II. CORINTHIANS.
[This prologue is from p. The commencement and conclusion have been torn away.] . . . . . stynatli the pistil, and magnified fals apostlis. But whanne summe of Corinthis weren amendid bi the firste pistil, for cause of othere of hem Poul writith this secunde pistil, and he puttith awei fals apostlis, and schewith the disceit of her prechynge. Also Poul blameth hem, for thei were scarse in almesdedis. And he comaundith thilke lecchour to be resseiued, whom he hadde bitaken to Sathanas. Also hem that weren in tribulacioun he comfortith bi ensaumple of hym silf, and techith that thei be not heuy ne grucchinge, for he is suget to pe . . . . . ech dai for . . . . .
And here bigynneth anothir prologe [This prologue is from y.] .
In the formere epistil the apostil scharpli reproues hem, and moost for thei forsook not the ilke open lecchour, and for that summe of hem were amendid, and summe dwellide vn|amendid; and for both these he writith this secunde epistil, that thei that were amendid be callid to more grace, and the vnamendid to be amendid. And the apostil comendid him silf bi al the epistil, that he shewe what worschipe and loue owith to be to the prelat, the which labourith so bisily aboute hise sugetis. And this epistil is departid into so many partis, as it hath chapitris, that is to seie, into xiij. In the firste chapitre, he comendith himsilf of pacience in tribulation, and vertue of word. In the ii., of pitee of relesinge, and in fruyt of preching. In the iij., of scripture, which he wrote in the hertis of hem, and of tho thingis that thei vndirstood in books. In the iiij., of ther amending of feith and of hope. In the v., of desire of the cuntre. In the vi., of the workis of penaunce, and a fadris [Sic in Ms.] hise sugetis. In the vij., of ensaumplis taken to innocent men, and of large almesse. In the ix., of the same. In the x., of cristen knyȝthood, and of hise comparisouns to others. In the xi., of the greuousnesse of the gospel prechinge, and glorie of his kynrede, and ioie of tribulacioun aȝens false apostles. In the xij., of priuy [privith y.] reuelacioun. In the xiij., of loue of soulis, and autorite of prelacie. Therfore in this myrrour of prelatis, the first chap. is departid into iiij. partis. In the first part, aftir the salutacioun, he doith thankingis to God the fadir, of the consolaciouns geuen to him and to hem. In the secunde part, he makith mynde of the disesis that he sufferide in Asie, and how he was delyuerid bi miracle, where he seith, Forsothe we wol, that ȝe wite of oure tribulaciouns, etc. In the thridde, the cause of his tribulaciouns, that is to seie, the holyness of his conscience, where he seith, For whi oure glorie is this, the witnessynge of oure conscience. In the fourth, he excusith him, tellinge whi he turnede his purpos and his biheeste of comynge to the Corinthis, where he seith, And in that trist I wolde first come to ȝou.