Commentary on Galatians, To the reader 2 – Errata

Commentary on Galatians · To the reader 2 – Errata

TO ALL AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES VVHICHWHICH GRONE FOR SALVATION AND VVRASTLE VNDERUNDER THE croſſe for the kingdome of Chriſt, grace peace and victorie in the Lorde Ieſu our Sauiour.

IN fewe wordes to declare what is to be ſayd for the commendation of this worke, although in fewe wordes all can not be expreſſed that may be ſaid, yet briefly to ſignifie that may ſuffice, this much we thought good to certifie thee, godly reader: that amongeſt many other godly engliſh bookes in theſe our daies printed and tranſlated, thou ſhalt finde but fewe, wherein either thy time ſhall ſeeme better beſtowed, or thy labour better recompenſed to the profite of thy ſoule, or wherein thou mayeſt ſee the ſpirite and veine of S. Paule more liuely repreſented to thee, then in the diligent reading of this preſent commentary vponupon the epiſtle of S. Paule to the Galathians. In which, as in a myrrour or glaſſe, or rather as S. Stephen in the heauens being opened, thou mayſt ſee and behold the admirable glory of the Lord and all the riches of heauen, thy ſaluation freely and onelyonly by faith in Chriſte, his louelove and grace toward thee ſo opened, thy victory and conqueſt in him ſo proued, the wrath of God ſo pacified, his lawe ſatiſfied, the full kingdome of life ſet open, death, hell and hell gates, be they neuer ſo ſtronge, with all the power of ſinne, fleſh and the world vanquiſhed, thy conſcience diſcharged, all feares and terrours remoued, thy ſpirituall man ſo refreſhed and ſet at libertie, that either thy heart muſt be heuier then lead, or the reading hereof will lift thee vppe aboue thy ſelfe, and giuegive thee to knowe that of Chriſte Ieſu, that thy ſelfe ſhalt ſay thou neuer kneweſt before, though before thou kneweſt him right well.

Such ſpiritual comfort, ſuch heauenly doctrine, ſuch experience and practiſe of conſcience herein is contained, ſuch triumphing ouer Sathan and al his power infernall, ſuch contempt of the lawe compared with the Goſpell, ſuch an holy pride and exaltation of the beleuinge man (whom here he maketh a perſon diuine, the Sonne of God, the heire of the whole earth, conquerour of the world, of ſinne of death and the deuill) with ſuch phraſes and speeches of high cōtemplation, of Chriſt, of grace, of iuſtificatiō and of faith (which faith, ſaith he, tranſfigureth a man into Chriſt, and coupleth him more nere vntounto Chriſt then the huſband is coupled to his wife, and maketh a man more then a man), with ſuch other mighty voices, full of spirituall glory and maieſtie, as the like hath not bene vſed lightly of any writer ſince the Apoſtles time, neither durſt he euer hauehave vſed the ſame him ſelfe, had not greate experience and exerciſe of conſcience by inward conflictes and profound agonies framed him thereunto, and miniſtred to him both this knowledge of ſpirite and boldenes of ſpeech.

