Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 7
Verſe. 7. VVhichWhich is not an other Goſpell, but that there be ſome vvhichwhich trouble you.
Here againe he excuſeth the Galathians, and moſt bitterly reproueth the falſe Apoſtles. As though he would ſay: Ye Galathians are borne in hand, that the Goſpell which ye hauehave receaued of me, is not the true and ſincere goſpell, and therefore ye thinke ye do well to receaue that new goſpell which the falſe apoſtles doe teach, and that it is better then mine. I doe not ſo much charge you with this fault, as thoſe diſturbers which trouble your conſciences, and pull you out of my hand.The troublers of the church. Here you ſee againe, how vehement and hoate he is againſt thoſe deceauers, and with what rough and ſharpe words he painteth them out, calling them troublers of the Churches: which doe nothing elſe but ſeduce and deceaue innumerable poore conſciences, geuing occaſions of horrible miſchiefes and calamities in the congregations. This great miſchiefe we alſo at this day are conſtrained to ſee, to the great griefe of our hartes, and yet are we no more able to remedie it, then Paule was at that time.
Hovve the falſe Apoſtles had ſlaundered Paule.This place witneſſeth, that thoſe counterfait Apoſtles had reported Paule to be an vnperfect Apoſtle, and alſo a weake and erroneous preacher. Therefore here on the other ſide he calleth them troublers of the Churches, and ouerthrowers of Chriſtes goſpell. Thus they condemned eche other. The falſe Apoſtles condemned Paule, and Paule againe the falſe Apoſtles. And the like contending and condemning hath euer bene in the Church, ſpecially when the doctrine of the goſpell hath flouriſhed, to wit, that wicked teachers doe perſecute, condemne, and oppreſſe the godly: and on the contrary part, that the godly doe reproue and condemne the vngodly.
That vngodly teachers condemne and perſecute the godly.The Papiſts, and bragging ſpirites do at this day hate vsus deadly, and condemne our doctrine as wicked and erroneous. Yea moreouer they lie in wait for our goods and liues. And we againe doe with a perfect hatred deteſt and condenme their wicked and blaſphemous doctrine. In the meane while the miſerable people are at a ſtay, wauing hether and thither as vncertaine and doubtfull to which part they may leane, or whom they may ſafely follow: and this is, becauſe it is not geuen to eueryevery one to iudge Chriſtianly of ſuch great and waightie matters. But the ende will ſhew which part teacheth truely, and which of them doth iuſtly condemne other.
Sure it is that we perſecute no man, oppreſſe no man, put no man to death, neither doth our doctrine diſquiet mens conſciences, but deliuereth them out of innumerable errours and ſnares of the Deuill. For the truth hereof we hauehave the teſtimonie of many good men, who geue thankes vntounto God, for that by our doctrine they hauehave receiued certaine and ſure conſolation to their conſciences. Wherfore like as Paule at that time was not to be blamed that the Churches were troubled, but the falſe Apoſtles: ſo alſo at this day it is not our fault, but the fault of the Anabaptiſts and ſuch fantaſtical ſpirits, that many and great troubles are in the Church.
Marke here diligently,EueryEvery one that teacheth vvorkes, is a troubler of mens conſciences. that eueryevery teacher of workes and of the righteouſnes of the law, is a troubler of the Church, and of the conſciences of men. And who would euer hauehave beleeued that the Pope, Cardinals, Biſhops, Monkes, and that whole Sinagoge of Satan, ſpecially the Founders of thoſe holy religious orders (of which number neuertheles God might ſaue ſome by miracle) were troublers of conſciences? Yea verely they be yet farre worſe then were thoſe falſe Apoſtles. For the falſe Apoſtles taught, that beſides faith in Chriſt, the workes of the law of God were alſo neceſſary to ſaluation.The Papiſtes vvorſe then the falſe Apoſtles amōg the Galathians. But the Papiſtes omitting Faith, hauehave taught mens traditions and workes not commaunded of God, but deuiſed by themſelues without and againſt the worde of God: and theſe hauehave they not only made equall with the word of God, but alſo exalted them farre aboue it. But the more holy that the heretikes ſeeme to be in outward ſhew, ſo much the more miſcheefe they doe. For if the falſe Apoſtles had not ben endued with notable giftes, with great authoritie, and a ſhewe of holines, and had not vaunted themſelues to be Chriſtes miniſters, the Apoſtles diſciples, and ſincere preachers of the goſpel: they could not ſo eaſily hauehave defaced Paules authoritie, and led the Galathians out of the way.
Nowe, the cauſe why he inueyeth ſo ſharply againſt them, calling them the troublers of the Churches, is, for that beſides Faith in Chriſt, they taught that Circumciſion and the keeping of the law was neceſſary to ſaluation. The which thing Paule him ſelfe witneſſeth in the fifte Chapiter following. And Luke in the fiftenth of the Actes declareth the ſame thing in theſe wordes: That certaine men comming dovvne from Iudea, taught the brethern, ſaying: Actes. 15.1.Except ye be circumciſed after the cuſtome of Moiſes, ye can not be ſaued.
Wherfore the falſe Apoſtles moſt earneſtly and obſtinately contended that the law ought to be obſerued. VntoUnto whom the ſtifnecked Iewes forthwith ioyned them ſelues, and ſo afterwardes eaſily perſwaded ſuch as were not ſtabliſhed in the Faith, that Paule was not a ſincere teacher becauſe he regarded not the law, but preached ſuch a doctrine as did aboliſh and ouerthrow the law. It ſeemed vntounto them a very ſtraunge thing that the lawe of God ſhould vtterly be taken away, and the Iewes which had euer vntill that time bene counted the people of God, to whom alſo the promiſes were made, ſhould be now reiected. Yea it ſeemed yet a more ſtraunge thing vntounto them, that the Gentiles being wicked Idolaters, ſhould attaine to this glory and dignitie, to be the people of God without Circumciſion, and without the works of the law, by grace onelyonly and Faith in Chriſt.
Theſe things had the falſe Apoſtles amplified and ſet forth to the vttermoſt, that they might bring Paule into more hatred among the Galathians. And to the ende they might ſet them the more ſharply againſt him, they ſayd that he preached vntounto the Gentiles fredome from the law,Falſe Apoſtles brag of their ovvne doings and diſpraiſe other mens. to bring into contempt, yea and vtterly to aboliſh the law of God and the kingdom of the Iewes, contrary to the law of God, contrary to the cuſtome of the Iewiſh nation, contrary to the example of the Apoſtles, and to be ſhort, contrary to his owne example: Wherefore he was to be ſhunned as an open blaſphemer againſt God, and a rebell againſt the whole common weale of the Iewes, ſaying that they themſelues ought rather to be heard, who beſides that they preached the Goſpell rightly, were alſo the very diſciples of the Apoſtles: with whom Paule was neuer conuerſant. By this policie they defamed and defaced Paule among the Galathians: ſo that by this their peruerſe dealing, of very neceſſitie Paule is compelled with all his mighte to ſet him ſelfe againſte theſe falſe Apoſtles: whom he boldly reproueth and condemneth, ſay-ing that they are the troublers of the Churches and ouerthrowers of Chriſtes goſpell, as followeth: