place onely to Christ Let him onely raigne in righteousnes in peace in ioy and life that the cōscience may sleepe and repose it selfe ioyfully in Christe without any feeling of the law sinne and death Paule here of purpose vseth this figuratiue speech Elements of the vvorld whereby as I sayd he doth much abase and diminish the glory and authoritie of the lawe to stirre vs vppe For he that readeth Paule attentiuely when he heareth that he calleth the lawe the ministerie of death the letter that killeth c. by by he thinketh thus with him selfe why doth he geue such odious and as it appeareth to reason blasphemous termes to the lawe which is a diuine doctrine reuealed from heauen To this Paule aunswereth that the law is both holy iust and good and also the ministerie of sinne and death but in diuers respectes Before Christe it is holy after Christe it is death Therefore when Christe is come we ought to know nothing at all of the lawe vnlesse it be in this respect that it hath power and dominion ouer the flesh to bridle it and to keepe it vnder Here is a conflict betwene the law and the flesh to whom the yoke of the lawe is hard and greuous as long as we liue Onely Paule among all the Apostles calleth the lawe the rudiments of the world weake and beggerly elements the strength of sinne the letter that killeth c. The other Apostles spake not so of the law Whosoeuer then will be a right scholer in Christes schoole let him marke diligently this maner of speech vsed of the Apostle Christe calleth him an elect vessell and therefore gaue vnto him an exquisite vtterance and a singuler kinde of speech aboue all the rest of the Apostles that he as an elect vessel might faithfully lay the foundations of the article of Iustification and clearely set forth the same Verse 4. But after the fulnes of time vvas come God sent his sonne made or borne of a vvoman made vnder the lavve that he might redeme them vvhich vvere vnder the lavve That is to say after that the time of the lawe was fulfilled and that Christ was reuealed and had deliuered vs from the law and that the promise was published among all nations c. Marke here diligently how Paule defineth Christe Christe sayth he is the sonne of God and of a woman which for vs sinners was made vnder the law to redeme vs that were vnder the law In these wordes he comprehendeth both the person of Christe and the office of Christe His person consisteth of his diuine and humane nature This he sheweth plainly when he sayth God sent his ovvne sonne borne of a vvoman Christe therefore is very God and very man His office he setteth out in these wordes Being made vnder the lavve to redeame them that vvere vnder the lavve c. And it seemeth that Paule here as it were in reproch calleth the virgine Marie but onely a woman which thing was not wel taken euē of some of the auncient Doctors who would that he should rather haue called her a virgin then a womā But Paule intreateth in this Epistle of the most high principal matter of all to wit of the Gospel of Faith of Christian righteousnes Also what the person of Christ is what is his office what he hath taken vppon him done for our cause what benefits he hath brought to vs wretched sinners Wherfore the excellencie of so high so wōderfull a matter was the cause that he had no regard to her virginitie It was enough for him to set forth preach the inestimable mercy of God which would that his sōne should be borne of that sexe Therfore he maketh no mention of the dignitie of the sexe but onely of the sexe And in that he nameth the sexe he signifieth that Christe was made true and very man of womankinde As if he sayd He was borne not of man and woman but onely of womankinde Therefore when he nameth but onely the womankinde saying made of a vvoman it is as if he should haue sayde made of a virgine Iohn the Euangelist when he thus setteth forth the Word that it vvas in the beginning vvas made flesh speaketh not one word of his mother Furthermore this place also witnesseth that Christe when the time of the lawe was accomplished did abolish the same and so brought libertie to those that were oppressed therewith but made no newe lawe after or besides that old lawe of Moises Wherefore the Monkes and Popish Schoolemen doe no lesse erre and blaspheme Christe in that they imagine that he hath geuen a new lawe besides the lawe of Moises then doe the Turkes which vaunt of their Mahomet as of a new lawgeuer after Christ and better then Christ Christ then came not to abolish the old lawe that he might make a newe but as Paule here sayeth he was sent of his Father into the world to redeme those which were kept in thraldome vnder the lawe These wordes paint out Christe liuely and truly they doe not attribute vnto him the office to make any new law but to redeme them which were vnder the law And Christ himself sayth I iudge no man. And in an other place I came not to iudge the vvorld but that the vvorld should be saued by me That is to say I came not to bring any lawe nor to iudge men according to the same as Moises and other lawgeuers but I haue an higher a better office The lawe killed you and I againe doe iudge condemne and kill the lawe and so I deliuer you from the tyrannie thereof We that are olde men which haue ben so nusled vp in this pernicious doctrine of the Papistes that it hath taken deepe roote euen in our bones and marrow haue conceaued an opinion quite contrary to that which Paule here teacheth For although we confessed with our mouth that Christ redemed vs from the tyrannie of the lawe yet in very dede in our heart we thought him to be a lawgeuer a tyranne and a iudge more terrible then Moises him selfe And this peruerse opinion we can not yet at this day in so great light of the truth vtterly reiect so strongly are those things rooted in our heartes which we learne in our youth But ye which are yet yong and are not infected with this pernicious opinion may learne Christ purely with lesse difficultie thē we that are olde can remoue out of our mindes these blasphemous imaginations which we haue conceaued of him Notwithstanding ye haue not vtterly escaped the deceites of the Deuill For although ye be not as yet infected with this cursed opinion that Christ is a lawgeuer yet haue ye in you the roote whereof it springeth that is ye haue the flesh reason and the corruption of nature which can iudge no otherwise of Christ but that he is a lawgeuer Therefore ye must endeuour with
