Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 1 – Verse extract 1
Verſe. 1. VVho hath bevvitched you?
Here Paule excuſeth the Galathians, and laieth the faulte vponupon the falſe Apoſtles. As though he ſhould ſay: I ſee that ye are not falne thorough wilfulnes or malice:The falſe Apoſtles bevvitchers of men. but the Deuill hath ſent the enchaunting falſe Apoſtles his children amongeſt you, and they do ſo bewitch you in teaching you that ye are iuſtified by the lawe, that now ye thinke otherwiſe of Chriſt then ye did afore when ye heard the Goſpell preached by me. But we labour both by preaching and writing vntounto you, to vncharme that ſorcery wherwith the falſe Apoſtles hauehave bewitched you, and to ſet at libertie thoſe which are ſnared therwith.
So we alſo at this day doe labour by the word of God againſt thoſe fantaſticall opinions of the Anabaptiſtes, that we may ſet at libertie thoſe that are entangled therewith, and reduce them to the pure doctrine of faith, and there hold them. And this our labour is not altogether in vaine. For we hauehave called backe many whom they had bewitched, and hauehave deliuered them out of their ſnares. Notwithſtanding ſuch there are as will not ſuffer themſelues to be taught, eſpecially the chiefe Sorcerers and authors of this witchery. They wil heare no reaſon, nor admit the ſcripture: yea they abuſe and corrupt the ſcripture, and auoide ſuch places as are alledged againſt them, wt their falſe gloſes and deuiliſh dreames cleane contrary to the ſcripture: which is a manifeſt ſigne that they are bewitched of the deuill. Wherefore they are nothing amended by our admonitions, but are much more hardened and more obſtinate then they were before. And ſurely I could neuer hauehave beleued, but that I hauehave good experience therof at this day, that the power of the deuill is ſo greate, that he is able to make falſhod ſo like to the truth. Moreouer (which is yet much more horrible) when he goeth about to ouerwhelme ſorrowfull conſciences with ouer much heauines, he can ſo cunningly and ſo liuely chaūge himſelfe into the likenes of Chriſt, that it is impoſſible for the poore tempted and afflicted ſoule to perceaue it, wherby many ſimple and ignoraunt perſons are deceaued and driuen downe to deſperation, and ſome alſo deſtroy themſelues. For they are ſo bewitched of the deuil that they beleue this to be a moſt certaine truth, that they are tempted and accuſed, not of the deuill, but of Chriſt himſelfe.
The example of Doctor Kraus.Such a like thing of late happened to that miſerable man Doctor Kraus of Hal, which ſaid: I hauehave denied Chriſt, and therfore he ſtandeth: now before his father and accuſeth me. He being blinded with the illuſion of the deuil, had ſo ſtrongly conceaued in his minde this imagination, that by no exhortation, no conſolation, no promiſes of God he could be brought from it, wherupon he deſpaired and ſo miſerably deſtroied himſelfe.The deuils definition of a falſe Chriſt. This was a meere lie, a bewitching of the deuil, and a fantaſticall definition of a wrong Chriſt whom, the ſcripture knoweth not. For the ſcripture ſetteth forth Chriſt not as a Iudge, a temptour or accuſer: but a reconciler, a mediator, a comforter and a throne of grace.
But the poore man deluded by the deuill, could not then ſee this, and therfore againſt al ſcripture he thinketh this to be an vndoubted truth: Chriſt accuſeth thee before his father: he ſtandeth not for thee, but againſt thee: therfore thou art damned. And this tentation is not of man, but of the deuill, which that enchaunter moſt ſtrongly imprinteth in the heart of the tempted. But vntounto vsus which are lead and taught by an other ſpirite, it is a manifeſt and a curſed lie, and a plaine bewitching of the deuill. But vntounto thoſe that are thus bewitched, it is ſo certaine a truth, that none can be more certaine.
Seing then that the deuill is able to print in our hearts ſo manifeſt a lie,The Godly muſt diligently vvatch. that we woulde ſweare a thouſand times it were an vndoubted truth, we muſt not be proud, but walke in feare and humilitie, calling vponupon the Lord Ieſus, that we be not lead into tentation. Worldly and ſecure men,VVorldly and ſecure men, are ſoone bevvitched. which after they hauehave once or twiſe hearde the Goſpell preached by and by imagine that they hauehave receaued aboundaunce of gods ſpirite, doe fall at length in like manner, becauſe they feare not God nor render thankes vntounto him: but perſwade themſelues that they are able, not onelyonly to hold and to maintaine the doctrine of true religion, but alſo to ſtand againſt the deuill in any aſſault or conflicte, be it neuer were ſo greeuous. Such are meete inſtruments for the Deuill to bewitch, and to throwe downe to deſperation.
On the other ſide, ſay not thou: I am perfite, I can not fall: but humble thy ſelfe, and feare, leſt if thou ſtand to day, to morrow thou be ouerthrowne. I my ſelfe, although I be a Doctor of diuinitie, and hauehave nowe preached Chriſt and fought againſt the Deuill in his falſe teachers a great while, doe finde by experience notwithſtanding what a doe I hauehave to holde faſt and not to loſe Chriſt. For I can not ſhake of Satan as I deſire: neither can I ſo apprehend Chriſt as the ſcriptures ſet him forth: but oftentimes the Deuill ſetteth before mine eyes a falſe Chriſt. But thankes be to God who keepeth vsus in the worde, in faith, and in prayer, that we may walke before him in humilitie and feare, and not preſume of our owne wiſedome, righteouſnes, & ſtrength, but truſt in the power of Chriſt, who is ſtrong when we are weake, and by vsus weake and feeble creatures he alwayes ouercommeth and triumpheth. To whom be glory for euer.
