Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 1 · Verse extract 3
Verſe. 3. Grace be vvith you and peace from God the father, and from our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
I hope ye are not ignoraunt what grace and peace meaneth,Grace. Peace. ſeeing that theſe termes are common in Paule, and nowe not obſcure or vnknowne. But foraſmuch as we take in hand to expound this Epiſtle (which we doe, not becauſe it is needefull, or for any hardnes that is in it, but that our conſciences may be confirmed againſt hereſies yet to come), let it not be tedious vntounto you if we repeat theſe things againe, that elſewhere and at other times we teach, preach, ſinge, and ſette out by writing. For if we neglect the article of iuſtification,The article of of iuſtificatiō is continually to be beaten into our heds. we loſe altogether. Therefore moſt neceſſary it is cheifly and aboue all things, that we teach and repete this article continually: Like as Moſes ſaith of his law: for it can not be beaten into our eares enough or to much. Yea though we learne it and vnderſtand it well, yet is there none that taketh hold of it perfectly, or beleueth it with his whole hart: ſo fraile a thing is our fleſh and diſobedient to the ſpirite.
This greeting of the Apoſtle is ſtraunge vntounto the world,The greeting of the Apoſtle ſtraunge and vnheard of to the vvorld. and was neuer heard of before the preaching of the Goſpell. And theſe two words Grace and Peace cōprehend in them whatſoeuer belongeth to Chriſtianitie. Grace releaſeth ſinne, and peace maketh the conſcience quiet. The two Feends that torment vsus, are ſinne and conſcience.Sinne. Conſcience. But Chriſt hath vanquiſhed theſe two Monſters and troden them vnderunder foote both in this world and in the world to come. This the world doth not knowe, and therefore it can teach no certaintie of the ouercomming of ſinne, conſcience, and death.The doctrine of Chriſtians. Only Chriſtians hauehave this kinde of doctrine, and are exerciſed and armed with it, to get victory againſt ſinne, deſpaire, and euerlaſting death. And it is a kinde of doctrine neither proceeding of free wil, nor inuented by the reaſon or wiſedome of of man,Grace, Peace. but geuen from aboue. Moreouer theſe two words Grace and Peace doe containe in them the whole ſumme of Chriſtianitie. Grace containeth the remiſſion of ſinnes, peace a quiet and ioyful conſcience. But peace of conſcience can neuer be had, vnleſſe ſinne be firſt forgeuē. But it is not forgeuen for the fulfilling of the law: For no man is able to ſatiſfie the law: but the law doth rather ſhew ſinne, accuſe and terrifie the conſcience, declare the wrath of God, and driue to deſperation. Much leſſe is ſinne taken away by the workes and inuentions of men, as wicked worſhippings, ſtraung religious, vowes and pilgrimages. Finally there is no worke that can take away ſinne: but ſinne is rather encreaſed by works. For the Iuſticiaries & Meritmongers, the more they ſweate and labour to bring them ſelues out of ſinne, ye deeper they are plunged therin.Sinne is not releaſed, but by grace alone. For there is no meanes to take away ſinne but grace alone. Therfore Paule in all the greetings of his epiſtles ſetteth grace and peace againſt ſinne and an euill conſcience. This thing muſt be diligently marked. The words are eaſy: but in tentation it is ye hardeſt thing that can be, to be certainly perſwaded in our harts that by grace alone, without any other meanes either in heauen or earth, we hauehave remiſſion of ſinnes and peace with God.
The world vnderſtādeth not this doctrine, & therfore it neither will nor can abide it,The vvorld knovveth not the doctrine of true godlines. but condemneth it as hereticall and wicked. It braggeth of free will, of the light of reaſon, and the ſoundnes of the powers and qualities of nature, & of good workes, as meanes wherby it could deſerue and attaine grace and peace, that is to ſay, forgeuenes of ſinnes and a quiet conſcience. But it is impoſſible that the conſcience ſhould be quiet and ioyfull,OnelyOnly by grace is the conſcience quieted. vnleſſe it hauehave peace thorowe grace, that is to ſay, through the forgiuenes of ſinnes promiſed in Chriſt. Many hauehave carefully laboured by finding out diuers and ſundry religions, orders and exerciſes for this purpoſe, to attaine peace and quietnes of conſcience: but by ſo doing they hauehave plunged them ſelues in moe and greater miſeries: for all ſuch deuiſes are but meanes to encreaſe doubtfulnes and deſpaire. Therfore there ſhall be no reſt to my bones or thine, vnleſſe we heare the word of grace and cleaue vntounto it ſtedfaſtly & faithfully: Then ſhall our conſcience vndoubtedly finde grace and peace.
