Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 9 – Verse extract 11
Verſe. 9. Yea rather are knovven of God. &c.
He correcteth the ſentence going before [:But novv ſeing ye hauehave knovven God] or rather turneth it after this maner: yea rather ye are knovven of God. For he feared leſt they had loſt God vtterly. As if he would ſay: Alas, are ye come to this poynt, that now ye know not God, but returne againe from grace to the law? Yet notwithſtanding God knoweth you. And in deede our knowledge is rather paſſiue then actiue: that is to ſay, it conſiſteth in this, that we are rather knowen of God, then that we know him. All our doing, that is, all our endeuour to know and to apprehend God, is to ſuffer God to worke in vsus. He geueth the word: which when we hauehave receiued by Faith geuen from aboue, we are new borne and made the ſonnes of God. This is then the ſenſe and meaning. Ye are knovven of God, that is, ye are viſited with the word, ye are endued with Faith and the holy Ghoſt, wherby ye are renewed. &c. Wherfore euen by theſe words. Ye are knovven of God, Ye are knovvn of God.he taketh away all righteouſnes from the law, and denieth that we attaine the knowledge of God through the worthines of our owne workes. For no man knovveth the father but the ſonne, Math. 11.17.& he to vvhom the ſonne vvill reueale him. Alſo:Eſay. 53.11. He by his knovvledge ſhall iuſtifie many, becauſe he ſhall beare our iniquities. Wherefore our knowledge concerning God, conſiſteth in ſuffering and not in doing.
He much meruelleth therfore, that ſeing they knew God truely by the Goſpell, they returned ſo ſuddenly backe to weake and beggerly rudiments, by the perſwaſion of the falſe apoſtles. As I my ſelfe alſo ſhould greatly maruell if our Church (which by the grace of God is godly reformed in pure doctrine and Faith) ſhould be ſeduced and peruerted by ſome fond and frantike head, through the preaching of one or two ſermons, that they would not acknowledge me for their paſtour any more. Which thing notwithſtanding ſhall one day come to paſſe, if not whileſt we liue, yet when we are dead and gone. For many ſhall then riſe vppe, which will be maiſters and teachers: who vnderunder a colour of true religiō ſhall teach falſe and peruerſe doctrine, and ſhall quickly ouerthrow all that we in ſo long time and with ſo great trauel hauehave builded. We are not better then the Apoſtles, who,The Apoſtles euen in their life time ſavv the ſubuerſiō of thoſe churches, vvhichwhich they had plā ted. whiles they yet liued ſawe (not without their great griefe and ſorow) the ſubuerſion of thoſe Churches which they thēſelues had planted through theyr miniſterie. Therfore it is no great maruell if we be conſtrained to behold the like euill at this day in thoſe Churches, where Sectaries doe raigne, who hereafter when we are dead, ſhall poſſeſſe thoſe Churches which we hauehave wonne and planted by our miniſterie, and with their poyſon infect and ſubuert the ſame. And yet notwithſtanding Chriſte ſhall remaine and raigne to the end of the world, and that maruelouſly, as he did vnderunder the Papacie.
Paule ſeemeth to ſpeake very ſpitefully of the lawe,Rudiments or elements are called the prī ciples and firſt beginning of any thing, and ſo the lavve is but as an A.B.C in reſpect of the Goſpel when he calleth it rudiments (as he did alſo before in the beginning of this chapt.) and not only rudiments, but weake and beggetly rudiments and ceremonies. Is it not blaſphemie to geue ſuch odious names to the law of God? The lawe being in his true vſe ought to ſerue the promiſes and to ſtand with the promiſes & grace. But if it fight againſt them, it is no more the holy law of God, but a falſe and a deuiliſh doctrine, and doth nothing elſe but driue men to deſperation, & therfore muſt be reiected.