fruites that ye did before that is that ye teache not truely that ye beleeue not faithfully that ye liue not holily that ye worke not rightly and that ye suffer not patiently Finally who hath so corrupted you that ye beare not so louing affection towards me as ye did before that ye receaue not Paule now as an Angell of God nor as Christ Iesus that ye will not plucke out your eyes to geue them vnto me How cometh it to passe I say that this feruent zeale of yours waxeth so colde towardes me and that ye now preferre before me the false apostles which doe so miserably seduce you In like manner it hapneth vnto vs at this day When we first preached the Gospell there were very many that fauoured our doctrine and had a good and a reuerent opinion of vs and after the preaching therof followed the operations and effectes of faith But what came then A sort of light and brainsicke heads sprang vp and by and by destroyed all that we had in long time and with much trauaile plāted before and also made vs so odious vnto them which before loued vs dearely and thankfully receaued our doctrine that nowe they hate nothing more then our name But the Deuill is the aucthor of this mischiefe working in his members contrary signes which wholy fight against the operations of the holy Ghost Therfore sayth the Apostle your experience O ye Galathians ought to teach you that these great and excellent miracles proceeded not of the workes of the law For as ye had them not before the hearing of faith preached so haue ye them not nowe although the false apostles raigne in the middest of you Therfore we also may say to them at this day which vaunt them selues to be gospellers and to be freed from the tyrannie of the Pope haue ye ouercome the tyrannie of the Pope and obtained libertie in Christ through the Anabaptistes and such other fanaticall spirites or through vs which haue preached faith in Iesus Christ Here if they will confesse the truth they must needes say no doubt it was by the preaching of faith And true it is that in the beginning of our preaching the doctrine of faith had a most happy course and downe fell the Popes pardones purgatorie vowes Masses and such like abhominations which drue with them the ruine of al Poperie No man could iustly condemne vs for our doctrine was pure raising vp and comforting many poore consciences which had bene long oppressed with mens traditions vnder the Papacie which was a plaine tyrannie a racking and crucifying of consciences Many therfore gaue thankes vnto God that through the Gospell which by the grace of God we thē first preached they were so mightely deliuered out of these snares and this slaughterhouse of consciences But whē these new fond heads sprang vp who went about by all meanes to worke our discredite then began our doctrine to be euill thought of for it was commonly bruted abrode that the professors therof disagreed among themselues Wherat many being greatly offended fell quite from the truth putting the Papistes in comfort that we together with our doctrine should shortly come to naught and by this meanes they should recouer their former dignitie and authoritie againe Wherfore like as the false apostles vehemently contended that the Galathians now iustified by faith in Christ ought to be circumcised to kepe the law of Moses if they would be deliuered from their sinnes and from the wrath of God and obtaine the holy Ghost and yet notwithstanding by the selfe same meanes they burdened them the more with sinnes for sinne is not taken away by the law neither is the holy ghost geuen through it but onely it worketh wrath and driueth men into great terrours so at this day these rash heades which thought to prouide for the safetie of the catholike Church at once to driue downe all Poperie haue done no good but much hurt to the Church they haue not ouerthrowne the Papacie but haue more established it But if they had as they began with a common consent together with vs taught and diligently vrged the article of iustification that is to say that we are iustified neither by the righteousnes of the lawe nor by our owne righteousnes but by onely faith in Iesus Christ doutles this one article by litle and litle as it began had ouerthrowen the whole Papacie with al her brotherhodes pardons religious orders relikes ceremonies inuocation of Sainctes purgatorie Masses watchings vowes and infinite other like abhominations But they leauing of the preaching of faith and true Christian righteousnes haue gone an other way to worke to the great hinderaunce both of sounde doctrine and of the Churches Therfore it is happened to them much like as is said in the common Dutch prouerbe They haue driuen away the fishes which the nette was about to enclose whiles they went about to catch them with their handes Verse 6. As Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed to him for righteousnes Hitherto Paule groundeth his argument vpon the experience of the Galathians and with this argument he presseth them vehemently Ye saith he haue beleued beleuing haue done miracles haue shewed many notable signes and moreouer ye haue suffred many afflictiōs al which