notwithstanding alloweth and requireth, and giveth rewards thereunto accordingly: which also reason is able in some part to perform: but he intreateth here of the righteousness that availeth before God, whereby we are delivered from the law, sin, death, and all evils, and are made partakers of grace, righteousness and everlasting life, and finally, are now become lords of heaven and earth, and of all other creatures. This righteousness neither man's law, neither the law of God is able to perform.

The law is given besides and above reason, to be a light and a help to man, and to shew him what he ought to do, and what to leave undone. Notwithstanding, man with all his strength and reason, yea, with this great light also and heavenly benefit (the law I mean), cannot be justified. Now if that which is the most excellent thing in the world (the law I say), which as a bright shining sun is joined to the dim and obscure light of man's reason to lighten and to direct it, is not able to justify, what can reason do, I pray you, without the law? What? Doubtless nothing else but that which the Pope with his dreaming sophisters and his whole synagogue hath done, who with their own traditions have darkened the light even of the first commandment. Wherefore there is not one of them that is able rightly to understand any one syllable of the law, but every man walketh in mere darkness of man's reason. And this error is much more pernicious and deadly, than that which proceedeth of the doctrine of works and the law.

These words therefore are very effectual and full of power when he saith: "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ died in vain."-He speaketh here nothing of man's strength, reason or wisdom, be it never so great (for the greater it is, the sooner it deceiveth a man) but he saith plainly without all condition: "If by the law," &c. Wherefore reason, lightened, aided and directed by the law, yea, even by the law of God, is so unable to attain righteousness, that it draweth a man from righteousness, and rejecteth Christ. Set thou therefore the death of Christ alone against all laws, and with Paul," know nothing but Jesus Christ crucified," (1 Cor. ii. 2.) Receive no light either of reason, or of the law, or of any thing else, than of Christ alone. Then shalt thou be learned indeed, righteous and holy, and shalt receive the Holy Ghost, which shall preserve thee in the purity of the word and faith: but set Christ aside, and all things are but vain.

Here again we see what a goodly commendation Paul giveth to the righteousness of the law, or man's own righteousness, namely, that it is a contemning and rejecting of the grace of God, and an abolishing of the death of Christ. Paul is no great rhetorician, and yet see what matter he ministereth to him that listeth to play the rhetorician. What eloquence is able sufficiently to set forth these words: to reject the grace,

the grace of God: also, that Christ died in vain. The horribleness whereof is such, that all the eloquence in the world is not able to express it. It is a small matter to say, that any man died in vain: but to say that Christ died in vain, is to take him quite away. Whoso listeth to play the rhetorician, hath here matter enough to dilate and amplify at large, what a horrible and blasphemous doctrine it is to set up the righteousness of the law and works. For what can be more blasphemous and horrible, than to make the death of Christ unprofitable? And what do they else which keep the law to this end, that they may be justified thereby? Now to make the death of Christ unprofitable, is to make the resurrection, his victory, his glory, his kingdom, heaven, earth, God himself, the majesty of God, and briefly all things else unprofitable, and of none effect.

This thundering and lightning from heaven against the righteousness of the law and man's own righteousness, should make us to abhor it. And here with this thunderclap falleth down all the orders of monk and friars, with all such superstitious religions. For who will not detest his own vows, his cowls, his shaven crown, all men's traditions, yea, the very law of Moses also, if he hear that for these things he rejected the grace of God, and maketh the death of Christ unprofitable: the world hearing this, doth not believe that it is true. It thinketh that such horrible wickedness cannot enter into any man's heart, that he should reject the grace of God, and esteem the death of Christ as a thing of nought? And yet this sin commonly reigneth. For whosoever seeketh righteousness without Christ's, either by works, merits, satisfactions, afflictions, or by the law, rejecteth the grace of God, and despiseth the death of Christ, whatsoever he protesteth with his mouth to the contrary.

CHAP. III.

VERSE 1. O, foolish Galatians!

