Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 7 – Verse extract 8
Ʋerſe. 7. And intendeth to peruert the Goſpell of Chriſt.
Falſe Apoſtles trouble and ouerthrovv the goſpell of Chriſt.That is to ſay, they doe not onelyonly goe about to trouble you, but alſo vtterly to aboliſh and ouerthrow Chriſtes Goſpell. For theſe two things the Deuill practiſeth moſt buſily. Firſt, he is not contented to trouble and deceaue many by his falſe Apoſtles, but moreouer he laboureth vtterly to ouerthrow the Goſpell by them, and neuer reſteth till he hauehave brought it to paſſe.The moſt vvicked teachers vvould be taken for holy inſtructers. Yet ſuch peruerters of the Goſpell can abide nothing leſſe, then to heare that they are the Apoſtles of the Deuill: nay rather they glory aboue others in the name of Chriſt, and boaſt themſelues to be the moſt ſincere preachers of the Goſpell.
But becauſe they mingle the law and the Goſpell together, they can not but be the peruerters of the Goſpell. For either Chriſt muſt remaine and the law periſh: or the law muſt remaine and Chriſt periſh: For Chriſt and the law can by no meanes agree and raigne together in the conſcience. Where the righteouſnes of the law ruleth, there can not the righteouſnes of grace rule. And againe, where the righteouſnes of grace raigneth, there can not the righteouſnes of the lawe raigne: for one of them muſt needes geue place vntounto the other. And if thou canſt not beleeue,The righteouſnes of the lavv, and the righteouſnes of grace are contrary. that God will forgeue thy ſinnes for Chriſtes ſake, whom he ſent into the world to be our high prieſt: how then I pray thee, wilt thou beleeue that he will forgeue the ſame for the works of the law, which thou couldeſt neuer performe: Or for thine owne workes, which (as thou muſt be compelled to confeſſe) be ſuch, as it is impoſſible for them to counteruaile the iudgement of God?
Wherefore the doctrine of Grace can by no meanes ſtande with the Doctrine of the Lawe. The one muſt ſimplye be refuſed and aboliſhed, and the other confirmed and ſtabliſhed,They that mingle the righteouſnes of the lavve and grace together, are ſubuerters of the goſpell of Chriſt. For as Paule ſayeth here, to mingle the one with the other, is to ouerthrow the Goſpell of Chriſt. And yet if it come to debating, the greater parte ouercommeth the better. For Chriſt with his ſide is weake, and the Goſpell is but a fooliſh preaching. Contrariwiſe, the kingdome of the world and the Deuill the prince thereof, are ſtrong. Beſides that, the wiſedom and righteouſnes of the fleſh cary a goodly ſhew. And by this meanes the righteouſnes of grace and Faith is loſt, and the other righteouſnes of the law and workes aduaunced and maintained. But this is our comforte, that the Deuill with all his limmes, can not doe what he would. He may trouble many, but he can not ouerthrow Chriſtes Goſpell. The truth may be aſſailed, and may come in daunger, but peariſh it can not. It may be aſſailed, but vanquiſhed it can not be: For the vvord of the Lord indureth for euer.
The diſcommodities that follovv the mingling of faith and vvorks together.It ſeemeth to be a light matter, to mingle the lawe and the Goſpell, faith and works together: but it doth more miſchiefe then mans reaſon can conceaue. For it doth not onelyonly blemiſh and darken the knowledge of grace, but alſo it taketh away Chriſt with all his benefits, and it vtterly ouerthroweth the Goſpell, as Paule ſaith in this place. The cauſe of this great euill is our fleſh: which being plunged in ſinnes, ſeeth no way how to get out but by works, & therefore it would liue in the righteouſnes of the lawe, and reſt in the truſt and confidence of her owne works. Wherefore it is vtterly ignoraunt of the doctrine of faith and grace: without which notwithſtanding it is impoſſible for the conſcience to finde reſt and quietnes.
It appeareth alſo by theſe words of Paule: And intend to peruert the Goſpell of Chriſt, that the falſe Apoſtles were exceeding bolde and ſhameleſſe, which with all their might ſet them ſelues againſt Paule. Wherefore he againe, vſing his ſpirite of zeale and feruencie, and being fully perſwaded of the certaintie of his calling, ſetteth him ſelfe ſtrongly againſt them, & wōderfully magnifieth his miniſtery, ſaying:
Verſe. 8. But though that vve or an Angell from heauen preach vntounto you othervviſe then that vve hauehave preached vntounto you, let him be accurſed.
The vehemēt zeale of Paule againſt the falſe Apoſtles.Here Paule caſteth out very flames of fire, and his zeale is ſo feruent that he beginneth alſo almoſt to curſe the Angels. Although, ſayth he, that we our ſelues, euen I and my brethren Timothy and Titus, and as many as teach Chriſt purely with me (I ſpeake not now of thoſe ſeducers of cōſciences): yea or if an angel from heauen preach vntounto you &c. notwithſtanding I would rather, that I my ſelfe, my brethren, yea & the very Angels from heauen alſo, ſhould be holden accurſed, then that my Goſpel ſhould be ouerthrowen. This is in deede a vehement zeale, that he dare ſo boldly curſe, not onelyonly him ſelfe and his brethren, but alſo euen an Angell from heauen.
The Greke word Anathema, in Hebrew Herem, ſignifieth a thing accurſed, execrable, and deteſtable: which hath nothing to doe, no participation, or communion with God. So the citie Hierico (ſaith Ioſua) shalbe accurſed for euer, Ioſua. 6.26.that it neuer be builded vp againe. And in the laſt of Leuiticus it is written: Nothing ſeparate from the common vſe, vvhichwhich shal be ſeparate from man, Leuit. 16.29.shalbe redemed but die the death, vvhether it be man or beaſt. Exod. 17.14.So God had appointed that Amalech, & certaine other cities accurſed by gods owne ſentence, ſhould be vtterly raſed and deſtroied. This then is Paules minde: I had rather that my ſelfe, and other my brethren, yea and an Angell from heauen ſhould be accurſed, then that we or others ſhould preach any other Goſpell, then that which we hauehave preached already. So Paule firſt curſeth him ſelfe: for cunning artificers are wont firſt to finde faulte with themſelues, that they may the more frely and ſharply afterwards reproue others.
Paule therfore concludeth, that there is no other Goſpell beſides that, which he himſelfe had preached.The Goſpell of Paule. But he preached not a Goſpell which he had him ſelfe deuiſed, but the ſame which God promiſed before by his Prophets in the holy ſcriptures. Rom. 1. Therefore he pronounceth him ſelfe and others, yea euen an Angell from heauen,Acts. 13.2. Rom. 1.2. Deut. 18.15. Act. 3.22. to be vndoubtedly accurſed, if they teach any thing contrarie vntounto the firſt Goſpell. For the voice of the Goſpell once ſent forth shall not be called backe againe til the day of iudgment.