things are the effects operations not of the law but of the holy ghost This the Galathians were constrained to confesse For they could not denie these things which were before their eyes and subiect to their senses and therfore this argument grounded vpon their owne experience is very strong Now he addeth the example of Abraham rehearseth the testimony of the scripture The first is out of Genesis Abraham beleued God c. This place the Apostle here mightely prosecuteth as also he doth in his epistle to the Romaines If Abraham saith he vvas made righteous by the vvorks of the lavv he hath righteousnes and reioysing but not before God but before men For before God he hath sinne and wrath Now he was iustified before God not because he did work but because he did beleue For the scripture saith Abraham beleued God and it vvas imputed to him for righteousnes This place doth Paule there notably set out amplifie as it is most worthy Abraham saith he vvas not vveake in the faith neither considered he his ovvne body being dead vvhen he vvas almost an 100. yere old neither that Sara vvas past childe bearing Thorough vnbelefe he doubted not of the promise of God but vvas made strong in the faith and gaue glory to God being surely persuaded that whatsoeuer God had promised he was able to performe wherefore it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes And this is wrytten not onely for him that it was counted vnto him for righteousnes but for vs also c. Paule by these wordes Abraham beleeued maketh the cheefest worship the cheefest duetie the cheefest obedience and the cheefest sacrifice
throughout the whole world Therefore whatsoeuer is without that Blessing is accursed And this Paul sheweth plainly when he sayth Verse 10. For as many as are of the vvorks of the lavv are accursed Here ye see that the Curse is as it were a floude swallowing vp whatsoeuer is without Abraham that is to say without faith and the promise of the Blessing of Abraham Now if the law it selfe geuen by Moses at the cōmaūdement of God maketh them subiect to the Curse which are vnder it much more shall the lawes and traditions deuised by mans braine doe the same He therefore that will auoid the Curse must lay hold vpon the promise of Blessing or vpon the faith of Abraham or els shall he abide vnder the Curse Vpon this place therefore shal be blessed in thee it followeth that all nations whether they were before Abraham in his time or after him are accursed shall remaine vnder the Curse for euer vnlesse they be blessed in the faith of Abraham vnto whom the promise of Blessing was geuen to be published by his seede throughout the whole world To know these things it is very necessary for they helpe greatly to comfort troubled and afflicted consciences moreouer they teach vs to separate the righteousnes of Faith from the righteousnes of the flesh or ciuill righteousnes For we must note that Paule here is in hande not with a matter of policie but with a matter diuine and spirituall before God lest any mad braine should cauill and say that he curseth and cōdemneth politike lawes and Magistrates Here all the Sophisters and popish Scholemen are dumme and can say nothing Therefore the readers must be admonished that in this place ther is nothing handled as touching ciuill lawes or touching manners and matters politicall which are the ordinaunces of God and good thinges and the scripture elsewhere approueth and commendeth the same but of a spirituall righteousnes by which we are iustified before God and are called the children of God in the kingdom of heauen To be briefe there is nothing handled here concerning the bodily life but concerding euerlasting life where no blessing is to be hoped for or righteousnes to be sought either through the law or traditions or whatsoeuer can be named in this life besides the promise of Abrahams Blessing Let ciuill lawes and ordinaunces abide in their right place and order let the magistrate make good and notable lawes yet notwithstanding they deliuer no man from the Curse of Gods law The kingdome of Babylon ordained of God and by him committed vnto Kings had excellent lawes and all nations were commaunded to obey them notwithstanding this obedience of the lawes did not saue it from the Curse of the lawe of god In like manner we obey the lawes of Princes and magistrates but we are not thereby made righteous before God For here we are in an other matter It is not without cause that I doe so earnestly vrge this distinction For it is very necessary to knowe it Albeit there are very fewe that doe marke it and vnderstand it in deede Againe the confounding and mingling together of the heauenly and ciuill righteousnes is very easie In the ciuill righteousnes we must haue regarde to lawes and workes but in the spirituall diuine and heauenly righteousnes we must vtterly reiect all lawes and workes and set the onely promise and Blessing before our eies which layeth before vs Christ the geuer of this Blessing and of grace and our onely Sauiour So that this spirituall righteousnes secluding the law and all workes looketh only vnto the grace and blessing which is geuen by Christ as it was promised to Abraham and of him beleued Hereby we may plainely see that this argument is inuincible For if we must hope to receaue this blessing by Christ alone then it must needes followe of the contrary that it is not receaued by the law For the blessing was geuen to faithful Abraham before the law and without the law Now like as Abraham beleued in Christ to come the geuer of the Blessing so and by the same faith we beleue in Christ being come and so are we now iustified by faith as Abraham was then iustied by faith They therfore which are vnder the lawe are not blessed but doe remaine vnder the Curse This the Pope and his proude