Martin Luther on Galatians 6:1

Chap. 6.1. Brethren if a man be ouertaken by any fault, ye vvhich are ſpirituall reſtore ſuch one vvith the ſpirite of mekenes.

He that diligently wayeth the words of the Apoſtle, may plainly perceaue that he ſpeaketh not of errours and offences againſt doctrine,VVhat offences are to be forgeuen. but of farre leſſer ſinnes, into the which a man falleth not wilfully and of ſet purpoſe, but of infirmitie. And hereof it cometh that he vſeth ſo gentle and fatherly wordes, not calling it errour or ſinne, but a fault. Againe, to the intent to diminiſh, & as it were to excuſe the ſinne, and to remoue the whole fault from man, he addeth: If any man be ouertaken, that is to ſay, be beguiled of the Deuill or of the fleſh. Yea and this terme or name of Manne helpeth ſomething alſo to diminiſh and qualifie the matter. As if he ſhould ſay: What is ſo proper vnto man as to fall, to be deceaued, & to erre? So ſayth Moiſes in Le. They are vvont to ſinne like mē. Leuit. 6.3. Wherfore this is a ſentence full of heauenly cōfort: Which once in a terrible conflict deliuered me from death. For as much then as the Sainctes in this life doe not onely liue in the fleſh,Gal. 2.20.3.16. but now and then alſo through the enticement of the Deuill, fulfill the luſts of the fleſh, that is to ſay, fal into impatiēcie, enuie, wrath, errour, doubting, diſtruſt and ſuch like: for Sathan alwayes aſſaileth both, that is, as wel the puritie of doctrine,Sathan lieth in vvait both againſt purity of doctrine & life. which he laboureth to take away by Sectes and diſſenſions, as alſo the ſoundnes of life, which he corrupteth with daily offences. Therefore Paule teacheth how ſuch men that are fallen ſhould be dealt wtall, namely that they which are ſtrong, ſhould raiſe vp & reſtore them againe wt the ſpirite of mekenes.

Theſe things it behoueth them ſpecially to know which are in the miniſtery of the word,Hovv paſtor[illegible: 1 letter] ought to deale vvith them that are fallen. leſt whileſt they go about to touch all things to the quicke, they forget the fatherly & motherly affection which Paule here requireth of thoſe that haue charge of ſoules. And of this precept he hath ſet forth an example. 2. Cor. 2. where he ſayth that it was ſufficient that he which was excommunicate was rebuked of many, and that they ought now to forgeue him and comfort him leſt he ſhould be ſwalowed vp wt ouermuch ſorow. Wherfore I beſeech you (ſayth he) vſe charity towards him. Therefore the paſtors and miniſters muſt in deede ſharply rebuke thoſe which are fallen, but whē they ſee that they are ſorowful for their offences, then let them begin to raiſe them vp againe, to cōfort them, and to diminiſh and qualifie their faults as much as they can, but yet through mercy onely, which they muſt ſet againſt ſinne, leſt they that be falne be ſwalowed vp with ouermuch heauines. As the holy ghoſt is preciſe in maintaining & defending the doctrine of faith: ſo is he milde and pitiful in forbearing and qualifying mennes ſinnes, if they which haue committed them be ſorowful for the ſame.

But as for ye Popes ſynagoge,The Pope and his bishops are tormētors of mens cōſciences. like as in all other matters it hath both taught & done cleane contrary to the cōmaundemēt and example of Paule, euen ſo hath it done in this thing alſo. The Pope with all his biſhops haue bene very tyrantes & butchers of mens conſciences. For they haue burdened them from time to time with new traditions, and for euery light matter haue vexed them wt their excōmunications: and that they might ye more eaſily obey their vaine terrours, they annexed thervnto theſe ſentences of Pope Gregorie. Sayings of Pope Gregorie. It is the part and property of good mindes to be afraid of a faulte where no fault is. And againe: Our cēſures muſt be feared, yea though they be vniuſt & wrōgfull. By theſe ſayings (which were brought into the Church by ye Deuil) they ſtabliſhed their excommunication and this maieſtie of ye Papacie which is ſo terrible to ye whole world. There is no neede of ſuch humilitie & goodnes of mindes, to be afeard of a fault where none is. O thou Romiſh Sathan who gaue thee this power to terrifie and cō demne mens cōſciēces that were terrified enough before wt thy vniuſt & wrōgful ſētēces? Thou oughteſt rather to haue raiſed thē vp, to haue deliuered thē frō falſe feares, & to haue brought thē frō lies & errours to ye truth. This thou omitteſt, & according to thy title & name: to wit, the mā of ſin & childe of perditiō, 2. Theſ. 2.3. By vvhat meanes the Pope eſtablisheth his tyrannie and povver. thou imagineſt a fault where no fault is. This is in deede ye craft & deceit of Antichriſt, wherby he hath moſt mightely eſtabliſhed his excommunication & tyranny. For who ſo euer deſpiſed his vniuſt ſentences, was coūted very obſtinate & wicked: As ſome Princes did, howbeit againſt their cōſciences: for in thoſe times of darknes they did not vnderſtand that the Popes curſes were vaine.

