Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 9
Verſe. 9. As vve ſaid before ſo ſay vve novv againe, if any man preach vntounto you othervviſe then that you hauehave receaued, let him be accurſed.
He repeteth the ſelfe ſame thing, onelyonly chaunging the perſons. Before he curſed him ſelfe, his brethren, and an Angell from heauen. Here if there be any (ſaith he) beſides vsus, which preach vntounto you any other Goſpell then that ye hauehave receaued of vsus, let them alſo be accurſed. Therefore he plainly excommunicateth and curſeth all teachers in generall, him ſelfe, his brethren, an Angell,The vehemencie of Paule againſt the falſe Apoſtles. & moreouer all others whatſoeuer, namely all thoſe falſe teachers his aduerſaries. Here appeareth an exceeding greate feruencie of ſpirite in the Apoſtle, that dare curſe all teachers thorow out the whole world and in heauen, which peruert his Goſpel & teach any other. For all men muſt either beleue that Goſpel that Paule preached, or els they muſt be accurſed and condemned.An horrible ſentence againſt the Papiſtes. O would to God this terrible ſentence of the Apoſtle might ſtrike a feare into their harts that ſeeke to peruert the Goſpel of Paule: of which ſorte at this day (the more it is to be lamented) the world is full.
The chaunging of perſons is here to be marked. For Paule ſpeaketh otherwiſe in his firſt curſing, then he doth in this ſecond. In the firſt he ſaith: If vve or an Angell from heauen, preach vntounto you any other Goſpell then that vve hauehave preached vntounto you. In the ſecond: then that you hauehave receaued. And this he doth of purpoſe, leſt the Galathians ſhould ſay: We, o Paule, do not peruert the goſpell that thou haſt preached vntounto vsus: we vnderſtood thee not rightly, but the teachers that came after thee, hauehave declared vntounto vsus the true meaning therof. This (ſaith he) wil I in no caſe admitte. They ought to adde nothing, neither to correct it: but that which you heard of me, is the ſincere word of God: let this onelyonly remaine. Neither doe I deſire my ſelfe to be an other maner of teacher then I was, nor you other diſciples. Wherefore, if ye heare any man, bringing any other Goſpel then that ye hauehave heard of me, or bragging that he will deliuer better things then ye hauehave receaued of me, let him and his diſciples be both accurſed.
The contents of the tvvo firſt chapters.The firſt two chapters, in a maner containe nothing els but defences of his doctrine, and confutations of errours. For in the ende of the ſecond chapter, at the laſt he beginneth to handle the article of iuſtification. Notwithſtanding, this ſentence of Paule ought to admoniſh vsus, that ſo many as thinke the Pope to be the iudge of holy ſcripture, are accurſed. Which thinge the Popes Scholemen hauehave wickedly taught,The reaſon of the Papiſts, to proue that the Church is aboue the ſcripture. ſtanding vponupon this ground: The church hath allowed foure Goſpels onelyonly: therefore there are but foure. For if it had allowed more, ther had ben more. Now ſeeing the Church might receaue and allowe ſuch and ſo many Goſpels as it would, therefore the Church is aboue the Goſpell. A goodly argument forſoth. I approue the ſcrpture, Ergo I am aboue the ſcripture. Iohn Baptiſt acknowledgeth and confeſſeth Chriſt and pointeth to him with his finger, therfore he is aboue Chriſt. The Church approueth the Chriſtian faith and doctrine, therefore the Church is aboue them. For the ouerthrowing of this their wicked and blaſphemous doctrine againſt God, thou haſt here a plaine text like a thunderbolt, wherein Paule ſubiecteth both him ſelfe and an Angell from heauen, and Doctours vponupon earth, and all other teachers and maiſters whatſoeuer, vnderunder the authoritie of the ſcripture. For they ought not to be maiſters, iudges, or arbiters, but onelyonly witneſſes, diſciples and confeſſours of the Church,The vvord of God muſt only be taught in the church. whether it be the Pope, Luther, Auguſtine, Paule, or an Angell from heauen. Neither ought any doctrine to be taught or heard in the Church beſides the word of God, that is to ſay, the holy ſcripture. Otherwiſe accurſed be both the teachers and hearers together with their doctrine.