Brethren I beseche you, be ye as I am, for I am as ye are. Ye haue not hurt me at all. Ye knowe, how through infirmitie of the fleshe, I preached the gospel vnto you at the first. And my tēptacion whiche was in the fleshe, ye dispised not, neither abhorred: but receiued me as an angel of God: euen as Christ Iesus.
But rather regarde not the ceremonies of the lawe, as ye see me to do, but put my trust in Christ onely. My selfe sometyme was suche one as ye now he, iudgyng that it was an high pointe of godlynes to be circumci∣sed, to kepe the Iewishe sabboth day, to obserue differences in meates, to sacrifice beastes: for zeale of whō, I then persecuted the churche of God, all whiche pointes now reaken I for trifles.
Wheras I brethren somewhat vehemently complaine vpō you, surely this may ye beleue me, I seke not myne owne weale, but yours. I might with the quiet vprightnes of myne owne conscience be with my selfe con∣tented. I am not displeased with you, for ye haue done me no wronge. I pitie to see you go from suche good beginnynges, looke rather that ye be stable and constant, encreasyng styl from better to better, rather than from better to worse.
What tyme I fyrst preached vnto you the gospell of Iesus Christ, I submitted my selfe to your weakenes, now an other while rise ye vppe to my strength, & lose not the gloriouse praise of your fayth. Of late, when I preached vnto you y• gospel, ye knewe, I toke no great royal state vpō me, but euen the behauour of a lowe, simple, and abiecte person. I pray you, what saw ye me, but a sealy mā, ready to take harme, hated of many for Christes name, vnder diuerse troubles and vexacions, & beside this, one of a simple and rude language? I taught you nothyng, but that Ie∣sus Christ was for your sakes faste vpon the crosse, at whiche tyme suche was the readynes of your fayth, that ye with suche vilenes in my person beyng nothyng offended, neither forsooke nor dispised my gospell, what tyme by fayth therin I promised you life euerlastyng.