Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 17 – Verse extract 17
Verſe. 17. Is Chriſt therefore the miniſter of ſinne?
This is a kinde of ſpeach vſed of the Hebrewes,2. Cor. 3.6.7.8. which Paule in the 2. Cor. 3. doth alſo vſe: Where he moſt diuinely and plainly ſpeaketh of theſe two miniſteries, to witte, of the letter and the ſpirite, of the law and grace, or of death and life.The miniſtery of Moſes, And he ſaith that Moſes the miniſter of the law, hath the miniſtery of ſinne (as he calleth it) and of death and condemnation. For Paule is wont to geue reprochfull names vntounto the law, and among all the Apoſtles, he onelyonly vſeth this maner of ſpeach: the other do not ſo ſpeake. And very neceſſary it is that ſuch as are ſtudious of the holy ſcripture, ſhould vnderſtand this maner of ſpeach vſed of the Apoſtle.
Now, a miniſter of ſinne is nothing els,A miniſter of ſinne. but a lawgiuer or a Scholemaſter of the law, which teacheth good works and charitie, and that a man muſt ſuffer the croſſe and afflictions, and follow the example of Chriſt and of the Sainctes. He that teacheth and requireth this, is a miniſter of the lawe, of ſinne, of wrath, & of death: For by this doctrine he doth nothing els but terrifie & afflict mens conſciences and ſhutteth them vnderunder ſinne.Let all Papiſts and Anabaptiſtes marke this point, that euen in the iuſtified, there is not perfect fredom from ſinne. Rom. 7.23. 1. Timot. 1.7. For it is impoſſible for the nature of man to accompliſh the law: yea in thoſe that are iuſtified and hauehave the holy Ghoſt, the lavv of the members fighteth againſt the lavv of the mind. What will it not then do in the wicked which hauehave not the holy Ghoſt? Wherfore he that teacheth that righteouſnes cometh by the lawe, doth not vnderſtand what he ſayeth, or what he affirmeth, and much leſſe doth he keepe the law: but rather he deceaueth himſelfe and others, and laieth vponupon them ſuch a burthen as they are not able to beare, requiring and teaching impoſſible things, and at the laſt he bringeth himſelfe and his diſciples vntounto deſperation.
The right vſe and end therfore of the law is,The office and vſe of the lavv to accuſe and condemne as giltie, ſuch as liue in ſecuritie, that they may ſee themſelues to be in daunger of ſinne, wrath, and death eternall, that ſo they may be terrified and brought euen to the brinke of deſperation, trembling and quaking at the falling of a leafe. And in that they are ſuch, they are vnderunder the law. For the law requireth perfect obedience vntounto God, and condemneth al thoſe that doe not accompliſh the ſame. Now, it is certaine that there is no man liuing which is able to performe this obedience, which notwithſtanding God ſtreitly requireth of vsus.To be vnderunder the lavv. Deut. 27.6. Galat. 3.10. The law therfore iuſtifieth not but condemneth, according to that ſaying: Curſed is he that abideth not in all things that are vvriten in this booke. Therefore he that teacheth the law is a miniſter of the law.
2. Cor. 3.7.Wherefore it is not without good cauſe that Paule in the 2. Cor. 3. calleth the miniſter of the law,The miniſtery of the lavv is the miniſtery of ſinne. the miniſter of ſinne: For the law ſheweth and vttereth ſinne, which without the law is deade. Now the knowledge of ſinne (I ſpeake not here of that ſpeculatiue knowledge of hypocrites, but of a true knowledge, by the which we ſee the wrath of God againſt ſinne and feele a true taſt of death) terrifieth ye heart, driueth downe to deſperation,Rom. 7.11. killeth and deſtroyeth. Rom. 7. Wherfore theſe Scholemaſters of the law and works are called in the ſcripture oppreſſors and tirants.Exod. 5. The ſcripture calleth the teachers of the lavv exactors and tirants. The teachers of the lavve bring mens ſoules into ſpirituall ſlauery. For as the taſkemaſters in Egypt did oppreſſe the children of Iſraell with corporall ſeruitude, ſo doe theſe lawgiuers and taſkemaſters driue men into moſt miſerable bondage of ſoule, and at lengthe bring them to deſperation and vtter deſtruction. Theſe doe neither know themſelues nor the force of the law. And it is not poſſible for them to hauehave quietnes and peace of conſcience in great and inward terrours and in the agony of death, yea though they hauehave obſerued the law, loued their neighbours, done many good works, and ſuffred great afflictions: for the law alwaies terrifieth and accuſeth, ſaying: thou neuer diddeſt accompliſh all that is commaunded in the law: but accurſed is he yt hath not done all things contained therin. Wherefore theſe terrours remaine ſtill in the conſcience and encreaſe more and more. And if ſuch Scholemaſters of the lawe be not raiſed vp by Faith and the righteouſnes of Chriſt, they are driuen downe headlong to deſperation.
