IT is wel inough knowne in what part of the lesser Asia the Galathians dwelt , and how farre their Countrey reached , but as concerning their originall , and the place from whence they came first , the auncient Authors are not all of one mind . They all agree that they were Galles , yea and thereof they bare their name : for they were called Galgreekes , of a word compounded of Gal and Greeke ▪ But the thing that hangeth in doubt , is out of which quarter of Galland they came . The Geographer Strabo thinketh that those Galles whiche were called Tectosages , came out of the Countrey of Prouince , and othersome say they came out of Gall Celtike , which is the commoner opinion ▪ Howbeeit for as much as Plinie maketh the people of Amiens to be next neighbours to the Tectosages : and all Authors wel-neare agreee that the Tolistobogians were their companions which dwelled about the Rhyne : I take it to be most likely that they were of Gall Belgike which is the lowest Countrey vpon the riuer of Rhyne towards the English Sea . For the Tolistobogians hilde the Countrey that is nowe called Cleuelande and Brabant . The common errrour ( in mine opinion ) grew vpon this , that a companie of the Tectosages being cast vpon the Countrey of Prouince , tooke possession of it , and reteyning still their olde name , conueyed ouer the same to the Countrey which they had conquered . And that is the thing which Ausonius the Poet of Burdeaux meeneth when he sayeth , vntoo the Tectosages , which were first named Belgians . For hee called them Belgians , and dooth vs to vnderstande that they were earst named Tewtosages in sted of Tectosages . Wheras Caesar placeth them in the black Forest , which in those dayes was called Hercinia , or Hertswald : I beleeue it happened by shifting of places , bycause they were retired thither out of their owne Countrey : which thing may be gathered by Caesars owne saying , where he maketh mention of them . But we haue spoken ynough of their originall for this time . Plinie reporteth of the Galathians which dwelt in that part of Asia , which was called after their name , that lyke as they were deuided into three principall peoples , that is too witte , the Tectosages , Tolistobogians , and Trocmannes : so also they had three head Cities . Now for as much as they were there among neighbours of small prowesse , and nothing well trayned too the warres : they spedde their businesse so well in times past , that the greater part of the lesser Asia became tributarie too them . But in the ende they grewe out of kinde , and by little and little lost their courage , giuing themselues ouer to pleasures and wantonnesse . By meanes whereof Cneus Manlius the Romane Consull vanquished them in battell without any great adoo , and subdued them too the Empyre , vnder the whiche they were in the time of Saint Paule . Nowe although he had taught them the Gospell faithfully : yet crept there in false Apostles in his absence , which corrupted his good seede by their false and wicked doctrine : for they taught that the keeping of Ceremonies was still necessarie . It might haue seemed at the first blushe too haue beene a matter of no greate importance : but Saint Paule debateth of it heere as of the cheefe article of the Christen fayth . And good reason , for it is no small mischeefe , when the light of the Gospell is quenched , when mennes consciences are clogged , and when all difference is taken away betweene the olde and newe Testament . Furthermore , he sawe there was a wicked and mischeeuous opinion interlaced with those errours : whiche was , that menne maye deserue or earne rightuousnesse : and that is the cause why hee contendeth with so great vehemencie and force . Wherefore seeing wee bee warned what will followe vppon the matter that is treated of heere : let vs reade it with diligence . If a man shoulde iudge the cace by the Commentaries of Saint Ierome and Origen : hee woulde maruell why Saint Paule was so whote for any outwarde Ceremonies . But if a man looke too the welspring , hee shall finde that the things were well worthie too bee handled so sharpely . And for as much as the Galathians suffered themselues too bee turned out of the right way through ouergreat simplicitie or light beleefe , or rather through inconstancie and fondnesse : therefore dooth hee rebuke them the more sharpely . For I am not of their minde which thinke that Saint Paules rough handling of them , was bicause they were naturally dull witted , and hard of vnderstanding . The Ephesians and Collossians had beene tempted as well as they . Now if they had lightly giuen place too the trumperie of the false Teachers , as the Galathians did , thinke wee that Sainct Paule woulde haue spared them ? Then was it not the peoples nature that made him so bolde as too be in thatchafe with them , but rather the vnwoothinesse of the matter compelled hym too doo so ▪ Nowe that wee vnderstande the cause why thys Epistle was written , let vs come too the order and maner of proceeding whiche hee keepeth in it .