VVhat peace Paule vvisheth to Chriſtians.The Apoſtle doth fittly diſtinguiſh this grace and peace from al other kinds of grace & peace whatſoeuer. He wiſheth to the Galathians Grace & Peace, not from the Emperour, or Kings and Princes: for theſe doe commonly perſecute the Godly and riſe vp againſt the Lord and Chriſt his anointed.Pſal. 2.2. Pſal. 2. nor from the world (for in the world, ſaith Chriſt, ye ſhall hauehave trouble):Iohn. 10.23 but from God our father &c. which is as much to ſay, as he wiſheth vntounto them a heauēly peace. So Chriſt ſaith: My peace I leaue vntounto you: my peace I geue you: Iohn. 14.27.not as the vvorld geueth it, do I geue it vntounto you. The peace of the world graunteth nothing but the peace of our goods and bodies.Peace of the vvorld. So the Grace or fauoure of the world geueth vsus leaue to enioy our goodes, & caſteth vsus not out of our poſſeſſions. But in affliction & in the hower of death,The grace of te vvorld. the grace and fauour of the world can not helpe vsus, they can not deliuer vsus from affliction, deſpaire and death. But when the Grace and Peace of God are in the hart, then is man ſtrong, ſo that he can neither be caſt downe with aduerſitie, nor puffed vp with proſperitie, but walketh on plainly and kepeth the hie way. For he taketh hart and courage in the victory of Chriſtes death, & the confidence thereof beginneth to reigne in his conſcience ouer ſinne and death, becauſe through him he hath aſſured forgeuenes of his ſinnes: which after he hath once obtained, his conſcience is at reſt, and by the word of Grace is comforted. So then a man being comforted & hartened by the Grace of God, that is, by forgeuenes of ſinnes and by this peace of conſcience, is able valiantly to beare and ouercome all troubles, yea euen death it ſelfe. This Peace of God is not geuen to the world, becauſe the world neuer longeth after it, nor vnderſtandeth it, but to them that beleeue: and this commeth to paſſe by no other meane, then by the onelyonly Grace of God.
A rule to be obſerued, that men ought to abſtaine from the curious ſearching of Gods maiestie.
But why doth the Apoſtle ioyne in this ſalutation:VVhy this is added and frō our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And from our Lord Ieſus Chriſt? Was it not enough to ſay: And from God our father? why then doth he couple Ieſus Chriſt vvith the father? Ye hauehave often times heard of vsus, howe it is a rule and principle in the ſcriptures diligently to be marked, that we muſt abſtaine from the curious ſearching of Gods maieſtie, which is intolerable to mans body, and much more to his minde. No man (ſaith the ſcripture) ſhall ſee me and liue.Exod. 23, …0 The Pope, the Turkes, the Iewes,That Meritemongers or ſuch as ſeeke to iuſtifie thē ſelues, by thē ſelues shutte out Chriſt, and vvill only hauehave to doe vvith God. and all ſuch as truſt in their owne merits, regard not this rule: and therefore remouing Chriſt the Mediatour out of their ſight, they ſpeake onelyonly of God, & before him onelyonly they pray, and doe all that they doe.
As for example, the Monke imagineth thus: Theſe works which I doe, pleaſe God. God will regard theſe my vowes, and for them will ſaue me. The Turke ſaith: If I keepe the things that are commaunded in the Alcoran, The Alcoran is a boke containing the Turkes religion, receaued frō Mahomet a falſe prophet that vvas among them.God will accept me, and geue me euerlaſting life. The Ievve thinketh thus: If I kepe thoſe things which the law commaundeth, I ſhall finde God mercifull to me, and ſo ſhall I be ſaued. So alſo a ſort of fond heades at this day, bragging of the ſpirite, of reuelations, of viſions, and ſuch other monſtrous matters I wote not what, doe walke in wonders aboue their reaches. Theſe new Monkes hauehave inuented a new croſſe and new workes, and they dreame that by doing them, they pleaſe God. To be briefe, as many as know not the Article of Iuſtification, take away Chriſt the mercy ſeat, and will needes comprehend God in his maieſtie by the iudgemēt of reaſon, and pacifie him with their workes.
