doing they think they do God good service. So, as much as in them lieth, they cast us out of this life, and of the life to come. The Anabaptists, and such other, do hate us deadly, because we impugn and detest their errors and heresies, which they spread abroad and daily renew in the church; and for this cause they judge us to be far worse than the Papists, and therefore they have conceived a more cruel hatred against us, than against the Papists.

As soon, therefore, as the word of God is brought to light, the devil is angry, and useth all his force and subtle sleights, to persecute it, and utterly to abolish it. Therefore he can no otherwise do, but raise up infinite sects, horrible offences, cruel persecutions, and abominable murders; for he is the father of lying and a murderer. He spreadeth his lies throughout the world by false teachers, and he killeth men by tyrants. By these means he possesseth both the spiritual and the corporeal kingdom: the spiritual kingdom by the lying of false teachers, (stirring up also, without ceasing, every man, particularly by his fiery darts, to heresies and wicked opinions;) the corporeal kingdom, by the sword of tyrants. Thus this father of lying and of murder, stirreth up persecution on every side, both spiritual and corporeal, against the children of the free-woman. The spiritual persecution which we are at this day constrained to suffer of heretics, is to us most grievous and intolerable, because of the infinite offences and slanders wherewith the devil goeth about to deface our doctrine; for we are enforced to hear, that the heresies and errors of the Anabaptists and other heretics, and all other enormities, do proceed from our doctrine. The corporeal persecution by which tyrants lie in wait for our goods and lives, is more tolerable; for they persecute us not for our sins, but for the testimony of the word of God. Let us learn, therefore, even by the title which Christ giveth to the devil, to wit, that he is the father of lying and murder, (John viii.) that when the gospel flourisheth, and Christ reigneth, then sects of perdition must needs spring up; and murderers, persecuting the gospel, must rage every where. And Paul saith, "That there must be heresies," (1 Cor. xi. 19.) He that is ignorant of this, is soon offended; and, falling away from the true God and true faith, he returneth to his old god and old false faith.

Paul, therefore, in this place armeth the godly before-hand, that they should not be offended with those persecutions, sects, and offences, saying, "But as then he that was born after the flesh, &c." As if he would say, If we be the children of the promise, and born after the spirit, we must surely look to be persecuted of our brother, which is born after the flesh; that is to say, not only our enemies, which are manifestly wicked, shall persecute us, but also such as at the first were our dear friends, with whom we were familiarly conversant in one house, which received from us the true doctrine of the gospel, shall become our deadly enemies, and persecute us extremely. For they are

brethren after the flesh, and must persecute the brethren which are born after the spirit. So Christ (in Ps. xli.) complaineth of Judas, "The man of my peace, whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up the heel against me." But this is our consolation, that we have not given any occasion to our Ishmaelites to persecute us. The Papists persecute us, because we teach the pure and sincere doctrine of the gospel; which, if we would forsake, they would persecute us no more. Moreover, if we would approve the pernicious heresies of the sectaries, they would praise us. But, because we detest and abhor the impiety both of the one and the other, therefore do they so spitefully hate and so cruelly persecute us.

But not only Paul (as I have said) armeth us against such persecutions and offences, but Christ himself also most sweetly comforteth us, in the fifteenth chapter of John, saying, "If ye were of the world, the world would love you; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." As if he would say, I am the cause of all these persecutions which ye endure; and if ye be killed, it is I for whose sake ye are killed. For if ye did not preach my words and confess me, the world would not persecute you. But it goeth well with you: For "the servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you, for my name's sake," (John xv. 20.)

