Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 3 · Subsection 10
Quest. 10. How God is said to send the spirit of slumber, to giuegive eares not to heare, &c.
1. Their opinion here is refelled, that will hauehave God no wayes the cause of hardening the heart, which is Pighius assertion, as he is here confuted at large by Pet. Martyr, who in this manner obiected. 1. that place of the Prophet Isay is a prediction, therefore not the cause of hardening. Answ. It followeth not: for euen that word which Isay preached, did provoke the Iewes, and they were thereby further hardened: and though euerie prediction be not a cause of that which is to come, yet such predictions, as foretell of such things as the Lord himselfe will worke, as here the Prophet speaketh of the hardening of the heart, doe not onelyonly shewe the thing but expresse the cause also.
2. Ob. Nemo cogitur ad peccandum, but no man is compelled to sinne. Ans. We must here distinguish between violentia & necessitas, violence and necessitie: true it is, that God forceth and compelleth none to sinne, yet they cannot otherwise chuse but sinne, by reason of the corruption of nature, to the which man hath enthralled himselfe: in respect whereof it is impossible that man should beleeue of himselfe, without the worke of the spirit: as it is said, Ioh. 12.39. they could not beleeue, &c.
3. Obiect. Pighius saith, that by impossibile, here we are to vnderstand difficile, that which is hard to be done: not that it was simply impossible that they should beleeue, but it was an hard matter for them so to doe. Answer. Neither doe we say that simply it is impossible in respect of the absolute power of God, but ex hypothesi, by way of supposition, the blindnes and obstinacie of mans heart, beeing presupposed: and to say that a man may beleeue of himselfe, though hardly, is the euasion of the old Pelagians: for of himselfe, not onelyonly hardly, but not at all can a man beleeue; as our Sauiour saith, Without me ye can doe nothing, Ioh. 15.5.
4. Obiect. Whereas that place by vsus is vrged, Mark. 4.11. To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome, but to them, &c. all things are done in parables, that they seeing may see, and not discerne, &c. to shewe, that God hath an hand and worke in blinding of the eyes of the obstinate; Pighius will hauehave this word (that) to shewe not the finall, but efficient cause, because they were blind, therefore Christ spake in parables: they were not therefore blinded the more, because he spake in parables.
Answ. 1. Their blindnes was not the cause of Christs speaking in parables; for that had beene a reason rather, why Christ would hauehave spoken more plainly vntounto them, but because they were wilfully blind, he therefore spake in parables, that they might continue in their blindnes still. 2. these words that, because, doe not alwaies shewe the cause of a thing, sed causam notitiae, but the cause of the knowledge or manifestation of a thing, which is by the effect; as Luk. 7.47. our Blessed Saviour saith of the woman, many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much: by the effect of her great louelove, he doth demonstrate the cause, the forgiuenesse of her sinnes: so here Christ sheweth the cause of his preaching in parables, by the effect, the hardening of their heart, and blinding of their eyes. 4. and like hereunto is that place, where the Lord saith concerning Pharaoh, For this cause hauehave I raised thee vp, that I might shewe my power in thee, Rom. 9.17. that was the ende of the raising vp Pharaoh, that God might get himselfe honour in his confusion: as this was the ende of Christs preaching in parables, that the Iewes might be confirmed in their obstinacie, and hardnesse of heart.
5. Obiect. Whereas we also vrge that place of Isay, 6.9. Make the heart of this people fat, shut their eyes, &c. Pighius replyeth that God biddeth it to be done, he is not said to doe it: and in that he saith, shut their eyes, it is thus much in effect, praedica excaecandos, preach that their eyes shall be blinded, &c.
Ans. 1. That which the Lord biddeth to be done, is held to be done by the Lord himselfe, beeing done by his commandement. 2. and it is a very strange construction, shut their eyes, that is, prophesie or preach, that their eyes should be shut vp: but thereby is signified, that by the word which he preached, they should be occasioned to stumble, and their eyes should dazle at it; as bleare eyes at the brightnes of the Sunne. 3. and that God is the cause of their hardening, aad blinding, is euidently expressed, Ioh. 12.40. he hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts.
