Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 1 · Section 3 · Subsection 73 – Subsection 77
Quest. 73. Of the particular sinnes of the Gentiles here … rehearsed by the Apostle.
1. First is set downe the generall to all the particulars following foreign, vnrighteousnes, which is foreign, the transgression of the Lawe, 1. Ioh. 3.4. some interpret it, full omni peccati, of all sinne, Gorrham. but that is too generall, it signifieth rather all such iniustice, quod coniungitur cum iuiuria proximi, which is ioyned with the wrong of our neighbour, Calvin: some thus distinguish betweene iniquitie and sinne, the first is referred to the euilnes of the minde, the other to the outward execution in the bodie.
2. The first speciall sinne is foreign, fornication: the vulgar Latine placeth next, foreign, malitia, malitiousnesse, and so Beza following his auncient Greeke copie: and he thinketh it to be another generall word comprehending all the particulars following: But the most Greeke copies, and the Syrian translation, make it the fourth particular sinne, next to couetousnesse, to Vatab. Mart. Gryneus, Geneuens. Gualter, with others: the Greeke word foreign, is deriued of foreign, perneo, to sell, because such doe make sale of their bodies and prostitute them for gaine, Gryneus: the Latine word fornicatio, fornication, is deriued a fornicibus, of the vaulted houses where such strumpets vsed to prostitute themselues, Haymo. By fornication is vnderstood, omnis vsus praeter legitimum connubium, any carnall vse beside lawfull mariage, gloss. interlin. all vncleannesse and impuritie of the bodie, Calvin. And for two reasons, is this one kind named rather then adulterie: 1. quia ex leuiori granius evincitur, &c. because by the lesse sinne the greater is conuinced, Ambrose: if fornication be a sinne, adulterie is much more, Martyr. 2. And because fornication was held to be no offence among the Gentiles, therefore the Apostle especially nameth it: for euen Solon, which was counted one of the wisest men among the Grecians, did vse to buy harlots for the yong men: and among the Carthaginians it was a common vse, for the virgins before their mariage, to prostitute themselues publikely in the Temple of Venus, that they might bring a dowrie with them by that filthy lucre, home to their husbands, Gualter.
3. foreign, wickednes, studium improbo agendi, a studie or desire to doe mischiefe, Pareus: the Syrian translatour readeth amaritudinem, bitternes: some versutiam, craft or subtiltie, Vatab. which is interpreted to be a setled purpose or endeauour to doe hurt, Gennad, ex Oecumenio. Beza his coniecture is, that this word foreign, came into the text, because of the neere affinitie that it hath with foreign, for his auncient copie hath it not: But I preferre herein Piscators coniecture, that thinketh the Apostle of purpose put these words together, that had some allusion the one to the other: as foreign.
4. foreign, couetousnesse, which is the desire of hauing much, though it be with wrong vntounto others: and so is the word deriued of foreign, hauing much, Mart. some referre it not onelyonly to the desire of wealth, but of carnall pleasure, Haymo. but this was touched before vnderunder the word fornication: the Romanes know by wofull experience what a mischiefe couetousnesse brought with it, for this was the cause of the warres betweene Caesar and Pompey, and betweene Augustus, Lepidus, and Antonie: Gualter. it comprehendeth, omnes, furti & imposturae species, all the kinds of theft and other impostures, Bucer. which are transgressions against the 8. precept.
5. foreign nequitia, malitiousnesse, it somtime is taken generally, as it is opposed vntounto vertue: but here it rather signifieth, inclinationem ad deteriora, a generall inclination vntounto … Tolet. some take it for the sinne of spirituall slouth, when one is wearie of well doing, Mart. But I preferre the former sense, that thereby is signified a generall inclination to euill: and especially ad luxum & libidinem, to excesse, riot, and wantonesse, Erasm. as they which are giuen to drunkennesse, are vsed to blasphemie, rayling, fithie communication, and such like, Gualter.
6. Full of foreign, envie: the Apostle changeth here his forme of speach, both because of the elegance of the Greeke tongue, and for that these sinnes following are speciall transgressions against our neighbour: envie hath a double passion: for an envious man would not hauehave an other to be that which he is, seeing another in better case then himselfe, it grieueth him that he is not so to: this difference there is betweene envie and zeale, that is taken alwaies in the worst part, so is not the other, for there may be both a good, and bad zeale, Haymo: and commonly men doe enuie those whom they cannot otherwise hurt, for if they could, they would soone take them out of the way, Bucer.
