that the churches which were planted by his ministry were troubled; that the gospel was overthrown by the false apostles, and that all Asia was revolted from his doctrine, and certain great personages besides.

But he knew that his doctrine was not the cause of these offences and sects, and therefore he was not discouraged; he forsook not his vocation, but went forward, knowing that the gospel which he preached, was the power of God to salvation to all that believe, howsoever it seemed to the Jews and Gentiles to be a foolish and offensive doctrine, (Rom. i. 16.) He knew that they are blessed which are not offended by this word of the cross, whether they be teachers or hearers, as Christ himself saith: "Blessed is he which is not offended in me." Contrariwise, he knew that they were condemned, which judged this doctrine to be foolish and heretical. Therefore he saith, as Christ did of the Jews and Gentiles which were offended with his doctrine: "Let them alone, they are blind, and leaders of the blind," (Matt. xv. 14.)

We also are constrained at this day to hear the same spoken of us, which was said of Paul and the other apostles; to wit, that the doctrine of the gospel, which we profess, is the cause of many and great enormities, as of seditions, wars, sects; and innumerable offences. Yea, they impute unto us all the troubles which are at this day. Surely, we teach no heresies or wicked doctrine, but we preach the glad tidings concerning Christ, that he is our high priest and our redeemer. Moreover, our adversaries are constrained (if they will confess the truth) to grant us this, that we have given no occasion through our doctrine, of seditions, wars, or tumults; but always have taught that honour and reverence must be given to the magistrates, because God hath so commanded. Neither are we the authors of offences: but in that the wicked are offended, the fault is in themselves, and not in us. God hath commanded us to preach the doctrine of the gospel, without any respect of offence. But because this doctrine condemneth the wicked doctrine and idolatry of our adversaries, they, being provoked thereby, raise offences of themselves, which the schoolmen called offences taken, which, they said, ought not to be avoided, nor can be avoided.

Christ taught the gospel, having no regard to the offence of the Jews."Suffer them," (saith he,) "they are blind, and leaders of the blind," (Matt. xv. 14.) The more the priests forbade the apostles to preach in the name of Christ, the more the apostles gave witness that the same Jesus, whom they had crucified, is both Lord and Christ, and whosoever should call upon him should be saved, and that there is no other name given unto men under heaven, whereby they must be saved, &c. (Acts ii. 21, 36. iv. 12.) Even so we preach Christ at this day, not regarding the clamours of the wicked Papists and all our adversaries, which cry out that our doctrine is seditious and full

of blasphemy, that it troubleth commonweals, overthrowetl religion, and teacheth heresies, and briefly, that it is the cause of all evils. When Christ and his apostles preached, the same was said likewise of them. Not long after, the Romans came, and, according to their own prophecy, destroyed both the place and the nation. Wherefore let the enemies of the gospel at this day, take heed that they be not overwhelmed with these evils, which they prophesy unto themselves.

These they make grievous and heinous offences, that monks and priests do marry wives, that we eat flesh upon the Fridays, and such-like. But this is no offence to them at all, that by their wicked doctrine they seduce and daily destroy innumerable souls; that by their evil example they offend the weak; that they blaspheme and condemn the glorious gospel of the mighty God; and that they persecute and kill those that love the sincerity of doctrine and the word of life: this (I say) is to them no offence, but an obedience, a service, and an acceptable sacrifice unto God. Let us suffer them, therefore: "For they are blind, and leaders of the blind," (Matt. xv. 14.) "He that hurteth, let him hurt still; and he that is filthy, let him be more filthy," (Apoc. xxii.) But we, because we believe, will speak and set forth the wonderful works of the Lord, so long as we have breath, and will endure the persecutions of our adversaries until the time that Christ, our high bishop and king, shall come from heaven, who, we hope, will come shortly, as a just judge, to take vengeance of all those that obey not his gospel. So be it.

