Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 3 · Subsection 17 – Subsection 22
Quest. 12. Whether none euill is to be done at all, that good may come thereof.
1. This is a most true conclusion in diuinitie, that no euill must be done or sinne committed, that some good may be caused thereby: for the contrarie the Apostle here condemneth, and saith their damnation is iust, that thus obiect, Why doe we not euill, that good may come thereof: the reason hereof is this, no sinne is eligible, for whatsoeuer is eligible, and to be made choice of, is good, but sinne is no wayes good, for then it should not be sinne, yet sinne may be the occasion of the further setting forth of Gods glorie: as the offences of theeues and murtherers may be the matter for the iustice of the iudge to worke vponupon, and diseases are occasions for the skilfull Physitian to shewe his skill: yet as therefore a man will not choose to be diseased, that the Physitian may growe famous in healing him, so neither are sinnes to be of purpose committed, that Gods iustice should be thereby set forth, Mart.
2. But here the former distinction taketh place betweene malum culpae, & malum poena, the euill of sinne, and the euill of punishment: the first is no wayes to be chosen: a lesse sinne is not to be committed to avoide a greater: for if no euill is to be done for a good ende, then the lesse euill or sinne, is not to be committed to avoide a greater: for the avoiding of euill is also a good thing, Caietan. But of other things, which are not euill in their nature, but are counted euill in respect of temporall losse, there one may make choice of the lesse, Pareus: as Dauid did rather chuse to hauehave the pestilence sent vponupon the land, then famine, or captiuitie: and here that similitude of Gregorie may hauehave place, vt qus murorum, ambitu clauditur vndi que &c. as he that is compassed and closed in with a wall, that he cannot escape, there taketh his flight, vbi breuior murus invenitur, where the wall is the lowest: so of such temporall euills a man may make choice of that which bringeth the least inconuenience.
3. And concerning the first sort of euills, there is also a kind of choice to be made: when there is a necessitie: as when one is driuen to such a streight, as that hauing taken a rash oath to doe an vnlawfull thing, and the oath beeing made, he must either breake his oath, and so commit periurie, or keepe his oath, and so breake charitie: it is the lesse of the two euills, to breake a wicked oath, then to fulfill it, as Herod did in putting Iohn Baptist to death: for in violating the oath, creator…m offendimus, we doe but offend the Creator, but in performing a cruell and bloodie oath we both transgresse Gods commandements, as also offer wrong vntounto our brother: thus was it decreed Concil. Toletan. 8. vbi periculi necessitas as compuleru, &c. where the necessitie of the danger compelleth: which necessitie is, when a thing is once committed, and cannot be vndone againe, as in taking a rash oath: which necessitie, or perplexitie, as Caietan well noteth, is not ex parte rerum, on the behalfe of the things: for it is not necessarie for a man, if it were in his power either to sweare falsly, or to breake charitie: but it is ex parte hominis, on the behalfe of man, who cannot revoke and vncall that which he hath once done, Caietan.
4. But against this position the example of Lot will be obiected, who to preserue the young men from the beastly rage of the Sodomites, would hauehave prostituted his daughters vntounto them: if this fact were not good, why doth S. Peter call him iust Lot, 2. Pet. 2. if it were, then one may doe good that euill may be occasioned thereby.
Concerning this act of Lot, there are diuerse opinions: some doe commend and iustifie it, as Ambrose lib. 1. de Abraham. c. 6. Chrysostome hom. 43. so also Thomas. Caietan. Some doe blame Lot in so doing, and disallowe this fact: as August. qu. 42. in Genes. Lyran. Gloss. interlin. Tostatus. Lyppom. in catena. and this seemeth to be the better opinion: as Augustine determineth, …oli facere magnum scelus tuum, dum magis horrescis alienum, doe not make thine offence great, while thou fearest an others sinne: yet two things doe excuse Lot, his zealous care to preserue the young men from violence, and his perplexed, and troubled minde, not well considering what he did: And whereas S. Peter calleth him iust Lot, that is not vnderstood in respect of this particular fact, but of his vpright life, who was not touched with the vncleane conuersation of the citie, but grieued thereat.
5. Here further may be noted a certaine ouersight of Gregorie, who disputing this point, that of two euills the lesse is to be chosen, giueth this instance that the Apostle saying, to avoide fornication, let euerie one hauehave his wife, concessit minimo, vt maior a declinaret, he permitted the lesse (euill,) to avoide the greater: so he thinketh it not to be without fault to marrie, though it be lesse: and he would prooue it by these words of the Apostle, I speake this by permission, not by commandement, non est sine vitio, quod ignoscitur, & non praecipitur, that is not without fault which is pardoned, not commanded, Gregor. lib. 32. Moral. c. 27.
