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I will very gladly bestowe, and wilbe bestowed for your soules: though the more I loue you, the lesse I am loued agayn. But be it that I was not chargeable vnto you: neuerthe∣lesse whan I was craftie, I tooke you with gyle. Did I pyll you by any of them, whome I sent vnto you? I desyred Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Dyd Titus defraude you of any thing? walked we not in one spyryte? Walked we not in like steppes? Agayne, thinke ye, that we excuse our selues vnto you? We speake in Christe in the sight of God. But we doe all thynges (dearly beloued) for your edifying. For I feare, leste it come to passe, that when I come▪ I shall not fynde you suche as I woulde, and that I shall be founde vnto you suche as ye would not. I feare, leste there be founde among you debate, enuying, wrathe, stryfe, backbytinges, whysperynges, swellynges and discorde. I feare, leste when I come agayne, God bryng me lowe among you, and I be constrayned to be∣wayle many of them whiche haue synned all readie and haue not repented of the v••c••ea∣nesse, fornicacion, and wantonnesse, whiche they haue commytted.
And therfore so farre am I from exacting any thyng of you, that I not only am ready with all my harte to bestowe, that I haue vpon you, but also my selfe, if it be expedient for your soule helth. Sufficient is it for me, that I as a father this doe for my chyldren, albeit I am not ignorant, that it is with me towardes you, as it is with many fathers with theyr chyldren: that wheras I tenderly loue you, I am not lykewyse loued a∣gayne, but lesse regarded than they, whiche would you not so well as I. Put the case, that I was not my selfe chargeable vnto you fearing en∣uye, but yet that through craftie conueyaunce, I beguyled you, workyng that by some hiered therunto, which I was ashamed to doe my selfe. For paraduenture some wil make this cauilacion, thinking me to be such as o∣ther bee. Tell me I pray you, exacted I any thing of you by any of thē, whiche came vnto you in my name? I desyred Titus to goe vnto you, to hym adioyned I as a companion, the brother, whiche is well tryed and knowen of all the congregacions. Exacted Titus any thyng of you? Had we not both one mynde? Walked not we both lyke steppes? For I refuse not to haue that layed to my charge, whiche was done by suche as I sent vnto you. But no we thinke ye agayne, that whyles we this speake, we pleade our owne matter? no not so, but whatsoeuer we speake, whether it be in humbling of our selfe, or exalting, laying your vnkyndnes to your charge, al is done for your weale, dearly beloued brethren, as God is my witnesse whiche knoweth my conscience, and as Christ also is my witnesse whose cause I haue in hande. I assay all wayes, I leaue no meane vnsear∣ched, I shape my selfe into al fashions, & all to bryng you to better frame. I nothyng feare these counterfayte Apostles for my owne sake, but this feare I, leste whē I come, vnto you, I fynde you not such, as I would ye were, & ye agayne fynde me such, as ye would not. My desyre is to see you in al poyntes faulteles, that ye may againe see me mylde and wel pleased. But if ye continew to geue eare to some, I feare, leste I shall fynde among you debate, enuying, wrathe, strife, backbytynges, whisperinges, swel∣linges, & discorde, so that yf I come agayne, I feare leste it chaunce, that whom it semed to be seen of you mery and pleasaunt, as one sufficiently troubled with your outragiousnes already, the Lorde among you bring me lowe agayne, so that in steade of a tryumphe I be compelled to morne in all theyr behalfes, whiche haue already synned, and not repented as yet their vncleanes, fornicacion and wantonnes, which they haue committed.