In the two first Chapters , hee indeuereth to mainteyne the authoritie of his Apostleshippe , sauing that towardes the ende of the seconde Chapter , hee entereth by occasion intoo the cheefe poynt , that is too witte intoo the question of Iustification , howbeeit that the peculiar place where hee handeleth that matter of sette purpose too the full , is the thirde Chapter . And although that in those twoo Chapters , hee seeme too treate of many things , yet his drift is but too proue himselfe equall with the greatest Apostles , and that there is not any default in his owne persone why hee shoulde not bee taken for an Apostle , and bee as highly esteemed as the rest . Neuerthelesse it is good too vnderstande too what purpose hee laboureth so muche too mainteyne his owne reputation . For what matter makes it whither hee bee greater or lesser than Peter , or whither there bee no oddes at all betwixte them : prouided that Iesus Christ reigne , and that his doctrine abide pure and vncorrupted ? Seeing that all other must bee diminished too the ende that onely Iesus Christ may growe : it is in vaine to striue 〈◊〉 the prerogatiues of men . Furthermore it may also be demaunded , why hee compareth himselfe with the rest of the Apostles ? For what oddes was there betwixte Petr , Iames , and Iohn ? What needed it then to set one agaynst another after that maner , where ther was so good vnitie and agreement ? I answer , that the false Apostles which had abused the Galathians , had shrowded themselues vnder the names of the Apostles , as though they had bin of their sending , to the intent to be the better welcom , and to worke their matters the easlyer . It was a trim way too winde themselues in , and too purchace authoritie , to make them beleeue that they represented the Apostles , and that the Apostles spake as you woulde say , by their mouth . And in so doing they defaced the name , power and authoritie of the Apostle Saint Paule . For they alledged that hee had not bin chosen by our Lorde for one of the twelue , nor bin acknowledged for such a one by the rest of the Apostles , and that hee had not receyued his doctrine , not onely not of Iesus Christ himselfe , but also not of any of his Apostles . By this meanes not onely Sainct Paules authoritie was diminished , but also he himself esteemed much inferiour to them , as one that was no better than one of the common sort . If the matter had touched no more but their persones : it had bin al one with Saint Paule to haue bin counted among the least disciples . But seeing that the doctrine was by that meanes discredited : he ought not to hold his peace , but rather to crie out agaynst it . Lo what the wilinesse of Satan is : when he dares not assayle the doctrine openly , hee laboureth too deface the Maiestie of it by ouerthwart wayes . Therefore let vs remember that the truth of the Gospell was assayled in Sainct Paules persone . For if hee had suffered himselfe to haue bin bereft of the honour of Apostleship , it had followed that he had thitherto taken more vpon him than became him : and so , that false bragging of his shoulde also haue made him to bee suspected in all other things . Againe , vppon that verie poynt depended the authoritie of his doctrine , for so much as it had not bin receyued as a thing proceeding from an Apostle of our Lord Iesus Christ , but as from some common disciple . On the otherside it had bin darkened and defaced by the brightnesse of the names of great persones . For the false Apostles glorying of the tytles of Peter , Iames , and Iohn , tooke Apostolicall authoritie too themselues also . Nowe if Saint Paule had not withstoode such boasting earnestly and stoutly : it had bin a yeelding vnto vntruth , and a suffering of Gods truth to bee oppressed in his persone . Therefore hee stryueth in good earnest to shewe both the one and the other : that is too witte , that the Lorde had ordeyned him to be an Apostle , and also that he was not inferior to any of the others , but had the like dignitie and authoritie that the rest had , according to the name which he bare as well as they ▪ He might well haue denied that those Gallants were sent of Peter and his fellowes , or that they had any charge or commission from them . But this defence is of farre greater weight , when he sayeth that he him selfe is of as greate authoritie as the verie Apostles . For if he had spoken any lowlier , it would haue seemed that he had not bin well assured of his cace . Ierusalem was at that time ▪ the moother of all Churches , bicause the Gospell flowed from thence intoo all the world , and it was as the chiefe seate of Christes kingdome . All they that came from thence too other Churches , were honorably receiued , and good reason . Howbeeit there were a number which were puffed vp with pride bicause they had beene familiar with the Apostles , or at leastwise had beene trayned vp in their schoole : and therefore they could away with nothing which they had not seene at Ierusalem . All other maner of dealings which had not bin vsed there , they not onely reiected , but also boldly condemned . Such waywardnesse and peeuishnesse is a daungerous plague , when wee will needes haue the custome of any one Churche too bee receiued for an vniuersall Lawe . And that proceedeth of an vnaduised zele , when wee bee so affectioned to some maister or place , that without any iudgement we will bind all men to that one mannes minde , or all places too the ordinances of that onely only one , as to a common rule . Soothly there is alwaies ambition mingled ▪ with that maner of dealing , or to speake more rightly , suche ouer great waywardnesse is alwaies full of vainglorie . But too returne too these false Apostles , if their foolish fondnesse had led them no further than onely to assay too bring in the vse of the Ceremonies euery where , which they had seene kept at Ierusalem : they had done ill inough already : For there was no reason why they should of a custome make by and by a common rule . But there was yet a further mischief : namely their wicked and harmefull doctrine , whereby they ment too bind mennes consciences , and to ground rightuousnesse in the keeping of Ceremonies . Nowe wee vnderstand why S. Paule speaketh so earnestly in defence of his Apostleship , and wherefore he setteth himself against the other Apostles .