Contra. 1. If it were an euill or sinne to marrie, then God should be the author of sinne, who was the institutor of mariage: if men do abuse the mariage by their in temperancie, that is their fault, not any euill in the thing: 2. The Apostle doth not pardon them their mariage, but he permitteth them to marrie as a thing lawfull for all, if they will vse the remedie, but not necessarily imposed by way of commandement: for they which hauehave the gift of continencie are not bound to marrie. 3. the Apostle then in allowing to marrie to avoide fornication, doth not preferre the lesse euill before the greater, but prescribeth the remedie, which is good to preuent the greater inconuenience of euill, which would followe, if the remedie were not vsed.
13. Quest. Whether God doe not euill, that good may come thereof, in reprobating the vessels of wrath, to shew his power.
Obiect. 1. The Apostle saith, Rom. 9.22. What and if God would to shew his wrath, and make his power knowne, suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction? …ere God should seeme to doe that which is euill, as to prepare the vessels of wrath to destruction, for a good ende, namely, to declare his power.
2. Likewise to permit and suffer euill to be done in the world, to exercise his iudg… ments, or declare his prouidence seemeth to be euill, as when he suffered Iosephs breth… to sell him into Egypt, that Iacobs familie by this meanes might be prouided for: for he which suffereth euill to be done, when he may hinder it, seemeth to consent vntounto it, and so is accessarie thereunto: as a Magistrate sinneth in suffering adulterie, murther, and other sinnes to goe vnpunished.
Ans. Concerning the first obiection, it is not euill, that some are vessels of wrath prepared to destruction: 1. because it is Gods will, which is alwaies iust and holy: yea Gods will is a perfect rule of iustice. 2. and that which tendeth to Gods glorie, can not be euill, as God getteth himselfe glorie in the condemnation of the wicked. 3. that which is lawfully done, can not be euill: but God in reiecting some, doth that which he may doe by lawfull right, to dispose of his owne as it pleaseth him; as no man can reprooue the potter in making some vessels of honour, some of dishonour of the same piece of clay. 4. but seeing in the ende Gods reiecting and reprobating of some, namely such as by their sinnes deserued eternall death, appeareth to be most iust, it must needs also be good, for that which is iust, is good.
2. To the other obiection of Gods permission, it may be likewise answered, 1. to permit euill to be done, and to consent to euill, doe not necessarily follow one the other: he that permitteth, onelyonly hath a will not to hinder, but he that consenteth, approoueth that which is done. 2. and that God consenteth not to that which he permitteth is euident, because he punisheth sinne, which he suffreth to be done. 3. God in permitting euill to be done, onelyonly consenteth to that good which he draweth out of euill, and for the which he suffreth the same to be done. 4. the case is not like betweene God permitting euill to be done, and the Magistrate: for 1. God is free, and is not tied to any lawe, but the Magistrate suffring euill therein doth contrarie to Gods lawe, or mans. 2. Man oftentimes of some sinister affection suffreth euill, either because he is hindered by some greater power, and cannot punish it, or he is corrupted, and so winketh at sinne: but none of these are incident to God. 3. If the Magistrate propound vntounto himselfe some good ende, in vsing connivence i… some sinnes, yet he is not sure to effect it as God is. 4. Beside it belongeth vntounto the Creator, to giuegive vntounto his creatures freely to worke according to their nature: for otherwise he should restraine the ordinarie course of things: But this no way concerneth the Magistrate in his connivence. ex Pareo.
Quest. 14. In what sense the Apostle denieth the lewes to be more excellent then the Gentiles, v. 9
v. 9. What then, are we more excellent? there is a double sense of these words, some thinke that this is spoken in the person of the faithfull which were vncircumcised, as though they were more excellent then the Iewes, which abused the blessings which the Lord had bestowed vponupon them: but if the Apostle had spoken here of the vncircumcised, he would not hauehave named himselfe, as one of them, are we more excellent? therefore the other sense is better, that the Apostle speaketh here in the person of the Iewes, least they might hauehave gloried too much, in their preheminence and prerogatiues which the Apostle had yeelded vntounto them before the Gentiles, v. 1.
