Sermons of M. John Calvin upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the GalatiansSermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians

Paul speaketh here purposely of the trueth of the Gospel, as he speaketh of the simplicity of our Lord Jesus in the second to the Corinthians.¹ And what is meant by the simplicity [or singleness] of our Lord Jesus Christ? It is matched against all the minglings that men make. For (as I have said already) they have a foolish fancy of setting forth things devised of their own brain. Now when men do so put too things of their own: it is but corruptness and stark abomination. And that is the cause why S. Paul faith, that we must hold still the singleness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore when under colour of handling the Gospel, men go about to make a patched & pied-coated or motley religion (as a man might term it:) it is no more a true religion, but there is much falsehood mingled with it. Then let us mark well, that whereas S. Paul useth here such speech, he (or rather the Holy Ghost by his mouth) warneth us that it is not enough for us to bear the name of Christians, & to make some fair show of cleaving to Gods word and to the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ: but that we must stick to it throughly, and take heed that we neither mingle nor foist in any thing to it, but consider that like as a little leaven is able to sower a great deal of dow, so all will be marred, as soon as we give any entrance to the things that men have devised of their own ⟨p. 61⟩heads. To be short, the means to keep the doctrine of the Gospel pure, is that men add not any thing at all to it, nor be so bold and licentious, as too lay one thing or other upon it, but too content themselves with the things that our lord Jesus Christ hath showed us, so as we become his true disciples, and be not so hardy as too reply against him, but that all mouths may be shut, and no man lift up his neb too say, this is my opinion, this think I to be good, but every one of us receive simply that which is taught us by our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath all dominion of reigning over our souls. Lo how we may have the truth of the Gospel: And it behoveth us so much the more too practise this doctrine, of S. Pauls, by cause we see that nowadays many men seek nothing but to mingle one with an other, so as they care not of what religion they be, so the same be most tolerable and easlyest received of the world.

Paule speaketh here purposely of the trueth of the Gospell, as he speaketh of the simplicitie of our Lord Iesus in the second to the Corinthians.