A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 31
Verſe 31. Which men though they knew the law of God, how that they which commit ſuch things, are worthy of death, yet not onelyonly doe the ſame, but alſo fauour them that doe them.
ANd thus much of the particular vices raigning among the Gentiles, wherein I thought good to inſiſt a little, becauſe they are rife euen amongſt our ſelues; but willingly hauehave I runne them ouer with more breuitie then was intended leaſt the volume ſhould grow too great.
There followeth now in the laſt verſe an amplification of the Gentiles ſinne, ſet out by an Antitheſis of things diuers; they knew, and yet did; ſecondly, a compariſon of vnequals; not only did, but applauded, and tooke delight in others that did them.
Their knowledge is declared by the obiect; the law of God; ſecondly, by the meaſure; that the doers of ſuch things were worthy of death.
Obſer. Firſt here obſerue, that knowledge euer addes an aggrauating circumſtance to tranſgreſſion. Ioh. 9.41. If you were blind you ſhould hauehave no ſinne; Augustine truely interprets, none in compariſon, not ſimply none, Confer. Iam. 4.17. Luke 12.47. Ioh. 15.22. Gal. 4.8.9. &c. for from what fountaine can knowne ſinnes be imagined to proceede, but eyther wilfull neglect, or prophane contempt of the lawgiuers authoritie?
Now it is ſtrange to thinke of the prophane inferences our people make from this ground: that ſeeing knowledge makes ſinne ſo haynous; therefore vvelcome ignorance. Fooliſh men that cannot diſtinguiſh betwixt neſcire, and nolle ſcire; betwixt ſimple ignorance, and wilfull refuſall of knowledge, the one ſomething leſſeninng ſinne and damnation; a poore comfort: the other doubling, yea trebling eueryevery iniquitie. Implycing firſt breach of dutie: ſecondly, ignorance of Gods will: thirdly, wiifull contempt of meanes to know.
Now I would theſe men would conſider, what a poore comfort it is for a man in hel to be tormented leſſe then others; when the leaſt degree of thoſe paines is intolerable. How miſerably ſhall a Sodomite comfort himſelfe in that day of iudgement, with thinking that a Capernites caſe is worſe then his; when hee is throwne downe amongſt the reprobate rabble, into that lake that burnes with fire and brimſtone for euer.
Such is the comfort of euerie one that ſinnes but of ſimple ignorance; Luke 12.46.47. hee is beaten, though with fewer ſtripes; damned euerlaſtingly, though not ſo much tormented.
From them I paſſe with this aduiſe, that they ſtriue to auoide all wretched extreames, and if it may be, labour for the meane amongſt them. Not to know is damnable ſimplicitie: to refuſe to know haynous impietie: to know and not to doe, intolerable obſtinacie. Well is it with them, that labour to know,Ioh. 13.17. and knowing endeauour to practiſe what they know.
Let vsus all to whom GOD hath vouchſafed knowledge of his will, Ʋſe. adde to our knowledge conſcionable practiſe. 2 Pet. 1.5. Ioh. 13.17. If wee know Gods will bleſſed are wee if wee doe it: if wee know and doe it not, woe worth the time that euer wee knew, not becauſe vve know, but becauſe knowing, wee neglected to doe what wee knew; and ſinned againſt our knowledge and conſcience.
But ſee wee firſt the obiect of this knowledge, what is it that the Gentiles are ſaid to know? The law of God. It may be here queſtioned how this accords with Pſal. 137. verſe 9. Where it is made the Iewes prerogatiue to hauehave the ſtatutes of God; and of the heathen ſaid, that they had not knowledge of Gods law. Anſ. The law of God according to a double manner of reuealing, is two-fould, written, vnwritten; the law of God written the Gentiles had not; but yet they knew ſome generals of thoſe things contained in the two tables; God writing it in their hearts, Rom. 2. and reuealing to them ſo much therof as might depriue them of excuſe, Rom. 1.19.
This imperfect rule of life vouchſafed vntounto the Gentiles is commonly called the law of nature. Not for that it is borne with vsus, or is propagated from Adam; who not onelyonly weakened, but euen vtterly loſt the image of GOD, one chiefe part whereof conſiſted in knowledge C…l. 2. but becauſe this knowledge is vouchſafed vntounto all by a generall influence of Gods grace, which is indeed as common as nature: and therfore called the law of nature.
Here therefore it ſhall not be amiſſe, once for all to ſhew what the law of nature is, and how it differs from the law written.
The law of nature, is that rule of pietie, and honeſtie, that the Lord hath written in the hearts of all men: whereby they know confuſedly, and in generall, what is good; what is euill; what to be done; what to be forborn.