He pursueth that matter till towardes the latter end of the second chapter , where he openeth a gap to treate of his peculiar matter : that is to wit , that wee be iustified freely before God , and not by the workes of the Lawe . For the reason wherevpon he groundeth himself , is this : If the Ceremonies bee not able too iustifie a man , then is not the keeping of them necessarie . Howbeeit , he treateth not only of Ceremonies , but of workes in generall : for otherwise it were but a very colde discourse . If any man thinke that this is a drawing aloofe from the matter : Let him consider twoo things . First that the question coulde not otherwise bee resolued than by taking that generall principle , that we be iustified freely by the only grace of God : which principle excludeth not onely Ceremonies , but also all other woorkes . And secondly that S. Paule stoode not so much vpon the Ceremonies themselues , as vpon the wicked opinion that folowed them : that is too wit , of purchacing saluation by woorkes . Therefore let vs marke that the holy Apostle dealeth not impertinently , in beginning his matter so farre off , but that it stoode him on hand too touche the welspring of the whole matter , to the end that the readers might vnderstand , that the thing whiche he dealeth with heere is no trifle , but of most importance aboue all others : too wit , by what meane wee obteyne saluation . They then doo mistake their marke , which imagine that the Apostle standeth vpon the particular point of Ceremonies : for that could not be well delt with alone by it self . Wee haue a like example in the fifth of the Actes . There fell a contention and debate about Ceremonies , too wit , whither ▪ they were needefull to bee kept or no. For the resoluing of this question , the Apostles set downe the vntolerablenesse of the yoke of the Lawe , and the free forgiuing of sinnes . To what purpose doo they that ? For it seemeth too be an impertinent digression , and that they leape out of the propounded matter without reason . But it is not so : For the particular errour could not be liuely disproued , but by taking a generall proposition . As for example : if it behoued mee too reason in defence of the eating of flesh : I should not onely make mention of meates , but I should also arme my self with the generall doctrine , and shew whither mennes traditions ought to binde mennes consciences : and by and by I would take this ground . That there is but one Lawegiuer which hath power too saue and too destroy . To bee short S. Paule conueyeth his argument heere from the generall to the particular negatiuely , which is a very ordinarie maner of reasoning , & most agreeable to nature that can bee . Furthermore if we go to the bodie of the Epistle , woe shall see by what textes and reasons he proueth this sentence , that we be iustified by the onely grace of Christ . This matter he handleth too the end of the third Chapter .

In the beginning of the fourth , he treateth of the right vse of Ceremonies , and wherfore they were ordeyned : and there he sheweth also that they be abolished . For it behoued him too preuent this absurditie which would haue run by & by in euery mans head , To what purpose then were the Ceremonies ordeyned ? Were they vtterly needelesse ? did the fathers lose their labour in keeping them ? Hee dispatcheth both the one and the other in fewe woordes , saying that they were not superfluous in their time , but that they be now abolished by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ , bicause he is the very truth and ende of them . And therefore he sheweth that we must rest vpon him . Also in that place he sheweth wherein our state differeth from the state of the fathers . Wherevpon it followeth that the doctrine of the false Apostles is lewde and daungerous , bicause it darkeneth the brightnesse of the Gospell with the old for worne shadowes . He intermedleth certaine exhortations with his doctrine , too moue mennes affections : and towardes the end of the Chapter he beautifieth his discourse with a goodly Allegorie .

In the fifth Chapter he exhorteth them too keepe the freedome purchaced by the bloud of Iesus Christ , too the ende they should not yeeld their consciences in bondage too mennes traditions : Neuerthelesse he therewithall admonisheth them also wherein that freedome consisteth , and which is the true and right vse of it . And too the same ende he sheweth whiche bee the true exercises of christenfolke , too the intent they should not lose their time in musing vppon Ceremonies , and in the meane while leaue the chiefe things vndone .