A commentarie or exposition, vpon the fiue first chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians: penned by the godly, learned, and iudiciall diuine, Mr. W. Perkins. Now published for the benefit of the Church, and continued with a supplement vpon the sixt chapter, by Rafe Cudworth Bachelour of Diuinitie

TO THE RIGHT HO∣nourable, right vertuous, and most truly religious Lord, ROBERT, Lord RICHE, Baron of Leeze, &c. Grace and peace.

THE holy Scriptures (Right Honourable) giuen by diuine inspiration, and penned by the holy men of God, Prophets, Apostles, and Apostolike writers, not by priuate motion, but as they were guided by the ho∣ly Ghost; are not onely commended by God, and left vnto the Church as a preti∣ous depositum carefully to be kept in their integritie (for which cause the Church is called the ground and pillar of truth. 1. Tim. 3. 15.) nor to be defended onely by the sword of the Magi∣strate, against Heretikes, Schismatikes, and men of scandalous life, in which respect he is called (and that truly,) Custos vtrius{que} tabula: But also to be the piller and foundation whereon to rest our faith; the touch-stone of truth; the shoppe of reme∣dies for all spirituall maladies; an anker in the blasts of Temp∣tation, and waues of affliction; a two edged sword to foyle and put to flight our spirituall enemies; the onely Oracle to which we must haue recourse, and whereat we are to enquire the will of God: In a word, the bread and water of life, whereon our soules are to feede vnto eternall life. Therefore we are com∣manded to search the Scriptures as for siluer, and to seeke in them as for treasures, to read in them continually, to meditate of them day and night, to vse them as bracelets vpon our armes, and frontlets betweene our eyes; to teach them to our posteri∣tie, and to talke of them when we are in our houses, and when we walke by the way, when we lie downe, and when we rise vp. And great reason there is of this commandement, seeing

that (as an ancient writer saith) Quicquid in cis docetur veritas est: quicquid praecipitur bonitas est: quicquid promittitur foelicitas est: that is, Whatsoeuer is taught in them, is truth it selfe: whatsoe∣uer is commanded, is goodnes it selfe: whatsoeuer is promised, is hap∣pines it selfe. They beeing of such perfection, that nothing may be added vnto them, nor any thing taken from them: of such infallible certentie, that heauen and earth shall sooner passe a∣way, then one title fall to the ground: so pleasant and delight∣full, that they exceede the honie and the honie combe: and so profitable, that no treasures may be compared vnto them: see∣ing they are able to make vs wiser then our enemies, then the aged, then our teachers: to make vs wise vnto saluation; to giue vs an inheritance among them that are sanctified: nay, a∣ble to saue our soules. Which beeing so; I cannot sufficiently wonder, that any calling themselues Christians should make lesse account of the booke of God, then the Romanes in old time, did of their twelue Tables, and other Heathens of their Rituall bookes: or then the Iewes at this day doe of their Tal∣mud, the Turkes of their Alcoran, the Aethiopians of their Abetelis: especially that those which professe themselues Di∣uines, should so distast the holy Scripture, that leauing it the cleare fountaine of the water of life, they should betake them∣selues to the troubled streames of mens deuises, and digge vnto themselues pittes which will hold no water. Wherein the Schoolemen (I meane the Sententiaries, the Summists, and Quodlibetaries) are chiefly (if not onely) to be censured, who setting aside the Scriptures haue vanished away in vaine specu∣lations in their Questions vpon Lombard the Master of the Sentences, and vpon Thomas their new Master. So that had it not beene for some fewe Glosses (which notwithstanding like the glosse of Orleans doe often corrupt the text) Nicolaus de Lyra, Hugo de S. Charo, and Peter Comestor (whom I should haue named first, beeing so good a text man, that (as his name importeth) he did eate vp the text, as the poore mans horse dranke vp the moone) we should not haue had among such a multitude of writers, one poore comment vpon the Bible for diuers hundred yeares. And no maruaile, seeing it is an ordi∣narie thing for young nouices in Popish Vniuersities (and I would it were but there onely) not to lay the foundation of their studie in Diuinitie vpon the rocke, but vpon the waters:

