Martin Luther on Galatians 3:5

Verſe. 5. He therfore that miniſtreth to you the ſpirite, and vvorketh miracles among you, doth he it through the vvorkes of the lavve, or by the hearing of faith preached? Paule maketh often rehearſall of the argument groū ded vpon experience.This argument grounded vpon ye experience of the Galathians doth ſo well like the Apoſtle, that after he hath rebuked and terrified them, ſetting before them a double daunger and incommoditie, he nowe repeteth the ſame againe, and that with a more large amplification, ſaying: He vvhich miniſtreth &c, That is to ſay: Ye haue not only receaued ye ſpirite by the hearing of faith, but whatſoeuer ye haue either knowne or done, ye haue it by the hearing of faith. As though he would ſay: It was not enough that God gaue you once the ſpirite: but the ſame God alſo hath enriched you with the gifts of the ſpirite, and encreaſed the ſame in you, to the ende that ye hauing once receaued the ſpirite, it might alwaies growe and be more and more effectuall in you. Hereby it is plaine, that the Galathians had wrought miracles, or at ye leaſt had ſhewed ſuch fruites of faith as the true Diſciples of the Goſpell are wont to bring forth. For the Apoſtle elſwhere ſaith, That the kingdome of God is not in vvord, The kingdome of God conſiſteth not in vvordes, but in povver. 1. Cor. 4. Ver. 20. but in povver. Now, this power is not onely to be able to ſpeake of ye kingdom of God: but alſo in very deede to ſhew that God through his ſpirite is effectual in vs. So, before in ye ſecond chapter he ſaith of him ſelfe: He that vvas effectuall in Peter among the Ievves, vvas alſo effectuall in me: he that vvas mighty by Peter in the Apoſtleship ouer the Circumciſion, Chap. 2.8. vvas alſo mighty by me tovvards the Gentiles. When a preacher then ſo preacheth that the word is not deſtitute of his frute, but effectuall in the heartes of the hearers, that is to ſay: when faith, hope, loue and pacience do follow, then God geueth his ſpirite and worketh miracles in the hearers. In like manner Paule ſaith here, that God hath geuen his ſpirite to the Galathians, & hath vvrought miracles among them. As though he would ſay: God hath not onely brought to paſſe through my preaching, that ye ſhould beleue: but alſo that ye ſhould liue holily, bring forth many frutes of faith, and ſuffer many afflictions. Alſo by the ſame power of the holy Ghoſt, of adulterers, of wrathfull, impacient, and couetous perſons, and of very enemies, ye are become liberall, chaſt, gentle, pacient, and louers of your neighbours. Wherupon afterwardes he geueth teſtimony of them in the fourth chapter,Chap. 4.14.15. that they receaued him as an Angell of God, yea rather as Chriſt Ieſus: and that they loued him ſo vehemently that they were ready to haue plucked out their owne eyes for him. Now, to loue thy neighbour ſo heartily, that thou art ready to beſtow thy money, thy goods, thine eyes, and all that thou haſt for his ſaluation: and moreouer to ſuffer patiently all aduerſities and afflictions, theſe (no doubt) are the effects & fruits of the ſpirite, & theſe (ſaith he) you receaued and enioyed before theſe falſe teachers came among you. But ye receaued them not by the lawe, but of God, who ſo miniſtred vnto you, and daily encreaſed in you his holy ſpirite, that the goſpell had a moſt happie courſe amongſte you in teaching, beleeuing, working and ſuffring. Now, ſeeing ye know theſe things (being conuicted euen by the teſtimonie of your owne conſciences), howe cometh it to paſſe that ye ſhewe not forth the ſame fruites that ye did before: that is, that ye teache not truely, that ye beleeue not faithfully, that ye liue not holily, that ye worke not rightly, and that ye ſuffer not patiently? Finally, who hath ſo corrupted you, that ye beare not ſo louing affection towards me, as ye did before? that ye receaue not Paule now as an Angell of God, nor as Chriſt Ieſus? that ye will not plucke out your eyes to geue them vnto me? How cometh it to paſſe (I ſay) that this feruent zeale of yours waxeth ſo colde towardes me, and that ye now preferre before me the falſe apoſtles which doe ſo miſerably ſeduce you? In like manner it hapneth vnto vs at this day. When we firſt preached the Goſpell, there were very many that fauoured our doctrine, and had a good and a reuerent opinion of vs: and after the preaching therof, followed the operations and effectes of faith. But what came then? A ſort of light and brainſicke