Wherefore, when he calleth the lawe weake and beggerly rudiments, he ſpeaketh of the lawe in reſpect of proud and preſumpteous hypocrites which would be iuſtified by it,Rom 4.15. and not of the law being ſpiritually vnderſtand, which engendreth wrath. For the law (as I hauehave often ſayd) being in his owne proper vſe, accuſeth and condemneth a man:VVhen the lavv is vveake and beggerly, and vvhen it is ſtrong and mightie. and in this reſpect it is not onelyonly a ſtrong and a rich rudiment, but alſo moſt mighty and moſt rich, yea rather an inuincible power & riches: and if here the conſcience be compared with the law, then is it moſt weake and beggerly. For it is ſo tender a thing, that for a ſmall ſinne it is ſo troubled and terrified, that it vtterly deſpaireth, vnleſſe it be raiſed vp againe. Wherefore the lawe in his proper vſe hath more ſtrength and riches, then heauen and earth is able to containe: in ſo much that one letter or one tittle of the law is able to kill all mākinde, as the hyſtorie of the lawe geuen by Moiſes Exod. 19.20. doth witneſſe. This is the true and diuine vſe of the lawe, of which Paule ſpeaketh not in this place.
Paule then entreateth here of hypocrites, which are fallen from grace, or which hauehave not yet attained to grace. Theſe, abuſing ye law, ſeeke to be iuſtified by it. They exerciſe and tire themſelues day and night in the workes therof: as Paule witneſſeth of the Iewes. Ro. 10. For I beare thē record (ſayth he) that they hauehave the zeale of God, Rom. 10.2.3.but not according to knovvledge, for they being ignoraunt of the righteouſnes of God. &c. Such doe hope ſo to be ſtrengthened and enriched by the lawe, that they may be able to ſet their power and riches which they hauehave gotten by the righteouſnes therof, againſt the wrath and iudgement of God, and ſo to appeaſe God, and to be ſaued therby. In this reſpect then we may well ſay that ye law is a weake & a beggerly rudiment:VVhen the lavve is a vveake and beggerly rudiment. that is to ſay, which can geue neither helpe nor counſell.
And who ſo liſteth to amplifie this matter, may further ſay, that the lawe is a weake and a beggerly rudiment, becauſe it maketh men more weake and beggerly: Againe, becauſe that of it ſelfe it hath no power or riches whereby it is able to geue or to bring righteouſnes: And moreouer, that it is not onelyonly weake and beggerly, but euē weaknes and beggery it ſelfe. How then ſhall it enrich or ſtrengthen thoſe, which were before both weake and beggerly? Therefore to ſeeke to be iuſtified by the lawe, is as much as if a man being weake and feeble already, would ſeeke ſome other greater euill wherby he might ouercome his weaknes and pouertie, which notwithſtanding would bring vntounto him vtter deſtructiō. As if he which hath ye falling ſicknes, would ſeeke to ioyne vntounto it the Peſtilence for a remedy: or if a Leaper ſhould come to a Leaper, or a begger to a begger, the one to helpe and to enrich the other.
Paule therfore ſheweth,The more a man ſeeketh to be iuſtified by the lavve, the more he is drovvned in ſinnes. Epheſ. 2.3. that they which ſeeke to be iuſtified by the lawe, hauehave this commoditie thereby, that daily they become more and more weake and beggerly. For they be weake and beggerly of them ſelues: that is to ſay, they are by nature the children of wrath, ſubiect to death and euerlaſting damnation: and yet they lay hold vponupon that which is nothing elſe but mere weaknes and beggerie, ſeeking to be ſtrengthened and enriched therby. Therfore eueryevery one that falleth frō the promiſe to the law, from faith to workes, doth nothing elſe but lay vponupon him ſelfe ſuch a burden, being weake and feeble already, as he is not able to beare.Actes. 15.1…. Ac. 15. and in bearing therof is made ten times more weake, ſo that at length he is driuen to deſpaire, vnleſſe Chriſte come and deliuer him.
