LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, N. J. PRESENTED BY Stephen Collins Donation Division _QvD_^C> oh 1 ^1 '^ Section ._ ^ _ hr. A _ 1 _ "—' \©44 COMMENTARY • SAIIT PAUL'S EPISTLE ^ THE GALATIANS. BY MARTIN LUTHER. ERROR, CHIEFLY BECOMES FORMIDABLE FROM ITS CONCEALMENT ; AND A DETKCTICS OF FALSEHOOD GENERALLY DISPELS ITS CIIARH. NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER, 58 CANAL STREET, PITTSBURG:— 58 MARKET STREET. 1844. an Where Paul received the Gospel ITie argument of the false apostles taken from the authority of the A|)ostles So great is the weakness even of the godly, that they are hardly drawn to God's pro- mises, though they be most certaia •Office of the law .... ConfifCts of the godly Faith is the gift of God What inconveniences follow the loathing of God's word .... Speculation is a naked knowledge without practice ..... Doctrine of tnie godliness is kept by prayer and earnest study of the word Enemies of the godly The reason which at this day is used against us, and prevailcth with many The devil's argument Dr. Staupitius, a favourer of LutberN doe- trine, when he began to preach Doctrine of the Gospel altributeth all things unto God, and nothing to man Neither angeLs nor apostles, nor any other arc to be believed, if tliey teach any thing against the word of God ... Papists' argument against us A preacher must be sure of his calling and doctrine .... 69 72 73 73 73 73 74 74 75 75 75 76 7S 76 77 77 78 81 CONTENTS. vu PAOE Zeal of Paul . .: . . .82 What Paul calleth the traditions of the fathers . . . . .82 The first journey of Paul . . .83 Paul's merit of desert . . ,83 By what deserts we obtain grace . . 84 What manner of saints the devil loveth . 84 Publicans and sinners are fax better than merit-mongers . . . .85 Our deserts . . . . .85 Papists a bloody generation . . .85 By what deserts we attain grace . . 85 Deserts of Paul . . . .86 Paul's doctrine . . . .86 Definition of the Gospel . . .86 Papists have turned the Gospel into the law of charity, and Christ into Moses, . 87 The Gospel is not learned by any study of man, but is taught from above by God him- self . . . . . .87 Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles . . 87 Paul's divinity . . . . .88 Office of Paul . . . . .88 Confutation of the argument of the false apostles . . . . .89 Paul became all things to all men . . 89 Why Paul glorieth so much that he hath not learned his gospel of any man . . 90 The testimony of all the churches in Judea for Paul . . . . .91 Paul's doctrine. Contention of such as were turned from the Jews against Paul . 92 Declaration of Paul and Barnabas, as touch- ing those things which were done among the Gentiles . . . . .92 What they answer to Paul in this disputa- tion, which are so earnest for the law . 92 They that were converted from the Jews hardly forsook the law . . .92 Custom is a double nature . . .93 God always beareth with the infirmities of his people . . . . .93 What they had to say for themselves that resisted Paul . ... 93 Paul taketh unto himself witnesses, Barna- bas and Titus . . . .94 Paul so defendeth his Gospel, that he will have all things give place unto it . .95 The question that was handled in the assem- bly of the Apostles . . . .95 Why Paul sailh, " Lest I had run in vain" 96 What was decreed in this conference . 96 How Paul refused circumcision . . 96 How we teach fasting and other Christian exercises at this day . . .97 What Paul determined in that conference of the Apostles . . . . .97 Why Paul would not suffer Titus to be cir- cumcised . . . . .97 Obstinate adversaries defend their wicked doctrine by violence and tyranny . . 98 Triumph of Paul against the false apostles 98 The Pope putteth righteousness in the keep- ing of his traditions, and damnation in the breaking of them . . . .99 Gospel of the false apostles . . .99 Gospel of the Pope and other heretics . 99 Truth of the Gospel. Corruption of the Gospel . . . . .100 Doctrine of the Papists concerning faith . 100 Object of Reason, whereunto it looketh. Object of faith is the thing whereunto the eye of faith looketh, which is Christ . 100 Faith furnished with charity . . 101 Papists imagine that charity is inclosed in faith as a diamond in a ring . . 101 - Christ is the true diamond, and not charity 101 Charity the Papists' diamond, rejecting Christ . . . . .101 Sleights practised of the false apostles against Paul . . . . .101 Luther was content in the time of bUndness to bear with those things which now in the light of the Gospel are utterly to be rejected . . . . .102 PAQK Pope's thunderholts . _ . . lOg It is a point of true Christianity to be stout against merit-mongers, for keeping the Christian liberty .... 108 When faith is found all things are safe , 102 Holy obstinacy and stoutness of the godly . 103 Doctrine of the law .... 103«^i^ Doctrine of the Gospel . . . 103 Why Paul giveth not unto the Apostles any glorious title ..... 104 Argument of the false apostles against Paul 104 The word of God must be preferred before all persons and titles whatsoever . . 105 Man regardeth the person . . , 105 Every creature of God may be called the veil of God, because God is, as it were, covered and shadowed under it . . 106 Man trusteth to the veils of God, and not to God himself . . . . .106 Outward veils are God's good creatures, but to trust in them is wicked . . . 106 God suffereth his dear saints to fall into great vices, that we should not cleave to their persons .... 107 Cursed is humility in matters of God and of faith 110 The stoutness of Paul is carnal . . 113 What Paul calleth grace . . .114 Paul and the other Apostles taught all one Gospel . . . . .115 A good minister must be careful for the poor 115 The world is ready to give for the mainte- nance of ungodliness, but it careth not for God's ministers .... 115 The majesty of the article of justification . 116 It behoveth us to be obstinate in God's mat- ters . . . . .116 A Christian will openly reprove vices in his brother ..... 117 The prophets and apostles sinned, and had their infirmities .... 117 No saints without sin .... 117 Dissension between Paul and Barnabas . 117 The falls of the saints bring comfort unto us 118 Peter liveth with the Gentiles like a Gentile 118 The offence of Peter . . . .119 What the believing Jews gathered of Paul's abstaining ..... 120 The dissimulation of Peter . . . 120 Sin of Peter . . . . ,121 Dissimulation, what it is . . . 121 The law and the Gospel must be discerned one from the other. Law and reason are ,-^ against faith .... 122 What we must do when our conscience is terrified ..... 122 Moses, in the mountain, was above the law ; so in matters of faith we must have noth- ing to do with the law . . . 122 *"~ We must not trust in oiu- own strength . 123 Without God we can do nothing . . 123 Peter knoweth not his error . . . 123 The difference of the law and the Gospel ought most diligently to be learned . 124 When the law is to be luged . . 124 . . The law hath nothing to do with conscience 125 When we must hear the law . . 125 Liberty of conscience . . . 125 Faith justifieth, and nothing but faith . 126 All things are deadly without faith . . 128 Works done before and after justification . 129 The first part of true Christianity is the preaching of repentance, and the acknow- ledging of our sins .... 132 The second part is the preaching of the for- giveness of sins . . . 132 Scotus and Occam, doctors of hellish dark- ness ...... 133 Christ, faith, imputation . . . 137 Imputation necessary . . . 137 They that believe in Christ shall not be charged with their sins . . . 138 The doctrine of good works must be taught after the doctrine of faith . . . 138 Who is a right Christian ^ . .138 na CONTENTS. PAGE * A Christian man hath nothing to do with the law . . . .139 Christians arc judges of all kinds of doctrine 139 Faith justifieth without the law . . 141 The doctrine of good works is not to be neg- lected ..... Faith only justifieth, because it only taketh hold of the benefit of Christ , The law must not be sutTered to reign in the conscience ..... ' Our salvation consisteth not in doing, but in receiving ..... The dignity of the law The (itfice of Christ .... The dilference of the law and grace is very easy, and yet are they soon confounded and mixed together .... They who say that the law is necessary to righteousness, are like to the false apos- tles ...... If righteousness come by the law, then is Christ unprofitable .... Faith in Christ .... There is no [jerfect obedience to the law, even in the justified The Scripture calleth the teachers of the law, exactors and tyrants, bringing men's souls into spiritual slavery History of publishing of the law in Exod. xix. 20 Who niaketh Christ a minister of sin Christ hath tiiken away all evils, and hath brought unto us all good things Whatsoever the alllicted conscience desireth, it findeth in Christ abundantly What Paul had destroyed by the ministry of the Gospel ..... Moses givclh place to Christ, and the law to the Gospel ..... The dilference of the law and the Gospel must be diligently marked . Faith without works .... Paul's manner of speech unknown to man's reason ..... He that is dead to the law liveth to God . The whole law is abrogated . Christ free from the grave, &c. What it is to die to the law . Let the flesh be subject to the law, but not the conscience .... How afflicted consciences mustbe comforted To live to the law is to die to God ; and con- trariwise, to die to the law is to live to God The conscience, by grace, delivered from the law ..... In the matter of justification there is noth- ing for us to do, but to hear what Ciu-ist hath done for us, and to apprehend the same by faith .... This sentence well understood in tlie time of trouble, maketh a man strong against all temptations ■ . . . A speech or dialogue between the law and conscience ..... A consolation against the terrors of the law, &c. . The binding law, through Christ, is bound itself ...... A new name given to the law, that it is dead and condenmed .... The most sweet and comfortable names of Christ ..... Christ a poison against death The law of the mind set against the law of the members .... The tiesh subject to the law, but not the conscience ..... To be crucified with Christ . The true life of the faithful . The faithful are crucified and dead to the law ...... The glory of the faithful Christian righteousness We must have Christ only in sight before our eye ..... 169 142 143 145 145 145 147 147 148 148 150 152 152 152 153 154 155 155 1554- 156 158 1.58 159 159 160 160 161 101- 162 102 103 164 165 160 166 166 166 100 107 167 167 168 168 168 169 TJL.au Such is our misery, that in temptations and afflictions we set Christ aside, and look back into ourselves and our life past . 169 The old man . . . .17* The works of Christ living in the faithful . 170 Christ, living in the faithful, communicateth unto them all gifts of grace and spiritual blessings ..... 170 The faithful both righteous and sinners . 170 Faith so knitteth us and Christ together, that we become one with him . . . 171 True faith is not idle . . . .171 What occasion the malicious take of this doctrine ..... 172 Good works are not the cause, but the fruits of righteousness .... 173 The faithful live not their own life, but the life of Christ .... 173 The faithful live in tho flesh, but not ac- cording to the flesh .... 173 To live in the faith of the Son of God . 174 The difl^erence between the faithful and un- faithful . . . .175 The true manner of justification . . 176 To do what in us lieth . . . 176 Christ first loved us, and we not him . 177 The dignity of the price given for us . 178 How sects may be withstood . . 179 The majesty of Christ the Son of God . 179 Which loved me, &c. .... 179 The true force of faith . . .180 -The law loveth not sinners, but accuseth them . . . . .180 The oflices of Christ . . . .180 (^hrist is a lover of the afflicted, and such as feel the burden of their sins . . 181 Me, for me . . . . 181 As by Adam all became guilty, so by Christ all that believe are made righteous 181 To seek righteousness by the law, is to re- ject tlie grace of God . . . 183 The world is so wicked and perverse, that it rcjecteth the grace of God . . . 183 A common sin to reject the grace of God . 184 The devilish perverseness of the world . 184 The righteousness which is- accepted before (iod 185 Reason, although it be lightened with the law, yea with the law of God, remaineth blind 186 The commendation of the righteousness of the law .... . 185 To make the death of Christ unp.'ofitable . 187 Just anger is called, in the Scripture, zeal or jealousy ..... 189 The sharp rebukings of the Holy Ghost . 189 Remnants of natural vices remain in the godly 100 None pure but Christ .... 191 Luther's conflicts with Satan . . 192 The profit that comelh to the godly by the temptation of t>atan . . . 193 Tlie false apostles bewitchers of men . 193 Tlic godly must diligently watch . . 194 Worldly and secure men are soon bewitched 194 "^'hey that seek to be justified by the law crucify Christ Tlie fall of Lucifer .... The Holy Ghost is received by hearing the word of faith, and not by the law The law bringeth not the Holy Ghost The appearing of the Holy Ghost . Cornelius ..... Both Jews and Gentiles are justified by faith only ...... The Gentiles justified by faith That the Holy Ghost is given by the only hearing of laith .... Diflerence between the law and the Gospel Cornelius, a Gentile, is justified by faith The law helpeth not to righteousness Conscience witnesseth that the Holy Ghost is not given by the law, but by the hearing of faith . . . . . Orders and kinds of life appointed of God . 197 200 201 202 202 202 203 204 205 207 207 203 211 ill / CONTENTS. IX PAGE By what means the Holy Ghost is given unto us 212 To whom the kingdom of heaven is given . 212 A man is made a Christian by hearing the doctrine of faith .... 213 The striving of the flesh against the Spirit in the godly ..... 214 The doctrine of the false apostles . . 215 What incommodities the righteousness of the law, or man's own righteousness, bringeth ..... 216 The judgment of reason, touching articles of Ikith 222 Faith slayeth reason .... 223 The unfaithful give not glory to God . 223 Remnants of sin in the godly . . 224 A definition of the Christian faith . . 227 How they that feel the heavy burden of sin ought to be comforted . . . 227 Imputation of righteousness . . . 230 Carnal begetting doth not make us the chil- dren of Abraham .... 230 The believing and the begetting Abraham . 231 Faith thinkcth rightly . . . 232 The error of the false apostles . . 236 Abraham's faith and ours all one . . 2.37 A working and a believing Abraham . 239 It is good to follow the example of Christ ; but justification cometh not thereby . 341 The faithful Abraham must be separate from the working Abraham . . 242 Righteoasness of faith and civil righteous- neis are easily confounded . . 244 The law of sin, wrath, and death . . 245 The godly are not made righteous by doing righteous things, &c. . . . 249 Judas did the same works that the other Apostles did ..... 250 The error and impiety of hypocrites . 251 Hypocrites go about to do that thing which belongeth only to Christ . . . 253 The godly do not the law perfectly . . 254 Hypocrites do many things, but without fiiith 2G1 The difference between a true and a false faith 264 Faith only taketh hold of Christ . . 265 The believing man obtaineth righteousness and everlasting life without the law and charity . . . . .267 Remnants of sin in the saints, and the elect of God . . " . . .270 Christ must be wrapped as well in our sins, as in our flesh and blood . . . 273 A marvellous combat between sin and righ- 'teousness in Christ .... 276 Sin and death abolished to all believers . 277 It is the work of God to abolish death, and to give life . . . . . 278 Christ is our righteousness, and our sin is his 278 An inestimable comfort for all poor con- science-; beaten down with sin . . 279 A feeling sinner bruised and broken-hearted for his sins, is counted no sinner . . 280 How Christ is truly known . . . 281 The fathers of the Old Testament rejoiced more for the benefits of Christ, than we do 284 The promise of the Spirit . . . 286 The love of ourselves is corrupt . . 289 The nature of hypocrites . . . 290 Abraham was not made righteous by the law, for when he lived there was no law 293 We must give to the law and the promise their own proper places . . . 295 All things are done for the elect sake . 299 All men naturally judge that the law doth justify 299 God hath ordained magistrates, parents, laws, &c., that sins might be bridled . 303 The light of the Gospel . . .306 The doctrine of the Gospel belongeth to those which are terrified with the law . 308 The law not only showeth unto a man his sin, but also driveth him to Christ . 308 The terrors of the law are driven away by faith .... . 308 ly . 31»4 PAGE Faith in Christ dnveth away the terrors of the law . . . . .318 The law is good and holy, and yet intoler- able to man's nature . . . 322 The promises of God are not hindered be- cause of our sins .... 322< Upon whom Christ bestoweth his benefits . 323 \ The judgment of men as touching the law . 323 ( If the law justify not, much less do works justify . . . . .327 The commendation of good works, out of the cause of justification . . . 327 Cain, being shut up in the prison of the law, and abiding there, despaired . . 332 The temptjition of the godly . . . 334 Paul an excellent teacher of faith . . 345 In the world there is a difference of persons, but not before God .... 346 The brazen serpent a figure of Christ . 350 When we feel the terrors of conscience, the law must be abased, and the promise mag- nified 353 The Holy Ghost is sent in two manner of ways ...... 367 We must assure ourselves that we are un- der grace ..... 369 The cry of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the godly 373 The cry of Moses at the Red Sea, and the office of the Holy Ghost . . .376 The godly have need of the comfort of the Holy Ghost 386 The fruit of sound doctrine . . . 403 Who be the true sons of Abraham . . 425 The church begetteth children by teaching 430 Reason is delighted with hypocrisy . . 433 The people of grace .... 435 Grief after the flesh, and glory after the Spirit 436 False brethren at the first are friends, but afterwards they become deadly enemies . 436 The world embraceth the righteousness of ' works, and condemneth that of faith . 440 The godly must st;ind fast, that they lose not their liberty in Christ . . . 441 A remedy against the anguish and terrors of conscience ..... 444 The devil's martyrs .... 447 Good works are not condemned, but confi- dence in good works . . . 450 True faith . . . . .472 The righteousness of the faithful standeth not in feeling .... 473 A sweet consolation in anguish of spirit . 475 A true and lively faith . . . 476 The life of a Christian is a course or a race 477 Christ a gift and e.xample . . . 479 No error in faith .... 485 Luther will be at no unity with the enemies of the Gospel . . . .488 Good works ..... 490 Carnal men understand not faith . . 491 Carnal men abuse Christian liberty . . 492 Natural corruption remaining in the faithful 495 An hypocrite described . . . 495 How faith and works are to be taught . 499 God first loved us ... . 501 Desires and lusts of the flesh in the godly . 504 Flames of carnal lust in St. Hierom . 507 The godly feel concupiscence or lust of the flesh, which in the faithful the Spirit re- sisteth . . . . .507 The godly feeling the corruptions of the flesh must not despair .... 507 The battle of the flesh and spirit in the godly, and what they must do when they feel sin .... . 508 The wisdom of the godly who only feel sin 509 To be led by the Spirit . . . 509 How a troubled mind is to be comforted . 510 What it is to crucify the flesh . . 535 The armour of God .... 535 Why God layeth the cross upon the preach- ers of the Gospel .... 540 What offences are to be forgiven . . 543 How they that are fallen ought to be entreated 544 CONTENTS. The authors of sects painted out in their right colours .... 547 The jwople delighted with novelties . 549 What it is for a man to i)rove his own work 551 The work of every man's calling . . 553 In death and in the day of judgment, other men's praises profit not . . . 553 A commandment for the nourishing of the ministers of the word of God . 554 The ministers of Sitan have plenty, but the ministers of Christ do want . . 555 Satan oppresseth the Gospel two ways Fulness of God's word bringeth loathing . The world loadelh the ministers of Satan with all worldly good things Gentlemen, citizens, and husbandmen, de- spisers of God's ministers . Reverence and necessary living due to the ministers of the word What it is to sow in spirit We must do good without weariness VJiOK 556 556 557 558 560 561 TO ALL AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES, WHICH GROAN FOR SALVATION, AND WRESTLE UNDER THE CROSS, FOR THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST, Grace, Peace, and Victory, in the Lord Jesu our Saviour. In few words to declare what is to be said for the commendation of this work, although in few words all cannot be expressed that may be said, yet briefly to signify that may suffice, this much we thought good to certify thee, godly reader ; that amongst many other godly English books, in these our days printed and translated, thou shalt find but few wherein either thy time shall seem better bestowed, or thy labour better recompensed to the profit of thy soul, or wherein thou mayest see the spirit and vein of St. Paul more lively represented to thee, than in the diligent reading of this present Commentary upon the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. In which, as in a mirror or glass, or rather as St. Stephen, in the heavens being opened, thou mayest see and behold the admirable glory of the Lord, and all the riches of heaven, thy salva- tion freely, and only by faith in Christ ; his love and grace toward thee so opened, thy victory and conquest in him so proved, the wrath of God so pacified, his law satisfied, the full kingdom of life set open ; death, hell, and hell-gate, be they never so strong, with all the power of sin, flesh, and the world, vanquished ; thy conscience discharged, all fears and terrors removed, thy spiritual man so refreshed and set at liberty, that either thy heart must be heavier than lead, or the reading hereof will lift thee up above thyself, and give thee to know that of Christ Jesu, that thyself shalt say thou never knewest before, though before thou knewest him right well. Such spiritual comfort, such heavenly doctrine, such experience and practice of conscience herein is contained, such triumphing over Satan, and all his power infernal, such contempt of the law compared with the Gospel, such an holy pride and exaltation of the believing man (whom here he maketh a person divine, the son of God, the heir of the whole earth, conqueror of the world, of sin, of death, and the devil,) with such phrases and speeches of high contemplation, of Christ, of grace, of justi- fication, and of faith (which faith, saith he, transfigureth a man into Christ, and coupleth him more near unto Christ than the husband is coupled to his wife, and maketh a man more than a man,) with such other voices, full of spiritual glory and majesty, as the like hath not been used lightly of any writer since the Apostle's time, neither durst he ever have used the same himself, had not great experience and exercise of conscience by inward conflicts and profound agonies framed him there- unto, and ministered to him both this knowledge of spirit and boldness of speech. Xll ADDRESS TO AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. And this commonly is the working and proceeding of God's vocation, ever to work things by the contrary ; of infidelity, to make faith ; of pov- erty, to make riches ; in misery, to show mercy ; to turn sorrow to solace, mourning to mirth ; from afflictions, to advance to glory ; from hell, to bring to heaven ; from death, to hfe ; from darkness, to light ; from thraldom, to liberty ; in wilderness, to give waters ; the barren to make fruitful ; of things that be not, to make things to be ; briefly, to make all things of nought. Thus began God first to work, thus he pro- ceeded, thus he continueth, and so will unto the world's end. The first seed of promise, next to Eve, was given to Sarah ; yet in what case was Eve before she had the promise ? and in what barrenness and des- pair was Sarah before she enjoyed her well-beloved Isaac ? The like is to be said of the two mothers of two most excellent children, Samuel and John Baptist ; and yet what griefs and sorrows passed over their hearts, being both passed all hope in nature, before the goodness of God did work? How long did Jacob, the patriarch, sen^e in miserable thraldom for his Rachel ? In what excellent glory was Joseph exalted ? Yet what suffered he before of his brethren, and how long imprison- ment? In what and how long servitude were the sons of Israel before Moses was sent unto them ? and afterwards, in what distress were they compassed on every side, when the sea was forced to give them place ? after that again, what an excellent land was promised and given unto them, flowing with milk and honey? but how were they scourged before in the desert, and yet had not they the land, but their children ? To over-pass many things here by the way, what an excellent work was it of God to set up David in his kingdom ? also what excellent promises were given to his throne ? yet how hardly escaped he Avith life ? how did the Lord mortify and frame him to his hand, before he placed him in quiet? Infinite it were to recite all. Briefly, in all the works of God, this ij usual to be seen, that he worketh evermore most excellent things by instruments most humble, and which seem farthest off. Which of all the ApDslles dfd ever think, when Christ was so humbled and crucified upon the tree, that they should ever see him again, although he foretold them of his rising before ; insomuch that Thomas did scarcely believe when he with his eyes saw him ? What man would ever have thought that Paul, in the raging heat of his persecuting spirit, would have turned from a persecutor to such a professor ; from such infidelity, to such a faith ; insomuch that Ananias would scarcely believe the Lord when he told him ? Such is the omnipotency of the Lord our God, ever working lightly by the contrary, especially when he hath any excellent thing to work to his own glory. After like sort may we esteem also of Martin Luther, who, being first a friar, in what blindness, superstition, and darkness, in what dreams and dregs of monkish idolatry was he drowned, his history declareth, witness recordeth, and this book also partly doth specify ; whose reli- gion was all in Popish ceremonies, his zea without knowledge, under- standing no other justification but in works of the law and merits of his own making, only believing the history, as many do, of Christ's death and resurrection, but norknowing the power and strength thereof. After he had thus continued a long space, more pharisaical and zealous in these monkish ways than the common sort of that order, at length it so pleased Almighty God to begin with this man ; first to touch his con- science with some remorse and feeling of sin, his mind with fears and ADDRESS TO AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. Xlll misdoubts, whereby he was driven to seek further : so that by searching, seeking, conferring, and by reading of St. Paul, some sparkles of better knowledge began by little and little to appear, which after in time grew up to greater increase. But here it happened to him as commonly it doth to all good Christians ; the more that the true knowledge of Christ in him increased, the more Satan, the enemy, stirred with his fiery darts, with doubts and objections, with false terrors and subtle assaults, seek- ing by all means possible how to oppress the inward soul, which would fain take his rest in Christ. In these spiritual conflicts and inward wrestlings, how grievously he was encumbered, fighting against incre- dulity, error, and desparation, marvellous it is to consider ; insomuch that three days and three nights together he lay upon his bed without meat, drink, or any sleep, like a dead man, as some of him do write, la- bouring in soul and spirit upon a certain place of St. Paul, in the third chapter to the Romans, which was " to show his justice ;" thinking Christ to be sent to no other end but to show forth God's justice as an executor of the law ; till at length, being answered and touched by the Lord concerning the right meaning of these words, signifying the justice of God to be executed upon his Son, to save us from the stroke thereof, he, immediately upon the same, started up from his bed so confirmed in faith, as nothing afterward could discourage him. Beside other manifold and grievous temptations, which I speak not of, of all sorts and kinds, except only of avarice ; with the which vice only he never was tempted nor touched, as of him is written by them that were conversant with him. In this mean while, during these conflicts and exercises of M. Luther, which, notwithstanding, did him no hurt, but rather turned to his more furtherance in spiritual knowledge. Pope Leo X. sent a jubilee with his pardon abroad through all Christian realms and dominions, whereby he gathered together innumerable riches and treasure : the collectors where- of promised to every one that would put ten shillings in the box, licence to eat white meat and flesh in Lent, and power to deliver what soul he would out of purgatory ; and, moreover, full pardon from all his sins, were they never so heinous. But if it were one jot less than ten shil- lings, they preached that it would profit him nothing. The abomination whereof was so horrible, that when no other man durst speak, yet Luther could not of conscience hold his peace ; but, drawing out certain articles, desired gently to dispute the matter, writing withal a most humble ad- monition to the Pope, submitting himself in a most humble manner to his censure and judgment. But the Pope thinking great scorn to be controlled of such a friar, took the matter so hot, that he, with all his cardinals, with all the rabble of monks and friars, bishops and arch- bishops, colleges and universities, kings and princes, with the emperor also himself, were all upon him. If the omnipotent Providence of the Lord from above had not sustained him, what was it for one poor friar to have endured all these sharp assaults of Satan, all the violence of the whole world, having no less than the sun, the moon, and all the seven stars, as they say, against him ; being hated of men, impugned of devils, rejected of nations, by solemn authority condemned, distressed with in- firmities, and with all manner of temptations tried and proved. And yet for all these temptations, such was his life, that (as Erasmus, writing to Cardinal Wolsey, affirmeth) none of all his enemies could ever charge him with any note of just reprehension. Again, such were his allega- XIV ADDRESS TO AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. tions out of the Scripture, that Roffensis, writing to Erasmus, confesseth himself to be astonished at them. And thus much by the way of preface, touching the conflicts and exer- cises of this man, which we thought fit to insinuate to the Christian reader for sundry purposes ; first, to note the merciful clemency of Christ our Saviour, in