Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 5 · Verse extract 2
Verſe. 2. Behold I Paule ſay vntounto you, that if ye be circumciſed, Chriſte shall profite you nothing.
Paule here wonderfully ſtirred vppe with zeale and feruencie of ſpirite, thundreth againſt the law & circumciſion: and theſe thundring wordes proceding of great zeale and indignation, the holy Ghoſt wreſteth frō him in ſaying: Behold, I Paule, &c. I (I ſay),Galath. 6.6. who know that I hauehave not receaued the Goſpel by man, but by the reuelation of Ieſus Chriſte, and hauehave commiſſion and authoritie from aboue to teach and define, &c. doe tel you, that if ye be circumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profite you nothing at all. This is a very hard ſentence: wherby Paule declareth, that, to be circumciſed, is as much as to make Chriſte vtterly vnprofitable: not in reſpect of himſelfe, but of the Galathians, who being deceaued by the ſubtelties of the falſe apoſtles, beleued that, beſides faith in Chriſte, it was needefull for the faithfull to be circumciſed, without the which they could not obtaine ſaluation.
This place is as it were a touchſtone, wherby we may moſt certainely and freely iudge of all doctrines, workes,The iudgemēt of the godly touching all doctrines, religions and ceremonies. religions and ceremonies of all men. Whoſoeuer teach that there is any thing neceſſary to ſaluation (whether they be Papiſts, Turks, Iewes or Sectaries) beſides Faith in Chriſte, or ſhall deuiſe any worke or religion, or obſerue any Rule, tradition or ceremonie whatſoeuer, with this opinion that by ſuch things they ſhall obtaine forgeuenes of ſinnes, righteouſnes and euerlaſting life: they heare in this place the ſentence of the holy Ghoſt pronounced againſt them by the Apoſtle, that Chriſte profiteth them nothing. Seing Paule durſt geue this ſentence againſt the lawe and circumciſion, which were ordained of God himſelfe, what durſt he not doe againſt the chaffe and the droſſe of mens traditions?
Wherefore this place is a terrible thunderbolt againſt all the kingdom of the Pope. For all the Prieſtes, Monkes,VVho they be to vvhom Chriſt is vnprofitable. and Heremites that liue in their cloiſters (I ſpeake of the beſt of them) repoſed all their truſt and confidence in their owne workes, righteouſnes, vowes and merits, and not in Chriſt, whom they moſt wickedly and blaſphemouſly imagined to be an angrie iudge, an accuſer and cōdemner: And therefore here they heare their iudgement, that Chriſt profiteth them nothing. For if they can put away ſinnes and deſerue forgeuenes of ſinnes and euerlaſting life through their owne righteouſnes and ſtraitnes of life: then to what purpoſe was Chriſte borne? What profite hauehave they by his death and bloudſheding, by his reſurrection, victorie ouer ſinne, death and the Deuill, ſeeing they are able to ouercome theſe monſters by their owne ſtrength? And what toūge can expreſſe, or what heart can conceaue how horrible a thing it is to make Chriſt vnprofitable? Therefore the Apoſtle caſteth out theſe wordes with great diſpleaſure and indignation: If ye be circumciſed, Chriſt shall profite you nothing: that is to ſay, no profite ſhall redound vntounto you of all his benefites: but he hath beſtowed them all vppon you in vaine.
Hereby it appeareth ſufficiently that nothing vnderunder the ſonne is more hurtfull then the doctrine of mens traditions and workes: for they vtterly aboliſh and ouerthrow at once the truth of the Goſpell,Nothing is more hurtfull then the doctrine of mens traditions & vvorkes. Coloſſ. 2.3. Coloſſ. 2.9. Faith, the true worſhipping of God and Chriſte him ſelfe, in whom the father hath ordained all things, Coloſſians. 2. In Chriſte are hid all the treaſures of vviſedom and knovvledge: In him dvvelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodely. Wherefore all they that are either authors or maintainers of the doctrine of workes, are oppreſſours of the Goſpell, they make the death and victorie of Chriſt vnprofitable, they blemiſh and deface his Sacramentes and vtterly take away the true vſe thereof, and briefly they are blaſphemers, enemies, and deniers of God and of all his promiſes and benefites. Who ſo is not moued with theſe wordes of Paule (which calleth the lawe a yoke of bondage,The lavve of God the yoke of bondage. and ſayth that they which affirme the keeping of circumciſion to be neceſſary to ſaluation, make Chriſt vnprofitable): and can not be driuen from the lawe and circumciſion, nor yet from the confidence which he hath in his owne righteouſnes and workes, nor be ſtirred vp to ſeeke that libertie which is in Chriſte, his heart is harder then ſtone and iron.
