Galatians 2:4–5

Paul had said before, that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised: now he addes, For all the false brethren, that is, though the false brethren did what they could to the contrarie. Here then Paul sets downe, who were the cause that Titus was not circumcised, namely, certaine persons at Ierusalem, and them he sets forth by two properties, they are false brethren, and they crept into the Church. Touching the first, by it we learne, that the Church of God vpon earth, euen when it is at the best, hath wicked men, and hypocrites in it. In Adams family, there is Cain: in the Arke, there is Cham: in Christs family, or schoole, there is Iudas. In the Church of Ierusalem, planted and gouerned by the chiefe Apostles, there be false brethren. The true sheepe be often without, and wolues within. Therefore we may not so much as dreame of a perfection of the Church of God vpon earth; so long as wicked men be mixed with true beleeuers.

Againe, these aduersaries of Paul, are called false brethren, because they ioyned Circumcision with Christ, as a necessarie cause of iustification, and saluation. Hence it followes, that the Church of Rome, is a false Church: because it ioynes workes with Christ, in the case of our iustification, and that as meritorious causes.

Their second propertie is, that they crept into the Church, which I conceiue on this manner. The Church of God is as a sheepefold, or house, Ioh. 10. 1. Christ is the onely dore. Now Pastours, that teach Christ aright, are saide to enter in by this dore: they which teach any other way of saluation, are said to clime in an other way: and they which teach Christ, ioyning some other thing with him in the cause of saluation, are said to Creepe in: because in appearance, they maintaine Christ; and yet, because they adde something to Christ, they neither enter nor continue in the true Church, with any good warrant from God. In this, they are like the serpent. Liuing creatures were all placed in Eden: and Man was placed in the garden of Eden called Paradise, and so were not beasts. How then comes the serpent in? why, in all likelihood, it crept in. And so doe false brethren into the Church. Hence I gather that false brethren, are not true, and liuely members of the visible Church: though they be members in appearance. For if they were in their right place, they should not be said to creepe in. The true members of the Church creepe not into the mysticall bodie, but are built and set vpon the foundation by God. It may be alleadged, that they are baptised, and thereby made members of the Church. I answer: that faith makes vs members of Christ, and consequently of the true Church: and baptisme doth but seale our insition into Christ, and serues as a meanes of Admission into the outward societie of the congregation: and the outward washing doth not make any man a member of Christ. Againe, it followes hence, that false brethren are not members of the Catholike church. For the visible church is part of the Catholike: and therefore they which are not reall members of the true visible church, are not members of the Catholike.

Againe, in that false brethren creepe into the congregation, hence it appeares, that no man can set downe the precise time, when errours had their beginning. For the authors thereof enter in secretly, not obserued of men. The enuious man sowes his tares, when men be asleepe, Math. 13. It sufficeth therefore, if we can shew them to be errours by the word, though we cannot designe the set time when they began. The time when a shippe sinketh, we often obserue: but the time when it first drew water, we doe not. Let the Papists thinke vpon this.

Paul, hauing thus declared who were the causes that Titus was not circumcised; goes on, and shewes, how they were causes. The effect, and summe of his declaration, is this: They vrged the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law, as necessarie: and hereupon we refused to circumcise Titus. First therefore, Paul sets downe how they vrged circumcision, and that by three degrees. First, they come in priuily. Secondly, they spie out their libertie. Thirdly, they labour to bring them into bondage. Againe, Paul sets downe the manner of their refusall, in three things. We gaue not place for an houre. We gaue not place by subiection. We gaue no place, that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.

The first degree or steppe in their vrging of circumcision, was, that They came in priuily: that is, they ioyned themselues in fellowship with the Apostles, & in shew pretended the furtherance of the Gospel: & yet indeed meant nothing lesse: though their fraud, & wickednes was not perceiued. Here then the foūdation they lay of all their naughtie dealing, is their dissēbling, which Paul here notes & condemns. On the contrarie, our dutie is, to be indeed that which we professe our selues to be: & to professe no more outwardly, then we are inwardly: and to approue our hearts to god, for that which we professe before mē.

The second steppe or degree is, that they spie out the libertie vvhich Paul, and the rest had by Christ: that is, they conferre with the Apostles, and inquire of them what libertie they haue by Christ, in respect of the Ceremoniall lawe of God: and this they doe, not of a minde desirous to learne, but for aduantage sake. There be two kinds of spying: one lawefull, the other vnlawefull. Lawefull, as when in iust and lawefull warre, we inquire into the counsells and doings of our enemtes. Numb. 13. 1. Vnlawefull, when men prie into any thing, or matter, to finde a fault. Thus hypocrites spie faults in the persons and liues of men; that they may haue somwhat whereby to disgrace them, Math. 7. 4. Thus Atheists prie into the scriptures, that they may confute them. Thus sundrie hearers, come to sermōs, that they may carpe. Thus our enemies, inquire into our religion, that they may finde (as they suppose) exceptions, vntruthes, and contradictions. And in the Church of Ierusalem, false brethren inquire, how farre Christian liberty extends, that they may ouerthrow it. This kind of spying, is a common fault; we must take heede of it, and apply the eie of our minde to a better vse. First, we are to be spies, in respect of our owne sinnes, and corruptions, to spie them out. Lam. 3. 40. Let us search our waies, and inquire, and turne againe to the Lord. Again, we are to plaie the spies, in respect of our spirituall enemies, that we may finde out the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the deuill. Thirdly, we must be as spies, in searching of the Scriptures. Ioh. 5. 39. that we may vnderstand the words of the lawe of God, and find comfort to our soules.

