A   It profiteth me nothinge (no doute) to boaste. Neuertheles I wil come to þe; visions and reuelacions off the LORDE. I knowe a man in Christ aboue fourtene yeares a goo (whether he was in þe; 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: and I knowe the same man (whether he was in þe; body or out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth) how that he was tak&ebar; vp in to Paradise, and herde wordes not to be spoken, which no man can vtter. Here of will I boast, but of my selfe wil I make no boast, excepte it be of myne infirmyties. And though I wolde boast my selfe, I dyd not foolishly, for I wolde saye the trueth. But I refrayne my selfe, lest eny m&abar; shulde thinke of me aboue þt; he seyth in me, or heareth of me. ^noteAnd lest I shulde exalte my selfe out of measure because of the hye reuelacions, there is a warnynge geuen vnto my flesh, euen þe; messaunger of Satan, to buffet me, that I shulde not exalte my selfe out off measure: for þe; which I besoughte the LORDE

thryse, that it mighte departe fro me. And he sayde vnto me: My grace is suffici&ebar;t 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.

B   Therfore am I contente in infirmities, in rebukes, in necessities, in persecucions, in anguy&esset;hes for Christes sake: for wh&abar; I am weake, th&ebar; am I str&obar;ge. I am become a fole &ibar; boastinge my selfe: Ye haue c&obar;pelled me. For I oughte to be c&obar;mended of you, ^note in so moch as I am in nothinge inferior to þe; hye Apostles. Though I be nothinge, yet are þe; tokens of an Apostle wrought am&obar;ge you, with all paci&ebar;ce, with signes, ∧ with w&obar;ders ∧ with mightie dedes. For what is it, wherin ye are inferiours to the other congregacions? excepte it be þt; I haue not bene greuous vnto you. Forgeue me this wr&obar;ge. Beholde, I am ready the thirde tyme to come vnto you, and wyl not be chargeable vnto you. ^noteFor I seke not youres, but you. For þe; childr&ebar; ought not to gather treasure for the elders, but the elders for the children. I wil very gladly bestowe, and wyl be bestowed for youre soules: though þe; more I loue you, the lesse am I loued agayne.

C   But let it be so that I greued you not, neuertheles for so moch as I was craftye, I toke you &wt; gyle. Haue I defrauded you by eny of th&ebar;, wh&obar; I sent vnto you? I desyred Titus, ∧ with him I sent a brother: dyd Titus defraude you? Haue we not walked in one sprete? W&ebar;te we not in like fotesteppes? Agayne, thynke ye þt; we excuse oure selues? We speake in Christ in the sighte off God. But all this (dearly beloued) is done for yo&highr; edifyenge. 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: lest whan I come agayne, God bringe me lowe am&obar;ge you ∧ lest I be constrayned to bewayle many of th&ebar; þt; haue synned before, ∧ haue not repented ouer þe; vnclennesse and whordome, and wantonnes, which they haue c&obar;mytted.

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