The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Letter 4
The Epistle.
GALAT. 6. 11.
Yee see how large a letter I hauehave written vntounto you with mine owne hand, &c.
THis epistle to the Galathians hath three principall parts: a
Preface; setting downe the
Saluters: Paul and the brethren, &c.
Saluted: The Churches of Galatia.
Salutation: Grace be with you, &c.
Treatise: concerning
Doctrines of holy faith: from vers. 6. of the first chapter, vntounto vers. 13. of the fifth chapter.
Rules of good life: from ver. 13. of the fifth chapter, vntounto vers. 11. of the sixt.
Conclusion: in the textread, wherein three poynts are to bee considered: a
Insinuation: You see how large a letter I hauehave written, &c.
Recapitulation: As many as desire, &c.
Validiction: The grace of our Lord, &c.
Yee see how large] Saint Paul insinuates himselfe into the mindes of the Galathians by a twofold argument. First, from the largenesse of his Epistle. Secondly, for that he wrot it with his owne hand. Interpreters hauehave construed the word large diuersly; bApud Hier…n. exposit. prior. in loc.some referring it to the greatnesse of the character. Hyperius to the depth of his matter. cIn Psal. 118.Hilarie to the loftinesse of his stile. dIn loc. Idem. O…cumen.Theophylact to the badnesse of his hand. eBene. formatis literisAnselmus on the contrary to the fairenesse of his writing. But the word signifieth fErasmus, An. in loc.quantity so well as quality: Hebrewes 7. 4. Iames. 3. 5. Whereupon Beza translates heere, videtis quàm longis literis: and Uatablus, Quanta vobis epistola scripserim. Our English Bibles accordingly so large, that is, as Erasmus in his paraphrase, so prolix. The plaine meaning then is, that he neuer wrot so gLuther in loc.long an Epistle with his owne hand vntounto any Church as vntounto them. Hee writ indeed to Philemon with his hPhilemon. vers. 19.owne hand, but that Epistle was exceeding short in comparison of this: and hee writ larger Epistles vntounto the Churches of Corinth and Rome; but by his Scribes, and not with his owne hand. Wherfore seeing this letter is the most long and large that euer himselfe penned, it ought to be more regarded and better accepted; iCaluin.as his paines were greater in writing, our diligence should be greater in reading and obseruing the same.
With mine owne hand] Haimo saith it is the Doctours opinion that Paul wrot not all this Epistle with his owne hand, but onelyonly from hence to the end; which assertion is contrary to the Text, and truth. It is euidently confuted in the Text, for that our Apostle speakes of the whole letter in the time past, I hauehave written. Or if of any part more then of another, it is of the former part rather then of the latter. Againe, the most ancient Doctours affirme that himselfe penned it from the very beginning to the end with his owne hand. Saint kIn loc.Ambrose saith, Ubi holographa manus est, &c: Where the whole writing is his owne hand there can be no falsehood. lIn loc.Primasius vseth the word pers…ripsi. mIn loc.Theophylact brings in Paul speaking thus; I am enforced euen with mine owne hand to write this Epistle to you. nIn loc.O…cumenius calles it foreign, oIn loc.Anselme, non notaris manu sed mea. This then is pTheophylact. Anselm. Aretius.a testification of his exceeding great louelove and care toward them, and it is a president for Pastors how they should bee diligent in their ministery both absent and present; if resident vponupon their charge, they must bee faithfull in winning Gods people to the Gospell: if non-resident vponupon lawfull occasions (as Paul heere) fearefull lest their mindes should be caried from the truth vntounto contrary doctrine, that being absent in body, yet they may be q1. Cor. 5. 3.present in spirit, and present by letters, hauing a greater care of the flocke then of the fleece.
As many as desire with outward appearance] Heere begins the recapitulation, in which our Apostle like a good Orator artificially repeates all those things hee would hauehave especially remembred in the whole discourse; now the maine proposition of all this large letter vntounto the Galathians is, rCap. 2. v. 16.that a man is not iustified by circumcision, or any workes of the Law: but by the faith of Iesus Christ. The which is all one with his assertion here, that Christ crucified is the sole meanes of our saluation, and onelyonly ground of our spirituall reioycing. Neither Circumcision, nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing at all, but a creature renued, that is, endued with sCap. 5. 6.faith working through louelove. Hee doth accuse therefore such as obtruded tCap. 1. 6.another Gospell, an opposite doctrine, but blesse Gods Israel, euen as many as walke according vntounto this rule.
