{Commentarii in Epistolam D. Pauli ad Ephesios, facili et perspicua methodo conscripti. A D. Benedicto Aretio bernensi theologo. Cum indice rerum memorabilium quae in hisce continentur. Posterior haec}

one body collected from all nations. Otherwise, it is special, such as are private Churches. Furthermore, that Church is either true, in which the true and sound doctrine and its interpretation resounds, or it is hypocritical, in which sound doctrine and the true use of the sacraments have no place, such as was the Jewish synagogue in the time of Christ and the Apostles. Meanwhile, even if the most sound doctrine is heard and the true use of the sacraments is held, it is still mixed with good and evil. Moreover, false teachers always sprinkle human traditions or observations sought from elsewhere upon the true doctrine, as among the Galatians they added circumcision, distinctions of times, foods, and the like to faith in Christ, all of which, although the Apostle condemns, they still acknowledge the Church of Christ.

Then, because he calls them Churches in the plural number, it is sufficiently certain that the Apostle had taught and instituted many particular Churches in the Galatian region. False teachers had corrupted all these gatherings, such that they all were in need of amendment, so fertile is the yield of weeds; therefore, the field of the Lord must be vigilantly guarded. Thirdly, he adorns them with no other title, but only the bare name of Churches, from which he intended to admonish them regarding their fall. They had fallen gravely from the simplicity of faith; therefore, he does not call them saints, he does not call them beloved, he does not call them brothers, as if to say: you barely retain the name of Churches. Yet, because not all were corrupted, he names the whole gathering after the better part.