we are once taken away and dispatched, he may not only deface the gospel, but utterly overthrow it. But hitherto he hath prevailed nothing, for he hath slain many who have constantly confessed this our doctrine to be holy and heavenly, through whose blood the church is not destroyed, but watered. Forasmuch, therefore, as he could prevail nothing that way, he stirreth up wicked spirits and ungodly teachers, which, at the first, allow our doctrine, and teach the same with a common consent together with us; but afterwards they say, that it is our vocation to teach the first principles of Christian doctrine, and that the mysteries of the scriptures are revealed unto them from above, by God himself; and that they are called for this purpose, that they should open them to the world. After this manner doth the devil hinder the course of the gospel, both on the right-hand and on the left, but more on the right-hand (as I said before) by building and correcting, than on the left by persecuting and destroying; wherefore it behoveth us to pray without ceasing, to read the holy scriptures, to cleave fast unto Christ and his holy word, that we may overcome the devil's subtleties, with the which he assaileth us both on the right-hand and on the left. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rule, against power, against the worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly things."

VERSE 7. Which is not another Gospel, but that there be some which trouble

you.

Here again he excuseth the Galatians, and most bitterly reproveth the false apostles; as though he would say, Ye Galatians are borne in hand, that the gospel, which ye have received of me, is not the true and sincere gospel, and therefore ye think ye do well to receive that new gospel, which the false apostles teach, and seemeth to be better than mine. I do not so much charge you with this fault, as those disturbers which trouble your consciences, and pull you out of my hand. Here you see again how vehement and hot he is against those deceivers, and with what rough and sharp words he painteth them out, calling them troublers of the churches, which do nothing else but seduce and deceive innumerable poor consciences, giving occasions of horrible mischiefs and calamities in the congregations. This great enormity we also at this day are constrained to see, to the great grief of our hearts, and yet are we no more able to remedy it, than Paul was at that time.

This place witnesseth, that those false apostles had reported Paul to be an unperfect apostle, and also a weak and erroneous preacher; therefore he again here calleth them the troublers of the church, and overthrowers of the gospel of Christ. Thus they condemn each other. The false apostles condemned Paul,

and Paul again the false apostles. The like contending and condemning is always in the church; especially when the doctrine of the gospel flourisheth; to wit, that wicked teachers do prosecute, condemn, and oppress the godly; and on the other side, that the godly do reprove and condemn the ungodly.

The papists, and the fantastical spirits, do at this day hate us deadly, and condemn our doctrine as wicked and erroneous; yea, moreover, they lie in wait for our goods and lives; and we again do, with a perfect hatred, detest and condemn their cursed and blasphemous doctrine. In the mean time, the miserable people are at no stay, wavering hither and thither, as uncertain and doubtful to which part they may lean, or whom they may safely follow; for it is not given to every one to judge christianly of such weighty matters: but the end will shew which part teacheth truly, and justly condemn the other. Sure it is, that we persecute no man, oppress no man, put no man to death, neither doth our doctrine trouble men's consciences, but delivereth them out of innumerable errors and snares of the devil. For the truth hereof, we have the testimony of many good men who give thanks unto God, for that, by our doctrine, they have received certain and sure consolation to their consciences. Wherefore, like as Paul at that time was not to be blamed that the churches were troubled, but the false apostles, so at this day it is not our fault, but the fault of the Anabaptists, and such frantic spirits, that many and great troubles are in the church.

Mark here diligently, that every teacher of works, and of the righteousness of the law, is a troubler of the church, and of the consciences of men. And who would ever have believed that the Pope, cardinals, bishops, monks, and that whole synagogue of Satan, specially, the founders of those religious orders (of which number, nevertheless, God might save some by miracle) were troublers of men's consciences? Yea, verily, they be yet far worse than were those false apostles; for the false apostles taught, that, besides faith in Christ, the works of the law of God were also necessary to salvation; but the papists, omitting faith, have taught men's traditions and works not commanded of God, but devised by themselves without and against the word of God: and these have they not only made equal with the word of God, but also exalted them far above it. But the more holy the heretics seem to be in outward shew, so much the more mischief they do; for if the false apostles had not been endued with notable gifts, with great authority, and a shew of holiness, and had not vaunted themselves to be Christ's ministers, the apostles' disciples, and sincere preachers of the gospel, they could not so easily have defaced Paul's authority, and led the Galatians out of the way.

Now, the cause why he setteth himself so sharply against them, calling them the troublers of the churches, is for that besides

faith in Christ, they taught that circumcision, and the keeping of the law, was necessary to salvation. The which thing Paul himself witnesseth in the fifth chapter following; and Luke, in the fifteenth of the Acts, declareth the same thing in these words, "That certain men coming down from Judea, taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved," (Acts xv. 1.) Wherefore, the false apostles most earnestly and obstinately contended that the law ought to be observed; unto whom the stiff-necked Jews forthwith joined themselves, and so afterwards easily persuaded such as were not established in the faith, that Paul was not a sincere teacher, because he regarded not the law, but preached such a doctrine as did abolish and overthrow the law. For it seemed unto them a very strange thing, that the law of God should utterly be taken away, and the Jews, which had always until that time been counted the people of God, to whom also the promises were made, should now be rejected: yea, it seemed yet a more strange thing unto them, that the Gentiles, being wicked idolaters, should attain to this glory and dignity, to be the people of God without circumcision, and without the works of the law, by grace only, and faith in Christ.