calling so superstitious and idolatrous a friar so graciously to such a light of his Gospel, his grace in justifying him, his might in preserving him, his help in comforting him, his glory in prospering him, one against so many ; and so prospering him, that the whole kingdom of the Pope had no power either to withstand him, or to maintain itself. Secondly, for this respect also and purpose, that the reader, considering the marvellous working of the Lord in this man, may the better credit the doctrine that he teacheth. And though his doctrine, as touching a little circumstance of the sacrament, cannot be thoroughly defended; yet neither is that any great marvel in him, who, being occupied in weightier points of religion, had no leisure to travail in the searching out of this matter ; neither ought it to be any prejudice to all the rest, which he taught so soundly, of the weightier principles and grounds of Christ's Gospel, and our justfication only by faith in Christ. And yet in the same matter of the sacrament, notwithstanding that he altereth somewhat from Zuinglius, sticking too near to the letter ; yet he joineth not so with the Papist, that he leaveth there any transubstantiation or idolatry. Wherefore the matter being no greater than so, nor directly against any article of our creed, let not us be so nice, for one little wart, to cast away the whole body. It were, doubtless, to be wished that, in good teachers and preachers of Christ, there were no defect or imperfection. But he that can abide nothing with his blemish, let him, if he can, name any doctor or writer (the Scripture only except,) Greek or Latin, old or new, either beyond the Alps, or on this side the Alps, or himself, whatsoever he be, which hath not erred in some sentence or in some exposition of Holy Scripture. But if he cannot so do, then let him learn by himself to bear with other ; to take the best and leave the worst (although there is no such matter in this book to be feared ; forasmuch as we, having a respect to the simple, have purposely spunged out and omitted such stum- bling places, being but few, which might offend,) and to give God thanks for any thing that is good ; and, namely, for this which he hath given us by Luther, in opening to us his grace, mercy, and good will in his Son, so excellently through the preaching of this man ; who, if he had not taught the difference between the law and the Gospel, and set out to us our justification, victory, and liberty, by faith only in Christ so plainly, so plentifully, and so assuredly as he hath done, who ever durst have been so bold to open his mouth in such words, or so confidently to stand in this doctrine of faith and grace ? For if there have been since the time of Luther, and be yet some, which openly defend "that works be necessary to salvation," where he before so mightily hath taught the con- trary ; what then would these have done if Luther had not been 1 who also did forewarn us of the same, prophesying that, after his time, this doctrine of justification would be almost extinguislied in the church, as, in certain places, experience beginneth partly to prove. Wherefore, so much as the Lord shall give us grace, let us hold con- stantly the comfortable doctrine of faith and justification, and not lose that the Lord so freely hath given, calling upon the Lord with all obe- dience and diligence, to give us grace with St. Paul, not to refuse the ADDRESS TO AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. XV grace which he bestoweth upon us, nor to be offended with this joyful doctrine, as may be. And therefore as our duty was for our part to set it abroad, so our counsel is no less to every studious reader thereof, to pray for grace rightly to understand that he readeth. For else, unless the special grace of Christ do help, hard it is to flesh and blood to com- prehend this mystical doctrine of faith only. So strange it is to carnal reason, so dark to the world, so many enemies it hath, that except the Spirit of God from above do reveal it, learning cannot reach it, wisdom is offended, nature is astonished, devils do not know it, men do persecute it. Briefly, as there is no way of life so easy, so there is none so hard ; easy to whom it is given from above ; hard to carnal sense not yet in- spired. The ignorance whereof is the root of all errors, sects, and divi- sions ; not only in all Christendom, but also in the world. The Jew thinketh to be saved by his Moses' law, the Turk by his Alcoran, the philosopher by his moral virtues. Besides these, cometh another sort of people, not so ill as the Jews, nor so heathen as the philosopher, but having some part of both, "which refuse not utterly the name of Christ ; but with Christ do join, partly the law of Moses, partly the moral and natural discipline of philosophy, and partly their own ceremonies and tra- ditions, to make a perfect way to heaven :" and these, here in this Com- mentary, are called Papists, of the Pope their author ; being divided within themselves more than into an hundred divers sects, orders, and professions of cardinals, friars, monks, nuns, priests, hermits, and other votaries ; all which seem to spring up of no other cause but only upon ignorance of this doctrine. And no marvel ; for take away this doctrine of justification by faith only in Christ, and leave a man to his own inven- tions, what end will there be of new devices ? Such a perilous thing it is to err in the foundation ; whereupon the higher ye build, the greater is the fall. And yet such builders are not without their props to hold up their workmanship of works against this doctrine of justifying faith, pre- tending, for their defence, the testimony of St. James, where he seemeth to attribute justification to works, and not to faith only. Touching which matter of justification, forasmuch as in the sequel of this treatise the author hath discoursed upon the same at large, it shall not be much needful to use many words at this present. This briefly may suffice by the way of preface, in a word or two to advertise the Christian reader, whoso taketh it in hand with profit and judgment to read this book, that in him two things are especially to be required ; first, to read it wholly together, and not by pieces and parts, here and there ; but to take it in order as it lieth, conferring one place with another, whereby to understand the better the right meaning of the writer, how and in what sense he excludeth good works, and how not ; how he neglecteth the law, and how he magnifieth the law. For, as in case of justifying before God, the free promise of the Gospel admitteth no condition, but faith only in Christ Jesu ; so in case of dutiful obedience, Luther here excludeth no good works, but father exhorteth thereunto, and that in many places. Thus times and cases discreetly must be distinguished. The second thing to be required is, that, in reading hereof, he that seek- eth to take the fruit hereby, do bring such a mind with him to the read- ing, as the author himself did to the preaching thereof; that is, he had need to have his senses exercised somewhat in such spiritual conflicts, and to be well humbled before with the fear of God and inward repent- ance, or else he shall hardly conceive the excellent sweetness either of XVI ADDRESS TO AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. this writer or any other. For albeit most true it is, that no greater com- fort to the soul of man can be found in any book next to the Holy Scrip- ture, than in this Commentary of M. Luther ; so this comfort hath little place, but only where the conscience, being in heaviness, hath need of the physician's hand. The other who feel themselves whole, and are not touched in soul with any sorrow, as they little care for these books, so they have little understanding of this doctrine when they read it. And this is the cause, in my mind, why the Pope and his Papists have so little feeling and liking of Luther's doctrine ; and all because they com- monly are never greatly vexed in spirit with any deep affliction, but rather deride them that be beaten down with such conflicts and temptations of Satan, as they did by Luther, whom, because God suflered to be tried and exercised with the buffets of the enemy, they say, therefore, that he learned his divinity of the devil. But how he learned his divinity, let us hear what he himself in this book confesseth, saying, "If we were not outwardly exercised with force and subtlety by tyrants and sectaries, and inwardly with terrors and fiery darts of the devil, Paul should be as ob- scure and upknoAvn to me as he was in times past to the world, and yet is to the Papists, the Anabaptists, and other our Adversaries. There- fore the gift of the interpretation of the Scriptures and our studies, to- gether with our inward and outward temptations, open unto us the mean- ing of Paul, and the sense of all Holy Scriptures." But let these ignorant Papists, whosoever they be, taste a little the same, or the like, as Luther did, and then see what they will say. Ex- perience giveth demonstration. For how many of them do we see, for all their auricular confession, which puffeth them up in all security, but at length they lie at the point of death, where death on the one side, and G«d's justice on the other side, is before their eyes ; for the most part either they despair, or else leaving all other helps, they only stick to faith and the blood of Jesus Christ, and in very deed many of them are glad to die Lutherans, howsoever they hated Luther before. And what shall we say then of this doctrine of Luther ? If the Papists themselves be glad to die in it, why are they unwilHng to live in it ? "And if it be true at one time, how can alteration of time make that false which is once true ?" And therefore, where these men so stoutly withstand this doctrine of justification by faith only, they are much deceived. And when they allege St. James for them, that is soon answered, if we rightly discern the meaning of St. James and St. Paul, of whom the one speaketh of man's righteousness or justification only before men, which is a true de- monstration of a true faith or a true believer before man, rather than the working of true justification before God. And so it is true which St. James saith, how that faith without works doth not justify ; whose pur- pose it is not to show us what maketh a man just before God : but only to declare the necessary conjunction of good works in him that by faith is justified. The other speaketh of righteousness or justification, not before men, but only before God, meaning not to exclude good works from true faith, that they should not be done ; but to teach us wherein the true stay and hope of our salvation ought to be fixed ; that is, in faith only. And so it is true likewise that St. Paul saith, that faith only, without works, doth justify. Which proposition of St. Paul, the better to understand and to join it with St. James, here is to b.e noted, for the satisfying of the cavilling ad- ADDRESS TO AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. Xvil versary, that the proposition is to be taken full and whole, as St. Paul doth mean it ; so that, with the right subject, we join the right predicatum, as the schoolmen term it ; that is, so that faith of Christ, in justifying, ever have relation to the true penitent and lamenting sinner. And so is the article most true, that "faith only, without works, doth justify." BiijL whom doth it justify ? the worldling ? the licentious ruffian ? the volup- tuous epicure ? the carnal gospeller ? Paul meaneth no such thing, but onlyllie "mourning and labouring soul, the grieved conscience, the repent- ing heart, the amending sinner. And in him the proposition is true ac- cording to the doctrine of St. Paul: "To him that beheveth in Him which justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Contrariwise, let faith have relation to the obstinate and wilful rebel, who, contrary to conscience, continueth and delighteth in sin ; and in him is true likewise that St. James saith " and not by faith only :" meaning there- by, that faith availeth not to justification, but only in such persons as have a good will and purpose to amend their lives ; "not that repentance and turning from iniquity doth save them ; but that faith in Christ worketh justification in none but only such as heartily repent and are willing to amend." So that "believe the Gospel" hath ever "repent and amend" going with it. Not that repentance saveth any malefactor from the law ; but only showeth the person whom faith in Christ only doth save and justify. But of this enough, and more than greatly needed ; especially seeing the book itself here following will satisfy the reader, at large, in all such doubts to this matter appertaining. And thus ceasing to trouble thee, gentle reader, with any longer preface, as we commend this good work to thy godly studies ; so we commend both thee and thy studies to the grace of Christ Jesu, the Son of God ; heartily wishing, and craving of his Majesty, that thou mayest take no less profit and conso- lation by reading hereof, than our purpose was to do thee good in setting the same forth to thy comfort and edification, which the Lord grant. Amen. Amen. FIFTY INCONVENIENCES THAT ARISE OUT OF MAN's OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS PROCEEDING OF WORKS GATHERED OUT OF THIS EPISTLE TO THE 0ALATIAN8. BY M. LUTHER. CHAPTER I. 1. To bring men from the calling of Grace. 2. To receive another Gospel. 3. To trouble the Minds of the FaithfuL 4. To pervert the Gospel of Christ. 5. To be accursed. 6. To obey Human Traditions. 7. To please Man. 8. Not to be the Servant of Christ. 9. To build upon Men, and not upon God. 10. That the most excellent righteousness of the Law is nothing, 11. To destroy the Church of God. CHAPTER II. 12. To teach a Man to be justified by "Works, is to teach to be jus- tified by impossibility. 13. To make the Righteous in Christ Sinners. 14. To make Christ a Minister of Sin. 15. To build up Sin again when it is destroyed. 16. To be made a Transgressor. 17. To reject the Grace of God. 18. To judge that Christ died in vain. CHAPTER HI. 19. To become foolish Galatians. 20. To be bewitched. 21. Not to hear the truth. 22. To crucify Christ again. 23. To hold that the Spirit is received by Works. 24. To forsake the Spirit and to end in the Flesh. ^5. To be under the Curse. 26. To set the Testament of Men above the Testament of God. 27. To make Sin to abound. 28. To be shut under Sin. 29. To serve beggarly Ceremonies. CHAPTER IV. 30. That the Gospel is preached in vain. 31. That all is vain whatsoever the Faithful do work or suffer. 32. To be made a Servant and the Son of the Bond-woman. 33. To be cast out with the Sou of the Bond-woman, from the inhe- ritance. 34. Tljat Christ profiteth nothing. 35. That we are Debtors to fulfil the whole Law. CHAPTER V. 36. To be separate from Christ. 37. To fall from Grace. 38. To be hindered from the good course of well-doing. 39. That this persuasion of the Doctrine of Works cometh not of God. 40. To have the leaven of Corruption. 41. The judgment remaineth for him who teacheth this Doctrine. 42. To bite and consume one another. 43. That this Doctrine is accounted among the works of the Flesh CHAPTER VI. 44. To think thyself to be something when thou art nothing. 45. To glory in others rather than in God. 46. Carnally to please the carnally-minded. 47. To hate the persecution of the Cross. 48. Not to keep the Law itself 49. To glory in the Master and Teacher of carnal things. 50. That nothing profiteth, and whatsoever a Man doth is vain. MARTIN LUTHER'S PREFACE UPON THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. I MYSELF can scarcely believe that I was so plentiful in words, when I did publicly expound this Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, as this book show- eth me to have been. Notwithstanding, I perceive all the cogitations, which I find in this Treatise, by so great diligence of the brethren gathered together, to be mine ; so that I must needs confess either all, or perhaps more, to have been uttered by me in this public Treatise: "For in my heart this one ar- ticle reigneth, even the laith of Christ." From whom, by whom, and unto whom, all my divine studies, day and night, have recourse to and fro con- tinually. And yet I perceive that I could not reach any thing near unto the height, breadth, and depth of such high and inestimable wisdom; only cer- tain poor and bare beginnings, and, as it were, fragments do appear. Where- fore, I am ashamed that my so barren and simple commentaries should be"^ set forth upon so worthy an Apostle and elect vessel of God. But when I consider again the infinite and horrible profanation and abomination which always hath raged in the church of God, and yet at this day ceaseth not to rage against this only and grounded rock, which we hold to be the article of our justification, (that is to say, how, not by ourselves, neither by our works, which are less than ourselves, but by another help, even the Son of God, Jesus Christ, we are redeemed from sin, death, the devil, and made par- lakers of eternal life,) I am compelled to cast otF all shame, and to be "bold above measure." This rock did Satan shake in Paradise (Gen. iii. 2) when he persuaded our first parents that, by their own wisdom and power, they should be like nnto God ; forsaking true faith in God, who had given them life, and prom- ised the continuance thereof By and by, after this liar and murderer, '• which will be always like unto himself," stirred up the brother to the murdering of his brother (Gen, iv.), and for none other cause, but for that his godly bro- ther, by faith, had offered up a more excellent sacrifice, and he ofiering up his own works, without faith, had not pleased God. After this, against the same faith followed a most intolerable persecution of Satan by the sons of Cain ; until God was even constrained at once, by the flood, to purge the whole vForld, and to defend Noah, the preacher of righteousness. This not- withstanding, Satan continued his seed in Cham, the third son of Noah. But who is able to reckon up all examples ? After these things the whole world waxed mad against this faith, finding out an infinite number of idols and strange religions, whereby everyone (as St. Paul saith) v/alked his own way ; trusted, by their works, some to pacify and please a god, some a god- dess, some gods, some goddesses; that is to say, without the help of Christ, and by their own works, to redeem themselves from all calamities, and from their sins, as all the examples and monuments of all nations do sufficiently witness. But these are nothing in comparison of that people and congregation of God, Israel ; which not only had the sure promise of the fathers, and after- XX PREFACE. ward the law of God given unto them from God himself by his angels, above all other ; but always and in all things, were also certified by the words, by the miracles, and by tlie examples of the Prophets. Notwithstanding, even among them also Satan (that is to say, the mad and outrageous opinion of their own rigliteousness) did so prevail, that afterwards they killed all the Prophets ; yea, even Christ himself, the Son of God, their promised Messiah; for that ihey had taugiit that men are accepted and received into the favour of God, by grace only, and not by their own righteousness. And this is the sum of the doctrine of the devil, and of the world, from tlie beginning ; we will not seem to do evil ; but yet whatsoever we do, that must God allow, and all his Prophets must consent to it; which if they refuse to do, tliey shall die the death ; Abel shall die, but Cain shall flourish. Let this be our law (say tliey,) even so it comeih to pass. But in the church of the Gentiles, the matter is and hath been so vehe- mently handled, that the fury of the Jewish synagogue may well seem to have been but a sport. For they (as St. Paul saith) "did not know Christ their anointed, and therefore ihey crucified the Lord of Glory." But the church of the Gentiles hath received and confessed Christ to be the Son of God '• being made our righteousness ;" and this doth she publicly record, read, and teach. And yet, notwithstanding this confession, "they that would be ac- counted the church do kill and persecute, and continually rage against those which believe, and teach, and in their deeds declare nothing else, but that Christ is the self-same thing that they themselves (though with feigned words and hypocritical deeds) are constrained, in spite of their teeth, to allow and confess. For under the name of Christ, at this day, they reign. And if they could, without the name of Christ, hold tliat seat and kingdom, no doubt but they would express him to be such a one openly, as in their hearts they esteem him secretly. But they esteem him a great deal less than the Jews do, which, at the least, think him to be Thola, that is to say, a tliief worthiliy 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 Chris- tians (for Christians they will be called), and because Cain doth kill Abel continually, and the abomination of Satan now chiefly reigneth, it is very nec^essary 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 if the very rocks and stones themselves. Wherefore I do most willingly herein accomplish my duty, and am contented to sulfer this long Commentary, and full of words, to be set forth for the stirring up of all the brethren of 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, hitherto men have seemed to be possessed with devils, and stark mad, even so now the devils themselves do seem to be possessed oC 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 re- demption, 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 everywhere in such a rage, as though he would by them suddenly, not only destroy the whole world with seditions, but also by iimumerable sects swallow up and devour Christ wholly with his church. PREFACE. XXI Against the wicked lives and opinions of otViers 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 quiet- ness ; these he mainlaineth in hie court with all manner of pleasures and de- lights, and giveth to them all things at will ; even like as some time in the beginning of the church he did not only sufl'er all the idolatries and false re- ligions 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 oar perfect righteousness "without any of our work;" 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, aa "for my brethren," which will either show themselves thankful in the Lord for this my travail, or else will pardon m}' weakness and temerity. But of the wicked I would not, in any wise, they should be liked or allowed ; but rather that thereby boih they and tlieir 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 the>!e things,) and miserable Galatians in the faith," Whsso 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 doctrines and our doings. For ai this day, the Papists and Anabaptists conspir_e 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 ie nothing-exeept 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 th.e work of God. and yet an evil man maketh it not to be the work of Qod. Moreover, hereof it must follow, that matrimony, authority, liberty, aTld' 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 Anabap- tists themselves ha,d bodies and souls before they were re-baptized ; but be- cause they were not godly, therefore they had not true bodies and true Bouls. Also their parents were not lawfully married (as they grant them- selves,) because they are not re-baptized; therefore the Anabaptists them- selves are all bastards, and their parents were all adulterers, and whore- mongers ; and yet they do 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 ; whereas 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 forno quietness or end of complaint so long as Christ and Belial do not agree. " One genera- tion passeth, and another cometh." (Eccles. xi.4.) If one heresy die, by and by another springeth up; for the devil doth neither slumber or sleep. I my- XXll PREFACE. eelf, which, although I be nothing, have been now in the ministry of Chn8t 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 lor file. But Satan, the god of all dissension, stirreth up daily new sects, and, last of all (which, of all other, T should never have foreseen or once sus- pected,) he hath raised up a sect of such as teach that the Ten Command- ments ought to be taken out of the church, and that men should not be terri- fied 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 laught that aP- flicted and broken spirits must be comforted by Christ ; but the hard-hearted Pharisees, unto whom the grace of God is preached hi 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 condenm 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 im- ponance ; to wit, " There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest." (1 Cor. xi. 9.) Yea, I say, let the minister of Christ know that so long as he teaclieth Christ purely, tliere 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 Avoman." (2 Cor. vi. 11; Gen. iii. 5.) Yea, let him rt-joice in the troubles which he suffereth by these sects and seditious spirits, continually springing up one after another. For this is our rejoicing, "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 bile 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 Martin 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 hefore, 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 vex and oppress us on every side ; wherefore this doctrine can never be taught, urged, and repeated enougli. 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 know- ledge of all things which are necessary for a Christian man to know. Be- cause, 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, " Whea a man hath done what he can, he must begin again." (Eccles. xviii. 6.) 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. """^t. 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 diflerence between Christian righteousness and all other kinds of righteousness. For ihere 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 righte- ousness, which ihe 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 man- ners, and certain observations concerning this lile. Besides these, there is another righteousness called the righteoassQess of thje law, or of the Tea Commandments, which Moses teacheth. Thi8~3o we^ilab teach after the doctrine of laith. There is yet another righteousness which is above all these ; to wit, " the righteousness of failh, or Christian riglitcousness," tlie which we must dili- gently 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 gi{\ of God, like as other good things are which we do enjoy. But this most excellent righteousness, of faith I mean (which Gotl through Christ, without works imputeth unto us,) is neither political nor ceremonial, nor the righteousness of God's law, nor consisteth in works, but is clean con- trary; that is to say, a mere passive righteousness, as the other above are I active. For in this we work nothing, we rentier nothing unto God, but only we receive and suffer another to work in us, that is to say God. Therefore, it seemeth good unto me to call this righteousness of faith, or Christian ,*wghteousness, the passive righteousness. This is a righteousness hidden in a mystery, which the world doth not know ! yea, Christians themselves do not thoroughly understand it. and can hardly take hold of it in their temptations. Tiierefore, it must be diligently taught and continually practised. And whoso doth not understand or ap- prehend this righteousness in afflictions and terrors of conscience, must needs be overthrown. For there is no comfort of conscience so firm and so sure as this passive righteousness i.s. But man's weakness and misery is so great, that in the terrors of con- science and danger of death we behold nothing else but our works, our wor- thiness, and the law j which, when it showeth unto us our sin, by and by our ARGUMENT. XXV evil life past cometh to remembrance. Then the poor sinner, with great an- guish of spirit, groaneth and thus thinketh with himself : " Alas ! how des- perately have I lived ! would to God I might live longer ; then would I amend my life. Thus man's reason cannot restrain itself from the sight and beholding of this active or working righteousness, that is to say, her own righteousness ; nor lift up her eyes to the beholding of the passive or Chris- tian righteousness, but resteth altogether in the active righteousness ; so deeply is this evil rooted in us. On the other side, Satan, abusing the infirmity of our nature, doth increase and aggravate these cogitations in us. Then can it not be but that the poor conscience must be more grievously troubled, terrified, and confounded. For it is impossible that the mind of man itself should conceive any comfort, or look up unto grace only in the feeling and horror of sin, or constantly reject all disputing and reasoning about works. For this is far above man's etrength and capacity ; yea, and above the law of God also. True it is, that of all things in the world, the law is most excellent ; yet is it not able to quiet a troubled conscience, but increaseth terrors, and driveth it to desperation ; " that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." (Romans vii. 13.) Wherefore the afilicted and troubled conscience hath no remedy against desperation and eternal death unless it take hold of the forgiveness of sins by grace, freely offered in Christ Jesus, that is to say, " this passive faith or Christian righteousness." Which if it can apprehend, then may it be at quiet, and boldly say, " I seek not this active or working righteousness ; although I know that I ought to have it. and also to fulfil it. But be it so that I had it, and did fulfil it indeed ; yet, notwithstanding, I cannot trust unto it, neither dare I set it against the judgment of God. Thus I abandon myself Irom all active righteousness, both of mine own and of God's law, and em- brace only that passive righteousness, which is the righteousness of grace, mercy, and forgiveness of sins. Briefly, I rest only upon that righteousness which is the righteousness of Christ and of the Holy Ghost." Like as the earth engendereth not rain, nor is able by her own strength, labour, and travail, to procure the same, but receiveth it of the mere gift of God from above ; so this heaveoly righteousness is given us of God without our works or deservings. Look then how much the earth of itself is able to do in getting and procuring to itself seasonable showers of rain to make it fruitful ; even so much, and no more, are we able to do by our strength and works in winnmg this heavenly and eternal righteousness ; and therefore Bhall never be able to attain unto it, unless God himself, by mere imputation, and by his unspeakable gift, do bestow it upon us. The greatest knowledge then, and the greatest wisdom of Christians is, not to know the law, to be ignorant of works, and of the whole active righteousness, especially when the conscience wrestleth with the judgment of God. Like as, on the con- trary, amongst those which are not of the number of God's people, the greatest point of wisdom is, to know, and earnestly to urge the law and the active righteousness. But it is a thing very strange and unknown to the world, to teach Chris- tians to learn to be ignorant of the law, and so to live before God, as if there was no law ; notwithstanding, except thou be ignorant of the law, and be assuredly persuaded in thine heart that there is now no law nor wrath of God, but altogether grace and mercy for Christ's sake, thou canst not be saved ; for by the law cometh the knowledge of sin. Contrariwise, works and the keeping of the law must be so straitly required in the world, as if there were no promise or grace ; and that because of the stubborn, proud, and hard-hearted, before whose eyes nothing must be set but the law, that they may be terrified and humbled. For the law is given to terrify and kill euch, and to exercise the old man ; and both the word of grace and of wrath must be rightly divided according to the Apostle, 2 Tim. ii. Here is then required a wise and faithful disposer of the word of God, which can so moderate the law, that it may be kept within his bounds. He that teacheth that men are justified before God by the observation of the 4 XXVI ARGUMENT. law, passeth the hounds of the law, and confoundeth these two kinds of rightfousness, active and passive, and is but an ill logician, for he doth not rightly divide. Contrariwise, he that selteth forth the Jaw and works to the old man, and the promise of forgiveness of sins and God's mercy to tlie new man, divideth the word well. For the flesh or llie old man must be coupled with the law and works ; the spirit, or new man, must be joined with tlie pro- mise of God and his mercy. Wherefore, when I see a man (hat is bruised enough already, oppressed with the law, terrified with sin, and thirsting for comfort, it is time that 1 should remove out of his sight the law and active righleousness, and that I should set before him, by the Gospel, the Christian and passive righteousness, which excluding Moses with his law, ofTereth the promise made in Christ, who came for tlie afflicted and for sinners. Here is man raised up again, and conceiveth good hope ; neither is he any longer under tlie law, but under grace. How not under the law? According to the new man, to whom the law doth not appertain. For the law hath his bounds unto Christ, as Paul saith afierwards : " For Christ is the end of the law" (Rom. X. 4 ;) who being come, Moses ceaseth with his law, circumcision, the eacrifices, the sabbaths; yea, and all the prophets. Tliis is our divinity, whereby we teach how to put a difference between these two kinds of righteousness, active and passive, to the end, that man- ners and faith, works and grace, policy and religion, should not be con- founded, or taken tlie one for the other. Both are necessary, but both must be kept within their bounds: Christian righteousness appertaineth to the new man, and the righteousness of the law appertaineth to the old man, which is born of flesh and blood. Upon this old man, as upon an ass, there must be laid a burden that may press him down, and he must not enjoy the freedom of the spirit of grace, except he first put upon him the new man by faith in Christ, which, notwithstanding, is not lully done in this hfe: then may he en- joy the kingdom and inestimable gift of grace. This I say, to the end that no man should tliink we reject or forbid good work.