Martin Luther on Galatians 6:3

Verſe. 3. For if any man thinke him ſelfe to be ſomevvhat, vvhen in deede he is nothing, he deceaueth himſelfe. Here againe he reprehendeth the authors of Sects and painteth them out in their right colours: to wit, that they be hard harted,The authors of Sectes painted out ī their right colours. mercileſſe and without compaſſion, ſuch as deſpiſe the weake, & will not vouchſafe to beare their burdens, but require all things ſtraitly and preciſely (like waiward huſbandes and ſeuere Scholemaſters) whom nothing can pleaſe but what they themſelues doe: who alſo will be alwayes thy bitter enemies vnleſſe thou commend what ſo euer they ſay or do, & in all things frame thy ſelfe according to their appetite. Of all men therfore they are the proudeſt, and dare take vpō them all things. And this is it that Paule ſayeth here: they thinke themſelues to be ſomewhat, that is to ſay, that they haue the holy Ghoſt, that they vnderſtand all the myſteries of the Scriptures, that they cā not erre, &c. Wherfore Paule addeth very well that they are nothing: but that they deceaue themſelues with the fooliſh perſwaſions of their owne wiſedome and holines. They vnderſtand nothing therefore either of Chriſt or of ye law of Chriſt: For if they did, they would ſay: Brother, thou art infected with ſuch a vice, & I am infected with an other. God hath forgeuen me tenne thouſand talents,Mat. 18.24.[illegible: 1 letter]1. and I will forgeue thee an hundred pence. But when they will require all things ſo exactly and with ſuch perfection, & will in no wiſe beare the burdens of the weake, they offend many with this their ſharpnes and ſeueritie: who begin to deſpiſe, hate and ſhunne them, and ſeeke not comfort or counſel at their hands, nor regard what or how they teach: Wheras contrariwiſe Paſtours ought ſo to behaue themſelues towardes thoſe ouer whom they haue taken charge, that they might loue and reuerence them, not for their perſon, but for their office and Chriſtian vertues which eſpecially ought to ſhine in them. Paule therfore in this place hath rightly painted out ſuch ſeuere and mercileſſe Sainctes, when he ſayeth: They thinke them ſelues to be ſomevvhat, that is to ſay, being puffed vp with their owne fooliſh opinions and vaine dreames, they haue a maruelous perſwaſion of their owne knowledge and holines, and yet in very deede they are nothing, and doe but deceaue them ſelues.Deceauers of themſelues. For it is a manifeſt beguiling when a man perſwadeth him ſelfe that he is ſomewhat, when in deede he is nothing Such men are well deſcribed in the .3. of the Apocalips in theſe wordes: Thou ſayeſt: Apoc. 3.17. I am rich and encreaſed vvith goodes, and haue neede of nothing, and knovveſt not hovv thou art vvretched and miſerable, and poore, and blinde, and naked.