It differs from the law written, not in ſubſtance; they being all one; but firſt, in the meaſure: ſecondly, in the manner, and meanes of reuelation: for vvhat the written law reueales diſtinctly, and particularly; that the law of nature teacheth confuſedly only, & in generall. Firſt, that God is to be worſhipped the law of nature reueales; but how to be worſhipped diſtinctly it reueales not: ſecondly, the manner of reuealing is not all one: for the one had certaine, and immediate reuelation from God; and afterwards was deliuered by the ſame GOD in writing; the other was knowne onelyonly by a generall light ſet in the ſoule in creation. Ioh. 1.9.
But hence it will eaſily follow; Obſer. that the Gentiles euen before Chriſt had knowledge of the law of God. See Rom. 2.14.15. where Paul proues it, firſt▪ a fa…io; they did the things of the law: ſecondly, a Conſcientiae teſtimonio. Confer alſo, Acts 14.17. & 17.27.
And this ſufficeth to cleare God from ſhew of crueltie in their condemnation: Ʋſe. though the bodie of them periſhed euerlaſtingly; for beſides that the Lord made them all righteous at the firſt, Eccl. 7.31. he alſo gaue them more knowledge of his will, then they had eyther will or conſcience to obey.
Hence alſo the collection is ſound, that the law of nature is the law of God, and that the tranſgreſſions of that law, are the tranſgreſſions of the law of God.
Wherein how farre they of Rome hauehave ingaged themſelues, thoſe many diſpenſations by them granted for murther, euen of the Lords annointed, for marriages within the degrees prohibited, &c. are abundant witneſſes. Things that heathen by light of nature deteſted are allowed by them as commendable, yea in ſome caſes meritorious, and worthy of canonization.
See we now the meaſure of their knowledge. They knew the law of GOD: yea the penaltie due to tranſgreſſion thereof; that they which commit ſuch things are worthy of death.
Now for the meaning it may be queſtioned; whether the Gentiles knew that their ſinnes deſerued euerlaſtingly death? Anſ. As touching corporall death the lawes of Draco are recorded; which appointed death for eueryevery tranſgreſſion leſſe, and greater: and being demanded the reaſon, why when all ſinnes were not equall, death was appointed equally for all; his anſwere was, that hee well knew that ſinnes vvere not all equal, yet knew that the leaſt deſerued death. But for eternall death it ſeemes more doubtfull, yet this is euident, that they knew another life, and death after this; as appeares both by their Eliſian fields, and their hell, which they write of; as alſo by the terrours of conſcience that they were filled vvithall euen where humane lawes tooke no hold of them. And howſoeuer perhaps they thought with Papiſts, that euerie ſinne deſerued not hell; yet for the groſſe acts of notorious ſinnes, it was their perſwaſion, that hell torments vvere due vntounto them. See Tully in Somuio Scipion.
Ʋſe. So that here wee cannot but take notice of that more then heatheniſh ignorance ſtill in our people; whom though wee can conuince euen of groſſeſt breaches of Gods law, yet can wee not perſwade that by committing thereof they are worthy of damnation. GOD they thinke is not ſo extreame, nor will deale ſo hardly: vvhom here I would exhort firſt, to take notice of what the very heathen vvere perſwaded of: ſecondly, to conſider the infiniteneſſe of that maieſtie, vvhoſe law they violate: thirdly, the ranſome paid for their ſinnes, Chriſts bloud: fourthly, their owne feares wherewith their conſciences are poſſeſſed, vponupon the leaſt manifeſtation of Gods wrath, &c.
Now here the Rhemiſts entreat vsus to obſerue, in vvhat ſenſe their Catholique Church teacheth ſome ſinnes to be mortall; ſome veniall: ſome mortall, becauſe all that doe them are vvorthy of damnation; others veniall, that is to ſay, pardonable of their owne nature, and not vvorthy of damnation.
This expoſition wee acknowledge to be theirs; and vvere it not for the expoſition could eaſily allow the tearmes of diſtinction: wee ſay alſo that there are ſome ſinnes mortall, ſome veniall; but this wee enterpret as the Scripture teacheth, 1 Ioh. 5.16.17.18. of the euent, not of the naturall deſert. All ſinnes are veniall in the euent, except that againſt the holy Ghoſt, Mat. 12. all ſinnes of the elect are veniall in the euent, becauſe none are imputed vntounto them vntounto condemnation.
