Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 14
Verſe. 14. But vvhen I ſavv that they vvent not the right vvay to the truth of the Goſpell.
This is a wonderfull example of ſuch excellent men and pillers of the church. There is none but Paule that hath his eies open and ſeeth the offence of Peter, Peter knovveth not his errour.Barnabas and the other Iewes which diſſembled with Peter. On the other ſide, they doe not ſee their owne offence: nay they rather thinke that they doe well in bearing with the infirmitie of the weake Iewes. Wherefore it was very neceſſary that Paule ſhould reproue their offence and not diſſemble it, and therefore he accuſeth Peter, Barnabas and other, that they went not ye right way to the truth of the Goſpell: that is to ſay, they ſwarued from the truth of the Goſpell. It is a greate matter that Peter ſhould be accuſed of Paule as one that was falne from the truth of the Goſpell. He could not be more greuouſly reprehended. Yet he ſuffered it patiently, and no doubt but he gladly acknowledged his offence. I ſayde before that many hauehave the Goſpell but not the truth of the Goſpell. So Paule ſaith here, that Peter, Barnabas and other of the Ievves vvent not the right vvay to the truthe of the Goſpell: that is to ſay, they had the Goſpell, but they walked not vprightly according to the Goſpell. For albeit they preached the Goſpell, yet through their diſſimulation (which could not ſtand with the truth of the Goſpell) they eſtabliſhed the law: but the eſtabliſhing of the law is the aboliſhing of the Goſpell.
Who ſo then can rightly iudge betwene the lawe and the Goſpell, let him thanke God, and know that he is a right Diuine. In the time of tentation,The difference of the lavve and the Goſpel is moſt diligently to be learned. I confeſſe that I my ſelfe doe not know how to doe it as I ought. Now, the way to diſcerne the one from the other, is to place the Goſpell in heauen and the lawe on the earth: to call the righteouſnes of the Goſpell heauenly, and the righteouſnes of the law earthly: and to put as greate difference betwene the righteouſnes of the goſpell and of the law, as God hath made betwene heauen and earth, betwene light and darkneſſe,The difference betvvene the lavv and the Goſpell. betweene daye and night. Lette the one be as the light and the day, and the other as the darkenes and the night. And would to God we could yet further ſeparate the one from the other. Wherefore if the queſtion be concerning the matter of faith or conſcience, let vsus vtterly exclude the law, and leaue it on the earth: but if we hauehave to doe with works, then let vsus lighten the lanterne of works and of the righteouſnes of ye law. So let the Sunne & the ineſtimable light of the Goſpell and grace ſhine in the day, and the lanterne of the law in the night. Wherefore if thy conſcience be terrified with the ſenſe and feeling of ſinne, thinke thus with thy ſelfe: Thou art now remaining vpō earth: there let the Aſſe labour and trauel: there let him ſerue and carry the burthen that is laid vponupon him, that is to ſay, let the body with his members be ſubiect to the law. But when thou mounteſt vp into heauen, then leaue the Aſſe with his burthen on the earth: for the conſcience hath nothing to doe with the law or works, or with the earthly righteouſnes. So doth the Aſſe remaine in the valley, but the cōſcience aſcendeth with Iſaac into the mountaine, knowing nothing at all of the law or workes thereof, but onelyonly looking to the remiſſion of ſinnes and pure righteouſnes offered and freely geuen vntounto vsus in Chriſt.
VVhen the lavv is to be vrged.Contrariwiſe in ciuill policy, obedience to the law muſt be ſeuerely required. There nothing muſt be knowne as concerning the Goſpell, conſcience, grace, remiſſion of ſinnes, heauēly righteouſnes, or Chriſt himſelfe: but Moſes onelyonly with the law and the works thereof. If we marke well this diſtinction, neither the one nor the other ſhall paſſe his bounds, but the law ſhall abide without heauen, that is, without the heart and conſcience, and contrariwiſe the libertie of the Goſpell ſhall abide without the earth, that is to ſay, without the body and members thereof. Now therfore as ſoone as the law and ſinne come into heauen, that is,The lavv hath nothing to do vvith the conſcience. into the conſcience, let them by and by be caſt out. For the conſcience being feared with the terrour of the wrath and iudgement of God, ought to know nothing of the law and ſinne, but of Chriſt onelyonly. And on the other ſide, when grace and liberty come into the earth, that is, into the body, then ſay: thou oughteſt not to dwell in the dregges and dunghill of this corporall life, but thou belongeſt vntounto heauen.
This diſtinction of the law and the Goſpell Peter confounded through his diſſimulation, and therby perſwaded the beleuing Iewes that they muſt be iuſtified by the Goſpell and the law together. This might not Paule ſuffer, and therefore he reproued Peter, not to put him to any reproch, but to the ende that he might againe eſtabliſh a plaine difference betwene theſe two: namely that the Goſpell iuſtifieth in heauen and the lawe on earth.The Pope maketh the Goſpell lavv, and confoundeth them both together. The Pope hath not onelyonly mixed the law with the Goſpell, but alſo of the Goſpell hath made meere lawes, yea and ſuch as are ceremoniall onelyonly. He hath alſo confounded and mixed politicall and eccleſiaſticall matters together: which is a deuiliſh and an helliſh confuſion.
This place touching the difference betwene the law and the Goſpell, is very neceſſary to be knowne:Hovv neceſſary this difference is to be knovven. for it containeth the ſumme of all Chriſtian doctrine. Wherfore let all that louelove and feare God, diligētly learne to diſcerne ye one from the other, not only in words, but in effect & practiſe, yt is to ſay, in heart & conſcience. For as touching ye words, the diſtinction is ſoone made: but in time of tentation thou ſhalt finde the Goſpell but as a ſtraunger and a rare geſt in thy conſcience:The Goſpell a ſtraunger in tentations: The lavve a continuall geſt. but the law contrariwiſe thou ſhalt finde a familiar and continuall dweller within thee: for reaſon hath the knowledge of ye law naturally. Wherfore when thy conſcience is terrified with ſinne, which the law vttereth and encreaſeth, then ſay thou: There is a time to die and a time to liue: there is a time to heare the law and a time to deſpiſe the law: there is a time to heare the Goſpel,The time of the Goſpell. and there is a time to be ignorant of the Goſpell. Let the law now depart and let the Goſpell come: for there is now no time to heare the lawe, but the Goſpell.An obiection of the lavv. But thou haſt done no good: nay thou haſt done wickedly & haſt greuouſly ſinned. I graūt: notwithſtanding I hauehave remiſſion of all my ſinnes for Chriſtes ſake. But out of the conflicte of conſcience,VVhen vve muſt heare the lavv. when externall duties muſt be done, there is no time to harken to the Goſpell: then muſt thou follow thy vocation and the works thereof.