the angels, of the whole world, and of Sodom,
how God condemned them,--and speaks thus:

V. 4. _For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but has thrust
them down to hell in chains of darkness, and given them over to be
reserved for judgment._ By these words St. Peter terrifies those who
live so gay and secure as we see those do who cleave to that which
the Pope has enacted, in that they are so confident and shameless
that they would tread every one under foot. Therefore he would say
this much: Is it not great presumption on their part that they go on
so eagerly, and would bring every thing to pass by their own head, as
though God should yield to them, and spare them, who yet spared not
the angels? As though he had said, these examples should justly
terrify even the saints, when they see such a severe sentence in that
God has not spared those high spirits and noble beings who are far
more learned and wise than we, but has thrust them into chains of
darkness;--such is the severe sentence and condemnation whereto He
has ordained them, in which they are held bound and imprisoned, so
that they cannot flee away out of the hands of God, since they have
been cast into outer darkness, as Christ says in the Gospel.

And here St. Peter shows that the devils have not yet their final
punishment, but still go about in a hardened, desperate state, and
look every moment for their judgment, just as a man that is condemned
to death is perfectly desperate, hardened, and more and more wicked.
But their punishment has not yet overtaken them, but they are now
only bound and reserved for it. This is the first example.--Now
follows the second:

V. 5. _And spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth
person, a preacher of righteousness, and brought the flood upon the
world of the ungodly._ This is, moreover, a fearful example, such
indeed that there is not a more bitter one in the Scripture. One
might almost despair in view of it, who was even strong in faith. For
when such language and such a sentence go to a man's heart, and he
thinks of it, that so he too ought to die, he must tremble and
despond, if he is not well prepared, since among so many in the whole
world, no one but these eight only were saved. But how have they
deserved it, that God by such a severe sentence should have drowned
all, one with another, in one mass, husband and wife, master and
servant, young and old, beast and bird? Because they led such a
wicke