Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 5 · Verse extract 4 – Verse extract 4
Verſe. 4. Ye are abolished [or ſeperated] from Chriſt:1. Cor. 1.12. vvhoſoeuer are iuſtified by the lavve, ye are falne from grace.
Paule condē neth not circumciſiō, but to truſt in circumciſion, is that vvhichwhich he condēneth.Here Paule expoundeth himſelfe, and ſheweth that he ſpeaketh not ſimplie of the lawe nor of the worke of circumciſion, but of the confidence and opinion that men hauehave to be iuſtified thereby. As if he would ſay: I doe not vtterly condemne the lawe or circumciſion (for it is lawfull for me to drinke, to eate, and to kepe companie with the Iewes according to the lawe: it is lawfull for me to circumciſe Timothie:) but to ſeeke to be iuſtified by the law, as if Chriſte were not yet come, or being now preſent, he alone were not able to iuſtifie: this is it which I condemne, for this is to be ſeperated from Chriſt. Therfore, ſayeth he, ye are aboliſhed: that is, ye are vtterly voide of Chriſte, Chriſte is not in you, he worketh not in you any more: Ye are not partakers of the knowledge, the ſpirit, the felowſhip, the fauour, the libertie, the life, or the doings of Chriſte, but ye are vtterly ſeperate from him, ſo that he hath no more to doe with you, nor ye with him.
Chriſte and the lavve can not dvvell together.Theſe wordes of Paule are diligently to be noted: that to ſeeke righteouſnes by the lawe, is nothing elſe but to be ſeperated from Chriſte, and to make him vtterly vnprofitable. What can be ſpoken more mightely againſt the lawe? what can be ſette againſt this thunderbolte. Wherfore it is impoſſible that Chriſte and the lawe ſhould dwell together in one heart: for either the lawe or Chriſte muſt geue place. But if thou thinke that Chriſte and the lawe can dwell together, then be thou ſure yt Chriſte dwelleth not in thy heart, but the Deuill in the likenes of Chriſte, accuſing and terrifying thee, and ſtraitly exacting of thee the law & ye workes thereof.True Faith. For the true Chriſte (as I ſayd before) neither calleth thee to a reckening for thy ſinnes, nor biddeth thee truſt to thine owne good workes. And the true knowledge of Chriſte or Faith diſputeth not whether thou haſt done good workes to righteouſnes, or euill works to condemnation: but ſimplie concludeth after this ſort: if thou hauehave done good workes, thou art not therefore iuſtified, or if thou hauehave done euill workes, thou art not therefore condemned. I neither take from good workes their praiſe, nor commend euill works. But in the matter of iuſtification, I ſay, we muſt looke how we may hold Chriſt, leſt if we ſeeke to be iuſtified by the lawe, we make him vnprofitable vntounto vsus. For it is Chriſte alone that iuſtifieth me, both againſt my euill deedes, and without my good deedes. If I hauehave this perſwaſion of Chriſte, I lay hold of the true Chriſte. But if I thinke that he exacteth the lawe and workes of me to ſaluation, then he becometh vnprofitable vntounto me, and I am vtterly ſerated from him.
Theſe are dreadfull ſentences and threatnings againſt the righteouſnes of the law and mans owne righteouſnes. Moreouer, they are alſo moſt certaine principles which confirme the article of iuſtification. This is thē a finall concluſion:VVe muſt either forgoe Chriſt or the lavve. Either thou muſt forgoe Chriſt or the righteouſnes of the lawe. If thou retaine Chriſt, thou art righteous before God: but if thou ſticke to the lawe, Chriſte auaileth thee nothing: thou art bound to kepe the whole law, and thou haſt now ſentence already pronounced againſt thee:Deut. 27.26. Curſed is eueryevery one that fulfilleth not all the things that are vvrytten in this lavv. As we hauehave ſaid of the law, ſo we ſay alſo of mens traditions. Either the Pope with his religious rout muſt reiect all thoſe things wherein hetherto he hath put his truſt, or elſe Chriſte ſhall be vnprofitable to them. And hereby we may plainly ſee how pernicious and peſtilent the Popiſh doctrine hath ben. For it hath led men cleane away from Chriſt,The doctrine of the Pope led vsus quite avvay from Chriſt, and made him altogether vnprofitable to vsus. and made him altogether vnprofitable. God complaineth in the .23. of Ieremie, that the Prophets propheſied lies and the dreames of their owne heart, to the ende that his people ſhould forget his name. Therefore like as the falſe Prophets leauing the right interpretation of the lawe, & the true doctrine concerning the Seede of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed, preached their owne dreames, to the end that the people ſhould forget their God: euen ſo the Papiſtes hauing darkned and defaced the doctrine of Chriſt, ſo that they made it of none effect, taught and ſette forth nothing elſe but the doctrine of workes, whereby they drew the whole world away from Chriſte. Who ſo earneſtly conſidereth this matter, it will make his heart to tremble.
