Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 8 · Section 3 · Subsection 34 – Subsection 41
Quest. 34. That no liuing creatures shall be restored in the next world but onelyonly man.
v. 23. Because the Apostle saith of the faithfull, wayting for the adoption, the redemption of the bodie: here it may be inferred, because other creatures are not partakers of adoption, therefore neither of the redemption of their bodies to immortalitie: for the more explication hereof, three things shall be breefely touched, 1. what creatures shall remaine after the resurrection, 2. to what vse, 3. what creatures shall not be restored.
1. Concerning the first, it hath beene shewed before, qu. 28.6. that the creatures which shall be restored into the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God, shall be the heauens and earth, and the elements betweene them: for so the Lord promiseth by Isaiah, 65.17. Saint Peter beleeueth the same according to Gods promise. 2. ep. 3.13. S. Iohn in vision seem the same accomplished, Reuel. 21.1. what shall be the forme and fashion of the new heauens and earth is not expressed in Scripture, and it were curiositie for vsus to enquire: but new heauens, and earth, we are certaine by the Scriptures that there shall be: which Chrysostome well expresseth by this similitude, que madmodum nutrix regium puerum educans, &c. like as a nurse, that bringeth vp a King… sonne, when he commeth to his kingdome, she also is made partaker of his preferment: so the creatures, as the heauens and earth, which are now our preseruers and nourishers, after that man is brought to his glorie, shall be glorified also with him.
2. Concerning the vse: first for the heauens. 1. they shall not then serue for mans necessitie, as now, for he shall not need the Sunne to giuegive light, nor the clouds to raine. 2. neither to informe and instruct man touching his creature, for we shal then know, as we are knowne. 3. nor yet shall the Sunne then runne his course as now: for there shall be no time, Reuel. 10.6. which is measured by the course of the Sunne: neither any more generation of things, which is now procured by the heate and motion of the Sunne. 4. yet though it be probable that the Sunne shall hauehave neither heate, nor motion, the light thereof shall be encreased seuenfold: Isay. 30.28. for many things are in this world lightsome but giuegive no heate: as the glistring and shining precious starres. 5. and the heauens shall serue then to be an habitation and seate of the blessed: as the Apostle saith, They shall be caught vp in the clouds, and meete the Lord in the ayre. 1. Thes. 4.17. and the Saints by the continuall sight of great glorie of the heauens shall be stirred vp to praise and magnifie their glorious Creator.
Concerning the earth it shall serue also to be the seate and habitation of the blessed: for although now the heauens onelyonly are the seat of the blessed soules, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the throne of maiestie, Heb. 8.1. yet both the new heauens and new earth shall be then the habitation of the righteous: as Saint Peter euidently speaketh, 2. epist. 10.13. We looke for new heauens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse, that is the righteous, as Bucanus well interpreteth, Bucan. loc. 39. qu. 17. And Origen collecteth as much out of our Sauiours words, Matth. 5. that the meeke shall inherite the earth: sed & terra speranda est, non haec, quae arida dicitur, sed illa erit mansuetorum terra, &c. but an earth is to be hoped for, not this, which is called the drie land, and is seene of the eye, but the earth of the meeke, which the eie hath not seene, &c. And this seemeth to be the meaning of Christ, because he there speaketh of blessednesse, which is not to be found in this earth: Augustine also seemeth to be of the same opinion, lib. 20. de ciuitat. Dei. c. 16. where he affirmeth, that then the elements, as they had here corruptible qualities meet for our corruptible bodies, so they shall put on incorruptible qualities agreeable to incorruptible bodies: But this agreement needed not, if the bodies of the Saints should not conuerse, where the new earth and new elements are: Reason also giueth as much; that the Saints should there triumph, and praise God, where before they were persecuted and afflicted, and God was dishonored: But Pet. Martyr obiecteth that place, 1. Thes. 4.17. that the bodies of the Saints shall be caught vp in the clouds, and therefore he thinketh they shall not liue in the earth: to this we answer that not the earth onelyonly, but the heauens and earth shall be the place and seate of the blessed: that the Saints following the Lambe, whethersoeuer he goeth, Reuel. 14.4. shall visite the earth also, and shall goe and come, as it pleaseth God, as before hath beene touched, qu. 32.5. But herein we must not be too bold to wade without ground: how the Saints shall be disposed of, whether some to heauen, some to the earth, whether the same shall be sometime in heauen, sometime in earth, or how else as it pleaseth God, we leaue these as great misteries not reuealed: but that the Saints shall then be vponupon the earth, we are certaine out of Scripture, as hath bin shewed.
