¶ He sheweth the cause of his absence and exhorteth them to forgyue the man that was fallen, and to re∣ceyue him agayne with loue.
CAPI. II.
[ A] B✚Vt I determined this in my selfe, that I wolde not come agayne to you in he∣uynes. For yf I make you sorye, who is it that sholde make me gladde, but the same whiche is made sorye by me? And I wrote this same epystle vnto you, leest yf I came, I sholde take heuynesse of them, of whome I oughte to reioyce. Certaynly this confydence haue I in you all, that my ioye is the ioye of you all. For in greate affliction and anguyshe of herte I wrote vnto you with many teares: not to make you sorye, but that ye myght per∣ceyue the loue whiche I haue moost specially vnto you.
[ B] If any man hathe caused sorowe, the same hathe not made me sorye, but in parte: leest I sholde greue you all. It is sufficient vnto the same man, that he was rebuked of many. So that nowe contrarye wyse, ye oughte to for∣giue him, and comforte him, lest that same per∣son sholde be swalowed vp with ouer moche heuynes. Wherfore I exhorte you that loue maye haue strengthe ouer him. For this cause verily dyd I wryte, that I myght knowe the profe of you, whether ye sholde be obedient in al thinges. To whom ye forgyue any thing I forgyue also. For also yf I forgaue any thynge, to whom I forgaue it, for your sakes forgaue I it, in the syght of Christ, lest Satan sholde preuent vs. For his thoughtes are not [ C] vnknowen vnto vs.
When I was come to Troada for Christes gospels sake (and a greate doore was opened vnto me of the Lorde) I hadde no reste in my spirite, bycause I founde not Titus my bro∣ther: but toke my leaue of them, and went a∣waye in to Macedonia. Thankes be vnto God, whiche alwayes gyueth vs the victorye [ D] in Christ, and openeth the sauer of his know∣lege by vs in euery place. For we are vnto god the swete sauour of Christ, bothe among them that are saued, and also amonge them whiche perysshe. To the one parte are we the sauour of dethe vnto dethe. And vnto the other parte are we the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe.* 1.1 And who is mete vnto these thynges? For we are not as many are, whiche chop and chaunge with the worde of God, but euen oute of purenes and by the power of God, and in the syght of God, so speake we in Chryst.