7. foreign, murther is the next, which is set next after enuie, as the mother thereof: for Caine first hated and envied Abel before he killed him, Mart. the Latine interpretet readeth in the plurall, murthers, because there are two kinds of murther, one in will and purpose, the other in act: but in the original the word is put in the singular, yet thereby al kinds of murther are vnderstood: which is committed diuerse wayes. 1. in heart, euerie one, that hateth his brother is a manslayer, 1. Ioh. 3. 2. in giuing counsell or vsing perswasion, so the Iewes are said to hauehave killed Christ, Iames. 5.6. 3. by writing, as Dauid killed Vriah. 4. by striking with the hand, as Ioab killed Abner. 5. by taking away necessarie things, such as the life should be maintained with: as he which withholdeth the poore mans couering wherein he should sleepe: Exod. 22.27. 6. by not shewing merciemercy in releeuing, as the rich glutton refused to giuegive the crummes to poore Lazarus. 7. in not rescuing and deliuering such as are vniustly oppressed: as the wise man saith, deliuer them that are drawne to death, Prouerb. 24.11. Gorrham. yet all kind of killing is not here vnderstood, vnlesse it proceede of a corrupt affection, either of reuenge, or a desire of gaine: that putting to death which proceedeth of the execution of iustice, is no sinne, Bucer.
8. foreign, contention, which is set next after murther, because it followeth vponupon murther, Mart. contention, Basil describeth thus, which for vaine glorie sake, facit vt alij similiter faciant, procureth others to doe the like, re. bre. 66. Haymo thus, vbi non ratione aliquid, &c. when any thing is not defended and maintained with reason, but with a pertinacie of minde: gloss. ordinar. thus, est impugantio veritatis, it is an impugning of the truth by clamorous contention: against the which the Apostle speaketh, 1. Cor. 11.12. if any man lust to be contentious, we hauehave no such custome, nor the Church of God.
9. foreign, deceit: some take it for that speciall kind of deceit, which men vse in vndermining anothers life, that whom they cannot ouercome by strength, they supplant by treacherie, as Ioab did Abner, Mart. Basil defineth it exquisita diligentia ad insidiandum, a most exquisite diligence to lie in wait: But here it is taken generally for all kind of dissimulation and deceit: Calv. cum aliud simulatur, aliud agitur, when one thing is dissembled, another thing done, gloss. interlin. Haymo maketh this difference, betweene dolus, insidiae, frans, deceit, which is in the minde, lying in wait, which is in act, and craft, which is in the deceiuing of mutuall faith.
10. foreign, churlishnesse, morositie: Basil defineth it to be latens in moribus vitium, a sinne lurking in mens manners: Theophylact taketh it to be a kind of dissimulation: some take it for vnthankefulnesse, gloss. Hugo. but it rather signifieth morositie, churlish behauiour: which Aristotle taketh to be a vice in construing all in the worse part, so Beza, Gry…, Gualt. Plutarke did taxe Herodotus for this, writing a booke of the morositie of Herodotus: these fiue last rehearsed are offences against the sixt precept, for they practise against the life and health of our neighbour, either secretly, as by enuie, fraud, or openly, in murther, contention, or both wayes, as in malignitie, or morositie, Fareus.
11. The next is foreign, a whisperer, such an one as secretly practiseth by carying of tales to dissolue friendship, and sowe enmitie, and thinketh by such meanes to insinuate himselfe: such the wiseman speaketh of, c. 6.20. without wood the fire is quenched, and without a talebarer strife ceaseth: whisperers are enter amicos discordias seminantes, such as sowe dissention among friends, gloss. interlin.
12. foreign, a backebiter: he differeth from a whisperer, 1. in that he speaketh euill openly of an other, the whisperer doth it priuilie, Theophyl. 2. nullius fa…ae parcunt, they spare no mans fame, but the other specially intendeth, to set strife betweene friends, Calv. 3. they differ in the end, the detractor or backebiter intendeth to separate friendship, the oher to hinder ones fame.
13. foreign, is a hater of God, which some take both actiuely and passiuely, as Theophylact: for such, as both doe hate God, and are haters of God: some take it passiuely, for such as are hated of God, as the Latine interpreter, and in this sense they thinke there is a relation to the former sinnes, of whispering and backebiting, that euen for such sinnes they may incurre damnation, and be hated of God: But Oecumenius saith well, that it is not the Apostles purpose, to shewe who were hated of God, but to set downe the sinnes of the Gentiles: whereof this was one, that there were among them enemies to all religion, plaine atheists, that had no list, to thinke, heare, or speake of God, Mart.
