A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 2 · Exposition of verse 1
Verſe 1. Therefore thou art inexcuſable, O man, whoſoeuer thou art that condemnest: for in that that thou condemneſt another, thou condemneſt thy ſelfe: for thou that condemneſt, doest the ſame things.
TO make way to the opening of this chapter, it ſhall not be amiſſe briefely to repeate the Apoſtles whole proiect. That which hee driues at is this, that all both Iewes and Gentiles are tranſgreſſours of the law; and therefore cannot be iuſtified by the workes of the law. And as touching the Gentiles tranſgreſſion, hee firſt proues it, ranging them into theſe two ranckes.
Firſt, of thoſe that were openly and outragiouſlie breakers of the law of Nature; ſecondly, of ſuch as partooke not with them in theſe open enormious ſinnes; but rather condemned them, though themſelues in the meane time liued in the ſecret practiſe of them, at leaſt had the ſeedes of them all vnmortified in them; againſt the firſt ſort hee hath dealt in the firſt chapter, and here begins to conuince thoſe hypocriticall cenſurers of theſe ſinnes in others.
The paſſage to theſe hypocrites is by an inference out of a generall laid downe, verſe 31. cap. 1. on this manner: ſeeing all thoſe that know the law of GOD, and commit things worthy of death, are ſubiect to condemnation; therfore thou alſo that iudgeſt others art inexcuſable: neither haſt any thing which thou canſt plead in Apologie for thy ſelfe, why the ſentence of condemnation due to others, ſhould not likewiſe paſſe on thee: the reaſon is annexed, verſe 2. for euen thou that iudgest others and condemneſt them for tranſgreſſion of Gods law, doest thy ſelfe the ſ…me things for which thou condemneſt others: And howſoeuer by theſe ſhewes thou bleareſt the eyes of men, that cannot ſee nor iudge farther then the outward appearance, yet canſt thou not thinke to eſcape the iudgement of God, to whoſe eyes all things are naked, and vncouered, and that iudgeth not according to outward ſhewes, but according to the inward ſinceritie of the heart, and the truth of the inward parts.
The concluſion then of this place is this: that the very maſters of manners and chiefe controulers of other mens ſinnes, amongſt the Gentiles are inexcuſable before God, and liable to condemnation, ver. 1. Reaſon prouing it, ver. 2. in this forme, he that condemnes himſelfe is without Apologie before GOD, but thou hypocrite condemneſt thy ſelfe: Ergo, &c. If it be demanded how? the Apoſtle ſhewes, euen by this, that th…u iudgeſt and condemneſt another, for that whereof thy ſelfe art guil ie: ſo that out of the ſame ground from which thou concludeſt another culpable of iudgement, thy ſelfe art withall ſhut vp vnderunder condemnation: Example. When a priuie Adulterer ſhall thus reaſon againſt another detected of whoredome: euerie Adulterer is guiltie of wrath, thou art an Adulterer, Ergo, &c. is not the ſame inference ſtrong againſt the ſecret, as well as againſt the open Adulterer.
Obſer. But let vsus now ſee what may here be obſerued: firſt, out of the courſe and bodie of the Text, wee may obſerue, that in the very kingdome of Sathan, all are not of equall viciouſneſſe in outward practiſe: as amongſt the Gentiles, ſome not onelyonly open committers of the greateſt enormities themſelues, but alſo applauders of them in others; other more modeſt in their ſinnes, burning perhaps with luſt, but yet forbearing the open exerciſe and execution thereof, and condemning the outrages of men more ſhameleſſe. In Iſrael ſome declaring their ſinnes as SodomeaIſay 3.9.; other digging deepe to hide their ſinnes, not from men onelyonly but from God himſelfebIſay 29.15., ſome ſacrificing vponupon the tops of the mountainescHoſ. 4.13.; other had their ſecret chambers of Imagerie, to practiſe their abhominationsdEzech. 8.12.: at this day not all alike ſhameleſſe in ſinning; ſome ciuilly honeſt and in reſpect of men vnrebukeable, and yet not purged from their filthineſſe: Reaſons whereof may may be theſe: firſt, that in ſome men naturall knowledge and conſcience is more cleare then in others: ſecondly, God keepes ſome from occaſions: thirdly, God by generall grace reſtraines corruption in ſome, more then in others, Gen. 20.6.
