John Trapp on Galatians 1

CHAP. I. Verſe 1. Whoraiſed him from the dead]

ANd by the ſame almighty power cauſeth dead ſouls to hear the voice of the Son of God in his Miniſters and live, Ioh. 5.25. Eph. 1.19.

Verſe 2. The Churches of Galatia] They are not diſcliurched, though much corrupted. Ʋzziah ceaſed not to be a king, when he began to be a leper: the diſeaſe of his forehead did not remove his Crown.

Verſe 3. Grace be, &c.] See the Note on Rom. 1.7. This Epiſtle to the Galatians is an epitome of that to the Romans.

Verſe 4. From this preſent evil world] Bewitched wherewith the Galatians were relapſed from Chriſt. A ſubtill and ſly enemy it is ſurely, and hath caſt down many wounded: yea, many ſtrong men have been ſlain by it, as by Solomons harlot, Prov. 7.26.

Verſe 5. To whom be, glory] The benefit of our redemption ſhould make us lift up many an humble, joyfull and thankfull heart to God.

Verſe 6. That ye are ſo ſoon] Giddy headed hearers have religionem ephemeram, are wherried about with every winde of doctrine, being conſtant only in their inconſtancy, as Ecebolus, Balduinus, and our modern Sectaries. The Biſhops and Doctours of England (ſaid that Martyr) in their book againſt the Popes ſupremacy, ſpoke as much as Luther, or any Lutheran ever did or could. If they diſſembled, who could ever ſo deeply, ſpeaking ſo pithily? If not, who could ever turn head to tail ſo ſuddenly and ſo ſhortly as theſe did?Act. and Mon.

Removed from him, &c.] From Chriſt and me his Apoſtle. Luther often in his books teſtifieth, that he was much afraid, leſt, when he was dead, that ſound doctrine of juſtification by faith alone, would die alſo. It proved ſo in ſundry places of Germany. Men fell to Popery as faſt as leaves fall in Autumn.

Verſe 7. There be ſome] That would fain have blended Phariſaiſme and Chriſtianity, Act. 15 5.

That trouble you] As Camels with their feet trouble the waters they ſhould drink of. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

And would pervert the Gospel] They pretended only to bring in a Jewiſh rite or two, and yet are ſaid to pervert the Gospel: Ea quae post tergum ſunt, in faciem convertere, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as Hierome hath it, to turn that before that ſhould be behinde: to ſpeak diſtorted things, ſuch as produce convulſions of conſcience, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Act. 20.30. A little thing untowardly mingled, mars all. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. The monſtrous hereſie of Neſtorius lay but in one letter, and of Arrius, but in one ſyllable.

Verſe 8. Or an Angel] Not an evil Angel (as Ambroſe underſtands it) but a good Angel, per impoſſibile, as Iohn 8.55.

Then that which we, &c.] Or beſides that which we have preached. He ſaith not, contrary to that, but beſides that: for indeed that which is directly beſides, is indirectly againſt the Goſpel.

Verſe 9. Then that ye have] Of the Camell it is ſaid, that he will never carry any more weight then what at firſt is ſaid upon him; nor go one foot beyond his ordinary journey. Conſcience will not budge, nor yeeld an hair for an Angels authority. Stand faſt in the good old way, and finde reſt, Ieremy 6.16.

Verſe 10. For do I now perſwade men] That is, mens doctrines and deviſes.

Or do I ſeek to pleaſe men] Ʋt [non-Latin text not transcribed], qui ab omnibus gratiam inire cupit, quem quidam per jocum Placentam vocat. Menpleaſers, that curry favour with all, and covet to be counted No medlers. Theſe looſe a friend of God.

For if I yet pleaſed men] As once I did whiles I was a Phariſee.

I ſhould not be, &c.] That rule holds good in rhetorike, but not in Divinity, Cic. in Partit. Non ad veritatem ſolùm, ſed etiam ad opinionem corum qui audiunt, accommodanda eſt oratio.