And this commonly is the working and proceeding of Godes vocation, euer to worke thinges by the contrary: of infidelitie to make faith, of pouertie to make riches, in miſery to ſhew mercye, to turne ſorrowe to ſolace, mourning to mirth, from afflictions to aduaunce to glory, from hell to bring to heauen from death to life, from darkenes to light, from thraldome to libertie,Samuul. 1. Eſay. 41. 1. Cor. 1.Isa 411 Cor 1 in wildernes to geue waters, the barren to make frutefull, of thinges that be not to make thinges to be, briefely to make all thinges of nought. Thus began God firſt to worke, thus he proceeded, thus he continueth, and ſo will to the worldes ende. The firſte ſeede of promiſe next to Eue, was geuen to Sara: yet in what caſe was Eue before ſhe had the promiſe? And in vvhat barrennes and deſpaire vvas Sara before ſhe enioyed her welbeloued Iſaac? The like is to be ſaid of the two mothers of two moſt excellent children Samuel & Iohn Baptiſte, and yet what griefes & ſorrowes paſt ouer their heartes, being both paſt all hope in nature, before the goodnes of God did worke? Howe longe did Iacob the Patriarke ſerue in miſerable thraldome for his Rachel? In what excellent glorye was Ioſeph exalted? yet what ſuffered he before of his brethren, and how longe impriſonment? In what and howe longe ſeruitude were the ſonnes of Iſraell before Moſes was ſent vntounto them? and afterward in what diſtreſſe were they cō paſſed on eueryevery ſide whē the ſea was forced to geue them place? After that againe, what an excellent land was promiſed and geuen vntounto them, floweing with milke and hony? but how were they ſcourged before in the deſert, and yet neither had they the lande, but their children? To ouerpaſſe many thinges here by the way, what an excellent worke was it of God to ſet vppe Dauid in his kingedome? Alſo what excellent promiſes were geuen to his throne? Yet how hardly eſcaped he with life? howe did the Lord mortifie and frame him to his hand before he placed him in quiet? Infinite it were to recite all. Briefely, in all the works of God this is vſuall to be ſeene, that he worketh euermore moſt excellent thinges by inſtrumentes moſt humble, and which ſeeme moſt furdeſt of. Which of al the Apoſtles did euer thinke, when Chriſt was ſo humbled and crucified vppon the tree, that they ſhould euer ſee him againe? although he foretold them of his riſing before: in ſo muche that Thomas did ſcarſely beleeue when he with his eies ſawe him. What man would euer hauehave thought that Paule in the raging heate of his perſecuting ſpirite would hauehave turned from a perſecuter to ſuch a profeſſor? from ſuch infidelitie to ſuch a faith? in ſo much that Ananias woulde ſcarſely beleue the Lord when he tolde him. Such is the omnipotencie of the Lorde our God, euer working lightly by the contrarye, eſpecially when he hath any excellent thinge to worke to his own glory.

After like ſorte may we eſteeme alſo of Martine Luther, who being firſte a frear, in what blindnes, ſuperſtition and darkenes, in what dreames and dregges of munkiſhe idolatrye he was drowned, his hiſtorie declareth, witnes recordeth, and this booke alſo partly doth ſpecifie. Whoſe religion was all in popiſh ceremonies, his zeale without knowledge, vnderſtanding no other iuſtification but in workes of the law and merites of his owne makinge, onelyonly beleuing the hiſtorie (as many doe) of Chriſtes death and reſurrection, but not knowing the power and ſtrength thereof. After he had thus continued a longe ſpace, more phariſaicall and zealous in theſe monkiſh waies then the common ſorte of that order, at length it ſo pleaſed almighty God to beginne with this man: firſt to touch his conſcience with ſome remorſe and feelinge of ſinne, his mind with feares and miſdoutes, whereby he was driuen to ſeeke further: So that by ſearching, ſeekinge, conferring, and by reading of S. Paule, ſome ſparckles of better knowledge beganne by litle and litle to appeare, which after in time grew vp to greater encreaſe. But here it happened to him as commonlye it doth to all good Chriſtians: The more that the true knowledge of Chriſte in him encreaſed, the more Sathan the enemy ſtirred with his fiery dartes, with doubtes and obiections, with falſe terrours and ſubtill aſſaultes, ſeeking by all meanes poſſible howe to oppreſſe the inward ſoule which would faine take his reſt in Chriſte. In theſe ſpirituall conflictes and inward wraſtlings, how greuouſly he was encumbred, fighting againſt incredulitie, errour and deſperation, maruelous it is to conſider: In ſo much, that three dayes and three nightes together he lay vppon his bedde without meate, drinke or any fleepe, like a deade man (as ſome of him doe write) labouringe in ſoule and ſpirite vppon a certaine place of S. Paule in the third chapiter to the Rom. which was: Ad oſtendendam iuſtitiam ſuā: that is, to ſhevv his iuſtice, thinking Chriſt to be ſent to no other end but to ſhewe forth Gods iuſtice as an executor of the law, till at length, being aunſwered and ſatiſfied by the Lord touching the right meaninge of thoſe wordes, ſignifying the iuſtice of God to be executed vppon his Sonne to ſaue vsus from the ſtroke therof, he immediatly vppon the ſame ſtarted vp from his bedde, ſo confirmed in faith, as nothing afterward could appall him: Beſides other manifold and greeuous tentations (which I ſpeake not of) of all ſortes and kindes, except onelyonly of auarice, with the which vice onelyonly he was neuer once tempted nor touched, as of him is writen by them that were conuerſant with him.

