Galatians — Chapter 2

2. Conferred with them.) S. Paul confereth with S. Peter and the rest, for trial of his doctrine. Though S. Paul were taught his Ghospel of God and not of man, and had an extraordinarie calling by Christ himself, yet by reuelation he was sent to Hierusalem to conferre the said Ghospel which he preached, with his elders the ordinarie Apostles and Rulers of the Church, to put both his vocation and doctrine to their trial and approbation, and to ioyne in office, teaching, and societie or communion with them. For there is no extraordinarie or miraculous vocation, that can seuer or separate the person so called, in doctrine or fellowship of Christian life and religion, from the ordinarie knowen societie of God's people and Priests. The heretikes submit their doctrine to no trial of Bishops or Councel. Therfore whosoeuer he be (vpon what pretence soeuer) that wil not haue his calling and doctrine tried by the ordinarie Gouerners of God's Church, or disdaineth to goe vp to the principal place of our religion, to conferre with Peter and other pillars of the Church, it is euident that he is a false Teacher, a Schismatike, and an Heretike. By which rule you may trie al your new Teachers of Luther's or Caluin's schoole: who neuer did nor euer durst put their preaching to such conference or trial of holy Councel or Bishops, as they ought to doe, and would doe, if it were of God, as S. Paules was.

6. Added nothing.) The Scriptures alwaies true in themselues, are so knowen to be by the Church. The Ghospel and preaching of S. Paul was wholy of God, and therfore though it were put to the Churches probation, as gold is to the touch-stone; yet being found in al points pure, nothing could be altered or amended therin by the Apostles. Euen so the Scriptures which are indeed wholy of the Holy Ghosts enditing, being put to the Churches trial, are found, proued, and testified vnto the world to be such, & not made true, altered, or amended by the same. Without which attestation of the Church, the holy Scriptures in themselues were alwaies true before: but not so knowen to be, to al Christians, nor they so bound to take them. And that is the meaning of the famous sentence of S. Augustin Cont. ep. fund. c. 5. which troubleth the Heretikes so much: I would not beleeue the Ghospel (saith he) vnles the authoritie of the Church moued me.

7. To Peter of the circumcision.) The Apostles commision general through the world, & yet peculiar to certaine Prouinces. We may not thinke, as the Heretikes deceitfully teach, that the charge of the Apostles was so distincted, that none could preach or exercise iurisdiction but in those seueral places or towards those peoples or Prouinces only, wherunto by God's appointment or their owne lot or election, they were specially designed. For, euery Apostle might by Christes commission (Mat. 28. Goe, and teach al Nations) vse al spiritual function through the whole world. Iewes and Gentils specially committed to the two principal Apostles. Neither Peter only only of the Iewes, nor Paul Apostle of the Gentils only. Yet for the more particular regard and care of Prouinces, and for peace and order sake, some were appointed to one countrie, and some to another: as, of the other Apostles, we see in the Ecclesiastical histories, and for S. Peter & S. Paul, it is plaine by this place & other, that to them as to the two cheefe & most renowmed Apostles, the Church of al Nations was giuen, as deuided into two parts, that is, Iewes, and Gentils: the first and principal being S. Peter's lot, that herein also he might resemble our Sauiour, who was sent namely to the lost sheep of Israel, and was properly *the Minister of the Circumcision: the second being S. Paules, whom Christ chose specially to preach to the Gentils: Not so for al that, that either he was limited to the Gentils only, (whom the Actes of the Apostles report, in euery place, first to haue entred into the Synagogues and preached Christ to the Iewes, as he wrote also to the Hebrewes and euer had special regard and honour to them:) or Peter so bound to the Iewes only, that he could not meddle with the Gentils: seeing he was **the man chosen of God, by whom the Gentils should first beleeue, who first baptized them, and first gaue order concerning them. *Mat. 15. Ro. 15. **Act. 10. & 15. v. 7. Calu. li. 4. c. 6. nu. 15. Instit. Caluin's foolish reason that Peter was not B. of Rome, & his derogation from Peters Apostleship. Therfore the treacherie of Caluin is intolerable, that vpon this distinction of the Apostles charge, would haue the simple suppose, that S. Peter could not be Bishop of Rome (so might he barre S. Iohn from Ephesus also) nor deale among the Gentils, as a thing against God's ordinance and the appointment between him and S. Paul: as though thereby the one had bound himself to the other, not to preach or meddle within his fellowes compasse. The Church founded at Rome by S. Peter and S. Paul. And which is further most seditious, he exhorteth al men to keep fast the foresaid compact, and rather to haue respect to S. Paules Apostleship, then to S. Peters: as though the preaching, authoritie, and Apostleship of both were not a-like true, and al of one holy Spirit, whether they preached to Iewes or Gentils, as both did preach vnto both peoples, as is already proued, and at length, partly by the daily decay of the Iewish state and there incredulitie, and partly for that in Christianitie the distinction of Iew and Gentil ceased after a season, both went to the cheefe citie of the Gentils, and there founded the Church common to the Hebrewes and al Nations, Peter first, and Paul afterward. And therfore Tertul. saith, de præscript nu. 14. O happie Church, to which the Apostles powred out al doctrine with their bloud! Where Peter suffereth like to our Lord's Passion, where Paul is crowned with Iohn (Baptist's) death.

