Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 13
Verſe. 13. And the other Ievves diſſembled likevviſe vvith him, in ſo much that Barnabas vvas brought into their diſſimulation alſo.
Here ye may plainly ſee that Paule chargeth Peter with diſſimulation. If Peter diſſembled,Peters diſſimulation. then did he certainly know what was the truth and what was not. He that diſſembleth ſinneth not of ignorance,Diſſimulation vvhat it is. but deceaueth by a colour which he knoweth himſelfe to be falſe. And other (ſaith he) diſſembled likevviſe vvith Peter, in ſo much that Barnabas alſo (who was Paules companion, & had now a long time preached among the Gentiles faith in Chriſt without the law, together wt Paule) vvas brought into their diſſimulation. Ye hauehave here then Peters offence plainly deſcribed to be meere diſſimulation, which afterwards had ben an occaſion of the ruine of the Goſpel then newly receaued, if Paule had not reſiſted him.
And this is a wonderfull matter, that God preſerued the church being yet but yong, and the Goſpell it ſelfe, by one onelyonly perſon. Paule alone ſtandeth to the truth: for he had loſt Barnabas his companion, & Peter was againſt him. So ſometime one man is able to doe more in a Councell then the whole Councell beſides. Which thing the Papiſtes thēſelues do witnes. And for example they alledge*Paphnutius ſtoode in the defence of the mariage of miniſters againſt the vvhole Councell. Paphnutius, who wtſtoode ye whole Councell of Nice (which was the beſt of all that were after the Councell of the Apoſtles at Ieruſalem) & preuailed againſt it.
This I ſay,The lavve and the Goſpell muſt be diſcerned one from the other. to the end that we ſhould diligently learne the article of Iuſtification, and make a plaine difference betwene the lawe and the Goſpell, and that in this matter we ſhould doe nothing by diſſimulation, or geue place to any man, if we will retaine the truth of the goſpell and faith ſound and vncorrupt: which (as I hauehave ſayd) are ſoone hurt. Wherefore in this caſe away with reaſon,The lavve and reaſon are againſt faith. which is an enemie to Faith: which alſo in tentations of ſinne and death, leaneth not to the righteouſnes of Faith (for thereof it is vtterly ignoraunt), but to her owne righteouſnes, or at leaſt to the righteouſnes of the law. Now as ſoone as the law and reaſon ioyne together, faith loſeth her virginitie: for nothing more ſtrongly fighteth againſt faith then the lawe and reaſon. And theſe two enemies can not be conquered but with great labour and difficultie: which we muſt conquere notwithſtanding if we will be ſaued.
VVhat vve muſt do vvhē our cōſcience is terrified.Wherefore, when thy conſcience is terrified with the lawe, and wreſtleth with the iudgement of God, aſke counſell neither of reaſon nor of the lawe, but reſt onelyonly vponupon grace and the word of conſolation, and ſo ſtand herein, as if thou haddeſt neuer heard any thing of the law: but aſcend vp to the glaſſe of faith, where neither the law nor reaſon do ſhine, but onelyonly the light of Faith, which aſſureth vsus that we are ſaued by Chriſt alone without any law. Thus the goſpell leadeth vsus beyond and aboue the light of the law and reaſon, into the inward and deepe ſecretes of Faith, where the lawe and reaſon hauehave nothing to doe. Notwithſtāding we muſt hearken alſo vntounto the law, but in place and time. Moiſes whiles he was in the mountaine,Exod. 19.16. Moiſes in the mountaine vvas aboue the lavv: ſo in matters of faith, vve muſt hauehave nothing to doe vvith the lavv. where he talked with God face to face, had no law, made no law, miniſtred no law: but when he was come downe from the mountaine, he was a lawgeuer, and gouerned the people by the law. So the conſcience muſt be free frō the law, but the body muſt be obedient vntounto the law.
Hereby it appeareth yt Paule reproued Peter for no light matter, but for the chiefeſt article of all Chriſtian doctrine, which by Peters diſſimulation was in great daunger. For Barnabas and the other Iewes diſſembled togither with him, which did all offend: not through ignorance or malice, but for feare of ye Iewes: wherby their hearts were ſo blinded that they did not ſee their ſinne. And certainly it is much to be maruelled, that ſuch excellent men as Peter, Barnabas and others, ſhould ſo ſodenly and ſo lightly fall, eſpecially in that thing which they knew to be well done, & had alſo before taught vntounto others. It is a perilous thing therefore to truſt to our owne ſtrength,VVe muſt not truſt in our ovvn ſtrēgth. be we neuer ſo holy, neuer ſo well learned, and although we thinke our ſelues neuer ſo ſure of that we know, For in that wherof we thinke our ſelues moſt ſure, we may erre and fall, & bring our ſelues and other into great daunger. Let vsus therefore diligently and with all humilitie employ our ſelues in the ſtudie of the holy ſcriptures, and let vsus heartely pray that we neuer loſe the truth of the goſpell.
VVithout Gods aſſiſtāce vve can doe nothing.Thus we ſee then that we are nothing, with all our giftes be they neuer ſo great, except God aſſiſt vsus. When he leaueth vsus to our ſelues, our wiſedom and knowledge is nothing. For in the houre of tentation it may ſuddenly come to paſſe, that by the ſubteltie of the Deuil, all the comfortable places of the ſcripture ſhalbe taken out of our ſight, and ſuch places onelyonly as containe threatnings ſhalbe ſet before our eies & ſhal oppreſſe & vtterly confound vsus. Let vsus learne therfore yt if God wt draw his hand we may ſoone be ouerthrowne. Neither let any man vaunt and glory of his owne righteouſnes, wiſedome and other gifts, but let him humble himſelfe and pray with the Apoſtle:Luc. 17.5. Lord encreaſe our faith.