Verſe. 4. Ye are fallen from grace.
That is to ſay: Ye are no longer in the kingdom of grace. For like as he that is in a ſhippe, on which ſide ſo euer he falleth into the ſea, is drowned: euen ſo he which is falne from grace muſt needes periſh. He therefore that will be iuſtified by the law, is falne into the ſea,VVhat daunger it is to ſeeke righteouſnes by the lavve. and hath caſt himſelfe into daunger of eternall death. Now, if they fall from grace which will be iuſtified by the morall lawe: whether ſhall they fall (I pray you) which will be iuſtified by their owne traditions and vowes? Euen to the bottom of hell. No forſoth: they flie vp into heauen, for ſo they themſelues hauehave taught vsus. Who ſo euer liue (ſay they) according to the Rule of S. Fraunces, Dominicke, Benedict or ſuch other, the peace and mercy of God is vponupon them. Againe, All they that obſerue and keepe chaſtity, obedience, &c. ſhal hauehave euerlaſting life. But let theſe toyes goe to the Deuill from whom they came, and hearken what Paule teacheth thee here: and what Chriſte teacheth,Iohn. 3.3…. ſaying: He that beleueth in the ſonne of God hath euerlaſting life: but he that beleueth not in the ſonnes shall not ſee life, but the vvrath of God abideth vponupon him. Againe, he that beleueth not is iudged alredy.Iohn 5.18.
Now like as all the doctrine of the Papiſtes (to note this by the way) concerning mens traditions,The Popes kingdom is grounded vponupon mens traditions. workes, vowes and merites, was moſt common in the world: ſo was it thought to be the beſt and moſt certaine of all others: whereby the Deuill hath both ſette vppe and ſtabliſhed his kingdom moſt mightely. Therefore when we at this day doe impugne and vanquiſh this doctrine by the power of Gods word, as chaffe is driuen away by the winde, it is no maruell that Satan rageth ſo cruelly againſt vsus, raiſeth vppe ſclaunders and offences eueryevery where, and ſetteth the whole world in our toppes. Then, will ſome man ſay: It had bene better to hauehave held our peace, for then had none of theſe euils bene raiſed vppe. But we ought more to eſteme the fauour of God, whoſe glory we ſette forth, then to care for ye tirranny of ye world which perſecuteth vsus. For what is the Pope & the whole world in compariſon of God? In deede we are weake, and beare an heauenly treaſure in brickle and earthly veſſelles:1. Cor. 4.7. but although the veſſelles be neuer ſo brickle, yet is the treaſure ineſtimable.
Theſe wordes: Ye are falne from grace, muſt not be coldly or ſlenderly conſidered: for they are waightie and of great importance. He that falleth from grace,VVhat he loſeth thrt falleth from grace. vtterly loſeth the atonement, the forgeuenes of ſinnes, the righteouſnes, libertie and life that Ieſus Chriſte hath merited for vsus by his death and reſurrection: and in ſtede thereof he purchaſeth to himſelfe the wrath and iudgement of God, ſinne, death, the bondage of the Deuill and euerlaſting damnation. And this place ſtrongly confirmeth and fortifieth our doctrine concerning Faith or the article of iuſtification, and maruelouſly comforteth vsus againſt the cruell rage of the Papiſts that perſecute and condemne vsus as heretikes becauſe we teach this article. In deede this place ought to feare yt enemies of Faith & grace, that is to ſay, all that ſeeke righteouſnes by works, frō perſecutīg & blaſpheming ye word of grace life and euerlaſting ſaluation: But they be ſo hardhearted and obſtinate, that ſeeing they ſee not, and hearing they heare not, and when they read this dreadfull ſentence of the Apoſtle pronounced againſt them, they vnderſtand it not. Let vsus therfore let them alone:Math. 15.1…. They are blinde, and leaders of the blinde.