With these offences which the wicked allege, the godly are nothing moved; for they know that the devil hateth nothing more than the pure doctrine of the gospel, and therefore he goeth about to deface it with innumerable offences, that by this means he might root it out of men's hearts for ever. Before, when nothing else was taught in the church but man's traditions, the devil did not so rage. For whilst the strong man kept the house, all that he possessed was in peace; but now, when a stronger cometh, which vanquisheth and bindeth that strong one and spoileth his house, then he beginneth to rage indeed, (Luke xi. 21, 22.) And this is an infallible token, that the doctrine which we profess is of God; for else, (as it is said in the fortieth of Job) that " Behemoth would lie hid under the trees, in the covert of the reed and fens." But now, that he rangeth about like a roaring lion, and stirreth up such hurlyburlies, it is a manifest token that he feeleth the power of our preaching, (1 Pet. v. 8.)

When Paul saith, “ They are jealous over you, but amiss," he sheweth, by the way, who are the authors of sects; to wit, those jealous spirits which in all times overthrow the true doctrine, and trouble the public peace. For these being stirred up with a perverse zeal, imagine that they have a certain singular holiness, modesty, patience, and doctrine above others, and there

fore they think that they are able to provide for the salvation of all men; that they can teach more profound and profitable things, ordain better service and ceremonies than all other teachers besides, whom they despise as nothing in comparison of themselves, and abase their authority, and corrupt those things which they have purely taught. The false apostles had such a wicked and perverse zeal, stirring up sects, not only in Galatia, but also in all the places wheresoever Paul and the other apostles had preached; after the which sects followed innumerable offences and marvellous troubles. "For the devil" (as Christ saith) "is a liar and a murderer," (John viii. 44.) and therefore he is wont, not only to trouble men's consciences by false doctrine, but also to stir up tumults, seditions, wars, and all mischief.

There are very many at this day which are possessed with this kind of jealousy; which pretend great religion, modesty, doctrine, and patience, and yet, in very deed, they are ravening wolves, who with their hypocrisy seek nothing else but to discredit us, that the people might esteem, love, and reverence them only, and receive no other doctrine but theirs. Now, because these men have a great opinion of themselves and despise others, it cannot be, but that there must needs follow horrible dissensions, sects, divisions, and seditions. But what should we do? We cannot remedy this matter; as Paul could not do it in his time. Notwithstanding, he gained some, which obeyed his admonitions; so I hope, also, that we have called some back from the errors of the sectaries.

VERSE 18. But it is a good thing to love earnestly always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

As if he should say: I commend you for this, that ye loved me so entirely when I preached the gospel amongst you in the infirmity of the flesh. Ye ought to bear the same affection towards me now, when I am absent, even as if I had never departed from you; for, although I be absent in the body, yet have ye my doctrine, which ye ought to retain and maintain, seeing ye received the Holy Ghost through it; thinking with your selves, that Paul is always present with you, as long as ye have his doctrine. I do not, therefore, reprehend your zeal, but I praise it, and so far forth I praise it, as it is the zeal of God or of the Spirit, and not of the flesh. Now, the zeal of the Spirit is always good; for it is an earnest affection and motion of the heart to a good thing, and so is not the zeal of the flesh. He commendeth, therefore, the zeal of the Galatians, that thereby he may pacify their minds, and that they may patient'y suffer his correction. As if he would say: Take my correction in good part; for it proceedeth of no displeasure, but of a sorrowful heart and careful for your salvation. This is a lively example to teach all ministers how to be careful for their sheep, and to assay every way, that by chiding, fair speaking, or en

treating, they may keep them in sound doctrine, and turn them from subtle seducers and false teachers.

VERSE 19. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you.

