Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 7 · Section 4 – Section 5
The former arguments answeared.
1. The regenerate simply are not called carnall, but secundum quid, after a sort they are carnall in respect of the vnregenerate part: as the Apostle speaking to the Corinthians, that were beleeuers, and iustified, sanctified, 1. Cor. 6.11. yet calleth them carnall, in regard of the sects and diuisions among them, 1. Cor. 3.1. And one is said to be carnall two wayes, either he which is altogether obedient to the flesh and fleshly lusts: or he that doth not yeeld himselfe vntounto them, but striueth against them, and yet against his will feeleth the violent motions thereof: so the Apostle confesseth, that though he warre not after the flesh, ye… he walketh after the flesh, 2. Cor. 10.3.
2. The righteous is bought for a price, and redeemed from his sinnes, and yet in respect of his vnregenerate part, the corruption of nature and reliques of sinne remaining, he is said to be sold vnderunder sinne, not simply, as the vnregenerate is giuen ouer wholly, but in part only.
3. In the faithfull as they are regenerate, the spirit of God dwelleth, but in their vnregenerate part sinne inhabiteth: there is no inconuenience to graunt, that two diuerse inhabitants may dwell in one and the same house, in two diuerse parts: for the Apostle speaking of the regenerate, saith, Galat. 5.17. The spirit lusteth against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit, and these are contrarie one to the other: they which feele not this fight and combate are either Angelicall, as the Saints in heauen, or they hauehave not yet receiued the spirit at all, as they which are carnall.
4. There are two kinds of seruices to sinne, the one is a willing seruice, such as is in the vnregenerate, the other vnwilling, and in a manner forced, as in the regenerate.
5. The vnregenerate hauehave no will at all to doe good, for the wisedome of the flesh is not subiect to the Lawe of God, neither can be, Rom. 8.7. the regenerate receiue grace to will, and sometime to performe, though not as they would: they are therefore regenerate though not perfectly, as none are in this life.
6. There are two kinds of captiuitie, the one, when one is wholly captiued vnderunder the bondage of his owne voluntarie sinne, the other is a forced captiuitie vnderunder the bondage of originall sinne, this is in the righteous, not the other.
7. The Apostle is not contrarie to himselfe: for it is one thing to obey the lusts of the flesh, as the vnregenerate and carnall; an other, to feele the motions of the flesh, and to striue against them, as in the regenerate.
8. The Apostles intent and meaning is to shewe, that the law in it selfe is good and iust, and that it commeth by reason of mans owne infirmitie, that it is otherwise to him, and thereupon the Apostle to set forth the perfection of the lawe, giueth instance in the regenerate, that they are not able to keepe the law, much lesse the vnregenerate: so that it is more agreeable to the scope and purpose of the Apostle, to speake of a man regenerate, then of one vnregenerate.
9. Euen Daniel, though he be called a man of desires, that is, beloued, and excepted of God, yet had his sinnes, which he confessed in his owne name, and person: as Dauid is said to be a man after Gods owne heart, yet he had his sinnes and imperfections.
Arguments for the affirmatiue part, that S. Paul speaketh in his owne person as of a man regenerate.
First these two points must be premised, that the Apostle speaketh of himselfe, not of another, still continuing his speach in the first person, I am carnall, I will, I consent, I delight, and so throughout, that it should be a great forcing of the Apostles speach, to make him to speake of another and not of himselfe: secondly the Apostle from the 14. v. to the end, speaketh of his present state, (who was then regenerate) as may appeare, because while he was yet vnderunder the law, he speaketh as of the time past, v. 9. I was aliue, and v. 10. sinne seduced me: but from the 14. v. he speaketh of the time present, I am carnall, and so throughout to the end of the chapter.
Argum. 1. Hence then is framed our first reason: the Apostle speaketh of himselfe, as he then was, because he speaketh in the present tence: but then he was a man regenerate; Ergo.
Theophylact answereth; the Apostle saith, I serue, v. 15. that is, serviebam, I did serue: Contra. As the Apostle saith I serue, so he saith, I delight in the law of God, v. 22. and in this verse. 25. I thanke God, &c. which immediately goe before the other, I serue: but those words must be vnderstood, as they are vttered, of the time present, therefore the other also.
Argum. 2. Gregorie vrgeth these words v. 18. to will is present with me, he that saith he will, per infusionem gratiae, quae in se iam lateant semina ostendit, doth shew what seede lyeth hid in him by the infusion of grace, lib. 29. moral. c. 15.
