A Key to the Key of Scripture, Chapter 3 · Exposition of verse 5, 6 – Exposition of verse 7, 8
Verſe 5. Now if our vnrighteouſneſſe commend the righteouſneſſe of God, what ſhall wee ſay? Is God vnrighteous which puniſheth? (I ſpeake as a man)
Verſe 6. God forbid: elſe how ſhall God iudge the world?
NOw follow certaine obiections, occaſioned by this preſent doctrine, and allegation out of the Pſalme. Ob. If this be ſo (as thou ſeemeſt to alleadge out of Dauid) that our vnrighteouſnes, commend, id eſt, ſets out, and makes more conſpicuous the righteouſneſſe and fidelitie of God; then is God vniuſt that puniſheth for vnrighteouſneſſe. Anſ. Of three members; firſt, a Caution: I ſpeake as a man; that is, in perſon of a carnall and prophane man: ſecondly, a deteſtation; GOD forbid: thirdly, confutation of the conſequent; by a reaſon from the act or office of God; God is not vniuſt; for then could he not be iudge of the world, &c.
In this obiection note we two things: firſt, the manner of propounding: ſecondly, the ſubſtance of it: manner, by way of queſtion; and that after a ſort interrupted in the very vtterance; the Apoſtle me thinkes, therein reſidencing the ſtate of godleſſe cauillers againſt Gods truth.
Obſer. How they are ſometimes appaled and euen at a ſtand in vttering their blaſphemous concluſions. Reaſons: firſt, naturall conſcience ſometimes is weakened in themvvRom. 2.15.: ſecondly, remembrance of iudgements inflicted on others cauſeth trembling: thirdly, GOD himſelfe ſometimes immediately ſtrikes with fearexIoh. 15.21..
And it were to be wiſhed they had grace to ſtop; Vſe. where conſcience checkes; that if the minde hauehave had libertie to conceiue, the tongue yet may be bridled from vttering blaſphemies, which conſcience recoyles againſt: how often, doe I perſwade my ſelfe, hauehave our aduerſaries of Rome ſuch controulements, while they are labouring to make Gods truth odious, by deducing thereout blaſphemous inferences? it is fearefull to breake through impediments that GOD layes in our way to withhold from ſinne.
Subſtance of the obiection. If our vnfaithfulneſſe ſerue to illuſtrate Gods truth, and to make it more glorious; then is GOD vniuſt that puniſheth vnfaithfulneſſe. But the firſt is true: Ergo. Now the direct anſwere is not here expreſſed by the Apoſtle, partly for that the cauill was ſo odious, that it required rather deteſtation, then anſwere; partly becauſe the anſwere vvas ſo obuious, that any man might frame it; ſee we vvhat it is: the anſwere is on this manner, that it followeth not, becauſe that the illuſtration of Gods glorie flowes not from our ſinnes, eyther by nature of them, or by intention of the committer, but by accident rather. See wee therefore a little how ſinnes ſet forth and commend Gods truth, and promote his glorie. Anſ. Firſt, as one contrarie ſets forth the nature of another, by compariſon and iuxta-poſition. Sickneſſe commends health, peace, warre; and mans vnrighteouſneſſe Gods righteouſneſſe, thus onelyonly by making it appeare more glorious, when they are compared together. Health receiues no bettering from ſickneſſe naturally, yea rather it ouerthrowes it: ſo ſecondly by accident, becauſe GOD takes occaſion thereby eyther to ſhew merciemercy in pardoning, or iuſtice in puniſhing. Whence followeth this doctrine:
Obſer. That though mans vvickedneſſe redound in the iſſue to Gods glorie, yet is GOD iuſt in puniſhing it.
Reaſons: firſt, ſinne in its owne nature tends to Gods diſhonouryRom. 2.23.: ſecondly, the ſinner in it intends not to honour GODzIſay 10.6.7. Gen. 50.20..*Auguſt. quaeſt. ſuper Exod. quaest. 79. Auguſtine ſhowes how in wilfull murther, though it be true, that GOD after a ſort giues the innocent into the hand of the ſlayer, yet God is iuſt, and the murtherer, doing the ſecret vvill of God, is iuſtly puniſhed.