The third and last degree of vrging, is, that the false brethren seeke to bring the Apostles in bondage, that is, to binde them to a necessarie obseruation of the ceremoniall lawe. Here let vs marke the practise, and pollicie of the deuill. Libertie from sinne, death, and the ceremoniall lawe, is the treasure of the Church: and therefore the deuill seekes to ouerthrow it, by holding men in bondage vnder abolished ceremonies. Thus at this day, they of the popish Church, are in bondage vnder an heape of humane traditions, beeing indeede, a yoake farre heauier, then that of the ceremoniall-lawe. Againe, when men professe the name of Christ, the deuill is content with it: and he indeauours with all his might, euery where to hold them vnder the bondage of sinne, and to hold them in his snare at his will. Thus vnder the name of Christianitie, there be swarmes of Atheists, Epicures, Libertines, worldlings, and prophane persons. At this time, according to auncient custome, we celebrate the memoriall of the birth of Christ: and yet no time so full of disorder as this. For the most that professe Christ, take and challenge to themselues, a licentious libertie, to liue and doe as they list: and this kind of libertie, is flat bondage. But they that are seruants of Christ indeed, should take heede of this bondage: For beeing free from sinne, they should be seruants of nothing but righteousnesse, Rom. 6. 18. They that be of a corporation, stand for their liberties: what a shame then is it, that men should loue bondage, and neglect the spirituall libertie, which they haue by Christ.

Thus, we see, howe the false brethren vrged circumcision: now let vs come to Pauls refusall. The first point is, that they would not giue place for an houre. It seemes they were requested to vse circumcision but once; but they would not yeeld, so much as once: because their acte would haue tended to the preiudice of Christian liberty, in all places. Here we learne, that we may not vse the least ceremonie that is, in the case of confession; before our aduersaries, that is, when they seeke to oppresse the trueth, by face, or by fraud, and make ceremonies, signes, and tokens, of the confession of any vntrueth. Iulian the Emperour sitting in a chaire of estate, gaue gold to his souldiers, one by one, withal cōmāding to cast of frākincense, so much as a graine into the fire, that lay vpon an heathenish altar, before Theodoret. bist. lib. 4. c. 16. him. Nowe Christ in souldiers refuse to do it: and they which had not refused, afterward recalled their acte, and willingly suffered death.

Againe, here we learne, that we are not to yeeld from the least part of the trueth of the Gospel, that God hath reuealed to vs. This truth is more pretious, then the whole world beside: and heauen and earth shall rather passe, then the least tittle of it shall not be accomplished. The commission of the Apostles, was to teach them, to doe all things, which God had commanded. Therefore the vnion or mixture of our religion with the popish religion, is but a dreame of vnwise Politickes: for in this mixture, we must yeeld, and they must yeeld something: but we may not yeeld a iot of the truth reuealed to vs. There is no fellowship of light with darkenesse. 1. Cor. 6. Colacinthus a naughtie pot hearbe, marred a whole pot of pottage. 2. King. 4. 40. Christ saith in the like case of the Pharisies; Let them alone: they are the blinde leaders of the blind, Math. 15. 14. We may yeeld in things indifferent, but not in points of religion. In matters of this world, we may be indifferent, and of neither side: but in matters of God, we may not. There is no halting betweene two religions.

The second point is, they gaue not place by way of subiection. The reason is, the Apostles were of highest authoritie, Luk. 10. 16. simply to be beleeued in their doctrine. And they had extraordinarie authoritie, to punish them that rebelliously withstood them. Act. 5. 5. & 10. & Act. 13. 20. 2. Cor. 10. 6. For this cause, they were not to stand subiect to the iudgement, and censure of any man. They willingly suffered their doctrine to be tried; yet were they not bound to subiection, as other ministers of the new testament are, 1. Cor. 14. 32. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. It may be said, if they would not giue place by subiection, howe then gaue they place? Answer. There is two kinds of yeelding: one by tolleration without approbation, the other by subiection, which is the greatest approbation that can be. By the first, it may be, Paul was content to giue place, but not by the second. Here we see, howe we are to yeeld, to the corruptions of the times, in which we liue, whether they be in manners, or in doctrine. We are to giue place by meeke and patient bearing of that which we cannot mende, but we are not to giue place by subiection.

The third point is, the ende of Pauls refusall, That the truth of the Gospell might continue: that is, that the Gospel might be preserued in puritie, and integritie in all things. And by this Paul giues vs to vnderstand, that if circumcision be made a necessarie cause of iustification, and saluation, the truth of the Gospel doeth not continue. Here let vs obserue, that when iustification, or saluation is ascribed to workes, or Sacraments, the truth of the Gospell giues place, and falshood comes in the roome. Wherefore the religion of the Church of Rome, is a meere deprauation of the Gospel, for it makes workes to be the meritorious causes of iustification, & saluation. Nay, which is more, it teacheth men to worship a peece of bread, and to invocate dead men, and to kneele downe to stockes, and stones.