The Newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale, and fynesshed in the yere of our Lorde God A.M.D. & xxxiiij. in the moneth of Nouember.

¶ The seconde epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthyans.

¶ The fyrst Chapter.

PAul an Apostle of Ie••u [ A] Christ by the will of God / & brother Timotheus.

Unto the congregacion of God / which is at Corinthū / with all the saynctes which are in all Achaia. Grace be with you and pea∣ce from God oure father / and from the Lorde Iesus Christ.

Blessed be God y^e father of oure Lorde Ie¦sus Christ / the father of mercy / & the God of all comforte / which comforteth vs in all oure tribulaciō / in so moche y^t we are able to cōfor¦te them which are troubled / in whatsoever tri¦bulacion it be / with the same comforte wher with we oure selves are cōforted of God. For as y^e afflicciōs of * 1.1 Christ are plēteous in vs evē so is oure consolaciō plenteous by Christ.

Whether we be troubled for youre consola¦cion & salvaciō / which salvacion sheweth her power in y^t ye soffre y^e same afflicciōs which [ B] we also suffre: or whether we be cōforted for youre consolacion & salvacion: yet oure hope is stedfast for you / in as moch as we know how that as ye have youre parte in afflicciōs / so shall ye be parttakers of consolacion.

Brethren I wolde not have you ignoraūt of oure trouble / which happened vnto vs in Asia. For we were greved out of measure pas¦synge strength / so greatly that we despeared

even of lyfe. Also we receaved an answer of deeth in oure selves / & that because we shuld not put oure trust in oureselves: but in God / which rayseth the deed to lyfe agayne / and which delivered vs from so gret a deeth / and doth delivre. On whom we trust / y^t yet here after he will deliver / by the helpe of youre prayer for vs: that by the meanes of many oc¦casions / thankes maye be geven of many on oure behalfe / for the grace geven vnto vs. [ C]

Cure reioysynge is this / the testimony of oure cōscience / y^• in synglenes and godly pure¦nes and not in flesshly wysdome / but by the grace of God / we have had oure conuersa¦cion* 1.2 in the worlde / and most of all to you war¦des. We write no nother thinges vnto you / then that ye reade and also knowe. Yee and I trust ye shall fynde vs vnto the ende even as ye have founde vs partly: for we are youre reioysynge / even as ye are oures / in the daye of the Lorde Iesus. [ D]

And in this confidence was I mynded the other tyme to have come vnto you / that ye myght have had yet one pleasure moare: and to have passed by you into Macedonia / and to have come agayne out of Macedonia vnto you / and to have bene ledde forth to Iewrye warde of you.

When I thus wyse was mynded: dyd I vse lightnes? Or thinke I carnally those thin¦ges which I thinke? that with me shuld be ye ye / and naye naye. God is faythfull: For ou∣re preachynge vnto you / was not ye & naye.

For Goddis sonne Iesus Christ which was preached amonge you by vs (that is to saye by me & Silvanus and Timotheus) was not ye and naye: but in him it was ye. For all the promyses * 1.3 of God / in him are ye: & are in him Amen / vnto the lawde of God thorow vs. For it is God which stablissheth vs & you in Christ / & hath annoynted vs / which hath also sealed vs / and hath geven the ernest of the sprete into oure hertes.

¶ The .ii. Chapter. ✚

I Call God for a recorde vnto my sou∣le / that forto faver you with all / I ca∣me not enymoare vnto Corinthum. [ A] Not that we be lordes over youre fayth: but helpers of youre ioye. For by fayth ye stōde. But I determened this in my silfe / y^t I wol∣de not come agayne to you in hevines. For yf I make you sorye / who is it that shuld make me glad / but the same which is made sory by me? And I wrote this same pistle vnto you / lest yf I came I shuld take hevynes of them of whom I ought to reioyce. Certaynly this confidence have I in you all / that my ioye is [ B] the ioye of you all. For in great affliccion & anguysshe of hert I wrote vnto you with ma¦ny teares: not to make you sory / but that ye myght perceave the love which I have most specially vnto you.

If eny man hath caused sorow / the same hath not made me sory / but partely: lest I shuld greve you all. It is sufficient vnto the same man that he was rebuked of many. So

that now contrary wyse ye ought to forgeve him and comforte him: lest that same persone shuld be swalowed vp with over moche hexi∣nes. Wherfore I exhorte you / that love maye [ C] have strēgth over him. For this cause verely dyd I write / that I myght knowe the profe of you / whether ye shuld be obediēt in all thin¦ges. To whom ye forgeve eny thinge / I forge¦ve also. And verely if I forgeve eny thinge / to whom I for gave it / for youre sakes forgave I it / in the roume of Christ / lest Satan shuld prevēt vs. For his thoughtes are not vnkno∣wen vnto vs. ⊢

