And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
Ver. 27. Preached the word in Perga] A city of Pamphylia, much addicted to the worship of Diana, who was therehence called Pergea. Gratea nullo modo est gratia, quae non est gratuita, saith Augustine. Note this against the doctrine of merits foreseen, and freewill.
And how he had opened the door of faith] Indeed of heaven, by the preaching of the doctrine of faith: there being no other ordinary way of attaining salvation either for Jews or Gentiles, as St Paul proves in his Epistle to the Romans; a as in that to the Colossians, he determineth, that the soul is spoiled by philosophy, if it be not after Christ, Colossians 2:8. Those school divines, therefore, qui salutem spondet absque Christi cognitione (as Acosta hath it), who open a door to heaven without faith in Christ, were much mistaken. And so were those Collen divines too, that wrote a book of the salvation of Aristotle; whom they make to be Christ's forerunner in naturals, like as John Baptist was in supernaturals.
a Song of Solomon 8:9; "If she be a door," i.e. if she have faithful ministers, which, as a door, open the way to Christ.