that is, not vpon the Scripture, but vpon Aquinas, or some such Summist: and to reade the Scripture no further then they giue them light for the vnderstanding of their Schoole-Doctours. Witnesse one of their owne writers, who testifieth of himselfe that he had studied Schole-diuinitie and the Ca∣non Law for the space of 16. yeares, and yet neuer so much as saluted either the Scriptures or the Fathers. Which course they take, either because they presume to vnderstand, aboue that which is writtē, cōtrarie to the cōmandemēt of the Apostle, Rom. 12. 3. or for that they iudge the Scriptures too simple and shallow for them to wade in, as not affording them suffici∣ent matter for their witts to worke vpon. Not considering that whilst they contemne the simplicitie of the Scriptures, & looke beyond the Moone, in the meane time with Thales they fall in∣to the ditch: and that whilst they striue with the winges of their wit to soare aboue the cloudes of other mens conceyts, they sincke into a Sea of absurdities and errors. Nor yet remem∣bring that the Scripture hath great maiestie ioyned with sim∣plicitie, and as great difficultie mixed with plainnes and facili∣tie: and therefore not vnfitly resembled by S. Gregorie, to the main Ocean in which the lamb may wade & the Elephant may swim. For the spirit of God hath in wonderfull wisdom so tem∣pered the Scriptures, that they are both obscure & perspicuous: in some places like a clasped or sealed booke. Isay 29. 11. in other places like a booke that is opened. Apoc. 5. 5. beeing both easie & difficult. Easie, in that the enterance into the word, giueth light and vnderstanding so the simple. Psal. 119. 130. Difficult, in that some things are hard to be vnderstood. 2. Pet. 3. 16. and hard to be interpreted. Ebr. 5. 11. Easie, to inuite vs to reade and learne thē: Difficult, to exercise vs lest we should cōtemne them. From the easie and plaine places are gathered principles of religion, both articles of faith & rules of good life, which we call Cate∣chismes. The difficult places require interpretation, & the Cō∣mentaries of the learned. Both which are necessarie in the church of God. Catechismes haue a necessarie vse, both in re∣gard of the simple, who are to be fed with milke, beeing but babes in Christ: and of the learned who are strong men in Christ, that they may haue some rule, whereby to trie the spirits, consonant to the analogie of faith, and the doctrine of the orthodoxe Fathers of the Church: which Paul calleth the

forme of knowledge. Rom. 2. 20. and The forme of doctrine. Rom. 6. 17. and a patterne of wholesome wordes. 2. Tim. 1. 13. which formes of doctrine were in vse in the primatiue church in the Apostles daies, as it is manifest Heb. 6. 1. where the A∣postle sets downe the principall points of the Catechisme, calling them the doctrine of the beginning of Christ. And after the Apostles, we find that they were vsed by the learned Fathers, both of the Greeke and Latine Church. Clement Alex. had his Pedagogue. Cyril of Ierusalem his Catechisme and Mystagog. bookes. Origen (that famous Catechist) his books o of prin∣ciples. Theodoret his Epitome 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Lactantius his Insti∣tutions. Augustine his Enchiridion. Hugo de S. Victore his books of the Sacraments, or mysteries of christian religion. And it were greatly to be wished that as in other reformed churches beyond the Sea, they haue a set Catechisme which all men fol∣low; and in the church of Rome one approoued by the Coun∣cell of Trent: so there were an vniforme Catechisme inioyned by publick authoritie to be vsed in all Families, Schooles, and Churches in this land, that we might all with one mind and one mouth, iudge and speake the same thing.

