Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 6
Verſe. 6. Neuertheleſſe they that ſeemed to be the chiefe, did communicate nothing vvith me.
As though he would ſay: I did not ſo conferre with the Apoſtles, that they taught me any thing. For what ſhould they teach me, ſince Chriſt by his reuelation had before ſufficiently taught me all things? & moreouer ſince I hauehave now preached ye Goſpell the ſpace of eightene yeares among the Gentiles, & Chriſt hath wrought ſo many miracles by me, wherby he hath confirmed my doctrine? Wherfore it was but a conference and no diſputation. Wherein I learned nothing,VVhat Paule did in that conference. neither did I recāt, nor yet defend my cauſe, but only declared what things I had done: to witte, that I had preached to the Gentiles faith onelyonly in Chriſt wt out the lawe, and that by this preaching of faith the holy Ghoſt came downe vponupon the Gentiles, which immediatly ſpake wt diuers tongues. Which thinge when ye Apoſtles heard, they witneſſed yt I had taught ye truth. Wherfore the falſe Apoſtles doe me greate wrong which peruert and turne all theſe things cleane contrary.
Now if Paule would geue no place to the falſe Apoſtles which ſet the authoritie of the true Apoſtles againſt him: much leſſe ought we to geue place to our aduerſaries, which hauehave nothing els to bragge of but the authoritie of their Idol the Pope. I know that the godly ought to be humble:The holy pride of the godly againſt the Pope. but againſt the Pope I will and I ought to be proude with an holy pride and ſay: Thou Pope, I wil not be ſubiect vntounto thee: I will not take thee for my maſter, for I am ſure that my doctrine is true and godly. But the Pope will not heare this doctrine. Nay he would force vsus to obey his lawes and his decrees, and if we will not, he will by and by excommunicate, curſe and condemne vsus as heretikes. Such pride therfore againſt the Pope is moſt neceſſary. And if we ſhould not ſo be proude, & vtterly condemne in ye holy Ghoſt both him wtal his doctrine, & the deuil ye father of lies ſpeaking in him,VVhy…e the godly are proude againſt the Pope. we ſhould neuer be able to defend this article of ye righteouſnes of faith. We doe not then contemne the authoritie of the Pope becauſe we would beare rule ouer him, neither doe we goe about to exalt our ſelues aboue all ſouereigne power, ſince it is euident that we teach all men to humble and ſubmit thēſelues to the higher powers*The Pope is no povver ordeined of God. ordained of God: but this is it that we onelyonly ſeke, that the glory of God may be maintained and the righteouſnes of faith may be kept pure and ſound.
Wherefore if the Pope will graunt vntounto vsus that God alone by his meere grace through Chriſt doth iuſtifie ſumers,This is impoſſible for Antechriſt the ſōne of perdition to acknovvledge. we will not onelyonly carry him in our hands, but will alſo kiſſe his feete. But ſince we can not obtaine this, we againe in God are proude againſt him aboue meaſure, & will geue no place, no not one hears breadth to all the Angels in heauen, not to Peter, not to Paule, not to an hundreth Emperours, not to a thouſand Popes, nor to the whole world. Be it farre from vsus that we ſhould here humble ourſelues, ſince they would take from vsus our glory, euen God himſelfe that hath created vsus and geuen vsus all things, and Ieſus Chriſt who hath redemed vsus with his bloud. Let this be then the concluſion of altogether, that we will ſuffer our goods to be taken away, our name, our life, and all that we hauehave: but the Goſpell, our faith, Ieſus Chriſt we will neuer ſuffer to be wreſted from vsus. And curſed be that humilitie which here abaſeth and ſubmitteth it ſelfe. Nay rather let eueryevery Chriſtian man here be proude and ſpare not, except he will deny Chriſt.
Wherefore God aſſiſting me, my forehead ſhalbe more hard then all mens foreheads. Here I take vponupon me this title, according to the prouerbe: I geue place to none. Yea I am glad euen wtal my hart in this poynt to be called rebellious and obſtinate. And here I confeſſe that I am and euer will be ſtout and ſterne and will not one inch geue place to any creature. Charitie geueth place: for it ſuffereth all things, beleueth all things, 1 Cor. 13.7. LoueLove ſuffereth all things, but faith can beare nothinghopeth all things, endureth all things. But faith geueth no place, yea it can ſuffer nothing, according to this aūcient verſe, Non patitur ludum fama, fides, oculus: That is, mans good name, his faith, and his eie will not be dalied withall. Wherfore a Chriſtian, as touching his faith, can neuer be to proude nor to ſtout, neither muſt he relent or geue place, no not the breadth of one hear. For faith maketh a man here like vntounto God:2 Pet. 1.4, but God ſuffereth nothing, he geueth place to none, for he is immutable. So is faith immutable, and therfore may ſuffer nothing, geue place to no man. But as touching charitie let a Chriſtian man yeld and ſuffer all things, for therin he is but a man.