heads ſprang vp, and by and by deſtroyed all that we had in long time and with much trauaile plā ted before, and alſo made vs ſo odious vnto them which before loued vs dearely, and thankfully receaued our doctrine, that nowe they hate nothing more then our name.The vvorkes of the Deuill. But the Deuill is the aucthor of this miſchiefe, working in his members contrary ſignes, which wholy fight againſt the operations of the holy Ghoſt. Therfore, ſayth the Apoſtle, your experience (O ye Galathians) ought to teach you, that theſe great and excellent miracles proceeded not of the workes of the law. For as ye had them not before the hearing of faith preached: ſo haue ye them not nowe, although the falſe apoſtles raigne in the middeſt of you. Therfore we alſo may ſay to them at this day which vaunt them ſelues to be goſpellers, and to be freed from the tyrannie of the Pope: haue ye ouercome the tyrannie of the Pope, and obtained libertie in Chriſt through the Anabaptiſtes and ſuch other fanaticall ſpirites, or through vs which haue preached faith in Ieſus Chriſt? Here if they will confeſſe the truth, they muſt needes ſay: no doubt, it was by the preaching of faith.VVhat happie ſucceſſe the goſpell had vvhen it vvas firſt preached. And true it is, that in the beginning of our preaching, the doctrine of faith had a moſt happy courſe, and downe fell the Popes pardones, purgatorie, vowes, Maſſes, and ſuch like abhominations, which drue with them the ruine of al Poperie. No man could iuſtly condemne vs: for our doctrine was pure, raiſing vp and comforting many poore conſciences, which had bene long oppreſſed with mens traditions vnder the Papacie: which was a plaine tyrannie, a racking and crucifying of conſciences. Many therfore gaue thankes vnto God, that through the Goſpell (which by the grace of God we thē firſt preached) they were ſo mightely deliuered out of theſe ſnares,The Popedom a very ſlaughterhouſe of conſciences. and this ſlaughterhouſe of conſciences. But whē theſe new fond heads ſprang vp (who went about by all meanes to worke our diſcredite) then began our doctrine to be euill thought of: for it was commonly bruted abrode, that the profeſſors therof diſagreed among themſelues. Wherat many being greatly offended, fell quite from the truth, putting the Papiſtes in comfort, yt we together with our doctrine, ſhould ſhortly come to naught, and by this meanes they ſhould recouer their former dignitie and authoritie againe. Wherfore, like as the falſe apoſtles vehemently contended yt the Galathians now iuſtified by faith in Chriſt ought to be circumciſed & to kepe the law of Moſes, if they would be deliuered from their ſinnes and from the wrath of God, and obtaine the holy Ghoſt: and yet notwt ſtanding by the ſelfe ſame meanes they burdened them the more with ſinnes (for ſinne is not taken away by the law,The Anabaptiſtes the authors of tumultes and ſeditions, hindred much the courſe of the goſpell. neither is the holy ghoſt geuen through it, but onely it worketh wrath and driueth men into great terrours): ſo at this day theſe raſh heades, which thought to prouide for the ſafetie of ye catholike Church, & at once to driue downe all Poperie, haue done no good, but much hurt to the Church: they haue not ouerthrowne the Papacie, but haue more eſtabliſhed it. The Anabaptiſts enemies to the article of iuſtificatiō.But if they had (as they began) with a common conſent together with vs taught and diligently vrged the article of iuſtification: that is to ſay, that we are iuſtified neither by the righteouſnes of the lawe, nor by our owne righteouſnes, but by onely faith in Ieſus Chriſt: doutles this one article by litle and litle (as it began) had ouerthrowen the whole Papacie, with al her brotherhodes, pardons, religious orders, relikes, ceremonies, inuocation of Sainctes, purgatorie, Maſſes,This mai rightly be applied to Munſter, Knipperdolīg, and ſuch outragious Anabaptiſtes (of vvhom Sleidan maketh mention) vvho before times had much hindred the courſe of the goſpell. watchings, vowes, and infinite other like abhominations. But they, leauing of the preaching of faith and true Chriſtian righteouſnes, haue gone an other way to worke, to the great hinderaunce both of ſounde doctrine and of the Churches. Therfore it is happened to them much like as is ſaid in the common Dutch prouerbe: They haue driuen away the fiſhes which the nette was about to encloſe, whiles they went about to catch them with their handes.