But true Chriſtian diuinitie (as I geue you often warning) ſetteth not God forth vntounto vsus in his maieſtie, as Moiſes and other doctrines do. It commaundeth vsus not to ſearch out the nature of God: but to know his will ſet out to vsus in Chriſt,The vvill of God is to be ſought in Chriſt. whom he would hauehave to take our fleſh vponupon him, to be borne and to die for our ſinnes, and that this ſhould be preached among all nations. For ſeeing the world by wiſedom knew not God in the wiſedom of God, it pleaſed God by the fooliſhnes of preaching to ſaue thē that beleue.1. Cor. 1.21. 1. Cor. 1. Wherfore, when thy conſcience ſtandeth in the conflict, wraſtling againſt the law, ſinne, and death in the preſence of God, there is nothing more daungerous then to wander with curious ſpeculatiōs in heauen, and there to ſearch out God in his incomprehenſible power, wiſedom and maieſtie, how he created the world and how he gouerneth it. If thou ſeeke thus to comprehend God, and wouldeſt pacifie him without Chriſt the Mediator, making thy workes a meane betweene him and thy ſelfe, it can not be but that thou muſt fall as Lucifer did,The fall of Lucifer. VVhat God is in his ovvne nature. and in horrible deſpaire loſe God and altogether. For as God is in his owne nature vnmeaſurable, incomprehenſible, and infinite, ſo is he to mans nature intolerable.
Wherfore, if thou wouldeſt be in ſafetie and out of perill of conſcience and ſaluation, bridle this climing and preſumptuous ſpirite, and ſo ſeke God as Paule teacheth thee.1. Cor. 1.13. 1. Cor. 1. We (ſayth he) preach Chriſt crucified, a ſtumbling blocke vntounto the Ievves, and foolishnes vntounto the Grecians: but vntounto thē vvhichwhich are called, both of the Ievves and Grecians, vve preach Chriſt the povver of God & the vviſedom of God. Therfore begin thou there where Chriſt began, namely in the wombe of the virgin,VVhere the vvil of God is to be ſought. in the maunger, & at his mothers breaſts. &c. For to this ende he came downe, was borne, was conuerſant among men, ſuffered, was crucified and died, that by all meanes he might ſet forth him ſelfe plainly before our eies, and faſten the eies of our hartes vponupon him ſelfe, that he therby might keepe vsus from climing vp into heauen, and from the curious ſearching of the diuine maieſtie.
Whenſoeuer thou haſt to doe therefore in the matter of iuſtification,Iob. 36.23, 24.25 Eſaias. 2, 10. Prouerb. 25, 27. 2 Eſdras. 12, 4. 2 Eſdras. 13.52, Eccleſ. 3, 22. Rom. 12, 3. and diſputeſt with thy ſelfe howe God is to be found that iuſtifieth and accepteth ſinners, where and in what ſort he is to be ſought, then knowe thou that there is no other God beſides this man Chriſt Ieſus. Embrace him and cleaue to him with all thy hart, ſetting aſide all curious ſpeculations of the diuine maieſtie: For he that is a ſearcher of Gods maieſtie ſhalbe ouerwhelmed of his glory, I knowe by experience what I ſay. But theſe vaine ſpirites which ſo deale with God, that they exclude the Mediatour, beleue me not. Chriſt him ſelfe ſaith:Io. 14, 6. I am the vvay, the truth and the life: No man commeth to the father but by me. Therefore beſides this way Chriſt,Chriſt the vvay, the truth and the life thou ſhalt finde no way to the father, but wandering: no veritie, but hypocriſie and lying: no life, but eternall death. Wherefore marke this well in the matter of iuſtification, that when any of vsus all ſhall hauehave to wreſtle with the lawe, ſinne, death and all other euils, we muſt looke vponupon no other God but onelyonly this God incarnate and clothed with mans nature.