Ans. Euen the vnregenerate by nature doe will that is good: they may imperfecte velle … siue gratia in peccato, imperfectly will that is good without grace euen in the state of sinne, Tolet. in. tractat. c. 9.
Contra. There is bonum naturale, morale, spirituale, that which is naturally good, morally good, spiritually good: the first one by nature may desire, as b…ute beasts doe the same, and therein they doe neither good, nor euill: the second also in some sort, as the heathen followed after morall vertues, but they did it not without sinne, because they had no faith; but that which is spiritually good, the carnall hauehave no mind at all vntounto: for it is God, which worketh both the will and the deed, Phil. 2.13.
Argum. 3. Augustine presseth these words, v. 17. It is not I that doe it, but sinne that dwelleth in mee, this is not vox peccatoris, sed iusti, the voice of a sinner, but of a righteous man: lib. 1. cont. 2. epist. Pelag. c. 10.
Ans. A sinner may be said not to doe euill, not because he doth not consent vntounto it, but because he is not onelyonly mooued of himselfe, but drawen by his concupiscence: Tolet. ibid.
Contra. There is nothing in a man to giuegive consent vntounto any action, but either his spirituall or carnall part: but in the vnregenerate there is nothing spirituall, but all is naturall; therfore whatsoeuer such an one doth he wholly consenteth; he himselfe is not one thing, and his sinne another to giuegive consent: but he is wholly mooued and lead of sinne.
Argum. 4. Augustine addeth further: the Apostle thus beginneth the 8. chapter: there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, which words follow as inferred vponupon the other: which sheweth that the Apostle spake before of those which were in Christ Iesus.
Ans. Nay rather those words following vponupon the other, who shall deliuer me, &c. which the Apostle vttereth of a man not yet deliuered or freed from his sinne, and maketh answer, the grace of God, &c. shew, that he spake before as of our not beeing in the state of grace: Tolet. ibid.
Contra. 1. It is the bondage of corruption, which the Apostle desireth to be deliuered from, as is shewed before, qu. 33. neither doth the Apostle answer, the grace of God, &c. but I giuegive thankes to God, as likewise hath beene declared qu. 34. before: but one not in the state of grace, cannot giuegive thanks vntounto God: therefore the immediate connexion of these words, c. 8. sheweth that he spake before of those, which are in Christ.
Argum. 5. Further Augustine thus reasoneth: a carnall man cannot delight in the law of God, in the inner man, as Saint Paul doth: neither indeed is there any inner man, that it regenerate and renewed in those which are carnall: Pareus.
Ans. 1. The vnregenerate may delight in the law, as Herod did: and it is nothing else, but velle bonum, to will that which is good: Tolet. ibid. and they hauehave also the inner man, which is the mind, as the outward man is the bodie.
Contra. 1. The carnall cannot delight in the law, but they hate it, as Psal. 50.17. this hatest to be reformed, and hast cast my words behind thee: Herod gaue care to Iohn Baptist, not of louelove, but for feare, for afterward he put him to death: Hypocrits and carnall men, may stand in some awe, and feare a while, but it is not of louelove, nor in truth, or from the heart. 2. the inner part, is that with spirituall, and renewed: but in the wicked their verie mind is defiled, Tit. 1.15. therefore in them there is no inner man: see before qu. 26.
Argum. 6. The Apostle desireth to be deliuered from his corruptible and sinfull bodie, hoping then for perfect libertie: but in the resurrection the carnall shall hauehave no such libertie: they shall rise to greater miserie. Augustine.
Ans. The deliuerance there spoken of is by iustification from sinne, not in the resurrection. Tolet. ibid.
Contra. The Apostle euidently speaketh of beeing deliuered from this bodie of death, that is, his mortall bodie, which shall not be till the resurrection.
Argu. 7. The children of God, that are regenerate, do onelyonly find in themselues the fight & combate betweene the spirit and flesh, Gala. 5.17. as the Apostle doth here, v. 22. Pareus.
Argum. 8. The vnregenerate doe not vse to giuegive thanks vntounto God, but they sacrifice to their owne net, as the Prophet saith, Hab. 1.16. they giuegive the praise to themselues: But S. Paul here giueth thankes: Faius.