Verſe 11. Is not after man] This he often inculcateth, becauſe the falſe Apoſtles had buzzed ſuch a thing into their ears, to diſparage his Miniſtery.

Verſe 12. Received it of man] i. e. Of meer man. Jeſus Chriſt is more then a man.

Verſe 13. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Ho[illegible: 1 letter]er. And waſted it] As an enemies countrey with fire and ſword. Mars is ſtiled [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſe 14. Above many of mine equals] Porphyry ſaid it was great pity ſuch a man as Paul was even caſt away upon the Chriſtian religion. The Monarch of Morocco told the Engliſh Em baſladour in King Iohns time, that he had lately read Pauls Epi ſtles,Ecp. Geog. which he liked ſo well, that were he now to chuſe his religion, he would, before any other, imbrace Chriſtianity; but every one, ſaid he, ought to die in his own religion: and the leaving of the faith wherein he was born, was the only thing that he diſliked it that Apoſtle.

Verſe 15. Who ſ[illegible: 1 letter]parated me from. &c.] How knew we this, but by the event? Whoſoever is lawfully called to the Miniſtery, may conceive that he alſo was ſanctified thereunto from the womb, and ſhould therefore do his utmoſt in the work, Verbi miniſter es, hoc age, Sa Ward Praef. ad Pe[illegible: 2 letters]t. prob[illegible: 1 letter]. Perk. probl. was Mr Perkins his Motto.

Verſe 16. To reveal his Sonne in me] Not only as in an object (wherein the power and grace of Chriſt might ſhine and appear) but as by an inſtrument of revealing and preaching Chriſt to many.

I conferred not with fleſh] i. e. With carnall reaſon, an evil counſellour for the ſoul, Rom. 8.7. Indeed in humane governments, where reaſon is ſhut out, there tyranny is thrust in: but where God commandeth, there to ask a reaſon is preſumption, to oppoſe reaſon is flat rebellion.

Verſe 17. But I went into Arabia] Of this journey Luke maketh no mention in the Acts. Into theſe tents of Kedar came S. Paul, and made them, by his preaching, comely as the curtains of Solomon, Cant. 1.5. Rude they were, but rich; black, but comely, when they had this precious man amongſt them eſpecially, who became a bleſſing to all places whitherſoever he came: Contrary to that which is ſaid of the great Turk, that whereever he ſets his foot, he leaves deſolation behinde him. Arabia was Felix indeed, when S. Paul was there.

Verſe 18. To ſee Peter] Not by way of idle viſit, but thorowly to obſerve the Hiſtory of his Chriſtian practice for godly imitation. Hiſtoriae ſunt fidae monitrices. [non-Latin text not transcribed], videndo abſervare.

Verſe 19. But other of the Apoſtles] They were buſily attending upon their particular charges and offices, according to Rom. 12.7.

Verſe 20. Behold, before God, I lie not] This he ſolemnly ſweareth for therir ſatisfaction. An oath may be lawfully taken to help the truth in neceſſity, and not otherwiſe. Hence the Hebrew word is a paſſive, and ſigniſieth to be ſworn, rather then to ſwear.Niſbbaug.

Verſe 21. Afterwards I came] He kept, belike, a Diary of his travels, and was able to give a good account of his daily courſes. It is not to be doubted, but that our Saviours Diſciples kept a regiſter of his holy oracles and miracles, out of which the hiſtory of the Goſpel was afterwards compiled and compoſed.

Verſe 22. And was unknown] So far was Paul from learning ought of them.

Verſe 23. Now preacheth the faith] A marvelious converſion. I was an obſtinate Papiſt (ſaith Latimer of himſelf) as any was in England: Inſomuch that when I ſhould be made Bachelour of Divinity, my whole Oration went againſt Philip Melancthon, and his opinions, &c. Act. and Mon.

Verſe 24. And they glorified God] Whoſo offereth praiſe, he glorifieth me, Pſal. 50.23. God accounts himſelf as it were to received new being, by thoſe inward conceptions of his glory, and by thoſe outward honours, that we do to him.