Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 9 · Verse 1
VERSE 1. I ſay the Truth in Chriſt, I lye not, my Conſcience alſo bearing me witneſſe in the holy Ghoſt.
PAVL proues his griefe (proceeding from his louelove) for the Reiection of his Nation, by diuers Arguments. The firſt is a Teſtimonio, in the forme of an Oath, where hee cals Chriſt himſelfe to witneſſe of that he deliuers. The validitie of a Teſtimonie, is according to the value of the Teſtis: Therefore he appeales to Chriſt, as his witneſſe.
I ſpeake the Truth in Chriſt: Not in the name and authoritie of Chriſt: nor as I am a Chriſtian, or as it becomes a Chriſtian, or I being in Chriſt, or beeing baptized: but By Chriſt: As Beth ſometime in the Hebrue, ſo En in the Greeke, is the token of an Oath in this place; Piſcator. 2. Cor. 12.2.and ſo alſo ſome expound that of Paul. I know a man in Chriſt: that is, By Chriſt: yet not by Chriſt as onelyonly a man, but as God.
I lye not: This duplication of contraries, is here, as elſewhere, vſed for the more force, and to ſhew his ſyncerity. For a man may lye, and yet ſpeake the truth; as when hee addes a lye vntounto the truth: And therefore it is well prouided by our godly Lawes, that men to giuegive in euidence, are ſworne to ſpeake the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Paul in this Affirmation and Negation, frees himſelfe from this.
Againe, a man may lye in ſpeaking the Truth: For our ſpeech hath Relation either to the minde, or to the thing. If it agree with the thing, and not with the minde, it is a lye, for that properly makes a lye. If it agree with the minde, and not with the thing, it is falſe, but no lye: and therefore becauſe we diſcerne not mens mindes, we muſt be warie how wee giuegive any the lye. Paul therefore for the more credit of his oath, and that all exceptions of ambiguitie, mentall reſeruation, or equiuocation might be taken away, hee put his oath Affirmatiuely, and Negatiuely.
My conſcience bearing mee witneſſe: Paul here neither ſweares by his Conſcience, nor by the holy Spirit, though this might bee iuſtified: but hee iuſtifies his oath by the witneſſe of his Conſcience. For Conſcience is a thouſand witneſſes, being for this purpoſe placed in man by God.
In the holy Ghoſt: That is, renued by the Holy Ghoſt: ſo that Paul could ſpeak in no words with more weight, againſt all exceptions then he vſeth here.
Firſt he auoucheth it the truth which he deliuers: I ſpeake the truth; and becauſe no Iew ſhould cauill that part may be truth, and part a lye; He addes, I lye not: and becauſe his word it may be would beare no pawne, He addes an Oath: And becauſe the Oath of an vnconſcionable man is little worth, he brings in his Conſcience; and becauſe vnleſſe the Conſcience bee enlightned and directed, it may erre; therefore hee ſignifies that his Conſcience is renued by the holy Ghoſt.
So we hauehave here two things. 1. Pauls Oath. I ſpeake the truth in Chriſt, I lye not: 2. The auouchment of his Oath: My Conſcience bearing me witneſſe in the Holy Ghoſt. I might here enter into the common place of Truth, Lying, Oath, Conſcience; but I write a briefe Commentarie, not a volume, of Common places.
Firſt, in Pauls Oath wee hauehave three things. Firſt, the Perſon that makes Oath: Paul. Secondly, the Perſon by whom the Oath is made: Chriſt. Thirdly, the Cauſe, which is a matter of weight and great conſequence; namely; that Paul writes not in malice, but in louelove, and that hee grieues for the Reiection of his Nation.
doctrine The Doctrine out of the firſt. It is lawfull for Chriſtians in due time, cauſe, and manner to ſweare: We hauehave Iacobs oath, Gen. 31.35.Dauids oath, 1. Sam. 20.3.Pauls oath, Chriſts oath, Gods oath: it is a part of Gods ſeruice commanded, Deut. 6.13. and without it a Common-wealth cannot ſtand.
ƲſeThe Anabaptiſts are here confuted, who deny the vſe of all oathes.
Ob. But Chriſt ſaith and his Apoſtle Saint Iames, Mat. 5.34. Iam. 5.12.Sweare not at all.
A. That is, vnlawfully.
Ob. But what is more then Yea, and Nay, comes of euill.
A. True: Yet it is not euill. As good Lawes come from euill manners, yet the Lawes are good.
doctrine The Doctrine out of the ſecond. They which ſweare, muſt ſweare by God, Deut. 6.13.
Ʋſe.Abuſe not this ſacred thing.
1. Either by Impious oathes, as naming any part of Chriſts humanitie, his Bloud, Life, Wounds, &c. which is moſt fearefull.
2. Or by ciuill oathes; as by This Bread, This Drinke, This Light, Theſe ten Bones, This good Day, This money, &c. Theſe I call Ciuill, becauſe they are as common amongſt careleſſe Chriſtians, as any Ciuill talke.
3. Or by Superſtitious Oathes: as Saint Anne; Saint Mary: Faith, Troth, Holy-dome, the foure Euangeliſts.
4. Or by any thing that is not: for in ſo doing, thou placeſt theſe in Gods roome, attributing both infinite Knowledge, Power and Iuſtice vntounto them.