When I was come to Troada for Christe gospels sake (& a great dore was openned vn∣to me of the Lorde) I had no rest in my sprete / because I founde not Titus my brother: but toke my leave of them & went awaye into Ma¦cedonia. Thankes be vnto God which alway¦es [ D] geveth vs the victorie in Christ / & openeth the saver of his knowledge by vs in every pla¦ce. For we are vnto God the swete savoure* 1.4 of Christ / both amōge them that are saved / & also amōge them which perisshe. To the one parte are we y^e savoure of deeth vnto deeth. And vnto the other parte are we the savoure of lyfe vnto lyfe. And who is mete vnto these thinges? For we are not as many are which choppe and chaunge with the worde of God: but even oute of purenes / and by the power of God / and in the sight of God / so speake we in Christ.

¶ The .iii. Chapter.

VVe begyn to prayse oure selves agay¦ne. Nede we as some other / of pistles [ A] of recommendacion vnto you? or let∣ters of recōmendacion from you? Ye are oure pistle written in oure hertes / which is vnder∣stonde and reed of all men / in that ye are kno∣wen / how that ye are the pistle of Christ / mi∣nistred by vs and written / not with ynke: but with the sprete of the livynge God / not in ta¦bles of stone / but in flesshly tables of y^e herte.* 1.5 ✚ Suche trust have we thorow Christ to god ward / not that we are sufficient of oure selves to thinke eny thinge as it were of oure selves: but oure ablenes cōmeth of God / which hath made vs able to minister the newe testamēt / not of the letter / but of the sprete. For the let∣ter kylleth / but the sprete geveth lyfe. [ B]

Yf the ministracion of deeth thorow the letters figured in stones was glorious / so y^t the chyldren of Israel coulde not beholde the face of Moses for the glory of his countenaū¦ce (which glory neverthelesse is done awaye) why shall not the ministracion of the sprete be moche more glorious? For if y^e ministringe of condempnaciō beglorious: moche more do the the ministracion of rightewesnes excede in glory. ✚ For no dout that which was the¦re glorified / is not once glorified in respecte* 1.6 of this excedynge glory. Then if that which is destroyed / was glorious / moche more shall that which remayneth / be glorious.

Seynge then that we have soche trust / we [ C] vse gret boldnes / and do not as Moses / which

put a vayle over his face that the children of Israel shuld not se for what purpose that ser¦ved which is put awaye. But their myndes were blinded. For vntill this daye remayneth the same coveringe vntakē awaye in the olde testamēt when they reade it / which in Christ is put awaye. But even vnto this daye / when Moses is redde / y^e vayle hangeth before their hertes. Neverthelesse when they tourne to y^e Lorde / the vayle shalbe taken awaye. The Lor¦de no dout is a sprete. And where the sprete of the Lorde is / there is * 1.7 libertie. But we all beholde the glorye of the Lorde with his fa∣ce open / and are chaunged vnto the same simi¦litude / from glory to glory / even of the spri∣te of the Lorde.

¶ The .iiii. Chapter.

THerfore seinge that we have soche an [ A] office / evē as mercy is come on vs / we faynte not: but have cast from vs the clokes of vnhonestie / and walke not in craf∣tines / nether corrupte we the worde of God: but walke in open trueth / and reporte oure sel¦ves to every mannes conscience in the sight of God.

✚ Yf oure Gospell be yet hyd / it is hid amō¦ge* 1.8 them that are lost / in whom y^e god of this worlde hath blynded the myndes of them which beleve not / lest the light of y^e glorious gospell of Christ which is the ymage of god / [ B] shuld shyne vnto them.

✚ For we preache not oure selves / but Christ Iesus to be the Lorde / and oure selves youre

servaūtes / for Iesus sake. For it is God that* 1.9 commaūded the light to shyne out of darck∣nes / which hath shyned in oure hertes / for to geve the light of the knowledge of the glo¦rie of God / in the face of Iesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in erthē vessels / that y^e excellent power of it myght appere to be of God / & not of vs. We are troubled on every side / yet are we not with out shyft. We are in povertie: but not vtterly without som∣what. We are persecuted: but are not forsakē. [ C] We are cast doune: neverthelesse we perisshe not. And we allwayes beare in oure bodyes the dyinge of the Lorde Iesus / that the lyfe of Iesu myght appere in oure bodyes. ⊢

For we which live / are alwayes delyvered vnto deeth for Iesus sake / y^t the lyfe also of Ie¦su myght appere in oure mortall flesshe. So then deeth worketh in vs / & lyfe in you. ✚ ✚ Seynge then y^t we have y^e same sprete of fayth / accordinge as it is writtē: I beleved & therfore have I spoken. We also beleve / and therfore speake. For we knowe that he which raysed vp the Lorde Iesus / shall rayse vp vs* 1.10 also by the meanes of Iesus / & shall seet vs with you. For all thinges do I for youre sa∣kes / that the plenteous grace by thankes gevē of many / maye redounde to the prayse of god.