These things had the false apostles amplified and set forth to the uttermost, that they might bring Paul into more hatred among the Galatians. And to the end that they might set them the more sharply against him, they said, that he preached unto the Gentiles freedom from the law, to bring into contempt, yea, and utterly to abolish the law of God and the kingdom of the Jews, contrary to the law of God, contrary to the custom of the Jewish nation, contrary to the example of the apostles, and to be short, contrary to his own example; whereof, he was to be shunned as an open blasphemer against God, and a rebel against the whole commonweal of the Jews, saying, that they themselves ought rather to be heard, who, besides that they preached the gospel rightly, were also the very disciples of the apostles, with whom Paul was never conversant. By this policy, they defamed and defaced Paul among the Galatians, so that by this their perverse dealing, of very necessity, Paul was compelled with all his might to set himself against these false apostles, whom he boldly reproveth and condemneth, saying, that they are the troublers of the churches, and overthrowers of Christ's gospel, as followeth.

VERSE 7. And intend to pervert the gospel of Christ.

That is to say, they do not only go about to trouble you, but also utterly to abolish and overthrow Christ's gospel. For these two things the devil practiseth most busily: first, he is not contented to trouble and deceive many by his false apostles, but moreover he laboureth by them utterly to overthrow the gospel, and never resteth till he hath brought it to pass. Yet such

perverters of the gospel can abide nothing less than to hear that they are the apostles of the devil; nay, rather they glory above others in the name of Christ, and boast themselves to be the most sincere preachers of the gospel. But because they mingle the law with the gospel, they must needs be perverters of the gospel. For either Christ must remain, and the law perish, or the law must remain, and Christ perish; for Christ and the law can by no means agree and reign together in the conscience. -Where the righteousness of the law ruleth, there cannot the righteousness of grace rule; and again, where the righteousness. of grace reigneth, there cannot the righteousness of the law reign; for one of them must needs give place unto the other. And if thou canst not believe that God will forgive thy sins for Christ's sake, whom he sent into the world to be our high priest: how then, I pray thee, wilt thou believe that he will forgive the same for the works of the law, which thou couldst never perform; or for thine own works, which (as thou must be constrained to confess) be such as it is impossible for them to countervail the judgment of God?

Wherefore, the doctrine of grace can by no means stand with the doctrine of the law. The one must simply be refused and abolished, and the other confirmed and established. For as Paul saith here, to mingle the one with the other, is to overthrow the gospel of Christ. And yet, if it come to debating, the greater part overcometh the better; for Christ, with his side is weak, and the gospel is but a foolish preaching; contrariwise, the kingdom of the world, and the devil, the prince thereof, are strong. Besides that, the wisdom and righteousness of the flesh carry a goodly shew; and by this means the righteousness of grace and faith is lost, and the other righteousness of the law and works advanced and maintained. But this is our comfort, that the devil, with all his limbs, cannot do what he would. He may trouble many, but he cannot overthrow Christ's gospel. The truth may be assailed, but vanquished it cannot be; for the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

It seemeth to be a light matter to mingle the law and the gospel, faith and works, together; but it doth more mischief than a man's reason can conceive; for it doth not only blemish and darken the knowledge of grace, but also it taketh away Christ, with all his benefits, and it utterly overthroweth the gospel, as Paul saith in this place. The cause of this great evil is our flesh, which, being plunged in sins, seeth no way how to get out, but by works, and therefore it would live in the righteousness of the law, and rest in the trust and confidence of her own works. Wherefore, it is utterly ignorant of the doctrine of faith and grace, without the which, notwithstanding, it is impossible for the conscience to find rest and quietness.

It appeareth also by these words of Paul: "And intend to

pervert the gospel of Christ," that the false apostles were exceeding bold and shameless, which with all their might set themselves against Paul; wherefore he again, using his spirit of zeal and fervency, and being fully persuaded of the certainty of his calling, setteth himself strongly against them, and wonderfully magnifieth his ministry, saying,

VERSE 8. But though that we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you otherwise than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Here Paul casteth out very flames of fire, and his zeal is so fervent, that he beginneth also almost to curse the angels. Although, saith he, that we ourselves, even I and my brethren Timothy and Titus, and as many as teach Christ purely with me (I speak not now of those seducers of consciences;)" yea, or if an angel from heaven preach unto you," &c. notwithstanding I would rather, that I myself, my brethren, yea, and the very angels from heaven also, should be holden accursed, than that my gospel should be overthrown. This is indeed a vehement zeal, that he dare so boldly curse, not only himself, and his brethren, but also even an angel from heaven.

The Greek word anathema, in Hebrew herem, signifieth a thing accursed, execrable, and detestable, which hath nothing to do, no participation, or communion with God. So saith Joshua: "Cursed be the man before the Lord, that raiseth up and buildeth this city Jericho," (Josh. vi. 26.) And in the last of Leviticus it is written: "Nothing separate from the common use, which shall be separate from man, shall be redeeined, but die the death, whether it be man or beast." So God had appointed Amaleck, and certain other cities, accursed by God's own sentence, should be utterly rased and destroyed. This is then the mind of Paul: "I had rather that myself, and other my brethren, yea, and an angel from heaven, should be accursed, than that we or others should preach any other gospel than that we have preached already." So Paul first curseth himself; for cunning artificers are wont first to find fault with themselves, that they may the more freely and sharply afterwards reprove others. Paul therefore concludeth, that there is no other gospel besides that which he himself had preached. But he preached not a gospel which he had himself devised, but the same which God promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures, (Rom. i.) therefore he pronounceth himself and others, yea, even an angel from heaven, to be undoubtedly accursed, if they teach any thing contrary to the former gospel: for the voice of the gospel once sent forth, shall not be called back again till the day of judgment.

VERSE 9. As we said before, so say we now again, if any man preach unto you otherwise than that you have received, let him be accursed. He repeateth the self-same thing, only changing the persons.