But out of the matter of iuſtification, when thou muſt diſpute with Iewes, Turkes, Papiſtes, Heretikes &c. concerning the power, wiſdome, and maieſtie of God, then employ all thy witte & induſtrie to that ende, and be as profound and as ſubtill a diſputer as thou canſt: for then thou art in an other veine. But in the caſe of conſcience,The afflicted conſcience vvreſtling vvith the iudgment of God by faith onelyonly in Chriſt is comforted. Mat. 11, 28. of righteouſnes and life (which I wiſh here diligently to be marked) againſt the lawe, ſinne, death, and the deuill, or in the matter of ſatiſfaction, of remiſſion of ſinnes, of reconciliation, and of euerlaſting life, thou muſt withdrawe thy minde wholy from all cogitations and ſearching of the maieſtie of God, and looke onelyonly vponupon this man Ieſus Chriſt, who ſetteth himſelfe forth vntounto vsus to be a Mediatour, and ſaith: Come vntounto me all ye that labour, and are heauy loden and I vvill refreshe you. Thus doing thou ſhalt perceaue the louelove, goodnes and ſweetenes of God: thou ſhalt ſee his wiſdome, power and maieſtie ſweetned and tempered to thy capacitie: yea and thou ſhalt finde in this mirrour and pleaſant contemplation, all things according to that ſaying of Paule to the Coloſſians, Chap. 2. Verſe. 3. Coloſs. 2, 3.2, 9.In Chriſt are hid all the treaſures of vviſedome and knovvledge. Alſo in the ſecond chapiter. Ʋerſe. 9. For in him dvvelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodily. The world is ignoraūt of this, and therefore it ſearcheth out the will of God, ſetting aſide the promiſe in Chriſt,Mat. 11.27. Io. 10.15. to his great deſtruction. For no man knovveth the father but the ſonne, and he to vvhom the ſonne vvill reueale him.
And this is the cauſe why Paule is wont ſo often to couple Ieſus Chriſt with God the father, euen to teach vsus what true Chriſtian religion is: which beginneth not at the higheſt as other religions doe, but at the loweſt.Geneſ. 28.12. It will hauehave vsus to clime vp by Iacobs ladder, whervpon God him ſelfe leaneth, whoſe feete touch the very earth, hard by the head of Iacob. Wherfore when ſo euer thou art occupied in the matter of thy ſaluation, ſetting aſide all curious ſpeculatiōs of Gods vnſearchable maieſtie, all cogitations of workes, of traditions, of philoſophie, yea and of Gods law too,Chriſtian diuinitie beginneth at Chriſt lying in the lappe of the virgine Mary. runne ſtreight to the maunger and embrace this infant, and the virgins litle babe in thine armes, and behold him as he was borne, ſucking, growing vp, conuerſant among men, teaching, dying, riſing againe, aſcending vp aboue all the heauens and hauing power aboue all things. By this meanes thou maiſt ſhake of all terrours and errours, like as the ſunne driueth away the cloudes. And this ſight and contemplation wil keepe thee in the right way, that thou maieſt follow whether Chriſt is gonne. Therefore Paule in wiſhing Grace and Peace, not onelyonly from God the father, but alſo from Ieſus Chriſt, teacheth, firſt that we ſhould abſtaine from the curious ſearching of the diuine maieſtie (for God no man knoweth), and to heare Chriſt,Io. 1.18. who is in the boſome of the father, and vttereth to vsus his will, who alſo is appoynted of the father to be a teacher, to the end that eueryevery one of vsus ſhould heare him.
Christ is God by nature.
The other thing that Paule teacheth here, is a confirmation of our Faith,Chriſt God. That Chriſt is very God. And ſuch like ſentences as this is concerning the Godhead of Chriſt, are to be gathered together and marked diligently,The deuill an aduerſarie to faith. not onelyonly againſt the Arians and other heretikes which either hauehave bene or ſhalbe hereafter, but alſo for the confirmation of our faith. For Satan will not faile to impugne in vsus all the articles of our Faith, ere we die. He is a moſt deadly enemie to Faith, becauſe he knoweth,1. Iohn. 5.4. that it is the victorie which ouercometh the world. Wherfore it ſtandeth vsus in hand to labour that our Faith may be certaine, and may encreaſe and be ſtrengthened by diligent and continuall exerciſe of the word and feruent prayer, that we may be able to withſtand Satan.