Prelates neither doe nor can beleue neither can they abide this doctrine Yet must we not holde our peace but must cōfesse the truth and say that the Papacie is accursed yea all the lawes and ciuill ordinaunces of the Emperour are accursed For according to Paule whatsoeuer is without the promise and faith of Abraham is accursed When our aduersaries heare this by and by they peruert and sclaūder our words as though we taught that the Magistrates should not be honoured but that we raise vp seditions against the Emperour that we condemne all lawes that we ouerthrow and destroy common weales c. But they doe vs greate wronge For we put a difference betwene the corporall and the spirituall Blessing and we say that the Emperour is blessed with a corporall blessing For to haue a kingdom lawes and ciuill ordinaunces to haue a wife children house and landes is a blessing For all these thinges are the good creatures and giftes of God. But we are not deliuered from the euerlasting Curse by this corporall blessing which is but temporall and must haue an ende Therefore we condemne not lawes neither doe we stirre vp sedition against the Emperour but we teach that he must be obeied that he must be feared reuerenced and honoured but yet ciuily But when we speake of the blessing after the manner of Diuines then we say boldely with Paule that all thinges which are without the faith and promise of Abraham are accursed and abide vnder that heauēly and euerlasting Curse For ther we must looke for an other life after this an other Blessing after this corporall Blessing To conclude we say that all corporall things are the good creatures of god Therefore as I haue said to haue wife children goodes to haue politike lawes and orders are the good blessings of God in their place that is to say they are temporall blessings belonging to this life But these blessinges the Iusticiaries and Lawworkers of all ages as the Iewes Papists Sectaries and such like do confound and mingle together For they put no difference betweene corporall and spirituall blessings Therefore they say We haue a lawe and this lawe is good holy and righteous therefore we are iustified through it Who denieth but that the lawe is good holy righteous And yet is it also the lawe of malediction of sinne of wrath and of death Therfore we make here a distinction betweene the corporall and spirituall Blessing say that God hath a double Blessing one corporall for this life and an other spirituall for the euerlasting life Therfore to haue ritches
and peruerted by the wicked doctrine of the Sectaries they shewed them selues more bitter enemies to our doctrine our name then any other I doe much and often maruell whervpon they should conceiue such a deadly hatred against vs whom they before so dearly and so tenderly loued For we offended them not in any thing nor gaue them any occasion to hate vs Yea they are constrained to confesse that we desire nothing more then that the glory of God may be aduaunced the benefite of Christe truely knowne and the truth of the Gospel purely taught which God hath now againe in these later dayes reueiled by vs vnto this vnthankfull world which thing should rather prouoke them to loue vs then to hate vs I maruel therfore not without cause wherof this chaunge cometh Verely there is no other cause but that they haue gotten vnto them selues new masters harkened to new teachers whose poyson hath so infected theÌ„ that now of very frends they are become our mortall enemies And I see the condition of the Apostles all other faithful ministers to be such that their disciples and hearers being once infected with the errours of the false Apostles and heretikes haue doe set them selues against them and become their enemies There were very fewe amongst the Galathians which continued in the sound doctrine of the Apostle All the rest being seduced by the false apostles did not acknowledge Paule for their pastour and teacher any more yea there was nothing more odious vnto them then the name and doctrine of Paule And I feare me that this Epistle brought very few of them backe againe from their errour If the like case should happen vnto vs that is to say if in our absence our Church should be seduced by fantasticall heads we should wryte hither not one or two but many Epistles we should preuaile litle or nothing at all Our men a few onely excepted of the stronger sort would vse themselues no otherwise towardes vs then they doe at this day which are seduced by the Sectaries who would sooner worship the Pope then they would obey our admonitions or approue our doctrine No man shall perswade them that they reiecting Christ doe returne againe to weake and beggerly elementes to those which by nature are no Gods. They can abide nothing lesse then to heare that their teachers by whom they are seduced are ouerthrowers of the Gospell of Christ and troublers of mens consciences The Lutherans say they are not onely wise they alone doe not preach Christe they alone haue not the holy Ghost the gift of prophesie and the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures Our teachers are in nothing inferiour vnto them yea in many things they excell them because they folowe the spirite and teach spirituall things Contrariwise they neuer yet tasted what true Diuinitie ment but sticke in the letter and therefore they teach nothing but the Catechisme Faith and charity c. Wherfore like as to fall in Faith is an easie matter as I am wont to say so is it most perillous to witte euen from the high heauen into the deepe pitte of hell It is not such as properly foloweth the nature of man as murther adultery and such like but deuilish the proper worke of the deuil For they which so fal caÌ„ not be easily recouered again but most coÌ„monly they continue peruerse obstinate in