This is therfore a moſt certaine and cleare ſentence, that Chriſt is vnprofitable, that is to ſay, he is borne, crucified and riſen againe in vaine to him that is circumciſed, that is, which putteth his truſt in circumciſion. For (as I hauehave ſayd before) Paule ſpeaketh not here of the worke of circumciſion (which hurteth not him that hath no affiance or opinion of righteouſnes in it):Good vvorks are not condemned, but confidence in good vvorks is cōdemned. but of the vſe of the worke, that is to ſay of the confidence and righteouſnes that is annexed to the worke: For we muſt vnderſtand Paule according to ye matter wherof he intreateth, or according to the argument which he hath in hand: which is, that mē be not iuſtified by the lawe, by works, by circumciſion or ſuch like. He ſayth not that workes of them ſelues are nothing, but the confidence & righteouſnes of workes are nothing: for that maketh Chriſte vnprofitable. Therfore who ſo receaueth circumciſion with this opinion that it is neceſſary to iuſtification, to him Chriſt auaileth nothing.
Let vsus beare this well in minde in our priuate tentations when the Deuill accuſeth and terrifieth our conſcience to driue it to deſperation. For he is the father of lying and the enemie of Chriſtian liberty: therfore he tormenteth vsus eueryevery moment with falſe feares, that when our conſcience hath loſt this Chriſtian libertie, it ſhould feele the remorſe of ſinne and condenmation, and alwayes remaine in auguiſh and terrour. When that great dragon (I ſay) that old ſerpent the Deuill (who deceaueth the whole world and accuſeth our brethern in the preſence of God day and night. Apoc. 12.) commeth and layeth vntounto thy charge that thou haſt not onelyonly done no good,Reuel. 12.10. but haſt alſo tranſgreſſed the law of God, ſay vntounto him:VVhat vve muſt anſvver the Deuill, vvhen he accuſeth and tempteth vsus. Thou troubleſt me with the remembrance of my ſinnes paſt: Thou putteſt me alſo in minde yt I hauehave done no good. But this is nothing to me: for if either I truſted in mine own good dedes, or diſtruſted becauſe I hauehave done none, Chriſt ſhould both waies profite me nothing at all. Therfore whether thou lay my ſinnes before me, or my good workes, I paſſe not, but remouing both farre out of my ſight, I onelyonly reſt in that libertie wherein Chriſt hath made me free. I know him to be profitable vntounto me: therfore I will not make him vnprofitable: which I ſhould doe, if either I ſhould preſume to purchaſe my ſelfe fauour and euerlaſting life by my good deedes, or ſhould deſpaire of my ſaluation becauſe of my ſinnes.
Wherefore let vsus learne with all diligence to ſeparate Chriſte farre from all works, as well good as euil: from all lawes both of God and man, and from all troubled conſciences: for with all theſe Chriſte hath nothing to doe. He hath to doe, I graunt, with afflicted conſciences: howbeit not to afflict them more, but to raiſe them vp, and in their affliction to comfort them. Therfore if Chriſte appeare in the likenes of an angry iudge, or of a lawmaker that requireth a ſtrait accompt of our life paſt: then let vsus aſſure our ſelues that it is not Chriſt but a raging feende. For the Scripture painteth out Chriſt to be our reconciliation, our aduocate and our comforter.The true picture of Chriſt Such a one he is and euer ſhal be: he can not be vnlike himſelfe.
Therfore whenſoeuer the Deuil trāſforming himſelf into ye likenes Chriſt, diſputeth with vsus after this maner: This thou oughteſt being admoniſhed by my word to hauehave done, and haſt not done it: and this thou oughteſt not to hauehave done, and haſt done it: know thou therefore that I will take vengeance on thee, &c. lette this nothing at all moue vsus, but by and by let vsus thus thinke with our ſelues: Chriſt ſpeaketh not to poore afflicted and deſpairing conſciences after this maner:Math. 12.20. He addeth not affliction to the afflicted: He breaketh not the bruſed reede,Eſay. 42.3. neither quencheth he the ſmoking flaxe. In deede to the hard hearted he ſpeaketh ſharply: but ſuch as are terrified and afflicted, he moſt louingly and comfortably allureth vntounto him, ſaying: Come vntounto me all ye that trauell and be heauie laden, Math. 11.28. Math. 9.13. Math. 9.2. Iohn. 15.33.and I vvill refresh you. I came not to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance. Be of good cōfort my ſonne, thy ſinnes are forgeuen thee. Be not afraide, hauehave ouercome the vvorld. The ſonne of man came to ſeeke out and ſaue that vvhichwhich vvas loſt. Luke. 19.10.We muſt take good heede therefore leſt that we, being deceaued by the wonderfull ſleights & infinite ſubtelties of Satan, doe receaue an accuſer and condemner in the ſted of a comforter and Sauiour, and ſo vnderunder the vizour of a falſe Chriſt, that is to ſay, of the Deuill, we loſe the true Chriſt and make him vnprofitable vntounto vsus. This much hauehave we ſayd as touching priuate and particuler tentations, and how we ſhould vſe our ſelues therin.