And it ſhewes how fondly many pleaſe themſelues in comparatiue righteouſneſſe; and the Phariſies, Ʋſe. Non ſum ſicut caeteri. I am not as other men, an adulterer, a drunkard, or extortioner. Fooliſh men, as if wickednes lay all in extreamities, or as if ciuilitie were righteouſnes in the ſight of God. But let all ſuch know, ciuilitie ſufficeth not to the kingdome of heaueneMat. 5.20., and a man may liue vnrebukeable in reſpect of menfPhil. 3.6., and yet be for all that a child of perdition.
Another thing here obſeruable is this: Obſer. 2 the vſuall meane by which an hypocrite climbes to reputation of righteouſneſſe amongſt men; not ſo much by reforming his owne life, as by ſeuere cenſuring and condemning others: this was the practiſe of thoſe graund hypocrites the Phariſies, the leaſt mote in their brothers life could not eſcape their cenſure; their owne beames, that is to ſay, groſſe ſinnes diſſembled.gMat. 7.3. Very companying with ſinners cenſured in our Sauiour, as a point of higheſt prophaneneſſe h, their owne notorious oppreſſion, cruelty, repealing of Gods lawes by themſelues, winked at. The Donatiſts in Auſtins dayes tooke vponupon them to cenſure the leaſt blemiſhes in other Churches, their owne in the meane time not onelyonly practiſing, but euen defending groſſe corruptions.
Vſe. And at this day, how vſuall with men of corrupt mindes, deſtitute of the truth to riſe by this ladder? ſuch narrow prying into the liues of others, gladſome entertayning of reports of other mens ſ…ips, heauie doomes paſſed vponupon other mens infirmities; muſt not a man needs ſay of ſuch, ſure Saints themſelues, that thus rigorouſlie cenſure the corruptions of others? Saints ſure, or elſe diueliſh hypocrites. I paſſe from this point with that aduiſe of the Apoſtle: Let euerie man proue his owne worke, Gal. 6.4.ſo ſhall he hauehave reioycing in himſelfe not in another.
Obſer. 3 Thirdly, let vsus here conſider, how daungerous a thing it is, to condemne that ſinne in another, which we practiſe our ſelues: as to ſentence another man to hell for Adulterie, Couetouſneſſe, &c. and yet hauehave our owne hearts burning with luſt, exerciſed with couetouſneſſe2 P…t. 2.14., ſurely, ſuch are their owne iudges, and as it were the Lords mouth, damning their owne ſoules to the pit of hell. Neither is this to be vnderſtoode of priuate men onelyonly, but euen of men in publique place, as Magiſtrates and Miniſters; when a Magiſtrate ſhall cenſure a poore pilferer to death, that hath ſtolne perhaps to ſatisfie his owne ſoulekPro 6.30., himſelf in the meane time liuing in extortion, and briberie, what doth hee but adiudge himſelfe to death euerlaſting? when a Miniſter ſhall out of the pulpit denounce Gods iudgement againſt whoredome, drunkenneſſe, &c. and himſelfe be as the Prieſts of Iſraell, a man giuen to Wine, and ſtrange fleſh, redounds not that ſentence vponupon his owne ſoule?
Wherefore let vsus be admoniſhed that by calling, Ʋſe. or vſurpation, hauehave to deale with the ſins of others, firſt, to plucke the beame out of our owne eyelMat. 7.5.: the heathen could thus aduiſe, that a man that would be an accuſer and cenſurer of other mens diſhoneſtie, ſhould firſt ſift and purge his owne heart, from what hee meant to blame in another.
