CHAP. III.

Ver. 1-3. Moreover, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Whereas I write ever one thing unto you, it grieveth me not, and maketh you the surer. Beware

of dogs, beware of evil works, beware of dissention. For we are the circumcision, even we, that serve God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesu, and have no confidence in the flesh.

The Apostle speaketh, after this sort: Hitherto I have taught you, that Christ's passion was sufficient for your salvation, without the works of the law: and that neither circumcision, nor sacrifice commanded in the law, be necessary for your salvation, but that you may be saved by Christ without the works of the law. Now, from henceforth see you rejoice in nothing, but in the Lord. For as without the sun there is no light; so without Christ there is no joy, no peace, no justice, no reconciliation to the Father, no remission of sin, no way to heaven, no truth, no life, but Christ is all these things to the believer. In God alone therefore rejoice; as I have written before, so I write still, and I am not ashamed to write to you the same things of Christ, and it is sure for you to trust these things.

And here we learn of Paul to rehearse one thing once or twice, specially if they be things necessary to be known, and should be sure fixed in the hearts and stomachs of the people, and therefore it is no rebuke to rehearse such things divers times, that they may be known and in their minds fixed more surely. Although some say, "overmuch of one thing is nought:" yet I say with the Apostle, that a good tale may be thrice told, as this; that in Christ be all things pertaining to our salvation, without the work of the law.

It is sure to you. As if he would say, Although I write so oft one thing, and am not ashamed of it; for it is sure for you to know the same thing, and to confirm you to that doctrine, which is always one, and like itself, teaching the truth and shewing the way that bringeth to life. And do not apply yourselves to that doctrine, that now teacheth one thing, and then another new thing, and is contrary to itself, and teacheth diversities. Of which uncertain doctrine speaketh St. Paul (2 Tim. iv.), saying, "The time shall come, when they shall not hear holy and wholesome doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap unto them doctors (teachers), whose ears do itch, and they pluck their ears from the truth, and they shall turn them to fables and lies."

Here, we may learn the property of true doctrine it is always constant, and teaches one thing. It does not teach now one and now another, or the contrary it taught before. It is always constant to itself, it sheweth truth, no fables or lies, as the false doctrine doth teach lies, errors, heresy, pleasure, and lusts of men, now one new thing now another, to please men withal. And that doctrine truly is to be suspected, that sheweth much diversities of religion, as to faith, justice, remission of sin, and divers ways to eternal life with Christ Jesu.

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of dissention. Three things he monisheth them to beware of, and to flee from. The first is, he willeth them to beware of dogs, he meaneth pseudo-apostles, whom he calleth dogs. For as dogs do bark, grin, gnash, and bite, always envying others, and treading under foot that dog, that is overthrown, and bite him and kill him if they can so the pseudoapostles do hate, envy, and bark against true preachers of God's holy word; to bite them by their slanderous tongues with railing, jesting upon them,

calling them lollards, heretics, deceivers of the people, abjects, runagates, apostates, ragged, newfangled knaves, and by many other like names do call them, tread them under their feet, and keep them down in the mire, or in prison: biting them with bonds, chains, fetters, bringing and seeking false witness against them, and all to kill, if they can, the true preachers, teachers, and setters forth of God's holy word. These pseudo-apostles St. Paul calleth dogs, whom he would have them to eschew and flee, and in no wise to give credence to them or to their false doctrine, not agreeing with holy Scriptures, but greatly dissenting therefrom.

Secondly, he admonisheth them to beware of evil workers; these pseudo-apostles he calleth evil workers, not because they denied good works; but because they preferred their own good works, as their traditions, ceremonies, laws, customs, and other decrees, made of themselves without God's word, above the precepts and commandments of God; or at the least made them equal with God's law, thinking it no less offence before God, to break one of their traditions, than to break God's commandment. Yea, they thought that more offence and greater punishment was had for the breaking of a small tradition of man, than for God's commandment being broken. Examples of this were many both in religion, and out of religion, before commissaries, chancellors, and officials. But to all these Christ threateneth everlasting woe (Mat. xv.), saying, "Woe be to you, that make void the commandments of God for your traditions."

Also, he calleth pseudo-apostles evil workers, because they made equal the works of the law, as circumcision and other works of the law, with the keeping of God's commandments, and thought them as necessary, as the other works commanded of God,

and that without the works of the law no man could be saved; as that without circumcision no man could come to eternal salvation. Which St. Paul writeth against throughout all his Epistles, and also it was decreed of the Apostles (Acts, xv.) circumcision not to be necessary for salvation, but salvation to come to the Gentiles without circumcision, and that there is no necessity of circumcision to salvation.

Thirdly, he calleth pseudo-apostles evil workers, because they did their works, not in that name or end they should be done, for they did all their works, that they might be seen of men, and have the vain praise and glory of the world, and so they lost their reward before God (Mat. vi.).

Fourthly, they did their good works, that they should merit and deserve the grace of God, reconciliation to the Father again, remission of sins, and satisfaction for their sins, and life everlasting, and that of the merit and worthiness of their outward works so to their works they attributed their justification and salvation. And, therefore, the Apostle moveth them to beware of such workers of iniquity, and not to follow them nor their works, nor to work after them.

Finally, he willeth them to beware of dissention, which these pseudo-apostles cause, that preach circumcision, as a thing necessary for salvation, and without it no man to be saved. These preach not circumcision, but concision, and dissention; for they, preaching circumcision as necessary to salvation, preach not circumcision, but concision and separation from Christ. And they separate the people of God from God and from Christ, by their evil doctrine. He calleth circumcision, concision, as we, alluding to a good thing out of order, say, it is deformed, when others call it reformed, changing a

letter or a syllable, keeping a like sound in the word, not much differing from words before spoken.

For we are the circumcision, even we that serve God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesu, and have no comfort (confidence) in the flesh. "Here, the Apostle teacheth carnal circumcision" (which false apostles so much esteemed and preached, and enforced and required as being necessary to salvation.) So, false prophets did say, contending us to be purged from our sins and grafted in Christ only by external circumcision and not by Christ only. But Paul here teacheth the contrary, and boldly pronounceth them to be made the people of God, not by circumcision, but by Christ; and to be purged from their sins only by Christ, and that they are the true circumcision, that have mortified and cut away all carnal affections and lusts of the flesh; which do worship Christ in the spirit, and serve him by a true faith and by perfect charity; and rejoice in Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh, trusting health and salvation to come none other way but only by Christ and by his death to us all.

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And, here, he willeth us not to rejoice in men, in the law, ceremonies, outward sacrifices, in cunning learning, in riches, honours, worldly wisdom, or policy; but he that will rejoice, let him rejoice in the Lord." (Jer. ix. Gal. vi.) He would also, we should not trust in the flesh in carnal sacrifices and in outward works to be saved by them, by the worthiness of the outward work; but that we should trust to be saved only by the mercy of God, and by Jesus Christ only.

Ver. 4-6. Though I have whereof I might rejoice in the flesh, if any other man think that he hath whereof he might rejoice in the flesh, much more I, which was circumcised on the eighth day, one of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an He