^as the Papists do most falsely slander us, neither understanding what they themselves say, nor what we teach. They know nothing but the right- eousness of the taw, and yet they will judge of that doctrine which is far above the law, of which it is impossible that the carnal man should be able to judire. Therefore they must needs be offended, for they can see no higher than the law. Whatsoever, then, is above the law, is to them a great offence. But we imagine, as it were, two worlds; the one heavenly, and the other earthly. In these we place these two kinds of righteousness, being eeparaie the one far from the other. The righteousness of the law is earthly, and hath to do with earthly things, and by it we do good works. But as the earih bringeth not forth fruit except first it be watered and made fruitful from above; even so by the righteousness of the law, in doing many things we do nothing, and in fulfilling of the law we fulfil it not, except first, without any merit or work of ours, we be made righteous by the Ciiristian righteous- ness, which nothing appertaineth to the righteousness of the law, or to the earthly and active righteousness. Bui this righteousness is heavenly; which, as is said, we have not of ourselves, but receive it from heaven ; which we work not, but which by grace is wrought in us, and apprehended by faith, whereby we mount up above all laws and works. "WJierefore, like as we have borne, as St. Paul saith, the image of the earthly Adam ; so let us bear the image of the heavenly, which is the new man in a new world, where is no law, no sin, no remorse or sting of conscience, no death, but perfect joy, righteousness, grace, peace, life, salvation, and glory. Why, do we then nothing 1 do we work notliing for the obtaining of this righteousness'? I answer, Nothing at all. For this is perfect righteousness, "to do nothing, to hear nothing, to know nothing of the law or of works ;" but to know and to believe this only, that Christ is gone to the Father, and is not now seen ; that he sitteth in heaven at the right hand of his Father, not as a judge, but made unto us of God, wisdom, righteousness, holiness and redemption ; briefly, that he is our high-priest entreating for us, and reign- ing over us, and in us, by grace. In this heavenly righteousness sin can ARGUMENT. XXVU have no place ; for there js no law, and where no law is, there can be no transgression. (Rom. iv. 15.) Seeing then that sin hath here no place, there can be no anguish of con- science, no fear, no heaviness. Therelure St. John saith (1 Joiin v. 18,) "He that is born of God cannot sin." But if there be any tear or griel' of con- science, it is a token that his righteousness is withdrawn ; that grace is hid- den ; and that Christ is darkened and out of sight. But where Christ is truly seen indeed, there must needs be full and perfect joy in the Lord, with peace of conscience, which niost certainly thus ihinketh : " Although I am a sinner by tiie law, and under condenmation of the law, yet 1 despair not, yet I die not, because Christ liveth, who is both my righteousness and my everlasting life." In that rigliteousness and life I have no sin, no fear, no Bting of conscience, no care uf death. I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life and the righteousness thereof, as the child of Adam ; where the Jaw accuseth me, deatli reignetli over me, and at length would devour me. But I have another righteousness and life above this life, which is Christ the Son of God, who knoweth no sin nor death, but is righteousness and life eternal; by whom this my body, being dead and brought into dust, shall be raised up again, and delivered from the bondage of the law and sin, and shall be sanctified together with the Spirit. So both these continue whilst we here live. The flesh is accused, exer- cised with temptations, oppressed with heaviness and sorrow, bruised by this active righteousness of the law ; but the spirit reigneth, rejoiceth, and is saved by this passive and Christian righteousness, because it knoweth that it hath a Lord in heaven at the right hand of his Father, who halli abolished the law, sin, death, and hath trodden under his i'eet all evils, led them cap- tive, and triumphed over them in himself (Col. ii. 15.) St. Paul, therefore, in this Epistle, goeth about diligently to instruct us, to comlbrt us, to hold us in the perfect knowledge of this most Christian and ex- cellent righteousness. For if the article of justification be once lost, then is ■ all true Christian doctrine lost. And as many as are in the world that hold not this doctrine, are either Jews, Turks, Papists, or heretics. For between, the -'righteousness of the law," and "Christian righteousness," there is no mean. He then that strayeth from this " Cliristian righteousness," must needs Jail info the " righteousness of the law ;" that is to say, " when he hath lost Christ he must fall into the confidence ol' his own works." Tlierefore do we so earnestly set forth, and so often repeat this doctrine of "faith" or " Christian righteousness," that by this means it may be kept in continual exercise, and may be plainly discerned from the " active righteous- ness of the law." Otherwise we shall never be able to hold the true divinity (for by this only doctrine the church is built, and in this it consisteth) ; but by and by we shall either become canonists, observers of ceremonies, " ob- servers of the law, or Papists, and Christ so darkened, that none in the church shall be either riglitly taught or comforted." Wherefore, if we will be teachers and leaders of others, it behoveth us to have great care of these matters, and to mark well this distinction between the righteousness of the law, and the righteousness of Christ. And this distinction is easy to be ut- tered in words ; but in use and experience it is very hard, although it be never BO diligently exercised and practised ; for that, in the hour of death or in other agonies of the conscience, these two sorts of righteousness do encoun- ter more near together than thou wouldest wish or desire. " Wherefore I do admonish you, especially such as shall become instructors and guiders of con- sciences, and also every one apart, that ye exercise yourselves continually by study, by reading, by meditation of the word, and by prayer, that in the time of temptation ye may be able to instruct and comlbrt both your own con- sciences and others, and to bring them from the law to grace, from active and working righteousness, to the passive and received righteousness," and, to conclude, "from Moses to Christ." For the devil is wont in affliction, and in the conflict of conscience, by the law to make us afraid, and to lay against us the guilt of sin, our wicked life past, the wrath and judgment of God, hell, and eternal death, that by this means he may drive us to desperation. XXVm ARGUMENT. make us bond-slaves to himself^ and pluck us from Christ. Furthermore, he is wont to set against us those places ol' the Gospel, wherein Christ liiniseU' requireth works of us, and with plain words threateneth damnation to those who do them not. Now, if here we bo not able to judge between these two kinds of righteousness, if we take not hold of Christ by faith sitting at the right liand of God (Heb. vii. 2-5), who makelh intercession unto the Father for us wretched sinners, then are we under the law and not under grace, and Christ is no more a Saviour, but lawgiver; so that now there remaineth no more salvation, but a certain desperation and everlasting death, except re- pentance follow. Let us then diligently learn to judge between these two kinds of righteous- ness, that we may know how far we ought to obey the law. Now, we have said before, that the law in a Christian ought not to pass his bounds, but ought to have dominion only over the flesh, which is in subjection unto it, and re- maineth under the same. When it is thus, the law is kept within his bounds. But if it shall presume to creep into thy conscience, and there seek to reign, see thou play the cunning logician, and make the true division. Give no more to the law than is convenient, but say thou, O law, thou wouldest climb up into the kingdom of my conscience, and there reign and reprove it of sin, and Avouldest take from me the joy of my heart, which I have by faith in Christ, and drive me to desperation, that I might be without all hope, and utterly perish. This thou dost besides thine office ; keep thy- self within thy bounds, and exercise thy power upon the flesh, but touch not my conscience, for I am baptized, and by the Gospel am called to the parta- king of righteousness and of everlasting life, to the kingdom of Christ, wherein my conscience is at rest, where no law is, but altogether forgiveness of sins, peace, quietness, joy, health, and everlasting life. Trouble me not in these matters, lor I will not sufler Ihee, so intolerable a tyrant and cruel tor- mentor, to reign in my conscience, for it is the seat and temple ol" Clirist the Son of God (1 Cor. vi. 19), who is the King of righteousness and peace, and my most sweet Saviour and Mediator ; he shall keep my conscience joyful and quiet in the sound and pure doctrine of the Gospel, and in the know- ledge of this Christian and heavenly righteousness. When I have this righteousness reigning in my heart. I descend from heaven as the rain making fruitful the earth : that is to say, I come forth into another kingdom, and I do " good works," how and whensoever occasion is offered. If I be a minister of the word, I preach, I comlbrt the broken- hearted, I administer the sacraments. If I be an householder, I govern my house and my family, I bring up my children in the knowledge and fear ot' God. If I be a magistrate, the charge that is given me from above, 1 dili- gently execute. If I be a servant, I do my master's business faithfully. To conclude ; whosoever he be thai is assuredly persuaded that Christ is hia righteousness, doth not only cheerfully and gladly work well in his vocation, but also submitteth himself through love to the magistrates and to their laws, yea though they be severe, sharp and cruel, and (if necessity do so re- quire) to all manner of burdens, and to all dangers of this present life, be- cause he knoweth that this is the will of God, and that this obedience pleaseth him. Thus far concerning the argument of this Episde, whereof Paul entreateth, taking occasion of false teachers who had darkened this righteousness of faith among the Galatians, against whom he setteth him- self in defending and commending his authority and office. A COMMENTARy ON ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. CHAPTER I. Verse 1. Paul, an Apostle {not of men, neither by jnan, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead). Now that we have declared the argument and sum of this Epistle to the Galatians, we think it good, before we come to the matter itself, to show what was the occasion St. Paul wrote this Epistle. He had planted among the Galatians the pure doctrine of the Gospel, and the righteousness of faith ; but by and by, after his departure, there crept in certain false teachers, which overthrew all that he had planted and truly taught among them. For the devil cannot but furiously impugn this doctrine with all force and subtlety, neither can he rest so long as he ' seeth any spark thereof remaining. We also, for this only cause, that we preach the Gospel, do suffer of the world, the devil, and his ministers, all the mischief that they can work against us, both on the right hand and on the left. .For the Gospel is such a doctrine as teacheth a far higher matter than is the wisdom, righteousness, and religion of the world, that is to say, free remission of sins through Christ, &c. It leaveth those things in their degree, to be as they are, and commendeth them as the good creatures of God. But the world preferreth these creatures before the Creator ; and moreover, by them would put away sin, be delivered from death, and deserve everlasting life. This doth the Gospel condemn. Contrariwise, the world cannot suffer those things to be condemned which it most esteemeth and best liketh of, -and therefore it chargeth the Gospel that it is a seditious doctrine, and full of errors, that it 30 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. overthroweth commonwealths, countries, dominions, kingdoms, and empires, and therefore offendeth both against God and the emperor, aboHsheth laws, corrupteth good manners, and setteth all men at liberty to do what they list. Wherefore, with just zeal, and high service to God (as it would seem), it persecuteth this doctrine, and abhorreth the teachers and professors thereof, as the greatest plague that can be in the whole earth. Moreover, by the preaching of this doctrine, the devil is over- thrown, his kingdom destroyed ; the law, sin, and death (where- with, as most mighty and invincible tyrants, he hath brought all mankind in subjection under his dominion), are wrested out of his hands : briefly, his prisoners are translated out of the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of light and liberty. Should the devil sufler all this ? " Should not the father of lies employ all his force and subtle policies, to darken, to corrupt, and utterly to root out this doctrine of salvation and everlasting life ? Indeed, St. Paul complaineth in this, and all other his Epistles, that even in his time the devil showed himself a cunning workman in this business." We thought good to show here by the way, that the Gospel is such a doctrine as condemneth all manner of righteousness, and preacheth the only righteousness of Christ; and to them that embrace the same, it bringeth peace of conscience and all good things ; and yet, notwithstanding, the world hateth and per- secuteth it most bitterly. I have said before, that the occasion why St. Paul wrote this Epistle, was for that, by and by after his departure, false teachers had destroyed those things among the Galatians which he with long and great travail had built. And these false apostles being of the circumcision and sect of the Pharisees, were men of great estimation and authority, Avho bragged among the people that they were of that holy and chosen stock of the Jews (John viii. ; Rom. iv. 4, 5, 6) ; that they were Israelites, of the seed of Abraham : that they had the promises and the fathers ; and, finally, that they were the ministers of Christ, and the Apostles' scholars, with whom they had been conversant, and had seen their miracles, and perhaps had also wrought some signs or miracles themselves ; for Christ witnesseth (Matthew vii. 22) that the wicked also do work miracles. Moreover, these false apostles, by all the crafty means they could devise, defaced the authority of St. Paul, saying, " Why do ye so highly esteem of Paul ? Why have ye him in so great reverence ? Forsooth, he COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 31 was but the last of all that were converted unto Christ. But we are the disciples of the Apostles, and were familiarly conversant with them. We have seen Christ working miracles, and heard him preach. Paul came after us, and is inferior unto us ; and it is not possible that God should suffer us to err who are of his holy people, the ministers of Christ, and have received the Holy Ghost. Again, we are many, and Paul is but one, and alone, who neither is conversant with the Apostles, nor hath seen Christ. Yea, he persecuted the Church of Christ a great while. Would God (think ye), for Paul's sake only, suffer so many churches to be deceived ?" When men having such authority come into any country or city, by and by the people have them in great admiration ; and under this colour of godliness and religion, they do not only deceive the simple, but alsQ the learned ; yea, and those also which seem to be somewhat confirmed in the faith, especially when they brag (as these did) that they are the offspring of the Patriarchs, the ministers of Christ, the Apostles' scholars, (fcc. Even so the Pope at this day, when he hath no authority of the Scripture to defend himself withal, useth this one argument con- tinually against us. " The church, the church." Thinkest thou that God is so offended, that, for a few heretic's of Luther's sect, he will cast off his whole church ? Thinkest thou that he would leave his church in error so many hundred years 7 And this he mightily maintaineth, " that the church can never be over- thrown." Now, like as many are moved with this argument at this day, so, in Paul's time, these false apostles, through great bragging, and setting forth of their own praises, blinded the eyes of the Galatians ; so that Paul lost his authority among them, and his doctrine was brought in suspicion. Against this vain bragging and boasting of the false apostles, Paul with great constancy and boldness setteth his apostolic authority, highly commending his vocation and defending his ministry. And (although elsewhere he never doth the like) he will not give place to any, no, not to the Apostles themselves, much less to any of their scholars. And to abate their pharisaical pride and shameless boldness, he maketh mention of the history done at Antiochia, where he withstood Peter himself Besides this, not regarding the offence that might arise thereof, he saith plainly in the text, that he was bold to accuse and reprove Peter himself, the chief of the Apostles, who had seen Christ, and had been most familiarly conversant with him. I am an Apostle (saith he), and ^ COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. such a one as pass not what others are : yea, I was not afraid to chide the very pillar of all the rest of the Apostles. And to con- clude, in the first two chapters, he doth, in a manner, nothing else but set out his vocation, his office, and his Gospel, affirming, that it was not of men, and that he had not received it by man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ ; also, that if he, yea, or an angel from heaven, should bring any other gospel than that which he hath preached, he should be holden accursed. The Certainty of Calling, But what meaneth Paul by this boasting ? I answer : This com- mon-place serveth to this end, that every minister of God's word should be sure of his calling, that before God and man he may with a bold conscience glory therein, that he preached the Gospel as one that is called and sent ; even as the ambassador of a king glorieth and vaunteth in this, that he cometh not as a private person, but as the king's ambassador ; and because of this dig- nity, that he is the king's ambassador, he is honoured and set in the highest place ; which honour should not be given unto him if he came as a private person. Wherefore, let the preacher of the Gospel be certain that his calling is from God. And it is expe- dient that, according to the example of Paul, he should magnify this his calling, to the end that he may win credit and authority among the people, like as the king's ambassador magnifieth his office and calling. And thus to glory is not vain, but a kind of necessary kind of glorying, because he glorieth not in himself but in the king which hath sent him, whose authority he desireth to be honoured and magnified. Likewise, when Paul so highly commendeth his calling, he seeketh not his own praise, but with a necessary and a holy pride he magnifieth his ministry : as to the Romans (xi.) he saith. Forasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I will magnify mine office : that is to say, I Avill that men receive me, not as Paul of Tarsus, but as Paul the Apostle or Ambassador of Jesus Christ. And this he doth of necessity, to maintain his authority, that the people, in hearing this might be more attent and willing to give ear unto him. For they hear not only Paul, but, in Paul, Christ himself, and God the Father, sending him out in his message whose authority and majesty, like as men ought reli- giously to honour, so ought they with great reverence to receive and to hear his messengers bringing his word and message. This is a notable place, therefore, wherein Paul so glorifieth COMMENTARY ON GALATIAXS. 33 and boasteth as touching his vocation, that he despiseth all others. If any man after the manner of the world, should despise all others in respect of himself, and attribute all unto himself alone, he should not only show himself a very fool, but also grievously offend. But this manner of boasting is necessary, and pertaineth not to the glory of Paul, but to the glory of God, whereby is offered unto him the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. For by this boasting, the name, the grace, and the mercy of God is made known unto the world. Thus, therefore, he beginneth his Epistle. Verse 1. Paul^ an Apostle^ not of mew, ^c. Here, in the very beginning, he toucheth those false teachers which boasted themselves to be the disciples of the Apostles, and to be sent of them, but despised Paul, as one that was neither the Apostle's scholar, nor sent of any to preach the Gospel, but came in some other way, and of his own hand thrust himself into that office. Against those Paul defendeth his calling, saying. My calling seemeth base to your preachers ; but whosoever they be which are come unto you, are sent either of men or by man ; that is to say, tYiej have entered either of themselves, being not called, or else called by others. But my calling is not of men, nor by man, but it is above all manner of calling that can be made by the Apostles, " for it is by Jesus Christ, and by God the Father," &c. Where he saith of men, I mean such as call and thrust in themselves, when neither God nor man calleth or sendeth them, but they run and speak themselves ; as at this day certain fan- tastical spirits do, which either lurk in corners, and seek places where they may pour out their poison, and come not into public congregations, or else they resort thither where the Gospel is planted already. These I call such as are sent of men. But where he saith, by man, understand such as have a divine calling, but yet by man as by means. God calleth them two manner of ways : by means, and without means. He cailetli them to the ministry of his word at this day, not immediately by himself but by other means ; that is to say, by man. But the Apostles were called immediately of Christ himself, " as the pro- phets in the old time were called of God himself." Therefore^ when Paul saith, "Not of men, neither by men," he beateth •down the false apostles ; as though he would say, Although those vipers brag never so much, what can they brag more than that 5 34 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. they are either come from men, that is to say, of themselves without any calUng, or by man, that is to say, sent of others l I pass not upon any of these things, neither ouglit you to regard them. As for me, I am called and sent neither of men, nor by man, but without means, that is to wit, by Jesus Christ himself; and my calling is like in all points the calling of the Apostles, and I am indeed an Apostle. Paul, therefore, handleth this place, of the calling of the Apostles, effectually. And elsewhere he separateth the degree of Apostleship from others, as in the first to the Corinthians, chap, xii, and in the fourth to the Ephesians, where he saith, "And God hath ordained some in the church, as first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers," &c., setting Apostles in the first place ; so that they be properly called Apostles, " which are sent immediately of God himself," without any other ordinary means. So Matthias was called only of God (Acts i. 14, 15) ; for when the other Apostles had appointed two, they durst not choose the one nor the other, but they cast lots, and prayed that God would show which of them he would have ; for seeing he should be an Apostle, it behoved that he should be called of God. So was Paul called to be the Apostle of the Gentiles. (Acts ix. 15,) Hereof the Apostles also are called saints ; for they are sure of their calling and doctrine, and have continued faithful in their office, and none of them became a cast-away, saving Judas, because their calling is holy. (Matt, xviii. 