less than the Jews do, which, at the least, think him to be Thola, that is to say, a thief worthily hanged on the cross. But these men account him as a fable, and take him as "a feigned god among the Gentiles;" as it may plainly appear at Rome, in the Pope's court, and almost throughout all Italy.

Because, therefore, Christ is made, as it were, a mock against his Christians, (for Christians they will be called,) and because Cain doth kill Abel continually, and the abomination of Satan now chiefly reigneth, it is very necessary that we should diligently handle this article, and set it against Satan, whether we be rude or eloquent, learned or unlearned; for this rock must be published abroad, yea, though every man should hold his peace, yet even of the very rocks and stones themselves. Wherefore I do most willingly herein accomplish my duty, and am contented to suffer this long commentary and full of words, to be set forth for the stirring up of all the brethren in Christ, against the sleights and malice of Satan; which in these days is turned into such extreme madness against this "healthful knowledge of Christ, now revealed and raised up again;" that, as hitherto men have seemed to be possessed with devils, and stark mad, even so now the devils themselves do seem to be possessed of far worse devils, and to rage even above the fury of devils; which, indeed, is a great argument that the enemy of truth and life doth perceive the day of judgment to be at hand, which is the horrible day of his destruction, but the most comfortable day of our redemption; and shall be the end of all his tyranny and cruelty. For, not without cause is he disquieted, when his members and powers are so assailed; even as a thief or an adulterer, when the morning appeareth and discloseth_his wickedness, is taken tardy and apprehended for the same. For who ever heard (to pass over the abominations of the Pope) so many monsters to burst out at once into the world, as we see at this day in the Anabaptists alone? In whom Satan, breathing out, as it were, the last blast of his kingdom, through horrible uproars, setteth them every where in such a rage, as though he would by them suddenly, not only destroy the whole world with seditions, but also by innumerable sects swallow up and devour Christ wholly with his church.

Against the wicked lives and opinions of others he doth not so rage: to wit, against whoremongers, thieves, murderers, perjured persons, rebels against God, unbelievers. No, to these rather he giveth peace and quietness; these he maintaineth in his court, with all manner of pleasures and delights, and giveth to them all things at will; even like as sometime in the beginning of the church, he did not only suffer all the idolatries and false religions of the whole world to be quiet and untouched, but also mightily maintained, defended, and nourished the same. But the church and religion of Christ alone he vexed on every side. After this permitting peace and quietness to

many heretics, he troubled only the catholic doctrine. Even so likewise at this day he hath no other business in hand but this only, (as his own, and always proper unto himself,) to persecute and vex our Saviour Christ, which is our perfect righteousness," without any of our works:" as it is written of him, (Gen. iii. 15.) "Thou shalt bruise his heel."

But I do not set forth these my meditations so much against these men, as "for my brethren," which will either shew themselves thankful in the Lord for this my travail, or else will pardon this my weakness and temerity. But of the wicked I would not in any wise they should be liked or allowed; but rather that thereby both they and their god might be the more vexed, seeing with my great travail they are set forth only for such as St. Paul writeth this Epistle unto; that is to say, "the troubled, afflicted, vexed, tempted, (for they only understand these things,) and miserable Galatians in the faith." Whoso are not such, let them hear the Papists, monks, Anabaptists, and such other masters of profound wisdom and of their own religion, and let them stoutly contemn our doctrine and our doings. For at this day the Papists and Anabaptists conspire together against the church in this one point, (though they dissemble in words,) that the work of God dependeth upon the worthiness of the person. For thus do the Anabaptists teach, that baptism is nothing except the person do believe. Out of this principle must needs follow, that all the works of God be nothing, if the man be nothing. But baptism is the work of God, and yet an evil man maketh it not to be the work of God. Moreover, hereof it must follow, that matrimony, authority, liberty, and bondage, are the works of God: but because men are evil, therefore they are not the works of God. Wicked men have the sun, the moon, the earth, the water, the air, and all other creatures which are subject unto man; but because they be wicked and not godly, therefore the sun is not the sun, the moon, the earth, the water, are not that which they are. The Anabaptists themselves had bodies and souls before they were re-baptized; but because they were not godly, therefore they had not true bodies and true souls. Also their parents were not lawfully married (as they grant themselves) because they were not re-baptized; therefore the Anabaptists themselves are all bastards, and their parents were all adulterers and whoremongers, and yet do they inherit their parents' lands and goods, although they grant themselves to be bastards, and unlawful heirs. "Who seeth not here, in the Anabaptists, men not possessed with devils, but even devils themselves possessed with worse devils?"