Argum. 9. No man but by the spirit of God, can hate and disalow that which is committed against the law of God, as the Apostle doth here, v. 15. Hyperius.
Argum. 10. To what end should the Apostle thus at large shew the effects and end of the law for their cause, qui prorsus sunt à Deo alieni, which are altogether straungers from God, and care not for his law? Faius: by these and such like reasons it is concluded, that S. Paul speaketh in the person of a man regenerate.
Quest. 37. Whether S. Paul was troubled with the tentations of the flesh, and with what.
1. S. Paul was before his calling tempted and carried away with diuerse lusts, as he confesseth Tit. 3.3. then giuing consent vntounto them, & following thē with delight: after his calling he felt also the pricking and stirring of his flesh, but it had not dominion ouer him, as before: as here the Apostle sheweth, how he did finde the lawe of his members rebelling against the law of his minde and spirit: and these temptations of the flesh the Lord suffered the Apostle to be troubled with, least he should be extolled by reason of his other excellent gifts, as he himselfe sheweth, 2. Cor. 12.7. whereupon Gregory well saith, custos virtutis infirmitas, infirmitie is the gardian and keeper of vertue, ad ima pertrahit caro, ne extollat spiritus, ad alta sustollit spiritus, ne prosternat caro, the flesh draweth vsus downe, that the spirit lift vsus not vp, and the spirit doth reare vsus vp, that the flesh should not altogether cast vsus downe, lib. 19. Moral. c. 4.
2. But whereas the Apostle saith, There was giuen vntounto me the pricke of the flesh, &c. 2. Cor. 12.7. 1. neither thereby is signified the afflictions and griefes which the persecutors put his bodie vntounto, as Chrysost. Theodoret. 2. or the paine of the head, gloss. ordinar. or the cholike, as Lyranus, or some other such bodily infirmitie, which would hauehave much hindered the Apostle in his ministerie. 3. nor yet much lesse, was this pricke the lust of his flesh, as Hierome thinketh epist. 22. and Haymo, so also Pererius disput. 23. for it is not like that Pauls bodie beeing tamed and kept vnderunder, with fastings, watchings, labour, had any such fleshy desire. 4. But hereby is better to vnderstand, omne tentationum genus, &c. eueryevery kind of carnall temptation wherewith S. Paul was exercised, Calvin, Beza.
4. Places of Doctrine.
Doct. 1. All things fall out to the wicked for their hurt.
v. 8. Sinne tooke occasion by the commandement: Pet. Mart. hereupon well observeth, that all things to the vnregenerate fall out vntounto euill: for if the lawe doe giuegive advantage to sinne, which is holy, iust, and good of it selfe, how much are other things turned to their hurt, as all things to them that louelove God fall out to their good, Rom. 8.28.
Doct. 2. Of the necessarie vse of the lawe.
v. 8. Without the lawe sinne is dead: That is, it lyeth hid, and is vnknowne: hence both Pareus, and Piscator note, concionem legis in Ecclesia necessariam, that the preaching of the lawe is necessarie in the Church, that sinne may be knowne, and come to light: and thus the lawe by reuealing our sinne, is a schoolmaster to lead vsus to Christ, Galat. 3.19. to finde righteousnesse in him, which we hauehave not in our selues.
Doct. 3. Of the effects of the lawe.
v. 9. When the commandement came, sinne reuived: There are 3. effects of the lawe here expressed by the Apostle: two it bringeth forth of it selfe: the manifestation of sinne, and thereupon the sentence of death: the third it worketh not of it selfe, but accidentally, namely the encrease of sinne, through the perversnes of mans nature, which striueth against that which is forbidden, Par.
Doct. 4. Of a fiuefold state of man.
v. 23. I see an other law in my members, &c. 1. In Paradise man had naturall concupiscence, but without disorder or rebellion against the mind. 2. before the law concupiscence rebelled against reason and without resistance. 3. vnderunder the law men resisted concupiscence, but could not vanquish it. 4. vnderunder grace they striue against it and preuaile. 5. in heauen these shall be no concupiscence at all, Perer. disput. 17.
Doct. 5. How death is to be desired.
v. 24. Who shall deliuer me? S. Paul desireth to be dissolued to make an ende of sinne: and thus death may be wished for, as the onelyonly remedie of our miserie: the wicked doe oftentimes desire death, but it is rather vitae fastidio, quam impietatis taedio, for that they are wearie of their life, not of sinne, Calvin.