3. Now it remaineth to be shewed, what creatures are not like to be restored in the next world: and here we affirme this as most probable, though thereof there be no certaintie, that the vnreasonable creatures, as foules, beasts, fishes, shall then cease, and be no more: of which assertion these are the reasons.
1. Non sunt ad immortalitatem condita, these creatures were not created for immortalitie: as the rest, which shall then remaine, the heauens, the earth, Sunne and Moone: not that they were ad immortalitatem fac…a, made by their constitution apt vntounto immortalitie, as schoolemen giuegive instance of the heauens, which are a simple bodie without qualities one repugnant to another: for as Pet. Martyr well obserueth, immortalitie is the franke gift of God, and it dependenth not à vinaturae, from the force of nature: for naturally the heauens and earth, as they had a beginning, so they must hauehave an end: But in this purpose of God these creatures, which shall remaine, were created of God to immortalitie, so were not the vnreasonable creatures: Bucan. loc. 37. qu. 8.
2. Those creatures onelyonly beside man shall be glorified, which shall immediately passe from their corruptible state into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God, v. 21. and therefore the creature is likened to a woman trauailing with child, till she be deliuered, v. 22. but the vnreasonable creatures, after they are dissolued, do not enter to glorie, they fall vntounto corruption, and their life and spirit is extinguished with them: but the heauens and earth which continue the same, shall in the same instant, when they are deliuered from corruption, receiue a glorious libertie: wherein appeareth the equitie also of God, that those creatures which from the beginning of the world vntounto the end thereof, were subdued vntounto vanitie for mans cause, as the heauens and earth shall be restored to libertie with man, rather then those creatures which are but a while vnderunder this seruitude of corruption, because their time in the world is but short they beeing renewed and multiplied by continuall generation.
3. If the vnreasonable creatures, should be restored, then either the same that were before, as the same bodie of man, shall rise againe, or some other of the same kind newly created, but not of the first, for the partes of those creatures die with them, and therefore their bodies shall not be restored to life: Bucan. loc. 37. qu. 8. nor the second; there shall then be no new creation: for it is called the day foreign, of the restitution and restoring of all things (not of creation,) Act. 3.21. So Pet. Martyr defineth, solos homines excitandot à mortuis, that men onelyonly shall be raised from the dead: though he will not determine of the other, whether any of those kinds of creatures shall still continue.
4. Pet. Martyr hath this saying, that no kind of creatures shall remaine, nisi opus aliquod habuter… sunt, vnlesse they shall hauehave some seruice or worke: for it is against nature to constitute any thing, quod omnino sit otiosum, which should be altogether idle, &c. then seeing there shall be no vse of these creatures, which now serue for the vse of man, as for his profite in feeding, clothing, carrying, labouring, or for his pleasure, it followeth, that they shall not be at all.
5. And further, nulla promissio facta est, &c. no promise in the Scriptures is made concerning those creatures, as there is of the heauens and earth: therefore it is probable, that they shall not then remaine, Gualter: But because the Scripture is silent herein, certainely as a point of faith it cannot be determined: and we may here safely professe with the Master of sentences, se nec scire, quod in scripturis sacris se non meminerit legisse, that he is ignorant of that which he remembreth not to hauehave read in the sacred Scripture, &c. yet in this question, what is most probable, and commeth nearest to the truth, the former reasons may demonstrate to any of vnderstanding.
Quest. 35. How we are said to be saued by hope, v. 24.
1. For the coherence of these words, 1. Chrysostome thinketh the Apostle maketh mention of hope, because he had spoken before of the excellent graces of the spirit, which he called the first fruits, ne omnia in hoc tempore quaereremus, left we should make accoūt of all things as present. 2. some make this as a reason of the sighing and longing of the faithfull, because they hauehave onelyonly yet things in hope: Tolet. 3. Martyr thinketh the Apostle answeareth an obiection how it may stand with the condition of children to sigh and grone, because yet they hauehave their saluation but in hope. 4. some make the obiection this: how can it be said that we waile for our adoption, seeing we are alreadie the adopted sonnes of God in Christ: and so the answer shall be, that we hauehave these things onelyonly in hope; Rolloch. Piscator. 5. But it is rather an other argument of consolation, to moue the faithfull patiently to beare their tribulations from the nature of hope. Pareus, Gryneus.
