The Argument of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians

IT is well enough known in what part of the lesser Asia the Galatians dwelt, and how far their Country reached, but as concerning their original, and the place from whence they came first, the ancient Authors are not all of one mind. They all agree that they were Gauls, yea and thereof they bore their name: for they were called Galgreekes, of a word compounded of Gal and Greek. But the thing that hangs in doubt, is out of which quarter of Galland they came. The Geographer Strabo thinks that those Gauls which were called Tectosages, came out of the Country of Province, and othersome say they came out of Gaul Celtike, which is the commoner opinion. Howbeit for as much as Pliny makes the people of Amiens to be next neighbors to the Tectosages: and all Authors well-nigh agree that the Tolistobogians were their companions which dwelled about the Rhine: I take it to be most likely that they were of Gaul Belgike which is the lowest Country upon the river of Rhine towards the English Sea. For the Tolistobogians held the Country that is now called Cleveland and Brabant. The common error (in mine opinion) grew upon this, that a company of the Tectosages being cast upon the Country of Province, took possession of it, and retaining still their old name, conveyed over the same to the Country which they had conquered. And that is the thing which Ausonius the Poet of Bordeaux means when he says, unto the Tectosages, which were first named Belgians. For he called them Belgians, and does us to understand that they were erst named Tectosages in stead of Tectosages. Whereas Caesar places them in the black Forest, which in those days was called Hercinia, or Hertswald: I believe it happened by shifting of places, because they were retired thither out of their own Country: which thing may be gathered by Caesar's own saying, where he makes mention of them. But we have spoken enough of their original for this time. Pliny reports of the Galatians which dwelt in that part of Asia, which was called after their name, that like as they were divided into three principal peoples, that is to wit, the Tectosages, Tolistobogians, and Trocmannes: so also they had three head Cities. Now for as much as they were there among neighbors of small prowess, and nothing well trained to the wars: they sped their business so well in times past, that the greater part of the lesser Asia became tributary to them. But in the end they grew out of kind, and by little and little lost their courage, giving themselves over to pleasures and wantonness. By means whereof Cneus Manlius the Roman Consul vanquished them in battle without any great ado, and subdued them to the Empire, under which they were in the time of Saint Paul. Now although he had taught them the Gospel faithfully: yet crept there in false Apostles in his absence, which corrupted his good seed by their false and wicked doctrine: for they taught that the keeping of Ceremonies was still necessary. It might have seemed at the first blush to have been a matter of no great importance: but Saint Paul debates of it here as of the chief article of the Christian faith. And good reason, for it is no small mischief, when the light of the Gospel is quenched, when men's consciences are clogged, and when all difference is taken away between the old and new Testament. Furthermore, he saw there was a wicked and mischievous opinion interlaced with those errors: which was, that men may deserve or earn righteousness: and that is the cause why he contends with so great vehemence and force.

Wherefore seeing we be warned what will follow upon the matter that is treated of here: let us read it with diligence. If a man should judge the case by the Commentaries of Saint Jerome and Origen: he would marvel why Saint Paul was so hot for any outward Ceremonies. But if a man look to the wellspring, he shall find that the things were well worthy to be handled so sharply. And for as much as the Galatians suffered themselves to be turned out of the right way through overgreat simplicity or light belief, or rather through inconstancy and fondness: therefore does he rebuke them the more sharply. For I am not of their mind which think that Saint Paul's rough handling of them, was because they were naturally dull-witted, and hard of understanding. The Ephesians and Colossians had been tempted as well as they. Now if they had lightly given place to the trumpery of the false Teachers, as the Galatians did, think we that Saint Paul would have spared them? Then was it not the people's nature that made him so bold as to be in that chafe with them, but rather the unworthiness of the matter compelled him to do so. Now that we understand the cause why this Epistle was written, let us come to the order and manner of proceeding which he keeps in it.

