Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians

By the name of Sects Paul meaneth here, not those divisions or contentions which rise sometimes in the government of households or of common weals for worldly and earthly matters: but those which rise in the Church about doctrine, Faith and works. Heresies, that is to say, Sects have always been in the Church, as we have said before in divers places.¹ Notwithstanding the Pope is an Archheretic and the head of all heretics: for he hath filled the world as it were with an huge flood of infinite Sects and errors. What concord and unity was there in so great diversity of the Monks and other religious Orders? No one sort or Sect of them could agree with an other: for they ⟨image 265⟩measured their holiness by the straitness of their Orders. Hereof it cometh that the Carthusian will needs be counted holier then the Franciscan,² & so likewise the rest. Wherefore there is no unity of spirit, nor concord of minds, but great discord in the papistical church. There is no conformity in their doctrine, faith, religion or serving of God, but all things are clean contrary. Contrariwise, amongst the Christians the word, faith, religion, sacraments, service, Christ, God, hart, soul, mind & understanding are all one and common to all: and as touching outward conversation the diversity of states, degrees & conditions of life, hindereth this spiritual concord and unity nothing at all, as before I have said. And they which have this unity of the spirit, can certainly judge of all Sects, which otherwise no man understandeth: As in deed no divine in yt Papacy understood, that Paul in this place condemneth all the worshippings, religions, continency, honest conversation & holy life in outward appearance, of all the Papists, Sectaries & schismatics: but they all thought that he speaketh of the gross idolatry and heresies of the Gentiles & Turks which manifestly blaspheme the name of Christ.