The false teachers are described by uSee supplement of Mr. Perkins Co…. Galat. in loc.fiue properties, as first, They desire with outward appearance to please carnally. Secondly, they constraine men to the strict obseruing of their owne deuised religion. Thirdly, the marke they shoot at is to shun stormes and persecution for the Crosse of Christ. Fourthly, they compell men to keepe that law which they will not obserue themselues. Fifthly, they pretend Gods honour but intend only their owne vaine glory, that they might reioyce in your flesh. xAretius in loc.Other reduce these fiue to foure: Flattery, Cowardise, Dissimulation, Boasting. yLuther in loc.Other to three: first, shunning of the crosse: secondly, seeking of their owne glory: thirdly, teaching of that themselues vnderstand not. All happily may be referred vntounto their hypocrisie; for notwithstanding their faire shewes and outward appearance they seeke not herein their brethrens good, and Gods glory; but their owne honour and ease, that they might hauehave Cum dignitate otium, a Lordly liuing and a lasie life. Sike Church-men are like the Church pinnacle pointing vpward, poysing downeward.
In this description of false Doctours, if thy sight bee quicke, thou maiest apprehend the liuely picture both of a Schismaticke and hereticke, who though outwardly they seeme neuer so great, yet are they the least in the Church of God. According to that of Christ, zMat. 5. 19.Whosoeuer shall breake one of the least Commandements and teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen. As aContra. lib. Petil. lib. 2. cap. 61.Augustine paraphrastically, Qui soluerit & doeuerit, id est, docuerit verbis quod soluerit factis minimus erit.
If any shall demand how the false brethren in vrging Circumcision had the world at will, and were made free from persecution? bHieron. Primalius, Aquin. in loc.Answer is made, that the Roman Emperours, Caius, Octauian, Tyberius, had giuen libertie to the Iewes to liue according to their owne law, without molestation or disturbance thorowout all the Roman Empire. So that if a Iew turned Christian, hee had the priuiledges of a Iew so long as hee kept the ceremoniall rites of Moses: whereas they who taught that ceremonies were abrogated, and that men were iustified onelyonly by faith in Christ, wanted those priuiledges and so were persecuted of the Iewes, and of the Gentiles too, c1. Cor. 1. 23.Christ crucified being a stumbling blocke vntounto the Iewes, and vntounto the Grecians foolishnesse. Now the dAnsel. in loc.pseudo-Apostle here, lest they should suffer affliction for the crosse of Christ, inuented a new gospell, and made an hotch-potch of religion. For as the Christians in the countries of eMat. Dressorus, vti Io. Pory descript. of Africa. pag. 400.Prester Iohn, and in Augustines age the fAugustin. contra Cres. lib. 1. cap 31.Symmachiani receiued both Circumcision and Baptisme: so they conioyned in the matter of saluation Messias and Moses, iustification by faith, and iustification by workes, hereby seeking carnally to please both the Christian and the Iew: the Christian in preaching Christs crosse: the Iew by pressing circumcision of the Law. Desiring to serue two contrary masters at one time, God and Mammon, as it is in the Gospell appointed to bee read this day. The Papist then in being a g…. Latimer.mingle mangler, is branded with this infallible character of a corrupt teacher, and so is the mungrill in religion according fire and water, Antichristians and Christians in the chiefe Oracles and Articles of holy faith, and so are carnall Gospellers who desire to hauehave Christ, but they will none of his Crosse: They would bee with him vponupon Mount Tabor, but not vponupon Mount Caluarie.