2. Hope is taken three waies in Scripture. 1. it signifieth generally the doctrine of faith, as 1. Pet. 1.15. be readie to giuegive an answer to eueryevery man, that asketh a reason of that hope, which is in him. 2. hope is taken for the obiect of hope, the thing hoped for, as Gal. 5.5. we wait for the hope of righteousnes through faith: & afterward in this place, hope that is seene, (that is the thing hoped for) is no hope. 3. it betokeneth that godly affection of the mind, in hoping for that which is promised and beleeued. Gryneus.
3. Saluation is taken sometime for iustification in this life: Tit. 3.5. Not by the workes of righteousnesse, &c. but according to his merciemercy he saued vsus: But here it signifieth the perfection and happie estate both of soule and bodie in the kingdome of heauen. Pere. disp. 16.
4. But these words of the Apostle must not be so taken, as though we had onelyonly things in hope, and nothing in possession: for we are now iustified by faith, and sanctified by the spirit: but the perfection and accomplishment of these things we hauehave onelyonly in hope: Martyr.
5. And two conditions are considered in the things hoped for, that it is both difficult, for if it were easie and in our owne power, we would not hope for it: and beside, though it be hard, and difficult, yet is it not impossible: for then we should despaire altogether, and neuer hope for it: Martyr: and hereunto adde a third qualitie required in hope it selfe, that it is not wauering and doubtfull, for that is contrarie to the nature of hope, but it is certaine and firme, and therefore is it called the ankor of the soule, Heb. 6.19.
6. We are saide to be saued by hope, not efficienter, not as though it were the cause of saluation, but consequenter, in respect of the sequele and consequent: that after we hauehave patiently waited and expected by bope, that the thing hoped for will certainely follow.
Quest. 36. Of the difference betweene faith and hope.
They differ three waies. 1. ordine, in order and prioritie. 2. operatione, in the worke and operation: and obiecto, in the obiect.
1. Faith goeth before hope, and begetteth hope: as the Apostle defineth hope, Heb. 11.1. it is the ground, hypostasis, or foundation of things hoped for: for first we beleeue the things promised, then we hope for them, and in the third place followeth our louelove and delight in them: yet faith is not the efficient cause of hope: the spirit of God is the author, efficient, and working cause of all these graces: but the way and manner of working them is according to this order: that first we hauehave faith, then by faith the spirit bringeth vsus to hope.
2. The operation of them is diuerse: for it is the proper effect of faith to iustifie vsus, and assureth vsus of remission of sinnes in Christ: but hope doth not iustifie vsus: it doth by patience vphold and support the soule in the expectation of the finishing of that, which is begunne in vsus by faith.
3. The obiect of them both doth differ 3. waies, modo, gradu, tempore, in the manner, the measure or degree, and the time: 1. in the manner, for faith relyeth vponupon the promise it selfe, hope resteth in the thing promised. 2. in the measure, initium salutis fide habet…r, complementum spe, the beginning of saluation is had and obtained by faith, the complement and perfection thereof by hope. 3. in the time, for faith apprehendeth the promise of remission of sinnes and iustification as present, hope is exercised in the expectation of eternall life to come.
Quest. 37. Whether things hoped for cannot be seene.
It will be here thus obiected, 1. we looke for heauens and earth in the next world, but they are seene: Origen answeareth, that they are not these heauens and earth which are now visible, which we looke for; but other heauens and earth: as Saint Peter saith, we looke for new heauens and new earth, 2. Pet. 3.13. for as touching these visible heauens and earth, they shall passe away, Matth. 5.18.
2. Obiect. Stephen saw the heauens open, and Iesus sitting at the right hand of God, Act. 7. he saw that which he hoped for: Gorrhan answeareth, he saw indeed gloriam Christi non suam, the glorie of Christ, but not his owne glorie: hope is of those things which belong vntounto a man himselfe: he saw the glorie of Christ, which shall be communicated to his members: but his participation of that glorie he saw not, but hoped for it.
