nabas and the other Jews dissembled together with him, which did all offend, not through ignorance or malice, but for fear of the Jews: whereby their hearts were so blinded, that they did not see their sin. And certainly it is much to be marvelled, that such excellent men as Peter, Barnabas, and others, should so suddenly and so lightly fall, especially in that thing which they knew to be well done, and had also before taught unto others. It is a perilous thing, therefore, to trust to our own strength, be we never so holy, never so well learned, and although we think ourselves never so sure of that we know: for in that whereof we think ourselves most sure, we may err and fall, and bring ourselves and others into great danger. Let us therefore diligently, and with all humility, exercise ourselves in the study of the holy scriptures, and let us heartily pray that we never lose the truth of the gospel.

Thus we see, then, that we are nothing with all our gifts, be they never so great, except God assist us. When he leaveth us to ourselves, our wisdom and knowledge is nothing. For, in the hour of temptation, it may suddenly come to pass, that, by the subtilty of the devil, all the comfortable places of the scripture shall be taken out of our sight, and such places only as contain threatenings, shall be set before our eyes, which shall oppress us and utterly confound us. Let us learn therefore, that, if God withdraw his hand, we may soon be overthrown; and let no man glory of his own righteousness, wisdom, and other gifts; but let him humble himself, and pray with the apostles, "Lord, increase our faith!" (Luke xvii. 5.)

VERSE 14. But when I saw that they went not the right way to the truth of the gospel.

This is a wonderful example of such excellent men and pillars of the church. There is none but Paul that hath his eyes open, and seeth the offence of Peter, of Barnabas, and the other Jews which dissembled with Peter. On the other side, they do not see their own offence: nay, they rather think that they do well in bearing with the infirmity of the weak Jews. Wherefore it was very necessary that Paul should reprove their offence, and not dissemble it, and therefore he accuseth Peter, Barnabas, and others, that they went not the right way to the truth of the gospel: that is to say, they swerved from the truth of the gospel. It is a great matter that Peter should be accused of Paul as one that was fallen from the truth of the gospel. He could not be more grievously reprehended. Yet he suffered it patiently; and, no doubt, but he gladly acknowledged his offence. I said before, that many have the gospel, but not the truth of the gospel. So Paul saith here, that Peter, Barnabas, and other of the Jews, "went not the right way to the truth of the gospel:" that is to say, they had the gospel, but they walked not uprightly according to the gospel. For albeit they preached the gospel, yet,

through their dissimulation, (which could not stand with the truth of the gospel) they established the law: but the establishing of the law is the abolishing of the gospel.

Whoso then can rightly judge between the law and the gospel, let him thank God, and know that he is a right divine. In the time of temptation, I confess that I myself do not know how to do it as I ought. Now the way to discern the one from the other, is to place the gospel in heaven, and the law on the earth; to call the righteousness of the gospel heavenly, and the righteousness of the law earthly, and to put as great difference between the righteousness of the gospel and of the law, as God hath made between heaven and earth, between light and darkness, between day and night. Let the one be as the light and the day, and the other as the darkness and the night. And would to God we could yet further separate the one from the other! Wherefore, if the question be concerning the matter of faith or conscience, let us utterly exclude the law, and leave it on the earth; but, if we have to do with works, then let us lighten the lantern of works and of the righteousness of the law. So let the sun and the inestimable light of the gospel and grace shine in the day, and the lantern of the law in the night. Wherefore, if thy conscience be terrified with the sense and feeling of sin, think thus with thyself: Thou art now remaining upon earth: there let the ass labour and travel; there let him serve and carry the burden that is laid upon him; that is to say, let the body with his members be subject to the law. But when thou mountest up into heaven, then leave the ass with his burden on the earth; for the conscience hath nothing to do with the law, or works, or with the earthly righteousness. So doth the ass remain in the valley, but the conscience ascendeth with Isaac into the mountain, knowing nothing at all of the law or works thereof, but only looking to the remission of sins and pure righteousness offered and freely given unto us in Christ.

