The Colocenſis Prolouge
Colocenſis alſo þes as Laodicenſis ben men of Aſye, and þei weren forgon of falſe apoſtlis. And to þes þe apoſtle cam not him ſelf, but þes alſo he corectiþ by his piſtle; þei hadden herd ſoþli þe word of treuþe of Archippis, þe which took myniſterie into hem. Þerfore þe apoſtle, þennis boundyn, writiþ to hem fro Effecie bi Tyte, a dekene, and Honeſym, acolite.
Capitulum I. Poul, apoſtle of Criſt Jheſu, by þe wille of God, and Tymoþe, broþer, to hem þat ben at Coloſe, hooly and feiþful briþeren in Criſt Jheſu, grace to ȝou and pees of God oure fadir and of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt. We don þankingis to God, and þe fadir of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, euermore for ȝou preiynge, we heeringe ȝoure feiþ in Criſt Jheſu, and þe loue þat ȝe han into alle hooly men, for þe hope þat is kept to ȝou in heuenes. Þe which ȝe herden in þe word of treuþe of þe goſpel, þat cam to ȝou, as and it is in al þe world, and makiþ fruyt, and wexiþ, as in ȝou, of þat day in which ȝe herden and knewen þe grace in treuþe. As ȝe lerneden of Epaphras, oure euene ſeruaunt mooſt dereworþe, þe which is a trewe myniſtre of Jheſu Criſt for ȝou; þe which alſo ſchewide to vs ȝoure louyng in ſpirit. Þerfore and we fro þe day in which we herden, ceeſſen not for ȝou preiynge, and axynge, þat ȝe be fulfilled wiþ þe knowynge of his will in al wyſdom and gooſtly vndirſtondyng; þat ȝe walke worþily to God by alle pleſynge þingis, makinge fruit in al good werk, and wexynge in þe ſcience of God, in al vertu comfortid vp þe myȝt of his cleerneſſe, in al pacience and long abidinge wiþ ioye, doynge þankingis to God þe fadir, þe which made vs worþi in to þe part of ſort of hooly men in liȝt. Þe which delyuerede vs fro þe power of derkneſſis, and tranſlatide into þe kyngdom of þe ſone of his louynge, in whom we han aȝenbyinge and remyſcioun of ſynnes. Þe which is þe ymage of God inuyſible, þat may not be ſeyn, þe firſte bigetun of ech creature. For in hym alle þingis ben maad, in heuenes and in erþe, viſyble and inuiſyble, eþer trones, eþer domynaciouns, eþir principatis, eþer poteſtates, alle þingis ben maad of noȝt by him, and in him, and he is bifore alle, and alle þingis ben in hym. And he is heed of þe body of þe chirche; þe which is þe bigynnynge, or þe firſte þing of alle, and þe firſte bigetun of deede men, þat he be holdinge primacie, or þe firſte dignyte, in alle þingis. For in hym it pleſide to gidere al plente for to inhabite, and by him alle þingis for to be reconſylid in to hym, he peſynge by þe blood of his croſſ, eþer þo þingis þat ben in erþis, eþer þat ben in heuenes. And whanne ȝe weren ſum tyme aliened, or maad ſtraunge, and enemyes by witt in yuel werkis, now forſoþe he haþ recouncilid ȝou in þe body of his fleiſch bi deeþ, for to haue ȝou hooly, and vnwemmid, and wiþ oute reprof bifore hym. If neþelees ȝe dwellen in þe feiþ, foundid, and ſtable, and vnmouable fro þe hope of þe goſpel þat ȝe han herd, þe which is prechid in al creature þat is vndir heuene. Of which I Poul am maad myniſtre, þe which now I haue ioye in paſſiouns for ȝou, and fulfille þo þingis þat faylen of þe paſſiouns of Criſt in my fleiſch, for his body, þat is þe chirche. Of þe which I Poul am maad myniſtre, or ſeruaunt, vp þe diſpenſacioun of God, þat is ȝouun to me in ȝou, þat I fulfille þe word of God, þe myſterie, or priuete, þat was hid fro worldis and generaciouns. Now forſoþ it is ſchewid to his ſeyntis, to whom God wolde make þe richeſſis knowun of þe glorie of þis ſacrament in heþen men, þat is Criſt in ȝou, þe hope of glorie. Whom we ſchewen, reprouynge ech man, and techinge ech man in al wyſdom, þat we ȝyuen ech man parfyt in Criſt Jheſu. In which þing and I trauele, ſtryuynge vp þe worchinge of him, þat he worchiþ in me in vertu.