5.) This is the first assault that Paul maketh against the false apostles, who ran when no man sent them. Calling, therefore, is not to be despised ; for it is not enough for a man to have the word and pure doctrine, but also he must be assured of his calling ; for he that entereth without this assurance, entereth to no other end but to kill and destroy. For God never prospereth the labour of those that are not called. "And although they teach some good and profitable matters, yet they edify not. So our fantastical spirits at this day have the words of faith in their mouths, but yet they yield no fruit ; but their chief end and purpose is to draw men to their false and perverse opinions." They have a certain and holy calling, — must sustain many and great conflicts, as they must do whose doctrine is pure and sound, that they may constantly abide in their lawful calling, agamst the infinite and continued assaults of the devil, and rage of the world. "Here, what should he do whose calling is uncertain, and doctrine corrupt ?" COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 35 This is, therefore, our comfort, which are in the ministry of the word, " that we have an office which is heavenly and holy, to the \vhich we, being lawfully called, do triumph against all the gates of hell." On the other side, it is an horrible thing when the con- science saith, " This thou hast done without any lawful calling." Here such terror shaketh a man's mind which is not called, that he would wish he had never heard the word which he teacheth :" for by his disobedience he maketh all his works evil, were they never so good, insomuch "that even his greatest works and labours become his greatest sins." We see then how good and necessary this boasting and glori- fying of our ministry is. In times past, when I was but a young divine, methought Paul did unwisely in glorying so oft of his calling in his Epistles ; but I did not understand his purpose ; for I knew not that the ministry of God's word was so weighty a matter. I knew nothing of the doctrine of faith and a true con- science indeed, "for that there was then no certainty taught either in the schools or churches, but all was full of sophistical subtleties of the schoolmen :'' and therefore no man was able to understand the dignity and power of this holy and spiritual boast- ing of the true and lawftil calling, which serveth first to the glory of God, and secondly, to the advancing of our office, and more- over, " to the salvation of ourselves and of the people. For, by this our boasting, we seek not estimation in the world, or praise among men, or money, or pleasures, or favour of the world ; but forasmuch as we be in a divine calling, and in the work of God, and the people have great need to be assured of our calling, that they may know our word to be the word of God, therefore we proudly vaunt and boast of it." It is not then a vain, but a most holy pride against the devil and the world, and humility before God. Terse 1. And by God the Father^ ivhich hath raised him from the dead. Paul is so inflamed here with zeal, that he cannot tarry till he come to the matter itself, but forthwith, in the very title, he bursteth out and uttereth what he hath in his heart. His intent in this Epistle is, to treat of the righteousness that cometh by faith, and to defend the same : again, to beat down the law, and the righteousness that cometh by works. Of such cogitations he is full ; and out of this wonderful and exceeding great abundance of the excellent wisdom and knowledge of Christ in his heart, his 36 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. mouth speaketh. This flame, this great burning fire of his heart, cannot be hid, nor suffer him to hold his tongue ; and therefore he thought it not enough to say, " that he was an Apostle sent by Jesus Christ," but also added, " by God the Father, which hath raised him up from the dead," But it seemeth here that the adding of these words, " And by God the Father," and doctors in the universities, as we, by God's help and assist- ance, have done? These tender martyrs will adventure no peril, but they resort thither where the Gospel hath an harbour already, where they may live without danger in great peace and quietness* So the false Apostles would not endanger themselves to come to Jerusalem, to Caiaphas, or to Rome, to the emperor, or to other places where no man had preached before, as Paul and the other Apostles did ; but they came into Galatia, which was won unto Christ already by the labour and travail of Paul, and into Asia, Corinth, and such other places, where good men were, and pro- fessed the name of Christ, persecuting no man, but suffering all things quietly. There might the enemies of Christ's cros-s hve in great security, and without any persecution. And here we may learn that it is the lot of all godly teachers, that, besides the persecution which they suffer of the wicked and unthankful world, and the great travail which they sustain in planting of churches, they are compelled to suffer that thing which they of long time before had purely taught, to be quickly over- thrown of fentastical spirits, who after^vards reign and rule over them. Tliis grieveth godly ministers more than any persecution of tyrants. Tlierefore, let him not be a minister of the Gospel, who is not content to be thus despised, or is loth to bear this re- proach : or if he be, let him give ov^er his charge to another. We also at this day do find the same thing to be true by experience. We are miserably contemned and vexed outwardly by tyrants, inwardly by those whom we have restored to liberty by the Gospel, and also by false brethren. "But this is our comfort and glory, that, being called of God, we have a promise of everlasting life, and look for that reward which eye hath not seen, nor eav hath heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man." (1 Cor. ii. 9.) " P"'or when the great shepherd Christ shall appear, we shall receive an in- corruptible crown of glory : who here also in this world will not suf- fer us to perish for hunger." (1 Pet. v. 4.) Jerome moveth here a great question, " Why Paul called those churches, which were no churches ? It is (salt h he) because Paul writeth to the Galatians that were perverted and turned back fron» Christ, and fiom grace, unto Moses, and the law." Hereunto I answer, that Paul calleth them the churches of Galatia, by putting: a part for the whole, which is a common thing in the Scriptures- Fox writing in like manner to the Corinthians, "he rejoiceth on COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 39 their behalf, that the grace of God was given them in Christ, namely, that they were made rich through him in all utterance and knowledge." And yet many of them were misled by false apostles, and believed not the resurrection of the dead. Albeit then, that the Galatians were fallen away from the doc- trine of Paul, yet did baptism, the word, and the name of Christ, remain among them. There were also some good men that were not revolted, which had a right opinion of the word and sacra- ments, and used them well. Moreover these things could not be defiled through them that were revolted. For baptism, the Gos- pel, and other things, are not therefore made unholy, because many are polluted and unholy, and have an evil opinion of them : but they abide holy and the same that they were, whether they be among the godly or the ungodly ; by whom they can neither be polluted nor made holy. By our good or evilc onversation, by our good or evil life and manners, they be polluted or made holy in the sight of the heathen, but not before God. Wherefore, wheresoever the substance of the word and sacraments remaineth, there is the holy church, although Antichrist there reign, who (as the Scripture witnesseth) sitteth not in a stable ol fiends, or in a swine-sty, or in a company of infidels, but in the highest and holiest place of all, namely, in the temple of God. Wherefore, although spiritual tyrants reign, yet there must be a temple of Ood, and the same must be preserved under them. Therefore I answer briefly to this question, that the church is universal throughout the whole world, wheresoever the Gospel of God and the sacraments be. The Jews, the Turks, and other vain spirits, are not the church, because they fight against these things and deny them. — Hitherto as touching the title or inscription of this Epistle. Now followeth the salutation or greeting of Paul. Verse 3. Grace he with you^ and peace from God the Father^ and from our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope ye are not ignorant what grace and peace meaneth, see- ing that these terms are common in Paul, and now not obscure or unknown. But forasmuch as we take in hand to expound this Epistle, (which we do, not because it is needful, or for any hardness that is in it, but that our consciences may be comfirmed against heresies yet to come,) let it not be tedious unto you, if we repeat these things again, that elsewhere, and at other times, we teach, preach, sing and set out by writing. For if we neglect the article of justification, we lose it altogether. Therefore most 40 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. necessary it is, chiefly, and above all things, that we teach and repeat this article continually : hke as Moses saith of his law. For it cannot be beaten into our ears enough, or too much. Yea, though we learn it and understand it well, yet is there none that taketh hold of it perfectly, or beheveth it with his heart. So frail a thing is our flesh, and disobedient to the spirit The greeting of the Apostle is strange unto the world, and was never heard of before the preaching of the Gospel. And these two words, grace and peace, comprehend in them whatsoever belongeth to Christianity. Grace releaseth sin, and peace maketh the conscience quiet. The two fiends that torment us, are sin and conscience. But Christ hath vanquished these two mon- sters, and trodden them under foot, both in this world and the world to come. This the world doth not know, and there- fore it can teach no certainty of the overcoming of sin, conscience, and death. Only Christians have this kind of doctrine, and are exercised and armed with it, to get victory against sin, despair, and everlasting death. And it is a kind of doctrine, neither pro- ceeding of free-will, nor invented by the reason or wisdom of man, but given from above. Moreover, these two words, grace and peace, do contain in them the whole sum of Christianity, Grace containeth the remission of sins ; peace, a quiet and joyfid con- science. But peace of conscience can never be had, unless sin be first foigiven. But sin is not forgiven for the fulfilling of the law ; for no man is able to satisfy the law. But the law doth rather show sin, accuse and terrify the conscience^ declare the wrath of God, and drive to desperation. Much less is sin taken away by the works and inventions of men, as wicked worship- pings, strange religions, vows, and pilgrimages. Finally, there is no work that can take away sin ; but sin is rather increased by works. For the justiciaries and merit-mongers, the more they labour and sweat to bring themselves out of sin, the deeper they are plunged therein. For there is no means to take away sin, but grace alone. Therefore Paul, in all the greetings of his Epistle, setteth grace and peace against sin and evil conscience. This thing must be diligently marked. The words are easy. But, in temptation, it is the hardest thing that can be, to be cer- tainly persuaded in our hearts, that, by grace alo?ie, all other means, either in heaven or in earth, set apart, we have remission of sins and peace with God. The world understandeth not this doctrine ; and therefore it neither will nor can abide it, but condemneth it as heretical and COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 41 wicked. It braggeth of free-will, of the light of reason, of the soundness, of the powers and qualities of nature, and of good works, as means whereby it could discern and attain grace and peace ; that is to say, forgiveness of sins and a quiet conscience. But it is impossible that the conscience should be quiet and joy- ful, unless it have peace through grace ; that is to say, through the forgiveness of sins promised in Christ. Many have carefully laboured, by finding out divers and sundry reUgious orders and exercises for this purpose, to attain peace and quietness of con- science, but, by so doing, they have plunged themselves in more and greater miseries : for all such devices are but means to in- crease doubtfulness and despair. Therefore there shall be no rest to my bones or thine, unless we hear the word of grace, and cleave unto it steadfastly and faithfully. Then shall our conscience un- doul)tedly find grace and peace. The Apostle doth fitly distinguish this grace and peace from- <^ all other kind of grace and peace whatsoever. He wisheth to the Galatians grace and peace, not from the emperor, or kings and princes : for these do commonly persecute the godly, and rise up against the Lord, and Christ his anointed (Psalm ii. 1) ; nor from the world (" for in the world," saith Christ, " ye shall have trou- ble"); but from God our Father, (fcc, which is as much as to say, he wished unto them a heavenly peace. So Christ saith, " My peace I leave unto you : my peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth it, do I give it unto you." The peace of the world granteth nothing but the peace of our goods and bodies. So the grace or favour of the world giveth us leave to enjoy our goods, and casteth us not out of our possessions. But in affliction and in the hour of death, the grace and favour of the world cannot help us ; they cannot deliver us from affliction, despair, and death. But when the grace and peace of God are in the heart, then is man strong, so that he can neither be cast down with adversity, nor pufled up with prosperity, but walketh on plainly, and keep- eth the highway. For he taketh heart and courage in the victory of Christ's death ; and the confidence thereof beginneth to reign in his conscience over sin and death ; because, through him, he hath assured forgiveness of his sins ; which after he hath once obtained, his conscience is at rest, and by the word of grace is comforted. So then a man, being comforted and heartened by the grace of God (that is, by forgiveness of sin, and by this peace of conscience), is able vahantly to bear and overcome all troubles, yea, even death itself. This peace of God is not given to the 6 42 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. world, because the world never longeth after it, nor understandeth it, but to them that believe. And this cometh to pass by no other mean, than by the only grace of God. A Rule to be observed, that Men ought to abstain from, the curious Searching of God's Majesty. But why doth the Apostle add moreover in this salutation : " And from our Lord Jesus Christ ?" Was it not enough to say, " And from God our Father?" Why then doth he couple Jesus Christ with the Father ? Ye have oftentimes heard of us, how it is a rule and principle in the scriptures, diligently to be marked, that we must abstain from the curious searching of God's majesty, Avhich is intolerable to man's body, and much more to his mind. " No man," saith the Lord, " shall see me and live." (Exod. xxxiii. 20.) The Pope, the Turks, the Jews, and all such as trust in their own merits, regard not this rule ; and therefore removing the Mediator Christ out of their sight, they speak only of God, and before him only they pray, and do all that they do. As, for example, the monk imagineth thus : " These works which I do please God, God will regard these my vows, and for them will save me." The Turk saith, " If I keep the things that are commanded in the Alcoran, God will accept me, and give me everlasting life." The Jew thinketh thus : " If I keep those things which the law commandeth, I shall find God merciful unto me, and so shall I be saved." So also a sort of fond heads at this day, bragging of the spirit of revelations, of visions, and such other monstrous matters, I wot not what, do walk in wonders above their readies. These new monks have invented a new cross and new works, and they dream that by doing them they please God. To be brief: as many as know not the article of justification, take away Christ the mercy-seat, and will needs com- prehend God in his majesty by the judgment of reason, and pacify him with their own works. But true Christian divinity (as I give you often warning) set- teth not God forth unto us in his majesty, as Moses' and other doctrines do. It commandeth us not to search out the nature of God ; but to know his will set out to us in Christ, whom he would have to take our flesh upon him, to be born and die for our sins, and that this should be preached among all nations. "For see- ing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that beUeve." (1 Cor. i.) Wherefore, when thy conscience standeth COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 43 in the conflict, wrestling against the law, sin, and death, in the presence of God, there is nothing more dangerous than to wander with curious speculations in heaven, and there to search out God in his incomprehensible power, wisdom, and majesty, how he created the world, and how he governeth it. If thou seek thus to comprehend God, and wouldst pacify him without Christ the Mediator, making thy works a means between him and thyself, it cannot be but that thou must fall as Lucifer did, and in horrible despair lose God and all together. For as God is in his own nature unmeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite, so is he to man's nature intolerable. Wherefore, if thou wouldst be in safety, and out of peril of conscience and salvation, bridle this climbing and presumptuous spirit, and so seek God as Paul teacheth thee. (1 Cor. i.) " We," saith he, " preach Christ crucified, a stumbling-block unto the Jews, and foolishness unto the Grecians ; but unto them which are called, both of the Jews and Grecians, we preach Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." Therefore begin thou there where Christ began, namely, in the womb of the Virgin, in the manger, and at his mother's breasts, 5 tigliteousness, holiness, eloquence, power, beauty, and ricTies, are IduI the slavish instruments of the devil ; and vnth all these thou art ■compelled to serve him, and to advance his kingdom. First, with thy wisdom thou darkenest the wisdom and know ledge of Christ, and, by thy wicked doctrine, leadest men out of ihe way, that they cantiot come to the grace and knowledge of Christ. Thou settest out and praisest thy own righteoasness and "holiness ; but the righteousness of Christ, by whidh c^nly we are justified and quickened, thou dost hate and condemn as wicked and devihsh. To be brief, by thy power thou defetroyest the kingdom of Christ, and abusesl the same to root out the Gospel, to persecute and kill the ministers of "Christ, and so many as hear them. Wherefore, if thou be t<^ithout Christ, this thy wisdom is double foolishness, thy righteousness double sin and impiety, "because it knoweth not the wisdom and. righteousness of Christ : jnoreover, it darkeneth, hindereth, blasphemeth, and persecuteth the same. Therefore Paul doth rightly call it the evil or wicked world : for whfen it is a;t thfe best then is it worst In the re- ligious, wise and learned men, the world is at the best ; and yet, in very deed, in them it is double evil. I overpass those gi'oss vices which are against the second table, as disobedience to pa- Irents, to magistrates, adulteries, whoredoms, covetousness, thefts, murders, and maliciousness, wherein the world is altogether drowned, which notwithstanding are hght faults, if ye compare them with the wisdom and righteousness of the wicked, whereby they fight against the first table. This white devil, which forceth men to commit spiritual sins, that they may sell them for righteous- ness, is far more dangerous than the black devil, which only enforceth them to commit fleshly sins, which the world acknowledgeth to be sins. By these words then, " that he might deliver us," (fcc, Paul showeth what is the argument of this Epistle ; to wit, that we liave need of grace and of Christ, and that no other creature, neither man nor angel, can deliver man out of this present evil World. For these works are only belonging to the Divine Ma- jesty, and are not in the power of any, either man or angel : that Christ hath put away sin, and hath delivered us from the tyianny and kingdom of the devil j that is to say, from this wicked world, which is an obedient servant and willing follower of the devil hia god. Whatsoever the murderer and father of lies either doth or speaketh, that the world, as his most loyal and obedient son, diligently followeth and performeth. And, therefore, it is full of 56 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. the igTkorance of God, of hatred^ ^Y^ng, errors, blasphemy, and of the contempt of God ; moreover, of gross sins, as murders, adul- teries, fornications, thefts, robberies, and such-like, because he followeth his father the devil, who is a har and a murderer. And the more wise, righteoits, and holy men that are without Christ, BO much the more hurt they do the Gospel. So we also, that were religious men, were doubly wicked in the papacy, before God did hghten us with the knowledge of his Gospel, and yet notwithstand- ing under the colour of true piety and hoHness. Let these words then of Paul remain, as they are indeed, true and effectual, not coloured and counterfeit, namely, "that this present world is evil." Let it nothing at all move thee, that in a great number of men, there be many excellent virtues, and that there is so great a show of holiness in hypocrites. But mark thou rather what Paul saith r out of whose words thou mayest boldly and freely pronounce this sentence against the world, — that the world, with all his wisdom, power and righteousness, is the kingdom of the devil ; out of the which God alone is aWe to deUver us by his only begotten Son. Therefore let us praise God the Father, and give him hearty thanks for this his unmeasurable mercy, that hath delivered us out of the kingdom of the devil, in the which we were hc^den captives, by his own Son, when it was impossible to be done by our own strength. And let us acknowledge, together with Paul, " that all our works and righteousness'^ (with all which we could not make the devil to stoop one hair's breadth) "are but loss and dung." Also let us cast under our feet, and utterly abhor, ail the power of free-will, all pharisaical wisdom and righ- teousness, all religious orders, all masses, ceremonies, vows, fast- ings, and such-like (Phil. iii. 8), as a most filthy defiled cloth (Isa. Ixiv. 6), and as the most dangerous poison of the devil. Contrariwise, let us extol and magnify the glory of Christ, who hath delivered us by his death, not from this world only, but from this evil world. Paul then by this word evil showeth that the kingdom of the world, or the devil's kingdom, is the kingdom of iniquity, igno- rance, error, sin, death, blasphemy, desperation, and everlasting damnation. On the other side, the kingdom of Christ is the king- dom of equity, light, grace, remission of sins, peace, consolation, saving health, and everlasting Ufe, into the which we are translated (Col. i. 13.) by our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, world without end. So be it. COMMENTARY ON GALATIAN9. 57 Yerse 4. According to the will of God, even our Father. Here Paul so placeth and ordereth every word, that there is not one of them but it fighteth against those false apostles for the article of justification. Christ, saith he, hath delivered us from this wicked kingdom of the devil, and the world. And this hath he done, "according to the will, good pleasure, and command- ment of the Father." Wherefore we be not delivered by our .own will, or cunning, nor by our own wisdom or policy, but for that God hath taken mercy upon us, and hath loved us : like as it is written also in another place, " Herein hath appeared the great love of God towards us, not that we have loved God, but that he hath loved us, and hath sent his only begotten Son to be a reconciliation for our sins. (1 John iv. 10.) That we are then deUvered from this present evil world, it is of mere grace, and no desert of ours. Paul is so plentiful and so vehement in amplifying and extoUing the grace of God, that he sharpeneth and directeth every word against the false apostles. There is also another cause why Paul here maketh mention of the Father's will, which also in many places of St. John's Gospel is declared, where Christ, commending his office, calleth us back to his Father's wiU, that in his words and works we should not so much look upon him as upon the Father. For Christ came into this world, and took man's nature upon him, that he might be made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and so to reconcile us to God the Father ; that he alone might declare unto us how that this was done through the good pleasure of the Father, that we, by fastening our eyes upon Christ, might be drawn and carried straight unto the Father. For we must not think, as before we have warned you, that by the curious searching of the majesty of God, any thing concerning God can be known to our salvation, but by taking hold of Christ, who, according to the will of the Father, hath given him- self to death for our sins. When thou shalt acknowledge this to be the will of God through Christ, then wrath ceaseth, fear and trembling vanisheth away, neither doth God appear any other than merciful, who by his determinate counsel would that his Son should die for us, that we might Uve through him. This knowledge maketh the heart cheerful, so that it steadfastly believeth that God is not angry, but that he so loveth us poor and wretched sinners, that he gave his only begotten Son for us. It is not for nought, therefore, that Paul doth so often repeat 8 58 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. and beat into our minds, that Christ was given for our sins, and that by the good will of the Father. On the contrary part, the curious searching of the majesty of God, and his dreadful judgments, namely, how h§ destroyed the whole world with the flood, how he destroyed Sodom, and such other things, are very dangerous, for they bring men to desperation, and cast them down headlong into utter destruction, as I have shown before. Verse 4. Of God and our Father. This word our must be referred to both, that the meaning may be this, " of our God, and of our Father." Then is Christ's Father, and our Father, all one. So in the twentieth of John, Christ saith to Mary Magdalen, " Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, to my God, and to your Godv" Therefore God is our Father^ and our God, but through Christ. And this is an apostohc manner of speech, and even Paul's own phrase, who indeed speaketh not with such picked and gay words, but yet very fit and to the purpose, and full of burning zeal. Verse 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever. The Hebrews are wont in their writings to intermingle praise and giving of thanks. This custom the Hebrews and the Apostles themselves do observe. Which thing may be very often seen in Paul. For the name of the Lord ought to be had in great reverence, and never to be named without praise and thanksgiving. And thus to do, is a certain kind of worship and service to God. So in worldly matters, when we mention the names of kings or princes, we are wont to do it with some comely gesture, rex^erence, and bowing of the knee : much more ought we, when we speak of God, to bow the knee of our heart, and to name the name of God with thankfulness and great rev* erence. Verse 6. / marvel. You see here how Paul handleth his Galatians, which were feillen away and seduced by the false apostles. He doth not at the first set upon them with vehement and rigorous words, but after a very fatherly sort, not only patiently bearing their fall, but also in a manner excusing the same. Furthermore, he showeth towards them a motherly affection, and speaketh them very fair, and yet in such sort, that he reproveth them notwith- COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS* 59 Standing : howbeit with very fit words, and wisely framed to the purpose. Contrariwise he is very hot and full of indignation against those false apostles their seducers, upon whom he layeth the whole fault ; and therefore forthwith, even in the entrance of his Epistle, he bursteth out into plain thunderings and lightenings against them. " If any man," saith he, " preach any other gospel than that ye have received, let him be accursed." And afterwards in the fifth chapter, he threateneth damnation unto them : " Whoso troubleth you, shall bear his condemnation, whatsoever he be." (Gal. V. 10.) Moreover, he curseth them with horrible words, saying, " Would to God they were cut off which trouble you !" These are dreadful thunderclaps against the righteousness of the flesh or the law. He might have handled the Galatians more uncourteouslyj and have inveighed against them more roughly after this manner: " Out upon this backsliding ! I am ashamed of you, your un- thankfulness grieveth me, I am angry with you : " or else thu3 tragically have cried out against them : " O ungracious world, O wicked dealings ! " (fcc. But forasmuch as his purpose is to raise up them that were fallen, and with a fatherly care to call them back again from their error to the purity of the Gospel, he leaveth those rough and sharp words, especially in the first entrance, and most gently and mildly he speaketh unto them. For, seeing he went about to heal them that were wounded, it was not meet that he should now further vex their green wound, by laying to it a sharp and a fretting plaster, and so rather hurt the wounded than heal them. Therefore, of all the sweetest and mildest words, he could not have chosen any one more fit than this, " I marvel :" whereby he signified both that it grieved him, and also displeased him, that they had fallen away from him. And here Paul is mindful of his own rule, which he giveth hereafter in the sixth chapter, where he saith, "Brethren, if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one with the spirit of meekness, considering thy-* self, lest thou also be tempted." This example must we also follow, that we may show ourselves to bear hke affection towards such as are misled, as parents bear towards their children, that they may perceive our fatherly and motherly affection towards them, and may see that we seek not their destruction, but their welfare. But as for the devil and his ministers, the authors of false doctrines and sects, against them we ought, by the example of the Apostle, to be impatient, proud, sharp, and bitter, detest- 60 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. ing and condemning their false jugglings and deceits with as mucn rigour and severity as may be. So parents, when their child is hurt with the biting of a dog, are wont to pursue the dog only, but the weeping child they bemoan and speak fair unto it, comforting it with the most sweet words. The spirit therefore that is in Paul is wonderful cunning in handhng the afflicted consciences of such as are fallen. Contrari- wise the Pope (because he is led with a wicked spirit) breaketh out violently like a tyrant, and rappeth out his thundercracks and cursings against the miserable and terrified in conscience ; which things may be seen in his bulls, and especially in that bull touching the Lord's Supper. The bishops also do their duty never a whit better. They teach not the Gospel, they are not careful for the saving of men's souls, but only they seek lordship and sovereignty over them, and therefore their speakings and doings are altogether to maintain and support the same. In like manner are all the vain- glorious doctors and teachers effected. Verse 6. That so soon. Ye see how Paul complaineth, that to fall in faith is an easy matter. In respect whereof, he warneth the faithful in another place, "that he which standeth, should take heed that he fall not." (1 Cor. X. 12.) We also do daily prove by experience, how hardly the mind conceiveth and retaineth a sound and stead- fast faith. Also with what great difficulty a perfect people is gotten to the Lord. A man may labour half a score years ere he shall get some little church to be rightly and religiously ordered ; and, when it is so ordered, there creepeth in some mad brain, yea and a very unlearned idiot, which can do nothing else but speak slanderously and spitefully against sincere preachers of the word, and he in one moment overthroweth all. Whom would not this wicked and outrageous dealing move ? ^^//cm We, by the grace of God, haveuoi^otten here at Wittemberg, the form of a Christian church. The word among us is purely taught, the sacraments are rightly used, exhortations and prayers are made also for all estates; and, to be brief, all things go forward prosperously. This most happy course of the Gospel some mad head would soon stop, and, in one moment, would overturn all that we, in many years, with great labour have builded. Even so it befell to Paul, the elect vessel of Christ. He had won the churches of Galatia, with great care and travail, which the false apostles, in a short time after his departure, overthrew, as this COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 61 and divers other of his Epistles do witness. So great is the weak- ness and wretchedness of this present hfe, and we so walk in the midst of Satan's snares, that one fantastical head may destroy and utterly overthrow, in a short space, all that which many true minis- ters, labouring night and day, have builded up many years before. This we learn at this day by experience to our great grief, and yet we cannot remedy this enormity. Seeing then that the church is so soft and so tender a thing, and is so soon overthrown, men must watch cheerfully against these fantastical spirits ; who, when they have heard two sermons, - or have read a few leaves in the Holy Scriptures, by and by they make themselves masters and comptrollers of all learners and \ . teachers, contrary to the authority of all men. Many such also | thou mayest find at this day among handicraftsmen, bold and malapert fellows, who, because they have been tried by no temp- tations, did never learn to fear God, nor had any taste or feeling of grace. These, for that they are void of the Holy Ghost, teach what liketh themselves best, and such things as are plausible and pleasant to the common people. Then the unskilful multitude, longing to hear news, do by and by join themselves unto them. Yea, and many also, which think themselves well seen in the doc- trine of faith, and after a sort have been tried with temptations, are seduced by them. Since that Paul therefore, by his own experience, may teach us, that congregations, which are won by great labour, are easily and soon overthrown, we ought with singular care to watch against the devil ranging every where, lest he come while we sleep, and sow tares among the wheat. For though the shepherds be never so watchful and diligent, yet is the Christian flock in danger of Satan. For Paul, as I said, with singular study and diligence, had planted churches in Galatia, and yet he had scarcely set his foot, as they say, out of the door, but by and by the false apostles over- threw some, whose fall afterward was the cause of great ruin in the churches of Galatia. This so sudden and so great a loss, no doubt, was more bitter unto the Apostle than death itself Therefore let us watch diligently, first, every one for himself, secondly, all teachers, not only for themselves, but also for the whole church, that we enter not into