14. foreign, one that is contumelious or iniurious: Lyranus taketh it for one that is contumelious in words: so also Occumenius interpreteth them to be convitiatores, raylers: but it is rather an iniurie offered both in word and deede: and that in a petulant and insolent manner: sedet in fronte, corde, & manu, this sinne of contumelie it hath the seate both in the heart, countenance, and in the hand, Pareus: it is that sinne, quae homines paruifacit, which maketh no account of any: such were they which both reboked the Apostles and scourged them, Act. 4. Haymo: and such were the people of the old world, full of crueltie, Gen. 6.11. Eucer.
15. foreign, he is the proud man, that preferreth himselfe before another in honour, riches, and such like, as Chrysostome saith, that superbia in animo est idem, quod in corpore tumor, pride in the minde, is the same, that a swelling is in the bodie, Gryneus.
16. foreign, a boaster, a vaine glorious man, that boasteth of that which he hath not: Theophylact thinketh that the first is pride against God, the other against men: But the true difference is, that the proud man boasteth of such things as he hath, the boaster, of that which he hath not, Oecume, such was that vaine glorious Thraso in Terence, Pareus: this difference there is betweene foreign. and foreign, the first oftentat quod non est, boasteth of that which he hath not, the other dissimulat quod est, dissembleth, and hideth that which is, and indeede he hath, Erasm.
17. foreign, an inventor of euill things: such as were not content with the old knowne sinnes, but still invented newe: which sheweth, that they sinned not of ignorance but of malice, Chrysost. Thophylact. these were of two sorts, for either nothing could be so well said, or done, but they would find some fault with it, or els they would finde out some new deuises themselues, tending either to mischiefe, or filthie pleasure, or such like. As Tiberius the Emperor did promise great rewards to such as could find out newe Venereans and carnall pleasures, Gual. such also were Phaleris, and Sardanapalus, that made great promises to such as inuented strange torments, or new pleasures, Bacer. in this number may be reckoned such as found out newe impostures, in vsurie, trafficke, and in lawe suites, Marlorat. And Basil thus in generall describeth them, qui praeter vsitata mala, alia excogitant, &c. which beside the vsuall euills, doe deuise others, reg. brev. resp. 78.
18. Disobedient foreign, to parents: for they which obey not God their heauenly father, it is no maruell if they are disobedient to their earthly Parents, Haymo. Aristolte sheweth that children receiue three benefits by their parents, causam essendi generando, causam vivendi educando, & causam discendi informando, they are the cause of their beeing by generation, the cause of their liuing by education, the cause of their learning by instruction, Gryneus: this is vnderstood not onelyonly of naturall, but of spirituall parents also, and of others in authortie, gloss. interlin. men are bound vntounto their naturall parents, because they hauehave from them their esse & nutrimentum, their beeing and nourishment, vntounto their spirituall, because they hauehave of them their regimen & documenta, gouernment and instruction, Lyran. & here by the lesse sinne of disobedience, are vnderstood all other wrongs offred to parents, as in striking, and killing of them: which sinnes were common among the heathen, as may appeare by so many lawes of the Gentiles made against parricide: Gualter. And euen in these dayes this sinne of disobedience to parents, is too common: for children growe stubborne, and will not be ruled by their parents, yea and they will presume to marrie without their parents consent, Osiander.
19. Without vnderstanding, foreign: Lyran. Gorrham doe referre this vntounto the next sinne before going: that herein they are vnwise, because they doe not giuegive eare vntounto their parents: but it is more generall: they are such as are not guided by reason, but are voide of all iudgement in their actions, beeing carried away with their preposterous and precipitate affections: such were Pharaoh, Saul, with others, that ranne headlong into their owne destruction: such were Catiline among the Romanes, and of late one Thomas Monerarius, that tooke armes with a purpose to destroy all Princes, and that vile person of Munster, that made himselfe king of the Temple of God, Marlorat. And generally by the vnwise, we vnderstand such as are voide of all iudgement, both in diuine and humane things, Par.
20. Couenant breakers, foreign, some reade incompositos, Lat. Lyran. Gorrh. Tolet. vnderstanding such as are vnciuill, and rude in their manners and behauiour: Haymo calleth them lasciuious and inordinate persons: But Theophylact, so Erasmus also and Beza take them better for such as would not stand vntounto their couenants and leagues: such an one was Lysander among the Lacedemonians, whose saying was, that children should be deceiued with check stones, and men with oaths, Gualter. The Olynthians were noted for breaking their truce and league with Philip king of Macedonia, Libanius argument. 1. Olynthias. The Carthaginians were common breakers and violaters of their saith: vntounto these may be adioyned all such as denie such things, as are committed to their trust, or doe wast and consume them, or any other, which deceiue that trust, which is reposed in them, Bucor.