This thing the Goſpell alſo witneſſeth, ſpeaking of the woman which was greeued 12. yeres wt a bloudy iſſue,Luke. 5.43. Of the vvomā vvhichwhich vvas diſeaſed vvith the bloudie iſſue. & ſuffered many things of many Phiſitians, vponupon whom ſhe had ſpent all her ſubſtance, & yet could not be cured, but the longer ſhe was vnderunder their hands, the worſe ſhe was. As many therfore as doe the works of the law to the end they may be iuſtified thereby, are not onelyonly not made righteous, but twiſe more vnrighteous then they were before, that is (as I hauehave ſaid) more weake & beggerly, & more vnapt to doe any good worke. This hauehave I proued to be true both in my ſelf & in many others. I hauehave knowen many Monks in ye Papacy which with great zeale hauehave done many great works for the attaining of righteouſnes & ſaluation, and yet were they more impatiēt, more weake, more miſerable, more faithles, more fearful, & more ready to deſpaire thē any other. The ciuil Magiſtrates who were euer occupied in great and weightie affaires, were not ſo impatient, ſo fearfull, ſo faint hearted, ſo ſuperſtitious and ſo faithles as theſe Iuſticiaries and Meritmongers were.
Whoſoeuer thē ſeketh righteouſnes by ye law, what cā he imagin elſe, but ye god being angry, muſt nedes be pacified wt works? Now, whē he hath once cōceiued this fantaſy, he beginneth to work. But he cā neuer find ſo many good works as are able to quiet his cōſciēce: but ſtil he deſireth moe. Yea he findeth ſinnes in thoſe works yt he hath don already. Therfore his conſcience can neuer be certified,The conſciēce is neuer quieted through vvorkes. but muſt needes be alwayes in dout, and thus thinke with it ſelfe: Thou haſt not ſacrificed as thou ſhouldeſt doe: thou haſt not prayed aright: this thou haſt left vndone: this or that ſinne thou haſt committed. Here the heart trembleth and feeleth it ſelfe oppreſſed with innumerable ſinnes which ſtill encreaſe without end, ſo that he ſwarueth from righteouſnes more and more, vntill at length he fall to deſperation. Hereof it cometh that many being at the poynt of death, hauehave vttered theſe deſperate words: O wretch that I am: I hauehave not kept mine order: Whether ſhall I flie from the wrath of Chriſt, that angry iudge? would to God I had ben made a ſwinheard or the vileſt wretch in the whole world.
VVhat profite Monks hauehave by their religion.Thus the Monke in the ende of his life is more weake, more beggerly, more faithles and fearfull then he was at the beginning when he firſt entred into his order. The reaſon is, becauſe he would ſtrengthen himſelfe through weaknes, and enrich him ſelfe through pouertie. The law or mens traditions, or the Rule of his order ſhould hauehave healed him when he was ſicke, and enriched him when he was poore: but he is become more feeble & more poore thē the Publicanes and harlots. The Publicanes and harlots hauehave not an heape of good works to truſt vntounto as the Monks hauehave: but although they feele theyr ſinnes neuer ſo much,Luke. 18.13. yet they can ſay with the Publicane: O Lord be mercifull to me a ſinner. But contrariwiſe ye Monke which hath ſpent all his time in weake & beggerly elements, is confirmed in this opinion:A liuely deſcription of al the religious hypocrites in the kingdom of Antichriſt. If thou keepe thy rule thou ſhalt be ſaued, &c. With this falſe perſwaſion he is ſo deluded & bewitched, that he can not apprehend grace, no nor once remember grace. Thus, notwtſtāding all the works which either he doth or hath done, be they neuer ſo many and ſo great, he thinketh that he hath neuer done enough, but hath ſtill an eye to moe workes, and ſo by heaping vppe of workes he goeth about to appeaſe the wrath of God and to iuſtifie him ſelfe, vntill he be driuen to vtter deſperation.The Fable is this, that a dogge ſvvimming ouer the vvater vvith a pece of flesh in his mouth, let the flesh goe, and ſnatched at the shadovve vvhichwhich appeared in the vvater. Wherfore, whoſoeuer falleth frō Faith, and foloweth the law, is like to Eſopes dogge, which forgoeth the fleſh, and ſnatcheth at the ſhadow. Wherfore it is impoſſible that ſuch as ſeeke righteouſnes & ſaluation by the lawe (wherevnto men are naturally enclined) ſhould euer finde quietnes and peace of conſcience: yea they doe nothing elſe but heape lawes vponupon lawes, whereby they torment both themſelues and others, and afflict mens conſciences ſo miſerably, that through extreme anguiſh of heart many die before their time. For one lawe alwayes bringeth forth ten moe, and ſo they encreaſe wtout number and without ende.