temptation. Verse 6. Ye are removed away. Here once again he useth not a sharp, but a most gentle word. He saith not, I marvel that ye so suddenly faU away, that ye are 62 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. SO disobedient, light, inconstant, unthankful ; but that ye are so soon removed. As if he should say, Ye are altogether patients or sufferers : for ye have done no harm, but ye have suffered and received harm. To the intent therefore, that he might call back again those backsliders, he rather accuseth those that did remove, than those that vt^ere removed, and yet very modestly he blameth them also, when he complaineth that they were removed. As if he would say, Albeit I embrace you with a fatherly affection, and know that ye are deceived, not by your own default, but by the default of the false apostles ; yet notwithstand- ing I would have wished that ye had been grown up a little more in the strength of sound doctrine. Ye took not hold enough upon the word, ye rooted not yourselves deep enough in it, and that is the cause that with so light a blast of wind ye are carried and removed. Jerome thinketh, that Paul meant to interpret this word (Galatians) by alluding to the Hebrew word Galath, which is as much as to say. Fallen or carried away : as though he would say, Ye are right Galatians, both in name and in deed ; that is to say, fallen or removed away. Some think that the Germans are descended of the Galatians. Neither is this dinna- tion perhaps untrue. For the Germans are not much unlike to them in nature. And I myself also am constrained to wish to my countrymen more steadfastness and constancy : for, in all things we do, at the first brunt we be very hot ; but when the heat of our affections is allayed, anon Ave become more slack ; and look, with what rashness we begin things, with the same we give them over, and utterly reject them. At the first, when the light of the Gospel, after so great dark- ness of men's traditions, began to appear, many were zealously turned to godliness : they heard sermons greedily, and had the ministers of God's word in reverence. But now, when religion is happily reformed with so great increase of God's word, many which before seemed to be earnest disciples, are become con- temners and very enemies thereof; who not only cast off the study and zeal of God's word, and despise the ministers thereof, but also hate all good learning, and become plain hogs and belly- gods, worthy, doubtless, to be compared unto the foolish and incon- stant Galatians. Verse 6. From Him that hath called you in the grace of Christ. This place is somewhat doubtful, and therefore it hath a double understanding. The first is, "From that Christ that hath COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 63 called you in grace." The other is, "From him;" that is to say, from God which hath called you in the grace of Christ. I embrace the former. For it liketh me, that even as Paul, a little before made Christ the Redeemer, who by his death delivereth us from this present evil world — also the giver of grace and peace equally with God the Father — so he should make him here also the caller in grace ; for Paul's special purpose is, to beat into \ our minds the benefit of Christ, by whom we come unto the / Father. There is also in these words, "from Him that hath called ua in grace," a great vehemency ; wherein is contained withal a con- trary relation, as if he should say, Alas ! how lightly do you suffer yourselves to be withdrawn and removed from Christ which hath called you ; not as Moses did, to the law, works, sins, wrath, and damnation, but altogether to grace ! So we also complain at thig day with Paul, that the blindness and perverseness of men is horrible, in that none will receive the doctrine of grace and salva- tion. Or if there be any that receive it, yet they quickly slide back again, and fall from it ; whereas, notwithstanding, it bringeth with it all good things, as well ghostly as bodily, namely, forgive- ness of sins, true righteousness, peace of conscience, and ever- lasting life. Moreover, it bringeth light and sound judgment of all kinds of doctrine and trades of life ; it approveth and estabhsh- eth civil government, household government, and all kinds of life that are ordained and appointed of God ; it rooteth up all doctrines of error, sedition, confusion, and such-like ; and it putteth away the fear of sin and death ; and, to be short, it discovereth all the subtle sleights and works of the devil, and openeth the benefits and love of God towards us in Christ. What, with a mischief, means the world, to hate this word, this glad tidings of everlasting comfort, grace, salvation, and eternal Ufe, so bitterly, and to persecute it with such hellish outrage ? Paul before called this present world evil and wicked, that is to say, the devil's kingdom ; for else it would acknowledge the benefit and mercy of God. Forasmuch as it is under the power of the devil, therefore doth it most spitefully hate and persecute the same, loving darkness, errors, and the kingdom of the devil, more than the light, the truth, and the kingdom of Christ. (John iii. 19.) And this it doth not through ignorance or error, but through the maUce of the devil; which thing hereby may suffi- ciently appear, in that Christ the Son of God, by giving himself to death for the sins of all men, hath thereby gained nothing else 64 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. of this perverse and damnable world, but that for this his inesti- mable benefit it blasphemeth him, and persecuteth his most health- fiil word, and fain would yet still nail him to the cross if it could ; therefore, not only the world dwelleth in darkness, but it is darkness itself, as it is written in the first of John. Paul therefore standeth much upon these words — "From Christ who hath called you ;" as though he would say, My preaching was not of the hard laws of Moses, neither taught I that ye should be bond-slaves under the yoke : but I preached the only doctrine of grace and freedom from the law, sin, wrath, and damnation, that is to say, that Christ hath mercifully called you in grace, that ye should be freemen under Christ, and not bondmen under Moses, whose disciples ye are now become again by the means of your false apostles, who, by the law of Moses called you not unto grace, but unto wrath, to the hating of God, to sin, and death. But Christ's calling bringeth grace and saving health, for they that be called by him, instead of the law that worketh sorrow, do gain the glad tidings of the Gospel, and are translated out of God's wrath into his favour, out of sin into righ- teousness, and out of death into hfe. And will you suffer yourselves to be carried, yea, and that so soon, and so easily, another way, from such a living fountain, full of grace and life ? Now, if Moses call men to God's wrath, and to sin, by the law of God, whither shall the Pope call men by his own traditions ? The other sense, that the Father calleth in the grace of Christ is also good ; but the former sense concerning Christ serveth more fitly for the comforting of afflicted consciences. Terse 6. Unto another Gospel. Here we may learn to espy the crafty sleights and subtleties of the devil. No heretic coraeth under the title of errors and of the devil, neither doth the devil himself come as a devil in his own likeness, especially that white devil which we spake of before. Yea, even the black devil, which forceth men to manifest wicked- ness, maketh a cloak for them to cover that sin which they com- mit, or purpose to commit. The murderer, in his rage, seeth not that murder is so great and horrible a sin as it is indeed, for that he hath a cloak to cover the same. Whoremongers, thieves, covetous persons, drunkards, and such other, have wherewith to flatter themselves, and cover their sins. So the black devil also Cometh out disguised and counterfeit in all his works and devices. But in spiritual matter, where Satan cometh forth not black, but COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 66 white, in this hkeness of an angel, or of God himself, there he passeth himself with most crafty dissimulation, and wonderful sleights, and is wont to set forth to sale his most deadly poison for the doctrine of grace, for the word of God, for the Gospel of Christ. For this cause, Paul calleth the doctrine of the false apostles Satan's ministers, a Gospel also, saying, " Upon another Gospel ;" but in derision ; as though he would say, Ye Galatians have now other evangelists, and another Gospel : my Gospel is now despised of you : it is now no more in estimation among you. Hereby it may easily be gathered, that these false apostles had condemned the Gospel of Paul among the Galatians, saying, Paul indeed hath begun well, but to have begun it well is not enough, for there remain yet many higher matters ; like as they say in the fifteenth chapter of the Acts, " It is not enough for you to believe in Christ, or to be baptized, but it behoveth also that ye be circumcised ; for except ye be circumcised after the law of Moses, ye cannot be saved." This is as much as to say, Christ is a good workman, which hath indeed begun a building, but he hath not finished it 5 for this must Moses do. So at this day, when the fantastical Anabaptists and others cannot manifestly condemn us, they say. These Lutherans have the spirit of fearfulness, they dare not frankly and freely profess the truth, and go through with it. Indeed, they have laid a foundation, that is to say, they have well taught faith in Christ ; but the beginning, the middle, and the end, must be joined toge- ther. To bring this to pass, God hath not given it unto them, but hath left it unto us. — So these perverse and devilish spirits exiol and magnify their cursed doctrine, calling it the word of God ; and so, under the colour of God's name, they deceive many. For the devil will not be ugly and black in his ministers, but fair and white : and to the end he may appear to be such a one, he setteth forth and decketh all his words and works with the colour of truth, and with the name of God. Hereof is sprung that common proverb among the Germans, " In God's name beginneth all mis- chief !" Wherefore let us learn, that this is a special point of the devil's cunning, that if he cannot hurt by persecuting and destroying, he doth it under a colour of correcting and building up. So now- a-days he persecuteth us with power and sword, that when we are once taken away and despatched, he may not only deface the Gospel, but utterly overthrow it. But hitherto he hath prevailed 9 66 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS, nothing, for he hath slain many who have constantly confessed this our doctrine to be holy and heavenly, through whose blood the chuich is not destroyed, but watered. Forasmuch, therefore, as he could prevail nothing that way, he stirreth up wicked spirits and ungodly teachers, which, at the first, allow our doctrine, and teach the same with a common consent together with us j but aftenvards they say, that it is our vocation to teach the first prin- ciples of Christian doctrine, and that the mysteries of the Scrip- tures are revealed unto them from above, by God himself; and that they are called for this purpose, that they should open them to the world. After this manner doth the devil hinder the course of the Gospel, both on the right hand and on the left, but more on the right hand (as I said before), by building and correcting, than on the left, by persecuting and destroying ; wherefore, it behoveth us to pray without ceasing, to read the Holy Scriptures, to cleave fast unto Christ and his holy word, that we may over- come the devil's subtleties, with the which he assaileth us both on the right hand and on the left. " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against laile, against power, against the worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this woiid, against the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly tilings." Verse 7. Which is not another Gospel, hut that there be some which trouble you. Here again he excuseth the Galatians, and most bitterly re- proveth the false apostles ; as though he would say, Ye Galatians are borne in hand, that the Gospel, which ye have received of me, is not the true and sincere Gospel, and therefore ye think ye do well to receive that new Gospel which the false apostles f^ach, and seemeth to be better than mine. I do not so much charge you with this fault as those disturbers which trouble your con- sciences, and pull you out of my hand. — Here you see again how vehement and hot he is against those deceivers, and with what rough and sharp words he painteth them out, calhng them troublers of the churches, which do nothing else but seduce and deceive innumerable poor consciences, giving occasions of hor- rible mischiefs and calamities in the congregations. This great enormity we also at this day are constrained to see, to the great grief of our hearts, and yet are we no more able to remedy it than Paul was at that time. This place witnesseth, that those false apostles had reported Paul to be an unperfect Apostle, and also a weak and erroneous COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 67 preacher ; therefore he again here calleth them the troublers of the churches, and overthrowers of the Gospel of Christ. Thus they condemn each other. The false apostles condemned Paul, and Paul again the false apostles. The Uke contending and ^con- demning is always in the church ; especially when the doctrine of the Gospel flourisheth ; to wit, that wicked teachers do persecute, condemn, and oppress the godly ; and, on the other side, that the godly do reprove and condemn the ungodly. The Papists and the fantastical spirits do at this day hate us deadly, and condemn our doctrine as wicked and erroneous ; yea, moreover, they lie in wait for our goods and lives : and we again do, with a perfect hatred, detest and condemn their cursed and blasphemous doctrine. In the mean time, the miserable people are at no stay, wavering hither and thither, as uncertain and doubtful to which part thej?' may lean, or whom they may safely follow, for it is not given to every one to judge Christianly of such weighty matters, but the end will show which part teacheth truly, and justly condemn the other. Sure it is that we persecute no man, oppress no man, put no man to death, neither doth our doctrine trouble men's consciences, but delivereth them out of innumerable eiTors and snares of the devil. For the truth hereof we have the testimony of many good men, who give thanks unto God, for that, by our doctrine, they have received certain and sure consolation to their consciences. Wherefore, like as Paul at that time was not to be blamed that the churches were troubled, but the false apostles ; so at this day it is not our fault, but the fault of the Anabaptists and such frantic spirits, that many and great troubles are in the church- Mark here diligently, that every teacher of works, and of the righteousness of the law, is a troubler of the church and of the consciences of men. And who would ever have believed that the Pope, cardinals, bishops, monks, and that whole synagogue of Satan, especially the founders of those religious orders, of which number, nevertheless, God might save some by miracle, were troublers of men's consciences ? Yea, verily, they be yet far worse than were those false apostles ; for the false apostles taught that, besides faith in Christ, the works of the law of God were also necessary to salvation', but the Papists, omitting faith, have taught men's traditions and works not commanded of God but devised by themselves without and against the word of God : and these they have not only made equal with the word of God, but also exalted them far above it. But the more holy the heretics seem TO COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. to be in outward show, so much the more mischief they do ; for if the false apostles had not been endued \\ith notable gifts, with great authority, and a show of holiness, and had not vaunted them- selves to be Christ's ministers, the apostles' disciples, and sincere preachers of the Gospel, they could not so easily have defaced Paul's authority, and led the Galatians out of the way. Now, the cause why he setteth himself so sharply against them, calling them the troublers of the churches, is, for that, besides faith in Christ, they taught that circumcision and the keeping of the law was necessary to salvation. The which thing Paul himself witnesseth in the fifth chapter following ; and Luke, in the fifteenth of the Acts, declareth the same thing in these words : " That certain men coming down from Judea taught the brethren, say- ing. Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved." (Acts xv. 1 .) Wherefore the false apostles most earnestly and obstinately contended that the law ought to be observed, unto whom the stiff-necked Jews forthwith joined themselves, and so afterwards easily persuaded such as were not estabUshed in the faith, that Paul was not a sincere teacher, because he regarded not the law, but preached such a doctrine as did abohsh and overthrow the law. For it seemed unto them a very strange thing that the law of God should utterly l>e taken away, and the Jews, which had always until that time been counted the people of God, to whom also the promises were made, should now be rejected ; yea, it seemed yet a more strange thing unto them, that the Gentiles, being wicked idolaters, should attain to this glory and dignity, to be the people of God without circumcision, and without the works of the law, by grace only and faith in Christ. These things had the false apostles amplified and set forth to the uttermost, that they might bring Paul into more hatred amomg the Galatians. And to the end that they might set them the more sharply against him, they said that he preached unto the Gentiles freedom from the law, to bring into contempt, yea, and utterly to abolish the law of God and the kingdom of the Jews, contrary to the law of God, contrary to the custom of the Jewish nation, contrary to the example of the Apostles, and, to be short, contrary to his own example ; wherefore he was to be shunned as an open blasphemer against God, and a rebel against the whole commonweal of the Jews, saying, that they themselves ought rather to be heard, who, besides that they preached the Gospel rightly, were also the very disciples of the Apostles, with whom Paul was never conversant. By this policy they defamed and COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 69 defaced Paul among the Galatians, so that by this their perverse dealing, of very necessity, Paul was compelled with all his might to set himself against these false apostles, whom he boldly reproveth and condemneth, saying, that they are the troublers of the churches, and overthrowers of Christ's Gospel, as followeth. Verse 7. And intend to pervert the Gospel of Christ. That is to say, they do not only go about to trouble you, but also utterly to abolish and overthrow Christ's Gospel. For these two things the devil practiseth most busily : first, he is not con- tented to trouble and deceive many by his false apostles, but moreover he laboureth by them utterly to overthrow the Gospel, and never resteth till he hath brought it to pass. Yet such per- verters of the Gospel can abide nothing less than to hear that they are the apostles of the devil ; nay, rather they glory above others in the name of Christ, and boast themselves to be the most sin- cere preachers of the Gospel. But because they mingle the law with the Gospel, they must needs be perverters of the Gospel. For either Christ must remain, and the law perish, or the law must remain and Christ perish ^ for Christ and the law can by no means agree and reign togetlier in the conscience. Where the righteousness of the law ruleth, there cannot the righteousness of grace rule ; and again, where the righteousness of grace reigneth, there cannot the righteousness of the law reign ; for one of them must needs give place unto the other. And if thou canst not believe that God will forgive thy sins for Christ's sake, whom he sent into the world to be our high-priest ; how then, I pray thee, wilt thou believe that he will forgive the same for the works of the law, which thou couldest never perform ; or for thine own works, which (as thou must be constrained to confess) be such, as it is un- possible for them to countervail the judgment of God 1 Wherefore, the doctrine of grace can by no means stand with the doctrine of the law. The one must simply be refused and abolished, and the other confirmed and established. For as Paul saith here, to mingle the one with the other, is to overthrow the Gospel of Christ. And yet, if it come to debating, the greater part overcometh the better ; for Christ, with his side, is weak, and the Gospel but a foolish preaching ; contrariwise, the king- dom of the world, and the devil, the prince thereof, are strong. Besides that, the wisdom and righteousness of the flesh carry a goodly show ; and by this means, the righteousness of grace and faith is lost, and the other righteousness of the law and works 70 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. advanced and maintained. But this is our comfort, that tlie devil, with all his limbs, cannot do what he would. He may trouble many, but he cannot overthrow Christ's Gospel. The truth may be assailed, but vanquished it cannot be ; for the word of the Lord en- dureth for ever. f It seemeth to be a light matter to mingle the law and the Gospel, faith and works, together : but it doth more mischief than • a man's reason can conceive ; for it doth not only blemish and darken the knowledge of grace, but also it taketh away Christ, ^with all his benefits, and it utterly overthroweth the Gospel, as Paul saith in this place. The cause of this great evil is our flesh, which, being plunged in sins, seeth no way how to get out but by works, and therefore it would live in the righteousness of the law, and rest in the tmst and confidence of her own works. Where- fore, it is utterly ignorant of the doctrine of faith and grace, without the which, notAvithstanding, it is impossible for the con- science to find rest and quietness. It appeareth also by these words of Paul, " And intend to pervert the Gospel of Christ," that the false apostles were exceed ing bold and shameless, which with all their might set themselves against Paul ; wherefore he again, using his spirit of zeal and fer- vency, and being fully persuaded of the certainty of his calling, setteth himself strongly against them, and wonderfully magnifieth his ministry, saying : — Terse 8. But though that we, or an angel from heaven, preach vnto you otherwise than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Here Paul casteth out very flames of fire, and his zeal is so fer- vent, that he beginneth also almost to curse the angels. Althougli, saith he, that we ourselves, even I and my brethren Timothy and Titus, and as many as teach Christ purely with me (I speak not now of those seducers of consciences) ; yea, " or if an angel from heaven preach unto you," &.C., notv\"ithstanding, I would rather that I myself, my brethren, yea, and tne very angels from heaven also, should be holden accursed, than that my Gospel should be overthrown. This is indeed a vehement zeal, that he dare so boldly curse, not only himself and his brethren, but also even an angel fi-om heaven. The Greek word anathema, in Hebrew hcrem, signifieth a thing accursed, execrable, and detestable, which hath nothing, to do, no participation or communion with God. So saith Joshua : COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 71 *' Cursed be the man before the Lord, that raiseth up and buildeth this city Jericho." (Josh. vi. 26.) And in the last of Leviticus it is written, " Nothing separate from the common use, which shall be separate from man, shall be redeemed, but die the death, whether it be man or beast." So God hath appointed Amalek, and certain other cities, accursed by God's own sentence, should be utterly razed and destroyed. This is then the mind of Paul: "' I had rather that myself, and other my brethren, yea, and an angel from heaven, should be accursed, than that we or others should preach ' any other Gospel than that we have preached already." So Paul first curseth himself ; for cunning artificers are wont first to find fault with themselves, that they may the more freely and sharply afterwards reprove others. Paul therefore concludeth, that there is no other Gospel besides that which he himself had preached. But he preached not a Gospel which he had himself devised, but the same which God promised before by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Rom. i.) ; therefore he pronounceth himself and others, yea, even an angel from heaven, to be undoubtedly accursed, if they teach any thing contrary to the former Gospel : for the voice of the Gospel, once sent forth, shall not be called back again till the day of judg- ment. Verse 9. As we said before, so say we now again, if any man preach unto you otherwise than that you have received, let him be accursed. He repeateth the self-same thing, only changing the persons. Before he cursed himself, his brethren, and an angel from heaven ; here, if there be any (saith he) besides us, which preach unto you any other Gospel than that ye have received of us, let them also be accursed. Therefore, he plainly excommunicateth and curseth all teachers in general, himself, his brethren, an angel, and more- over all others whatsoever, namely, all those false teachers his adver- saries. Here appeareth an exceeding great fervency of spirit in the Apostle, that he dare curse all teachers throughout the whole world and in heaven, which pervert his Gospel and teach any other ; for all men must either believe that Gospel that Paul preached, or else they must be accursed and condemned. Would to God this terrible sentence of the Apostle might strike a fear into their hearts that seek to pervert the Gospel of Paul ; of which sort, at this day (the more it is to be lamented), the world is full. This changing of persons is here to be marked. For Paul 72 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. speaketh otherwise in his first cursing, than he doth in the second. In the first he saith, " If we, or an angel fi-om heaven, preach unto you any other Gospel than that we have preached unto you ;" in ' the second, " Than that ye have received." And this he doth of purpose, lest the Galatians should say, We, O Paul, do not pervert the Gospel that thou hast preached unto us ; we understood thee not rightly ; but the teachers that came after thee have declared unto us the true meaning thereof. This (saith he) will I in no case admit. They ought to add nothing, neither to correct it ; but that which ye heard of me is the sii>- cere word of God ; let this only remain. Neither do I desire myself to be another manner of teacher than I was, nor you other disciples. Wherefore, if ye hear any man bringing any other Gospel than that ye have heard of me, or bragging that he will de- liver better things than ye have received of me, let him and his dis- ciples be both accursed. The first two chapters, in a manner, contain nothing else but defences of his doctrine, and confutations of errors ; so that, until he Cometh to the end of the second chapter, he toucheth not the chiefest matter which he handleth in this Epistle, namely, the article of justification. Notwithstanding, this sentence of Paul ought to admonish us, that so many as think the Pope to be the judge of the Scripture, are accursed ; which thing the popish schoolmen have wickedly taught, standing upon this giound : The church hath allowed four Gospels only, therefore there are but four ; for if it had allowed more, there had been more. Now, seeing the church might receive and allow such and so many Gospels as it would, therefore the church is above the Gospel- A goodly argument, forsooth. — I approve the Scripture ; ergo, I am above the Scripture ! John Baptist acknowledgeth and con- fesseth Christ, and pointeth to him with his finger ; therefore he is above Christ ! The church approveth the Christian faith and doctrine ; therefore the church is above them ! For the over- throwing of this their wicked and blasphemous doctrine, thou hast here a plain text hke a thunderbolt, wherein Paul subjecteth both himself and an angel from heaven, and doctors upon earth, and all other teachers and masters whatsoever, under the authority of th^ Scripture; for they ought not to be masters, judges, or arbi- ters, but only witnesses, disciples, and confessors of the church, whether it be the Pope, Luther, Augustine, Paul, or an angel from heaven. Neither ought any doctrine to be taught or heard in the church besides the pure word of God, that is to say, the COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 73 Holy Scripture ; otherwise, accursed be both the teachers and hear- ers, together with their doctrine. Verse 10. For now preach I marCs doctrine, or God's ? These words are spoken with the same vehemency of spirit that the former were ; as if he would say. Ami, Paul, so unknown amongst you, which have preached so openly in your churches'? Are my bitter conflicts, and so many sharp battles against the Jews, yet unknown unto you ? It appeareth (I think) sufficiently unto you by my preaching, and by so many and so great afflic- tions which I have suffered, whether I serve men or God ; for all men see that by this my preaching I have not only stirred up persecution against me in every place, but have also procured the cruel hatred both of mine own nation, and of all other men. I show, therefore, plainly enough, that I seek not by my preaching the favour or praise of men, but to set forth the benefit and glory of God. Neither do we seek the favour of men by our doctrine ; for we teach that all men are wicked by nature, and the children of wrath. We condemn man's free-will, his strength, wisdom, and righteousnesss, and all religion of man's own devising ; and, to be short, we say that there is nothing in us that is able to deserve grace, and the forgiveness of sins : but we preach, that we obtain this grace by the free mercy of God only, for Christ's sake ; for so the heavens show forth the glory of God, and his works, con- demning all men generally with their works. (Eph. ii. 3.) This is not to preach for the favour of men and of the world ; for the world can abide nothing less than to hear his wisdom, righteous- ness, religion, and power, condemned ; and to speak against those mighty and glorious gifts of the world, is not to flatter the world, but rather to procure hatred and indignation of the world (Ps. xix. 1) ; for if we speak against men, or anything else that pertaineth to their glory, it cannot be but that cruel hatred, persecutions, ex- communications, murders, and condemnations, nmst needs follow. If then (saith Paul) they see other matters, why see they not this also, that I teach the things that are of God, and not of men ? that is to say, that I seek no man's favour by my doctrine, but I set oat God's mercy, offered unto us in Christ ; for if I sought the favour of men, I would not condemn their works. Now, foras- much as I condemn men's works, that is to say, because I show God's judgment out of his Avord (whereof I am a minister) against all men, how that they are sinners, unrighteous, wicked, children 10 74 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. of