Now that Chriſt is very God, hereby it is euidently declared,The povver of the father and of Chriſt equall. in that Paule attributeth the ſame things equally vntounto him, which he doth vntounto the father, namely diuine power, as the geuing of grace, the forgeuenes of ſinnes, peace of conſcience, life, victorie ouer ſinne, death, the deuill and hell. This were by no meanes lawfull for him to doe, nay it were ſacrilege thus to doe, except he were very God, according to that ſaying: I vvill not geue my glory vntounto any other. Eſaias. 42.8.Againe, No man geueth that to others, which he him ſelfe hath not. But ſeeing Chriſt geueth Grace, Peace, and the holy Ghoſt, deliuereth from the power of the deuill, from ſinne and death: it is certaine that he hath an infinite and diuine power equall in all poyntes to the power of the father.
And in that Chriſt geueth Grace and Peace, he geueth it not as the Apoſtles gaue and brought the ſame vntounto men by preaching of the goſpell: but he geueth it as the author and creator. The father createth and geueth life, Grace, Peace, & all other good things. The ſelfe ſame things alſo the ſonne createth & geueth. Now, to geue Grace, Peace,Hovve Chriſt giueth grace and peace. euerlaſting life, to forgeue ſinnes, to make righteous, to quicken, to deliuer from death and the deuill, are not the workes of any creature, but of the diuine Maieſtie alone. The Angels can neither create nor geue theſe things. Therefore theſe workes pertaine onelyonly to the glory of the ſoueraigne Maieſtie, the maker of all things.The vvorks of Chriſt are diuine and proper to God. And ſeing Paule doth attribute the ſelfe ſame power of creating, and geuing all theſe things vntounto Chriſt equally with the father, it muſt nedes follow that Chriſt is verely and naturally God.
Many ſuch arguments are in Iohn, where it is proued and concluded by the workes which are attributed to the ſonne as well as to the father, that the diuinitie of the father and of the ſonne is all one.One and the ſelf ſame Godhead of the father and of the ſonne. Therfore the giftes which we receiue of the father, and which we receiue of the ſonne are all one. For elſe Paule would hauehave ſpoken otherwiſe, after this manner: Grace from God the father, and Peace from our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. But in knitting them both together, he attributeth them equally, as well to the ſonne as to the father. I do therfore ſo diligently admoniſh you of this thing, becauſe it is daungerous leſt among ſo many errours, and in ſo great varietie and confuſion of ſectes, there might ſtep vp ſome Arrians, Eunomians, Macedonians, and ſuch other heretikes, that might doe harme to the Churches with their ſubteltie.
Arrians.In deede the Arrians were ſharpe and ſubtile fellowes. They graunted that Chriſt hath two natures, and that he is called very God of very God, howbeit in name onelyonly. Chriſt (ſaid they) is a moſt noble and perfect creature aboue the Angels, wherby God afterward created heauē and earth,Mahomet. and all other things. So Mahomet alſo ſpeaketh honorably of Chriſt. But al this is nothing els but goodly imaginations & words pleaſant and plauſible to mans reaſon, wherby the fantaſticall ſpirites do deceiue men except they take good hede. But Paule ſpeaketh otherwiſe of Chriſt: Ye (ſayth he) are rooted and ſtabliſhed in this beleefe, namely that Chriſt is not onelyonly a perfect creature, but very God, who doth the ſelfe ſame things that God the father doth. He hath the diuine works,The vvorkes of Chriſt. not of a creature, but of the creator, becauſe he geueth Grace & Peace: and to geue them, is to condemne ſinne, to vanquiſh death, and to tread the deuill vnderunder foote. Theſe things no Angell can geue: but ſeing they are attributed vntounto Chriſt, it muſt nedes folow, that he is very God by nature.