Wherfore we are not weried / but though oure vttward man perisshe / yet the inwarde man is renewed daye by daye. For oure exce∣dinge [ D] tribulacion which is momentany and light prepareth an excedinge and an eternall

wayght of glorye vnto vs / whill we loke not on the thynges whic hare sene / but on y^• thyn¦ges which are not sene. For thinges which are sene / are temporall: but thynges which are not sene / are eternall / ⊢

¶ The .v. Chapter.

VVe knowe suerly yfoure erthy man∣cion wherin we now dwell were de∣stroyed / that we have a bildinge ordey¦ned of god / an habitacion not made with hon∣des / [ A] but eternall in hevē. And herefore sigh we / desyringe to be clothed w^t oure mansion which is from heven: so yet if that we be foun¦de clothed / and not naked. For as longe as we are in this tabernacle / we sigh and are greved for we wold not be vnclothed but wolde be clo¦thed apon / that mortalite myght be swalowed* 1.11 vp of lyfe. He that hath ordeyned vs for this thynge / ys god which very same hath geven vnto vs the ernest of the sprete.

Therfore we are alwaye of good chere / and knowe well that as longe as we are at home in the body / we are absent from God. For we [ B] walke in fayth and se not. Neverthelesse we are of good comforte / and had lever to be ab∣sent from the body and to be present with the lorde. Wherfore / whether we be at home or from home we endeuoure oure selues to plea∣se him. For we must all appere before the iud¦gement* 1.12 seate of Christ / that every man maye receave the workes of his body accordynge to that he hath done / whether it be good or bad? ✚ Seynge then that we knowe / how

the lorde is to be feared / * 1.13 we fare fayre with men. For we are knowen wel ynough vnto God. I trust also that we are knowen in you∣re consciences.

We prayse not oureselves agayne vnto you / [ C] but geve you an occasion to reioyce of vs / that ye maye have some what agaynst thē / whych reioyce in the face / and not in the hert. For yf we be to fervent / to God are we to fervent. Yf we kepe measure / for youre cause kepe we mea¦sure. For the love of Christ cōstrayneth vs / be¦cause* 1.14 we thus iudge / yf one be deed for all / y^• then are all deed / and that he dyed for all / that they which live / shuld not hence forth live vnto them selves but vnto hym whith died for them and rose agayne. ⊢

Wherfore henceforth knowe we no man after the flesshe. In somoche though we have knowē Christ after the flesshe / now hence for the knowe we hym so no more. Therfore yf eny man be in Christ / he is a newe creature. Olde thyng{is} are passed awaye / beholde all [ D] thinges are be come newe. Neverthelesse all* 1.15 thing{is} are of god / which hath reconciled vs vnto him sylfe by * 1.16 Iesus Christ / & hath ge∣ven vnto vs the office to preach the atone∣ment. For god was in Christ / and made agre¦ment bitwene the worlde and hym sylfe / & imputed not their synnes vnto them: & hath cōmitted to vs the preachynge of y^• atonmēt. Now then are we messengers in the roume of Christ: even as though God did beseche you thorow vs: So praye we you in Christes ste∣de /

that ye be atone with God: for he hath ma¦de* 1.17 him to be synne for vs / which knewe no syn¦ne / that we by his meanes shuld be that righ∣tewesnes which before God is aloved.

The .vi. Chapter. ✚

VVe as helpers therfore exhorte you / y^e [ A] ye receave not the grace of god in (vay¦ne)* 1.18 For he saith: I have hearde the in a tyme accepted: and in y^e daye of saluacion / ha¦ve I suckered the. Beholde now is that well accepted tyme: beholde now is y^• daye of sal∣uacion. Let vs geve noman occasion of evyll / that in oure office befounde no faute: but in all thynges let vs behave oure selves as the ministers of God.

In moche pacience / in affliciōs / in necessite / [ B] in anguysshe / in strypes / in presonmēt / in stry∣fe / in laboure / in watchinge / in fastyng / in pu∣renes / * 1.19 in knowledge / in longe sufferynge / in kyndnes / in the holy goost / in love vnfayned / in y^• worde of trueth / in the power of God / by y^e armoure * 1.20 of rightewesnes on y^• right hon¦de and on the lyfte / in honoure and dishonou∣re / in evyll reporte and good reporte / as descea¦uers and yet true / as vnknowen / and yet kno∣wen: as dyinge / and beholde we yet live: as chastened / and not killed: as sorowynge / and yet alwaye mery: as poore / and yet make many ryche: as havynge no thynge / and yet posses∣synge all thynges. ⊢