21. Without naturall affection, foreign, some take it generally for such as are without all louelove or humanitie, Lat. Tolet. Lyran. as therefore the tribe of Dan did smite Lachis, because they had no societie with any other people, Gorham. But specially is here signified the naturall affection, as betweene parents and their children, husband and wife, kinred, countrey: the heathen were voide cuen of such naturall affection, Mart. Beza: as their stories are full of such examples of vnnaturall inhumanitie, as Cambyses, Remus, Romulus, and such like, Gualter, such was Cain, Ismael, Esau, to their brethren: The Stoicks among the heathen depriued a wise man of all affection, and so doe the wicked Catabaptists among Christians, Bucer.
22. Such as can neuer be reconciled: foreign, some reade abs que faedere, without fidelitie, Lat. such as breake all truces and leagues: but they were noted before trucebreakers: Lyranus taketh them to be such as would hold no friendship with any, but such men were also spoken of before, loc. 10. they are therefore such as were implurable: that beeing once offended, would neuer be reconciled againe, Mart. Pareus, with others: such was Saul that would by no meanes be appeased toward Dauid, Marlorat.
23. Mercilesse, foreign, such as had no bowels of compassion, neither pitied the miseries and calamities of others: as among the heathen, their cruell warres, and bloodshed, when they spared neither man, woman, nor children, and their bloody spectacles and swordplayes, when they delighted to see the blood of man shed before their face, were euident proofes hereof, Gualter: Chrysostome thus distinguisheth these last fowre: they are coneuant breakers that keepe no fidelitie with the same kind, as man with man: they are without naturall affection, which are vnkind to their kindred: and such are foreign, which breake ciuill leagues: and the last includeth merciemercy to be shewed euen vntounto enemies.
Quest. 74. Of the true reading of the last verse, v. 31. and the meaning thereof.
1. The vulgar Latine, which Lyranus followeth and Tolet, the Rhemists with other Romanists, reade thus, when they knewe the iustice of God, vnderstood not, that they which doe such things, are worthie of death, &c. and this reading seemeth also Cyprian to followe, epistol. 68. But in the originall these words, non intellexerunt, they vnderstood not, are wanting, and are inserted beside the text: and they doe also quite inuert the sense of the text, for they make it a lesse thing to consent vntounto euill doers, and approoue them, then to commit euill: not onelyonly they which doe them, but also they which consent vntounto them, as the vulgar Latine text standeth: whereas the Apostle euidētly maketh two degrees of sinners: they which commit euill, and those worse, which are patrons and fauourers of euill. And so Chrysostome well expoundeth: shewing how the Apostle, taketh away two pretexts and excuses of the Gentiles: one was their ignorance, which they could not pretend, because they knewe by nature what the iustice of God required: the other was their infirmitie, but that they could not alleadge, seeing they did commit such things in fact: but approoued also and commended the euill doers.
2. By the iustice of God, foreign, is here vnderstood not the morall lawe which the Gentiles had not, but the iudiciarie iustice of God in punishing of sinne: for so foreign is defined, iniusti facti corectio, a correcting of that which is vniustly or vnlawfully done: Michael Ephesus in ethic. Aristot. lib. 5. c. 7. The Gentiles knewe this iustice of God in punishing of sinne, both by the light of nature, by the testimonie of their owne conscience, and by the examples of Gods iustice shewed in the world: Pareus: Euen Draco, which appointed death for all offences, was taught by the law of nature, that all sinne deserued death. Mart. So Abimelech and Pharaoh knew by the light of nature, that mariage was not to be violated, and therefore they caused Sarah to be restored to Abraham. Gualter.
3. By death here is vnderstood any kind of punishment, tending to the ruine and destruction of the offender, Pareus: yea also the Gentiles had some knowledge of euerlasting punishment: for they had an opinion of hell, as Virgil sheweth, lib. 6. Aenead. as they promised the pleasant Elysian fields after death vntounto well doers: Plato. lib. 10. de repub. Cicero. in som. Scipton.
75. Quest. What a dangerous thing it is to be a fauourer and procurer of sinne in others.
1. The vulgar Latine, reading thus, not onelyonly they which doe such things (are worthie of death) but they which consent vntounto them that doe, and Lyranus, Toletus, with others, doe thinke, that here to consent with sinners, is put as the lesse: that no not the consenters onelyonly were free, but were worthie of death: But it is rather expressed as an higher degree of sinne: as Theophylact saith, quod que deterius est, and that which is worse, they gaue assent vntounto those which doe euill: so also Erasmus, Osiander, Pererius, with others.
