, whiche were chiefe men among the brethren, ²³ and gaue them letters in theyr handes after thys maner. The Apostles, elders, and brethren sende gretynges vnto the brethren whiche are of the gentyls in Antioche, Syria, and Celicia. ²⁴ For as muche as we haue hearde that certayne whiche departe from vs, haue troubled you with wordes, and combred your myndes, saiynge: Ye must be circumcysed, and kepe the lawe, to whom we gaue no suche commaundement. ²⁵ It semed therfore to vs a good thynge, when we were come together with one accord to sende chosen men vnto you, with our beloued Barnabas and Paule, ²⁶ men that haue ieoperded theyr lyues for the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ. ²⁷ We haue sent therfore Iudas & Sylas, whiche shall also tell you, the same thinges by mouth. ²⁸ For it semed good to the holye ghost & to vs, to put no greuous thyng to you more then these necessarye thynges, ²⁹ that is to saye that ye abstayne from thynges offered to ymages, from bloude, from strangled and fornicacion. From which yf ye kepe your selues ye shall do well. So fare ye well. ³⁰ When they were departed, they came to Antioche, and gathered the multitude together, and delyuered the Epistle. ³¹ When they had reade it, they reioysed of that consolacion. ³² And Iudas and Sylas beynge prophetes, exhorted the brethren with muche preachyng, and strengthed them. ³³ And after they had taryed there a space they were let go in peace of the brethren vnto the Apostles. ³⁴ Notwithstandynge it pleased Sylas to abyde there styll. ³⁵ Paule and Barnabas contynued in Antioche teachynge and preachynge the worde of the Lorde with other manye. ³⁶ But after a certayne space, Paule sayd vnto Barnabas: Let vs go agayn and visite our brethren in euery citie where we haue shewed the worde of the Lorde, and se howe they do. ³⁷ And Barnabas gaue counsell to take with them: Iohn called also Marke. ³⁸ But Paule thoughte it not mete to take hym vnto theyr companye whiche departed from them at Pamphilia, and went not with them to the worke. ³⁹ And the dissencyon was so sharpe betwene them, that they departed a sunder one from the other, so that Barnabas toke Marke and sayled vnto Cypers. ⁴⁰ And Paule chose Sylas and departed, delyuered of the brethren vnto the grace of God. ⁴¹ And he went throughe al Ciria and Cilicia, stablyshynge the congregacions, commaundyng to kepe the preceptes of the Apostles and elders.