Now as Catechismes gathered out of plaine and easie places are necessarie for the simple: so Commentaries are as necessarie for the vnderstanding of such places as are more abstruse and difficult. Our Sauiour Christ (the great Doctor of the Church) hath by his owne practise giuen vs a president hereof in ex∣pounding the lawe, Matth. 5. in expounding all hard parables to his disciples a part: for the text saith, that he vnfolded or ex∣pounded them vnto them. Mark 4. 33. That he interpreted vnto them in all the scriptures the things which were written of him. Luk. 24. 27. That he opened vnto them the scriptures. v. 32. And they haue bin alwaies so accounted in the Church of God. For the Iewes (as we know) had their Per••shim, the Greeke church their Scholia, the Latin Church their Glosses, with other Para∣phrases, & Expositions. Neither was it euer called in question by any, saue by the phantasticall Anabaptists, who rest one∣ly vpon immediate reuelations. And some preiudicate Papists, who hold the consent of all Catholikes to be the true Scripture, both the glosse, and the text, the written word, but inkie Diui∣nitie, and a dead letter. And certaine arrogant spirits who with Nestorius skorne to read any Interpreters. But how Com∣mentaries

ought to be written, it is not so easie to define, there beeing such difference as well in regard of the manner of wri∣ting, as of the measure. For besides that the Popish writers make foure seuerall senses of the Scripture, commending Ie∣rome to excell in the Literall, Origen in the Allegoricall, Am∣brose in the Anagogicall, Chrysostome in the Tropologicall; they haue aboue fiftie seuerall waies of expounding the Scrip∣ture, as their owne writers doe record. In the measure, we finde some too tedious, as the two Alphonsi, Tostatus, and Salmeron, who vpon euery small occasion digresse from the text, or rather take occasion to enter into infinite friuolous questions, which breede strife rather then godly edifying which is by faith. For there is not so short a Chapter in the Bible, vpon which the former mooueth not aboue eight score que∣stions: whereupon his volumes growe to that bignesse, that one contracting his Commentarie vpon S. Matth. and draw∣ing it into an Epitome, yet could not so abridge it, but that it contained aboue a thowsand pages in folio in the largest vo∣lume, & smallest character. The other is so short with his 12 volumes vpon the Euangelists, that he might well haue contra∣cted leaues into lines, and lines into letters. Which tedious discourses, and impertinent excursions from the text, serue for no other ende but to cast a mist before the eyes of the reader, and drawe (as it were) the vaile of Moses ouer his face, so that he cannot see the meaning of the holy Ghost. Others on the contrarie are too short, and compendious, offending as much in breuitie, as the former in prolixitie: by name, Emanuel Sa the Iesuit, whose Commentaries vpon the Bible are shorter then the text it selfe, like to those of Apollinaris, of whome Ierom writeth, that a man which readeth them, would thinke he red Contents of chapters, rather then Commentaries. But as for the manner: the literall sense (which our author here followeth) is the onely sense intended by the Spirit of God: the Allegori∣call, Tropologicall, Anagogicall, beeing but seuerall vses and applications thereof: For the Scripture (consisting in the sense not in the letters) is profitable to teach, and improoue, as Paul saith: whereas from the Allegoricall sense no necessary argu∣ment can be taken (as their owne doctors confesse) either to confirme or confute any point of doctrine: & therefore much lesse from the Tropologicall, or Anagogicall. And as for the

measure, in regard of breuitie or prolixity, the golden meane hath alway beene iudged by the learned to be the best, which is not onely to giue the bare meaning paraphrastically, but to make collection of doctrine and application of vses; yet breef∣ly, rather pointing at the cheife heads, then dwelling long vp∣on any point. Some are of opinion that a Commentor is onely to giue the literal sence of the place, without making further vse of application, or instruction: To which I could easilie subscribe, if all the Lords people could prophesie, or if all were able to handle the word of God, the sword of the spirit: For as to an expert Musitian who is acquainted with the concords or rules of discant, it is as good a direction to haue onely the ground as if he had euery point pricked out vnto him, beeing inured to the diuision vpon euery point, as it falleth out in the ground: So to him that is acquaynted with the word of God, a short and concise handling of the Scripture, may be as good a direction as if euery point were discoursed at large. But be∣cause all readers are not strong men in Christ, some beeing but babes, who must haue euery thing minced, and cutt small vnto them before they can receiue it. Neither all teachers expert, & prompt Scribes, like to Ezra, nor mightie in the Scripture as Apollos, such as are able to diuide the word a right, and applie it fitly as they ought. (Some beeing deceitfull worckmen peruer∣ting it to their owne destruction, in pressing the two dugges of the Scripture, the Ould and New Testament, that in steed of milck, they sucke nothing but blood: Others, vnskilfull, cas∣ting wild Colloquintida into the pott of the children of the prophets, beeing too hastie to learne, and too ignorant to know of them selues, what they should haue gathered). There∣fore to help the ignorance of the one, and hinder the malice of the other (and so to profitte the most) beside the meaning, he hath briefly drawne out such doctrines as naturally arise from the text, shewing withall, how they ought to be applied for confutation, correction, instruction, consolation. Which he hath donne with such dexteritie, (artificially matching together two things, heretofore insociable, Breuitie, and Perspicuitie) that the like (I take it) hath not beene performed heretofore by any Expositer vpon this Epistle: which we may well call the key of the new Testament, in that it handleth the waightiest points of doctrine, whether we consider the necessarie know∣ledge