PAUL here sheweth his apostolical care, and burning zeal which he beareth to the church: so that, in disputing and confuting, he intermingleth sometimes gentle exhortation, and sometimes he sharply reproveth, according to his own rule given to Timothy. "Preach," saith he, "the word: be instant in season and out of season: reprove, rebuke, exhort," (2 Tim. iv. 2.) Here the simple reader may haply be deceived, if he be not circumspect, to think that Paul in teaching keepeth no order at all. And indeed, after the manner of the rhetoricians, he observeth none; but as concerning the spirit he useth a goodly order.

Now after that he hath sufficiently proved, and with two strong arguments confirmed this article, that Christian righteousness cometh not by keeping of the law, but by faith in

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Christ, and withal hath confuted the doctrine of the false apostles; in the midst of this discourse he turneth his talk to the Galatians, and reproveth them, saying, "O ye foolish Galatians," &c. As if he should say: Alas, from whence are ye fallen, O ye miserable Galatians? I have most carefully and diligently taught you the truth of the gospel, and ye also have received the same of me with fervent zeal and great diligence. How then cometh it to pass, that ye are so suddenly fallen away from it? "Who hath bewitched you?”

He reproveth the Galatians very sharply, as it seemeth, when he calleth them fools, bewitched and disobedient to the truth. Now whether he did this of zeal or compassion, I will not here contend: both may be true. A carnal man would interpret this to be a reviling, rather than a godly reprehension. Did Paul then give an evil example, or was he spiteful against the churches of Galatia, because he called them foolish and beFor with a Christian zeal it is lawful witched? No, not so. for an apostle, a pastor, or preacher, sharply to reprove the people committed to his charge: and such reprovings are both fatherly and godly. So parents, of a fatherly and motherly affection, do sharply reprove and rebuke their children; which they would not bear, if another should do it. The schoolmaster sometimes is angry with his scholar, he rebuketh him and beateth him: all which he taketh in good part, and would not bear it at the hands of his equal. The magistrate likewise is angry: he reproveth and punisheth such as are under his charge. And this discipline is not only good, but also very necessary; without the which, nothing can be well done. Wherefore, unless the magistrate, the minister, the father and mother be angry, and use to reprove or rebuke when the case requireth, he is unprofitable, and never shall discharge his office rightly.

Wherefore sharp chidings and bitter words are as necessary in every kind of life, as any other virtue else. Yet notwithstanding this anger must be so tempered, that it proceed not of any envy or malice, but only of a fatherly affection and Christian zeal: that is to say, it ought not to be childish or woman-like, seeking revenge; but only for the correcting of the fault: as the father correcteth not his child with desire to revenge, but only that the child thereby may be the better. And these kinds of anger are good, and are called in the scripture zeals or jealousies. For in chastising my brother, my child, my scholar, or subject in this sort, I seek not his destruction, but his profit and welfare.

It be then that Paul here rebuketh the Galatians, either may of a very zeal (not to destroy them, but by this means to reduce them into the way again, and to amend them) or else of pity and compassion, as it were by way of complaint, for that it grieveth him that they should be so miserably reduced. As if he should say: I am sorry and ashamed to hear of this your miserable case, your wretched doings, &c. In like manner do

we also reprehend the miserable: not that we tread them down, or upbraid them with their misery, but as having compassion on them, and seeking their amendment. This I say, lest any man should cavil, that Paul railed upon the churches, contrary to the rule of the gospel.

In like manner Christ rebuketh the Pharisees, calling them serpents, the generation of vipers, the children of the devil. But these are the rebukings of the Holy Ghost. They are fatherly and motherly, and as the chidings of a faithful friend: as it is said also in the Proverbs: " better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy," (Prov. xxvii. 6.) Thus one and the self-same rebuke, if it come out of the mouth of a father, may be a great benefit: but if it proceed out of the mouth of our equal or enemy, it is a spiteful reproach. When two men do one thing, in the one it is commendable, and in the other it is reproved. But when Christ and Paul do reprove, it is done with singular virtue and commendation: but when a private man should do the like, it is in him a great vice. Therefore one and the self-same word in the mouth of Paul is a benefit, but in the mouth of another it is a reproach.

