Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 8 · Section 3 · Subsection 49 – Subsection 52
Quest. 49. Of the difference betweene the purpose or counsell of God, his preference and predestination.
Seeing the Apostle here mentioneth these three together, v. 29.30. it shall not be amisse briefely to shewe the difference betweene them.
1. The purpose of God, foreign, 1. hath other names beside in Scripture, as his determinate counsell, Act. 2.23. the good pleasure of his will, Ephes. 1.4. and the counsell of his owne will, Ephes. 1.11. 2. the purpose of God and his prouidence differ: for the one is generall concerning the gouernement and disposition of all things in the world, the other specially concerneth the state and condition of men: but more distinctly the purpose of God is taken three wayes: 1. generally it signifieth the counsell of God for the administration of all things in generall, as Ephes. 1.11. He maketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will: and in this sense the prouidence and generall purpose of God, are all one. 2. it is taken for the counsell of God in electing of some, and reiecting of others: as Rom. 9.11. That the purpose of God might remaine, where the Apostle speaketh of the election of Iacob, and the reiection of Esau. 3. it more specially signifieth the counsell of God touching the saluation of the elect: as it is taken here, v. 28. called of his purpose.
2. Concerning the prescience of God, foreign. 1. this difference there is betweene the knowledge of God and his prescience or foreknowledge: the knowledge of God is not onelyonly extended to the things which are, hauehave beene, or shall be, but euen vntounto the things which neuer were, neither shall be: but his prescience is onelyonly of those things which shall hauehave a beeing. 2. Gods prescience is taken two wayes, either for his generall foresight not onelyonly of those things which the Lord himselfe intendeth to doe, but euen of the euill, which be decreeth to suffer to be done: and thus as well the reprobate are foreseene of God, as the elect: in this sense the Apostle saith, Act. 15.18. From the beginning of the world to the end, the Lord knoweth all his workes: secondly, it signifieth, not the simple and absolute knowledge of God, but his liking and approbation of that which he knoweth, as 2. Tim. 2.19. The Lord knoweth who are his: and thus S. Paul vnderstandeth Gods prescience here, those which he knewe before he predestinate, v. 26. 3. out of this prescience and approbation of God proceedeth his election: that vponupon whom he casteth his louelove and affection, he electeth and selecteth them from the rest, whom he leaueth to themselues as S. Peter ioyneth them together, 1. Pet. 1.2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God.
3. Concerning predestination, called foreign. 1. it is taken either generally for the determination of God, touching the saluation of the elect, and the condemnation of the reprobate: as Fulgentius defineth predestination, est praeparatio operum Dei, &c. it is a preparation of the workes of God, which in his eternall counsell he decreed to doe to shewe his merciemercy or his iustice in: in this sense it is found in Scripture, Pareus: though there be other words equiualent, as some are said to be foreign, foreordained to damnation, Iud. 4. and the vessels of wrath are said to be prepared to destruction, Rom. 9.22. Gryneus. Or predestination is taken more specially for the decree and appointing of such as are elected vntounto euerlasting saluation: as Augustine defineth it to be praeparatio beneficiorum Dei, &c. The preparing of the benefits and mercies of God, whereby they are most certainly deliuered, that are deliuered: and the ordinarie glosse defineth predestination, to be praeparatio gratiae, a preparation and appointing of grace. 2. Predestination is not onelyonly of the ende, but of the meanes tending thereunto: as the elect are predestinate to be called, iustified, adopted in Christ, and to be in the ende glorified: as Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen vsus in him, &c. that we should be holy: and v. 5. he hath predestinate vsus to be adopted thorough Iesus Christ: but this part of predestination, which decreeth the meanes to bring the elect to salvation, is properly called ordination, as Act. 13.48. as many as were foreign, ordained to euerlasting life, beleeued: the meanes vntounto eternall life, which is faith, falleth vnderunder the ordinance of God.