O ye Corinthyans / oure mouth is open [ C] vnto you. Oure herte is made large: ye are in no strayte in vs / but are in a strayte in youre

awne bowelles: I promyse you lyke rewarde with me as to my childrē. Set youre selues therfore at large / and ✚ beare not a straūgers yoke wyth the vnbelevers. For what fel∣lishippe hath rightewesnes with vnrighte∣wesnes? What company hath light w^t darck¦nes? What cōcorde hath Christ with beliall? [ D] Ether what parte hath he y^t beleveth with an infidele? how agreeth the temple of god* 1.21 w^t ymages? And ye are the temple of y^t lyuyn∣ge god / as sayde god. I will dwell amon∣ge* 1.22 thē & walke amōge thē / & wilbe their god: and they shalbe my people. Wherfore come out from amōge thē / & separate youreselues (sayth the lorde) and touche none vncleane thynge: so wyll I receave you / and wilbe a fa∣ther vnto you / and ye shalbe vnto me sonnes and doughters / sayth the lorde almyghty.

¶ The .vii. Chapter.

SEynge that we have soche promeses [ A] derely beloved / let vs clense oure sel∣ves from all fylthynes of the flesshe and sprete / and growe vp to full holynes in y^e feare of God. Vnderstonde vs. we have hurte no man: we have corrupte no man: we have defrauded no man. I speake not this to con∣dempne you: for I have shewed you before y^t ye are in oure hertes to dye & live with you. I am very bolde over you / and reioyce greatly in you. I am filled with comforte and am ex∣cadinge ioyouse in all oure tribulacions. For when we were come into Macedonia / oure flesshe had no rest / but we were troubled on

every syde. Outwarde was fightynge / inwar¦de was feare. Neverthelesse God that comfor¦tith the abiecte / comforted vs at the commyn¦ge of Titus. [ B]

And not with his commynge only: but also with the consolacion wherwith he was com∣forted of you. For he tolde vs youre desyre / youre mornynge / youre fervent mynde to me warde: so that I now reioyce the more▪ Wher¦fore though I made you sory with a letter / I repent not: though I did repent. For I perce∣ave that y^e same pistle made you sory / though it were but for a ceason. But I now reioyce / not that ye were sory / but that ye so sorowed / that ye repented. For ye sorowed godly: so y^e in nothynge ye were hurte by vs. For godly* 1.23 sorowe causeth repentaunce vnto salvacion not to be repented of: when worldly sorow causeth deeth. [ C]

Beholde what diligence this godly soro∣we that ye toke / hath wrought in you: yee it caused you to cleare youre selves. It caused indignacion / it caused feare / yt caused desyre / it caused a fervent mynde / it caused punyssh∣ment. For in all thynges ye have shewed you∣re selues that ye were cleare in that matter. Wherfore though I wrote vnto you / I did it not for his cause that did hurte / nether for his cause that was hurte: but that oure good mynde whych we have towarde you in the sight of god / myght appere vnto you. [ D]

Therfore we are comforted / because ye are comforted: yee and excedyngly the moare io∣yed

we / for the ioye that Titus had: because his sprete was refresshed of you all. I ā ther∣for / not now a shamed / though I bosted my¦syl••e to hym of you. For as all thynges which I preached vnto you are true / even so is oure bostynge / that I bosted my silfe to Titus w^t all / founde true. And now is his inwarde affe¦ction more aboundant towarde you / when he remembreth the obedience of every one of you: how with feare and trymblynge ye recea¦ved hym. I reioyce that I maye be bolde over you in all thynges.

¶ The .viii. Chapter.

I Do you to wit brethren / of the grace of god which is geven in the congre∣gacions [ A] of Macedonia / how that the a boundaunce of their reioysing is / that they are tried w^t moche tribulaciō. And therto though they were excedinge poore / yet haue they geuē excedinge richly / and that in singlenesse. For to their powers (I beare recorde) yee and be∣yonde their power / they were willynge of their owne accorde / and prayed vs with gre∣at instaunce that we wolde receave their be∣nefite / and suffre them to be parttakers with other in ministrynge to the saynctes. And this they did / not as we loked for: but gave their awne selves fyrst to the lorde / and af∣ter vnto vs by the will of God: so that we coulde not but desyre Titus to acomplysshe the same benivolence amonge you also / even as he had begonne.

Now therfore / as ye are ryche in all parties [ B] in fayth / in worde / in knowledge / in all fervēt¦nes / and in love / which ye have to vs: even so se that ye be plenteons in this benivolence. Thys saye I not as commaundynge: but be¦cause other are so fervent / therfore prove I youre love / whether it be perfait or no. Ye kno¦we the liberalitie of oure lorde Iesus Christ / which though he were riche / yet for youre sa∣kes be came poore: that ye thorow his pover∣tie / myght be made ryche.