Not perſecution, not blaſphemie, not abiuring of Chriſt excepted; but yet the leaſt deſerues death, yea and to a man out of Chriſt brings death euerlaſting: not idle words …cepted, Mat. 12.36. Compare Gal. 3.10. And heere let mee entreat the reader to obſerue, how well heatheniſme, and Poperie accord, as in many other, ſo in this point alſo. For euen this vvas the opinion of the heathen, that haynous and groſſe ſinnes deſerued death; but petite ſins, as of idle words, euill thoughts, &c. were pardonable of their owne nature, and not worthy of damnation.
Followeth now the Text, the ſecond amplification of the Gentiles ſinne, by compariſon; they did not onelyonly themſelues commit them, vvhichwhich perhaps might be imputed to infirmitie: but approued, yea applauded, and tooke delight in others that did them, which was deſperate impietie.
Now my purpoſe is not to handle all thoſe kindes of conſenting to other mens ſinnes, by applauſe, counſell, encouragement, inſtigation, abetting, &c. Which M. Beza well obſerues to come vnderunder this tearme, foreign: but onelyonly to propound what the Spirit of GOD here ſeemes principally to point at.
Obſer. That ſimple committing of wickedneſſe is not ſo damnable, as is the applauding, and delight taking in the lewd behauiour of others. Salomon, Pro. 2.14. expreſſing the nature of a man deſperately vvicked, thus ſets it forth: they delight in doing euill, and which is more, delight in the frowardneſſe of the wicked. Hoſ. 4.8. the Prophet ſpeaking of the lewd Prieſts in Iſrael; they eate vp the ſinnes of Gods people, and lift vp their mindes at their iniquitie. What it grieueth a good miniſter to ſee, that theſe long after, and reioyce in: to ſee and heare the vngracious behauiour of the vngodly in reſpect of that ſweet they ſucked from the ſinnes of the people. And indeede it argues a heart ſet vponupon vvickedneſſe, and taken vp vvith the pleaſures thereof, for a man to reioyce in the diſhonour of the name of GOD; as it is the nature of the child of God, to grieue at the ſinnes of himſelfe, and others, and no greater coraſiue to ſuch then that the law of GOD is broken. 2 Pet. 2.8. Pſal. 119.136. ſo there cannot be a ſurer euidence of a heart deſperately wicked, then to delight in the vngodly behauiour of another.
And let all ſuch as are this way guilty lay it to heart, we hauehave a kinde of people amongſt vsus, a crue of ſwaggerers, as they delight to be tearmed; giuen to all exceſſe of ryot themſelues: and not content therewith, prouokers of others to fellowſhip in exceſſe; how glads it their hearts when they can draw another to drunkenneſſe? and what greater pleaſure to ſuch, then to ſee the beaſtly behauiour of thoſe, whom they hauehave with their own coſt drawne into drunkennes? wo and a heauie wo to ſuch ſaith Habukkuk. Hab. 2.15.16. It were ſtrange that amongſt the rulers of Gods people, ſet vp for the terrour of the vngodly, their ſhould any be found, thus ioying at other mens vngodlineſſe: and yet vvho ſees not, but the Prophets complaint befits the time; they lift vp their mindes at the peoples iniquite: and hee the vvelcomeſt gueſt that brings ſacks to their mill; tidings of the peoples ſinnes to their courts: by which their portion is made fat; men liuing indeede by the ſinnes of the people. I might inſtance in ſundry other particulars, but that I feare I hauehave beene too long in this chapter.
This onelyonly I vvill annexe for concluſion. That the ſinnes here imputed to the Gentiles, are ours alſo by naturall inclination. And as the Apoſtle vvhen hee hath reckoned ſundry groſſe, and abhominable ſinnes, applyes them thus to the Corinthians, ſuch vvere ſome of ſome of you, though now you be waſhed, ſanctified, iuſtified in the name of the Lord IESVS, and by the ſpirit of our GOD, 1 Cor. 6.11. ſo may I ſay of vsus all in nature; ſuch vvere all of vsus by nature, howſoeuer now waſhed from them in the bloud of Chriſt. Tit. 2.3. And let it euer teach vsus to magnifie the grace of our GOD, that hath pulled vsus out of that damnable eſtate, vvherein wee were borne, and once liued; and make vsus aſcribe our vvhole righteouſnes to the merciemercy of GOD, in CHRIST IESVS our ſweet Sauiour; by whom wee hauehave beene deliuered from the power of darkneſſe, and of children of wrath by nature, made children of grace by free Adoption; and calling in him. To the ſame GOD that hath ſo freely beloued vsus, to Chriſt Ieſus our bleſſed Sauiour, that hath paide the price of our ſinnes; to his holy Spirit that hath purged vsus from ſo vile corruption, be praiſe, and glory in all churches of the Saints for euer, and euer, Amen.