Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 1
Verſ. 1. Vvho hath bevvitched you, that ye should not beleue the truth?
Here hauehave we an other commendation of this goodly righteouſnes of the lawe and of our ſelues, namely,A goodly cō mendation of the righteouſnes of the lavve. that it maketh vsus to deſpiſe the truth: that it bewitcheth vsus in ſuch ſort, that we obey not the truth, but rebell againſt it.
Of the bodily and ſpirituall witchcraft.
Paule calleth the Galathians fooliſh and bewitched, comparing them to children, to whom witchcraft dothe much harme. As though he ſhould ſay: It hapneth to you as it doth to children, whom witches, ſorcerers, & inchaunters are wont to charme by their enchauntments, and by the illuſion of the deuill. Afterwardes in the .5. chapter he reherſeth ſorcerie among the workes of the fleſh, which is a kinde of witchcraft, whereby he plainly teſtifieth that ſuch witchcrafte and ſorcerie there is, and that it may be done. Moreouer,That vvitchcraft and ſorcerie are the vvorkes of the deuill. it can not be denied but that the deuill liueth, yea and raigneth throughout ye whole world. Witchcraft and ſorcerie therfore are the works of ye deuil: wherby he doth not onelyonly hurt men, but alſo, by the permiſſion of God, he ſometimes deſtroyeth them. Furthermore, we are all ſubiect to the Deuill both in body and goodes: and we be ſtraungers in this world, wherof he is the Prince & God. Therfore the bread which we eate, the drinke which we drinke, the garments which we weare, yea the aire & whatſoeuer we liue by in this fleſh, is vnderunder his dominion.
But he doth not onelyonly bewitch men after this groſſe maner,Sathan bevvitcheth men ſpiritually. but alſo after a more ſubtile ſort and much more daungerous: wherein he is a maruelous cunning workeman. And hereof it cometh that Paule applieth the charming and bewitching of the ſenſes to the bewitching of the ſpirite.The blindnes of thoſe that are bevvitched. For by this ſpirituall witchcraft that olde ſerpent bewitcheth not mens ſenſes, but their mindes with falſe & wicked opinions: which opinions they that are ſo bewitched do take to be true and right godly. Briefly ſo great is the malice of this ſorcerer the deuil, & deſire to hurt, that not onelyonly he deceaueth thoſe ſecure and proud ſpirits with his inchauntments, but euen thoſe alſo which are profeſſors of true Chriſtianitie, and well affected in religion: yea, as touching my ſelfe, to ſay the truth,Luthers confl…ctes vvith Satan. he ſometimes aſſaileth me ſo mightely, and oppreſſeth me with ſuch heauie cogitations, yt he vtterly ſhadoweth my Sauiour Chriſt from me, and in a manner taketh him cleane out of my ſight. To be briefe, there is none of vsus al which is not oftentimes bewitched with falſe perſwaſions: that is to ſay, which doth not feare, truſt, or reioyce where he ought not, or doth not ſometimes thinke otherwiſe of God, of Chriſt, of faith, of his vocation, of the Chriſtian ſtate &c. then he ſhould doe.
Let vsus therfore learne to know ye ſubtile ſleights of this Sorcerer, leſt if he finde vsus ſleping in ſecuritie, he deceaue vsus by his enchauntments. True it is, that by his ſorcerie he can doe no hurt to our miniſterie:1. Peter. 5.8. yet is he with vsus in ſpirite. Day and night he raungeth vp and downe, and ſeeketh how he may deuoure eueryevery one of vsus alone, and vnleſſe he finde vsus ſobre and armed with ſpirituall weapons, that is to ſay, with the word of God and faith, he will deuoure vsus.
This is the cauſe yt he oftentimes ſtirreth vp new battails againſt vsus.The profite that commeth to the godly by the tentation of Satan. And in deede it is very profitable for vsus yt he thus aſſaileth vsus, & by his ſubtil traines exerciſeth vsus: For by this meanes he confirmeth our doctrine, he ſtirreth vp & encreaſeth faith in vsus. In deede we hauehave bene many times caſt downe, & yet ſtil are caſt downe in this cōflict, but we periſh not: for Chriſt hath alwayes triumphed and doth triumph thorough vsus. Wherfore we conceaue aſſured hope, yt by Ieſus Chriſt we ſhall obtaine the victorie againſt ye deuil. And this hope bringeth forth in vsus ſure conſolation, ſo yt in the mids of our tentations we take courage & ſay: Behold, Satan hath heretofore tempted vsus, & by his falſe illuſiōs hath prouoked vsus to vnbeleefe, to ye contempt of God, deſpaire &c: yet hath not he preuailed, neither ſhall he preuaile hereafter. He is greater that is in vsus, 1. Iohn. 4.4.then he that is in the vvorld. Chriſt is ſtronger: who hath, & doth ouercome that ſtrong one in vsus, & ſhall ouercome him for euer. Notwithſtanding, the deuill ſometimes ouercometh vsus in the fleſh, that we may hauehave experience of the power of a ſtronger againſt that ſtrong one,2. Cor. 12.9. and may ſay with Paule: When I am weake, then am I ſtrong.
Sathan continually bevvitcheth mē.Let no man thinke then that the Galathians onelyonly were bewitched of the Deuill: but let eueryevery man thinke that he himſelfe might hauehave bene, and yet may be bewitched by him. There is none of vsus ſo ſtronge that he is able to reſiſt him, and ſpecially if he attempt to doe it by his owne ſtrength.Iob. 1.…. Iob vvas an vpright and a iuſte man, fearing God, and there vvas none like vntounto him vponupon the earth. But what power had he againſt the deuill when God withdrewe his hand? Did not this holy man horribly fall? Therfore this enchaunter was not onelyonly mightie in the Galathians: but he goeth about buſily alwaies to deceaue, if not all men,Io. ….44. yet as many as he can with his illuſions and falſe perſwaſions: For he is a liar, and the father of lies. And by this his ſubtill practiſe he hath bewitched (as I hauehave ſaide) theſe frantike ſpirites, reigning in them and making them ſo obſtinate and hard harted, that no Anuil can be ſo hard.