All his words are weighty, and fitly framed to the purpose, that they may move the hearts of the Galatians, and win their favour again; and these are sweet and loving words, when he calleth them his children. When he saith, "Öf whom I travail in birth," it is an allegory. For the apostles are in the stead of parents, as schoolmasters also are in their place and calling. For as parents beget the bodily form, so they beget the form of the mind. Now, the form of a Christian mind is faith, or the confidence of the heart, that layeth hold upon Christ, and cleaveth to him alone, and to nothing else. The heart being furnished with this confidence or assurance, to wit, that for Christ's sake we are righteous, hath the true form of Christ. Now, this form is given by the ministry of the word, as it is said, 1 Cor. iv. "I have begotten you through the gospel," that is to say, in spirit, that ye might know Christ and believe in him. Also 2 Cor. iii. "Ye are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us and written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God." For the word cometh from the mouth of the apostle or of the minister, and entereth into the heart of him that heareth it. There the Holy Ghost is present, and imprinteth the word in the heart, so that it consenteth unto it. Thus, every godly teacher is a father, which engendereth and formeth the true shape of a Christian heart, and that by the ministry of the word.

Moreover by these words, "Of whom I travail in birth,” he toucheth the false apostles. As though he would say: I did beget you rightly, through the gospel; but these corrupters have formed a new shape in your heart, not of Christ, but of Moses: so that now your affiance is not grounded any more upon Christ, This is not the true form of but upon the works of the law. Christ, but it is another form, and altogether devilish. And he saith not: of whom I travail in birth until my form be fashioned - in but until Christ be formed in you; that is to say, I travail that ye may receive again the form and similitude of Christ, and not of Paul. In which words he again reproveth the false apostles; for they had abolished the form of Christ in the hearts of the believers, and had devised another form, that is to say, their own; as he saith in chap. vi. "They would have you circumcised, that they might rejoice in your flesh."

you,

Of this form of Christ he speaketh also in the third to the Colossians: "Put ye on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Paul, therefore, goeth about to repair the form of Christ in the Galatians, that was disfigured and corrupted by the false apostles: which is, that they should think, speak, and will, as God doth, whose

thought and will is, that we should obtain remission of our sins and everlasting life, by Jesus Christ his only Son, whom he sent into the world, to the end he might be the propitiation for our sins, and that we should know that through this his Son he is appeased and become our loving Father. They that believe this, are like unto God: that is to say, all their thoughts are of God, as the affection of their heart is; they have the same form in their mind which is in God, or in Christ. This is to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, as Paul saith, (Eph. iv.)

He saith then, that he travaileth again of the Galatians in birth; and yet so, notwithstanding, that the form of the children. should not be the form of the apostle, so that the children should not resemble the form of Paul, or of Cephas, &c. but of another father, that is to say, of Christ. I will fashion him (saith he) in you, that the same mind may be in you, which was in Christ himself, (Phil. ii. 5.) To be brief: "I travail of you:" that is to say, I labour carefully to call you back to your former faith, the which ye have lost (being deceived by the craft and subtilty of the false apostles) and are returned to the law and works. Therefore, I must now again carefully travail, to bring you back from the law to the faith of Christ. This he calleth to travail in birth, &c.

VER. 20. And I would I were with you now, that I might change my voice, &c. These are the true cares of an apostle. It is a common saying, that a letter is a dead messenger; for it can give no more than it hath. And no epistle or letter is written so exactly, wherein there is not somewhat lacking. For the circumstances are divers; there is a diversity of times, places, persons, manners and affections; all which no epistle can express: therefore it moveth the reader diversely, making him now sad, now merry, as he himself is disposed. But if any thing be spoken sharply, or out of time, the lively voice of a man may expound, mitigate, or correct the same. Therefore the apostle wisheth that he were with them, to the end he might temper and change his voice, as he should see it needful, by the qualities of their affections. As, if he should see any of them very much troubled, he might so temper his words, that they should not be oppressed thereby with more heaviness: contrariwise, if he should see others high-minded, he might sharply reprehend them, lest they should be too secure and careless, and so at length become contemners of God.

Wherefore he could not devise how he, being absent, should deal with them by letters. As if he should say: If my epistle be too sharp, I fear I shall more offend than amend some of Again: if it be too gentle, it will not profit those which are perverse and obstinate: for dead letters and words give no more

you.