Martin Luther on Galatians 5:9

Verſe. 9. A litle leauen doth leauen the vvhole lumpe. This whole Epiſtle ſufficiently witneſſeth how Paule was greeued with the fall of the Galathians, and how often he beat into their heades (ſometime chiding and ſometime entreating them) the exceding great & horrible enormities that ſhould enſue vpō this their fall, vnleſſe they repented. This fatherly and Apoſtolicall care and admonition of Paule moued ſome of them nothing at all: For many of them acknowledged Paule no more for their teacher, but preferred the falſe apoſtles farre aboue him: of whom they thought them ſelues to haue receaued the true doctrine, and not of Paule. The falſe apoſtles miſreported Paule to the churches. Moreouer the falſe apoſtles, no doubt, ſclaundered Paule among the Galathians, ſaying that he was an obſtinate and a contentious fellow, which for a light matter would breake the vnitie of the churches, and for no other cauſe but that he alone would be counted wiſe and be magnified of them. Through this falſe accuſation they made Paule very odious vnto many. Some other which had not yet vtterly forſakē his doctrine, thought that there was no daunger in diſſenting a litle from him in the doctrine of iuſtification & Faith. Wherfore, when they heard that Paule made ſo hainous a matter of that which ſeemed vnto them to be but light and of ſmall importance, then maruelled, and thus they thought with themſelues: Be it ſo that we haue ſwarned ſomething from the doctrine of Paule, and that there hath bene ſome fault in vs: yet that being but a ſmall matter, he ought to winke thereat, or at leaſt not to vehemently to amplifie it, leſt by the occaſion thereof the concord of the Churches ſhould be broken. Wherevnto he anſwereth with this ſentence: A litle leuen leueneth, [or maketh ſovver] the vvhole lumpe of dough. And this is a caueat or an admonition which Paule ſtādeth much vppon. And we alſo ought greatly to eſteme the ſame at this day. For our aduerſaries in like maner obiect againſt vs that we are contentious, obſtinate, and intractable in defending our doctrine, and euen in matters of no great importance. But theſe are the craftie fetches of the Deuill, whereby he goeth about vtterly to ouerthrow our doctrine. To this we anſwer therefore with Paule, that a litle leuen maketh ſovver the vvhole lumpe. In Philoſophie a ſmall fault in the beginning is a great and a foule fault in the ende. So in Diuinitie one litle errour ouerthroweth the whole doctrine.Doctrine and life muſt be ſeparate farre a ſunder. Wherefore we muſt ſeparate life and doctrine farre aſunder. The doctrine is not ours, but Gods, whoſe miniſters onely we are called: therefore we may not chaunge or diminiſh one tittle therof. The life is ours: therefore as touching that, we are ready to doe,The doctrine of Faith. to ſuffer, to forgeue, &c. what ſo euer our aduerſaries ſhall require of vs, ſo that Faith and doctrine may remaine ſound and vncorrupt: of the which we ſay alwayes with Paule: A litle leuen leueneth, &c. A ſmall mote in the eye hurteth the eye. And our Sauiour Chriſt ſayeth:Luke. 11.34. The light of the body is the eye: therefore vvhen thine eye is ſingle, then is thy vvhole body light: but if thine eye be euill, then thy body is darke. Luke. 11.36. Againe. If thy body shall haue no part darke, then shall all be light. By this allegorie Chriſte ſignifieth, that the eye, that is to ſay, the doctrine ought to be moſt ſimple, cleare and ſincere,Iam. 2.10. hauing in it no darknes, no cloud. &c. And Iames the Apoſtle ſayth: He that faileth in one poynt is giltie of all. This place therfore maketh very much for vs againſt theſe cauillers which ſay that we breake charitie, to the great hurt and damage of the churches. But we proteſt that we deſire nothing more then to be at vnitie with all men: ſo that they leaue vnto vs the doctrine of Faith entire and vncorrupt: to the which all things ought to geue place, be it charitie, an Apoſtle, or an angell from heauen. Let vs ſuffer them therfore to extoll charity and concord as much as they liſt:Charitie ſuffereth all thīgs, but Faith ſuffreth nothing 1. Cor. 13.[illegible: 1 letter]. but on the other ſide lette vs magnifie the maieſtie of the word and Faith. Charitie may be neglected in time and place without any daunger: but ſo can not the word and Faith be. Charitie ſuffereth all things, geueth place to all men. Contrariwiſe, Faith ſuffereth nothing, geueth place to no man. Charitie in geuing place, in beleuing,Charitie may be deceaued, but faith cannot. in geuing and forgeuing is oftentimes deceaued, and yet notwithſtanding being ſo deceaued, it ſuffereth no loſſe which is to be called true loſſe in deede: that is to ſay, it loſeth not Chriſte: Therefore it is not offended, but continueth ſtill conſtant in well doing, yea euen towards the vnthankfull and vnworthy. Contrariwiſe in the matter of Faith and ſaluation, when men teach lies and errours vnder the colour of the truth and ſeduce many, here hath charitie no place:VVhen vve muſt exerciſe charitie and vvhen not. For here we loſe not any benefite beſtowed vppon the vnthankfull, but we loſe the word, Faith, Chriſte, and euerlaſting life. Let it not moue vs therfore that they vrge ſo much the keping of charitie and concord: For who ſo loueth not God & his word, it is no matter what or how much he loueth. Paule therfore, by this ſentence admoniſheth, as well teachers as hearers, to take heede that they eſteme not the doctrine of Faith as a light matter, wherwt they may dally at their pleſure. It is as a bright ſunne beame comming downe from heauen, which lightneth, directeth and guideth vs. Now, like as the world with all the wiſedom and power thereof is not able to ſtoppe or turne away the beames of ye ſunne comming downe from heauen directly vnto the earth: euen ſo can there nothing be added to the doctrine of Faith, or taken from it: for that is an vtter defacing and ouerthrowing of the whole.