Deus non niſi iuſtè, homo autem poenâ dignus; non quia illum occidit quem deus nollet occidi: ſed quia per iniquitatem. Non enim miniſterium Deo iubenti praebuit, ſed ſuae malignae cupiditati ſeruiuit. In vno igitur eodem que facto; & Deus de occulta aequitate laudatur; & homo de propria iniquitate punitur, &c. hee addes the inſtance of Iudas, vt alibi.
Ʋſe. Therefore let no man pleaſe himſelfe in this that his euill deedes hauehave turned in the euent to the glory of God.
It is true that there is not the lewdeſt action of the prophaneſt miſcreant, but GOD brings ſome good out of it: their iudgement is neuer the leſſe, notwithſtanding GOD be thereby accidentally glorified. There was neuer more helliſh ſinne then that of the Iewes in crucifying the Lord of glorie; nothing by which God euer reaped greater glory then by the death of his Sonne: yet is the wrath of GOD come vponupon them to the vtmoſta1 Theſ. 2.16.: and that moſt iuſtly.
It is true that Pauls bands turned in the iſſue to the furtherance of the GoſpellbPhil. 1.12.: yet woe to that Lyon that bound him. True, that perſecutions of Gods children turne to their benefitcRom. 8.28., bringing quiet fruit of righteouſneſſedHeb. 12.11.: working vntounto them an incomparable waight of gloriee2 Cor. 4.17.: yet ſhall God in his iuſt iudgement recompence tribulation to them that trouble hisf2 Theſ. 1.6.: but proceed we in the Text.
In the Apoſtles anſwere, occurres firſt this Caution: I ſpeake after or according to man: firſt, not in mine owne perſon; as if I eyther approued or deuiſed ſuch a deduction; but I Anticipate onelyonly the cauils of prophane carnall men; readier to blaſpheme then to beleeue the truth.
So charie ought Gods children to be in obiecting againſt the truth, and euen in propounding the cauils of others, neuer to owne them for theirs; ſuch proteſtations were ſeaſonable in the ſcholaſticall diſputations; eſpecially where rude nouices are admitted to be Auditors; I ſpeake what I know, the verie omiſſion of ſuch cautions, and ouer great heat in preſſing obiections, though but perſonately, hath tainted the iudgements of ſome through their ignorance.
Secondly, his deteſtation. Ab ſit: God forbid; the forme of Apoſtolicall deteſtation: and as Caietane ſaith; it ſhewes how hee euen abhorred to heare mention of the iniuſtice of God. And ſhould teach vsus not vvithout trembling and deteſtation to reiect cauils eſpecially blaſphemous againſt GOD, and iniurious to his truth: inſtances in this Epiſtle are diuers.
And if there were no other thing to proue our key-cold louelove of Gods truth, and zeale for his glorie; this one were ſufficient; our lentitude in reprouing thoſe many blaſphemies of Gods holy name, which in company of prophane men we cannot but heare.
Thirdly, his confutation: (elſe how ſhall God iudge the world.) The manner of anſwere may in logick ſeeme abſurd, but is in Chriſtianitie the beſt that can be ſhaped to denyers of principles; neither was it vvant of skill that made the Apoſtle deny the concluſion; but Wiſedome rather to direct Gods children, how to carrie themſelues towards ſuch as queſtion vndoubted principles: ſtill hold euident truthes, yea though thou know not how to aſſoyle doubts rayſed by men of corrupt mindes and deſtitute of the truth.
In Philoſophy it is receiued, not to diſpute againſt ſuch as deny principles; in Diuinitie it is moſt ſafe eſpecially for meaner men; to hold concluſions euidently taught in deſpight of all cauilſome premiſſes.