In the two first Chapters, he endeavors to maintain the authority of his Apostleship, saving that towards the end of the second Chapter, he enters by occasion into the chief point, that is to wit into the question of Justification, howbeit that the peculiar place where he handles that matter of set purpose to the full, is the third Chapter. And although in those two Chapters, he seems to treat of many things, yet his drift is but to prove himself equal with the greatest Apostles, and that there is not any default in his own person why he should not be taken for an Apostle, and be as highly esteemed as the rest. Nevertheless it is good to understand to what purpose he labors so much to maintain his own reputation. For what matter makes it whether he be greater or lesser than Peter, or whether there be no odds at all between them: provided that Jesus Christ reign, and that his doctrine abide pure and uncorrupted? Seeing that all other must be diminished to the end that only Jesus Christ may grow: it is in vain to strive for the prerogatives of men. Furthermore it may also be demanded, why he compares himself with the rest of the Apostles?

For what odds was there between Peter, James, and John? What needed it then to set one against another after that manner, where there was so good unity and agreement? I answer, that the false Apostles which had abused the Galatians, had shrouded themselves under the names of the Apostles, as though they had been of their sending, to the intent to be the better welcome, and to work their matters the easier. It was a trim way to wind themselves in, and to purchase authority, to make them believe that they represented the Apostles, and that the Apostles spoke as you would say, by their mouth. And in so doing they defaced the name, power, and authority of the Apostle Saint Paul. For they alleged that he had not been chosen by our Lord for one of the twelve, nor been acknowledged for such a one by the rest of the Apostles, and that he had not received his doctrine, not only not of Jesus Christ himself, but also not of any of his Apostles. By this means not only Saint Paul's authority was diminished, but also he himself esteemed much inferior to them, as one that was no better than one of the common sort. If the matter had touched no more but their persons: it had been all one with Saint Paul to have been counted among the least disciples. But seeing that the doctrine was by that means discredited: he ought not to hold his peace, but rather to cry out against it. Lo what the wiliness of Satan is: when he dares not assail the doctrine openly, he labors to deface the Majesty of it by overthwart ways. Therefore let us remember that the truth of the Gospel was assailed in Saint Paul's person. For if he had suffered himself to have been bereft of the honor of Apostleship, it had followed that he had hitherto taken more upon him than became him: and so, that false bragging of his should also have made him to be suspected in all other things.

Again, upon that very point depended the authority of his doctrine, for so much as it had not been received as a thing proceeding from an Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, but as from some common disciple. On the other side it had been darkened and defaced by the brightness of the names of great persons. For the false Apostles glorying of the titles of Peter, James, and John, took Apostolic authority to themselves also. Now if Saint Paul had not withstood such boasting earnestly and stoutly: it had been a yielding unto untruth, and a suffering of God's truth to be oppressed in his person. Therefore he strives in good earnest to show both the one and the other: that is to wit, that the Lord had ordained him to be an Apostle, and also that he was not inferior to any of the others, but had the like dignity and authority that the rest had, according to the name which he bore as well as they.

He might well have denied that those gallants were sent of Peter and his fellows, or that they had any charge or commission from them. But this defense is of far greater weight, when he says that he himself is of as great authority as the very Apostles. For if he had spoken any lowlier, it would have seemed that he had not been well assured of his case. Jerusalem was at that time, the mother of all Churches, because the Gospel flowed from thence into all the world, and it was as the chief seat of Christ's kingdom. All they that came from thence to other Churches, were honorably received, and good reason. Howbeit there were a number which were puffed up with pride because they had been familiar with the Apostles, or at leastwise had been trained up in their school: and therefore they could away with nothing which they had not seen at Jerusalem. All other manner of dealings which had not been used there, they not only rejected, but also boldly condemned. Such waywardness and peevishness is a dangerous plague when we will needs have the custom of any one Church to be received for a universal law. And that proceeds of an unadvised zeal, when we be so affectioned to some master or place, that without any judgment we will bind all men to that one man's mind, or all places to the ordinances of that only one place, as to a common rule. Surely there is always ambition mingled with that manner of dealing, or to speak more rightly, such overgreat waywardness is always full of vainglory. But to return to these false Apostles, if their foolish fondness had led them no further than only to assay to bring in the use of the Ceremonies everywhere, which they had seen kept at Jerusalem: they had done ill enough already. For there was no reason why they should of a custom make by and by a common rule. But there was yet a further mischief: namely their wicked and harmful doctrine, whereby they meant to bind men's consciences, and to ground righteousness in the keeping of Ceremonies. Now we understand why Saint Paul speaks so earnestly in defense of his Apostleship, and wherefore he sets himself against the other Apostles.