And I geve counsell hereto. For this is ex¦pedient for you / which beganne / not to do on∣ly: but also to will / a yeare a goo. Now therfo∣re performe the dede: that as ther was in you a redines to will / even so ye maye performe the dede / of that which ye have. For if ther be fyrst a willynge mynde / it is accepted accor∣dynge to that a man hath / and not accordinge [ C] to that he hath not.

It is not my mynde that other be set at ea∣se / and ye brought into combraunce: but that ther be egalnes now at this tyme / that youre aboundaunce sucker their lacke: that their abo¦undaunce maye supplie youre lacke: that ther maye be equalite / agreynge to that which is* 1.24 written. He that gaddered moche / had never the more aboundaunce / & he y^t gaddered lytell had never the lesse. Thankes be vnto god / which put in y^• hert of Titus the same good mynde toward you. For he accepted y^e request yee rather he was so well willynge that of his

awne accorde came vnto you.

We haue sent with him that brother whose laude is in the gospell thorow out all the con¦gregacions: and not so only / but is also chosen [ D] of the congregacions to be a felowe with vs in oure iorney concerninge this benivolence that is ministred by vs vnto the prayse of y^e lorde / and to stere vp youre prompt mynde.

For thys we eschue / that eny man shuld re¦buke vs in this plenteous distribucion that is ministred by vs / and therfore make provisi¦on for honest thynges / not in the sight of god only / but also in the sight of men.

We have sent with them a brother of ou∣res whom we have ofte tymes proved diligēt in many thynges / but now moche more dili∣gent. The great confidence which I have in you. hath caused me this to do: partly for Ti∣tus sake which is my felowe and helper as cōcernynge you / partly because of other which are oure brethren / and the messengers of the congregaciōs / and y^e glory of Christ. Wherfo¦re shewe vnto them the proffe of youre love / & of the reioysynge that we have of you / that y^e congregacions maye se it.

The .ix. Chapter.

OF the ministrynge to y^e saynctes / it is but superfluous for me to write vnto [ A] you: for I knowe youre redynes of mī¦de / wherof I bost my silfe vnto them of Ma∣cedonia / & saye that Achaia was prepared a ye are a goo / and youre ferventnes hath provo∣ked many. Neverthelesse yet have I sent these

brethren / lest oure reioysynge over you shuld be in vayne in this behalfe / and that ye (as I have sayd) preparare youre selues / lest paravē¦ture yf they of Macedonia come with me & fynde you vn prepared / the boost that I ma∣de in this matter / shuld be a shame to vs: I sa¦ye not vnto you.

Wherfore I thought it necessary to exhor¦te [ B] the brethren / to come before hōde vnto you forto prepare youre good blessynge promysed afore / that it myght be redy: so y^t it be a bles∣synge / and not a defraudynge. ✚ This yet re¦member / howe that he which soweth lytell / shall reepe lytell: & he y^t soweth plenteously shall reepe plenteously. And let every man do accordynge as he hath purposed in his her¦te / not* 1.25 groudgyngly / or of necessite. For god loveth a chearfull gever.

God is able to make you ryche in all grace that ye in all thynges havynge sufficiēt vn∣to [ C] * 1.26 the vttmoste / maye be ryche vnto all man∣ner good workes / as it is written: He y^t spar∣sed abroade and hath geven to the povre / his rightewesnes remayneth for ever. He y^t fyn∣deth the sower seed / shall minister breed for fo¦de / and shall multiplie youre seed and increa∣ce the frutes of youre rightewesnes ✚ that on all parties / ye maye bemade ryche in all syn¦glenes / which causeth thorowe vs / thankes gevynge vnto god.

For the office of this ministracion / not on∣ly [ D] supplieth the nede of the sayntes: but also is aboundaunt herein / that for this laudable

ministrynge / thankes myght be geven to god of many / whiche prayse god for the obedience of youre professynge y^e gospell of Christ / and for youre synglenes in distributynge to them and to all mē: and in their prayers to God for you / longe after you / for the aboundaunt gra∣ce of God geven vnto you. Thankes be vnto God for his vn speakeable gyft.

¶ The .x. Chapter.

I Paule my silfe beseche you by the meke¦nes [ A] and softnes of Christ / which when I am present amōge you / am of no repu¦taciō / but am bolde towarde you beinge absent. I besech you that I nede not to be bolde when I am present (with that same confidēce / wher¦with I am supposed to be bolde) agaynst so∣me which repute vs as though we walked car¦nally. Neverthelesse though we walke compa¦sed [ B] with y^e fleshe / yet we warre not flesshlye For the weapēs of oure warre are not carnall thinges / but thynges myghty in god to cast doune stronge holdes / wherwith we overthro¦we ymaginacyons / & every hye thynge that exalteh it silfe agaynst the knowledge of god and brynge into captivite all vnderstondynge to the obedience of Christ / and are redy to ta¦ke vengeaunce on all disobedience / when you∣re obedience is fulfilled. Loke ye on thynges after y^e vtter apparence?

