The X. Chapter.
[ A] I Paul my selfe beseke you by the meke¦nesse and softnesse off Christ, which when I am present amonge you, am of small reputacion, but am bolde towarde you beynge absent. I beseke you that I nede not be bolde whan I am present, & to vse yt boldnesse wherwith I am supposed to be bolde, agaynst some, which repute vs as though we walked after yo flesh: for though we walke in the flesh, yet fighte we not after a fleshly maner. For the * 1.1 wapens of oure warre are not fleshly, but mightie before God to cast downe strōge holdes, wherwith we ouerthrowe ymaginacions, & euery hye thinge yt exalteth it selfe agaynst the know∣lege of God, and brynge in to captiuyte all vnderstondinge to the obedience of Christ, & are ready to take vengeaunce on all disobe∣dience, whan youre obediēce is fulfylled. Lo¦ke ye on thinges after ye vtter appearaūce?
Yf eny man trust of himselfe yt he is Chris¦tes, [ B] let him thinke this also by himselfe, yt like as he is Christes, euē so are we Christes also. And though I shulde boast my selfe somwhat more of oure auctorite * 1.2 which ye LORDE hath geuē vs to edifye and not to destroye, it shulde not be to my shame. This I saye, lest I shulde seme, as though I wen¦te aboute to make you afrayed with letters. For the pist••les (saye they) are sore and stron¦ge, but his bodely presence is weake, and his speache rude. Let him yt is soche, thinke on this wyse, that as we are in worde by let∣ters wh•• we are absente, soch are we also in dede whan we are present. For we darre not reken or compare oure selues, vnto some that prayse them selues: Neuertheles whyle they measure them selues by them selues, and holde onely of them selues, they vnderstonde nothinge.
Howbeit we wil not boast o selues aboue [ C] measure, but onely acordinge to the measu∣re of the rule, wherwith God hath distribu¦ted vnto vs the measure to reach euen vnto you. For we stretche not or selues to farre as though we had not reached vnto you. For euen vnto you haue we come with the Gos¦pell of Christ, and boast not oure selues out of measure in other mens laboures: Yee and we hope whan youre faith is increased in you, that we wil come farther (acordinge to oure measure) and preach the Gospell vnto them that dwell beyonde you, and not to re¦ioyse in that, which is prepared with ano∣ther mans measure.