6. Obiect. To this Pighius againe replieth; that man in himselfe is the cause of his hardening and blindnes, yet the Scripture so speaketh, as though God blinded their eyes; and yet he doth not: as when they which hauehave tender eyes, and are made more blind by looking vponupon the Sunne, who will say that the Sunne-beames are the cause of blindnes, the fault is in the eyes. And both S. Matthew, c. 13.10. and S. Luke, Act. 28.27. doe otherwise cite that place, Isa. 6.9. the heart of this people is waxed fat, making no mention at all of God to be the cause or worker of it.
Ans. 1. Doth the Scripture so say, that God blindeth the eyes, and is it not so? this were to make the Scripture to speake one thing, and to meane an other. 2. that similitude maketh directly against him: for though the first and principall fault be in the eyes, yet accidentally the brightnes of the Sinne doth increase the blindnes of the eyes: and so God in his iustice more hardeneth the hearts of the obstinate, which they first hardened by their owne peruersnes and vnbeleefe. 3. S. Matthew indeede and S. Luke doe in that manner cite that text, therein following the reading of the Septuagint: whereof diuers reasons are yeilded. 1. some thinke, that the Iewes falsified the Scriptures, and therefore the Septuagint, which translated them, before they were corrupted, were rather followed: but Origen vponupon that place, Isa. 6. refuseth this conceit, because it is not like, that our Sauiour and the Apostles would hauehave left that fault vntouched, if the Iewes had falsified the Scriptures. 2. Hierome in his Commentarie also vponupon that place, reporteth an other opinion of certaine Ecclesiasticall writers, who thought, that Saint Luke, because he was more skilfull in the Greeke tongue, did rather follow the Septuagint: but this reason is not sufficient for Saint Matthew, though it might seeme probable for the other. 3. some thought, that the Septuagint did so translate, that they might decline that blasphemie, (as they thought) to make God the author of the hardenesse of the heart: but Hierome taketh away this, because in other places the Septuagint are not afraide so to translate, as God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. 4. Wherefore the Septuagint in their translation tooke that libertie, not alwayes to render the words, but the sense, and the Apostles followe them, because their interpretation was then receiued and well knowne, and so it would hauehave giuen offence to the Gentiles, if it had beene refused: and though neither S. Matthew, nor S. Luke doe directly make God the author, yet it is sufficient that S. Iohn in his Gospell so alleadgeth that place: which small difference betweene them teacheth vsus, that we should compare one Scripture with an other, and interpret one by an other: and thus much (if not too much) of their opinion, that would vtterly exclude God, from beeing any cause at all of the hardening of the heart.
2. A second opinion is of them, which ascribe somewhat vntounto God herein, but not much: as Chrysostome saith, that this word, he gaue, non operationem Dei, sed concessionem significat, doth not signifie an operation of God, but a concession onelyonly: so Theophylact, he gaue, that is, permisit, he suffered them to be hardened: likewise the enterlin. gloss. he gaue them the spirit of compunction, that is, permisit habere, he permitted them to hauehave, &c. But to doe a thing, is more then to suffer: and it is a violent interpretation, to giuegive, that is, to suffer to be giuen: beside, he that suffreth a thing to be done which is in his power to hinder, is accessarie to the doing of it: so that in allowing vntounto God permission onelyonly, they either will make God an idle beholder, and no doer, or they will make him accessarie and consenting an euill: Origen much better answeareth this question, how it may be said de bono Deo, of the good God, that he should giuegive Israel, eyes not to see, and eares not to heare: vide ne haec …igis sit retributio & merces incredulitatis: see (saith he) if this be not rather a reward of their incredulitie: so hardnes of heart, as it is a punishment may well proceed from God, not as a sufferer and permitter onelyonly, but as an agent and doer.
3. Some, as these doe extenuate the power of to God too much, and so doe ascribe too much vntounto God, in making him the principall cause of hardening of mens hearts, which must needes followe as the fruits and effects of their reprobation, which God absolutely decreed, without any respect vntounto their works: True it is, that they which hold the absolute decree of reprobation, must needs make God a proper and principall cause of the hardening of the heart, seeing their reprobation is the beginning and originall of their rebellion, obstinacie, and forsaking of God: but that God reiecteth none, but for sinne, nor decreeth none to be damned, without relation to their sinne, is before at large handled: c. 9. contr. 10. whether I referre the reader: at this time, that place of the Prophet, perditio tua ex te Israel, …y perdition is of thy selfe, O Israel, onelyonly may suffice to cleare God, from beeing either the proper, or principall cause of hardnesse of heart.