The hiſtory of the deliuery of the lavv in Exod. 19.20. Verſe. 17.This alſo was notably figured when the law was geuen, as we may ſee in the .19. and .20. of Exodus. Moſes, brought the people out of the tentes to meete with the Lord, that they might heare him ſpeake vntounto them out of the darke cloude. Then the people being aſtoniſhed and trembling for feare, fled backe (which a litle before had promiſed to doe all that God had commaunded), and ſtanding aloofe of, ſayd vntounto Moſes: VVho can abide to ſee the fire, and to heare the thundrings and noiſe of the trumpet? Talke thou vvith vsus, and vve vvill heare thee: but let not God talke vvith vsus leſt vve die. So the proper office of the lawe is to leade vsus out of our tents and tabernacles, that is to ſay, from the quietnes and ſecuritie wherin we dwell,The office of the lavve. and from truſting in our ſelues, and to bring vsus before the preſence of God, to reueile his wrath vntounto vsus, and to ſette before vsus our ſinnes. Here the conſcience feeleth that it hath not ſatiſfied the lawe, and that it is not able to ſatiſfie it, nor to beare the wrath of God, which the lawe reueileth when it bringeth vsus forth after this maner before the preſence of God, that is to ſay, when it feareth vsus, accuſeth vsus, and ſetteth before vsus our ſinnes. Here it is impoſſible that we ſhould be able to ſtand: and therefore being thorowly affraid, we flie, and we cry out with the children of Iſraell: we ſhall die, we ſhall die: Let not the Lord ſpeake vntounto vsus, but ſpeake thou vntounto vsus &c.
He then which teacheth that faith in Chriſt iuſtifieth not without the obſeruation of the law, maketh Chriſt a miniſter of ſinne,VVho make Chriſt a miniſter of ſinne. that is to ſay, a Scholemaſter of the law, which teacheth the ſelfe ſame doctrine yt Moſes did. By this meanes Chriſt is no Sauiour, no geuer of grace, but a cruell tirant, which requireth ſuch things (as Moſes did) which no man is able to performe. See how all the meritmongers doe take Chriſt to be but a new lawgeuer, and the Goſpell to be nothing els but a certaine booke which containeth new lawes concerning works, as the Turkes dreame of their Alcoran. But as touching lawes, there is enough in Moſes. The Goſpell then is a preaching of Chriſt,The Goſpell vvhat it is. which forgeueth ſinnes, geueth grace, iuſtifieth and ſaueth ſinners. Now, whereas there are commaundements found in the Goſpell,Commaundements in the Goſpell vvhat they are. they are not the Goſpell, but expoſitions of the lawe and matters depending vponupon the Goſpell.
To conclude, if the lawe be the miniſtery of ſinne, then is it alſo the miniſtery of wrath and of death. For as the lawe reueileth ſinne,The lavve is the miniſtery of ſinne, vvrath, and death. ſo doth it terrifie a man, it ſheweth vntounto him his ſinne and the wrath of God, and ſtriketh into him a terrour of death and damnation. For thus the conſcience by and by gathereth: Thou haſt not kept the commaundements of God, therefore God is angry with thee. And it thinketh this to be an infallible conſequence: I hauehave ſinned, therfore I muſt die.The Conſcience thus gathereth: Thou haſt ſinned, therfore thou art giltie of euerlaſting death. And ſo it followeth that the miniſtery of ſinne is the miniſtery of wrath and condemnation. For after that ſinne is reueiled, by and by enſueth the wrath of God, death, and damnation. And hereof it cometh that many which are not able to beare the iudgement and wrath of God which the lawe ſetteth before their eyes, doe kill, hang or drowne themſelues.
Verſe. 17. God forbid.
A picture of Chriſt.As though he would ſay: Chriſt is not the miniſter of ſinne, but the geuer of righteouſnes and eternal life. Wherfore Paule ſeparateth Moſes farre from Chriſt. Let Moſes then tary on the earth: Let him be the Scholemaſter of the letter, and exactor of the law: Let him torment and crucifie ſinners. But the beleuers (ſayth Paule) hauehave an other Scholemaſter in their conſcience: not Moſes but Chriſt, which hath aboliſhed the lawe and ſinne, hath ouercome the wrath of God, and deſtroyed death. He biddeth vsus that laboure and are oppreſſed with all kindes of euils, to come vntounto him. Therefore when we flie vntounto him, Moſes with his law vaniſheth away,Deut 34. ſo that his ſepulcher can no where be ſeene: ſinne and death can hurt vsus no more. For Chriſt our inſtructor is Lord ouer the lawe, ſinne and death, ſo that they which beleue in him, are deliuered from the ſame. It is therefore the proper office of Chriſt to deliuer from ſinne and from death. And this Paule teacheth and repeteth eueryevery where.
The lavve. Chriſte.We are condemned and killed by the law, but by Chriſt we are iuſtified & reſtored to life. The lawe aſtoniſheth vsus and driueth vsus from God: but Chriſt reconcileth vsus to God, and maketh for vsus an entrāce, that we may boldly come vntounto him: For he is the Lambe of God that hath taken away the ſinnes of the world. Now, if the ſinne of the world be taken away, then is it taken away from me alſo which doe beleue in him.Chriſt hath taken avvay all euils, and hath brought vntounto vsus all good things. If ſinne be taken away, then is the wrath of God, death and damnation taken away alſo: And in the place of ſinne ſuccedeth righteouſnes, in the place of wrath, reconciliation & grace, in the place of death, life, and in the place of damnation, ſaluation. Let vsus learne to practiſe this diſtinction, not in wordes onelyonly, but in life and liuely experience, and with an inward feeling. For where Chriſt is, there muſt nedes be ioy of heart and peace of conſcience: For Chriſt is our reconciliation, righteouſnes, peace, life, and ſaluation. Briefly, what ſo euer the pore afflicted cōſcience deſireth, it findeth in Chriſt abundantly. Now Paule goeth about to amplifie this argument, and to perſwade as foloweth.