3. Obiect. Saint Paul was taken vp into the third heauen, and heard things not possible to be vttered, and beeing there he likewise saw the glorie of Christ. Ans This was not any corporall sight, but a spirituall vision and sight: for Saint Paul determineth not whether his spirit were then in the bodie, or out of the bodie, when he was so taken vp.
4. Obiect. A man running in a race may set his eie vponupon the price which he runneth for, … hopeth to obtaine: Caietan answeareth, that there are two things considered in that which is hoped for: materiale, the materiall part, the thing it selfe, and formale the formal part, which is the possession and obtaining of it: the first may be seene, the second is not seene, but onelyonly hoped for.
Quest. 37. What spirit is said to helpe our infirmities. v. 26.
1. Chrysostome by the spirit vnderstandeth the spirituall gift of prayer, that whereas the Church was in heauines, and much perplexed, then he which had the gift of praier did rise vp, and by framing of a praier shewed the people how, and what they should pray for: But thus it may be be excepted against this sense. 1. the spirit is not thus taken throughout this Chapter: and diuersely in the same place to vnderstand the same word is not so fit. 2. this spirituall gift of prayer, which Chrysostome vrgeth, was not generall, but giuen vntounto few, but here the Apostle speaketh of the generall supplie and helping of the infirmities of Gods children. 3. and this is a perpetuall consolation of Christs Church to hauehave their infirmities supported in their praiers: whereas that gift was miraculous, and was to continue but for a time.
2. Lyranus exposition is more vnfit, who vnderstandeth the spirit to be the Angel, which is giuen vntounto eueryevery one for his keeper, which directeth him in his prayers; but Angels are not the searchers of the hearts, as this spirit is.
3. Neither doe we with Ambrose take the spirit here pro gratia spirituali, for the spirituall grace: lib. de spirit. sancti, c. 12. the spirit here mentioned is the author and efficient cause of our comfort and helpe: the spirituall grace is onelyonly an effect of the spirit.
4. Wherefore by the spirit here is better vnderstood, the holy Ghost himselfe, as Origen interpreteth, and Ambrose in an other place, epistol. ad Horantion. so also Martyr, Beza, Pareus, Tolet, Pererius. And though the spirit be said afterward to make request for vsus, that must not be so taken, as though the spirit were our mediatour vntounto God; but he is said to make request, because he stirreth vsus vp to make request, as the spirit is said to crie Abba, father, Gala. 5.6. that is, the spirit maketh vsus to crie Abba, father, as the Apostle said before …, whereby we crie abba, father.
Quest. 38. What infirmities the spirit helpeth in vsus.
1. The spirit helpeth our infirmities of our vnderstanding: for of our selues we know not, what is good for vsus, what otherwise: what to be followed, what to be auoided. 2. the infirmitie of our will is helped, which is not of it selfe so setled on the desire of heauenly things, as it ought to be. 3. the infirmitie of our memorie is succoured, to remember Gods benefits receiued, iudgements infflicted, precepts enioyned, and our sinnes remitted. 4. there is an infirmitie in our concupiscence in rebelling against the spirit. 5. an infirmitie of impatience is murmuring against God, when affliction is sent. 6. there is a spirituall slouthfulnesse, in beeing vnwilling to take in hand any difficult or laborious worke of vertue. 7. And inconstancie beside in beeing wearie of weldoing, and in not continuing and perseuering to the end. 8. A speciall infirmitie in our prayer, is to pray either ante tempus, for things before the time, or to aske contraria, things contrarie to the will of God, or modo indebito, in asking them in vndue manner: all these infirmities, and specially the last are helped by the spirit.
Quest. 40. How we are said, not to know how to pray, as we ought. v. 28.
Augustine epist. 121. ad. Probam. mooueth this question, how the Saints are said to be ignorant how to praie, seeing they cannot be ignorant of the Lords prayer, which containeth … … rule of all things meete to be praied for.
1. Augustine answereth to this effect, that the Lords prayer indeed prescribeth in generall what good things are to be desired, and what euill things to be declined: but the Apostle here is to be vnderstood to speake of temporall things, as the desire of prosperitie, and the turning aside of aduersitie, which are in themselues indifferent: and herein one may erre in his desire, as he giueth instance in Saint Paul, who desired the pricke of his flesh, wherewith he was buffeted to be taken from him, which was not graunted, as not beeing meete for him: and some hauehave their desire in temporall things to their hurt, as the Israelites, when they longed for flesh: to this purpose also Pet. Martyr and Pererius, that the Lords prayer is a rule not generall, but yet in specialibus erramus, we may faile and erre in the particular: and the Lords praier is of things simply good to be praied for, or simply euill to praied against: but the Apostle speaketh here of things indifferent, as of temporall blessings, or temporall afflictions.