He pursues that matter till toward the latter end of the second chapter, where he openeth a gap to treat of his peculiar matter: that is to wit, that we be justified freely before God, and not by the works of the Law. For the reason whereupon he groundeth himself, is this: If the Ceremonies be not able to justify a man, then is not the keeping of them necessary. Howbeit, he treateth not only of Ceremonies, but of works in general: for otherwise it were but a very cold discourse. If any man think that this is a drawing aloof from the matter: Let him consider two things. First that the question could not otherwise be resolved than by taking that general principle, that we be justified freely by the only grace of God: which principle excludes not only Ceremonies but also all other works. And secondly that Saint Paul stood not so much upon the Ceremonies themselves, as upon the wicked opinion that followed them: that is to wit, of purchasing salvation by works. Therefore let us mark that the holy Apostle dealeth not impertinently, in beginning his matter so far off, but that it stood him on hand to touch the wellspring of the whole matter, to the end that the readers might understand that the thing which he dealeth with here is no trifle, but of most importance above all others: to wit, by what means we obtain salvation. They then do mistake their mark, which imagine that the Apostle standeth upon the particular point of Ceremonies: for that could not be well dealt with alone by itself. We have a like example in the fifth of the Acts. There fell a contention and debate about Ceremonies, to wit, whether they were needful to be kept or no. For the resolving of this question, the Apostles set down the intolerableness of the yoke of the Law, and the free forgiving of sins. To what purpose do they that? For it seemeth to be an impertinent digression, and that they leap out of the propounded matter without reason. But it is not so: For the particular error could not be lively disproved, but by taking a general proposition. As for example: if it behooved me to reason in defense of the eating of flesh: I should not only make mention of meats, but I should also arm myself with the general doctrine, and show whether men's traditions ought to bind men's consciences: and by and by I would take this ground. That there is but one Lawgiver which hath power to save and to destroy. To be short Saint Paul conveyeth his argument here from the general to the particular negatively, which is a very ordinary manner of reasoning, and most agreeable to nature that can be. Furthermore if we go to the body of the Epistle, we shall see by what texts and reasons he proves this sentence, that we be justified by the only grace of Christ. This matter he handles to the end of the third Chapter.

In the beginning of the fourth, he treateth of the right use of Ceremonies, and wherefore they were ordained: and there he showeth also that they be abolished. For it behooved him to prevent this absurdity which would have run by and by in every man's head, To what purpose then were the Ceremonies ordained? Were they utterly needless? did the fathers lose their labor in keeping them? He dispatches both the one and the other in few words, saying that they were not superfluous in their time, but that they be now abolished by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, because he is the very truth and end of them. And therefore he showeth that we must rest upon him. Also in that place he showeth wherein our state differeth from the state of the fathers. Whereupon it followeth that the doctrine of the false Apostles is lewd and dangerous, because it darkeneth the brightness of the Gospel with the old forborne shadows. He intermedleth certain exhortations with his doctrine, to move men's affections: and toward the end of the Chapter he beautifieth his discourse with a goodly Allegory.

In the fifth Chapter he exhorteth them to keep the freedom purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, to the end they should not yield their consciences in bondage to men's traditions: Nevertheless he therewithal admonisheth them also wherein that freedom consisteth, and which is the true and right use of it. And to the same end he showeth which be the true exercises of Christian folk, to the intent they should not lose their time in musing upon Ceremonies, and in the meanwhile leave the chief things undone.

FINIS.