disobedience against all the words and works of God. In and under this kingdom of the world are we.

Here again you see that no man is able, by his own works or his own power, to put away sin, because this present world is evil, and (as St. John saith) "is set upon mischief." As many therefore as are in the world are the bondslaves of the dev** constrained to serve him, and do all things at his pleasure What availed it then, to set up so many orders of religion, for the abolishing of sin; to devise so many great and most painful works, as to wear shirts of hair, to beat the body with whips till the blood followed, to go on pilgrimage to St. James in harness, and such other like? Be it so that thou doest all these things, yet notwithstanding this is true, that thou art in this present evil world, and not in the kingdom of Christ. And if thou be not in the kingdom of Christ, it is certain that thou belongest to the kingdom of Satan, which is this evil world. Therefore all the gifts, either of the body or of the mind, which thou enjoyest, as wisdom, righteousness, holiness, eloquence, power, beauty, and riches, are but the slavish instruments of the devil, and with all these thou art compelled to serve him, and to advance his kingdom.

First, with thy wisdom thou darkenest the wisdom and knowledge of Christ, and, by thy wicked doctrine, leadest them out of the way, that they cannot come to the grace and knowledge of Christ. Thou settest out and praisest thine own righteousness and holiness: but the righteousness of Christ, by which only we are justified and quickened, thou dost hate and condemn as wicked and devilish. To be brief, by thy power thou destroyest the kingdom of Christ, and abusest the same to root out the gospel, to persecute and kill the ministers of Christ, and so many as hear them. Wherefore, if thou be without Christ, this thy wisdom is double foolishness, thy righteousness double sin and impiety, because it knoweth not the wisdom and righteousness of Christ: moreover, it darkeneth, hindereth, blasphemeth and persecuteth the same. Therefore Paul doth rightly call it the cvil or wicked world: for when it is at the best, then is it worst. In the religious, wise, and learned men, the world is at the best, and yet, in very deed, in them it is double evil. I overpass those gross vices which are against the second table, as disobedience to parents, to magistrates, adulteries, whoredoms, covetousness, thefts, murders, and maliciousness, wherein the world is altogether drowned, which notwithstanding are light faults, if ye compare them with the wisdom and righteousness of the wicked, whereby they fight against the first table. This white devil, which forceth men to commit spiritual sins that they may sell them for righteousness, is far more dangerous than the black devil, which only enforceth them to commit fleshly sins, which the world acknowledgeth to be sins.

By these words then, "That he might deliver us," &c. Paul sheweth what is the argument of this epistle; to wit, that we have need of grace and of Christ, and that no other creature, neither man nor angel, can deliver man out of this present evil world. For these works are only belonging to the divine majesty, and are not in the power of any, either man or angel. That Christ hath put away sin, and hath delivered us from the tyranny and kingdom of the devil; that is to say, from this wicked world, which is an obedient servant, and a willing follower of the devil his God. Whatsoever the murderer and father of lies either doth or speaketh, that the world, as his most loyal and obedient son, diligently followeth and performeth. And therefore it is full of the ignorance of God, of hatred, lying, errors, blasphemy, and of the contempt of God. Moreover, of gross sins, as murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, robberies, and such like, because he knoweth his father the devil, who is a liar and a murderer. And the more wise, righteous, and holy that men are without Christ, so much the more hurt they do the gospel. So we also, that were religious men, were double wicked in the papacy, before God did lighten us with the knowledge of his gospel, and ye, notwithstanding under the colour of true piety and holiness.

Let these words then of Paul remain, as they are indeed, true and effectual, not coloured or counterfeit, namely, "that this present world is evil." Let it nothing at all move thee, that, in a great number of men, there be many excellent virtues, and that there is so great a show of holiness in hypocrites. But mark thou rather what Paul saith: out of whose words thou mayest boldly and freely pronounce this sentence against the world, that the world with all his wisdom, power and righteousness, is the kingdom of the devil: out of the which God alone is able to deliver us by his only begotten Son.

Therefore let us praise God the Father, and give him hearty thanks for this his unmeasurable mercy, that hath delivered us out of the kingdom of the devil (in the which we were holden captives) by his own Son, when it was impossible to be done by our own strength. And let us acknowledge, together with Paul, "that all our works and righteousness," (with all which, we could not make the devil to stoop one hair's breadth) 66 are but loss and dung." Also let us cast under our feet, and utterly abhor all the power of free-will, all pharisaical wisdom and righteousness, all religious orders, all masses, ceremonies, vows, fastings, and such like, (Phil. iii. 8.) as a most filthy defiled cloth, (Isa. Ixiv. 6.) and as the most dangerous poison of the devil. Contrariwise, let us extol and magnify the glory of Christ, who hath delivered us by his death, not from this world only, but from this evil world.

Paul then by this word, evil, sheweth that the kingdom of

the world, or the devil's kingdom, is the kingdom of iniquity, ignorance, error, sin, death, blasphemy, desperation, and everlasting damnation. On the other side, the kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of equity, light, grace, remission of sins, peace, consolation, saving health, and everlasting life, into the which we are translated (Col. xiii.) by our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, world without end. So be it.

VERSE 4. According to the will of God, even our Father.

Here Paul so placeth and ordereth every word, that there is not one of them but it fighteth against those false apostles for the article of justification. Christ (saith he) hath delivered us from this wicked kingdom of the devil, and the world. And this hath he done," according to the will, good pleasure, and commandment of the Father." Wherefore we be not delivered by our own will, or cunning, nor by our own wisdom or policy, but for that God hath taken mercy upon us, and hath loved us: like as it is written also in another place, "Herein hath appeared the great love of God towards us, not that we have loved God, but that he hath loved us, and hath sent his only begotten Son to be a reconciliation for our sins." (1 John iv. 10.) That we are then delivered from this present evil world, it is of mere grace, and no desert of ours. Paul is so plentiful, and so vehement in amplifying and extolling the grace of God, that he sharpeneth, and directeth every word against the false apostles.

