Ch. 1o. Paul's defence II. Colin him of himfelf think this again, that as he is Chrift's, even fo are we Chrift's. 7. Do yóu judge by Mens outward Appea- rance and Otentarion; and judge ofme by the meannefs of my Garb, and bodily Statureand Afpe&? Íf it be Pretence ofany Gifts or Au- thority from Chrift , which puffeth up thefe Men, let them confider , whether we have not as much of thefe from Chrift to thew as they ? 8. For though I would boaft fome- what more of our authority, (which the Lord bath given us for edificati- on, and not for your deflruetion) I fhould not be afhamed : 8. If I should fay, that I can thew more Au- thority from Chrift than they.can, I should not be afhamed, as unable to prove it; ( Yet we pretend to none that is deftrufive and hurtful to the Church, or any ofthe Brethren, but on- ly to fuch Power as is to edife and do good. 9. That I may not feem as if I would terrifie you by letters. to. For his letters ( fay they) are weighty and powerful, but his bodily prefence is weak, and his fpeech contemptible. 9, to. I will not feem to terrifie you by Letters contrary to what I fay in pretence ; Though my Accufers fay, that my Bodily Pre- tence and Speech are contemptible, and not an- fweable to my Letters. Nate, That Tradition tells us, That Paul (ac- cording to his Name) was a Man of a very lit- tle Stature, and his voice anfwerably fmall and it may bethat hence they railed this Report of his Pretence and Speech. l.1. Let fuch an one think this,that filch as we are in word by letters, when we are abfenr;'finch will we be allo in deed when we are prefent, at. But let fuch believe, thatwhen I come, my Deedsfhall be as awful as my Words are hire, That the thing which Pawl would have his Accufers fear, was, that by the miraculous Gift of the Holy Ghot they Ihould (peed as £lyma, did. 12. For we dare not make our felves of the number, or compare our felves with folne that commend them. felves : but they meafuring them- felves by thetnfelves, and comparing 'rhemfelves aralorgft themfelves, are not wife. thians. againfl defpifers. Ch. z o: rz. I will not imitate them in Self-commen- dation and Comparifons: but it is their follyand fìfdeceit to meafure rhemfelves by their own feif-conceit, and compare rhemfelves with their ownFollowers, notknowing the Graceof God inothers. . 13. But we will not boaftofthings without our meafure, but according to themeafure ofthe rulewhich God bath diftributed to us, a meafure to reach even unto you. 13. But I will not boaft of any thing done beyond the Province and Meafure of Gifts af- figned and vouchfafed to us of God, as thofe that would reap the praife of other Mens La- bours ; but of that which God bath really done by us, ofwhich your felves arepart ofour Wit- neffès. 14. For we ftretch not our felves beyond our rneafure , as though we reached not unto you ; for we are come as far as toyou alto, in preaching the-gofpel of Chrift : 14. You know, that when I extend my boating even to you, that I boat not of that which I never performed: For you are my Witneffes, as being the Fruits ofmy Minitry. iii. Not boafting of things with- out our meafure, that is, of other mens labours : buthaving hope when your faith is increafed, that we (hall been- larged by you according to our rule abundantly, r 5. I boat not of Labour in another Man's Province, and of other Mens Performance (as thefedo ;) But I hope that the increafe ofyour Faith will he the increafe of my Advantage, and ofsay Comfort and Reward, whoever help- ethyou, it being she Fruit and Increafe of the Seed which I fowed. i6. To preach the gofpel in the regions, beyond you, and not to boaft in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. 16. I hopeby your Increafe to have the bet- ter opportunityto carry theGofpel beyond you, to the Regions that have not yet received it and not to boat, as cutting onother Mens La- bours. 17. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 17. But let us alftake heed that we glorynot in our felves, but purely in God, and for God, F f 2 shag
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