þe Prologe of Jerome in to þe Epiſteles of Poule to Romaynes
Firſt vndirſtonden vs bihoueþ, to whom or whi þe apoſtil Powil writeþ his epiſtolis. Forſoþe it is not to trowen, hym after þe goſpelis, þat ben þe fulfillinge of þe lawe, wiþoute cauſe to han writen þeſe epiſtolis to alle chirches; moſt ſiþen to vs in þeſe epiſtolis, preceptus and exſaumples of lyuynge fullieſt, or moſt plenteuouſly, ben defied. But in þe bygynnynge of þe kennende chirche, new cauſes beende, alſo queſtiounes to comen aftir, he excludede; not onli þis, þe apoſtil, but alſo þe profetes diden. Forwhi aftir þe lawe of Moiſes ȝouen, in þe whiche all þe maundementis weren contened, þei profetes alſo ceſeden not wiþ þer prechinge to þriſten doun þe ſynnes of þe puple, and in bokis to oure memorie ſenden, in to whom þe eendes of þe worldus ben comen. He writeþ þerfore to þe Romaynes, þe whiche beende ſumme of Jewis, and ſumme of paynymes bileeuende, wolden wiþ proud contencioun vnderpoten eiþer oþer. Þe Jewis forſoþe ſeiden, Wee ben an holi folc, þe whiche God fro þe bigynnynge haþ loued, and nurſchid; wee of þe kinrede of Abraham, of an holi lynage han deſcendid; wee deliuered fro Egipt, han paſſid þe drie ſe on foote; for vs Farao drenchid wiþ his oſt, diede; to vs God man, or aungelis mete, reynede in deſert. And oþere þingis þei ſeiden, þat to reherſen were riȝt long; onli heer wee ſeyn, þat þilke Lord, in whiche alſo ȝee ben ſeen to beleuen, to vs of þe lawe was bihoten. Ȝee forſoþe ben Jentilis, or paynymes, fro þe bigynyng forſaken, þe whiche neuere hadden knouleche of God, but euere to deueles han ſerued. Is it wheþer þerfore equite, þat ȝee, turned todai fro maumetis, to vs be compariſouned; and not raþere ȝee be as men turned to þe olde lawe, as euere ȝee han ben in þe lawe of Moiſes? And þat ſame ȝee han, for myche merciful is God, þe whiche wolde bringe ȝou to oure folowinge. Þe paynymes, or Jentilis, aȝeenward anſwerden, In how myche þe grettere benefiſes ȝee tellen abouten ȝou, in ſo myche ȝee ſhulen ſhewe ȝouſelf gilti þe more blame. For euere to alle þeſe þingis ȝee han ben vnkinde, þat aftir þe vois of God herd, forgeden ȝou mawmetis. Þe whiche þoȝ ȝee haden not do, þurȝ þat onli ſynne ȝee myȝten not taken forȝyueneſſe, þat þe Lord, to ȝou by profetes voiſes bihiȝt, not onli ȝee wolden not reſceyuen, but alſo ȝee ſlowen; whom wee vnderfongen, whan of hym to vs no man hadde fornſeid. In hou myche þerfore oure feiþ be betere, clerli it is open. Forſoþe þat wee ſerueden to maumetis, was not of rebelte, but of ignoraunce. Forſoþe where wee knewen þe treuþe, anoen wee foleweden, þe ſones of Abraham; not of fleſhli birþe, but of þe grace of Criſt it was. To þeſe þus ſtriuende þe apoſtil putte hym a mene bitwen, ſhewende to boþe puples, neiþer circumciſioun to ben oȝt, neiþer þe kept fleſh, but þe feiþ þat werkiþ bi charite; euere forſoþe bi while mekende hem bi al þe epiſtil wiþ reſownes and witteneſſes, counceiliþ to onhed, and ſhewiþ neiþir þurȝ his riȝtfulneſſe haue þis deſerued, but al what euere to be depute to þe grace of God; ſhewende þe Jewis forſoþe and þe paynymes greuouſli to han treſpaſſid, and witendely; þe Jewis, for þei bi breking of þe lawe han vnwrſhipid God; þe Gentilis, for þei chaungeden þe treuþe of God in to leſinge. It is axid, whi he wrot no mo þan ten epiſtolis to chirches? Ten forſoþe ben epiſtolis, wiþ þilke þat is ſeid to Ebrues; for þe oþere foure to diſciples homli weren ſent, or put forþ; for he wolde ſhewen þe newe to not diſcorden fro þe olde teſtament, and hymſelf not to don aȝen þe lawe of Moiſes, ordeynede his epiſtolis to þe noumbre of þe firſte maundementus of þe decaloge. And wiþ how manye preceptis he Moyſes ordeynede Jewis deliuered fro Farao, wiþ riȝt ſo manye epiſtolis þis Powil techeþ men purchaſid fro þe deuel, and fro þe ſeruage of mawmetrie. Forwhi alſo þe two tables of ſton to han had figure of þe two teſtamentis, riȝtwel lered men han taken. Þe epiſtil holly þat to Ebrues ys writen, or entitlid, to ben noen of Powelis, ſumme affermen, for ſo myche þat it is not entitlid wiþ his name, and for þe diſtaunce of ſpeche, and maner of writinge; but or Barnabeis, aftir Tertullian, or Luks, after ſumme, or certeyn Clementis, þe diſciple of þe apoſtolis, and aftir hem ordeyned biſhop of Rome chirche. To whom it is þus to anſwern. If þerfore it is not Powilis epiſtil, for it haþ not his name, eek it ſhal be no manes, for wiþ no manes name it is entytlid.