5. Or by Swearing falſely: A Chriſtian may not bee found tardy in any: eſpecially bound with an oath: His very calling muſt keepe him from Lying, Cogging, Glozing and all trickes, and make him to louelove the Truth.
doctrine The Doctrine out of the third. In matters weighty wee may ſweare: Ier. 4.2.Such is Pauls oath here: and ſuch are all the holy oathes of the Saints. This is lawfull not onelyonly in publique, but in priuate, as Dauid and Ionathan ſo ſware. So a man may require an Oath of his Executor for his iuſt dealing, as Ioſeph did of his Brethren for his bones.Gen. 50.25.
Ʋſe.Beware of common and cuſtomable ſwearing, and the horrible and blaſphemous practiſe of theſe times. The Turks ſweare not, but vponupon great neceſſitie: and an idle ſwearer is not admitted among them to places of gouernment. Be aſhamed, thou Chriſtian; the Turkes ſhall riſe in Iudgement againſt thee. It hath the Diuell for the beginning, and hell for the end of it.
We ſhould vſe Oathes as our Holy day apparell; but ſeldome. A man will not weare his Holyday clothes eueryevery day and in eueryevery worke: ſo wee ſhould not ordinarily and vponupon eueryevery trifle vſe the Name of God. Thus to doe, is a ſigne of an irreligious perſon, of a very wretch.
And if thou haſt ſworne to a Truth, keepe thy Oath for the reuerence of the Name of thy God. If thou haſt pawned ſome precious thing for performance, thou wilt be carefull to redeeme it; much more carefull oughteſt thou to bee, hauing as it were pawned the Name of thy God.
doctrine 2. Out of the Auouchment, the Doctrine. A mans Conſcience beares witneſſe of all his words and thoughts, either with him or againſt him, Rom. 2.15.
Vſe 1.Take his Oath that hath a good Conſcience. As a profane man makes no more account of his oathes, then of ſtrawe: ſo alſo doe thou account of them. And vrge not ſuch to ſweare; for they will ſweare to any thing.
Vſe 2.The teſtimony of Pauls conſcience comforts him, though the Iewes credit him not: The world holds thee for a good man or woman. But what ſayes thy conſcience? if that know thee not ſo, the teſtimony of the world is nothing: & though the World knowes it not, yet inow know it, if thy Conſcience know it. Vertue requires no better witneſſe then the conſciencebNullum theatrū virtuti maius quam conſcientia. Cicero.
The world accuſes thee for whoredome, theft: but what ſayes thy conſcience? If thy conſcience excuſe thee, thou mayeſt be comforted. There is more force in the teſtimonie of a mans conſcience, then in the teſtimonie of all the world. Auguſtine cAug. contra Secund. cap. 1.being accuſed by Secundinus, to hauehave come from the Manichees for feare of loſſe, or deſire of preferment, comforted himſelfe in the integrity of his conſcience. I eſteeme not, ſaith he, what Secundinus thinkes of mee, ſo long as my conſcience accuſeth me not before God.
Vſe 3.Be watchfull ouer thy thoughts, words and deeds, becauſe conſcience will beare witneſſe, and alwaies for God. It is Gods Officer for the purpoſe, put into vsus to keep vsus in awe. Take heed of Hypocriſie: for thy conſcience will diſcouer thee. Take heede of ſecret ſinne: for though thou couldeſt hide it from men, yea, from the diuell, yet not from thy conſcience. Thou ſeeſt no witneſſe. Seeſt not thy ſelfe? The darkneſſe may encourage to ſin, but it cannot couer ſinnedSi arbitrū non vides, teipſum non vides? Tuae conſcientiae teſtimonium non vereris? Neſcis caliginem noctis nō operterium eſse, ſed incentiuum peccati? Ambr. Serm. 7. in. Pſal. 119. prope finem.; for as God ſees in the darke, ſo doth conſcience alſo.
Let this make thee feare to ſinne: for as ſighing followes griefe, and belching vnholſome meat, ſo the ſtinging witnes of conſcience after the committing of ſinne. The witneſſe and accuſation of conſcience is the firſt reuenge vponupon a ſinnerePrima eſt haec vltio, quodſe Iudice, nemo nocens abſoluitur..
It is wiſedome to make conſcience our friend againſt the day of Iudgement. It is the beſt friend, and the worſt enemie. Better hauehave all the world againſt a man then his conſcience. Iudas had the Scribes and Phariſees on his ſide, and his purſe full of money: but his conſcience was againſt him, and he hanged himſelfe.
Many feele not the witneſſe of their conſcience, it ſleeping, or being benummed or ſeared, through a continuance in the cuſtome of ſinning. Much ſinning ſtupifies the conſcience for a time: but there is a day a comming either of affliction, or death; and then all the world for a good conſcience. Or if a man dye as a beaſt, or as a ſtone, as Nabal, yet in the day of Iudgement conſcience will ſpeake, and not hold her peace.
Thou ſhalt dye, but thy conſcience cannot: It ſhall appeare with thee at the Iudgement ſeate of Chriſt, when thou ſhalt ſay, Haſt thou found me, mine enemie? For as a ſeale makes impreſſion into the Waxe; ſo the memory of eueryevery ſinne is engrauen as with the poynt of a Diamond on the conſcience, not to bee blotted out, but by the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt.
Thou mayeſt loſe thy ſelfe, but thou canſt not loſe thy conſcience. The light of it may bee ſhadowed becauſe it is not God, but not quite put out becauſe it is of GodfObumbrari poteſt, quia non eſt Deus, extingui non poteſt, quia eſt a Deo. Ter..