Now, who would hauehave thought that the Galathians,Falling avvay from the Goſpell is very eaſie. which had learned ſo ſound and ſo pure a doctrine of ſuch an excellent Apoſtle and teacher, could be ſo ſuddenly ledde away from the ſame, and vtterly peruerted by the falſe Apoſtles? It is not wtout cauſe that I repete this ſo often: that to fall away from the truth of the Goſpel is an eaſie matter. The reaſon is, becauſe men doe not ſufficiently conſider, no not the very faithfull, what an excellent and a precious treaſure the true knowledge of Chriſt is. Therefore they doe not labour ſo diligently & ſo carefully as they ſhould doe, to obtaine & to retaine the ſame. Moreouer, the greater part of thoſe that heare the word, are exerciſed with no croſſe or affliction: they wraſtle not againſt ſinne, death & the Deuill, but liue in ſecuritie without any conflict. Such men,They that are not tried vvith afflictions and tentations, neuer feele the povver of the vvord of god. becauſe they are not proued and tried with tentations, and therefore are not armed with ye word of God againſt the ſubtilties of the Deuill, neuer feele the vſe and power of the word. In dede whileſt they are among faithfull miniſters and preachers, they cā folow their words & ſay as they ſay, perſwading themſelues that they perfectly vnderſtand the matter of iuſtification. But whē they are gone,Math. 7.15. & wolues in ſheepes clothing are come in their place, it hapneth vntounto them as it did to the Galathians: that is to ſay, they are ſuddenly ſeduced & eaſily turned backe to weake and beggerly rudiments.
Paule hath here his peculier maner of ſpeech,Paules maner of ſpeech. which the other Apoſtles did not vſe. For there was none of them beſides Paule that gaue ſuch names to the lawe: to witte, that it is a weake and a beggerly rudiment: that is to ſay, vtterly vnprofitable to righteouſnes. And ſurely I durſt not hauehave geuen ſuch termes vntounto the lawe, but ſhould hauehave thought it great blaſphemy againſt God, if Paule had not ſo done before. But of this I hauehave entreated more largely before, where I ſhewed when the lawe is weake and beggerly, and when it is moſt ſtrong and rich. &c. Now,If the lavve of God be vveak and not able to obtaine righteouſnes, much more the Popes traditions. if the law of God be weake and vnprofitable to Iuſtification, much more are the lawes and decrees of the Pope, weake and vnprofitable to Iuſtification. Therefore we geue ſentence againſt the ordinaunces, lawes and decrees of the Pope with ſuch boldnes & aſſurance as Paule did againſt the law of God, that they are not onelyonly weake and beggerly rudiments, and vtterly vnprofitable to righteouſnes, but alſo execrable, accurſed, deuiliſh & dānable: for they blaſpheme grace, they ouerthrow the Goſpel, aboliſh faith, take away Chriſt. &c.
For as much then as the Pope requireth that we ſhould kepe his lawes as neceſſary to ſaluation, he is very Antichriſt and the Vicar of Sathā. And as many as cleaue vntounto him, & cōfirme his abhominatiōs & blaſphemies, or kepe them to this ende, that therby they may merite the forgeuenes of their ſinnes, are the ſeruaunts of Antichriſt & of the Deuil. Now, ſuch hath the doctrine of the Papiſticall church ben of a lōg time, yt theſe lawes ought to be kept as neceſſary to ſaluatiō. Thus the Pope ſitteth in the temple of God, vaunting him ſelfe to be God: he ſetteth him ſelfe againſt God,1 Theſ. 2.…. and exalteth himſelfe aboue all that is called God or worſhipped &c: And mens conſciences more feared & reuerenced the lawes and ordinaunces of the Pope, then the word of God & his ordinaūces.The Popes triple crovvn. By this meanes he was made the Lord of heauen, of earth, and of hell, and bare a triple crowne vponupon his head. The Cardinals alſo & Biſhops his creatures, were made Kings & Princes of ye world: And therfore if he did not burden mens conſciences wt his lawes, he could not long maintaine his terrible power, his dignitie and his riches: but his whole kingdom would quickly fall.
