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¹ It profiteth me nothinge (no doute) to boaste. Neuertheles I wil come to ye visions and reuelacions off the LORDE.² I knowe a man in Christ aboue fourtene yeares a goo (whether he was in ye body, I can not tell: or whether he was out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth.) the same was taken vp in to the thirde heauen:³ and I knowe the same man (whether he was in ye body or out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth)⁴ how that he was take vp in to Paradise, and herde wordes not to be spoken, which no man can vtter.⁵ Here of will I boast, but of my selfe wil I make no boast, excepte it be of myne infirmyties.⁶ And though I wolde boast my selfe, I dyd not foolishly, for I wolde saye the trueth. But I refrayne my selfe, lest eny ma shulde thinke of me aboue yt he seyth in me, or heareth of me.⁷ And lest I shulde exalte my selfe out of measure because of the hye reuelacions, there is a warnynge geuen vnto my flesh, euen ye messaunger of Satan, to buffet me, that I shulde not exalte my selfe out off measure:⁸ for ye which I besoughte the LORDE thryse, that it mighte departe fro me.⁹ And he sayde vnto me: My grace is sufficiet for the. For my strength is made perfecte thorow weaknes. Very glad therfore wil I reioyse in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ maye dwell in me.¹⁰ Therfore am I contente in infirmities, in rebukes, in necessities, in persecucions, in anguysshes for Christes sake: for wha I am weake, the am I stroge.

¹¹ I am become a fole i boastinge my selfe: Ye haue copelled me. For I oughte to be comended of you, in so moch as I am in nothinge inferior to ye hye Apostles. Though I be nothinge,¹² yet are ye tokens of an Apostle wrought amoge you, with all paciece, with signes, & with woders & with mightie dedes.¹³ For what is it, wherin ye are inferiours to the other congregacions? excepte it be yt I haue not bene greuous vnto you.Forgeue me this wroge.¹⁴ Beholde, I am ready the thirde tyme to come vnto you, and wyl not be chargeable vnto you. For I seke not youres, but you. For ye childre ought not to gather treasure for the elders, but the elders for the children.¹⁵ I wil very gladly bestowe, and wyl be bestowed for youre soules: though ye more I loue you, the lesse am I loued agayne.¹⁶ But let it be so that I greued you not, neuertheles for so moch as I was craftye, I toke you wt gyle.¹⁷ Haue I defrauded you by eny of the, who I sent vnto you?¹⁸ I desyred Titus, & with him I sent a brother: dyd Titus defraude you? Haue we not walked in one sprete? Wete we not in like fotesteppes?¹⁹ Agayne, thynke ye yt we excuse oure selues? We speake in Christ in the sighte off God. But all this (dearly beloued) is done for yor edifyenge.²⁰ For I feare, lest whan I come, I shal not fynde you soch as I wolde: and lest ye shal fynde me soch as ye wolde not: lest there be amonge you, debates, envyenges, wrathes, stryuynges, bacbytinges, whysperinges, swellinges, vproures:²¹ lest whan I come agayne, God bringe me lowe amoge you & lest I be constrayned to bewayle many of the yt haue synned before, & haue not repented ouer ye vnclennesse and whordome, and wantonnes, which they haue comytted.