9. Gaue the right hands of societie.) Al Catholike Preachers and Pastours must communicate with Peter and his Successours There is and alwaies ought to be, a common fellowship and fraternitie of al Pastours and Preachers of the Church. Into which societie whosoeuer entreth not, but standeth in Schisme and separation from Peter and the cheefe Apostolike Pastours, what pretence soeuer he hath, or whence soeuer he chalengeth authoritie, he is a wolfe, and no true Pastour. Which vnion and communion together was so necessarie euen in S. Paules case, that, notwithstanding his special calling of God, yet the Holy Ghost caused him to goe vp to his elder Apostles to be receiued into their fellowship or brotherhood. for it is to be noted, that SS. Peter, Iames, and Iohn were not sent to S. Paul, to ioyne with him or to be tried for their doctrine and calling, by him: but contrariewise he was sent to them as to the cheefe & knowen ordinarie Apostles. They therfore gaue Paul their hands, that is to say, took him into their societie, and not he them. And S. Hierom's rule concerning this, shal be found true to the worlds end, speaking of S. Peter's Successour: He that gathereth not with thee, scattereth. Ep. 57. And in another place for the same cause he calleth Rome, tutissimum Communionis portum, the most safe and sure hauen of communion or societie. Ep. 16. c. 3. The heretikes ridiculous argument against Peter's preeminence. And wheras the Heretikes by this also would proue that Peter had no preeminece aboue Paul being his fellow Apostle, it is ridiculous. As though al of one fellowship or brotherhood be alwaies equal; or as though there were not order and gouernement, superiorietie and inferioritie, in euery societie wel appointed. And they might perceiue by this whole passage, that Peter was the special, and in more singular sort the Apostle of the Iewes, though Iames and Iohn were also: as S. Paul is also called in more singular sort the Apostle and Doctour of the Gentils then S. Barnabas, and yet they were both a-like taken here into this societie, as they were both at once and a-like segregated into this ministerie, and ordered together Act. 13. It is a poore reason then to say or thinke, S. Peter not to be aboue S. Barnabas neither, because of this societie and fellowship vnto which he was receiued together with S. Paul.