thereof, or the controuersies of these times. Therefore Luther after he had once publikely expounded it, toke in hand againe, and interpreted it the second time, beginning (as him∣selfe saith) where he ended, according to the saying of Syraci∣des, When a man hath donne what he can, he must beginne againe. Which Commentarie, seeing it hath found such good intertaine∣ment amongst vs, beeing but a forrainer, and hauing lost much of his strength, and taken winde by changing from language to language, as wine from one vessell to another: I doubt not but this, beeing a free-denizen, will find the like fauour and accep∣tance, therather, if it will please your Honour to vouchsafe it your countenance: To whose protection and patronage I here commend it, as S. Luke did his Histories to the most noble Theophylus: desiring hereby to testifie my humble dutie vnto your Honor, and my thankfulnes to God for the riches of his grace bestowed vpon you in my sterie of the Gospell, for your zeale of gods glory, your loue of the truth, and of all those that vnfainedly embrace the truth.

And thus fearing to hinder the course of your more serious cogitations & actions, I humbly take may leaue: Desyring the Lord, who hath promised to honour those that honour him, that as he hath made you Honourable in your noble progeni∣tors, so he would make you thrise Honourable in your future successors, and long continue you a notable instrument vnder his Highnes, of the peace and welfare of your country as he∣therto he hath done, accomplishing all your desires for present prosperitie and future felicitie. From Emanuell colledge in Cambridge: August. 10. 1604.

Your Honours most humbly deuoted RAFE CVDWORTH.

Notes

• 2. Tim. 3. 16.
• 2. Pet. 1. 20.
• 1. Tim. 6. 20.
• Eph. 6. 17.
• Esa. 8. 20.
• Ioh. 5. 9. Mal. 1 2.
• Deut 6 8.
• Hugo de S. Vi••t. de Script. & Scriptor. ••••cris. l••••. 1. c. 1.
• Deut. 4. 2.
• Matth 5. 13.
• Psal 19. 10.
• Psal 119. 98. &c. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Act. 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Iam 1 21.
• Ier. 2. 13.
• Ferdinaud. Vellosill. Epis. Luc. in praef. in aduer. Schol. Theol Nec Script nec Doctores vel a limino solu∣taste.
• Laert. de vit. Philos. lib. 1. in Thal.
• Epist. ad Le∣ander.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• o

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Sleidan. lib. 6.
• Coster. Enchir. controvers. c 1.
• Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 32.
• Sixt. Senens. in praefat. in Bib.
• 1. Tim. 1 4.
• Sixt Sen. Bibl. lib. 4.
• Tetrus Xime∣nes Episc. Cauriens.
• a. Cor. 3.
• Non tam Commentari∣os quam indi∣cie 〈…〉〈…〉lo∣rum. Hieron. proam. in 1. 〈…〉〈…〉m Esai.
• 2. Tim. 3. 16.
• Symbolica Theologia 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 argu∣mentatiua. Thom.
• 1. Cor. 1: ••3.
• Volusian. ad Nicol. 2.
• 2. Pet. 3 16.
• Eccles. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 6.
• 2. Sam. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 30.