And as the reaſon here giuen is forcible, ſo are there other in Scripture very effectuall: as firſt, that a guiltie conſcience hinders the right and couragious exerciſe of admonition and correction: and it was not for nothing, that Iethro requiring courage in Magiſtrates, requires alſo that they be ſuch as feare GOD, and carefull to depart from euillmExod. 18.21., and the Lord before he ſends Iſay to denounce iudgements againſt the Iſraelites, firſt purgeth him from his owne ſinnesnIſay 6.7.; becauſe indeede, hee can neuer as he ought, reproue or correct that in another, whereof himſelfe is guiltyoIoh. 8.7.9.. How often doth a lewd Miniſter meete with a Text, that he trembleth to handle? or if for ſhame hee be forced to ſay ſomething of the ſinne whereof himſelfe is guiltie, how cold in diſcouering? how trembling in reproofe? how many times ſhifts he from it, by ſhamefull meanes? as fearing to be iudge and condemner of himſelfe? other reaſons there are many. See Mat. 7.1.2.3.4.
Now before wee paſſe from this verſe, ſundrie queſtions offer themſelues to be decided. Firſt, whether it be lawfull for any man to exerciſe Magiſtracie, ſince no man can ſay my hart is cleane, I am cleane from my ſin: and ſome poſſeſt with a ſpirit of Anabaptiſme, hauehave vrged this and the like ſcriptures, againſt the vſe of maieſtracie, requiring Angelicall puritie in him, that takes vponupon him to correct or chaſtice the ſinnes of others. Anſ. Firſt, by as good reaſon might they proue, that the vſe of Miniſterie is lawfull, in as much as it is their part to reproue, and cenſure the ſins of others: and yet who of them is perfectly purged from the ſeeds of all ſinnes? know we therefore▪ that the ſcripture, when it requires freedome from ſinne in thoſe that vndertake the cenſuring or correcting of other mens ſinnes, requires not perfect freedome from all inherence of ſinne, ſo as that it ſhall be ſinne, to a man, himſelfe ſubiect to in…rmiti… to correct or reproue the ſinnes of others; but only a freedome from the raigne, and dominion of ſinne; and taxeth onelyonly impenitencie, raſhneſſe, and rigour in the controuling of others, and ſo is that place, Ioh. ….7. to be vnderſtood, being a reproofe of the peoples hypocriſie and rigour, no ſimple condemning of the fact in vrging the puniſhment of the Adultereſſe.
Secondly, it may be demanded, whether a man ſubiect to the raigne of ſinne (whereof another is guiltie) ſinne in condemning that ſinne in another whereof himſelfe is guiltie. Anſ. The fact of condemning ſuch ſinnes in others, is not ſimply a ſinne in it ſelfe, yea not to condemne it is ſinneI…y 5.2….; yet a ſinne it is in ſuch a man by accident, as all actions of impenitent ſinners are ſinnes in them; not materially, or in reſpect of the matter, as thoſe that are ſimply forbidden in the law of God, but formally, that is to ſay, in reſpect of their faulty manner of performing thoſe things, which for their ſubſtance are dueties.
Thirdly, if any demand, what is to be done in ſuch caſe? muſt a man forbeare to cenſure and reproue theſe ſinnes in others? Anſ. Not ſoqIſay 5.20.: but this let him doe, beginne iudgement at his owne heart, that is, iudge, condemne, bewaile, reforme, his owne ſinnes, ſo may we with comfort reproue the ſinnes of others, Mat. 7.5.
Fourthly, it may here be queſtioned, whether all theſe controulers of other mens ſinnes, were themſelues guiltie of thoſe ſinnes, which they condemned in others. Anſ. Some anſwere thus, if not of the ſame, yet of the equiualent, of ſinnes as haynous. Others thus, if not of the facts, yet of the affections and inward motions to the ſame: this laſt the beſt anſwere: to which let this be added, that the ſcripture meaſures all out of Chriſt, by their naturall inclinations, and iudgeth them guiltie of all ſinnes, vnmortified by Gods ſpirit, or vnpurged by Chriſts bloud.