This bewitching and ſorcerie then is nothing elſe but a plaine illuſion of the Deuill,VVitchcraft vvhat it is. printing in the hearte a falſe opinion of Chriſt and againſt Chriſt, and he that is deluded with this opinion is bewitched. They therfore that hauehave this opinion,VVho are bevvitched. that they are iuſtified by the workes of the lawe or traditions of men, are bewitched: for this opinion is againſt faith and againſt Chriſt. Paule vſeth this word bevvitching, in contempt of the falſe Apoſtles, which ſo vehemently vrged the doctrine of the lawe and workes. As if he ſhould ſay: what a deueliſh bewitching is this? For as the ſenſes are peruerted by bodely witchcrafte, ſo are the mindes of men alſo deluded by this ſpirituall with craft.
Verſe. 1. That ye ſhould not obey the truth?
The Galathians at the firſt did gladly heare and obey the truth. Therfore where he ſayth: VVho hath bevvitched you? he ſheweth that they were bewitched by theſe falſe apoſtles, and were fallen away from that truth which they before did obey. But this ſeemeth yet a more bitter and vehement kinde of ſpeech, when he ſayeth that they doe not beleeue the truth. For he ſignifieth by theſe wordes that they are bewitched, and that he would deliuer them from this witcherie, and yet they will not acknowledge nor receaue this benefite. For it is certaine that he did not reduce all from the errour of the falſe Apoſtles vntounto the truth, but that many of them remained yet ſtill bewitched. Therfore he vſeth theſe ſharpe and vehement wordes: VVho hath bevvitched you? As if he would ſay: Ye are ſo deluded and bewitched, that nowe ye can not obey the truth. I feare leſt many of you are vtterly loſt, and ſo falne away, that ye will neuer returne againe to the truthe.
An other goodly commendation of the righteouſnes of the lavve.Here hauehave ye yet an other goodly commendation of the lawe and mans owne righteouſnes, that it ſo bewitcheth men, that they can not obey the truth. Hereof the Apoſtles and the fathers of the primitiue Church did oftentimes make mention.1. Iohn. 5.16. There is a ſinne vntounto death, for vvhichwhich I ſay thou shouldeſt not pray 1. Iohn. 5. And againe: It is impoſſible that they vvhichwhich vvere once lightned, Hebr. 6.4.5.6.and hauehave taſted of the heauenly gift, and vvere made pertakers of the holy ghoſt, and hauehave taſted of the good vvorde of God, and of the povvers of the vvorld to come, if they fall avvay, should be renued againe by repentaunce. &c. Heb. 6. Theſe wordes ſound at the firſt as if ſome Nouatian had ſpoken them.The errour of the Nonations. But the Apoſtles were conſtrained to ſpeake after this maner becauſe of the Heretikes: And yet notwithſtanding they did not hereby denie, but that they which were fallen might returne againe to the fellowſhip of the faithfull. After the ſame manner muſt we alſo ſpeake at this day, becauſe of the authors and maiſters of errours & ſectes, that ſuch ſhall neuer retourne to the truth. Notwithſtanding ſome there are which doe retourne: but ſuch as are not greatly bewitched or ſtrongly deluded.VVho returne not to the truthe. But the captaines and the authors of this ſorcerie doe neuer retourne. For to them we may well attribute this title which Paule here geueth vntounto them, that they can not heare nor abide the truth, but ſtudie rather how they may reſiſt it.
Verſe. 1. To vvhom Ieſus Chriſt before vvas deſcribed in your ſight.
It was bitterly ſpoken where he ſaid before, that they were ſo bewitched that they could not obey the truth: But it is more bitterly ſaid when he addeth that Chriſt was ſo liuely deſcribed before them, that they might handle him with their handes, and yet they would not obey the truth. Thus he conuinceth them euen by their owne experience. As though he would ſay: Ye are ſo bewitched and deluded with the deuilliſh opinions of the falſe apoſtles, that now ye will not obey the truth. And wheras I hauehave with great trauel and diligence ſet forth Chriſt plainly before your eyes, yet doth this profit you nothing at al.
In theſe wordes he hath reſpect to the former arguments, wherby he proued, that to thoſe that will be iuſtified by the lawe, Chriſte is but the miniſter of ſinne: that ſuch doe reiect the grace of God: and that to them Chriſt died in vaine. Which arguments he had before more vehemently proſecuted, and more largely amplified in their preſence: as if a painter had purtred Chriſt Ieſus before their eies. Now being abſent he putteth them in minde of the ſame things, ſaying: To vvhom Ieſus Chriſt vvas deſcribed in your ſight. As if he ſaid: There is no painter that with his colours can ſo liuely ſet out Chriſt vntounto you, as I hauehave painted him out by my preaching: and yet notwithſtā ding ye ſtill remaine moſt miſerably bewitched.