will have to fix our eyes, and to rest wholly upon the word itself; he will not have us to reverence and adore the apostleship in the persons of Peter and Paul, but Christ speaking in them, and the word which they bring and preach unto us.

This the natural man cannot see; but the spiritual man only discerneth the person from the word, the veil of God from God himself. Now this veil of God is every creature. Moreover, God here in this life dealeth not with us face to face, but covered and shadowed from us; that is, as Paul saith in another place, "We see now as it were through a glass darkly; but then we shall see face to face." (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) Therefore we cannot be without veils in this life. But bere wisdom is required, which can discern the veil from God himself; and this wisdom the world hath not. The covetous man, hearing "that man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Deut viii. 10; Matt. iv. 4), eateth the bread, but he seeth not God in the bread; for he beholdeth the veil only and outward show. So he doth with gold and other creatures, trusting to them so long as he hath them; but when they leave him, he despaireth. And thus he honoureth not the Creator, but the creatures; not God, but his own belly.

This I speak, lest any man should think that Paul utterly condemneth these outward veils or persons. For he saith not, that there ought to be no person, but that there is no respect of persons with God. There must be persons and outward veils ; God hath given them, and they are his good creatures; but we must not trust in them. All the matter is in the right using of things, and not in the things themselves, as before I have said. There is no fault in circumcision or uncircumcision, (" for circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,") but in the use thereof. To put righteousness in the one, and unrighteousness in the other, that use is damnable, and ought to be taken away; which being removed, circumcision and uncircumcision are things tolerable.

So the prince, the magistrate, the preacher, the schoolmaster, the scholar, the father, the mother, the children, the master, the servant, are persons and outward veils, which God will have us to acknowledge, love, and reverence as his creatures, which also must needs be had in this life; but he will not have us so to reverence them, or trust unto them, that we forget him. And to the end that we should not too much magnify the outward persons, or put any trust in them, God leaveth in them offences and

sins, yea, great and foul sins, to teach us what difference there is between the person and God himself. David, that good king, because he should not seem to be a person upon whom men should trust, fell into horrible sins, adultery and murder. Peter, that excellent Apostle, denied Christ. These, and such-like examples, whereof the Scripture is full, ought to warn us, that we repose not our trust in the person and outward veil, nor think that when we have the outward shows and shadows, we have all things; as it is in Popery, where they judge all things according to the outward veil, and therefore all Popery is nothing else but a mere respecting of persons and outward shows. God hath given his creatures to our use, and to do us service, and not as idols, that we should do service unto them. Let us then use bread, wine, apparel, possessions, gold, silver, and all other creatures; but let us not trust or glory in them: for we must trust and glory in God alone. He only is to be loved, he only is to be feared and honoured.

Paul calleth here the apostleship, or office of the Apostles (which wrought many and great miracles, taught and converted many to the faith, and were also familiar with Christ), the person of man.

Briefly, this word, person, comprehendeth the whole outward conversation of the Apostles, which was holy, and their authority, which was great. Notwithstanding, saith he, God esteemeth not these things; not that he esteemeth them not at all, but in the matter of justification he regardeth them not, be they never so great and so glorious. For we must diligently mark this distinction, that in matters of divinity we must speak far otherwise than in matters of policy. In matters of policy, as I have said, God will have us to honour and reverence these outward veils or persons as his instruments by whom he governeth and preserveth the world. But when the question is as touching religion, conscience, the fear of God, faith, and the service of God, we must not fear these outward persons, we must put no trust in them, look for no comfort from them, or hope deliverance by them, either corporally or spiritually. For this cause God will have no respect of persons in judgment: for judgment is a divine thing. Wherefore I ought neither to fear the judge, nor trust in the judge: but my fear and trust ought to be in God alone, who is the true judge. The civil judge or magistrate I ought indeed to reverence for God's cause (Deut. i.), whose minister he is; but my conscience may not stay or trust upon his justice and

equity, or be feared through his unjust dealing or tyranny, whereby I might fall into any offence against God in lying, in bearing false witness, in denying the truth, &c. Otherwise, I will reverence and honour the magistrate with all my heart.

So I would also honour the Pope, and love his person, if he would leave my conscience free, and not compel me to sin against God. But he will so be feared and adored, as cannot be done without offence to the majesty of God. Here, since we must needs lose the one, let us lose the person, and stick to God. We could not be content to suffer the dominion of the Pope; but because he abuseth the same so tyrannously against us, and would compel us to deny and blaspheme God, and him only to acknowledge as our lord and master, clogging our consciences, and spoiling us of the fear and trust which we should have in God; therefore we are compelled by the commandment of God to resist the Pope; for it is written, that "we must rather obey God than men." (Acts iv. 19.) Therefore, without offence of conscience, which is our singular comfort, we contemn the authority of the Pope.