2. Now the Apostle in denying vntounto the Iewes that excellencie, which he before had yeelded vntounto them, v. 1. is not contrarie to himselfe: for the reconciling whereof, 1. Some thinke, that S. Paul before spake of the excellencie of the Iewes beyond the Gentiles, before the comming of Christ, but here of their state in the Gospell, when they had no such preheminence, as the Apostle saith, Coloss. 3. that in Christ there is neither Iewes transgressing against the lawe, were no better then the Gentiles, as Ezech. 5.10. she hath changed my iudgements into wickednesse, more then the nations, &c. 2. Some giuegive this solution, that then preheminence was in respect of the promises, on Gods behalfe, which he made vntounto the Iewes, but in respect of their owne nature, they were sinners as well as others, Thomas, Pererius. they had no preheminence, by their owne merits: to this purpose, Gualter, Hyperius, Aretius, with others: But Tolet refuseth this vponupon this reason, because in this sense neither should a Christian man hauehave any preheminence before a Gentile, seeing the one meriteth more at Gods hand, then the other: these things wherein they excell, non … proprijs acciperunt, they hauehave not receiued by their owne merits, annotat. 6. 3. The preheminence then before graunted, and now denied, is neither in respect of the diuers times, nor of their persons, but of the cause in hand, that although the Iewes had some ciuill and Ecclesiasticall prerogatiues, they had the law & circumcision, which the Gentiles had not, yet concerning their manner of iustification before God, it was all one, the Iew was no more iustified by works then the Gentile, but both of them were iustified onelyonly by faith. Par. Tol.
15. Quest. Of the meaning of certaine phrases, which the Apostle vseth, v. 9. We hauehave alreadie prooued, and, vnderunder sinne.
1. The Greeke word is foreign: 1. some translate, criminati sumus, we hauehave accused: Greeke schol. Beza, Pareus: but it had beene sufficient to hauehave said, we hauehave shewed both Iewes and Gentiles to be vnderunder sinne, this was a sufficient accusation it selfe, without any such expresse addition, that he had accused them: Tolet. 2. Pererius maketh this the sense, I hauehave alleadged this as a cause, that all are vnderunder sinne, namely as the cause and occasion, why the Iewes in the matter of iustification are not preferred before the Gentiles: Per. Haymo: but that the Apostles speach should be imperfect, saying thus much in effect, we hauehave shewed this as the cause, that all are vnderunder sinne, not shewing whereof it should be a cause. 3. Tolet deuiseth an other sense, expounding it by the passiue, we hauehave beene all accused that both Iewes and Gentiles are vnderunder sinne: but the Greeke construction will not suffer this sense, for Iewes and Gentiles, is put in the accusatiue, and so can not answer vntounto the word, accused. 4. Some thus interpret, causis redditis ostendimus, we hauehave shewed by rendring the cause, why all should be vnderunder sinne: that the Apostle had not onelyonly shewed this, but tendred also the cause: Chrysost. Ambr. Sedul. Erasm. Vatabl. but Beza thinketh that the word is not found in that sense. 5. Wherefore the best interpretation is this, evici… probavimus, we hauehave prooued before, Oecumen. Genevens. we hauehave sufficiently shewed by reason, that all are vnderunder sinne: so also the Syrian interpreter readeth, pronuntiavi…s, we hauehave pronounced: and gloss. interl. rationibus ostendimus, we hauehave shewed by reason.
2. VnderUnder sinne, which signifieth three things, 1. that although the act of sinne doe passe, yet there remaineth still a blot in the soule and conscience, and a guiltines of sinne, as Iosu. 22.17. we are not clensed from the wickednes of Peor vntounto this day. Perer. 2. to be vnderunder sinne, is tenerireatu, to be held guiltie of sinne, Pareus: to be subiect vntounto the curse and malediction due vntounto sinne, Piscat. and so guiltie to euerlasting damnation. 3. and beside it signifieth the seruitude vnderunder sinne, that they doe walke and liue in sinne, and can not be deliuered from the tyrannie thereof, Tolet. as to be vnderunder the law, is to be in subiection, thraldome, and vnderunder the curse of it. Pareus.
16. Quest. Whence the Apostle alleadgeth these testimonies; v. 10. to 18.
1. All these allegations according to the vulgar Latin edition, are taken out of the 13. Psalme, where all those sentences stand together in this order, wherein they are cited here: And one Lindanus a Popish writer, would prooue hereby the Hebrew text to hauehave beene corrupted by the Iewes, because onelyonly v. 10, 11, 12. are there found Psal. 14. according to the Hebrew originall, and he affirmeth that he had seene an Hebrew copie thought to hauehave beene Augustins the Monke that was sent into England, where these eight verses doe stand in the Hebrew text, as they are here alleadged by S. Paul. But Pererius misliketh this assertion: 1. he vrgeth Hieromes opinion who was more auncient then that Augustine, who findeth not all these sentences in the Hebrew. 2. it is not like that the Iewes could all conspire to corrupt the Greeke text, who otherwise are found to hauehave beene alwaies most carefull to preserue the Scriptures vncorrupted: neither had they any reason to rase out any of those sentences, seeing therein is contained no manifest prophecie of Christ. 3. and concerning that Hebrew copie, Ioannes Isaac sometime professor of the Hebrew tongue at Co…, writing against Lindanus, thinketh it was patched together by some vnskilfull Hebrici…, who might turne the Latine into Hebrew.