Contrariwise in civil policy, obedience to the law must be severely required. There nothing must be known as concerning the gospel, conscience, grace, remission of sins, heavenly righteousness, or Christ himself, but Moses only, with the law and the works thereof. If we mark well this distinction, neither the one nor the other shall pass his bounds, but the law shall abide without heaven, that is, without the heart and conscience; and contrariwise, the liberty of the gospel_shall abide without the earth; that is to say, without the body and members thereof. Now therefore, as soon as the law and sin come into heaven, (that is, into the conscience) let them by-and-by be cast out. For the conscience, being feared with the terror of the wrath and judgment of God, ought to know nothing of the law and sin, but of Christ only. And on the other side, when grace and liberty come into the earth, (that is, into the body,) then say: thou

oughtest not to dwell in the dregs and dunghill of this corporeal life, but thou belongest unto heaven.

This distinction of the law and the gospel, Peter confoundeth through his dissimulation, and thereby persuaded the believing Jews, that they must be justified by the gospel and the law together. This might not Paul suffer, and therefore he reproved Peter, not to put him to any reproach, but to the end that he might again establish a plain difference between these two, namely, that the gospel justifieth in heaven, and the law on earth. The Pope hath not only mixed the law with the gospel, but also of the gospel hath made mere laws, yea, and such as are ceremonial only. He hath also confounded and mixed political and ecclesiastical matters together; which is a devilish and hellish confusion.

easy:

This place, touching the difference between the law and the gospel, is very necessary to be known, for it containeth the sum of all Christian doctrine. Wherefore, let all that love and fear God, diligently learn to discern the one from the other, not only in words, but in deed and in practice; that is to say, in heart and conscience. For, as touching the words, the distinction is but in time of temptation, thou shalt find the gospel but as a stranger and a rare guest in thy conscience; but the law, contrariwise, thou shalt find a familiar and a continual dweller within thee for reason hath the knowledge of the law naturally. Wherefore, when thy conscience is terrified with sin, which the law uttereth and increaseth, then say thou: there is a time to die, and a time to live; there is a time to hear the law, and a time to despise the law; there is a time to hear the gospel, and there is a time to be ignorant of the gospel. Let the law now depart, and let the gospel come: for there is now no time to hear the law, but the gospel. But thou hast done no good: nay, thou hast done wickedly, and hast grievously sinned. I grant, notwithstanding, I have remission of all my sins for Christ's sake. But out of the conflict of conscience, when external duties must be done, there is no time to hearken to the gospel: then must thou follow thy vocation, and the works thereof.

VERSE 14. I said unto Peter openly, if thou, being a Jew, livest as the Gentiles, and not as the Jews, why constrainest thou the Gentiles to do like the Jews?

That is, to wit, thou art a Jew, and therefore thou art bound to live like a Jew; that is, to abstain from meats forbidden in the law. Notwithstanding thou livest like a Gentile: that is to say, thou dost contrary to the law, and transgressest the law. For, as a Gentile, which is free from the law, thou eatest common and unclean meats, and therein thou dost well. But in that thou, being afraid at the presence of the brethren converted from the Jewish religion, abstainest from meats forbidden in the law,

and keepest the law, thou compellest the Jews likewise to keep the law: that is, thou constrainest them, of necessity, to observe the law. For in that thou abstainest from profane meats, thou givest occasion to the Gentiles thus to think: Peter abstaineth from those meats which the Gentiles use to eat, which also he himself before did eat; therefore we ought likewise to avoid the same, and to live after the manner of the Jews; otherwise we cannot be justified or saved. We see then that Paul reproveth not ignorance in Peter, (for he knew that he might freely eat with the Gentiles all manner of meats) but dissimulation, whereby he compelleth the Gentiles to live like the Jews.

