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Also Titus whiche was with me, though he were a Greke, yet was not compelled ••o be circumcised: and that because of incōmers beyng false brethren, which came in priue∣ly to spye ante our libertie whiche we haue in Christe Iesus, that they myght bryng vs into bondage. To whome we gaue no coume, no not for the tyme (as concernyng to be brought into subieccion) because the trueth of the gospell myght continewe with you.
And so ferre were we from chargyng the Gentiles with the burden of cir∣cumcision, that not somuche as Titus, when he was bothe at Hierusalē, and conuersaunt also among Iewes, that styfly defended circumcision, was by the chief apostles of the Iewes compelled to be circumcised, be∣cause he was a Grecian and not a Iewe. And how muche lesse then should ye lo do there in Galacia by compulsion of any false apostle? Suche as a∣mong the apostles were chiefe, required not of vs to haue a Grecian cir∣cumcised, therin vndoubtedlye intendyng, that the bondage of the lawe shoulde by lytle and lytle weare quyte awaye, and the libertie of the gos∣pell be establyshed. But into oure companye there crepte certayne false christian men, whome I maye for good cause so call, because they exacte that, whiche Christe would, should weare out of vse. Trayterously and falsly came they within vs to espye oure lybertie gyuen vnto vs throughe the gospell of Christe, wherat they enuied, intendyng nothyng elles but through circumcison to bryng vs agayne backwarde into the bondage of the lawe. Of them was it more lykely, that we shoulde through theyr im∣portune meanes, be compelled, leste by resistyng, some commocion might be stiered vp.
And yet not so muche as to them gaue we so ferfurthe place, no not for the tyme so satisfyeng theyr myndes, by submitting oure selfes, that Ti∣tus shoulde be circumcised, which thinge was by vs done for your sakes, leste that whiche was in Titus done of necessitie, ye without necessitie fo∣lowyng the same myght fall from the truthe of the gospel, into a Iewyshe supersticion.