8. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you.]
[Paraphrase] 8. This new doctrin of the necessity of Judaical observances is not taught you by God, or by him (whether my self, or any others) who brought you to the faith.
9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.]
[Paraphrase] 9. It comes from a few false teachers among you, that have infected you with this sowre false doctrine of Judaizing, which will spoil all your Christi∣anity, v. 2, 4.
10. I have confidence in you through the Lord, that you will be none o∣therwise
minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he
be.]
[Paraphrase] 10. And I hope it will not ex∣tend farre, for I am confident of you in respect of the faith planted among you, that you will not be carried away with these errors; but the teachers of this doctrine, whosoever they are, or of what quality soever, shall suffer and be censured for it.
11. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why doe I yet suffer persecu∣tion?
then is the offence of the crosse ceased.]
[Paraphrase] 11. Some of your teachers, it seems, have told you, that I am for the urging of circumcision upon Christians, and that I have done so in some places: But I pray doe you guesse of the truth of this suggestion, by the persecutions which I suffer, which generally fall upon me among the Jewes, for my affirming the Mosaical Law to be abolished, and would not fall upon me if I pressed the observation of the Mosaical Law in this parti∣cular of so great importance. The great exception that the Jewes have against my preaching, and other believing me, is the abolition of the Mosaical Law, and the removing of that one exception would be the appeasing of the wrath of the Jewes, who probably would oppose it no longer; but this, you see, is not done, for the Jews are still as great opposers of Christianity (where it is preached by me) and of me for preaching it, and of others that so receive it from me, as ever they were.
12. I would they were even [note c] cut off which trouble you.]
[Paraphrase] 12. Thus unreasonable are their pretensions that would seduce you from your constancy, and are content to say any thing, though never so false and im∣probable, to that purpose; all that I have to say of them is, I wish they were excommunicated, turned out from among you, that thus endevour to pervert you.
13. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.]
[Paraphrase] 13. Christ hath freed you believers from the rigour of the Law, that is, both from the necessity of Mosaical observances, and of perfect exact obedience under the penalty of the curse: onely do not you make an uncharitable or a carnal use of this liberty, either to conte••••n and scandalize those that dare not use this liberty, Rom. 14. 1. or to fall into acts of sin, and to think your Christian liberty will excuse you; but by charity behave your selves toward all your brethren in this matter of legal ceremonies, as may be most for their advantages.
14. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thy self.]
[Paraphrase] 14. For this is indeed the summe of that Law which ye pretend so much to vindicate, endeavouring the good of all others as much as ye can, or as you would your own, and not per∣mitting your zeal to set you on designes of malice, and defaming of others.
15. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed
one of another.]
[Paraphrase] 15. But if you be so un∣charitable as to calumniate and defame one another, this will break out in a while, as in other places it doth already, to open feuds, persecuting and mis∣chieving your fellow-Christians.
16. This I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the
flesh.]
[Paraphrase] 16. My advise therefore is, that you order your actions according to the Gospel rule, and doe not those things which are most acceptable to the senses, most agreeable to your carnal or worldly ends.
17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and
these are contrary one to the other: so that ye cannot doe the things ye
would.]
[Paraphrase] 17. For this is certain, that he that will serve God must doe many things contrary to his sensual or secular ends: For there being two desires in you, the one proceeding from the carnal, the other from the rational spi∣ritual faculty or reason instructed by the Gospel, and these being so opposite one to the other, that whatsoever one liketh, the other disliketh, it follows that whatsoever you doe in compliance with the one, you doe in opposition to the other, and so that you doe not will or chuse with both wills, rational and sensual, whatsoever you will or chuse, but one of these still resisteth the other.
18. But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law.]
[Paraphrase] 18. That then which is your duty, is, to follow the duct of the Spirit; and if so, if you follow the Gospell rule in despight of all the temptations of the flesh, whether lusts of the flesh, or fear of persecution for the Gospel, to the contrary, then you are neither obliged to the Mosaical performances, nor to the perfect exact obedience, without which the Law allowes no justification.
19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, for∣nication,
uncleannesse, lasciviousnesse,]
[Paraphrase] 19. Whereas on the other side, the actions that the flesh is most apt to betray one to, and which you have most need to be admonished of, are such as every man knows to be such, and which yet your present false-teachers doe industriously infuse into you: such are, breaking the bands of wedlock, nay making mar∣riage absolutely a work of the devil, that that perswasion may bring after it all manner of unlawfull lusts (see note on 1 Cor. 5. a.) which marriage might prevent,
20. Idolatry, [note d] witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sediti∣ons,
heresies,]
[Paraphrase] 20. The sensual villanies committed in the idol-wor∣ships (see note on 1 Cor. 5. i.) to which the Gnosticks would bring you back, and so likewise sorceries, and then all the sorts of uncharitablenesse, hating or maligning of others, &c.
21. Envyings, murthers, drunkennesse, revellings, and such like; of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which doe such things
shall not inherit the kingdome of God.]
[Paraphrase] 21. And at length envy∣ing either the quiet, or the in∣nocence of all that will not doe as they doe, and so falling into all acts of riotous and bloody malice against them, together with drunkennesse and night∣revells, &c. all which are of a most dangerous and desperate nature, and will certainly deprive and exclude all that are guilty of them from the kingdome of God.
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,]
[Paraphrase] 22. On the contrary, the duties that the Gospel re∣quires of us are 1. love to our brethren; 2. joy in doing them any good, (see note on Rom. 14. c.) 3. study to preserve peace among all men (see note on Phil. 4. b.) 4. a patient bearing with the provocations and injuries of other men 3 5. a kindnesse in disposition and actions, actual performance of all kindnesse to others; and 6. fidelity, in opposition to betraying others, or inconstancy to our course,
23. Meeknesse, temperance; against such there is no Law.]
[Paraphrase] 23. Meeknesse and quiet∣nesse of spirit, in opposition to unquietnesse and sedition, and lastly perfect charity either in the single or conjugal state: And be you never so strict and Zealous observers of the Law, that can never engage any of you to neglect these Christian virtues (as many of you, that pretend to be all for the Law, that maintain the necessity of the Mosaical performances, are yet found to doe, behaving your selves so carnally in your religion, and opposing all other Christians so bitterly, v. 19, 20, 21. as if you