If any ſhall queſtion the being of my GOD, in whom I liue, moue, and hauehave my being; whom, if I were blind, I may euen palpably feele: I may perhaps pittie his Atheiſme, and deplore the abuſe of wit, but ſhall chooſe to confute rather with a club, then with an argument, though plenty want not. If Arius or Antitrynitaryes, ſhall oppoſe againſt the Trinitie of perſons in the vnitie of Diuine eſſence, deteſt their blaſphemie; but though their contradictions ſeeme neuer ſo plauſible and vnanſwerable, hold ſtill the concluſion that there are three bearing witneſſe in heauen, and that theſe are oneg1 Ioh. 5.7. &c.
Verſe 7. For if the veritie of God hath more abounded through my lye vntounto his glorie, why am I yet condemned as a ſinner.
Verſe 8. And (as wee are blamed, and as ſome affirme that we ſay) why doe we not euill, that good may come thereof? whoſe damnation is iuſt.
BVt ſee wee here other cauilling inferences from the ſame grounds: The Apoſtle brings in the cauiller thus yet inferring: If Gods truth hath been much more aboundantly manifeſted by my lye, and vnfaithfulneſſe to his glory, not onelyonly God ſhal be vniuſt in puniſhing, but God and man both iniurious in cenſuring my action of ſinne, yea more then that; theſe euill things (as they are deemed) ſhould be exhorted vntounto and done as good, that ſo great a good as Gods glorie might come thereby: This the obiection; anſwere followeth; firſt, theſe are but ſlanders and ſcandalous imputations; for we teach no ſuch thing, neither will theſe concluſions follow vponupon our doctrine; ſecondly, by denuntiation of iudgement, their damnation or iudgement is iuſt. The direct anſwere to all theſe cauils ſee in verſe 5. they hauehave all a manifeſt fallaci accidentis.
Obſerue the common lot of Miniſters to be ſubiect to ſlanders (as we are ſlanderedhActs 24.5. Ier. 15.10. & 18.18..)Verſe 8. Obſer.
Reaſon; thorough our ſides Sathan wounds the truth; and by diſgrace of our perſons aliens from reſpect of our doctrine.
Let neither Miniſters nor people thinke it ſtrange if Ʋſe 1 this betide vsus at this dayiMat. 5.10.11.12.. The diuell is ſtill a Diuell; as the accuſer of the brethrenkApoc. 12.10.: ſo eſpecially the ſlanderer of the miniſterie.
Ʋſe 2 Be not haſtie to admit an accuſation againſt an Elderl1 Tim. 5.19.: not vnderunder two or three witneſſes and thoſe authenticall. The reaſon of which caueat, is thus giuen by ſome; for that Sathan hath ſpeciall enuie at ſuch, and none more expoſed to calumnyes then they, none whoſe diſgrace brings greater preiudice to paſſage of the truth.
Obſer. As our perſons eſcape not ſlanders; ſo neither our doctrines ſcandalous imputations Chriſt accuſed as a deſtroyer of the lawmMat. 5.19.: what neede wee ſeeke further then our owne experience? hee that hath leaſure, let him ſee that f…rraginem blaſphemiarum ſcraped together by Kellyſſon out of Bellarmine againſt not ours, but Pauls doctrine of Predeſtination; certainety of ſaluation, iuſtification by faith onelyonly, &c.
This onelyonly let me admoniſh our people, as not to be offended at this when it fals out, ſo withall to compare what wee teach of the Articles with the writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles, yea this withall let mee more ſay, that the cauils againſt our doctrines are no other then what Gods ſpirit hath preuented, and plentifully anſwered in the ſcripturesnRom. 3.31. Rom. 9.14.19. &c..
And let theſe ſlanderers well waigh what the Apoſtle here ſpeakes of their iſſue; (their damnation is iust) and ſure if for idle words wee are countableoMat. 12.36., how much more for blaſphemies againſt Gods holy truth p?