their errour Therfore the later ende of those men is worse then the beginning As our Sauiour Christ witnesseth when he sayth The vncleane spirit being cast out of his house when he returneth he entreth in againe not alone but taketh vnto him seuen spirits worse then himselfe and there dwelleth c. Paule therefore perceauing through the reuelation of the holy Ghost that it was to be feared lest the mindes of the Galathians whoÌ„ of a godly zeale he had called folish and bewitched c. should rather by this sharpe chiding be more stirred vppe against him then amended especially since he now knew that the false apostles were among them who would expouÌ„d this sharpe chiding which proceded from a fatherly affection to the worst and would crie out Now Paule which some of you so greatly praise sheweth what he is and with what spirit he is led when he was with you he would seme to be vnto you a father but his letters shew in his absence that he is a tyranne c. therefore he is so troubled through a godly care fatherly affection that he can not well tell how and what to wryte to them For it is a dangerous thing for a man to defend his cause with those which are absent and haue now begun to hate him who also be perswaded by others that his cause is not good Therfore being in great perplexitie he sayth a litle after I am troubled and at my wittes ende for your cause that is I know not what to doe or how to deale with you Verse 12. Be ye as I am for I am as ye are These wordes are to be vnderstand not of doctrine but of affections Therefore the meaning is not Be ye as I am that is to say thinke of doctrine as I doe but beare such an affection towardes me as I doe towardes you As though he would say Perhappes I haue too sharply chidden you but pardon this my sharpnes and iudge not my heart by my wordes but my wordes by the affection of my heart My wordes seme rough and my chastisement sharpe but my heart is louing and fatherly Therfore O my Galathians take this my chiding with such a minde as I beare towards you For the matter required that I should shew my selfe so sharpe and seuere towardes you Euen so may we also say of our selues Our correction is seuere and our maner of wrytâ—ng sharpe and vehement but certainly there is no bitternes in our heart no enuie no desire of reuenge against our aduersaries but there is in vs a godly carefulnes and sorrow of spirit We doe not so hate the Pope and other erroneous spirites that we wish any euil vnto them or desire their destruction but rather we desire that they may returne againe to the right way and be saued together with vs. The Scholemaster chastiseth his scholer not to hurt him but to reforme him The rodde is sharpe but correction is necessary for the childe and the heart of him that correcteth louing and frendly So the father chastiseth his sonne not to destroy him but to reforme amend him Stripes are sharpe and greuous to the childe but the fathers heart is louing and kinde And vnlesse he loued his childe he would not chastise him but cast him of despaire of his welfare and suffer him to perish This correction therfore which he geueth to his childe is a token of a fatherly affection and is profitable for the childe Euen so O my Galathians thinke ye likewise of my dealing towards you
contemptible as Paule was among the Galathians as here he witnesseth of him selfe and to receaue him as an angel from heauen and to geue him such honour as if he had bene Christ Iesus him selfe and not to be offended with his afflictions being so great and so many Wherefore by these wordes he highly commendeth the vertue of the Galathians which he sayeth he will kepe in perpetuall remembraunce and so much estemeth the same that he desireth it may be knowne vnto all men Notwithstanding in setting forth so highly their benefites and praises he sheweth couertly how entirely they loued him before the comming of the false apostles and therwithall he moueth them to continue as they began and to embrace hym with no lesse loue and reuerence then they did before And hereby it may also appeare that the false apostles had greater aucthoritie amōg the Galathians then Paule himselfe For the Galathians being moued with their authoritie preferred them farre aboue Paule whom before they so dearly loued and receaued as an angell of god c. Verse 15. VVhat vvas then your felicitie As if he would say How happie were ye counted how much were ye then praised and commended The like maner of speech we haue in the song of the virgin Marie All generations shall call me blessed And these words VVhat vvas then your felicitie containe in them a certeine vehemēcie As if he would say ye were not only blessed but in all things most blessed highly cōmēded Thus he goeth about to qualifie mitigate his bitter potion that is to say his sharpe chiding fearing lest the Galathians should be offended therwith especially knowing that the false apostles would sclaūder him and most spitefully interprete his wordes For this is the qualitie and nature of these Vipers that they will sclaunder maliciously peruert those words which procede from a simple and sincere heart and wrest them cleane contrary to the true sense and meaning thereof They are maruelous cunning workemen in this matter farre passing all the witte and eloquence of all the Rhetoricians in the world For they are ledde with a wicked spirite which so bewitcheth them that they being enflamed with a diuelish rage against the Faithfull can no otherwise doe but maliciously interprete and wickedly peruert their wordes and wrytings Therefore they are like vnto the spider which sucketh venome out of sweete and pleasant flowers and this procedeth not of the flowers but of their owne venemous nature which turneth that into poyson which of it selfe is good and holesome