Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 6
Verſe. 6, VntoUnto an other Goſpell.
Here we may learne to eſpie the craftie ſleights and ſubtilties of the Deuill. No heretike commeth vnderunder the title of errours and of the Deuill,The vvhite Deuill. neither doth the Deuill himſelfe come as a Deuill in his owne likenes, eſpecially that white Deuill which we ſpake of before. Yea euen the blacke deuill, which forceth men to manifeſt wickednes, maketh a cloke for them to couer that ſinne which they committe or purpoſe to committe. The murtherer in his rage ſeeth not that murther is ſo greate and horrible a ſinne as it is in deede, for that he hath a cloke to couer the ſame. Whoremaſters, theeues, couetous perſons, drunkards and ſuch others, hauehave wherwith to flatter them ſelues and couer their ſinnes.The blacke Deuill. So the blacke deuill alſo commeth out diſguiſed and counterfet in all his works and deuiſes. But in ſpirituall matters, where Sathan commeth forth, not blacke, but white in the likenes of an Angell or of God him ſelfe,Sathan chaū geth himſelfe into an Angel of light. there he paſſeth himſelfe with moſt craftie diſſimulation and wonderfull ſleights, and is wont to ſet forth to ſale his moſt deadly poiſon for the doctrine of grace, for the word of God, for the Goſpell of Chriſt. For this cauſe Paule calleth the doctrine of the falſe Apoſtles Sathans miniſters, a goſpell alſo, ſaying: vntounto an other Goſpell: but in deriſion. As though he would ſay: ye Galathians hauehave now other Euangeliſtes and an other Goſpell. My Goſpell is now deſpiſed of you: it is now no more in eſtimation among you.
Hereby it may eaſily be gathered, that theſe falſe Apoſtles had condemned the Goſpell of Paule among the Galathians, The falſe Apoſtles condemne Paules doctrine. Acts. 15.5.ſaying: Paule in deede hath begunne well, but to hauehave begunne well it is not enough: for there remaine yet many higher matters. Like as they ſay in ye .15. of the Acts: It is not enough for you to beleue in Chriſt or to be baptiſed, but it behoueth alſo that ye be circumciſed: For except ye be circumciſed after the lavv of Moſes, ye can not be ſaued. This is aſmuch to ſay, as Chriſt is a good workman, which hath in deede begunne a building, but he hath not finiſhed it: for this muſt Moſes doe.
The nature of heretiks liuely painted outSo at this day, when the fantaſticall Anabaptiſtes and others can not manifeſtly condemne vsus, they ſay: Theſe Lutherans hauehave the ſpirite of fearefulnes, they dare not franckly and freely profeſſe the truth, and goe thorow with it. In deede they hauehave laid a foundation, that is to ſay, they hauehave well taught faith in Chriſt, but the beginning, midle, and end muſt be ioyned together. To bring this to paſſe, God hath not giuen it vntounto them, but hath left it vntounto vsus. So theſe peruerſe and deueliſh ſpirits, ſet out and aduaunce their owne wicked preachings, calling them the word of God,The Deuill vvill not be blacke in his Miniſters. and ſo deceaue many vnderunder the colour of Gods name. For the Deuill will not be ougly and blacke in his miniſters, but faire and white. And to the end he may appeare to be ſuch a one, he ſetteth out and decketh all his words and works with the colour of truth, and with the name of God.A prouerbe among ths Germains. Hereof is ſprong that common prouerbe among the Germains: In Gods name beginneth all miſchiefe.
Wherefore let vsus learne that this is a ſpeciall point of the deuils cunning, that if he can not hurt by perſecuting and deſtroying,The Deuill doth more hurt on the right hand then on the left. he doth it vnderunder a colour of correcting and building vp. So now a dayes he perſecuteth vsus with force and ſword, that when we are once taken away and diſpatched, he may not onelyonly deface the Goſpell, but vtterly ouerthrow it. But hitherto he hath preuailed nothing, for he hath ſlaine many, who hauehave conſtantly confeſſed this our doctrine to be holy and heauenly: through whoſe bloud the Church is not deſtroied but wattred. Foraſmuch therefore as he could preuaile nothing that way, he ſtirreth vp wicked ſpirits and vngodly teachers, which at the firſt allow our doctrine, and teach the ſame with a common conſent together with vsus. But afterwards they ſay, that it is our vocation to teach the firſt principles of Chriſtian doctrine, and that the very myſteries of the ſcriptures are reueiled vntounto them from aboue by God himſelfe, and that they are called for this purpoſe, that they ſhould open them to the world. After this maner doth the Deuill hinder the courſe of the Goſpell, both on the right hand and on the left, but more on the right hand (as I ſaide before) by building and correcting, then on the left by perſecuting and killing.
Wherefore it behoueth vsus to pray without ceaſing, to reade the holy ſcriptures, to cleaue faſt vntounto Chriſt and his holy word, that we may ouercome the Deuils crafte and ſubtilties, with which he aſſaileth vsus both on the righte hande and on the lefte.Epheſ. 6.22. For vve vvreſtle not againſt flesh and bloud, but againſt rule, againſt povver, againſt the vvorldly gonerners, the Princes of the darkenes of this vvorld, againſt ſpirituall vvickedneſſes in heauenly things.