This place which Paule here handleth, is weightie and of great importance,To fall from the grace of God. and therefore the more diligently to be marked: to witte, that they which fall from grace to the law, doe vtterly loſe the knowledge of the truth: they ſee not their owne ſinnes: they neither know God nor the Deuill, nor them ſelues: and moreouer they vnderſtand not the force and vſe of the lawe,VVhat iudgemēt they geue of the lavve, that knovv not Chriſte. although they bragge neuer ſo much that they keepe and obſerue the ſame. For without the knowledge of grace, that is to ſay, without the Goſpell of Chriſt, it is impoſſible for a man to geue this definition of the lawe, that it is a weake and a beggerly rudiment, and vnprofitable to righteouſnes. But he rather iudgeth quite contrary of the law: to witte, that it is not onelyonly neceſſary to ſaluation, but alſo that it ſtrengthneth ſuch as are weake, and enricheth ſuch as are poore and beggerly: that is to ſay, that ſuch as obey and obſerue the ſame, ſhall be able to merite righteouſnes and euerlaſting ſaluation. If this opinion remaine, the promiſe of God is denied, Chriſte is taken away, lying, impietie and idolatrie is eſtabliſhed.The thundrings of Luther againſt the Pope and his lavves. Now, the Pope with all his Biſhops, his Schooles, and whole Sinagoge, taught that his lawes are neceſſary to ſaluation: Therfore he was a teacher of weake and beggerly elements, wherwith he made the Church of Chriſt thorow out the whole world, moſt weake & beggerly: that is to ſay, he burdened and miſerably tormented the Church with his wicked lawes, defacing Chriſt and burying his Goſpell.
Verſe. 9. VVhervnto ye vvill be in bondage againe.
This he addeth, to declare that he ſpeaketh of proud and preſumpteous hypocrites, which ſeeke to be iuſtified by the law, as I hauehave ſhewed before. For otherwiſe he calleth the law holy and good.1. Timot. 1.…. As 1. Timot. 1. VVe knovv that the lavv is good, if it be rightly vſed: to witte, ciuily to bridle euill doers, and ſpiritually to encreaſe tranſgreſſions.Galath. 3.19. But, whoſoeuer obſerueth the lawe to obtaine righteouſnes before God, maketh the lawe which is good,1. Timot. c. 7. damnable and hurtfull vntounto him ſelfe. He reproueth the Galathians therefore, becauſe they would be in bondage to the lawe againe, which doth not take away ſinne, but encreaſeth ſinne. For whileſt a ſinner, being weake and poore of himſelf, ſeeketh to be iuſtified by the lawe, he findeth nothing in it but weakenes and pouertie it ſelfe. And here two ſicke and feeble beggers meete together, of whom the one is not able to helpe and heale the other, but rather moleſteth and troubleth the other.
We, as being ſtrong in Chriſte, will gladly ſerue the lawe: not the weake and beggerly, but the mightie and rich lawe: that is to ſay, ſo farre forth as it hath power and dominion ouer the body. For then we ſerue the lawe but onelyonly in our body and outward members, and not in our conſcience. But the Pope requireth that we ſhould obey his lawes with this perſwaſion, that if we doe this or that, we are righteteous: if we doe it not we are damned. Here the lawe is more then a weake and beggerly element. For whiles this bondage of the conſcience continueth vnderunder the lawe, there can be nothing but meere weaknes and pouertie. Wherefore all the weight of the matter lieth in this word, To ſerue. The meaning therfore of Paule is this, that he would not hauehave the conſcience to ſerue vnderunder the lawe as a captiue, but to be free and to hauehave dominion ouer the lawe. For the conſcience is dead to the law through Chriſt, and the law againe vntounto the cōſcience: Wherof we hauehave more largely entreated afore in the ſecond Chapter.