There is a certain vehemency, therefore, to be noted in this word (God). For in the cause of religion and the word of God, there must be no respect of persons. But in matters of policy we must have regard to the person; for, otherwise there must needs follow a contempt of all reverence and order. In this world God will have an order, a reverence, and a difference of persons. For else the child, the servant, the subject, would say, I am a Christian as well as my father, my schoolmaster, my master, my prince, why then should I reverence him? Before God, then, there is no respect of persons, neither of Grecian nor of Jew, but all are one in Christ; although not so before the world.

Thus Paul confuteth the argument of the false apostles as touching the authority of the Apostles, and saith, that it is nothing to the purpose. For the question is not here concerning the respect of persons, but there is a far weightier matter in hand, that is to say, a divine matter concerning God and his word, and whether this word ought to be preferred before the apostleship, or no. Whereunto Paul answereth, so that the truth of the Gospel may continue, so that the word of God, and the righteousness of faith, may be kept pure and uncorrupt, let the apostleship go, let an angel from heaven, let Peter, let Paul, all together perish.

Verse 6. Nevertheless, they that seemed to be the chief did communicate nothing with me.

As though he would say, I did not so confer with the Apostles that they taught me anything; for what should they teach me since Christ, by his revelation, had before sufficiently taught me all things? And moreover, since I have now preached the Gospel the space of eighteen years among the Gentiles, and Christ hath wrought so many miracles by me, whereby he hath confirmed my doctrine; wherefore it was but a conference, and no disputation. Wherein I learned nothing, neither did I recant, nor yet defend my cause, but only declared what things I had done, to wit, that I had preached to the Gentiles faith only in Christ, without the law, and that by this preaching of faith the Holy Ghost came down upon the Gentiles, which immediately spake with divers tongues. Which thing when the Apostles heard, they witnessed that I had heard the truth: wherefore the false apostles do me great wrong, which pervert and turn all these things clean contrary.

Now, if Paul would give no place to the false apostles, which set the authority of the true Apostles against him, much less ought we to give place to our adversaries, which have nothing else to brag of but the authority of their idol the Pope. I know that the godly ought to be humble, but against the Pope I will and I ought to be proud with an holy pride, and say, Thou Pope, I will not be subject unto thee: I will not take thee for my master, for I am sure that my doctrine is true and godly. But the Pope will not hear this doctrine: nay, he would force us to obey his laws and his decrees; and if we will not, he will by and by excommunicate, curse, and condemn us as heretics. Such pride therefore against the Pope is most necessary. And if we should not be thus stout and proud, and in the Holy Ghost utterly condemn both him with all his doctrine, and the devil, the father of lies, speaking in him, we should never be able to defend this article of the righteousness of faith. We do not then contemn the authority of the Pope because we would bear rule over him, neither would we go about to exalt ourselves above all sovereign power, since it is evident that we teach all men to humble and submit themselves to the higher powers, ordained of God; but this is it that we only seek, that the glory of God may be maintained, and the righteousness of faith may be kept pure and sound.

Wherefore, if the Pope will grant unto us, that God alone by

his mere grace through Christ doth justify sinners, we will not only carry him in our hands, but will also kiss his feet. But since we cannot obtain this, we again in God are proud against him above measure, and will give no place, no, not one hair's breadth, to all the angels in heaven, not to Peter, not to Paul, not to an hundred emperors, nor to a thousand popes, nor to the whole world. But be it far from us that we should here humble ourselves, since they would take from us our glory, even God himself, that hath created us, and given us all things, and Jesus Christ who hath redeemed us with his blood. Let this be then the conclusion of all together, that we will suffer our goods to be taken away, our name, our life, and all that we have; but the Gospel, our faith, Jesus Christ, we will never suffer to be wrested from us. And cursed be that humility which here abaseth and submitteth itself; nay, rather, let every Christian man here be proud and spare not, except he will deny Christ.

Wherefore, God assisting me, my forehead shall be more hard than all men's foreheads. Here I take upon me this title, according to the proverb, Cedo nulli, I give place to none. Yea, I am glad, even with all my heart, in this point to seem rebellious and obstinate. And here I confess that I am, and ever will be, stout and stern, and will not one inch give place to any creature. Charity giveth place, "for it suffereth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (1 Cor. xiii. 7); but faith giveth no place, yea, it can suffer nothing, according to this ancient verse: Non patitur ludum fama, fides, oculus; that is, man's good name, his faith, and his eye, will not be dallied withal. Wherefore, a Christian, as touching his faith, can never be too proud nor too stout, neither must he relent or give place, no, not the breadth of one hair; for faith maketh a man here like unto God; but God suffereth nothing, he giveth place to none, for he is immutable; so is faith immutable, and therefore may suffer nothing, give place to no man. But as touching charity, let a Christian man yield and suffer all things, for therein he is but

a man.

Verse 7, 8. But contrariwise, when they saw that the Gospel over uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the Gospel over circumcision was unto Peter (for He that was mighty by Peter in the apostleship over the circumcision, was also mighty by me towards the Gentiles).

With these words Paul mightily confuteth the false apostles,