The Papists in like manner, until this day, do stand upon works and the worthiness of man, contrary to grace, and so (in words at least) do strongly assist their brethren, the Anabaptists. For these foxes are tied together by the tails,

although by their heads they seem to be contrary. For outwardly they pretend to be their great enemies, where as inwardly, notwithstanding, they think, teach, and defend, indeed, all one thing against our Saviour Christ, who is our only righteousness. Let him, therefore, that can, hold fast this one article, and let us suffer the rest, which have made shipwreck thereof, to be carried whither the sea and winds shall drive them, until either they return to the ship, or swim to the shore. The conclusion and end of this complaint is, to hope for no quietness or end of complaint, so long as Christ and Belial do not agree. "One generation passeth, and another cometh," (Eccles. i. 4.) If one heresy die, by and by another springeth up; for the devil doth neither slumber nor sleep. I myself, which (although I be nothing) have been now in the ministry of Christ about twenty years, can truly witness that I have been assailed with more than twenty sects, of the which some are already destroyed; other some (as the parts and members of worms and bees that are cut asunder) do yet pant for life. But Satan, the god of all dissension, stirreth up daily new sects, and last of all (which of all other I should never have foreseen or once suspected) he hath raised up a sect of such as teach that the Ten Commandments ought to be taken out of the church, and that men should not be terrified with the law, but gently exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ, that the saying of the prophet Micah might be fulfilled, "Let no man strive nor reprove another," Hosea iv. 4. "They shall not prophesy to them," Micah ii. 6. As though we were ignorant, or had never been taught that afflicted and broken spirits must be comforted by Christ; but the hard-hearted Pharisees, unto whom the grace of God is preached in vain, must be terrified with the law. And they themselves also are forced to devise and imagine certain revelations of God's wrath against the wicked and unbelievers. As though the law were or could be any thing else but a revealing of God's wrath against impiety. Such is the blindness and presumption of these frantic heads, which even by their own judgment do condemn themselves. Wherefore it behoveth the ministers of God's word to be surely persuaded, (if they will be accounted faithful and wise, in the day of Christ,) that the word of St. Paul is not spoken in vain, or prophesied of a matter of no importance: to wit, "There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest," 1 Cor. xi. 19. Yea, I say, let the minister of Christ know, that so long as he teacheth Christ purely, there shall not be wanting perverse spirits, yea, even of our own, and among ourselves, which shall seek, by all means possible, to trouble the church of Christ. And herewithal let him comfort himself, that there is "no peace between Christ and Belial, or between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman," 2 Cor. vi. 15. Gen. iii. 15. Yea,

let him rejoice in the troubles which he suffereth by these sects and seditious spirits, continually springing up one after another. For this is our rejoicing, "even the testimony of our conscience," 2 Cor. i. 12, that we be found standing and fighting in the behalf of the seed of the woman against the seed of the serpent. Let him bite us by the heel, and spare not. We again will not cease to crush his head, by the grace and help of Christ, the principal bruiser thereof, who is blessed for ever.

After M. LUTHER had once publicly expounded this Epistle, he took in hand to interpret the same again, in such sort as in this Treatise hereafter doth ensue; the cause whereof he doth declare in these few words following:

I HAVE taken in hand, in the name of the Lord, yet once again to expound this Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians; not because I do desire to teach new things, or such as ye have not heard before, especially since that, by the grace of Christ, Paul is now thoroughly known unto you; but for that (as I have often forewarned you) this we have to fear as the greatest and nearest danger, lest Satan take from us this doctrine of faith, and bring into the church again the doctrine of works and men's traditions. Wherefore it is very necessary that this doctrine be kept in continual practice and public exercise, both of reading and hearing. And although it be never so well known, never so exactly learned, yet the devil, who continually rangeth about, seeking to devour us, is not dead. Likewise our flesh and old man is yet alive. Besides this, all kinds of temptations do vex and oppress us on every side; wherefore, this doctrine can never be taught, urged, and repeated enough. If this doctrine be lost, then is also the doctrine of truth, life, and salvation, lost and gone. If this doctrine flourish, then all good things flourish; religion, the true service of God, the glory of God, the right knowledge of all things which are necessary for a Christian man to know. Because, therefore, we would be occupied and not idle, we will there begin now where we made an end, according to the saying of the son of Sirach: "When a man hath done what he can, he must begin again."

THE ARGUMENT

OF THE

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS.

FIRST of all it behoveth that we speak of the argument of this Epistle; that is to say, what matter St. Paul here chiefly treateth of. The argument, therefore, is this:

St. Paul goeth about to establish the doctrine of faith, grace, forgiveness of sins, or Christian righteousness, to the end that we may have a perfect knowledge and difference between Christian righteousness and all other kinds of righteousness. For there be divers sorts of righteousness. There is a political or civil righteousness, which emperors, princes of the world, philosophers and lawyers deal withal. There is also a ceremonial righteousness, which the traditions of men do teach. This righteousness parents and schoolmasters may teach without danger, because they do not attribute unto it any power to satisfy for sin, to please God, or to deserve grace; but they teach such ceremonies as are only necessary for the correction of manners, and certain observations concerning this life. Besides these, there is another righteousness, called the righteousness of the law, or of the ten commandments, which Moses teacheth. This do we also teach, after the doctrine of faith.

There is yet another righteousness which is above all these; to wit, "The righteousness of faith, or Christian righteousness," the which we must diligently discern from the other afore-rehearsed; for they are quite contrary to this righteousness, both because they flow out of the laws of emperors, the traditions of the Pope, and the commandments of God; and also because they consist in our works, and may be wrought of us either by our pure natural strength, (as the Papists term it,) or else by the gift of God. For these kinds of righteousness are also of the gift of God, like as other good things are which we do enjoy.

But this most excellent righteousness, of faith, I mean, (which God through Christ, without works, imputeth unto us,) is nei ther politica! nor ceremonial, nor the righteousness of God's