In this meane while, during theſe conflictes and exerciſes of M. Luther, which notwithſtanding did him no hurt, but rather turned to his more furtherance in ſpirituall knowledge, Pope Leo the .x. ſent a Iubiley with his pardons abroade through all Chriſtian realmes and dominions, wherby he gathered together innumerable riches and treaſure. The collectors wherof promiſed to eueryevery one that would put ten ſhillinges in the box, licence to eate whitemeat and fleſh in lent, and power to deliuer what ſoule he woulde out of purgatorye, and moreouer full pardon from all his ſinnes, were they neuer ſo heynous. But if it were but one iote leſſe then .x. ſhillings, they preached that it would profite him nothing. The abomination wherof was ſo horrible, that when no other man durſt ſpeake, yet Luther could not of conſcience holde his peace, but drawing out certaine articles, deſired gently to diſpute the matter, writing withall a moſt humble admonition to the Pope, ſubmitting him ſelfe in moſt lowely wiſe to his cenſure and iudgement. But the Pope thinkinge great ſcorne to be controlled of ſuch a frear, tooke the matter ſo hoate, that he with all his Cardinals, with all the rable of Monkes and Frears, Biſhops and Archbiſhops, Colleges and vniuerſities, Kinges and Princes, with the Emperour alſo himſelfe, were all vppon him. If the omnipotent prouidence of the Lord from aboue had not ſuſtained him, what was it for one poore frear to hauehave endured all theſe ſharpe aſſaultes of Sathan, all the violence of the whole world, hauinge no leſſe then the ſoone, the moone and ſeuen ſtarres (as they ſay) againſt him? being hated of men, impugned of deuilles, reiected of nations, by ſolemne authority condemned, diſtreſſed with infirmities, and with all maner of tentations tried and proued. And yet for all theſe tentations ſuch was his life, that (as Eraſmus writing to Cardinall Wolſey affirmeth) none of all his enemies could euer charge him with any note of iuſt reprehenſion. Againe, ſuch were his allegations out of the ſcripture, that Roffenſis writing to Eraſmus, confeſſeth himſelfe to be aſtonied at them.

