The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

The argument or vvhole matter of the Epistle of sainct Paule to the Galathians, by Des. Erasmus of Roterodame.

ALbeit the Galathiās are Greciās, yet are they ori∣ginally descēded of Frenchemen, & (as s. Hierome sayth) in dulnes of witte resemble thē. This thing also Hillary, who was himself a Frenchmā borne, in his hymnes testifyeth, in the same callyng his countreymen dullardes. Sainte Paule also in this present Epistle reprouing thē calleth them A∣noetous, that is to say, witlesse or foolishe: to whose capacitie temperyng his matter, he more vehe∣mently and sharpely reproueth, then in other of his Epistles he doeth o∣ther, rather checkyng then teachyng them, to thentent that such, as could not with reason be brought to a better mynde, might yet at lestwyse with authoritie be called home againe and amended. In this Epistle laboreth Paule about that matter, whiche he els where in euery place doeth: to cal men (I say) from the bondage of Moses lawe to the grace of the gospell, whiche matter in his epistle to y^• Romaines he also entreateth of, because both people were in like errour, but yet after a sondry sorte fallenther∣vnto. For the Romaines were fyrst brought to Iewishenes, & afterward amended: but the Galathians contrarye beyng by the Apostle fyrst well taught, were through the sleightie desceiptes of false apostles brought backe againe to Iewishe religion. In the Romaines, simplenes it was, that they were through misteachyng begiled, but of wysedome and dis∣crecion it came, that after warnyng they sone amended: on the other side, wheras the Galathians sone receiued and fauored Christes doctrin, that was a point of easines: but straight after to fal againe from it, and to be∣come Iewes was euen lightnes and folishnes. To them there came false apostles takyng vpon them as though they had been sent from the chief Apostles Peter and Iames, whiche labored to abate Paules authoritie, teachyng them, that to him there should no credence be geuen, as whiche was inconstant, sometymes obseruyng the ceremonies of the lawe, as it appeared, by that he made a vowe, shauyng his head, & caused Timothe to be circumcised: and sometymes with the Gentiles reprouyng and con∣demnyng the lawe, bearyng them in hand also, that suche rather ought to be beleued, as had with Peter and Iames been conuersaunt and other, whiche had seen Christ in his manhod, whereas Paule had neither seen Christ, nor was, but a disciple of suche as were disciples, and not the mes∣senger of Christ. Paule therfore vehemently and sharpely, (for none epi∣stle is there more sharpe) with a holsome earnestnes and fauorable sharp¦nes bothe cureth the Galathians errour, and also defendeth his owne authoritie, openyng the false apostles disceiptes, at the beginnyng of the epistle, makyng him selfe equal euen with the chiefe apostles, yea, and in

this point aboue them, because he was at that tyme by Christ put in au∣thoritie to preache, after that he was become immortall, and vpon bold∣nes of this authoritie, for a certain tyme both in Arabia and Damasco preached Christ, before that he had talked with any of the Apostles, after whiche enterprise he graunteth, that he sawe in deede at Ierusalem for a fewe dayes Peter & Iames, of whom yet he was nothyng holpen, after whiche tyme he sayeth he preached. xiiii. yeres in Syria and Cilicia, vn∣tyll suche tyme as he was by God commaunded to returne vnto Ieru∣salem with Barnabas and Titus, wher Paule compared and examined his gospel with suche as wer Christes Apostles: not because that he then beganne to doubt of his so many yeres preachyng, but to the intent that by theyr approbacion and allowaunce, whose authorities were chiefe a∣mong all men, other might the more be confirmed: at whiche tyme he so compared with Peter, that of him he learned nothyng as touchyng the gospell, and was not onely by Peter not compelled to charge the Genti∣les with the burden of the lawe, but what tyme Peter at Antioche eate in company of the gentiles suche meates as wer by the lawe forbidden, & after for feare of the Iewes that came withdrewe him selfe from that cō∣pany, he checked him euen to his face, declaryng that through fayth men obtaine the grace of God offred by the gospel, & not by kepyng of the law whiche was at that tyme abolished. And though he begunne this dispu∣tacion, as it were with Peter, yet persueth he the same more at large turnyng his matter to the Galathians, instructyng them and declaryng, that Moses lawe was geuen but for a tyme, and that al thynges taught therin appertained and directed to Christ onely: that in the lawe was but fleshe, in the gospel was the spirite, in the lawe there were shadowes, in the gospel light, in the lawe images, in the gospel the truth, finally in the lawe bondage, in the gospel libertie: and that it was in the Galathians extreme folishnes after they had tasted of better thynges, to fal to worse. Whiche pointes saint Paule entreateth of in y^• fyrst, the second, the third and fourth chapiter, then after that he hath very earnestly warned them that by receiuyng circumsicion they should not shamefully cast them sel∣ues into the bondage of the lawe, he teacheth, that christian libertie is not a libertie to do what a manne lust synnefully, but a willyng and a ioyfull mynde to do well euen for loue, and not because the lawe so cōmaundeth. Finally he exhorteth the Galathians to christian concorde, to helpe suche as are weake or fallen, and to do for suche as haue taught vs christian fayth, and that suche workes, because they be workes of the spirite, are with euerlasting glory rewarded, whereas temporal ceremonies deserue but glory temporal, incidently bringyng the false Apostles into displea∣sure and hatred, as whiche for nothyng els labored to haue the Galathi∣ans circumcised, but because they might therof glorye, as bryngers to passe of suche an high arte. Lyke diseases haue suche now a daies, whiche fynde out newe & straunge kindes of religions, that it may be sayd, suche a kynde of men made he.

All this epistle Paule as it semeth, wrote with his owne hand, to shewe how tenderly he loued the Galathians, whereas in other epistles his maner is nomore but to subscribe: The latine argumētes shew that it was written from the cytie of Ephesus, but the greke titles reade that it was sent from Rome.