Yf eny man trust in him silfe y^• he is Chri¦stis / let [ C] the same also considre of him silfe / y^• as he is Christis / even so are we Christe. And though I shuld bost my silfe somewhat moa¦re

of oure auctorite which the lorde hath ge∣ven vs to edifie & not to destroye you / it shul∣de not be to my shame. This saye I / lest I shuld seme as though I went a bout to make you a frayde with letters. For y^e pistles (sayth he) are sore and stronge: but his bodyly presen¦ce is weake / and his speache rude. Let him y^t is soche thynke on this wyse / that as we are in wordes by letters when, we are absent / so∣che are we in dedes when we are present.

For we cannot fynde in oure hertes to ma∣ke oure selves of y^e nombre of them / or to com¦pare oure selves to them / which laude thē sel¦ves neuerthelesse whill they measure thē sel∣ves w^t them selves / & cōpare thē selves w^t thē selves / they vnderstōde nought. But we wyll not reioyce above measure: but accordynge to [ D] the quantitie of y^• measure which god hath distributed vnto vs / a measure that reacheth even vnto you. For we stretche not out oure selves beyōde measure as though we had not reached vnto you. For even vnto you have we* 1.27 come with the gospell of Christ / & we bost not oure selves out of measure in other mens la∣bours. Ye & we hope / when youre fayth is in∣creased amōge you / to be magnified acordyn∣ge to oure measure more largely / and to prea∣che y^• gospell in those regions which are beyō¦de you: & not to reioyce of that which is by a¦nother mans measure prepared all redy. Let him y^t reioyseth / reioyce in the * 1.28 lorde. For he that prayseth him silfe / is not alowed: but he whom the lorde prayseth.

¶ The .xi. Cha.

VVolde to god / ye coulde suffre mea ly¦tell in my folysshnes: yee / and I pra∣ye you forbeare me. For I am gelous [ A] over you with godly gelousy. For I coupled* 1.29 you to one man / to make you a chaste virgen to Christ. But I feare lest as the serpent begy∣led Eve / thorow his sutteltie / even so youre wittes shuld be corrupte from the singlenes that is in Christ. For if he that commeth pre∣ache another Iesus then hym whom we pre∣ached: or if ye receave another sprete then that which ye have receaved: other another gos∣pell then that ye have receaved / ye myght right wel have bene content.

I suppose that I was not behynde y^e chefe apostles. Though I be tude in speakynge / yet I am not so in knowledge. How be it amonge you we are knowen to the vtmost what we [ B] are in all thynges. Did I therin synne / be cau¦se I submitted my silfe / that ye myght be ex∣alted / & because I preached to you the gospell of God fre? I robbed other congregacions / and toke wages of thē / to do you service with all. And when I was present with you and had nede / I was greuous to no man for that which was lackynge vnto me / the brethren which came from Macedonia / supplied: & in all thynges I kept my silse that I shuld not be greveous to you: & so will I kepe my silfe.

Yf the trueth of Christ be in me / this ieioy∣synge shall not be taken from me in the regi∣ons of Achaia. Wherfore? Be cause I love [ C] you not? God knoweth. Neverthe lesse what

I doo / that will I do / to cut awaye occasion from them which desyre occasion / that they myght be founde lyke vnto vs in that wherin they reioyce. For these falce apostles are dis∣ceatefull workers / and fassion them selves ly¦ke [ D] vnto y^e apostles of Christ. And no marvay¦le / for satan him silfe is chaunged into the fas¦sion of an angell of light. Therfore it is no great thynge / though his ministers fassion them selves as though they were the mini∣sters of rightewesnes: whose ende shalbe ac∣ordynge to their dedes.

I saye agayne / lest eny man thynke y^t I am folishe: or els evē now take me as a fole / that I maye bost my silfe a lytell. That I speake / I speake it not after the wayes of the lorde: but as it were folysshly / whill we are now co∣me to bostynge. Seynge that many reioyce after y^e flesshe I will reioyce also. For ye suf¦fre foles gladly / be cause that ye youre selves are wyse. For ye suffre even if a man brynge [ E] you into * 1.30 bondage: yf a mā devoure: yf a man take: yf a man exalt hym silfe: yf a man smy∣te you on the face. I speake as concernynge re¦buke / as though we had bene weake.

How be it wherin soever eny man dare be bolde (I speake folisshly) I dare be bolde also They are Ebrues / so am I: They are Israeli ts / evē so am I. They are y^e seede of Abrahā / even so am I. They are y^• ministers of Christ (I speake as a fole) I am moare: In labours moare aboundāt: In strypes above measure: In preson more plenteously: In deeth ofte.

