CHAPTER
XI

vice of Christ,

and in all kind

:

ye your selves are wise. For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devoure you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himselfe, if a man smite you on the face. I speake as concerning reproch, as though we had bene weake: howbeit, wherein soever any is bold, I speake foolishly, I am bold also. Are they Hebrewes? so am I are they Israelites? so am I are they the and in the ser- seed of Abraham? so am I: are they ministers of Christ? I speake as a foole, I am more: in labors more abundant: in stripes above of sufferings for measure: in prisons more frequent: in deaths oft. Of the lewes his ministery, five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten farre superiour. with rods, once was I stoned: thrice I suffered shipwracke: a night and a day I have bene in the deepe. In iourneying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my owne countreymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the citie, in perils in the wildernesse, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in wearinesse and painfulnesse, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakednes. Besides those things that are without, that which commeth upon me dayly, the care of all the Churches. Who is weake, and I am not weake? who is offended, and I burne not? If I must needes glory, I will glory of the things which concerne mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governour under Aretas the King, kept the citie with a garison, desirous to apprehend mee. And through a window in a basket was I let downe, by the wall, and escaped his hands.

For commending of his

Apostleship, though he might glory

of his wonderfull revelations,

IT

CHAPTER XII

T is not expedient for me, doubtlesse, to glory, I wil come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knewe a man in Christ above fourteene yeeres agoe, whether in the body, I cannot tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth: such a one, caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth.) How that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakeable wordes, which it is not lawfull for a man to utter. Of such a one will I glory, yet of my selfe I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a foole: for I will say the trueth. But now I forbeare, lest any man should thinke of me above that which hee seeth me to bee, or that hee heareth of me and least I should bee exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there

to this vaine

was given to me a thorne in the flesh, the messenger of Sathan to CHAPTER buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing XII I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from mee. And Yet hee rather he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength chuseth to glory of his is made perfect in weaknes. Most gladly therefore will I rather infirmities, glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christes sake: for when I am weake, then am I strong. I am become a foole in blaming them glorying, ye have compelled me. For I ought to have beene com- for forcing him mended of you: for in nothing am I behinde the very chiefest boasting. Apostles, though I be nothing. Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signes and wonders, and mightie deeds. For what is it wherein yee were inferior to other Churches, except it bee that I my selfe was not burthensome to you? forgive me this wrong. Behold, the third time I Hee promiseth am readie to come to you, and I will not be burthensome to to come to them againe but yet you; for I seeke not yours, but you: for the children ought altogether in not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. the affection And I wil very gladly spend and bee spent for you, though the of a father, more abundantly I love you, the lesse I bee loved. But be it so: I did not burthen you: neverthelesse beeing craftie, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gaine of you by any of them, whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother: did Titus make a gaine of you? Walked wee not in the same spirit? walked wee not in the same steps? Againe, thinke you that we excuse our selves unto you? wee speake before God in Christ: but wee doe all things, dearely beloved, for your edifying. For I feare lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, although hee and that I shall bee found unto you such as ye would not, lest feareth he shall to his griefe there bee debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backebitings, whisper- finde many ings, swellings, tumults, and least when I come againe, my God will offenders, and humble mee among you, and that I shall bewaile many which have publike dissinned alreadie, and have not repented of the uncleannesse, and fornication, and lasciviousnesse which they have committed.

T

CHAPTER XIII

orders there.

THIS is the third time I am comming to you: in the mouth He threatneth of two or three witnesses shal every word be established. severitie, and the power of I told you before, and foretell you as if I were present the his Apostleship second time, and being absent, now I write to them which hereto- against obstinfore have sinned, and to all other, that if I come againe I will not

ate sinners.

CHAPTER

XIII

And advising

them to a triall of their faith,

mation of their sinnes before his comming,

spare: since ye seeke a proofe of Christ, speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weake, but is mightie in you. For though hee was crucified through weaknesse, yet he liveth by the power of God for wee also are weake in him, but wee shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine your selves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your owne selves. Know yee not your owne selves, how that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that yee shall knowe that we are not reprobates. and to a refor. Now I pray to God, that ye doe no evill, not that we should appeare approved, but that ye should doe that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. For wee can doe nothing against the trueth, but for the trueth. For wee are glad when wee are weake, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection. Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpnesse, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction. Finally, brethren, farewell: Bee perfect, bee of good comfort, bee of one minde, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shalbe with you. Greet one another with an holy kisse. All the Saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second Epistle to the Corinthians, was written from Philippos a citie of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.

He concludeth his Epistle with hortation and

a generall ex

a prayer.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE

GALATIANS

CHAPTER I

AUL an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Iesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, and all the brethren which are with mee, unto the Churches of Galatia: Grace bee to you and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ, who gave himselfe for our sinnes, that he might deliver us from this present evill world, according to the will of God, and our Father, to whom bee glorie for ever and ever, Amen. I marveile, He wondereth that you are so soone removed from him, that called you into the that they have so soone left grace of Christ, unto an other Gospel: which is not another; but him, and the there bee some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Gospel, Christ. But though we, or an Angel from heaven, preach any And accurseth other Gospel unto you, then that which wee have preached unto those that you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now againe, other Gospel preach any If any man preach any other Gospel unto you, then that yee have then hee did. received, let him be accursed. For doe I now perswade men, or God? or doe I seeke to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not bee the servant of Christ. But I certifie you, brethren, He learned the that the Gospel which was preached of me, is not after man. For Gospel not of I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the men, but of revelation of Iesus Christ. For yee have heard of my conversation in time past, in the lewes Religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the And sheweth Lewes Religion, above many my equals in mine owne nation, being what he was more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. when it pleased God, who separated me from my mothers wombe, and called me by his grace, to reveale his sonne in mee, that I might preach him among the heathen, immediatly I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Ierusalem, to them 6:00 289

God:

before his

But calling,

CHAPTER
I

and what he
did presently
after it.

He sheweth when he went

up againe to Hierusalem, and for what purpose:

And that Titus was not circumcised:

which were Apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and returned againe unto Damascus. Then after three yeeres, I went up to Ierusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteene dayes. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save Iames the Lords brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God I lye not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and was unknowen by face unto the Churches of Iudea, which were in Christ. But they had heard onely, that he which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith, which once hee destroyed. And they glorified God in me.

T

CHAPTER II

HEN fourteene yeeres after, I went up againe to Ierusalem with Barnabas, and tooke Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that Gospel, which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any meanes I should runne, or had runne in vaine. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greeke, was compelled to be circumcised: and that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spie out our libertie, which wee have in Christ Iesus, that they might bring us into bondage. To whom wee gave place by subiection, no not for an houre, that the trueth of the Gospel might continue with you. But of these, who seemed to bee somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to mee, God accepteth no mans person,) for they who seemed to be somewhat, in conference added nothing to me. But contrariwise, when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter: (for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mightie in me towards the Gentiles.) And when Iames, Cephas and Iohn, who seemed to bee pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that wee should goe unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Onely they would that wee should remember the poore, the same which I also was forward to doe. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, resisted Peter, because he was to be blamed. For before that certaine came from Iames, he did eate with the Gentiles: but when they were come, hee withdrew, and separated himselfe, fearing them which were of the Circumcision. And the other lewes dissembled likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was caried away with their

And that he

and told him the reason,