2. The word foreign, signifieth not an assent onelyonly, but an approbation, and patronage, as Beza and Pareus read, patrocinantur, they giuegive patronage: but Piscator rather vseth the word applaudunt, because to applaud and approoue, is more then patronize: for one may be a patron of that vponupon some occasion, which he doth not altogether approoue.
3. The heathen generally were guiltie hereof, in defending and maintaining publikely euen those things, which by the light of nature, they knew to be euill: as idolatrie, fornication, and such like: when Alexander had killed Clitus his friend, and was striken in conscience for the same, he had miserable comforters applied vntounto him, Anaxarchus, Aristander, Callisthenes, which were all but patrons of his sinne, and made him worse: the first as an Epicure told him, that all was lawfull which Princes did: the second beeing a Stoike, referred all to fate and destinie: the third vsed morall and ciuill perswasions: but none of them shewed him the greatnes of his sinne. Gryneus.
4. Of these fauourers there are two kinds: some doe affoard their helpe, and assistance to euill doers: some, hold their peace, when they should reprooue. And there is a double kind of reproofe or correction: fraterna correctio, brotherly correction, vntounto the which all are bound, but not alwaies, sed pro debito tempore & loco, but in due time and place: there is correctio punitionis, correction by way of punishment, vntounto the which all superiours are bound, and at all times, as they shall see it to make best for the amendment of sinners. Lyr. But both these kind of corrections were much neglected among the heathen.
5. Now, of these there were three sorts, some might commit sinne in themselues, and yet not consent vntounto it in others, and these were worthie of death: some might giuegive consent, in not punishing sinne in others, though they did it not themselues, and these also were worthie of death: and some did both practise it in their owne person, and fauour it in others; and these were worthie of double death. Haymo.
76. Quest. How one may be accessarie to an others sinne.
This may be done diuers waies: 1. they which command others to doe euill, as Saul bid Doeg fall vponupon the innocent Priests, 1. Sam. 22. are guiltie of others sinnes. 2. They which are readie to obey such wicked commandements, as Ioab vponupon Dauids letter caused Vriah to be killed: and the same Ioab also was Dauids instrument to number the people, though be misliked it himselfe. 3. They which giuegive counsell, or any kind of helpe or assistance to the euill: for which cause Iehosaphat was reprooued of the Prophet Iehu, because he aided the idolatrous king of Israel in battell: and here they also are included, which doe promote vnworthie and vnmeete persons to office: and therefore S. Paul chargeth Timothie to lay hands suddenly on none, neither to be partaker of other sinnes, 1. Tim. 5.4. They which commend the wicked in their euill doing, and so extenuate their sinne: as Psal. 10.5. the wicked man is said to blesse the couetous. 5. They which by any signe in word or deede seeme to giuegive consent vntounto the sinnes of others, as Saul kept their garments which stoned Steuen, and to gaue consent vntounto his death. 6. They which are partakers with others in their sinne, and part stakes with them: as Psal. 50.18. When thou seest a theese thou runnest with him, and art paraker with the adulterer. 7. They which doe not rebuke and correct others, when it is in their power: which was the sinne of Hell, who vsed too much connivence and forbearance toward his sonnes, 1. Sam. 2.8. They which giuegive intertainement vntounto the wicked, as vntounto theeues, robbers, strumpets, and such like. 9. Such as conceale and keepe secret others sinnes, whereby their heart is hardened, and so they continue in their sinne, Hyper.
Quest. 77. Whether all the Gentiles were guiltie of these sinnes which are here rehearsed by the Apostle.
Many among the Gentiles in respect of the rest, were men of ciuill life, and gaue example of diuerse morall vertues: such among the Grecians were Aristides, Phacion, Socrates, among the Romanes, the Scipioes, Catoes, with others: But yet none of them are exempted out of the Apostles reprehension: 1. because none of them were free from the most of these sinnes, though they were not guiltie of all. 2. they wanted true faith, and therefore their vertues were but speciosa peccata, goodly sinnes. 3. And in respect of their naturall corrup… disposition, euen the best of them were enclined vntounto all these sinnes, sauing that the Lord bridled in some of them the corruption and badnesse of their nature, that there might be some order and gouernement among the heathen: otherwise their common wealths would soone hauehave come to confusion. 4. And those which gaue any good example among the heathen, were so fewe, that they are not to be named among the rest, Peter Martyr.