Of the Iewes five tymes receaved I every* 1.31 tyme .xl. strypes saue one. Thryse was I be¦ten [ F] with roddes. I was once s••oned. I suffe∣red thryse shipwracke. Nyght and daye have I bene in the depe of the see. In iorneyinge of¦ten: In parels of waters: In parels of rob∣bers: In ieoperdies of myne awne nacion: In ieoperdies amōge the hethen. I have bene in parels in cities / in parels in wildernes / in parels in the see / in parels amonge falce bre¦thren / in laboure and travayle / in watchynge often / in honger / in thirst / in fastynges often / in colde and in nakednes.

And besyde the thynge which outwardly happē vnto me / I am cōbred dayly / & do care for all congregacions. Who is sicke / & I am not sicke? Who is hurte in the fayth and my hert burneth not? Yf I must nedes reioyce / I will reioyce of myne infirmities.

The .xii. Chapter.

THe God and father of oure lorde Ie¦sus Christ / which is blessed for ever∣more / knoweth [ A] that I lye not ✚ In y^e* 1.32 citie of Damascon / the governer of y^e people vnder kynge Aretas / layde watche in y^e citie of the Damascēs / & wolde have caught me / & at a wyndowe was I let doune in a basket tho∣rowe the wall / and so scaped his hondes.

It is not expediēt for me (no dout to reioy∣ce.* 1.33 Neverthelesse I will come to visions and revelaciōs of y^• lorde. I knowe a mā in Christ above .xiiii. yeares agone (whether he weare in y^t body I cannot tell / or whether he were ou¦te

of y^e body I cānot tell / god knoweth) which was takē vp into the thyrd heven. And I kno¦we the same man (whether in the body / or out of the body / I cānot tell god knoweth) howe y^• he was takē vp into paradise / & hearde worde [ B] not to be spokē / which no man can vtter. Of this man will I reioyce / of my s••lfe will I not reioyce / except it be of myne infirmities. And yet though I wolde reioyce / I shuld not be a fole: for I wolde saye the trouthe. Neverthe¦lesse I spare / lest eny man shuld thynke of me above that he seith me to be / or heareth of me.

And lest I shuld be exalted out of measure thorow the a boundance of revelacions / ther was geven vnto me vnquyetnes of the fles∣she / the messenger of Satan to buffet me: be¦cause I shuld not be exalted out of measure [ C] For this thynge besought I the lorde thryse / that it myght departe from me. And he sayde vnto me: my grace is sufficient for the. For my strēgth is made perfact thorow weaknes. Very gladly therfore will I reioyce of my we∣aknes / that the strength of Christ maye dwell* 1.34 in me ✚ Therfore have I delectacion in infir¦mities / in rebukes / in nede / in persecucions / in anguyshe / for Christis sake. For when I am weake / then am I stronge.

I am made a fole in bostynge my silfe. Ye have cōpelled me: I ought to have bene cōmē¦ded of you. For in nothinge was I inferior vn¦to y^e chefe apostels / Though I be nothynge / yet y^e tokēs of an apostle were wrought amōge

you with all pacience: with signes / and won∣ders / and* 1.35 myghty dedes. For what is it whe∣rin ye were inferiors vnto other cōgregacions except it be therin that I was not greveous [ D] vnto you. Forgeve me this wronge done vnto you. Beholde now y^e thyrde tyme I am redy to come vnto you: and yet will I not be grevous vnto you. For I seke not youres / but you. Also the children ought not to laye vp for the fathers and mothers: but the fathers and mothers for the children.

I will very gladly bestowe / & wilbe besto∣wed for youre soules: though the moare I lo∣ve you / y^e lesse I am loved agayne. But be it y^t I greved you not: never the lesse I was cra∣fty & toke you with gile. Did I pill you by e∣ny of thē which I sent vnto you? I desyred Titus / & w^t him I sent a brother. Did Titus defraude you of eny thynge? walked we not in one sprete? walked we not in lyke steppes? Agayne / thynke ye y^• we excuse oure selves? We speake in Christ in the sight of God. [ E]

But we do all thynges dearly beloved for youre edifyinge. For I feare lest it come to passe / that when I come / I shall not fynde you soche as I wolde: and I shalbe foūde vn∣to you soche as ye woldenot: I feare lest ther¦be founde amōge you debate / envyinge / wrath stryfe / backbytynges / whisperynges / swellyn∣ges & discorde. I feare lest when I come agay∣ne / God brynge me lowe amonge you / and I be constrayned to bewayle many of thē which have synned all redy / and have not repented

of the vnclennes / fornicacion and wantānes which they haue committed.

The .xiii. Chapter.