wrath, bond-slaves of the devil, and damned, and that they are not made righteous by works or by circumcision, but by grace only, and faith in Christ ; therefore I procure unto myself the deadly hate of men ; for they can abide nothing less than to hear that they are such ; nay, rather, they would be praised for wise, righteous, and holy. Wherefore, this witnesseth sulliciently that I teach not man's doctrine. After the same nianner Christ speak- eth also in the seventh of John : " The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil'' (John vii. 7) ; and in the third of John, " This is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness more than light, because their works are evil." (John iii. 19.) Now, that I teach the things which are of God, saith the Apostle, hereby it may sufficiently appear, that I preach the only grace, the mercy, the goodness, and the glory of God. More- over, he that speaketh, as Christ saith, those things which his Lord and Master hath commanded him, and glorifieth not him- self, but Him whose messenger he is, bringeth and teacheth the tnie word of God. But I teach those things only which are commanded me from above : neither glorify I myself, but Him that sent me. Besides that, I stir up against myself the wrath and indignation of both the Jews and Gentiles : therefore my doctrine is true, sincere, certain, and of God ; neither can there be any other, much less any better, than this my doctrine is. Wherefore, whatsoever doctrine else teacheth not as mine doth, that all men are sinners, and are justified by faith only in Christ, must needs be false, wicked, blasphemous, accursed, and devil- ish ; and even such also are they which either teach it or re- ceive it. So we with Paul do boldly pronounce all such doctrines to be accuised as agreeth not with ours. For neither do we seek by our preaching the praise of men, nor the favour of princes or bishops, but the favour of God alone, whose only grace and mercy we preach, despising and treading under foot whatsoever is of ourselves. Whosoever he be then which shall teach any other Gospel, or that which is contrary to ours, let us be bold to say, that he is sent of the devil, and hold hun accmsed. Verse 10. Or go I about to please men 7 That is, do I serve men or God ? He hath always a glance at the false apostles. These, saith he, must needs seek to please and to flatter men : for by this means they seek that they again COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 76 may glory in their flesh. Moreover, because they will not bear the hatred and persecution of men, they teach circumcision, only to avoid the persecution of the cross, as foUoweth in the fifth chapter. So at this day ye may find many which seek to please men ; and to the end they may live in peace and security of the flesh, they teach the things which are of men, that is to say, wicked things, or else they allow the blasphemies and wicked judgments of the adversaries, contrary to the word of God, against their own conscience, that they may keep still the favour of princes and bishops, and enjoy their goods. But we, because we endea- vour to please God and not men, do stir up against us the malice of the devil, and hell itself: we suffer the reproaches and slanders of the world, death, and all the mischiefs that can be devised against us. So saith Paul here, "I seek not to please men," that they may praise my doctrine, and report me to be an excellent teacher, but I desire only that my doctrine may please God ; and by this means I make men my mortal enemies : which thing I find by experience to be most true; for they requite me with infamy, slander, imprisonment, and the sword. Contrariwise, the false apostles teach the things that are of men, that is to say, such things as be pleasant and plausible to man's reason, and that to the end they may live in ease, and purchase the favour, good-will, and praise of the people. And such men find that they seek for ; for they are praised and magnified of men. So saith Christ also (Matt, vi.), " that hypocrites do all things to be praised of men." And in the fifth of John he sharply reproveth such : ." How can ye believe," saith he, " which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh of God alone ?" The things which Paul hath hitherto taught, are in a manner examples only. In the mean time, notwithstanding, he is very ear- nest every where in proving his doctrine to be sincere and sound. Therefore he exhorteth the Galatians that they forsake it not for any other doctrine. Verse 10. For if I should yet please men, I were not the servant of God. These things are to be referred to the whole office and ministry of Paul, to show what a contrariety there was between his con- versation before in the Jewish law, and his conversation now under the Gospel : as if he would say, Do ye think that I go 76 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. about still to please men, as I did in times past ? So he speaketh afterwards in the fifth chapter : " If I yet preach circmiicision, why do I suffer persecution ?" As though he would say, Do ye not see and hear of my daily conflicts, great persecutions, and afflictions ? After I was converted and called to the office of apostleship, 1 never taught man's doctrine, neither sought I to please men, but God alone. That is to say, I seek not by my ministry and doctrine the praise and favour of men, but of God. Here again is to be marked, how maliciously and craftily the false apostles went about to bring Paul into hatred among the Galatians. They picked out of his preachings and writings cer- tain contradictions (as our adversaries at this day do out of our books), and by this means they would have convinced him that he had taught contrary things. Wherefore they said that there was no credit to be given unto him ; but that circumcision and the law ought to be kept which thing he himself also by his example had allowed, because he had circumcised Timothy according to law, had purified himself with other four men in the temple at Jerusalem, and had shaven his head at Cenchrea. (Acts xvi. 3 ; xviii. 18.) These things they craftily surmised, that Paul, by the commandment and authority of the Apostles, was constrained to do ; which notwithstanding he had kept as indifferent, bearing with the infirmity of the weak brethren, which yet understood not the Christian liberty, lest they should be offended. To wliose cavillations thus he answereth : How true it is which the false apostles forge against me for the overthrowing of my Gospel, and setting up of the law and circumcision again, the matter itself sufficiently declareth. For if I would preach the law and circumcision, and commend the strength, the power, and the will of man, I sliould not be so odious unto them, but should please them. Verse 11, 12. Now I certify you, brethren, that tJie Gospel which vms preached of tne was not after man. For neither received I it of man, neither was I taught it but by the reve- lation of Jesus Christ. Here is the principal point of this matter ; which containeth a confutation of his adversaries, and a defence of his doctrine, to the end of the second chapter. Upon this he standeth, this he urgeth, and with an oath confirmeth, that he learned not his Gospel of a man, but received it by the revelation of Jesus COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 77 Christ. And in that he sweareth he is constrained so to do, that the Galatians may beUeve him, and also, that they should give no ear to the false apostles, whom he reproveth as liars, because they had said, that he learned and received his Gospel of the Apostles. Where he saith that his Gospel is not after man, he meaneth not that his Gospel is not earthly, for that is manifest of itself; and the false apostles bragged also that their doctrine was not earthly but heavenly: but he meaneth, that he learned not his Gospel by the ministry of men, or received it by any earthly means, as we all learn it, either by the ministry of men, or else receive it by some earthly means, some by hearing, some by reading, and some by writing ; but he received the same only by the revelation of Jesus Christ. If any man hst to make any other distinction, I am not against it. Here the Apostle showeth by the way, that Christ is not only man, but that he is both God and very man, when he saith, that he received not his Gospel by man. Now, Paul received his Gospel in the way as he was going to Damascus, where Christ appeared unto him, and talked with him. Afterwards also he talked with him in the temple at Jeru- salem. But he received his Gospel in the way, as Luke reciteth the story in the ninth of the Acts. " Arise," saith Christ, " and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." He doth not bid him go into the city, that he might learn the Gospel of Ananias ; but Ananias was bid to go and baptize him, to lay his hands upon him, to commit the ministry of the word unto him, and to recommend him unto the church, and not to teach him the Gospel, which he had receive'd afore, as he glorieth in the same place, by the only revelation of Jesus Christ. And this Ananias himself confesseth, saying, " Brother Saul, the Lord which appeared to thee in the way, hath sent me, that thou mightcst receive thy sight." Therefore he received not his doc- trine of Ananias, but being already called, lightened and taught of Christ in the way, he was sent to Ananias, that he might also have the testimony of men that he was called of God to preach the Gospel of Christ. This Paul was constrained to recite, to put away the slander of the false apostles, who laboured to bring him into hatred with the Galatians, saying that Paul was inferior to the rest of the Apostles' scholars, who had received of the Apostles that which they taught and kept; whose conversation also they had seen a 78 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. long time, and that Paul himself had also received the same things of them, although he did now deny it. Why then would they rather obey an inferior, and despise the authority of the Apostles themselves, who were not only the fore-elders and teachers of the Galatians, but also of all the churches throughout the whole world ? This argument, which the same Apostles grounded upon the authority of the Apostles, was strong and mighty, whereby the Galatians were suddenly overthrown, especially in this matter. I would never have believed, had I not been taught by these examples of the churches of Galatia, of the Corinthians, and others, that they which had received the word of God in the be- ginning \Aath such joy, among whom were many notable men, could so quickly be overthrown. O good Lord, what horrible and infinite mischiefs may one only argument easily bring ! which so pierceth a man's conscience, when God withdraweth his grace, that in one moment he loseth altogether. By this subtlety then the false apostles did easily deceive the Galatians, being not fully established and grounded, but as yet weak in the faith. Moreover, the matter of justification i^ brittle : not of itself, for of itself it is most sure and certain, but in respect of us. Wliereof I myself have good experience. For I know in what hours of darkness I sometimes wrestle. I know how often I sud- denly lose the beams of the Gospel and grace, as being shadowed from me with thick and dark clouds. Briefly, I know in what a slippery place even such also do stand, as are well exercised and seem to have sure footing in matters of faith. We have good experience of this matter : for we are able to teach it unto ethers, and this is a sure token that we understand it. But when in the very conflict we should use the Gospel, which is the word of grace, consolation, and life, there doth the law, the word of wrath, heaviness, and death, prevent the Gospel, and beginneth to rage, and the terrors which it raiseth up in the conscience are no less than was that horrible show in the mount Sinai. So that even one place of the Scripture containing some threatening of the law (Exod. xix. 18) ovenvhelmeth and drowneth all consola- tions Ijesides, and so shaketh all our inward powers, that it maketh us to forget justification, grace, Christ, the Gospel, and all to- gether. Therefore, in respect of us, it is a very brittle matter, because we are brittle. Again, we have against us even the one half of COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 79 ourselves : that is to say, reason, and all the powers thereof. Be- sides all this, the flesh resisteth the spirit, which cannot believe assuredly that the promises of God are true. It fighteth there- fore against the spirit, and, as Paul saith, " it holdeth the spirit captive " (Gal. v. 17, Rom. vii. 23) ; so that it cannot believe so steadfastly as it would. Wherefore, to teach continually, that the knowledge of Christ, and of faith, is no work of man, but simply the gift of God, who, as he createth faith, so doth he keep it in us. And even as he first giveth faith unto us through the word, so afterwards he exerciseth, increaseth, strengtheneth, and maketh perfect the same in us by the word. Therefore the great- est service that a man can do unto God, and the very sabbath of sabbaths, is, to exercise himself in true godliness, diligently to hear and to read the word. Contrariwise, there is nothins: more dangerous than to be weary of the word. He therefore that is so cold, that he thinketh himself to know enough, and beginneth by little and Uttle to loathe the word, that man hath lost Christ and the Gospel, and that which he " thinketh himself to know," he attaineth only by bare speculation : and he is hke unto a man, as St. James saith, " who beholdeth his face in a glass, goeth his way, and by and by forgetteth what his countenance was." (James i. 23, 24.) Wherefore let every faithful man labour and strive with all dili- gence to learn and to keep this doctrine ; and to that end, let him use humble and hearty prayer, with continual study and medita- tion of the word. — And when we have done never so much, yet shall we have enough to keep us occupied. For we have to do with no small enemies, but strong and mighty, and such as are in con- tinual war against us, namely, our own flesh, all the dangers of the world, the law, sin, death, the wrath and judgment of God, and the devil himself, who never ceaseth to tempt us inwardly by his fiery darts, and outwardly by his false apostles, to the end that he may overthrow, if not all, yet the most part of us. This argument therefore of the false apostles had a goodly show and seemed to be very strong. Which also at this day prevailetli with many, namely, that the Apostles, the holy fathers, and their successors, have so taught ; that the church so thinketh and be- lieveth : moreover, that it is impossible that Christ should suffer his church so long time to err. Art thou alone, say they, wiser than so many holy men? wiser than the whole church? After this manner, the devil being changed into an angel of light, setteth upon us craftily at this day, by certain pestiferous hypocrites, who 80 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. say, We pass not for the Pope, we abhor the hypocrisy of monks, and such-Uke : but we would have the authority of the holy church to remain untouched. The church hath thus believed, and taught, this long time. iSo have all the doctors of the primitive church, holy men, more ancient and better learned than thou. Who art thou, that darest dissent from all these, and bring unto us a contrary doctrine ? When Satan reasoneth thus, conspiring with the flesh and reason, then is thy conscience terrified and utterly despaireth, unless thou constantly return to thyself agaiii, and say. Whether it be Cyprian, Ambrose, Augustine, either St. Peter, Paul, or John, yea, or an angel from heaven, that teacheth otherwise, yet this I know assuredly, that I teach not the things of men, but of God : that is to say, I attribute all things to God ' alone, and nothing to man. When I first took upon me the defence of the Gospel, I re- member that Dr. Staupitius, a worthy man, said thus unto me: " This liketh me well, that this doctrine which thou preachest yieldeth glory, and all things else unto God alone, and nothing unto man : for unto God there cannot be attributed too much glory, goodness, mercy," (fcc. This saying did then greatly com- fort and confirm me. And true it is, that the doctrine of the Gospel taketh from men all glory, wisdom, righteousness, (fcc, and giveth the same to the Creator alone, who made all things of nothing. (Matt. vi. 12.) We may also more safely attribute too much unto God, than unto man : for in this case I may say boldly. Be it so, that the church, Augustine and other doctors, also Peter and ApoUos, yea, even an angel from heaven, teach a contrary doctrine, yet my doctrine is such, that it setteth forth and preacheth the grace and glory of God alone ; and in the matter of salvation, it condemneth the righteousness and wisdom of all men. In this I cannot offend, because I give both to God and man that which properly and truly belongeth unto them both. But thou wilt say. The church is holy, the fatlicrs are holy. It is true : notwithstanding, albeit the churcli be holy, yet it is com- pelled to pray, " Forgive us our trespasses." So, though the lathers be holy, yet are they saved through the forgiveness of sins. Therefore neither am I to be believed, nor the church, nor the fathers, nor the Apostles, no, nor an angel from heaven, if we teach any thing against the word of God ; but let the word of God abide for ever : for else this argument of the false apostles had mightily prevailed against Paul's doctrine. For indeed it ' was a great matter, a great matter I say, to set before the Gala- COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS, 81 tians the whole church, with all the company of the Apostles, against Paul alone, but lately sprung up, and of small authority. This was therefore a strong argiunent, and concluded mightily. For no man saith willingly, that the church erreth ; and yet it is necessary to say that it erreth, if it teach any tiling besides or against God's word. Peter, the chief of the Apostles, taught, both in life and doc- trine, besides God's word ; therefore he erred, and was deceived, Neithei> did Paul dissemble that error, although it seemed to be but a light f»ult, because he saw it would turn to the hurt of the whole church, but "withstood him even to his face, because he walked not after tlie tiTith of the Gospel" (Gal, ii. 11.) There- fore neither is the church, nor Peter, nor tlie Apostles, nor angels from heaven to be heard, unless they bring and teach the pure word of God. This, argurr>ent, even at this day, is not a little prejudical to our cause. For if we may neither believe the Pope, nor the fathers, nor Luther, nor any other, except they teach us the pure word of God, whom shall we then believe ? who, in the mean while, shall certify our consciences, which part teachelh the pure word of God, we, or our adversaries? for they brag that they also have the pure word of God, and teach it. Again, we believe not the Papists, because they teach not tlie word of God, neither can they teach it. Contrariwise, they hate us most bitterly, and persecute us as most pestilent heretics and seducers of the people. What is to be done in this case I Shall it be lawful for every fantastical spirit to teach what himself listeth, seeing the world can neither hear nor abide our doctrine ? For although we glory with Paul, that we teach the pure Gospel of Christ, yet we profit nothing, but are compelled to hear, that this our glorying is not only vain, rash, and arrogant, but also devilish and full of blasphemy. But if we abase ourselves, and give place to the rage of our adversa- ries, then both the Papists and Anabaptists wax proud. The Anabaptists will vaunt that they bring and teach some strange thing which the world never heard of before. The papists will set up again and establish their old abominations. Let every man therefore' take heed, that he be most sure of his calling and doctrine, that he may boldly say with Paul, " Although we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you otherwise than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Gal, i. 8.) 11 82 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. Verse 13. For ye have heard of my conversation in times pasff in the Jewish religion^ how that I persecuted the church of God extremely, and toasted it ; and profited in the Jewish religion, above many of my companions of mine own nation. This place hath in it no singular doctrine. Notwithstanding-, Paul allegeth here his own example, saying, I have defended the traditions of the Pharisees, and the Jewi&h religion, more constantly than ye, and all your false teachers. Wherefore, if the righteous- ness of the law had been any thing worth, I had no4 turned back from it ; in the keeping whereof, notwithstanding, before I knew Christ, I did so exercise myself, and so profit therein, that I excelled many of my companions of mine own nation. Moreover, I was so zealous in defence of the same, that I persecuted the church of God extremely, and wasted it. For having received authority of the high priests, I put many in prison (Acts xxvi. 1 0) ; and when they should be put to death, I pronounced the sentence, and pun- ished them throughout all the synagogues. I compelled them to blaspheme, and was so exceeding mad upon them, that I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Verse 14. And was much more zealous of the traditions of my fathers. He calleth not here the traditions of the fathers, pharisaical or human traditions: for in this place he treateth not of the phari- saical traditions, but of a far higher matter, and therefore he calleth even that holy of Moses, the fatliers' traditions ; that is to say, received and left as an inheritance from the fathers. For these, said he, "when I was in the Jewish religion, I was very zealous." He speaketh after the same manner to the Philippians (chap. iii. 6): "As concerning the law," saith he, "I was a Pharisee ; concerning zeal, I persecuted the church ; and as con- cerning the righteousness of the law, I was unrebukable." As though he would say, Here I may glory, and m.ay compare with the whole nation of the Jews, yea, even wnth the best and holiest of all those which are of the circumcision: let them show me, if they can, a more zealous and earnest defender of Moses' law, than I have been. This thing (O ye Galatians) ought have persuaded you not to believe these deceivers, which magnify the righteousness of the law, as a matter of great importance : whereas, if there were any cause to glory in the righteousness of the law, I have more cause to glory than any other. COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 83 In like manner say I of myself, that before I was lightened with the knowledge of the Gospel, I was as zealous for the papis- tical laws and traditions of the fathers, as ever any was, most earnestly maintaining and defending them as holy and necessary to salvation. Moreover, I endeavoured to observe and keep them myself, as much as was possible for me to do ; punishing my poor body with fasting, watching, praying, and other exercises, more than all they which at this day do so bitterly hate and persecute me, because now I take from them the glory of justifying by works and merits. For I was so diligent and superstitious in the observation hereof, that I laid more upon my body, than, without danger of health, it was able to bear. I honoured the Pope of mere conscience, and unfeignedly, not seeking after prebends, promotions, and livings : but whatsoever I did, I did it with a single heart, of a good zeal : and for the glory of God. But those things which then were gainful unto me, now, with Paul, I count to be but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. But our adversaries, as idle bellies, and tried with no temptations, believe not that I and many others have endured such things : I speak of such, as with great desire sought for peace and quietness of conscience, which notwithstanding in so great darkness it was not possible for them to find. Verse 15, 16, 17. But when it had pleased God {which had separated me from my m,oihefs womh, and called me by his grace) to reveal his Son in m,e, that I should preach him amofig' the Gentiles, immediately I communicated not with Jlesh and blood. Neither cam^e I again to Jerusalem, to them, which were Apostles before m,e, but I went unto Arabia, and turned again unto Damascus. This is the first journey of Paul. And here he witnesseth, that straightway after he was called by the grace of God to preach Christ among the Gentiles, he went unto Arabia, without the advice of any man, to that work whereunto he was called. And this place witnesseth by whom he was taught, and by what means he came to the knowledge of the Gospel and to his apostlcship. "When it had pleased God," saith he. As if he would say, I have not deserved it, because I was zealous of the law of God without judgment ; nay rather, this foolish and wicked.-zeal stirred me up, that, God so permitting, I fell headlong into more abo- minable and outrageous sins, I persecuted the church of God, I was an enemy to Christ, I blasphemed his Gospel ; and, to con- 84 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. elude, I was the author of shedding much innocent blood. This was my desert. In the midst of this cruel rage, I was called to 8uch inestunable grace. What? Weis it because of this outra- geous cruelty ? No forsooth. But the abundant grace of God, who calleth, and showeth mercy to whom he will, pardoned and forgave me all those blasphemies : and for these my horrible sins, which then I thought to be perfect righteousness, and an acceptable ser- vice unto God, he gave unto me his grace, the knowledge of his truth, and called me to be an Apostle. We also are come at this day to the knowledge of grace by the self-same merits. I crucified Christ daily in my monkish life, and blasphemed God through my false faith, wherein I then con- tinually lived. Outwardly I was not as other men, extortioners, unjust, whoremongers ; but I kept chastity, poverty, and obe- dience. Moreover, I was freed from the cares of this present life. I was only given to fasting, watching, praying, saying of masses, and such-like. Notwithstanding, in the mean time, I fostered under this cloaked holiness, and trust in mine own righteousness, continual mistrust, doubtfulness, fear, hatred, and blasphemy against God. And this my righteousness was nothing else but a filthy puddle, and the very kingdom of the devil. For Satan loveth such saints, and accounteth them for his dear darlings who destroy their own bodies and souls, and deprive themselves of all the blessings of God's gifts. In the mean time, notwith- standing, wickedness, bhndness, contempt of God, ignorance of the Gospel, profanation of the sacraments, blaspheming, and treading of Christ under foot, and the abuse of all the benefits and gifts of God, do reign in them at the full. To conclude, such saints are the bond-slaves of Satan, and therefore are driven to speak, think, and do whatsoever he will, although outwardly they seem to excel aU others in good Avorks, in holiness, and strict- ness of life. Such we were under llie Popedom : verily no less, if not more, contumelious and blasphemous against Christ and his Gospel than Paul himself, and specially I : for I did so highly esteem the Pope's authority, that to dissent from him, even in the least point, I thought it a sin worthy of everlasting death. And that wicked opinion caused me to think that John Huss was a cursed heretic, yea, and I accounted it an henious offence, but once to think of him ; and I would myself, in defence of the Pope's authority, have ministered fire and sword, for the burning and destroying of that heretic, and thought it an high service unto COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 85 God SO to do. Wherefore if you compa/e publicans and harlots with these holy hypocrites, they are not evil. For they, when, they offend, have remorse of conscience, and do not justify their wicked doings ; but these men are so far from acknowledging their abominations, idolatries, wicked will-worshippings, and cere- monies, to be sins, that they affirm the same to be righteousness, and a most acceptable sacrifice unto God, yea, they adore them as matters of singular holiness, and through them do promise salvation unto others, and also sell them for money, as things available to salvation. This is then our goodly righteousness, this is our high merit, which bringeth unto us the knowledge of gi-ace : to wit, that we have so deadly and so devilishly persecuted, blasphemed, trodden under foot, and condemned God, Christ, the Gospel, faith, the sacraments, all godly men, the true worship of God, and have taught and stablished quite contrary things. And the more holy we were, the more we were blinded, and the more did we worship the devil. There was not one of us, but he was a blood sucker, if not in deedj yet in heart. Verse 15. When it pleased God. As though he would say. It is the alone and inestimable favour of God, that not only he hath spared me, so wicked and so cursed a wretch, such a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a rebel against God, but, besides that, hath also given unto me the knowledge of salvation, his Spirit, Christ his Son, the office of an Apostle, and everlasting life. So God, beholding us guilty in the like sins, hath not only pardoned our impieties and blasphemies of his mere mercy for Christ's sake, but hath also overwhelmed us with great benefits and spiritual gifts. But many of us are not only unthanlcful unto God for this his inestimable grace, and, as it is written, (2 Pet. i.) do forget the cleansing of their old sins, but also opening again a window to the devil, they begin to loathe his word, and many, also do pervert and corrupt it, and so become au- thors of new errors. " The ends of these men are worse than the beginnings." (Matt. xi. 43.) Verse 15. Which had separated me from my mothefs womb. This is an Hebrew phrase. As if he had said. Which had sanctified, ordained and prepared me. That is, God had ap- pointed, when I was yet in my mother's womb, that I should so rage against his church, and that afterwards he would mercifully 86 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. call me back again from the midst of my cruelty and blasphemj, by his mere grace, into the way of truth and salvation. To be short, when I was not yet born, I was an Apostle in the sight of God ; and when the time was come, I was declared an Apostle be- fore the whole w^orld. Thus Paul cutteth off all deserts, and giveth glory to God alone, but to himself all shame and confusion. As though he would say. All the gifts both small and great, as well spiritual as corporal, which God purposed to give unto me, and all the good things which at any time in all my life I should do, God himself had before appointed when I was yet in my mother's womb^ where I could neither wash, think, nor do any good thing. Therefore this gift also came unto me by the mere predestination and free mercy of God before I was yet born. Moreover, after I was bom, he supported me, being loaded with innumerable and most horrible iniquities. And that he might the more manifestly de- clare the unspeakable and inestimable greatness of his mercy towards me, he of his mere grace forgave me my abominable and infinite sins, and moreover replenished