4. Others doe discharge God altogether, and make the deuill only the author and cause of the blindnesse of the heart, according to that saying,Whom the Apostle meaneth by the God of this world, 2. Cor. 4.4. 2. Cor. 4.4. in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds: this place was much vrged both by the Arrians, who would prooue by this place, that Christ is no other wise God, then as this name is giuen vntounto creatures in Scripture, as here vntounto the devill; as also by the Manichees, who held that there were two beginnings, and two Princes or Gods, one of good the other of evill.
Hereupon some of the fathers, to take away all aduantage from these heretikes, as Hilarie, Augustine, Chrysost. Ambrose, did expound this place of the true God, making this the sense, in whome God hath blinded the minds, that is, of the infidels of this world. But 1. here the words are euidently transposed: for in the originall, thus the words stand, the God of this world. 2. And the Arrians with the Manichees may be otherwise answeared, then by declining the right sense of this place: for though Sathan be here vnderstood, he is not said simply to be God, but with an addition, God of the world, whereas Christ is simply called God, Rom. 9.5. Who is God ouer all, blessed for euer: and so are the Arrians answeared: And to the Manichees we say, that the deuill is called the God and Prince of the world, not as though the kingdome were deuided with him, but we graunt, that a principalitie is committed vntounto him, yet as Gods Minister, that he can goe no further, then the Lord permitteth: and therefore he is called, the euill spirit of the Lord, which came vponupon Saul, 1. Sam. 16.14. because the Lord vseth him as his messenger, and minister of his iudgements. Yet this place beeing vnderstood of Sathan, maketh not him the onelyonly cause of the blindnes and hardnes of heart, though he be a principall doer in it: for here the Apostle saith, that God gaue them the spirit of slumber.
5. Nor yet is man onelyonly the cause of his owne hardening and blindnesse, as the ordinar. gloss. saith, exc…ati sunt, quia nolucrunt credere, they were blinded because they would not beleeue: for their blindnesse was the cause of their vnbeleefe, as the Apostle here sheweth, that the Iewes beleeued not, because they were blinded, Mart. and Gorrhan here distinguisheth well, that there are two kinds of cecitie or blindnes: there is caecitas culpa & poenae, a blindnes which is a fault, and a blindnes which is a punishment: the first is the cause of infidelitie, and infidelitie causeth the second: that is, a man is first blind, which is the cause he beleeueth not, and then as a reward of their infidelitie, they are more blinded still: wherefore though the corruption of mans heart be a cause of his owne blindnes and hardnesse of heart, yet there is some other cause beside.
6. Wherefore to the hardening and blinding of the heart, these three concurre, mans owne corruption, as the first and nearest cause, Sathan as the instigator and temper, God as a iust Iudge: the Scripture maketh all these the causes: God is said to harden Pharaohs heart: and Sathan also blindeth the minds of the infidels, 2. Cor. 4.4. and Pharaoh hardened his owne heart, Exod. 9.34. the corruption of mans heart is as the coale, that sendeth forth sparkes, Iob. 5.7. the deuill bloweth and stirreth the coales, and kindleth the fire: God he smiteth as it were on the anvile, and frameth and disposeth euerie thing to his owne will: so God hath a stroke in the hardening of the heart, not by permission onelyonly, neither in making a soft heart hard: but both in leauing man beeing blind by nature, to his owne will, and in withdrawing his grace, and giuing him ouer, as a iust Iudge, to the malice of Sathan to be further hardened: and so God is the author of the hardening of mans heart, not as it is a sinne, but as it is a punishment of sinne: and thus, and no otherwise doe Protestants maintaine, God to be an agent and worker in these actions: and therefore that is a meere slaunder of Stapleton, that Calvin should hold, Deum esse activam causam peccati, that God is the actiue cause of sinne, Antid. p. 715. and the like slaunder is vttered by Becanus, p. 6. that the God of the Calvinists is, author peccati, the author of sinne: See more hereof, c. 9. quest. 18.