4. Concerning election foreign. 1. Some thinke that it followeth predestination in order, in respect of vsus, for with God these is no distinction or time, and order in these things: as Bucanus loc. 36. quest. 3. but it rather goeth before as the Apostle first saith, Ephes. 4.1. 4. he chose or elected vsus in him, &c. that we should be holy, then he saith, v. 5. who predestinate vsus, &c. and v. 11. in whom also we were elected beeing predestinate: for first the persons are elected, and then the thing is decreed, which is predestinate vntounto the elect, namely, eternall life, with such things as doe accompanie it: By election then such as shall be saued are sorted out: which word the Apostle vseth, Ephes. 1.11. we were sorted out, foreign. 2. This then is the order: first, there is the purpose of God in generall to glorifie his name in sauing some. 2. then he foreseeth, liketh, and approoueth a certaine number according to his good pleasure, whom he chooseth out, electeth, and separateth from the rest; then he doth predestinate them vntounto euerlasting life, and ordaineth the way and meanes, whereby they are brought vntounto life.
Quest. 50. Of these words, v. 31. If God be on our side, who can be against vsus?
1. This word if, is not dubitantis, but ratiocinantis, a word of doubting, but of reasoning, inferred out of the premisses: as Augustin. serm. 16. de verbis Domini, hath reference here to the next verse before, whom God hath predestinated, called, iustified, glorified, with them he must needes be: Origen whom Pareus followeth putteth this backe to all before alleadged in this chapter: as that the spirit of God dwelleth in vsus, that we hauehave the spirit of adoption, and are the heires and sonnes of God, and so rehearseth the rest: if God be thus with vsus, how can we miscarrie: so also the ordinarie glosse following Augustine, God is with vsus, praedestinando non existentes, vocando aversos, mortificando peccatores, glorificando mortales, in predestinating vsus, when as yet we were not, in calling of vsus beeing strangers, mortifying vsus beeing sinners, in glorifiying of vsus beeing mortall.
2. Origen here also well obserueth, that where the Apostle saith, who can be against vsus? he denieth not, but that we hauehave many aduersaries, but they cannot preuaile against vsus: so also Chrysostome, contra nos est ipse orbis, the world is against vsus, people, tyrants, yea our owne kindred: but they are so farre from hurting vsus, that will, they nill they, causa sint nobis coronarum, they are vntounto vsus a cause of a greater crowne.
Chrysostome here further noteth the great priuiledge of the faithfull, quam non habere poterit, qui diademate conspicuus, which yet he cannot hauehave that weareth a crowne of his head: for he hath many that rise vp against him, barbarous and others, yea many of his owne rebellious subiects: but against the faithfull none can stand or preuaile.
Quest. 51. Of those words, v. 32. Which spared not his owne Sonne.
1. He spared not his owne Sonne: His onelyonly Sonne by eternall generation, not any of his adoptive sonnes: such as the faithfull are, whom the Apostle before called the sonnes of God by adoption, Origen: and this setteth forth the vnspeakable louelove of God, in that he spared not the most precious and dearest thing vntounto him, as Abrahams obedience was commended, in that he was willing at Gods commandement to hauehave offred vp in sacrifice his onelyonly sonne Izaak, Martyr.
2. And it is more to say, he spared not, then he gaue, to shewe the greatnesse of the louelove of God, that spared not his greatest treasure for our redemption, Bucer: as Mauritius the Emperour, would not spare his treasure to redeeme the Christians, captives with the Persians, which turned to his ruine.