There is a certain vehemency to be noted in this word, Galatians; for he calleth them not his brethren, as elsewhere he is wont to do: but he calleth them by the name which was proper to their country. And it seemeth that it was the natural vice of that nation to be foolish; like as it was the fault of the Cretenses to be liars. As if he should say: As ye are called, even so are ye indeed, and so ye continue: that is to say, foolish Galatians; and so you shew yourselves to be even now, in the business of the gospel (wherein notwithstanding ye ought to have been most wise), yet ye continue still in your own nature, and are no changelings. Thus Paul, by way of correction, putteth the Galatians in mind of their corrupt nature.

Moreover we are here admonished, that, according to the flesh, there are yet natural vices remaining in the churches, and in the godly. Grace maketh not such a change in the faithful, that by-and-by they become altogether new creatures, and perfect in all things: but there remain yet certain dregs of their old and natural corruption. As if a man, that is naturally inclined to anger be converted to Christ, although he be mollified by grace, (the Holy Ghost so framing his heart, that he is now become more meek and gentle) yet this natural vice is not utterly quenched in his flesh. Likewise, such as are, by nature, severe and sharp, although they be converted to the faith, yet notwithstanding they cannot utterly forsake this vice. Hereof it cometh, that the holy scriptures, which do contain all one truth, of diverse spirits are diversely handled. One, in teaching, is mild and gentle: another more rough and rigorous. Thus the Spirit of God, being poured into diverse vessels, doth not quench at once the vices of nature: but by little and little, during this life, ha

purgeth that sin which is rooted, not only in the Galatians, but also in all men of all nations.

Albeit then that the Galatians were lightened and did believe, and had now received the Holy Ghost by the preaching of faith, notwithstanding this remnant of vice, (this foolishness I mean) and the original corruption, which afterwards did easily burst out into a flame of false doctrine, remained in them still. Wherefore let no man trust so much in himself, as to think that when he hath received grace, he is thoroughly purged from his old vices. Indeed, many things are purged in us, and principally the head of the serpent; that is to say, infidelity and ignorance of God is cut off and bruised, but the slimy body and the remnants of sin remain still in us. Let not man therefore presume so much of himself, that when he hath once received faith, he can by-and-by be thoroughly changed into a new man: nay, he shall keep somewhat of his old vices still cleaving unto him, (Heb. xii. 1.) though he be never so good and so perfect a Christian. For we are not yet dead, but we still live in the flesh : which, because it is not yet pure, continually lusteth against the spirit. "I am carnal," saith Paul, "sold under sin. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind." (Rom. vii. 14. 23. Gal. v. 17.) Wherefore the natural vices that were in us before we received faith, do still remain in us after that we have received faith: saving that now they are subdued to the spirit, which hath the upper hand to keep them under, that they rule not; and yet not without great conflict. This glory is due to Christ alone; and this title he beareth, "that he is pure and without blemish: who did no sin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth." 1 Pet. ii. 22.

VERSE 1. Who hath bewitched you, that you should not believe the truth? Here have ye another commendation of this goodly righteousness of the law, and of our own righteousness, namely, that it maketh us to contemn the truth: it bewitcheth us in such sort, that we do not believe nor obey the truth, but rebel against it.

Of the bodily and spiritual witchcraft.

Paul calleth the Galatians foolish and bewitched, comparing them to children, to whom witchcraft doth much harm. As though he should say: It happeneth to you as it doth to children, whom witches, sorcerers, and enchanters are wont to charm by their enchantments, and by the illusions of the devil. Afterwards, in the fifth chapter, he rehearseth sorcery among the works of the flesh, which is a kind of witchcraft, whereby he plainly testifieth, that indeed such witchcraft and sorcery there is, and that it may be done. Moreover, it cannot be denied but that the devil liveth, yea, and reigneth throughout the whole world. Witchcraft and sorcery therefore are the works of the devil; whereby he doth not only hurt men, but also, by the