Paule therefore by these milde and sweet wordes goeth about to preuent the false apostles to the ende they should haue no occasion to sclaunder and peruert his wordes after this maner Paule handleth you very vngentely he calleth you foolish bewitched and disobecient to the truth which is a sure token that he seeketh not your saluation but accounteth you as damned and reiected from Christe Ver. 15. For I beare you record that if it had bene possible ye vvould haue plucked out your ovvne eyes and haue geuen them to me He praiseth the Galathians aboue measure Ye did not onely entreat me sayth he most curteously and with all reuerence receauing me as an angell of God c but also if necessitie had required ye would haue plucked out your owne eyes and geuen them to me yea ye would haue bestowed your liues for me And in dede the Galathians bestowed their liues for him For in that they receaued and mainteined Paule whom the world accounted most execrable and accursed they turned vpon their owne heades as receauers mainteiners of Paule the cruell hatred and indignation of all the Iewes and Gentiles So also at this day the name of Luther is most odious to that world He that praiseth me sinneth worse then any idolater blasphemer periurer whoremonger adulterer murtherer or theefe It must needes be therfore that the Galathians were wel established in the doctrine faith of Christ seeing that they with so great daūger of their liues receaued maintained Paule which was hated throughout all the world For else they would neuer haue sustained the cruel hatred of the whole world Vers 16. Am I therfore becōe your enemy because I tel you the truth Here he sheweth the reason why he speaketh the Galathians so faire For he suspecteth that they take him for their enemie because he had reproued them so sharply I pray you sayth he set apart these rebukes and separate them from doctrine and ye shal finde that my purpose was not to rebuke you but to teach you the truth In deede I confesse that my Epistle is sharpe and seuere but by this seueritie I goe about to call you backe againe to the truth of the Gospel from the which ye are falne and to kepe you in the same therfore applie this sharpnes this bitter potiō not to your persons but to your disease And iudge me not to be your enemy in rebuking you so sharply but rather thinke that I am your father For vnlesse I loued you dearly as my children and knew also that I am beloued of you I would not haue reproued you so sharply It is the part of a frend freely to admonish his frend if he doe amisse and when he is so admonished if he be wise he is not angry with the other which hath so frendly admonished him and tolde him the truth but geueth him thanks It is commonly seene in the world that truth bringeth hatred and that he is accounted an enemie which speaketh the truth But amongst frendes it is not so much lesse amongst Christians Seing therefore I haue reprehended you of mere loue to the ende ye might abide in the truth ye ought not to be offended with me nor lose the truth or thinke me your enemie because of my fatherly reprehension All these things are spoken of Paule to confirme that which he sayd before Be ye as I am Ye haue not hurt me c. Verse 17. They are ielous ouer you amisse c. He reproueth here the flattery of the false apostles For Satan is wont by his ministers through wonderfull subtiltie craftie sleightes to begile the simple As Paule sayth Rom. 16. VVith faire speech and flattering they deceaue the hearts of the simple For first of all they make great protestations that they seeke nothing else but the aduaūcement of Gods glory and moreouer that they are moued by the spirite because the miserable people are neglected or else because the truth is not purely taught of others to teach the infallible truth that by this meanes the elect may be deliuered from errour and may come to the true light knowledge of the truth Moreouer they promise vndouted saluation to those that receaue their doctrine If vigilant and faithfull pastors doe not withstand these rauening wolues they will doe great harme to the church vnder this pretēce of godlines vnder this sheepes clothing
For the Galathiās might say Why dost thou inuey so bitterly against our teachers for that they be iealous ouer vs For that which they doe they doe of zeale mere loue this ought not to offend thee c. In dede sayeth he they are ielous ouer you but their ielousie is not good Here note that zeale or ielousie properly signifieth an angrie loue or as ye would say a godly enuie Elias sayth I haue bene very ielous for the Lord of hostes After this maner the husband is ielous towardes his wife the father towardes his sonne the brother towards his brother that is to say they loue them entierly yet so that they hate their vices and goe about to amend them Such a zeale the false Apostles pretended to beare towardes the Galathians Paule in dede confesseth that they were very zelous towardes the Galathians but their zeale sayth he was not good Now by this colour and subtil pretēce the simple are deceaued when these seducers doe make them to beleue that they beare a great zeale and affection towardes them and that they beare a great zeale and affection towardes them and that they are very carefull for them Paule therfore warneth vs here to put a difference betwixt a good zeale and an euill zeale In deede a good zeale is to be cōmended but not an euil zeale I am as zelous ouer you saith Paule as they Now iudge ye which of our zeales is better mine or theirs which is good and godly which is euill and carnall Therfore let not their zeale so easily seduce you For Ver. 17. They vvould exclude you that you shuld altogether loue thē As if he sayd True it is that they are very zealous towards you but by this meanes they seeke