And thus much by way of preface touching the conflictes and exerciſes of this man. Which we thought good to inſinuate to the Chriſtian reader for ſundry purpoſes: Firſt to note the mercifull clemencie of Chriſte our Sauiour in calling ſo ſuperſtitious and idolatrous a frear ſo graciouſly to ſuch a light of his goſpell, his grace in iuſtifying him, his might in preſeruing him, his helpe in cōforting him, his glory in proſpering him, one againſt ſo many, and ſo proſpering him, that the whole kingedom of the Pope had no power either to withſtand him, or to maintaine it ſelfe: Secondly for this reſpect alſo and purpoſe, that the reader conſidering the meruelous working of the Lord in this man, may the better credite the doctrine which he teacheth. And though his doctrine as touching a litle circumſtance of the ſacrament can not be throughly defended, yet neither is that any greate maruell in him, who being occupied in weightier pointes of religion, had no leiſure to trauell in the ſearching out of this matter, neither ought it to be any preiudice to all the reſt which he taught ſo ſoundly of the weightier principles and groundes of Chriſtes Goſpell and our iuſtification onelyonly by faith in Chriſt. And yet in the ſame matter of the ſacrament, not withſtanding that he altereth ſomewhat from Zuinglius, ſticking to nere to the letter: yet he ioyneth not ſo with the Papiſt,Hereof reade more in the Apologie of the church of England, and in the booke of monuments fol. 992. Col. 2.Col 2 that he leaueth there any tranſubſtantiation or idolatrie. Wherefore the matter being no greater then ſo, nor directly againſt any article of our crede, let not vsus be ſo nice, for one litle wart to caſt away the whole body. It were doutleſſe 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 onelyonly except) greke or latin, old or new, either beyond the Alpes or on this ſide the Alpes, or him ſelfe alſo, what ſo euer he be, which hath not erred in ſome ſentence or in ſome expoſition of holy ſcripture. But if he can not ſo doe, then let him learne by him ſelfe to beare with other, to take the beſt and leaue the worſt (although there is no ſuch matter in this booke to be feared, forasmuch as we hauing a reſpect to the ſimple hauehave purpoſely ſpū ged out and omitted ſuch ſtumbling places, being but few, which might offend) and to geue God thankes for any thing that is good, and namely for this which he hath geuen to vsus by Luther, in opening to vsus his grace, mercy and good will in his Sonne ſo excellently through the preaching of this man: who if he had not taught the difference betwene the lawe and the goſpell, and ſet out to vsus our iuſtification, victory and libertie by faith onelyonly in Chriſt ſo plainely, ſo plentifully and ſo aſſuredly as he hath done, who euer durſt hauehave bene ſo bold to open his mouth in ſuch wordes, or ſo confidently to ſtand in this doctrine of faith and grace? For if there hauehave bene ſince the time of Luther, and be yet ſome, which openly defend that workes be neceſſary to ſaluation, where he before ſo mightely hath taught the contrary: what then would theſe hauehave done if Luther had not bene? who alſo did forewarne vsus of the ſame, propheſying that after his time this doctrine of iuſtification would be almoſt extinguiſhed in the church, as in certaine places experience beginneth partely to proue.

Wherefore, ſo much as the Lord ſhall geue vsus grace, let vsus hold conſtantly the comfortable doctrine of faith and iuſtification, & not loſe that the Lord ſo freely hath geuen, calling vppon the Lord with all obedience and diligence, to geue vsus grace with S. Paule, not to refuſe the grace whiche he beſtoweth vppon vsus, nor to be offended with this ioyfull doctrine, as many be. And therefore as our duty was for our part to ſet it abroade, ſo our counſell is no leſſe to eueryevery ſtudious reader thereof, to pray for grace, rightly to vnderſtād that he readeth. For els, vnleſſe the ſpecial grace of Chriſt doe helpe, hard it is to fleſh and blood to comprehend this myſticall doctrine of faith onelyonly. So ſtraūge it is to carnall reaſon, ſo darke to the world, ſo many enemies it hath, that except the ſpirite of God from aboue doe reueale it, learning can not reach it, wiſedome is offended, nature is aſtonied, deuilles doe not knowe it, men doe perſecute it. Briefely, as there is no way to life ſo eaſie, ſo is there none ſo hard: Eaſie to whom it is geuen from aboue: hard to the carnall ſenſe not yet enſpired. The ignoraunce whereof is the roote of all errours, ſectes and diuiſions, not onelyonly in all chriſtendome, but alſo in the whole world. The Iewe thinketh to be ſaued by his Moſes lawe, the Turke by his Alcoran, the philoſopher by his morall vertues. Beſides theſe, commeth an other ſort of people, not ſo ill as the Iewe, nor ſo hethen as the philoſopher, but hauing ſome part of both, which refuſe not vtterly the name of Chriſt, but with Chriſt doe ioyne partely the law of Moſes, partely the morall and naturall diſcipline of philoſophy, and partely their owne ceremonies and traditions, to make a perfect way to heauen. And theſe here in this commentary are called papiſts, of the Pope their author, being diuided within themſelues more then into an hundreth diuers ſectes, orders and profeſſions of Cardinales, Frears, Monkes, Nunnes, Prieſtes, Heremites, and other votaries. All which ſeeme to ſpringe vp of no other cauſe but onelyonly vppon ignorance of this doctrine. And no meruell: For take away this doctrine of iuſtification by faith onelyonly in Chriſt, and leaue a man to his owne inuentions, what ende will there be of newe deuiſes? Such a perilous thing is it to erre in the firſt fundation: whereuppon the higher ye build, the greater is the fall. And yet ſuch builders are not without their proppes to hold vppe their workemanſhip of workes againſt this doctrine of iuſtifying faith, pretending for their defence the teſtimonie of S. Iames, where he ſeemeth to attribute iuſtification to workes and not to faith onelyonly.