Verſe. 10. Ye obſerue dayes and monethes, times and yeares,
By theſe words he plainly declareth what ye falſe apoſtles taught,The doctrine of the falſe apoſtles. namely ye obſeruation of dayes, moneths, times & yeares. The Iewes were commaunded to kepe holy the Saboth daye, the new Moones, the firſt and the ſeueth monethmonth, the three appoynted times or feaſtes,The holy dayes of the Ievves. namely, the paſcall or paſſeouer, the feaſt of weekes, of ye tabernacles, and the yere of Iubilie. Theſe ceremonies the Galathians were alſo conſtrained by the falſe apoſtles to kepe as neceſſary to righteouſnes. Therfore he ſayth that they, loſing ye grace & liberty which they had in Chriſte, were turned backe to the ſeruing of weake and beggerly elements. For they were perſwaded by ye falſe apoſtles, that theſe lawes muſt nedes be kept, and by keping of them they ſhould obteine righteouſnes: but if they kept them not they ſhould be damned. Contrariwiſe Paule can in no wiſe ſuffer that mens conſciences ſhould be bound to the law of Moſes, but alwayes deliuereth them from the law. Behold I Paule (ſayeth he a litle after in the .5. chap.) do vvrite vntounto you, Galath. 5.2.that if ye be circūciſed, Coloſſ. 2.16.Chriſte shall profit you nothing. And Coloſſ. 2. Let no mā iudge you in meat or drink, or in a peece of an holy day, or of a nevv Moone, Luke 17.20.or Saboth day. &c. So ſayth our Sauiour Chriſte: The kingdō of God cometh not vvith obſeruation of the lavv. Much leſſe then are mens conſciences, to be burdened & ſnared wt mens traditiōs.
Verſe. 11. I am in feare of you, leſt I hauehave beſtovved on you labour in vaine.
Here Paule ſheweth him ſelfe to be greatly troubled through the fall of the Galathians: whom he would more bitterly reproue, but that he feareth leſt if he ſhould deale with them more ſharply,The fatherly affection of Paul tovvards the Galathiās. he ſhould not onelyonly not make them better, but more offend them and ſo vtterly alienate their mindes from him. Therfore in wryting he chaungeth and mitigateth his words, and as though all the harme redoūded vntounto him ſelfe, he ſayth: I am in feare of you leſt I hauehave beſtovved my labour on you in vaine: That is to ſay, it greueth me that I hauehave preached ye goſpell wt ſo great diligence and faithfulnes amongſt you, and ſee no frute to come therof. Notwithſtanding, although he ſhew a very louing & a fatherly affection towards them, yet withall he chideth them ſomwhat ſharply, but yet couertly. For when he ſayeth, that he had laboured in vaine,VVhat this vvord, to labour i… vaine, importeth. that is to ſay, that he had preached the Goſpell among them wt out any frute, he ſheweth couertly that either they were obſtinate vnbeleuers, or elſe were falne from ye doctrine of faith. Now, both theſe, as wel vnbeleuers as backſliders from ye doctrine of faith, are ſinners, wicked, vnrighteous & dāned. Such therfore do obey the law in vaine, they obſerue daies, moneths & yeres in vaine. And in theſe words: I am in feare of you, leſt I hauehave beſtovved on you labour in vaine, is cōtained a certaine ſecret excōmunication. For ye Apoſtle meaneth hereby yt the Galathiās were ſecluded & ſeparate frō Chriſt, vnleſſe they ſpedely returned to ye ſincere & ſound doctrine againe: yet he pronoūced no open ſentence againſt them. For he perceaued that he could do no good with ouer ſharpe dealing: wherefore he chaungeth his ſtile, and ſpeaketh them very faire, ſaying: