have taught and instructed them in the word. I have sometimes marvelled why the apostles commanded the churches so diligently to nourish their teachers. For, in popery, I saw that all men gave abundantly to the building and maintaining of goodly temples, to the increasing of the revenues and livings of those which were appointed to their idolatrous service. Hereof it came that the estimation and riches of the bishops and the rest of the clergy did so increase, that everywhere they had in possession the best and most fruitful grounds. Therefore thought I that Paul had commanded this in vain, seeing that all manner of good things were not only abundantly given to the clergy, but also they overflowed in wealth and riches. Wherefore, I thought that men ought rather to be exhorted to withhold their hands from giving, than encouraged to give any more; for I saw, that, by this excessive liberality of men, the covetousness of the clergy did increase. But now I know the cause why they had such abundance of good things heretofore, and now the pastors and ministers of the word do want.

Before time, when nothing else was taught but errors and wicked doctrine, they had such plenty of all things, that of Peter's patrimony, (which denied that he had either silver or gold) and of spiritual goods, (as they called them,) the Pope was become an emperor, the cardinals and bishops were made kings and princes of the world. But now, since the gospel hath been preached and published, the professors thereof be as rich as sometime Christ and his apostles were. We find, then, by experience, how well this commandment of nourishing and maintaining the pastors and ministers of God's word is observed, which Paul here and in other places so diligently repeateth and beateth into the heads of his hearers. There is now no city which is known to us, that nourisheth and maintaineth her pastors and preachers; but they are all entertained with those goods which were given, not unto Christ, to whom no man giveth any thing, (for when he was born he was laid in a manger instead of a bed, because there was no room for him in the inn, Luke ii. 7; afterwards, being conversant among men, he had not whereon to lay his head, Matt. viii. 20; and briefly, being spoiled of his garments and hanging naked upon the cross between two thieves, he died most miserably, Matt. xxvii. 38,) but to the Pope, for the maintenance of his abominations, and because he, oppressing the gospel, taught the doctrines and traditions of men, and set up idolatry.

And as oft as I read the exhortations of Paul, whereby he persuadeth the churches that they should either nourish their pastors, or give somewhat to the relief of the poor saints iv Jewry, I do greatly marvel and am ashamed that so great an apostle should be constrained to use so many words, for the obtaining of this benefit of the congregations. Writing to the Corinthians, he treateth of this matter in two whole chapters,

(2 Cor. viii. and ix.) I would be loth to defame Wittenberg, which, indeed, is nothing to Corinth, as he defamed the Corinthians, in begging so carefully for the relief and succour of the poor. But this is the lot of the gospel when it is preached, that not only no man is willing to give any thing for the finding of ministers and maintaining of scholars, but men begin to spoil, to rob, and to steal, and with divers crafty means one to beguile another. To be brief, men seem suddenly to grow out of kind, and to be transformed into cruel beasts. Contrariwise, when the doctrine of devils was preached, then men were prodigal, and offered all things willingly to those that deceived them, (1 Tim. iv. 2.) The prophets do reprove the same sin in the Jews, which were loth to give any thing to the godly priests and Levites, but gave all things plentifully to the wicked.

Now, therefore, we begin to understand how necessary this commandment of Paul is, as touching the maintenance of the ministers of the church; for Satan can abide nothing less than the light of the gospel. Therefore, when he seeth that it beginneth to shine, then doth he rage, and goeth about with all main and might to quench it. And this he attempteth two manner of ways. First, by lying spirits and force of tyrants; and then by poverty and famine. But, because he could not hitherto oppress the gospel in this country (praised be God) by heretics and tyrants, therefore he attempteth to bring it to pass the other way, that is, by withdrawing the livings of the ministers of the word, to the end that they, being oppressed with poverty and necessity, should forsake the ministry, and so the miserable people, being destitute of the word of God, should become in time as savage as wild beasts. And Satan helpeth forward this horrible enormity by ungodly magistrates in the cities, and also by noblemen and gentlemen in the country, who take away the church goods, whereby the ministers of the gospel should live, and turn them to wicked uses, "These goods," saith the prophet Micah, (chap. i. 7.) "were gathered of the hire of a harlot, and therefore to a harlot's hire shall they return."

Moreover, Satan turneth men particularly also from the gospel, by overmuch fulness; for when the gospel is diligently and daily preached, many being glutted therewith, begin to loathe it, and by little and little become negligent and untoward to all godly exercises. Again, there is no man that will now bring up his children in good learning, and much less in the study of the holy scripture, but they employ them wholly to gainful arts or occupations. All these are Satan's practices, to no other end but that he may oppress the gospel in this our country without any devices of tyrants, or subtle devices of heretics.

It is not without cause, therefore, that Paul warneth the hearers of the gospel to make their pastors and teachers partakers with them in all good things." If we (saith he to the Corinthians) have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great

matter if we reap your worldly things?" (1 Cor. ix. 11.) The hearers, therefore, ought to minister carnal things to them of whom they have received spiritual things. But both husbandmen, citizens and gentlemen do at this day abuse our doctrine, that under the colour thereof they may enrich themselves. Heretofore, when the Pope reigned, there was no man which paid not somewhat yearly to the priests for masses, dirges, trentals, and such trash. The begging friars had also their part. The merchandizes of Rome likewise, and daily offerings, carried away somewhat. From these, and from an infinite number of such exactions, our countrymen are now delivered by the gospel; but so far off is it that they are thankful unto God for this liberty, that of prodigal givers they are now become stark thieves and robbers, and will not bestow one farthing upon the gospel or the ministers thereof, nor give any thing for the relief and succour of the poor saints; which is a certain token that they have lost both the word and faith, and that they have no spiritual goodness in them. For it is impossible that such as are godly indeed, should suffer their pastors to live in necessity and penury. But forasmuch as they laugh and rejoice when their pastors suffer any adversity, and withhold their living, or give it not with such faithfulness as they ought, it is a plain token that they are worse than the heathen.

But they shall feel, ere it be long, what calamities will follow this unthankfulness; for they shall lose both temporal and spiritual things. For this sin must needs be grievously punished; and certainly I think that the churches in Galatia, Corinth, and other places, were so troubled by the false apostles for no other cause, but for that they little regarded their true pastors and preachers. For it is good reason that he which refuseth to give a penny to God, who offereth unto him all good things and life everlasting, should give a piece of gold to the devil, the author of all evils, and death everlasting. Whoso will not serve God in a little, and that to his own inestimable benefit, let him serve the devil in much, to his extreme and utter confusion. Now, therefore, since the light of the gospel beginneth to shine, we see what the devil is, and what the world is.

In that he saith, "in all his goods," it is not so to be taken that all men are bound to give all that they have to their ministers, but that they should maintain them liberally, and give them that whereby they may be well able to live.

VERSE 7. Be not deceived, for God is not mocked.

The apostle prosecuteth this place of the nourishing and maintaining of ministers so earnestly, that to his former reprehension and exhortation he addeth now also a threatening, saying, “God is not mocked." And here he toucheth to the quick the perverseness of our countrymen, which proudly despise our ministry. For they think it to be but a sport and a game; and

therefore they go about (especially the gentlemen) to make their pastors subject unto them, like servants and slaves. And if we had not so godly a prince, and one that so loveth the truth, they had, ere this time, driven us out of the country. When the pastors ask their duty, or complain that they suffer penury, they cry out, "The priests be covetous; they would have plenty; no man is able to satisfy their insatiable covetousness: if they were true gospellers, they should have nothing of their own, but as poor men, ought to follow poor Christ, and to suffer all adversities, &c."