me with such plenty of his grace, that I did not only know what things are given unto us in Christ, but preached the same also unto others. Such are the deserts and merits of all men, and especially of those old dotards who exercise themselves wholly in the stinking puddles of man's own righteousness. Verse 15. And called me hy his grace. Mark the dihgence of the Apostle. "He called me," saith he. How ? Was it for my pharisaical religion, or for my blameless and holy life ? for my prayers, fastings, and works 1 No. Much less then for my blasphemies, persecutions, oppressions. How then? By his mere grace alone. Verse 16. To reveal his Son in me. You hear in this place, what manner of doctrine is gr\-efi and committed to Paul ; to wit, the doctrine of the Gospel, which is the revelation of the Son of God. This is a doctrine quite con- trary to the law, which revealeth not the Son of God, but it showeth forth sin, it terrifieth the conscience, it revealeth death, the wrath and judgment of God, and hell. The Gospel therefore is such a doctrine as admitted no law ; yea, it must be separate as far from the law as there is distance between heaven and earth. This difference in itself is easy and plain, but unto us it is hard and COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 87 full of difficulty. For it is an easy matter to say, that the Gospel is nothing else but the revealing of the Son of God, or the know- ledge of Jesus Christ, and not the revealing of the law. But in the agony and conflict of conscience, to hold this fast, and to prac- tice it in deed, it is a hard matter, yea, and to them also that be most exercised therein. Now if the Gospel be the revealing of the Son of God, as Paul defineth it in this place, then surely it accuseth not, it feareth not the conscience, it threateneth not death, it bringelh not to despair, as the law doth : but it is a doctrine concerning Christ, which is neither law nor work, but our righteousness, wisdom, sanctifica- tion, and redemption. (1 Cor. i. 30.) Althougli this thing be more clear than the sun-light, yet, notwithstanding, the madness and blindness of the Papists hath been so great, that of the Gos- pel they have made a law of charity, and of Christ a law-maker, giving more strait and heavy commandments than Moses himself. But the Gospel teacheth, that Christ came not to set forth a new law, and to give commandments as touching manners ; but that he came to this end, that he might be made an oblation for the sins of the whole world, and that our sins might be forgiven, and everlasting life given unto us for his sake, and not for the works of the law, or for our own righteousness. Of this inestimable treasure freely bestowed upon us, the Gospel properly preacheth unto us. Wherefore it is a kind of doctrine that is not learned or gotten by any study, diligence, or wisdom of man, nor yet by the law of God, but is revealed by God himself, as Paul saith in this place ; first by the external word ; then by the working of God's Spirit inwardly. The Gospel therefore is a divine word that came down from heaven, and is revealed by the Holy Ghost, who was also sent for the same purpose; yet in such sort not- notwithstanding, that the outward word must go before. For Paul himself had no inward revelation, until he had heard the outward word firom heaven, which was this, ^' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" (Acts ix. 4.) First, therefore, he heard the outward word, then afterwards revelations, the knowledge of the word, faith, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Verse 16. That I should preach him, among- the Gentiles. It pleased God, saith he, "to reveal himself in me." To what purpose? Not only that I myself should believe in the Son of God, but also that I should preach him among the Gentiles. And why not among the Jews-^ Lo! here we see that Paul is 88 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. properly the Apostle of the Gentiles, albeit he preached Christ among the Jews also. Paul comprehendeth here in few words^ as he is wont, his Avhole divinity, which is, to prea-'h among the Gentiles. As if he would say, I will not burden the Gentiles with the law, because I am the Apostle and Evangelist of the Gentiles, and not their law- giver. Thus he directeth all his words against the false apostles. As though he would s-ay, O ye Galatians, ye have not heard the righteousness of the law, or of works, to be taught by me : for this belongeth to Moses, and not to me Paul, being the Apostle of the Gentiles. For my oflEice and ministry is to bring the Gospel unto you, and to show unto you the same revelation which I my- self have had. Therefore ought you to hear no teacher that teach- eth the law : for among the Gentiles the law ought not to be preached, but the Gospel ; not Moses, but the Son of God ; not the righteousness of works, but the righteousness of faith. This is the preaching that properly belongeth to the Gentiles. Verse 16, Immediately I communicated not with flesh and blood. Paul here making mention of flesh and blood, speaketh not of the Apostles. For by and by he addeth, " Neither came I again to Jerusalem, to them which were Apostles before me." But this is Paul's meaning, that after he had once received the reve- lation of the Gospel from Christ, he consulted not with any man in Damascus, much less did he desire any man to teach him the Gospel : again, that he went not to Jemsalem, to Peter and the other Apostles, to learn the Gospel of them, but, that forthwith he preached Jesus Christ in Damascus, where he received baptism of Ananias, and imposition of hands ; for it was neces&xiry for him to have the outward sign and testimony of his calling. I'hc same also writeth Luke, Acts ix. Verse 17. Neither came I to Jerusalem, to them that were Apostles before m,e, but went into Arabia, and turned again nnto Damascus. That is, I went into Arabia before I saw the Apostles, or con- sulted with them, and forthwith I took upon me the office of preaching among the Gentiles; for thereunto I was called, and had also received a revelation from God. He did not then re- ceive his Gospel of any man, or of the Apostles themselves, but was content with his heavenly calling, and with the revelation of Jesus Christ alone. Wherefore this whole place is a confutation of COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. . 89 the false apostles' argument, which they used against Paul, saying that he was but a scholar, and a hearer of the Apostles, who lived after the law : and moveover, that Paul himself also had lived according to the law, and therefore it was necessary that the Gen- tiles themselves should keep the law, and be circumcised. To the end therefore that he might stop the mouths of these cavillers, he rehearseth this long history : Before my conversion, saith he, I learned not my Gospel of the Apostles, nor of any other ot the brethren that believed (for I persecuted extremely, not only this doc- trine, but also the church of God, and wasted it) : neither after my conversion ; for forthwith I preached, not Moses with his law, but Jesus Christ, at Damascus, consulting with no man, neither as yet having seen any of the Apostles. Verse 18, 19. Then after three years I came again to Jerusa- lem^ to visit Peter, and abode loith him fifteen days. And none other of the Apostles saw I, save James, the Lord's brother. Paul granteth that he was with the Apostles, but not with all the Apostles. Howbeit he declareth that he went to Jerusalem to them, not commanded, but of his own accord ; not to learn any thing of them, but to see Peter. The same thing Luke also writeth in the ninth chapter of the Acts, that Barnabas led Paul to the Apostles, and declared to them how that he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he spake unto him ; also that he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. This wit- ness beareth Barnabas of him. All his words are so framed, that they prove his Gospel not to be of man. Indeed he granteth that he had seen Peter, and James the brother of our Lord, but none other of the Apostles besides these two, and that he learned nothing of them. He granteth, therefore, that he was at Jerusalem with the Apostles ; and this did the false apostles only report. He granteth moreover, that he had lived after the manner of the Jews, but yet only among the Jews. And this is it which he saith in the ninth chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians : " When I was free from all men, I made myself servant to all men, that I might win the more. To the Jew I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews ; and I was made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." He granteth, therefore, that he was at Jerusalem with the Apostles, but he denieth that he had learned his Gospel of them. Also he denieth that he was constrained to teach the Gospel as the Apostles had prescribed. 12 90 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. The whole eflect then of this matter lieth in this word, "to see :" " I went," saith he, " to see Peter, and not to learn of him. Therefore neither is Peter my master, nor yet James.'' And as for the other Apostles, he utterly denieth that he saw any of them. But why doth Paul repeat this so often, that he learned not his Gospel of men, nor of the Apostles themselves 7 His pur- pose is this, to persuade the churches of Galatia, which were now led away by the false apostles, and to put them out of all doubt that his Gospel was the true word of God, and for this cause he repeateth it so often. And if he had not prevailed herein, he never could have stopped the mouths of the false apostles. For thus they would have objected against him : We are as good as Paul, we are dis- ciples of the Apostles as well as he ; moreover, he is but one alone, and we are many, therefore we excel him, both in authority and in number also. Here Paul was constrained to glory, to affirm and swear, that he learned not his Gospel from any man, neither received it of the Apostles themselves. For his ministry was here in great danger, and all the churches likewise, which had used him as their chief pastor and teacher. The necessity therefore of his ministry, and of all the churches, required that with an holy pride he should vaunt of his vocation, and of the knowledge of the Gospel re- vealed unto him by Christ, that their consciences might be thoroughly persuaded that his doctrine was the true word of God. Here had Paul a weighty matter in hand ; namely, that all the churches in Galatia might be kept in sound doctrines ; yea, the controversy was indeed as touching life and death everlast- ing. For if the pure word of God be once taken away, there remaineth no consolation, no life, no salvation. The cause, therefore, why he reciteth these things, is to retain the churches in true and sound doctrine. His purpose is therefore to show by this history, that he received his Gospel of no man : again, that he preached for a certain time, namely, the space of three or four years, both in Damascus and Arabia, by revelation from God, befoie he had seen any of the Apostles, even the self-same Gospel that the Apostles had preached. Verse 20. And now the things which I write unto you, behold I witness before God I lie not. Wherefore addeth he an oath? Because he reporteth an his- tory, lift is constrained to swear, to the end that the churches COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. ^1 might believe him, and also that the false apostles should not say, Who knoweth whether Paul speaketh the truth or no ? Here you see that Paul, the elect vessel of God, was in so great con- tempt among his own Galatians, to whom he had preached Christ, that it was necessary for him to swear that he spake the truth. If this happened then to the Apostles, to have so mighty adver- saries, that they durst despise them, and accuse them of lying, what marvel is it if the like at this day happen unto us, which in no respect are worthy to be compared with the Apostles ? He sweareth, therefore, in a matter, as it seemeth, of no weight, that he speaketh the truth, namely, that he tarried not with Peter to learn of him, but only to see him ; but if you weigh the matter diligently, it is very weighty and of great importance, as may appear by that is said before. In like manner we swear after the example of Paul, in this wise : God knoweth that we he not, (fcc. Ver. 21. After that I went into the coasts of Syria and Cilicia. Syria and Cilicia are countries near situate together. This is it that he still goeth about to persuade, that as well before he had seen the Apostles, as after, he was always a teacher of the Gospel, and that he received it by the revelation of Christ, and was never any disciple of the Apostles. Verse 22, 23, 24. For I was unknown hy face unto the churches of Jiidea, which were in Christ. But they heard only some say, He which persecuted in times past, now preacheih the faith, which before he destroyed ; and they glorified God. This he added for the sequel and continuance of the history, that, after he had seen Peter, he went into Syria and Cilicia, and there preached, and so preached, that he won the testimony of all the churches in Judea. As though he would say, I appeal to the testimony of all the churches, yea, even of those which are in Judea ; for the churches do witness, not only in Damascus, Arabia, Syria, and Cilicia, but also Judea, that I have preached the same faith which I once withstood and persecuted. And they glorified God in me ; not because I taught that circumcision and the law of Moses ought to be kept, but for the preaching of faith, and for the edifying of the churches by my ministry in the Gospel. Ye therefore have the testimony not only of the people of Damascus and of Arabia, but also of the whole cathoUc or universal church of Judea. 92 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. CHAPTER 11/ Verse 1. Then fourteen years after I went up to Jerusalem. Paul taught that the Gentiles were justified by faith only, with out the works of the law. This doctrine when he had pubhshed abroad among the Gentiles, he cometh to Antioch, and declareth to the disciples what he had done. Then they which had been trained up in the old customs of the law, rose against Paul with great indignation, for that he preached to the Gentiles liberty fiom the bondage of the law. Whereupon followed great dissen- sion, which afterwards stirred up new troubles. Paul and Bar- nabas stood strongly to the truth, and testified, saying, Where- soever we preached among the Gentiles, "the Holy Ghost came and fell upon those which heard the word : and this was done throughout all the churches of the Gentiles. But we preached not circumcision, neither did we require the keeping of the law, but we preached only faith in Jesus Christ ; and at this preach- ing of faith, God gave to the hearers the Holy Ghost." The Holy Ghost, therefore, doth approve the faith of the Gentiles, without the law and circumcision ; for if the preaching of the Gospel and faith of the Gentiles in Christ had not pleased him, he had not come down in a visible shape upon the uncircum- cised, which heard the word. Seeing then, by the only hearing of faith, he came doAvn upon them, it is certain that the Holy Ghost by this sign hath approved the faith of the Gentiles ; for it doth not appear that this was ever done before at the preaching of the law. Then the Jews and many of the Pharisees, which ;Jid believe, and, notwithstanding, bare yet a great zeal to the law, earnestly striving to maintain the glory thereof, set themselves fiercely against Paul, who affirmed that the Gentiles were justified by faith only, without the works of law, contending tliat the law ought to be kept, and that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised, for otherwise they could not be- saved. And no marvel, for the very name of the law of God is holy and dreadful. The heathen man, which never knew any thing of the law of God, if he hear any man say. This doctrine is the law of God, he is moved therewith ; how then could it be but the Jews must needs be moved, and vehemently contend for the maintenance of the law of God, which even from their infancy they had been nursled and trained up therein ? COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 93 We see at this day how obstinate the Papists be in defending their traditions and doctrines of devils ; wherefore, it was mucli less to be marvelled that the Jews did so vehemently and zeal- ously strive for the maintenance of their law, which they had received from God. Custom is of such force, that whereas nature is of itself inclined to the observation of the law, by long con- tinuance it so confirmeth nature, that now it becometh a double nature; therefore, it was not possible for the Jews which were newly converted to Christ, suddenly to forsake the law, who, though they had received the faith of Christ, thought it necessary notwithstanding to observe the law. And with this their weak- ness God did bear for a time, until the doctrine of the Gospel might be plainly discerned from the law : so he bare with the infirmity of Israel in the time of king Ahab, when the people halted between two religions. He bare also with our weakness whilst we were under the blindness of the Pope, " for he is long- suifering and full of mercy." But we must not abuse this good- ness and patience of the Lord, nor continue still in our weakness and error, since the truth is now revealed by the clear light of the Gospel. Moreover, that they stood against Paul, affirming that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised, had to lay for themselves, first, the law and custom of the country, then the example of the Apostles, and, last of all, the example of Paul himself, who had circumcised Timothy. Wherefore if Paul, in his defence, said that he did not this of necessity, but for Christian love and hberty, lest they which were weak in faith should be offended, which of them would believe him ? Hereunto all the people would answer, Since it is evident that thou hast circumcised Timothy, thou mayest say what thou wilt ; notwithstanding thou hast done it. For this is a matter far passing all man's capacity, and therefore they could not understand it. Moreover, no defence can serve when a man has lost the favour of the people, and is fallen into such deadly hatred and contempt. Paul, therefore, seeing this contention and these clamours daily to increase more and more, and being also warned in a revelation from God, after fourteen years (besides those wherein he had preached in Damascus and Arabia), goeth up again to Jerusalem, to confer his Gospel with the other Apostles : yet not for his own cause, but for the people's sake. Now, this contention, touching the observation of the law, exercised Paul a long time after, and wrought him much trouble, 94 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. but I do not think that this is the contention which Luke speaketh of in the fifteenth of the Acts, which happened, as it appeareth, by and by after the beginning of the Gospel, but this history wliich Paul here mentioneth seenieth to be done long after, when Paul had now almost eighteen years preached the Gospel. Verse 1. With Barnabas, and took with me Titus. He joineth unto himself two witnesses, Barnabas and Titus. Barnabas was Paul's companion in preaching to the Gentiles freedom from the servitude of the law. He was also a witness of all those things which Paul did, and had seen the Holy Ghost given unto the Gentiles, which were uncircumcised and free from Moses's law, by the only preaching of faith in Jesus Christ : and he only stuck to Paul in this point, that it was not necessary that the Gentiles should be burdened with the law, but that it was enough for them to believe in Christ ; wherefore, by his own experience he testifieth with Paul against the Jews that the Gentiles were made the children of God, and saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ, without the law of circumcision. Titus was not only a Christian, but also the chief overseer in Crete, for unto him Paul had committed the charge of governing the churches there (Tit. i.) ; and this Titus was a Gentile. Yerse 2. And I went up by revelation. For unless Paul had been admonished by revelation, he had not gone up to Jerusalem, but because God warned him by a special revelation, and commanded him to go, up therefore he went ; and this he did to bridle, or at least to appease, the Jews that believed, and yet obstinately contended about the keeping of the law, to the end that the truth of the Gospel might the more be advanced nnd confirmed. Verse 2. And I communicated with him, touching the Gospel. You hear, then, at length, after eighteen years he went up to Jeru- salem, and conferred with the Apostles touching his Gospel. Verse 2. Which I preach among the Gentiles. For among the Jews he suffered the law and circumcision for a time, as the other Apostles did : " I am made all things unto all men," saith he (1 Cor. ix.); yet ever holding the true doctrine of the Gospel, which he preferred above the law, circumcision, the Apostles, yea and an angel from heaven. For thus saith he COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 93 unto the Jews : — " Through this Christ is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." And he addeth very plainly, "and from all things, from the which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses, by him every one that believeth is justified." (Acts xiii. 38.) For this cause he teacheth and defendeth the doctrine of the Gospel so diligently every where, and never sufli'ereth it to come in danger. Notwithstanding, he did not suddenly break out at the first, but had regard unto the weak. And because the weak should not be offended, there is no *doubt but he spake to the Jews after this manner : If that unprofitable service of Moses' law which nothing availeth to righteousness, do so highly please you, ye may keep it still for me, so that the Gentiles which are not bound to this law be not charged therewithal. Paul therefore confesseth, that he conferred the Gospel with the Apostles : but saith he, they profited me, or taught me, no- thing : but I rather, for the defence of the liberty of the Gospel, in the presence of the Apostles, did constantly, resist those which would needs force the observation of the law upon the Gentiles, and so did overcome them. Wherefore your false apostles lie, in saying that I circumcised Timothy, that I shaved my head in Cenchrea, and that I went up to Jerusalem at the commandment of the Apos- tles. Nay, rather, I glory, that in going up to Jerusalem by the revelation of God, and not at the commandment of the Apostles, and there conferring my Gospel with them, I brought to pass the contrary, that is to say, obtained that the Apostles did approve me, and not those which were against me. Now, the question whereupon the Apostles conferred together in this assembly was this : Whether the keeping the law was neces- sary to justification, or no ? To this Paul answereth, I have preached unto the Gentiles, according to my Gospel which I received from God, faith in Christ, and not the law ; and at this preaching of faith they received the Holy Ghost and hereof Barnabas shall bear me witness. Wherefore I conclude that the Gentiles ought not to be burdened with the law, nor to be circumcised. Notwithstand- ing, I give no restraint to the Jews herein : who, if they will needs keep the law and be circumcised, I am not against it, so that they do it with freedom of conscience. And thus have I taught and lived among the Jews, " being made a Jew unto the Jews ;" holding ever the truth of the Gospel notwithstanding. Verse 2. But particularly/ with them that were the chief est. That is to say, I did not only confer with the brethren, but with those that were the chiefest among men. 96 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. Verse 2. Lest hy any means I should run, or had run, in vain. Not that Paul doubted that he ran, or had ran, in vain, forasmuch as he had now preached the Gospel eighteen years ; for it followeth incontinent in the text, that he had continued firm and constant all this while, and had prevailed, but for that many did think that Paul had therefore preached the Gospel so many years in vain, because he had set the Gentiles at liberty from the observation of the law. Moreover, this opinion daily more and more increased, that the law was necessary to justification. Wherefore, in going up to Jerusalem by revelation, he meant so to remedy this evil, that by this conference, all men might plainly see his Gospel to be in no point contrary to the doctrine of the other Apostles, to the end that by this means he might stop the mouths of the adversaries w'hich would else have said, that he ran, or had run, in vain. Note here by the way, the virtue of man's own righteousness, or the righteousness of the law, to be such that they which teach it do run and live in vain. Verse 3. But neither yet Titus, which was with one, though he were a Grecian, was compelled to be circumcised. This word (was compelled) sufficiently declareth what the con- ference and conclusion was ; to wit, that the Gentiles should not be constrained to be circumcised, but that circumcision should be permitted to them for a time; not as necessary to righteous- ness, but for a reverence to the fathers ; and for charity's sake towards the weak lest they should be offended, until they were grown up more strong in faith. For it might have seemed a very strange and unseemly thing, upon a sudden to forsake the law and traditions of the fathers, which had been given to this people from God with so great glory. Paul then did not reject circumcision as a damnable thing, neither did he, by w^ord or deed, enforce the Jews to forsake it. For in the seventh chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians he saith, "If any man be called, being circumcised, let him not add uncircumcision." But he rejected circumcision as a thing not necessary to righteousness, seeing the fathers themselves were not justified thereby (Rom. iv. 11) ; but it was unto them as a sign only, or a seal of righteousness, whereby they testified and exercised their faith. Notwithstanding, the believing Jews, which were yet weak, and bare a zeal to the law, hearing that cir- cumcision was not necessary to righteousness, could understand this no otherwise, but that it was altogether unprofitable and COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 97 damnable. And this fond opinion of the weak Jews, the false apostles did increase, to the end that, the hearts of the people being stirred up against Paul by this occasion, they might tho- roughly discredit his doctrine. So we at this day do not reject' fasting, and other good exercises, as damnable things ; but we^ teach, that by these exercises we do not obtain remission of sins. When the people hear this, by and by they judge us to speak against good works. And this opinion the Pa:pists do confirm and increase by their preachings and writings. But they lie, and do us great wrong. For many years past there was never any that taught more sound and godly doctrine, as touching good works, than we do at this day. Paul therefore did not so condemn circumcision, as though it were sin to receive it, or keep it ; for the Jews would have been highly offended : but it was decided in this conference and council, that it was not necessary to justification, and therefore not to be forced upon the Gentiles. So this moderation was found, that for the reverence of the fathers, and charity towards the weak in faith, the Jews should keep the law and circumcision still for a time ; not- withstanding they should not thereby seek to be justified ; and moreover, that the Gentiles should not be burdened therewith, both because it would have been to them a very strange thing, and also a burden intolerable (Acts xv. 10) : briefly, that none shoidd be constrained to be circumcised, or any restrained from circumcision. Paul therefore compelled none that would be circumcised to re- main uncircumcised, so that he knew circumcision not to be neces- sary to justification. This constraint would Paul take away. Therefore he suflTered the Jews to keep the law, so that they did it with a free conscience. For he had ever taught, as well the Jews as the Gentiles, that in conscience they ought to be free from the law and circumcision : like as all the patriarchs, and all the faithful in the Old Testament, were free in conscience, and justified by faiih, and not by the law or circumcision. And, indeed, Paul might have suffered Titus to be circumcised; but because he saw that they would compel him thereunto, he would not. For if they had pre- vailed therein, by and by they would have gathered that it had been necessary to justification, and so, through this sufferance, they would have triumphed against Paul. Now, as the false apostles would not leave circumcision and the observation of the law indifferent, but required the same as necessary to salvation; so at this day our adversaries do obsti- 13 08 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. nately contend, that men's traditions cannot be omitted without peril of salvation ; and thus of an example of charity they make aa example of faith, when notwithstanding- there is but one example of faith, which is to believe in Jesus Christ. And this, as it is alone necessary to salvation, so doth it also indifferently pertain to all men. Notwithstanding, the adversaries would rather worship the devil ten times instead of God, than they would suffer this. Therefore they are daily hardened more and more, and seek to establish their im- pieties and blasphemies against God, defending the same by force and tyranny, and will not agree or consent unto us in any point. But what then ? Let us go on boldly in the name of the Lord of Hosts, and for all this let us not cease to set forth the glory of Jesus Christ ; and let us fight valiantly against the kingdom of Anti- christ, by the word, and by prayer, " that the name of God alone may be sanctified, that his kingdom may come, and that his will may be done." (Matt. vi. 9, 10.) And that this may speedily come to pass, we desire even from the bottom of our hearts, and say, Amen, Amen. This triumph of Paul therefore was very glorious : namely, that Titus, who was a Gentile, although he were in the midst of tlie Apostles, and all the faithful, where this question was so vehe- mently debated, was not yet constrained to be circumcised. This victory Paul carrieth away, and saith, that on this conference it was decided by the consent of all the Apostles, the whole church also approving the same, that Titus should not be circum- cised. This is a strong argument, and maketh very much against the false apostles. And with this argument. Neither was Titus compelled to be circumcised, Paul was able to repress and mightily to convince all his adversaries ; as if he should say, Why do these counterfeit apostles so falsely report of me, saying, that I am com- pelled to keep circumcision by the commandment of the Apostles, seeing I have the witness of all the faithful in Jerusalem, and more- over of all the Apostles themselves, that by my pursuit and travail the contrary was there determined, and that I did not only there pre- vail that Titus should not be circumcised, but that the Apostles dlso did approve and ratify the same ? Your counterfeit apostles there- fore do lie deadly, which slander me under the name