2. Pererius thinketh that the Hebrew text is not corrupted in that place, yet he would hauehave the vulgar Latine translation to be retained, because of the antiquitie thereof, which …serteth all those verses in the 14. Psalme: But if he acknowledge the Hebrew to be perfect, and the Latine translation to put in more, then is in the Hebrew, why should not the Latine text be corrected according to the Hebrew?
3. Therefore the truth is, as Hierome thinketh, proem. l. 16. comment. in Esaiam, that this whole text is not taken out of the 14. Psalme, sed partim ex Isaia, partim ex Psalmis esse contextum, but is framed together partly out of the Prophet Isai, partly out of the Psalmes: the 10, 11, 12, verses here are alleadged out of the 14. and 53. Psalme: the first part of the 14. v. is out of the 5. Psal. v. 10. the second out of the 140. Psal. v. 3. the 14. v. out of the 10. Psal. v. 7. the 15, 16, 17. v. out of Isa. 59.7, 8. the 18. v. out of Psal. 36.1. Pareus: the same is also affirmed by Origen, that these testimonies are cited partly out of the Psalmes, partly out of the Prophet Isai: but the 16. v. Destruction and calamitie are in their waies, he saith, non recordor vbi scriptum sis, &c. I remember not where it is written, but I thinke it may be found in some one of the Prophets, &c. this may seeme strange, that Origen so diligent a searcher of the Scriptures, should not finde where these words are, seeing they follow in the very same place of the Prophet Isai, as Hierome also obserueth.
4. But that is well obserued by Origen, that whereas S. Paul doth not follow the very same words which are in the Psalme, puto dari in hoc Apostolicam authoritatem, I thinke (saith he) that this is done by Apostolike authoritie, to teach vsus, when we vse the testimonie of Scripture, sensum magis ex eo, quam verba rapiamus, that we rather take the sense, then the words, &c.
17. Qu. Of the matter and order obserued by the Apostle in citing these testimonies.
In these testimonies the Apostle first sheweth the sinnes of men, then their punishment: their sinnes either of omission, in leauing some duties vndone, to v. 13. then of commission, in committing such things as were euill, to v. 16. the sinnes of omission, are either concerning faith, or manners: concerning faith three waies, nec credunt per fidem, they neither beleeue by faith, there is none iust, nec intelligunt per scripturam, neither doe they vnderstand by the Scripture, nor seeke God per investigationem, by searching after him, v. 10, 11. Concerning manners, 1. they decline out of the way, in turning away from God. 2. they are become vnprofitable, that is, to their brethren. 3. neither doe they good, that is, to themselues, v. 12.
The sinnes committed are of two sorts, ad inducendum alios in errorem, to bring others into error; ad incutiendum terrorem, and to smite into them terror: the first is done three waies, 1. openly in corrupting with euill words, their mouth is an open sepulchre. 2. secretly in deceiuing, they hauehave vsed their tongues to deceit. 3. in cloaking their malice with fained words, the poison of aspes is vnderunder their lippes.
They doe strike terror into them, 1. mala imprecando, in wishing euill, their mouth is full of cursing. 2. necem intentando, by threatning death and destruction, there is bitternes in their mouth. 3. in shedding of blood.
Then followeth their punishment, which is of two sorts, 1. poena & non culpa, a punishment, and no fault, either eternall, destruction, or temporall, calamitie, with the meritorious cause, in their waies. 2. there is a punishment, which is both a punishment, and a sinne: which is first their wilfull ignorance and blindnes, v. 17. they hauehave not knowne the way of peace: then their obstinacie, the feare of God is not before their eyes. Gorrhan.
But this distribution may seeme to be too curious: we therefore will content our selues with this plaine enumeration of sinnes, which are here set downe by the Apostle. 1. be accuseth all men of iniustice, and vnrighteousnes, there is none righteous, v. 10. 2. of ignorance and blindnes, there is none that vnderstandeth, v. 11. 3. of apostasie and falling away from God to abominable idolatrie, v. 12. 4. of deceit and craft. 5. of cursing and bitternes, v. 13. 6. of crueltie, their feete are swift to shed blood. 7. they are turbulent and enemies to peace, v. 17. 8. they are prophane, casting off all feare of God, v. 18. Pareus.