Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians

Wherefore when Paul sayeth: I see an other law in my members, &c. he denieth not that he hath flesh, and the vices of the flesh in him. It is likely therefore that he felt sometimes the motions of carnal lust. But yet (no doubt) these motions were well suppressed in him by the great and grievous afflictions & tentations both of mind and body, wherewith he was in a manner continually exercised & vexed, as his Epistles do declare: Or if he at any time being merry & strong, felt the lust of the flesh, wrath, impatience or such like: yet he resisted them by the spirit, and suffered not those motions to bear rule in him. Therefore let us in no wise suffer such comfortable places (whereby Paul describeth the battle of the flesh against the spirit in his own body) to be corrupted with such foolish glosses. The Schoolmen, the Monks, and such other, never felt any spiritual tentations: and therefore they fought only for the repressing and overcoming of fleshly lust and lechery: and being proud of that victory which they never yet obtained,¹ they thought them selves far better and more holy then married men. I will not say, that under this holy pretence rhey nourished and maintained all kinds of horrible sins, as dissension, pride, hatred, disdain, & despising of their neighbours, trust in their own righteousness, presumption, contempt of all godliness and of the word of God, infidelity, blasphemy and such like. Against these sins they never fought: Nay rather they toke them to be no sins at all: They put righteousness in the keeping of their foolish and wicked vows, and unrighteousness in the neglecting and contemning of the same.

Wherfore when Paule sayeth: I see an other lavve in my members, &c. he denieth not that he hath flesh, and the vices of the flesh in him. It is likely therfore that he felt sometimes the motions of carnal lust. But yet (no doubt) these motions were well suppressed in him by the great and grieuous afflictiōs & tentations both of minde and body, wherwt he was in a manner continually exercised & vexed, as his Epistles do declare: Or if he at any time being merry & strong, felt ye lust of ye flesh, wrath, impatiency or such like: yet he resisted them by the spirite, and suffred not those motions to beare rule in him. Therefore let vs in no wise suffer such comfortable places (wherby Paule describeth the battaile of the flesh against the spirite in his owne body) to be corrupted with such folish gloses. The Schoolemen, ye Monkes, and such other, neuer felt any spirituall tentations: and therfore they fought only for the repressing and ouercomming of fleshly lust and lecherie: and being proude of that victorie which they neuer yet obtained,