There is also another cause why Paul here maketh mention of the Father's will, which also in many places of St. John's gospel is declared, where Christ, commending his office, calleth us back to his Father's will, that in his words and works we should not so much look upon him, as upon the Father. For Christ came into this world, and took man's nature upon him, that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and so to reconcile us to God the Father; that he alone might declare unto us how that this was done through the good pleasure of his Father, that we, by fastening our eyes upon Christ, might be drawn and carried straight unto the Father.

For we must not think (as before we have warned you) that by the curious searching of the majesty of God, any thing concerning God can be known to our salvation, but by taking hold of Christ, who, according to the will of the Father, hath given himself to death for our sins. When thou shalt acknowledge this to be the will of God through Christ, then wrath ceaseth, fear and trembling vanisheth away, neither doth God appear any other than merciful, who by his determinate counsel would that his Son should die for us, that we might live through him. This knowledge maketh the heart cheerful, so that it stedfastly believeth that God is not angrv, but he so loveth us poor

and wretched sinners, that he gave his only begotten Son for us. It is not for nought, therefore, that Paul doth so often repeat, and beat into our minds, that Christ was given for our sins, and that by the good will of the Father. On the contrary part, the curious searching of the majesty of God, and his dreadful judgments, namely, how he destroyed the whole world with the flood, how he destroyed Sodom, and such other things, are very dangerous, for they bring men to desperation, and cast them down headlong into utter destruction, as I have shewed before,

VERSE 4. Of God and our Father.

This word our, must be referred to both, that the meaning may be this, "of our God, and of our Father." Then is Christ's Father, and our Father all one. So in the twentieth of John, Christ saith to Mary Magdalen: "Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, to my God, and to your God." Therefore God is our Father, and our God, but through Christ. And this is an apostolic manner of speech, and even Paul's own phrase, who, indeed, speaketh not with such picked and gay words, but yet very fit and to the purpose, and full of burning zeal.

VERSE 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever.

The Hebrews are wont in their writings to intermingle praise and giving of thanks. This custom the Hebrews and the apostles themselves do observe. Which thing may be very often seen in Paul. For the name of the Lord ought to be had in great reverence, and never to be named without praise and thanksgiving. And thus to do, is a certain kind of worship and service to God. So in worldly matters, when we mention the names of kings or princes, we are wont to do it with some comely gesture, reverence, and bowing of the knee: much more ought we when we speak of God, to bow the knee of our heart, and to name the name of God with thankfulness and great reverence.

VERSE 6. I marvel.

Ye see here how Paul handleth his Galatians, which were fallen away and seduced by the false apostles. He doth not at the first set upon them with vehement and rigorous words, but after a very fatherly sort, not only patiently bearing their fall, but also in a manner excusing the same. Furthermore, he sheweth towards them a motherly affection, and speaketh them very fair, and yet in such sort, that he reproveth them notwithstanding: howbeit with very fit words, and wisely framed to the purpose. Contrariwise he is very hot and full of indignation against those false apostles their seducers, upon whom he layeth the whole fault; and therefore forthwith, even in the entrance of his

epistle, he bursteth out into plain thunderings and lightnings against them. "If any man" (saith he) "preach any other gospel than that ye have received, let him be accursed." And afterwards, in the fifth chapter, he threateneth damnation unto them: "Whoso troubleth you shall bear his condemnation, whatsoever he be." (Gal. v. 10.) Moreover, he curseth them with horrible words, saying, "Would to God they were cut off which trouble you." These are dreadful thunderclaps against the righteousness of the flesh or the law.

He might have handled the Galatians more uncourteously, and have inveighed against them more roughly after this manner: "Out upon this backsliding, I am ashamed of you; your unthankfulness grieveth me; I am angry with you:" or else thus tragically have cried out against them: "O ungracious world, O wicked dealings," &c. But forasmuch as his purpose is to raise up them that were fallen, and with a fatherly care to call them back again from their error to the purity of the gospel, he leaveth those rough and sharp words, especially in the first entrance, and most gently and mildly he speaketh unto them. For, seeing he went about to heal them that were wounded, it was not meet that he should now further vex their green wound, by laying to it a sharp and a fretting plaister, and so rather hurt the wounds than heal them. Therefore, of all the sweetest and mildest words, he could not have chosen any one more fit than this, "I marvel:" whereby he signifieth both that it grieved him, and also displeased him, that they had fallen away from him.

And here Paul is mindful of his own rule, which he giveth hereafter in the sixth chapter, where he saith: "Brethren, if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one with the spirit of meekness, considering thyself also tempted." This example must we also follow, that we shew ourselves to bear like affection toward such as are misled, as parents bear towards their children, that they may perceive our fatherly and motherly affection towards them, and may see that we seek not their destruction, but their welfare. But as for the devil and his ministers, the authors of false doctrine and sects, against them we ought, by the example of the apostle, to be impatient, proud, sharp, and bitter, detesting and condemning their false jugglings and deceits with as much rigor and severity as may be. So parents, when their child is hurt with the biting of a dog, are wont to pursue the dog only, but the weeping child they bemoan and speak fair unto it, comforting it with the most sweet words.

The spirit therefore that is in Paul is wonderful cunning in handling the afflicted consciences of such as are fallen. Contrariwise, the Pope (because he is led with a wicked spirit) breaketh out violently like a tyrant, and rappeth out his thunder-cracks and cursings against the miserable and terrified in consciences; which things may be seen in his bulls, and especially in that bull