The texte.

LEt them tell me then, wherin they are better than you, that thus are ashamed of Christes lowlines, and crake among you of their lawe, of their riches, and wisdome. I am assured, that I conuerted you not to Christe by suche meanes. For when I fyrste came vnto you, to teache you the preuey and secrete wisedome of the gos∣pell, I came furnished neyther with any meruaylouse and gloryouse eloquence, nor with any singuler knowledge of Philoso∣phie, whiche kynde of menne I knewe, howe greatly ye regarded. So farre abhorred I to take vpon me any of those thynges, which in the face of the worlde are coumpted singular, that I shewed my selfe among you to knowe nothyng els, but Iesus Christe, euen thesame, that was cruci∣fied. I preached of a manne, but of suche a manne yet, as was by God an∣noynted, and promised by the Prophetes to come and redeme manne∣kynde. From that whiche was in hym of lowest reputacion, beganne I the preachyng of the gospell. And albeit that my preachyng among you tooke effecte, yet thereby claymed I no prayse at all, lyuyng among you, not lyke a manne of power, but as a weake one and feble, nor gaped for any greate dominion, but as one, that stoode in daunger and ieo∣pardie to be assaulted of deuilyshe persones, whose tyrannye we with pacience ouercame. Looke after what sorte my lyuyng was, and af∣ter thesame was my preachyng. And as my lyfe was kepte in safe∣garde agaynste the violence of lewde and myscheuouse persons, by no mannes hande, but by the onely defence of God: so lykewyse was my Page  [unnumbered] preachyng, neyther garnyshed with the floures of thetoryke, nor sette furthe with the argumentes of Philosophie, thereby to shewe, what I coulde in learnyng and eloquence: and yet symple as it was, of that po∣wer and myght was it, that it quyte chaunged you, not by any braggyng learnyng, but by the spirite and myghtie power of God, who by his se∣crete inspiraciō and miracles, ayded and assisted my rude preaching, that whereas ye are from darkenesse and ignoraunce brought to the lyght of the ghospel, beeyng a thyng so vnlyke and hard to bee perswaded in, no manne should thinke thesame to bee doen by worldely wysedome or elo∣quence, whiche we take not vpon vs, but by the power of God, by whom our preachyng was more effectuall and strong, than euer was any dispu∣tacion of the Philosophers, were it neuer so subtile, were it neuer so wit∣tye and well set in ordre. At my beeyng among you, whiche were proude of your worldely wysedome, and ignoraunte of the wysedome of God, I taught you but playne matters, but yet suche were they, as were to saluacion necessarie.