Paul horribly threateneth here such tyrants, and such mockers of God, who so carelessly and proudly do scorn the miserable preachers, and yet will seem to be gospellers, and not to be mockers of God, but to worship him very devoutly. "Be not deceived," saith he, "God is not mocked;" that is to say, he doth not suffer himself to be mocked in his ministers. For he saith, "He that despiseth you, despiseth me," (Luke x. 16.) Also he saith unto Samuel, "They have not cast thee away, but me," (1 Sam. viii. 7.) Therefore, O ye mockers, although God defer his punishment for a season, yet, when he seeth time, he will find you out, and will punish this contempt of his word and bitter hatred which ye bear against his ministers. Therefore ye deceive not God, but yourselves, and ye shall not laugh at God, but he will laugh at you, (Ps. ii.) But our proud gentlemen, citizens, and common people, are nothing at all moved with this dreadful threatening. Nevertheless they shall feel, when death approacheth, whether they have mocked themselves or us; nay rather not us, but God himself, as Paul saith here. In the meantime, because they proudly despise our admonitions with an intolerable pride, we speak these things to our comfort, to the end we may know that it is better to suffer wrong, than to do wrong; for patience is ever innocent and harmless, (Ps. xxxiv. 10.) Moreover, God will not suffer his ministers to starve for hunger, but even when the rich men suffer scarcity and hunger, he will feed them, and in the days of famine they shall have enough, (Ps. xxxvii. 19.)

VERSE 7. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap.

All these things tend to this purpose, that ministers should be nourished and maintained. For my part, I do not gladly interpret such sentences; for they seem to commend us, and so they do indeed. Moreover, if a man stand much in repeating such things to his hearers, it hath some shew of covetousness. Notwithstanding, men must be admonished hereof, that they may know that they ought to yield unto their pastors both reverence and a necessary living. Our Saviour Christ teacheth the same thing in the tenth of Luke. "Eating and drinking such things as they have; for the labourer is worthy of his reward." And Paul saith, in another place, "Do ye not know that they which

sacrifice in the temple, live of the sacrifices; and that they which serve at the altar, are partakers of the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel," (1 Cor. ix. 13, 14.)

It is good that we also which are in the ministry should know these things, lest for our labour we might with evil conscience receive the stipend which is given unto us of the Pope's goods. And although such goods were heaped together by mere fraud and deceit; notwithstanding God spoiling the Egyptians, (Exod. iii. 22.) that is to say, the Papists, of their goods, turneth them here amongst us, to a good and holy use: not when noblemen and gentlemen spoil them and abuse them, but when they which set forth God's glory, and bring up youth virtuously, are maintained therewith. Let us know, then, that we may with good conscience (since God hath ordained and commanded that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel) use those things which are given us of the church goods for the necessary sustentation of our life, to the end we may attend un or office the better. Let no man therefore make any scruple hereof, as though it were not lawful for him to use such goods. VERSE 8. For he that soweth in the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth in the spirit, shall of the spirit reap everlasting life. He addeth a similitude and an allegory. And this general sentence of sowing he applieth to the particular matter of nourishing and maintaining the ministers of the word, saying, "He that soweth in the spirit," that is to say, he that cherisheth the teachers of God's word, doth a spiritual work, and shall reap everlasting life. Here riseth a question, whether we deserve eternal life by good works? For so Paul seemeth to avouch in this place. As touching such sentences which speak of works and the reward of them, we have treated very largely before in the fifth chapter. And very necessary it is, after the example of Paul, to exhort the faithful to do good works, that is to say, to exercise their faith by good works; for if they follow not faith, it is a manifest token that their faith is no true faith. Therefore the apostle saith, "He that soweth in the flesh," (some understand it in his own flesh,) that is to say, he that giveth nothing to the ministers of God's word, but only feedeth and careth for himself, (which is the counsel of the flesh,) that man shall of the flesh reap corruption, not only in this present life, but also in the life to come. For the goods of the wicked shall waste away, and they themselves also at length shall shamefully perish. The apostle would fain stir up his hearers to be liberal and beneficial towards their pastors and preachers. But what a misery is it, that the perverseness and ingratitude of men should be so great, that the churches should need this admonition.

The Encratites abused this place, for the confirmation of their wicked opinion against marriage, expounding it after this man