Let thē therfore to whom ye charge of mens conſciences is cōmitted,Hovve they that are falne ought to be intreated. learne by this cōmaundement of Paule how they ought to handle thoſe that haue offended. Brethrē (ſayth he) if any mā be ouertaken wt ſinne, do not trouble him or make him more ſorowful: be not bitter vnto him, do not reiect or condemne him, but amend him & raiſe him vp againe: and by ye ſpirit of lenitie & mildnes reſtore that which in him is loſt by ye deceit of the Deuil or by ye weaknes of the fleſh. For the kingdom whervnto ye are called is a kingdō not of terrour or heauines, but of boldnes, ioy & gladnes. Therfore if ye ſee any brother caſt downe & afflicted by occaſion of ſinne which he hath cōmitted, runne vnto him & reaching out your hand raiſe him vp againe, comfort him with ſweete words, & embrace him wt motherly armes. As for thoſe yt be hard harted & obſtinate, which wtout feare continue careleſly in their ſinnes, rebuke thē ſharply. But on ye other ſide (as I ſaid) they that be ouertakē with any ſinne, & are heauy & ſorowful for their fault which they haue cōmitted, muſt be raiſed vp & admoniſhed by you that are ſpiritual, and that in ye ſpirit of meekenes, & not in the zeale of ſeuere iuſtice: as ſome haue done,The ſpirite of mekenes. who whē they ſhould haue refreſhed thirſty conſciences wt ſome ſweete cōſolation, gaue thē gall & vineger to drinke, as ye Iewes did vnto Chriſt hanging vpon the croſſe. Ezechiel ſayeth of the ſhepheards of Iſrael,Ezech. 34.4. that they ruled the flocke of God wt cruelty & rigour: but a brother ought to cōfort his brother that is falne, with a louing & a meke ſpirit. Againe: let him that is falne heare the word of him that raiſeth him vp, & beleue it. For God would not haue thoſe yt are bruſed to be caſt away, but to be raiſed vp as the Pſalme ſaith. For God hath beſtowed more for them, than we haue done, that is to ſay, the life and bloud of his owne ſonne. Wherfore we ought alſo to receiue, to aide & comfort ſuch with all mildnes and gentlenes.

Verſe. 1. Conſidering thy ſelfe leſt thou alſo be tempted. This is a very neceſſary admonition to beat downe the ſharpe dealing of ſuch paſtours as ſhew no pity in raiſing vp & reſtoring againe them which are falne. There is no ſinne (ſaith Auguſtin) which any mā hath done, but an other man may do ye ſame. We ſtād on a ſlipperie groūd: therfore if we waxe proud & leaue of our duty, there is nothing ſo eaſie vnto vs as to fall.Ex libro de vitis patrum. It was well ſayd therfore of one in the booke called ye liues of the fathers, when it was told him that one of his brethrē was falne into whoredō: He fel yeſterday (ſaith he), and I may fall to day. Paul therfore addeth this earneſt admonitiō that the paſtors ſhuld not be rigorous and vnmerciful towardes the offenders, or meaſure their owne holines by other mens ſinnes: but yt they ſhuld beare a motherly affection towards thē, & thinke thus wt thēſelues: This mā is fallen: it may be yt I alſo ſhal fal more dāgerouſly & more ſhamefully thā he did. And if they which be ſo ready to iudge & condemne other, would well conſider their owne ſinnes, they ſhould finde the ſinnes of others which are falne to be but motes and their owne ſinnes to be great beames.Math. 7.3. Let him therfore yt ſtādeth take hede leſt he fal.1. Cor. 10.12. 2. Sam. [illegible: 1 letter]1. If Dauid which was ſo holy a mā, ful of faith & the ſpirit of god, which had ſuch notable promiſes of god, which alſo did ſo many & great thīgs for ye lord, did fall ſo greeuouſly, & being now ſtrickē in yeres was ouerthrown wt youthful luſt after ſo many & diuers tēptations wherwt God had exerciſed him: why ſhuld we preſume of our owne cōſtancy? And god by ſuch exāples doth ſhew vnto vs, firſt our owne weaknes, yt we ſhuld not waxe proud but ſtād in feare: Then he ſheweth vnto vs his iudgemēt, yt he cā beare nothing leſſe than pride either againſt himſelf or againſt our brethrē. Paule therfore ſaith not without cauſe: Conſidering thy ſelfe leſt thou alſo be tempted. They that be exerciſed with temptations do know how neceſſary this commaundement is. On the other ſide, they which be not tried therwith, do not vnderſtād Paule, and therfore are not touched with any pity toward them that are fallen: as was to be ſeene in Poperie, where nothing elſe raigned but tyrannie and crueltie.