that ye againe should be zelous towards them and reiect me If their zeale were sincere and godly then surely they would be content that I also should be beloued of you as well as they But they hate our doctrine and therfore their desire is to haue it vtterly ouerthrowne their owne preached amongst you Now to that ende they might bring this to passe they goe about by this ielousie to plucke your hearts from me to make me odious vnto you to the ende that when ye haue conceiued an hatred against me my doctrine and turned your affection zeale towards them ye should loue them onely receiue no other doctrine but theirs Thus he bringeth the false apostles into suspition among the Galathians shewing that by this goodly pretence they goe about to deceiue them So our Sauiour Christe also warneth vs saying Take heede of false prophets vvhich come to you in sheepes clothing Paule suffred the same tentation which we suffer at this day He was maruelously troubled with this enormitie that after the preaching of his doctrine which was diuine holy he saw so many sects commotiōs dissipations of common weales chaūges of kingdoms and such other like things to ensue which were the cause of infinite euils offences He was accused of the Iewes to be a pernicious felow a mouer of sedition in his whole nation and to be an author of the secte of the Nazarites As if they had sayd This is a seditious and a blasphemous fellow for he preacheth such things wherby he not onely ouerthroweth the Iewish common wealth excellently well ordred and stablished by the lawes of God but also abolisheth euen the ten commaundements the religion and seruice of God and our priesthoode and publisheth thorow out the world the Gospell as he calleth it whereof are sprong infinite euilles seditions offences and sectes He is compelled to heare of the Gentiles also which cried out against him in Philippi that he was a troubler of their Citie and preached ordinaūces which were not lawfull for them to receaue c. Such troubles of common weales and other calamities as famine warres dissensions and Sects the Iewes and Gentiles imputed to the doctrine of Paule and of the other Apostles and therefore they persecuted them as cōmō plages enemies of the publike peace religion The Apostles notwithstanding all this did not cease to doe their office but most constantly preached confessed Christ For they knew that they should rather obey God then men and that it was better that the whole world should be troubled in an vprore then that Christ should not be preached or that one soule should be neglected and perish In the meane time it was no dout a heauy crosse to the Apostles to see these offences for they were not made of iron It was a wonderfull greefe vnto them that that people for whose sakes Paule wished to be separate from Christ should perish with all their ornaments They saw that great tumultes chaunges of kingdoms should follow theyr doctrine And which was more bitter vnto them then death it self but specially to Paule they sawe that euen amongs them there sprang vp many Sectes It was heauy newes to Paule when he heard that the Corinthians denied the resurrection of the dead when he heard that the churches which were planted by his ministery were troubled that the Gospell was ouerthrowne by the false apostles and that all Asia was reuolted from his doctrine and certaine great personages But he knew that his doctrine was not the cause of these offences and Sects and therfore he was not discouraged he forsoke not his vocation but went forward knowing that the Gospel which he preached was the power of God to saluation to all that beleue howsoeuer it seemed to the Iewes Gētiles to be a folish offensiue doctrine He knew that they are blessed which are not offended by this word of the crosse whether they be teachers or hearers as Christ hīself sayth Blessed is he vvhich is not offended in me Contrariwise he knew that they were condemned which iudged this doctrine to be foolish hereticall Therfore he sayth as Christe said of the Iewes and Gentiles which were offended with this doctrine Let thē alone they are blind leaders of the blind We also are constrained at this day to heare the same spoken of vs which was sayd of Paule the other Apostles to witte that the doctrine of the Gospel which we professe is the cause of many great enormities as of seditions warres sects and innumerable offences Yea they impute vnto vs al the troubles which are at this day Surely we teach no heresies or wicked doctrine but we preach the glad tidings cōcernīg Christ that he is our high Priest our Redemer Moreouer our aduersaries are constrained if they will confesse the truth to graunt vs this that we haue geuen no occasion through our doctrine of seditiōs warres or tumults but alwayes haue taught that honour reuerence must be geuen to the Magistrate because God hath so commaunded Neither are we the authors of offences but in
lawfull for the godly to trust and beleue men Verse 10. That ye vvill be none othervvise minded To witte concerning doctrine Faith then I haue taught you ye haue learned of me That is to say I haue a good hope trust of you that ye will not receaue any other doctrine which shal be contrary to mine Verse 10. But he that troubleth you shall beare his condemnation vvhatsoeuer he be By this sentence Paule as it were a iudge sitting vpon the iudgement seat coÌ„demneth the false apostles calling them by a very odious name troublers of the Galathians whom they estemed to be very godly men and farre better teachers then Paule And withall he goeth about to terrifie the Galathians with this horrible sentence whereby he so boldly condemneth the false apostles to the ende that they should flie their false doctrine as a most daungerous plague As if he should say What meane ye