NOw come I the thyrd tyme vnto you In the mouth of two or thre witnes∣ses shall every thinge stonde. I tolde [ A] you before / & tell you before: & as I sayde whē* 1.36 I was present with you the seconde tyme / so wryte I now beynge absent / to them which in tyme past have synned / & to all other: y^t if I co¦me agayne / I will not spare / seynge y^t ye seke experience of Christ which speaketh in me / which amōge you is not weake / but is mygh∣ty in you. And verely though it came of wea∣knes that he was crucified / yet liveth he tho∣row the power of God. And we no dout are weake in him: but we shall live with him / by [ B] the myght of God amonge you.

Prove youre selves whether ye are in the fayth or not. Examen youre owne selves: knowe ye not youre awne selves / how that Ie¦sus Christ is in you excepte ye be castaway∣es? I trust that ye shall knowe y^t we are not castawayes. I desyre before God that ye do none evyll / not that we shuld seme cōmenda∣ble: but that ye shuld do that which is honest: & let vs be counted as leawde persones. We can do no thinge agaynst the trueth / but for [ C] the trueth. We are glad when we are weake / and ye stronge. This also we wisshe for / even that ye were perfect. Therfore write I these thinges beynge absent / lest when I am pre∣sent / I shuld vse sharpenes accordinge to the

power which the Lorde hath geven me / to edi¦fie / and not to destroye.

Finallye brethren fare ye well / be perfect / [ D] be of good comforte / be of one mynde / lyve in peace / & the God of love & peace / shalbe with you. Grete one another in an holy kysse. All y^e sayncte salute you. The grace of oure Lorde Iesus Christ / & the love of God / & the felli∣shippe of the holy goost / be with you all. Amē ¶ The seconde epistle to the Corinthians. ¶ Sent from Philippos a citie in Ma∣cedonia / by Titus and Lucas.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Afflicci¦ons or passions of Christ are soche sofferin∣ges as Christ soffered.
• * 1.2

  Conscien¦ce.
• * 1.3

  All the promises of god a∣re geuen ••e onlye for chri∣stes sake.
• * 1.4

  Savoure
• * 1.5

  hebr. iiij.
• * 1.6

  exodi. xxxiiij.
• * 1.7

  Libertie there the herte••s•• not in bō∣dage to do me cere∣monyes. but know¦eth how to vse all thinges / ād vnder∣stondeth that loue is the en∣de and the full fyll yn of all la∣wes.
• * 1.8

  God of this worl¦de.
• * 1.9

  The apo¦stles are servātes
• * 1.10

  Psa. cxxv
• * 1.11

  apo. xvj.
• * 1.12

  ro. xiiij.
• * 1.13

  Geue all diligē∣ce that no man be of¦fended or hurt by vs or ou∣re ensam∣ple.
• * 1.14

  Christ∣es seruaū¦tes seke Christes will / and not lyue at their awne ple∣asure but at his.
• * 1.15

  A new creature.
• * 1.16

  The ato¦nemēt bet¦wene god and man in Christ is the apo¦stles offi¦ce to prea¦che.
• * 1.17

  Synne is an offe¦ringe for synne / as a fore. ro. viij.
• * 1.18

  (Vayne) that the wordēso∣wē in yo∣ur hertes: shuldbe frutelesse to youre greater dāpnaciō.
• * 1.19

  j. cor. iiij.
• * 1.20

  Armou∣re of rygh¦teousnes: is the wor¦de of god with ho∣pe / loue / feare. &c. which Paule cal¦leth the ar¦moure of lyght. ro. xiij.
• * 1.21

  Temple.
• * 1.22

  Covena∣unt. leu. xxvj esa. lij.
• * 1.23

  j. pe. ij,
• * 1.24

  exo. xvj.
• * 1.25

  eccle. xxxv.
• * 1.26

  psal. cx••
• * 1.27

  ephe. iiijd
• * 1.28

  Let eue¦ry mā re∣ioyse in th¦at Christ dyed for him & not in the ho∣lynes of his awne workes.
• * 1.29

  We be maried to Christ & not to the preacher.
• * 1.30

  To mo∣che meke∣nes & obe¦dience is not alo∣wed in y^• kyngedo∣me of god but all must be ac¦cordinge to know∣ledge.
• * 1.31

  acto. xvj. ac. xiiij. c ac. xxvji
• * 1.32

  act. ix. d.
• * 1.33

  act. ix. a.
• * 1.34

  Paule proueth by his sy∣gnes that his aucto¦rite was as great / as the au¦ctoryte of the hie A∣postles.
• * 1.35

  * Paule proueth by his sig¦nes that his aucto¦rite was as great as the auc¦torite of the hie A∣postles.
• * 1.36

  dut. xix. ma. xvii io. viij. cj. hebre. x c