3. But gaue or deliuered him: 1. God gaue his Sonne, and the Sonne also gaue himselfe for vsus, and both of louelove: Iudas also deliuered him vp in betraying him, but of malice: habebit ille mercedem malitiae, Christus laudem gratiae, he shall hauehave the reward of his malice, and Christ the praise of merciemercy, gloss. ordinar. 2. and this setteth forth the louelove of God the more quod non simpliciter, sed occisioni tradidit, that God gaue not his Sonne simply, but vntounto slaughter, Chrysost. 3. and he gaue him for vsus all, non solum pro sanctis & maguis, sed & pro minimis, &c. not onelyonly for the Saints and great ones, but euen for the lest, Origen: etiam pro vilibus, ingratis, quin & inimicis, yea for vile persons, vnthankefull, yea his enemies, Chrysost. but the Apostle putteth in this limitation, for vsus all, that is which beleeue: Christs redemption is sufficient mille mundis redimendis, to redeeme a thousand worlds, if they had grace to beleeue, but it is onelyonly availeable for the faithfull: Pareus: as Origen saith he was giuen, pro minimis qui sunt in ecclesia, euen for the lest that are in the Church.
4. How shall he not with him giuegive vsus all things. 1. the word is foreign, freely giuegive, which sheweth that all things are giuen vsus freely of God, without any merit or desert of ours, Pareus. 2. all things are giuen vsus with Christ, both because in him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge, so that he which hath Christ, hath all other spirituall graces, he that hath Christ hath all things: as also because Christ is made heire and Lord of all, we together with him are also heires of all things, Origen: quid de opibus dubitas, cum herum habeas, what needest thou doubt of riches hauing the master and Lord himselfe, Chrysost. all things superior a ad fruendum, equalia in futuro ad conviuendum, inferiora ad dominandū, both things superiour, as the Blessed Trinitie to behold, and enioy things equall, as the Angels to liue with, and inferiour, to hauehave rule ouer them, gloss. ordin. in the present righteousnesse, and in the time to come life euerlasting, gloss. interl. 3. and as Christ with all his treasures and graces, is giuen vntounto vsus, so we are giuen to him: as the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 3.22. Things present, things to come, are all yours, and ye Christs: but here is the difference, Christ is giuen vntounto vsus freely without any merit of ours, but we are not giuen vntounto Christ freely, he hath purchased vsus with his blood.
Quest. 52. How nothing can be laid to the charge of the elect.
1. Lyranus referreth this to the finall iudgement, when none shall dare to say any thing to the charge of Gods chosen, but the consolation is more generall, euen in this life is the comfort of Gods children, that no accusation laid in against them, can doe them hurt: though Sathan accuse them, the lawe condemne them, yet God is greater, that doth iustifie them.
2. Augustine lib. 3. de doctrin. Christian. c. 3. whom Haymo followeth, doth reade all with an interogation: Who can lay any thing to the charge, &c. God which iustifieth? and then the answear must be supplyed, no: so also the next clause, who shall condemne? shall Christ? but the better reading is in both clauses onelyonly to read the first part interrogatiuely, and then the answear followeth containing the reason, why none can accuse the Lords elect, because God doth iustifie them, nor any can condemne them, because Christ died for them, so Chrysostome and Hilarie lib. 10. de Trinitat.
3. Two reasons are giuen why no accusation can take place against the elect: because they are elected, and so Gods purpose cannot alter, or change toward them: and Christs redemption is sufficient to deliuer them: which is set forth in fowre degrees: he died for the expiation of our sinnes, rose againe for our righteousnes, is ascended and sitteth at the right hand of God, from whence he sent his spirit, and he maketh intercession for vsus, whereby his merits are effectually applyed vntounto vsus.
4. But Origen giueth here a corrupt glosse vponupon this word elect, nisi electus fueris, nisi… omnibus te probabilem exhibueris, &c. vnlesse thou be an elect and choise one, and approoue thy selfe in all things, thou shalt hauehave thine accuser: and Chrysostome likewise interpreteth this election of the present state of integritie, which euerie one is found in; and he vseth this similitude, like as a breaker of horse, pullos eligit, &c. maketh choise of the best colts which he seeth to be meetest and fittest to runne, so God maketh choice of soules: true it is, that God electeth none, but holinesse and integritie of life doth follow and accompanie them: yet is it not their owne integritie, but the righteousnesse of Christ, which doth free them from accusation in this world, and from condemnation in the next, as the Apostle sheweth, v. 34. that none can condemne vsus, seeing Christ hath died for vsus.