God forbid that I should reioyce but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ] The sufferings of the faithfull for Christ, are tearmed often the sufferings of Christ: 2. Cor. 1. 5. as the sufferings of Christ abound in vsus, &c. And Colossians 1. 24. I fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake, which is the Church. And so Christ himselfe witnesseth in saying hAct. 9. 4.Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee? Saul did no violence to Christ, it was all done to his Church: but he that toucheth it, toucheth the iZach. 2. 8.apple of his eye. There is a more liuely feeling in the head then in other members of the bodie; for the little toe being hurt, instantly the head sheweth it selfe by the countenance to grieue thereat: so Christ our head is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, euer suffering, while wee suffer which are his body. kLuther. Ar…tius.Some Diuines therefore by the Crosse of Christ, vnderstand Pauls affliction for preaching Christ crucified. As if hee should say, let other boast as they list in auoiding persecution for the Gospell, heerein I will reioyce, that I am esteemed lAct. 5. 41.woorthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ, m2. Cor. 12. 10.I take delight in reproches, in necessities, in tribulations, in anguish for Christs sake. But because the words (foreign) are both exceptiue, making the sense thus, I will glorie in nothing but in the crosse of Christ: and exclusiue, only in the crosse of Christ, and in nothing else: I subscribe to nTract, 43. in Ioan.Augustine, oIn loc.Chrysostome▪ pCom. posterior. in loc.Hierome, and qSee B. Bilson tract vponupon this text in the beginning of his conclusion to the reader.other who construe this of Christs all-sufficient sacrifice for our sinnes on the crosse, whereby the world is crucified in vsus, and wee to the world, Christ himselfe being our r1. Cor. 3. 31.redemption, wisedome, righteousnesse: that, as it is sIeremy 9. 24.written, he that glorieth should glorie in the Lord, and make boast of him all the day long, as it is Psal. 35. 28.
As this exposition is most agreeable to the letter, so most answerable to Pauls intent: as if hee should hauehave written thus, Although other make their reioycing in circumcision, I will reioyce in nothing else but in the crosse of Christ, which tTheophylact. in loc.abrogates circumcision. And well might hee speake so, for that in Christ crucified are hid not onelyonly the treasures of wisedome and knowledge, Coloss. 2. 3. but of fulnesse and grace, Iohn 1. 16. and of eueryevery spirituall blessing, Eph. 1. 3. In a word, all uAquin. in loc.things of which vsually men boast, are in Christs crosse. Doth any man glory in wisedome? x1. Cor. 2. 2.Paul desired to know nothing but Christ crucified, as being assured, that this knowledge is eternall life, Ioh. 17. 3. Doth any boast of riches and honour? by Christ all true beleeuers are made Kings and Priests, Apocal. 1. 6. Doth any reioyce in libertie? by Christ wee are deliuered from the bonds and hands of our enemies: Luke 1. 74. Doth any delight in the Princes fauour? behold the King of Kings yEphes. 1. 6.accepteth of vsus in Christ. All men desire comfort and content, and therefore let vsus (as Paul here) reioyce in Christ crucified, in whom only wee are zColoss. 2. 10.complet, and by whom also wee hauehave right to those things which eye hath not seene, eare hath not heard, neither can the heart of man conceiue.
Gods Israel walking according to this rule, though they beare the markes of affliction in their bodie: yet hauehave they peace of conscience in their soule. For being new creatures in Christ, the world cannot crucifie them any way more then they crucifie the world. As the world accounts them the a1. Cor. 4. 13.filth and of-scouring of all things: euen so they repute all things of the world as bPhilip. 3. 8.dung, to win Christ, and to glorie in his crosse.
Brethren, the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit] In this adieu our Apostle concludes his epistle with a great Emphasis, eueryevery word being a strong reason to confound his aduersaries, opposing first our Lord Iesus Christ the master of the house, to Moses who was but a cHeb. 3. 5.seruant in the house. Secondly, the grace of Christ to the merit of inherent righteousnesse, dTheophylact. Anselm. Caietan.infinuating that we are saued by grace, freeing vsus from circumcision and other workes of the Law. Thirdly, the ePrimasius.spirit, which is the obiect of grace, to the flesh, in which the enemies of Christs crosse gloried so much. And lastly, noting in the word brethren, his lowly, but their lordly cariage toward the Churches of Galatia. The briefe of all is, fLuther.I hauehave taught you Christ purely, deliuering vntounto you wholsome doctrine touching faith and good manners, I hauehave entreated you, chidden you, threatned you, letting passe nothing which I thought profitable for you. I can say no more, but that I heartily pray, that our Lord Iesus Christ would blesse my labours, and gouerne you with his holy Spirit for euer. See the peace of God in the Liturgie.