to geue eare to those pestilent felowes which teach you not but onely trouble you The doctrine that they deliuer vnto you is nothing else but a trouble vnto your consciences Wherefore how great so euer they be they shall beare their condemnation Now a man may vnderstand by these words VVhosoeuer he be that the false apostles in outward appearance were very good and holy men And peraduenture there was amongst them some notable disciple of the Apostles of great name and aucthoritie For it is not without cause that he vseth such vehemeÌ„t pithie words He speaketh after the same maner also in the first Chapter saying If vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you othervvise then vve haue preached vnto you let him be accursed And it is not to be doubted but that many were offended with this vehemencie of the Apostle thinking thus with them selues Wherfore doth Paule breake charitie why is he so obstinate in so small a matter why doth he so rashly pronounce sentence of eternall damnation against those that are ministers as well as he He passeth nothing of all this but procedeth on still and boldly curseth and condemneth all those that peruert the doctrine of faith be they neuer so highly estemed seeme they neuer so holy and learned Wherefore as I geue often warning we must diligently discerne betwene doctrine and life Doctrine is heauen life is the earth In life is sinne errour vncleanes and miserie mingled with vineger as the prouerbe sayth There let charitie winke forbeare be beguiled beleue hope and suffer all things there let forgeuenes of sinnes preuaile as much as may be so that sinne and errour be not defended and maintained But in doctrine like as there is no errour so hath it no neede of pardon Wherfore there is no comparison betwene doctrine and life One litle poynt of doctrine is of more valew then heauen and earth and therefore we can not abide to haue the least iote thereof to be corrupted But we can very well wincke at the offences and errours of life For we also doe daily erre in life and conuersation yea all the sainctes erre and this doe they earnestly confesse in the Lordes prayer and in the Crede But our doctrine blessed be God is pure we haue all the articles of our Faith grounded vppon the holy Scripture Those the Deuill would gladly corrupt and ouerthrow Therefore he assaileth vs so craftely with this goodly argument that we ought not to breake charitie and the vnitie of the churches Verse 11. And brethern if I yet preach circumcision vvhy doe I yet suffer persecution Then is the sclaunder of the crosse abolished Paule labouring by all meanes possible to call the Galathians backe againe reasoneth now by his owne example I haue procured to my selfe sayeth he the hatred and persecution of the Priestes and Elders and of my whole nation because I take away righteousnes froÌ„ circumcision which if I would attribute vnto it the Iewes would not onely cease to persecute me but also would loue and highly commend me But now because I preach the Gospel of Christ the righteousnes of Faith abolishing the law circumcision therfore I suffer persecution Contrariwise the false apostles to auoide the crosse and this deadly hatred of the Iewâ—sh nation doe preach circumcision and by this meanes they obtaine and reteine the fauour of the Iewes as he sayeth in the .6 Chapt. folowing They compell you to be circumcised c. Moreouer they would gladly bring to passe that there should be no dissention but peace and concord betwene the Gentiles and the Iewes But that is impossible to be done without the losse of the doctrine of Faith which is the doctrine of the crosse and full of offences Wherefore when he sayeth If I yet preach circumcision vvhy doe I yet suffer persecution Then is the sclaunder of the crosse abolished he meaneth that it were a great absurditie and inconuenience if the offence of the crosse should cease After the same maner he speaketh 1. Cor. 1. Christe sent me to preach the Gospell not vvith vvisedom of vvordes lest the crosse of Christ should be made of none effect As if he sayd I would not that the offence and crosse of Christe should be abolished Here may some man say The Christians then are madde men to cast them selues into daunger of their owne accord For what doe they else by preaching and confessing the truth but procure vnto them selues the hatred and enimitie of the whole world and raise offences This sayth Paule doth nothing at all offend or trouble me but maketh me more bolde and causeth me to hope wel of the happie successe and increase of the church which flourisheth and groweth vnder the crosse For it behoueth that Christe the head and spouse of the Church should raigne in the middes of all his enemies Psal. 110. On the contrary part when the crosse is abolished the rage of tyrannes heretikes ceaseth on that one side and offences on the other side all things are in peace the Deuill keping the entrie of the house this is a sure token that the pure doctrine of Gods word is taken away Bernard considering this thing sayeth that the Church is then in best state when Sathan assaileth it on euery side as well by subtill sleights as by violence and coÌ„trariwise that it is then in worst case when it is most at ease And he aledgeth very well and to that purpose that sentence of Ezechias in his song Behold for felicitie I had bitter greefe applying it to the church liuing in ease and quietnes Wherfore Paul taketh it for a most certaine signe that it is not the Gospel if it be preached in peace Contrariwise the world taketh it for a most certaine signe that the Gospell is hereticall and seditious doctrine because it seeth great vprours tumults offences and sectes and such like to folow the preaching therof Thus God sometimes sheweth him selfe in the similitude of the