2. But more particularly, herein appeareth our ignorance in our praier, 1. when we craue any temporall blessing, which may be to our hurt, as Sathan had his desire in afflicting of Iob, but it was to his further confusion. 2. when we pray against any affliction, which is for the triall of our faith, and so for our spiritual good: as Paul would hauehave been deliuered from that strife and combate, which he had with his flesh, 2. Cor. 12. 3. when a good thing is asked, but of an ambitious mind, as the sonnes of Zebede ambitiously desired of Christ the cheefest places in heauen. 4. so some thing may be craued of a preposterous zeale, as Iames and Iohn would hauehave had fire come downe from heauen vponupon the Samaritants, Luk. 9.15. 5. some thing may be asked vnseasonably and out of time, as Marie spake to Christ to supplie the defect of wine, before his houre was come, Iob. 2. 6. yea we may faile in the desire of life eternall, in respect of the manner, though not for the thing; because we know not whether it be better for vsus through prosperitie, or aduersitie to enter into Gods kingdome.
Quest. 41. How the spirit is said to make request with sighes that cannot be expressed.
1. The spirit is said to make request for vsus, but in an other sense then Christ is said to make request for vsus, v. 34. for Christ maketh intercession, vigore meriti, by the vigor and vertue of his merite; but the spirit is said to make request, interpellere faciendo, by causing vsus, and stirring vsus vp to make request: Pareus: vnctione docet, the spirit by the annointing teacheth vsus how to frame and direct our praiers, Gryneus.
2. With sighes. 1. Augustine epistol. 121. c. 23. expoundeth it causally, because the spirit maketh vsus to sigh: and he giueth instance of that place, Deu. 13. the Lord tempteth you, that he may know whether you louelove him, that is, vt scire vos faciat, to make you to know: so also Gregorie lib. 2. moral. c. 22. 2. Ambrose epist. 23. doth not expound it causally but figuratiuely, as God is said in Scripture to be greeued, to be angrie, and such like things are ascribed vntounto God, which agree not to the diuine nature. 3. some adde further that the spirit is said to sigh, not onelyonly causally because he maketh vsus sigh, but instrumentally, because the spirit is said to doe that, which he worketh by his instruments. annot. 26. but the first sense is most apt, because to sigh, and grone, can no wise agree vntounto the spirit in his person, but in respect of the worke, which is by the spirit effected in vsus.
3. They are called gemitus inexplicabiles, sighes which cannot be expressed. 1. Origen referreth it to the spirit it selfe: quomodo cuarrari potest, &c. how can that be vttered, which the spirit speaketh vntounto God: so also Ambros. epist. 23. saith they cannot be vttered, quia sunt gemitus spiritus sancti, because they are the sighes of the spirit. 2. August. epist. 121. c. 15. saith they cannot be expressed, because we desire that we know not, so also Anselme, and the ordinarie gloss. that cannot be expressed, which we know not. 3. Lyranus referreth is to the vnspeakeable desire of the Angels concerning mans saluation. 4. some giuegive this sense, they are vnspeakeable, in respect of the obiect, because they are de re inenarrabili, of a thing not to be vttered, that is eternall life, Gorrhan. 5. Pererius vnderstandeth it of the vnspeakable worke of the spirit in the heart of man, which is such, as cannot be vttered. 6. Tolet thus, annot. 27. because the spirit after an vnspeakeable manner praieth for vsus with sighes, when we seeme to aske the contrarie: as when Ieremie and Iob complained and were impotent in their praiers, and in their heate and passion seemed to aske one thing, yet the inward intention, meaning, sighing, and groning of the heart obtained an other. 7. But we neede not goe farre for the meaning of these words: they hauehave relation to the greatnes of the troubles and afflictions of the Saints, which are such, as cannot be vttered and expressed by words, but onelyonly by inward sighes and grones, facit gemere plus, quàm dici possit, &c. the spirit causeth to sigh and grone more then can be expressed: gloss. ordinarie: when as the tongue verbum proferre nequit, cannot bring forth a word, but the heart sigheth within. Pareus.