By these words Christ layeth all the fault upon himself, and delivereth us from all fear. As if he would say, Ye are not the cause why the world hateth and persecuteth you, but my name, which ye preach and confess, is the cause thereof. "But be of good comfort: I have overcome the world." This comfort upholdeth us, so that we doubt nothing but that Christ is strong enough, not only to bear, but also to vanquish all the cruelty of tyrants, and the subtle sleights of heretics. And this he hath declared, in shewing forth his power against the Jews and the Romans, whose tyranny and persecutions he suffered for a time. He also suffered the subtleties and crafty practices of heretics, but in time and place he overthrew them all, and remained king and conqueror. Let the Papists, then, rage as much as they will; let the sectaries slander and corrupt the gospel of Christ as much as they can: notwithstanding, Christ shall reign eternally, and his word shall stand for ever, when all his enemies shall be brought to nought. Moreover, this is a singular consolation, that the persecution of Ishmael against Isaac shall not always continue, but shall endure for a little while, and when that is ended, the sentence shall be pronounced as followeth:

VERSE 30. But what saith the scripture? Cast out the servant and her son: for the son of the servant shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. (Gen. xxi. 10.)

This word of Sarah was very grievous to Abraham; and, no

doubt, when he heard this sentence, his fatherly bowels were moved with compassion towards his son Ishmael; for he was born of his flesh. And this the scripture plainly witnesseth, when it saith, "And this thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son." But God confirmed the sentence which Sarah pronounced, saying to Abraham: "Let it not be grievous in thy sight for the child and for thy bond-woman; in all that Sarah shall say unto thee, hear her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called."

The Ishmaelites hear, in this place, the sentence pronounced against them, which overthroweth the Jews, Grecians, Romans, and all others which persecute the church of Christ. The selfsame sentence also shall overthrow the Papists, and as many as trust in their own works, which at this day boast themselves to be the people of God, and the church; which also trust that they shall surely receive the inheritance, and judge us, which rest upon the promise of God, not only to be barren and forsaken, but also heretics cast out of the church, and that it is impossible that we should be sons and heirs. But God overthroweth their judgment, and pronounceth this sentence against them: that, because they are children of the bond-woman, and persecute the children of the free-woman, therefore they shall be cast out of the house, and shall have no inheritance with the children of the promise; to whom only the inheritance belongeth, because they are the children of the free-woman. This sentence is ratified, and can never be revoked; wherefore it shall assuredly come to pass, that our Ishmaelites shall not only lose the ecclesiastical and politic government which now they have, but also everlasting life. For the scripture hath foretold that the children of the bond-woman shall be cast out of the house, that is to say, out of the kingdom of grace; for they cannot be heirs together with the children of the free-woman.

Now, here is to be noted that the Holy Ghost calleth the people of the law and works, as it were in contempt, the children of the bond-woman. As if he said, Why do ye vaunt of the righteousness of the law and works, and why do ye glory that ye are the people and children of God for the same? If ye know not of whom ye are born, I will tell you: ye are bond-servants of a bond-woman. And what servants? The bond-servants of the law, and consequently of sin, of death, and of everlasting damnation. Now, a servant is no inheritor, but is cast out of the house; wherefore the Pope, with all his kingdom, and all other justiciaries, (what outward appearance of holiness soever they have), which hope to obtain grace and salvation by the law, are servants of that bond-woman, and have no inheritance with the children of the free-woman. I speak now, not of the Popes, cardinals, bishops, and monks, that were manifestly wicked, who have made their bellies their God, and have committed such horrible sins as I will not willingly name; but of

the best of them, such I mean as lived holily, and went about, through great labour and travail, by keeping of their monkish order, to pacify the wrath of God, and to merit remission of their sins and everlasting life. These hear their sentence here pronounced, that the sons of the bond-woman must be cast out of the house, with their mother the bond-woman.

Such sentences diligently considered, make us certain of our doctrine, and confirm us in the righteousness of faith, against the doctrine and righteousness of works, which the world embraceth and magnifieth, condemning and despising the other. And this troubleth and offendeth weak consciences; which, albeit they plainly see the impiety, the execrable wickedness, and horrible abominations of the Papists, yet, notwithstanding, they are not easily persuaded that all the multitude which beareth the name and title of the church do err, and that there are but few of them which have a sound and a right opinion of the doctrine of faith. And if the papacy had the same holiness and austerity of life, which it had in the time of the ancient fathers, Hierome, Ambrose, Augustine, and others, when the clergy had not yet so evil a fame for their simony, excess, abundance of riches, dissolute living, voluptuousness, whoredom, sodomitry, and such other infinite abominations, but lived after the rules and decrees of the fathers, religiously and holily in outward shew, and unmarried, what could we do now against the papacy?