of the Apos- tles, and thereby deceive you : for I have the Apostles, and all the faithful, not against me, but with me. And this I prove by the ex- ample of Titus. Notwithstanding, Paul, as I have often said, did not condemn circumcision as an unprofitable thing, nor constrained any man COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 99 tliereunlo. For it is neither sin nor righteousness to be circum- cised or uncircumcised, as it is neither sin nor righteousness to eat or drink, " For whether thou eat or eat not, thou art nei- ther better nor worse." (1 Cor. viii. 8.) But if any man should add thereto either sin or righteousness, and say. If thou eat thou ^nnest, if thou abstain thou art righteous, he should show himself both foolish and wicked. Therefore to join ceremonies with sin or righteousness is great impiety ; as the Pope doth, who in his form of excommunication threateneth to all those that do not obey the law of the bishop of Rome, God's great curse and indignation, and so maketh all his laws necessary to salvation. "Wherefore the devil himself speaketh in the person of the Pope in all the Pope's decrees. For if salvation consisteth in keeping of the Pope's laws, what need have we of Christ to be our Justifier and Saviour ? Verse 4, 5. For all the false brethren that crept in, who came in privily to espy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jeans, that they might bring us into bondage : to whom we gave not place by subjection for an hour, that the truth of the Gospel m,ight coiitinue with you. Here Paul showeth the cause why he went up to Jerusalem, and there conferred his Gospel with the other Apostles, and why he would not circumcise Titus : not that he might be the more certain or confirmed in the Gospel by the Apostles, for he nothing doubted thereof; but that the truth of the Gospel might continue in the churches of the Galatians, and in all the churches of the Gentiles. We see then that the business of Paul was no light matter. Now, where he speaketh of the truth of the Gospel, he showeth that there be two Gospels, a true and a false Gospel. Indeed, the Gospel of itself is simple, true, and sincere ; but, by the malice of Satan's ministry,, it is corrupt and defaced. Therefore, where he saith " the truth of the Gospel," he would have us to under- stand also the contrary. As if he would say. The false apostles do also preach a faith and a gospel, but they are both false ; therefore have I set myself so constantly against them : and in that I would not give place unto them, this have I brought to pass, that the truth of the Gospel continueth with you. So the Pope and Anabaptists do brag at this day that they teach the Gospel and faith in Christ. True it is ; but with such fruit as the false apostles once did, whom Paul calleth before, in the first 100 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. chapter, troublers of the church and subverters of the Gospel of Christ. On the other side, he saith, " that he teachcth the truth of the Gospel." As if he should say. Those things which the false apostles teach, brag they never so much that they teach the truth, are notliing else but stark lies. So all heretics pretend the name of God, of Christ, and of the church. Also they pretend that they will not teach errors or lies, but most certain truth and the pure Gospel of Christ. Now, the truth of the Gospel is, that our righteousness cometh by faith alone, without the works of the law. The corruption or falsehood of the Gospel is, that we are justified by faith, but not without the works of the law. With the hke condition, the false apostles also preached the Gospel. Even so do our Papists at this day. For they say, that we must believe in Christ, and that faith is the foundation of our salvation ; but it justifieth not, except it be furnished with charity. This is not the truth of the Gospel, but falsehood and dissimulation. But the true Gospel indeed is, that works of charity are not the ornament or perfec- tion of faith : but that faith of itself is God's gift, and God's work in our hearts, which therefore justifieth us, because it apprehendeth Christ our Redeemer. Man's reason hath the law for its object, thus thinking with itself. This I have done, this I have not done. But faith being in her own proper ofllce, hath no other object but Jesus Christ the Son of God, delivered to death for the sins of the whole world. It looketh not to charity ; it saith not. What have I done ? what have I offended ? what have I deserved 1 but. What hath Christ done ? what hath he deserved ? Here the truth of the Gospel ans^vereth thee, — He hath redeemed thee from thy sin, from the devil, and from eternal death. Faith therefore acknowledgeth, that in this one person, Jesus Christ, it hath forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He hath turned his eyes away from this object, hath no true faith, but a fantasy and a vain opinion, and turneth his eyes from the promise to the law, which terrifieth and driveth to desperation. Wherefore those things which the popish schoolmen have taught concerning the justifying faith being furnished with charity, are nothing else but mere dreams. For that faith which appre- hendeth Christ the Son of God, and is furnished with him, is the same faith that justifieth, and not the faith which includeth charity. For a true and steadfast faith must lay hold upon nothing else but Christ alone ; and in the affections and terrors of conscience it hath nothing else to lean unto, but this diamond COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 101 Clirist Jesus. Wherefore he that apprehendeth Christ by faith, although he be never so much terrified by the law, and oppressed with the weight of his sins, yet may he be bold to glory that he is righteous. How, or by what means ? Even by that precious pearl Christ Jesus, which he possesseth by faith. This oiu* adver- saries understand not ; and therefore they cast away this precious pearl Christ, and in his place they set charity, which they say is their precious diamond. Now, when they cannot tell what faith is, it is impossible that they should have faith ; much less can they teach it unto others. And as for that which they will seem to have, it is nothing else but natural reason, an opinion, a very dream, and no faith. This T say, to the end ye may perceive and note that by these words, the truth of the Gospel, Paul vehemently reproveth the contrary. For he reprehendeth the false apostles because they had taught a false gospel, requiring circumcision, and the obser- vation of the law, as necessary to salvation. Moreover, they went about by wonderful craft and subtlety to entrap Paul ; for they watched him narrowly, to see whether he would circumcise Titus, or no ; also whether he durst withstand them in the presence of the Apostles^ and for this cause he reprehendeth them bitterly. " They went about," saith he, " to spy out our Uberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage." Wherefore the false apostles armed themselves on every side, that they might convince and confound him before the whole congregation. Besides this, they went about to abuse the au- thority of the Apostles, in whose presence they accused him, say- ing, Paul hath brought Titus, being uncircumcised, into the com- pany of all the faithful- he denieth and condemneth the law in your presence, which are Apostles. If he dare be so bold to attempt this here, and before you, what will not he attempt in your absence among the Gentiles ? Wherefore when he perceived that he was so craftily assailed, lie strongly withstood the false apostles, saying, We did not suffer our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus to come in danger, although the false brethren sought by all means to snare us, and put us to much trouble : but we overcame them even by the judgment of the Apostles themselves, and we would not yield unto them, no, not one hour (for, no doubt, their drift was to have caused Paul to surcease from this liberty for a time) ; since we saw that they required the observation of the law as necessary to salvation. But if they had alleged nothing else but charitable 102 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. bearing with the brethren, no doubt but Paul would have given them place. But it was another thing that they sought : to wit, that they might bring Paul and all that stuck to his doctrine into bondage. Therefore, he would not yield unto them, no, not the space of one moment. In hke manner do we also offer to the Papists all that is to be offered, yea and more than we ought. Only we except the hbert)'^ of conscience which we have in Christ Jesus. For we will not suffer our consciences to be bound to any work, so that, by doing this thing or that, we should be righteous, or leaving the same undone we should be damned. We are contented to eat the same meats that they eat, we will keep their feasts and fasting days, so they will suffer us to do the same with a free conscience, and leave these threatening words, wherewith they have terrified and brought under their subjection the whole world, saying. We command, we charge, we charge cigain, we excommunicate, d, dead, and crucified unto me, and I again am bound, dead, and cnicified unto it. Wherefore even by this death and crucifying, that is to say, by this grace or liberty, I now live. Here, (as before I have said) we must observe Paul's manner of speaking. He saith that we are dead and crucified to the law, whereas in very deed the law itself is dead and crucified unto us. But this manner of speech he useth here of puipose, that it may be the more sweet and comfortable unto us. For the law (which not- withstanding continueth, liveth, and reigneth in the whole world, which also accuseth and condemneth all men) is crucified and dead unto those only which beHeve in Christ : therefore to them alone be- longeth this glory, that they are dead to sin, hell, death, and the devil. COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 169 Verse 29. Yet, now not I. That is to say, not in mine own person, nor in mine own sub- stance. Here he plainly showeth by what means he liveth ; and he teacheth what true Christian righteousness is, namely, that righteousness whereby Christ liveth in us, and not that which is in our person. Therefore when we speak of Christian righteous- ness, we must utterly reject the person. And here Christ and my conscience must become one body, so that nothing remain in my sight but^ Christ crucified and raised from the dead. But if I behold myself only, and set Christ aside, I am gone. For by and by I fall into this cogitation : Christ is in heaven, and thou art on the earth, how shalt thou now come unto him ? ForsootJi I will live holily, and do that which the law requireth ; so shall I enter into life. Here, returning to myself, and considering what I am, and what I ought to be, and what I am bound to do, I lose the sight of Christ, who is my righteousness and life : who, being lost, there is no counsel nor succoiu- now remaining, but certain desperation and destruction must needs follow. And this is a common evil among men. For such is our misery^ that when temptation or death cometh, by and by setting Christ aside, we consider our own life past, and what we have done. Here, except we be raised up again by faith, we must needs perish. Wherefore we must learn in such conflicts and terrors ofN. conscience (forgetting ourselves, and setting the law, our life past, and all our works apart, which drive us to the consideration of ourselves only) to turn our eyes wholly to the brazen serpent, Jesus Christ crucified, and assuredly believe that he is our righ- teousness and life, not fearing the threatenings and terrors of the law, sin, death, and the judgment of God. For Christ, on whom our eyes are fixed, in whom we hve, who also liveth in us, is lord and conqueror of the law, sin, death, and all evils : in whom most certain and sure consolation is set forth unto us, and victory given. Verse 20. Thus I live, yet not I now, but Christ liveth in me. Where he saith, " Thus I live," he speaketh it, as it were, in hia own person. Therefore he by and by correcteth himself, saying, " Yet not I now." That is to say, I live not now in my own person, but Christ liveth in me. Indeed the person liveth, but not in himself, nor for any thing that is in him. But who is that 22 170 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. I, of whom he saith, " Yet not I ?" This I is he which hath the law, and is bound to do the works thereof : who also is a certain person separate from Christ. This person Paul rejecteth. P^or, as he is separate from Christ, he belongeth to death and hell. Therefore he saith, " Now not I, but Christ Uveth in me." He is my form, my furniture, and perfection, adorning and beautify- ing my faith, as the colour, the clear Ught, or the whiteness, do garnish and beautify the wall. Thus are we constrained grossly to set forth this matter. For we cannot spiritually conceive, that Christ is so nearly joined and united unto us, as the colour or white- ness is unto the wall. Christ, therefore, saith he, thus joined and united unto me, and abiding in me, liveth this life in me which now I live ; yea, Christ himself, is this hfe which now I hve. Where- fore Christ and I in this behalf are both one. Now Christ, living in me abolisheth the law, condemneth sin, and destroyeth death : for it cannot be, but at his presence all these must needs vanish away. For Christ is everlasting peace, consola- tion, righteousness, and life : and to these the terror of the law, heaviness of mind, sin, hell, and death, must needs give place. So Christ living and abiding in me, taketh away and swalloweth up all evils which vex and afflict me. This union or conjunction, then, is the cause that I am delivered from the terror of the law and sin, am separate from myself, and translated unto Christ and his king- dom, which is a kingdom of grace, righteousness, peace, joy, life, salvation, and eternal glory. Whilst I thus abide and dwell in him, what evil is there that can hurt me ? In the mean season the old man abideth without, and is subject to the law : but as concerning justification, Christ and I must be entirely conjoined and united together, so that he may live in me and I in him. And this is a wonderful manner of speech. Now because Christ liveth in me, therefore look what grace, righteous- ness, life, peace, and salvation, is in me, it is his, and yet, not- withstanding the same is mine also, by that inseparable union and conjunction which is through faith ; by the which Christ and I are made, as it were, one body in spirit. Forasmuch, then, as Christ liveth in me, it foUoweth, that as I must needs be with him partaker of grace, righteousness, life, and eternal salvation j so the law, sin, and death can have no place in me : yea, the law is crucified and swallowed up of the law, sin of sin, and death of death. Thus Paul goeth about to draw us from the beholding of ourselves, the law, and works, and to plant in us true faith in COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 171 Christ : so that in the matter of justification we should think upon nothing else but grace, separating the same far from the law and works, which in this matter ought to have no place- Paul hath his peculiar phrase or kind of speech, which is not after the manner of men, but divine and heavenly, nor used of the Evangelists or of the rest of the Apostles, saving only of John, who is also wont sometimes so to speak. And if Paul had not first used this phrase, and set forth the same unto us in plain words, the very saints themselves durst not have used it. For it seemeth a very strange and monstrous manner of speaking thus to say : I hve, I live not : I am dead, I am not dead : I am a sinner, I am not a sinner : I have the law, I have not the law. Which phrase is sweet and comfortable to all those that beUeve in Christ. For in that they behold themselves, they have both the law and sin ; but in that they look unto Christ, they are dead to the law, and have no sin. If therefore in the matter of justification thou separate the person of Christ from thy person, then art thou in the law, thou livest in the law, and not in Christ, and so thou art condemned of the law, and dead before God. For thou hast that faith which (as the sophisters dream) is furnished with charity. Thus I speak for example's sake. For there was never any one found that was saved by this faith. And therefore what things so- ever the Popish sophisters have written touching this faith, are no- thing else but vain toys and mere deceits of Satan. But let U9 grant that such there be as have this faith ; yet are they not there- fore justified. For they have but an historical faith concerning Christ, which the devil also and all the wicked have. Faith therefore must be purely taught ; namely, that thou art so entirely and nearly joined unto Christ, that he and thou art made as it were one person : so that thou mayest boldly say, I am now one with Christ, that is to say, Christ's righteousness, victory, and life are mine. And again, Christ may say, I am that sinner, that is, his ^ms and his death are mine, because he is united and joined unto me, and 1 unto him. For by faith we are so joined together, "that we are become one flesh and one bone" (Eph. v. ;) we are the members of the body of Christ, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones : so that this faith doth couple Christ and me more near together, than the husband is coupled to his wife. This faith therefore is not an idle quality, but the excellency thereof is such, that it utterly confoundeth these foolish dreams of the sophisters touching their formed faith and counterfeit 172 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. charity, their merits, works, and worthiness. These things I would gladly set forth more fully, if by any means I could. Hitherto we have declared this to be the first argument of Paul, that either Christ must needs be the minister of sin, or else the law doth not justify. When he had finished this argiunent, he set forth himself for an example, saying, " that he was dead unto that old law, by a certain new law." Now he answereth two objections which might have been made against him. His first answer is against the cavillations of the proud, and the offence of the weak. For when remission of sins is freely preached, then do the malicious by and by slander this preaching, as Rom. iii., " Let us do evil that good may come thereof." For these fellows, as soon as they hear that we are not justified by the law, forthwith do ma- hciously conclude and say, Why then let us reject the law. Again, if grace do there abound, say they, where sin doth abound, let us then abound in sin that we may become righteous, and that grace may the more abound. These are the malicious and proud spirits which spitefully and wittingly slander the Scriptures and sayings of the Holy Ghost, even as they slandered Paul whilst the Apostles hved, to their own confusion and condemnation, as it is said, 2 Pet. iii. Moreover the weak, which are not mahcious, are offended when they hear that the law and good works are not to be done as neces- sary to justification. These must be holpen, and must be instructed how good works do not justify ; how they ought to be done, how not to be done. These ought to be done, not as the cause, but as the fruits of righteousness ; and when we are made righteous, we ought to do them, but not contrariwise, to the end that when we are un- rigliteous, we may be made righteous. The tree maketh the apple, but not the apple the tree. He said before, " I am dead," &c. : here the presumptuous and malicious might soon take occasion to cavil, after this manner : What sayest thou, Paul ? Art thou dead ? How then aost thou speak ? How dost thou write ? The weak also might soon be offended, and say unto him, What art thou, Paul ? Do we not see that thou art living, and dost such things as pertain to this life ? To this he answereth, " I live indeed, and yet now not I, but Christ liveth in me." There is then a double life. The first is mine, which is nat\ual ; the second is the life of another, tliat is to say, the life of Christ in me. As touching my natural life, 1 am dead, and I now live another life, I live not now as Paul, but Paul is dead. Who is it then that liveth ? The Christian. Paul COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 173 therefore as he liveth in himself, is wholly dead through the law : but as he liveth in Christ, or rather as Christ liveth in him, he Hveth by another life: for Christ speaketh in him, liveth in him, and exerciseth all the operations of hfe in him. This Cometh not now of the life of Paul, but of the hfe of the Christian and regenerate person. Therefore, thou malicious spirit, where I say that I am dead, now slander my words no more. And thou that art weak, be not offended, but distinguish and divide this matter rightly. For, as I said, there are two lives : to wit, my natural life, and the life of another. By mine own life I live not : for if I did, the law would have dominion over me, and hold me in captivity. To the end, therefore, that it should not hold me in captivity and bondage, I am dead to it by another law: and this death purchaseth unto me the hfe of another, even the hfe of Christ ; which hfe is not mine by nature, but is given unto me by Christ through faith. Secondly, this objection might have been made against Paul : What say est thou, Paul ? Dost thou not live by thine own life, or in thine own flesh, but in Christ ? We see thy flesh but we see not Christ. Wouldst thou then delude us by thine enchantments, that we should not see thee present in flesh, living as thou didst before, and doing aU things in this corporal hfe as others do ? He answereth ; Ver. 20. And in that I now live in the flesh, I live hy faith in the Son of God. As if he should say. True it is that I live in the flesh ; but this life, whatsoever it is, I esteem as no life ; for in very deed it is no true life, but a shadow of life, under the which another liveth, that is to say, Christ, who is my true life indeed : which life thou seest not, but only hearest, and I feel. " Thou hearest the wind, but knoweth not whence it cometh or whither it goeth." (John iii.) Even so thou seest me speaking, eating, labouring, sleeping, and doing other things, and yet thou seest not my hfe. For this time of life which I now live, I live indeed in the flesh, but not through the flesh, or according to the flesh, but through faith and accord- ing to faith. Paul then denieth not that he liveth in the flesh, because he doth all things that belong to a natural man. He useth also carnal things, as meat, drink, apparel, and such-like, which is to live in the flesh ; but he saith that this is not his hfe : and although he useth these things, yet he hveth not through 174 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. them, as the world liveth through the flesh and after the flesh : so it neither knoweth nor hopeth for only life besides this. Therefore, saith he, " this life which I now live in the flesh," whatsoever it is, " I live in the faith of the Son of God." For this word which I now corporally speak, is the word not of flesh, but of the Holy Ghost, and of Christ. This sight which goeth in, or cometh out at mine eyes, proceedeth not of flesh, that is to say^ it is not governed of the flesh, but of the Holy Ghost. So my hearing cometh not of the flesh, although it be in the flesh, but of the Holy Ghost. A Christian speaketh none other but chaste, sober, and holy things, which pertain unto Christ, to the glory of God, and the profit of his neighbour. These things come not of the flesh, neither are done according to the flesh, and yet are they in the flesh. For I cannot teach, write, pray, or give thanks, but with these instruments of the flesh, which are necessary to the accomplishing of these works : and yet notwith- standing these works proceed not of the flesh, but are given of God from above. In like manner I behold a woman, but with a chaste eye, not lusting after her. This beholding cometh not of the flesh, although it be in the flesh, because the eyes are the carnal instruments of this sight : but the chasteness of this sight cometh from heaven. Thus a Christian useth the world and all creatures, so that there is no difference between him and the infidel. For in their apparel, in their feeding, hearing, seeing, speaking, gestures, countenances, and such other things they are like, to outward appearance they seem to be all one (as Paul speaketh of Christ) ; " In outward appearance he was found," saith he, " as a man ;" Phil. ii. 7; yet, notwithstanding, there is great difference. For I live in the flesh, I grant, but I hve not of myself: but in that I now hve, I live in the faith of the Son of God. This which I now speak, springeth out of another fountain than that which thou heardest of me before. Pavd before his conversion spake with the same voice and tongue wherewith he spake afterwards : but his voice and his tongue were then blasphemous, and there- fore he could speak nothing else but blasphemies and abomina- tions against Christ and his church. After he was converted he had the same flesh, the same voice and tongue which he had before, and nothing was changed : but his voice and his tongue then uttered no blasphemies, but spiritual and heavenly words; to wit, thanksgiving and the praise of God which came of faith COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. 175 and the Holy Ghost. So then I live in the flesh, but not of the flesh or after the flesh, but in the faith of the Son of God. Hereby we may plainly see whence this spiritual hfe cometh: whi€h the natural man can in no wise perceive, for he knoweth not what manner of life this is. He heareth the wind, but whence it cometh, or whither it goeth, he knoweth not. He heareth the voice of the spiritual man, he knoweth his face, his manners, and his gestures ; but he seeth not whence those words, which are not now wicked and blasphemous as before, but holy and godly, or whence those motions and actions do come. For this life is in the heart by faith, where the flesh is killed, and Christ reigneth with his Holy Spirit, who now seeth, heareth, speaketh, worketh, suffereth, and doth all other things in him, although the flesh do re- sist. To conclude : this is not the life of the flesh, although it be in the flesh ; but of Christ the Son of God, whom the Christian posses- seth by faith. Verse 20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me. Here have ye the true manner of justification set before your eyes, and a perfect example of the assurance of faith. He that can with a firm and constant faith say these words with Paul, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me," is happy indeed. And with these words Paul taketh away the whole righteousness of the law and the works, as after- wards we will declare. We must therefore diligently weigh and consider these words: "The Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me." It was not I then that first loved the Son of God, and delivered myself for him ; as the sophisters dream, that they love the Son of God, and deliver themselves for him. For they teach that a man, ex puris tiaturalibus, that is, of his own pure natural strength, is able to do meritorious works before grace, and love God and Christ above all things. These fellows prevent the love of God and Christ ; for they do that is in them, say they, that is, they do not only fulfil the commandments, but also they observe the councils, they do the works of supereroga- tion, and sell their superfluous merits to laymen ; and so, as they dream, they give themselves for Christ, and thereby save both themselves and others, turning the words of Paul, "which loved me," &c., clean contrary, and saying. We have loved Christ, and given ourselves for him. Thus while the wicked, being puffed up with the wisdom of the flesh, imagine that they do what in them lieth, they love God, they deUver themselves for Christ ; what do i 176 COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. they else but abolish the Gospel, deride, deny, and blaspheme Christ, yea, spit upon him and tread him under foot ? They confess in words that he is a justifier and a Saviour : in very deed they take from him the power both to justify and save, and give the saAe to their own will-works, their ceremonies and devotions. This is to hve in their own righteousness and works, and not in the faith of tlie Son of God. Wherefore this is not the true way to attain justification, to do that which in thee lieth : as the Popish sophisters and school-doctors do teach, which affirm, that if a man doth what in him lieth, God will undoubtedly give unto him his grace : but this saying may not be straitly urged, say they ; for if we do those works which may be approved by the judgment of any good man, it is enough ; for then grace shall surely follow, because God, in that he is good and just, must needs give grace as a recompense for such good works. And hereof cometh this verse : — • Ultra posse viri non vult Deus ulla requiri. That is, God will no more require of man, Than of himself perform he can. Indeed this is a good saying if it be used rightly, and in place convenient ; that is, in the government of commonweals or families. As if I, being in the kingdom of reason, do execute the office of a magistrate, or govern a family, doing that in me lieth, I am excused. This kingdom hath its bound and limits ; to the which also these sayings do pertain : to do what in us lieth ; to do as much as we are able. But the Papists apply these sayings to the spiritual kingdom, wherein a man can do nothing else but sin, for he is "sold under sin." (Rom. vii. 14.) But in external things, such I mean as pertain to civil and household government, he is not a servant, but a lord and a ruler. Wherefore they have done wickedly in applying these sentences to the church, which pro- perly pertain to the government of commonweals and families ; for the kingdom of man's reason and the spiritual kingdom must be separate far asunder. Moreover, they say that nature is corrupt, but the qualities of nature nowithstanding are sound and uncorrupt, which also they attribute even unto devils. Upon this ground they reason after this manner : if the natural qualities of man be sound and uncorrupt, then is his understanding and his will sound and uncormpt, and so consequently all other qualities of nature are pure and perfect in him. To know these things it is necessary for you, that ye COMMENTARY ON OALATIANS. 177 may hold the sincerity of the doctrine of faith. Where they say, then, that the natural qualities of man are sound and uncorrupt, and thereof do infer that a man is able of himself to fulfil the law, and to love God with all his heart, applying these qualities to the spiritual kingdcwn, I deny the consequence. And here I make a distinction between the natural and the spiritual qualities (which they confound and mingle together,) and I say that the €piritual qualities are not sound, but corrupt, yea, utterly quenched through sin both in man and devil, so that there is in them no- thing else but corrupt understanding, and a will continually striv- ing against the will of God, which caji think nothing else but that which is altogether against God, Notwithstanding, I grant that 4he natural qualities are uncorrupt. But what qualities are they ? That a man drowned in sin and iniquity, and a bond-slave of