In epistolam D. Pauli Apostoli ad Galatas notae

continues from previous page: ...they were wanting to overturn the Gospel of Christ.

The sum is this: Paul had taught the Gospel, that we are justified by faith alone in Christ, or that we receive the remission of sins; the pseudo-apostles were mixing in circumcision and the merits of works. He reproves the fickleness of the Galatians, because they were so quickly alienated from the truth of the Gospel.

It should be observed that whenever merit, whether from the Sacraments or from other works, is mixed with faith, it is another Gospel, not that of Christ; indeed, it is an overturning of the Gospel from its very foundations.

Let us apply this doctrine to our own times. Paul fights for this primary proposition of the Gospel: We are justified (that is, absolved from sins) by faith alone in Christ, not by circumcision.

Satan attacks this same proposition today, but under a different guise. For he attacks this equivalent one: By faith alone (that is, by the trust that He was given unto death for us and that we are united to Him), we receive Christ, who is our righteousness. For Satan adds that Christ is received by the mouth. Let us see the counsel of Satan from the effect: Do not many seek the remission of sins as if it were enclosed within the host original: "hostiæ"; referring to the consecrated wafer in the Eucharist? And what is strange if they wish to receive righteousness, or the remission of sins, by the mouth, when they have been taught that they receive Christ by the mouth? But the articles of faith teach you far otherwise, and the Lord Paul in Romans 4, verses 10 and 11, openly attacks that invention. Therefore, this is another Gospel, and an inversion of the Gospel of Christ. Consider now to what danger you expose yourself. But if that true and constant doctrine of Paul remains, that we are justified by faith alone, then this must necessarily also remain true and constant: that Christ is received by us by faith alone, who is our righteousness, to Romans 4. Furthermore, while he says he is astonished, observe how frail, inconstant, and fickle we are by nature. Let us see examples. While they wait for Moses, they cast a calf; even Aaron is fickle and soft. They shout to Christ, Hosanna to the son of David, yet a little later, when they saw the Lord Priests and the Elders of the people persecuting Christ, they shouted, Crucify. Likewise, His blood be upon us. In sum, if a man is weighed with vanity, he will be vainer than vanity itself; and if even the slightest cross should come to us, many would doubt the truth of the Gospel; especially hypocrites wait for an occasion to fall away; and each of them wishes to appear a prophet. In 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, it is taught that most people do not have the love of the truth so that they might be saved, and therefore the Lord sends them the efficacy of error. Therefore, since the world wishes to be deceived, when the cross comes, they affirm that they have been prophets, and say: Did I not say well that things would not turn out? That those who confess this doctrine would not be endured at all? Did it not happen? But what indeed happened? Was it not this very thing that Christ predicted, They will think that they are offering a service to God when they kill you: You will be hated by all because of my name? Among other things, Christ predicts, Many will fall away from the truth. But he who will have persevered to the end, he will be saved. If the things which Christ predicted did not happen, then one would have to doubt the Gospel.

8 But even if we, or an Angel from heaven, should preach the Gospel to you