Galatians 5:9

The sense. As a little leauen leaueneth and fauoreth the whole lumpe of dow: euen so, one errour or point of corrupt doctrine, corrupteth the whole bodie of Christian religion: because all the points of religion are linked and compounded together, so as if one be corrupt, the rest cannot remaine sound and incorrupt.

The scope. The obiection of the Galatians is: Put case, that we erre in ioyning Circumcision and Christ: yet there is no cause why thou shouldest so sharpely reprooue vs: for it is no great errour to ioyne workes and Christ in the cause of our Iustification. Paul answers to this obiection by a prouerbe, saying, that a little leauen of false doctrine corrupts the whole bodie of religion: and one errour, though it seeme to be of small moment at the first, may at length bring with it the corruption and deprauation of many other points.

The vse. In the example of the Galatians, we see what is the common fashion of men, namely, to extenuate their faults, and to make small matters of great offences. The Pharisies taught, that sundrie of Gods commandements, were small and little commandements. Matth. 5. 19. To them that make no conscience of sinne, great sinnes are little sinnes, and little sinnes are no sinnes. Pride is cleanlines, couetousnes is nothing but worldlines, drunkennes good fellowship, fornication a tricke of youth. Thus men put visards vpon their vgly sinnes. The Polititian that is of no religion, saith, that we and the Papists differ not in substance, but in small circumstances: and that if they erre, it is but in small points. But on the contrarie, we are to esteeme euery sinne for a great sinne, to humble our selues for the least sinnes, and to bring our selues in subiection to God in the least of our actions.

Here we are taught by all meanes to maintaine the puritie of sound religion, whatsoeuer befall vs. And for this cause we are to resist and withstand euery erronious opinion that shall be broched. For it is the pollicie of the deuill by foisting in some one errour, to depraue and confound the whole bodie of truth. It may be saide, how may we discerne errour from sound doctrine, considering oftentimes they are like, as leauen is like dowe? Ans. Leauen is discerned from dow, not by colour, but by tast: euen so they which are spirituall, and haue the gift of discerning, directed by the analogie of faith, discerne truth from falshood. For whatsoeuer is against one Article of faith, or against any of the commandements of the decalogue, is not sound doctrine, but leauen.

Againe, that which is said of false doctrine, may be said proportionally of bad manners. Here therefore we must be put in minde of three duties. The first, to resist and withstand euery particular sinne. For euen one sinne is able to defile the whole life of man. One flie is sufficient to marre a whole boxe of sweete ointment. One offence in our first parents, brought corruption vpon them and all mankind, yea vpon heauen and earth. He that makes no conscience of some one sinne, is guiltie of the whole law. Iam. 2.

Secondly, we must doe our indeauour to the vttermost, to cut off euery bad example in the societies of men. For one bad example is sufficient to corrupt a whole familie, a whole town, a whole countrie. The example of one incestuous man was sufficient to corrupt all Corinth. Therefore Paul saith, Purge out the old leauen. 1. Cor. 5. 6. The law of God is, that blasphemers, murderers, adulterers, &c. shall be put to death: the reason is, that euill may he taken away out of Israel, that is, the euill of wicked example, which beeing suffered spreads abroad, and doth much hurt. The barren figge tree must be cut downe, least it make the whole ground barren. Luk. 13. 7.

Thirdly, we are to withstand and cut off the first beginnings and the occasions of euery sinne. We say of arrand theeues, that first they beginne to practise their wickednes in pinnes, and points. For this cause idlenes, fulnesse of bread in excessiue eating, drinking, and swilling, riot, and vanitie in apparrell, are to be suppressed in euery societie, as the breeders of many vices.

On the contrarie, as one point of euill doctrine brings with it many other: so any one little grace of God, brings many other with it. The entrance into Gods word, giues light. Psal. 119. 130. In this respect Christ saith, The kingdome of heauen is like leauen, hidde in three peckes of meale: because Gods kingdome is set vp in the heart at the first vpon very small beginnings. Matth. 13. 33. This must teach vs to vse the meanes of our saluation, and not to be discouraged though we haue in vs but some small beginnings of Gods grace.