The single life which the clergy kept very straitly in the time of the fathers, was a goodly thing, and made of men very angels in the sight of the world; and therefore Paul, in the second chapter to the Colossians, calleth it the religion of angels. And the Papists sing thus of their virgins: they led an angelical life, whilst they lived in the flesh, and yet lived contrary to the flesh. Moreover, the life which they call the contemplative life (whereunto the clergymen were then very much given, utterly neglecting all civil and household government) had a goodly shew of holiness. Wherefore, if that outward shew and appearance of the old papacy remained at this day, we should peradventure do but little against it by our doctrine of faith, seeing we do now so little prevail, when (that old shew of outward holiness and severe discipline being utterly abolished) there is nothing to be seen but a very sink and puddle of all vices and abominations.

But, admit the case that the old discipline and religion of the papacy were yet remaining: notwithstanding, we ought, by the example of Paul (who vehemently pursued the false apostles, which outwardly appeared to be very godly and holy men) to fight against the merit-mongers of the papistical kingdom, and to say: Although ye live a single life, tiring and consuming your bodies with continual travail, and walking in the humility and religion of angels, yet are ye servants of the law, of sin, and of the devil, and must be cast out of the house; for ye seek righteousness and salvation by your works, and not by Christ.

Wherefore we ought not so much to consider the wicked life of the Papists, as their abominable doctrine and hypocrisy, against the which we specially fight. Let us suppose, then, that the religion and discipline of the old papacy doth yet still flourish, and that it is now observed with as much severity and straitness as ever it was, yet must we say, notwithstanding: If ye have nothing but this holiness and chastity of life to set against the wrath and judginent of God, ye are, in very deed, the sons of the bond-woman, which must be cast out of the kingdom of heaven, and be damned.

And now they themselves do not defend their wicked life; nay, rather, they which are the best and the soundest of them all, do detest it; but they fight for the maintenance and defence of the doctrine of devils, for hypocrisy, and for the righteousness of works. Here they allege the authority of councils and the examples of holy fathers, whom they affirm to have been the authors of their holy orders and statutes. Therefore, we fight not against the manifest wickedness and abominations of the papacy, but against the greatest holiness and holiest saints thereof, which think they lead an angelical life, whilst they dream that they keep not only the commandments of God, but also the counsels of Christ, and do works of supererogation, and such as they are not bound to do. This, we say, is to labour in vain, except they take hold of that only and alone, which Christ saith is only necessary, and choose the good part with Mary, which shall not be taken from them.

This did Bernard, a man so godly, so holy, and so chaste, that he is to be commended and preferred above them all. He being once grievously sick, and having no hope of life, put not his trust in his single life, wherein he had lived most chastely; not in his good works and deeds of charity, whereof he had done many; but removed them far out of his sight, and, receiving the benefit of Christ by faith, he said: "I have lived wickedly. But thou, Lord Jesus Christ, by double right dost possess the kingdom of heaven: first, because thou art the Son of God; secondly, because thou hast purchased it by thy death and passion. The first thou keepest for thyself, by thy birth-right. The second thou givest to me, not by the right of my works, but by the right of grace." He set not against the wrath of God his monkery, nor his angelical life; but he took hold of that one thing which was necessary, and so was saved. I think that Hierome, Gregory, and many other of the fathers, were saved after the same sort. And it is not to be doubted but that also, in the Old Testament, many kings of Israel and other idolaters were saved in like manner, who, at the hour of death, casting away their vain trust which they had in idols, took hold of the promise of God, which was made unto the seed of Abraham, that is to say, Christ, in whom all nations should be blessed. And if there be any of the papists which shall be saved, they