Christ: not purely, but of strife and of contention, not seeking God's glory, nor yet the salvation of Christ's people. But they chide, and brawl, sow discord and debate, and with great hatred of me preach the Gospel thinking by that means to add more and more adversity and afflictions unto me, to make me more hated of Nero, the emperor; knowing that it was persuaded to Nero, that the preaching of the Gospel should be destruction to him and to his empire. And therefore Nero would have no preaching of the Gospel, but hated the Gospel worse than a serpent, or a dog. And therefore he cast Paul in prison, and thought to have killed him, and the more the Gospel was preached, the more Nero hated Paul; as they knew well enough, which preached the Gospel not purely, but knew all the blame should be laid upon Paul's back, and that he should run the more and more into the ire and indignation of Nero, the emperor; and so Paul should suffer for all, and more punishment come to him.

See, how sometimes devilish persuasions are brought into the heads of high princes and rulers, yea, persuaded unto them, as here was to Nero, the emperor, that the preaching of the Gospel of Christ should be the destruction of his realm, and the cause of rebellion of the subjects against their heads and rulers. Whereas there is nothing that is more for the salvation of the people, than is the preaching of God's word; for that is the mean, by the which God hath ordained to save his people (1 Cor. i.). And nothing more keepeth the people in a good order, and in due obedience, with all humility and subjection to their heads and rulers, than the word of God, truly and sincerely preached.

It is a great marvel, that the devil should persuade this to any man, that life is death, and light is dark-, ness. The word of God, it is life; and bringeth

with it life and the Spirit of God: as saith Christ (John, vi.); "The words which I spake unto you, they be life and the Spirit," that is, they bring life and the Spirit of God. What is a greater offence, than to call life, death; and death, life; to whom the Prophet (Isa. v.) threateneth everlasting woe? What is more blasphemy to God, than this? Yea, it is sin against the Holy Ghost to call the Gospel of God to be the destruction and death of the people, when it is the only health and salvation of the people: a sin, which is not forgiven in this world, nor in the world to come.

This is an old craft of the devil, to persuade high princes and worldly rulers that the preaching of the Gospel is the destruction of the people, and the decay of their worldly realms, honours, and dignities. Whereas the Gospel maintaineth kingdoms, preserveth honours and dignities, and saveth the people from the devil, and hell fire, and everlasting damn

ation.

What other cause was, that Christian princes and rulers would not suffer the Holy Scriptures to be in their mother's tongue, as they call it; that not only priests, but also laymen might read the holy Scriptures to their comfort and edifying in God and in Christ, but that it was persuaded to them, that the holy Scriptures were not profitable, nor to the health and salvation of their people, but that they were hurtful, brought errors and heresy, contempt of magistrates and rulers; and so were the death and destruction of their subjects? And therefore the holy Scriptures were shut up from the lay people, unlearned in the Latin tongue, lest they should take hurt of them. Whereas the holy Scriptures be the spiritual food of the soul; and the soul, lacking this spiritual food, must needs die, as the body, wanting corporeal food.

The holy Scriptures bring life, health, and salvation, as is said before, except some evil men do abuse them; and because some have, and do abuse the holy Scriptures to their destruction, is it meet to take them from all laymen? For what thing is so good, so holy, that cannot be abused; or that some have not abused, or do abuse? Fire, water, meat, drink, apparel, be things necessary for man; and yet some have abused them to their great hurt, loss, shame, rebuke, and death. But because some evil persons abuse good things, is it meet or convenient to forbid all men the good use of these things? I think you will say, no, for then we should have neither fire nor water, bread nor drink, coat nor gown.

But this thing I think it meet, that those, that do abuse good things, be punished, and by punishment taught to use good things better, with thanksgiving to God. Likewise, I wish and desire, that the reading of holy Scriptures should not be forbidden to all lay men and women; but forbidden only to such as do abuse them, and do not take them and read them to their comfort in Christ, and for amendment of their lives; and that such might have them as will lawfully teach themselves and their household virtue and godliness.

Here also we may learn, that Paul, although he preached God's word purely and sincerely, yet he had many enemies and adversaries, yea, of that sort, that preached the Gospel, as he did, to the people, and so they would be counted, as to preach the Gospel of God, for God's glory, and for the edifying of the people, through envy and hatred they had to Paul, and to bring Paul in more hatred to Nero, the emperor, and by that means to increase Paul's pains. and torments. For they knew that Nero, would be more fierce and cruel against Paul, the more the

4

Gospel of God should be preached abroad, and more published.

Here we may see what envy and malice do, and that wicked men sometimes pretend holiness, that they may do displeasure to him whom they envy, and to bring him to more torments and pains: as these adversaries of Paul did preach, not purely, nor sincerely, but of envy and of contention. And if there were such in Paul's times, that so envied St. Paul, let us not marvel, if there be such in our time, that envy all good preachers, and would bring them to pains, prisons, and torments.

Also, here we may see, that as impiety and destruction of the people were persuaded to Nero, for the health and salvation of his people; so, to many Christian princes and high rulers it was persuaded, that the translation of the holy Scriptures in the mother-tongue would be the destruction of the people. So princes have erred for a time. But thanks be to God, that error is taken away from many princes and high rulers, and the truth, in the place of error, hath persuaded them, that the holy Scriptures in the mother-tongue are very profitable for all men, that will use them well. And those, that do abuse them, let them be punished in example to others, that others may fear to abuse the holy Scriptures of God, given for our salvation.

Some preach Christ of a good will. Now, he toucheth the other part, saying, some men preach Christ purely and sincerely, and of a good will, and they be those, which of charity and of love to God's glory, and the health of the people, preach God's word truly, nothing else regarding but God's glory, and the edifying of Christ's people, not seeking thereby their own lucre, advantage, honour, and glory.

Here, we may see that in Paul's life there were

some good preachers, some evil preachers; nor did every one think well of Paul. For some thought him an heretic, and a deceiver of the people, and therefore they laboured with all diligence to increase his pains, and studied to bring Paul to shame, rebuke, torment, and death. Others there were, that knew Paul to preach the truth, and to defend the Gospel by his afflictions, and they were made bold by his constancy and patience to preach and publish Christ's Gospel without all fear, and that in the court and hall of Nero.

But here, peradventure, some will ask, did all know Paul to preach the truth? No, for God did not lighten every man's mind with the light of truth. For some did count the truth to be falsehood, and the Gospel to be heresy, and did hate it, as now yet some do call God's word, heresy, and true preachers of it, heretics, and do hate them and persecute them. The cause is. they are not lightened with the light of truth, but be blind in it: whether that blindness hath deserved their malice, which hath blinded them, or the prince of this world hath blinded their eyes, that they cannot see, nor yet hear the truth of God's word preached.

So that Christ be preached, whether it be by occasion, or true meaning: I rejoice therein, and will rejoice. Here the Apostle rejoiceth, that the word of God is preached, howsoever it be preached of them that preach, whether they do it of a good mind, or of an evil purpose and intent. It is better the word of God should be published abroad, than be hid under the candlestick, and so hid, to profit none: for published, it profits some, and goeth not in vain (Isa. lv.). For although they, that preach it of an evil mind to hurt others, or to make others more punished, do not profit themselves, so doing, nor do any profitable work to themselves; yet they