Touching which matter of iuſtification, for as much as in the ſequele of this treatiſe the author hath diſcourſed vponupon the ſame at large, it ſhall not be much needefull to vſe many wordes at this preſent. This briefely may ſuffice by way of preface, in a word or two to aduertiſe the chriſtian reader, who ſo taketh in hand with profite and iudgement to reade this booke, that in him two things are ſpecially to be required: Firſt to reade it wholy togeather, and not by peeces and partes here and there, but to take it in order as it lyeth, conferring one place with an other, wherby to vnderſtand the better the right meaning of the writer, howe and in what ſenſe he excludeth good workes, and howe not: howe he neglecteth the law, and how he magnifieth the lawe. For, as in caſe of iuſtifying before God, the free promiſe of the goſpell admitteth no condition, but faith onelyonly in Chriſt Ieſu: ſo in caſe of dutifull obedience, Luther here excludeth no good works, but rather exhorteth thereunto, and that in many places. Thus times and caſes diſcretly muſt be diſtincted.

The ſecond thing to be required is, that in reading hereof, he that ſeketh to take frute hereby, doe bring ſuch a mind with him to the reading, as the author him ſelfe did to the preaching therof: that is, he had neede to hauehave his ſenſes exerciſed ſomewhat in ſuch ſpirituall conflictes, and to be well humbled before with the feare of God and inward repentance, or els he ſhal hardly conceaue the excellent ſwetenes either of this writer or any other. For albeit moſt true it is, that no greater comfort to the ſoule of man can be found in any booke next to the holy ſcripture, then in this commentary of M. Luther: ſo this comforte hath litle place, but onelyonly where the conſcience being in heauines hath neede of the phiſicions hand. The other, who feele thēſelues whole & are not touched in ſoule with any ſorowe, as they litle care for theſe bookes, ſo hauehave they litle vnderſtandinge of this doctrine when they reade it. And this is the cauſe in my mind, why the Pope & his papiſtes hauehave ſo litle feeling & liking of Luthers doctrine, and all becauſe they commonly are neuer greatly vexed in ſpirite with any deepe affliction, but rather deride them that be beaten downe with ſuch conflictes and tētations of Sathan, as they did by Luther, whom becauſe God ſuffered to to be tried and exerciſed with the buffets of the enemie, they ſay therefore that he learned his diuinitie of the Deuill. But how he learned his diuinitie, let vsus heare what he him ſelfe in this booke, fol. 197. & 198. cō feſſeth in theſe wordes, ſaying: Vnleſſe we had bē exerciſed with violēce and craftie aſſaultes by tirannes & heretikes; and in our heart with terrors and fiery dartes of the deuill, Paule had bene to vsus no leſſe obſcure, then he was in times paſt to the whole world and yet is to this day to our aduerſaries the papiſtes, the Anabaptiſtes and other our aduerſaries: And therefore the gifte of knowledge of the ſcripture and our ſtudies through ſuch inward and outward conflictes, open vntounto vsus the minde of Paule and of all the Scriptures &c.