11. I resisted him.) The Heretikes malitiously derogate from S. Peter. Wicked Porphyrie (as S. Hierom writeth) chargeth S. Paul of enuie & malapert boldnes, and S. Peter of errour Proœm. Comment. in Galat. Euen so the like impious sonnes of Cham, for this, and for other things, gladly charge S. Peter, as though he had committed the greatest crimes in the world. For, it is the propertie of Heretikes and il men, to be glad to see the Saints reprehended and their faults discouered, as we may learne in the writings of S. Augustin against Faustus the Manichee, who gathered out al the acts of the holy Patriarches, that might seeme to the People to be worthy blame. Paules reprehension of Peter teacheth vs the zeale of the one, and humilitie of the other. Whom the said holy Doctour defendeth at large against him: as both he, and before him S. Cyprian, find here vpon this Apostles reprehension, much matter of praising both their vertues: S. Paules great zeale, & S. Peters wonderful humilitie: that the one in the cause of God would not spare his Superiour, and that the other, in that excellent dignitie, would not take it in il part, nor by allegation of his Supremacie disdaine or refuse to be controled by his Iunior. Which of the two they count the greater grace and more to be imitated. For neither Peter (saith S. Cyprian) whom our Lord chose the first, and vpon whom he built the Church, when Paul disputed with him of circumcision, chalenged insolently or arrogantly tooke any thing to himself, saying that he had the Primacie, and therfore the later Disciples ought rather to obey him. ep. 71. ad Quintum. nu. 2. And S. Augustin ep. 19. c. 2. in fine. That (saith he) which was done of Paul profitably by the libertie of charitie, the same Peter tooke in good part by holy and benigne Godlines of humilitie, and so he gaue vnto posteritie a more rare and holy example, if at any time perhaps they did amisse, to be content to be corrected of their Iuniors, then Paul, for to be bold and confident: yea the inferiours to resist their betters for defending the truth of the Ghospel, brotherly charitie alwaies preserued. It proueth nothing against Peter's superioritie, that he was reprehended. By which notable speaches of the Doctours we may also see how friuolously the Heretikes argue hereupon, that S. Peter could not be Superiour to S. Paul, being so reprehended of him: wheras the Fathers make it an example to the Superiours, to beare with humilitie the correption or controlement euen of their inferiours. Namely by this example S. Augustin (li. 2. de Bapt. c. 1.) excellently declareth, that the B. Martyr S. Cyprian, who walked awry touching the rebaptizing of them that were christened of Heretikes, could not, nor would not haue been offended to be admonished & reformed in that point by his fellowes or inferiours, much lesse by a whole Councel. We haue learned, saith he, that Peter the Apostle, in whom the Primacie of the Apostles by excellent grace is so preeminent, whom he did otherwise concerning circumcision then the truth required, was corrected of Paul the later Apostle. I thinke (without any reproch vnto him) Cyprian the Bishop may be compared to Peter the Apostle; howbeit I ought rather to feare lest I be iniurious to Peter. For who knoweth not that the principalitie of Apostleship it to be preferred before any dignitie of Bishop whatsoeuer? But if the grace of the Chaires or Sees differ, yet the glorie of the Martyrs is one. The superiour may be reprehended or admonished of the inferiour. Heretikes reprehension of Catholike Bishops is rather railing. And who is so dull that can not see, that the inferiour, though not by office and iurisdiction, yet by the law of brotherly loue and fraternal correption, may reprehend his superiour? Did euer any man wonder that a good Priest or any vertuous person should tel the Pope, or any other great Prelate, or greatest Prince in earth, their faults? Popes may be reprehended, & are iustly admonished of their faults, & ought to take it in good part, and so they doe & euer haue done, when it commeth of zeale & loue, as of S. Paul, Irenæus, Cyprian, Hierom, Augustin, Bernard: But of Simon Magus, Nouatus, Iulian, Wiclefe, Luther, Caluin, Beza, that doe it of malice, & raile no lesse at their vertues then their vices, of such (I say) God's Prelates must not be taught nor corrected, though they must patiently take it, as our Sauiour did the like reproches of the malitious Iewes; and as Dauid did the malediction of Semel. 2. Reg. 16.