Here I say again, that to live as the Jew, is not evil of itself, for it is a thing indifferent, either to eat swine's flesh, or any other meats. But so to play the Jew, that for conscience sake thou abstainest from certain meats, this is to deny Christ, and to overthrow the gospel. Therefore, when Paul saw that Peter's act tended to this end, he withstood him, and said, "Thou knowest that the keeping of the law is not necessary to righteousness, but that we are justified only through faith in Christ, and therefore thou keepest not the law, but transgressest the law, and eatest all manner of meats. Notwithstanding by thy example thou constrainest the Gentiles to forsake Christ, and to return to the law." For thou givest them occasion thus to think: faith only is not sufficient to righteousness, but the law and works are also required; and this Peter teacheth us by his example: therefore the observation of the law must needs be joined with faith in Christ, if we will be saved. Wherefore Peter, by his example, is not only prejudicial to the purity of doctrine, but also to the truth of faith and Christian righteousness. For the Gentiles received this of him, that the keeping of the law was necessary to righteousness; which error, in case it be admitted, then doth Christ profit us nothing at all.

Hereby it plainly appeareth to what end this discord between Paul and Peter tendeth. Paul doth nothing by dissimulation, but dealeth sincerely, and goeth plainly to work; Peter dissembleth, but his dissimulation Paul reproveth. The controversy was for the maintenance of pure doctrine, and the verity of the gospel: and in this quarrel Paul did not care for the offence of any. In this case, all people and nations, all kings and princes, all judges and magistrates ought to give place. Since then it is so dangerous a thing to have to do with the law, and that this fall was so sudden and so great, as it had been from heaven above, even down into hell, let every Christian diligently learn to discern between the law and the gospel. Let him suffer the law to rule over the body and the members thereof, but not over the conscience. For that queen and spouse may not be defiled with the law, but must be kept without spot for her only husband Christ, as Paul saith, (2 Cor. xi. 2.) "I have espoused you to one

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husband, &c." Let the conscience have her bride-chamber, not in the low valley, but in the high mountain; in the which let Christ lie, and there rule and reign, who doth not terrify and afflict sinners, but comforteth them, pardoneth their sins, and saveth them. Wherefore let the afflicted conscience think upon nothing, know nothing, set nothing against the judgment of God, but the word of Christ, which is the word of grace, of remission of sins, of salvation and everlasting life. But this to perform indeed, is a hard matter. For man's reason and nature cannot stedfastly cleave unto Christ, but oftentimes it is carried away with the cogitations of the law and sin, and so always seeketh to be at liberty after the flesh, but according to conscience, a servant and slave.

VERSE 15. We which are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles. That is to say, we are born unto the righteousness of the law, to Moses, and to circumcision, and even in our birth we bring the law with us. We have the righteousness of the law by nature, as Paul before saith of himself in the first chapter: "being zealous of the traditions" of the fathers. Wherefore, if we be compared with the Gentiles, we are no sinners; we are not without the law, and without works, like unto the Gentiles: but we are Jews born, we are born righteous, and brought up in righteousness. Our righteousness beginneth even with our birth; for the Jewish religion is natural unto us. "For God commanded Abraham to circumcise every man-child the eighth day," (Gen. xvii. 10.) This law of circumcision, received from the fathers, Moses afterwards confirmed. It is a great matter, therefore, that we are Jews by nature. Notwithstanding, although we have this prerogative, that we are righteous by nature, born to the law, and the works thereof, and are not sinners as the Gentiles, yet are we not therefore righteous before God.

Hereby it is evident that Paul speaketh not of ceremonies or of the ceremonial law, as some do affirm, but of a far weightier matter, namely, of the nativity of the Jews, whom he denieth to be righteous, although they be born holy, be circumcised, keep the law, have the adoption, the glory, the covenant, the fathers, the true worship, God, Christ, the promises, live in them and glory in the same; as they say, (John viii.) "we are the seed of Abraham." Also, "we have one father, which is God." And to the Romans, (chap. ii. 17,) “behold thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law," &c. Wherefore, although Peter and the other apostles were the children of God, righteous according to the law, the works and the righteousness thereof, circumcision, the adoption, the covenants, the promises, the apostleship, &c. yet Christian righteousness cometh not thereby: for none of all these is faith in Christ, which only (as followeth in the text) justifieth, and not the law: not that the law is evil