But let theſe ignorant papiſtes who ſo euer they be, taſt a litle the ſame or like as Luther did, and then ſee what they will ſay. Experience geueth demonſtration. For howe many of them doe we ſee, for all their auricular confeſſion, which puffeth them vp in falſe ſecuritie, but at length, when they lie at the point of death, where death on the one ſide and Gods iuſtice on the other ſide is before their eies, for the moſt part either they deſpaire, or ells leauing all other helpes, they onelyonly ſticke to faith and the blood of Chriſt Ieſus, and in very deede many of them are glad to die Lutherans how ſo euer they hated Luther before. And what ſhall we ſay then of this doctrine of Luther? If the papiſtes them ſelues be glad to die in it, why are they vnwilling to liue 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 ſtoutely wihſtand this doctrine of iuſtification by faith onelyonly, they are much deceaued. And where they alledge S. Iames for them, that is ſoone aunſwered if we rightly diſcerne the meaning of S. Iames and of S. Paule: Of whom the one ſpeaketh of mans righteouſnes or iuſtification onelyonly before men, which is a demonſtration of a true faith or a true beleuer before man, rather then the working of true iuſtification before god. And ſo is it true which S. Iames ſaith, how that faith without workes doth not iuſtifie: whoſe purpoſe is, not to ſhewe vsus what maketh a iuſt man before God, but onelyonly to declare the neceſſary coniunction of good workes in him that by faith is iuſtified. The other ſpeaketh of righteouſnes or iuſtification, not before men, but onelyonly before God: meaning not to exclude good workes from true faith, that they ſhould not be done: but to teach vsus wherin the true ſtay and hope of our ſaluation ought to be fixed, that is, in faith onelyonly. And ſo is it true likewiſe that S. Paule ſaith, that faith onelyonly without workes doth iuſtifie.

The which propoſition of S. Paule the better to vnderſtand and to ioine it with S. Iames, here is to be noted for the ſatiſfying of the cauilling aduerſary, that the propoſition is to be taken full and whole, as S. Paule doth meane it, ſo that with the right ſubiect we ioyne the right predicatum, as the Scholemen terme it: that is, ſo that faith of Chriſt in iuſtifying, euer hauehave relation to the true penitent and lamenting ſinner. And ſo is the article moſt true, that faith onelyonly without workes doth iuſtifie. But whom doth it iuſtifie? the worldlīg? the licentious ruffen? the voluptuous Epicure? the carnall goſpeller? Paule meaneth no ſuch thing, but onelyonly the mourning and labouring ſoule, the greeued conſcience, the repenting heart, the mending ſinner: And in him the propoſition is true, according to the doctrine of S. Paule:Rom. 4.Rom 4 Credenti in eū qui iuſtificat impium, fides eius imputatur ad iuſtitiam: that is, to him that beleueth in him vvhichwhich iuſtifieth the vngodly, his faith is counted for righteouſnes. Contrarywiſe, let faith hauehave relation to the obſtinate and willfull rebel, who contrary to conſcience continueth and deliteth in ſinne, and in him it is true likewiſe that S. Iames ſaith: & non ex fide tantum, Iac. 2.Jas 2that is, and not by faith onelyonly, meaning therby that faith auaileth not to iuſtification, but onelyonly in ſuch perſons as hauehave a good will and purpoſe to amend their liues: Not that repentance and turning from iniquitie doth ſaue them: but that faith in Chriſt worketh iuſtification in none but onelyonly in ſuch as heartely repent and are willing to amend. So that:Mar. 1.Mark 1 Credite Euangelio, beleue the goſpell, hath euer: agite poenitentiam, Mat. 3.Matt 3repent and amend going withall. Not that repentance ſaueth any malefactor from the law, but onelyonly ſheweth the perſon whom faith in Chriſt onelyonly doth ſaue and iuſtifie.

But of this enough, and more then greatly needed, eſpecially ſeeing the booke it ſelfe here following will ſatiſfie the reader at large in all ſuch doutes to this matter appertaining. And thus ceaſing to trouble thee, gentle reader, with any longer preface, as we commend this good worke to thy godly ſtudies, ſo we commend both thee and thy ſtudies to the grace of Chriſt Ieſu the Sōne of God, hartely wiſhing and crauing of his maieſtie, that thou mayeſt take no leſſe profite and conſolation by reading hereof, then our purpoſe was to doe thee good in ſetting the ſame forth to thy comfort and edification, which the Lord graunt, Amen, Amen.

Faultes eſcaped in the printing, and to be amended before the reading of this booke.