Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 1 · Section 3 · Subsection 29 – Subsection 32
Quest. 29. Whether the Church of Rome were first founded by S. Peter.
1. It is the receiued opinion of the Romanists, that Peter was the first founder of the Romane faith: for the proofe whereof they alleadge certaine authorities, as of Eusebius, who writeth that in the 2. yeare of Claudius Peter came to Rome, and there confounded Simon Magus, and preached the faith to the Romanes: at which time they entreated Marke to write the Gospel as they had heard it from S. Peters mouth, Euseb. 2. histor. Ecclesiast. c. 13.14. likewise Chrysostome, affirmeth the same that Peter preached at Rome first, qui praedicabant erant piscatores, they that preached were fishers, ex Perer. Bellarmine to the same purpose also produceth Epiphanius, Orosius, Leo, with others, that the faith was first planted by Peter at Rome, lib. 2. de Pontif. Rom. c. 1.
2. Contra. 1. Concerning Peters comming to Rome there is great vncertaintie: Hierome and Eusebius, say it was in the 2. yeare of Claudius: But Beda in 15. c. Actor. affirmeth it to hauehave beene in the 4. yeare of Claudius: Onuphrius assigneth the 3. yeare of Claudius, in Chronic. Damasus saith, that he came to Rome in the beginning of Neroes Empire, and sate there 25. yeares, whereas Nero raigned but 14. yeares in all: and he further affirmeth that Peters disputation and combate with Simon Magus, was in the presence of Neto the Emperor, which Eusebius reporteth to hauehave beene vnderunder Claudius. 2. Chrysostome speaketh of the preaching of fishermen, but not of the first preaching at Rome: the Apostles beeing fishermen, and of no note in the world first beganne to preach the Gospell in the world: not onelyonly Peter, but Andrew his brother also, and Iames and Iohn were fishermen: he may as well prooue hence, these to hauehave beene founders of the Romane Church, as well as S. Peter. 3. Epiphanius as Bellarmine citeth him haeres. 27. saith, primi in Roma fuerunt Petrus & Paulus, the first in Rome were Peter and Paul, &c. he giueth no prioritie to Peter before Paul. 4. Orosius saith, l. 7. c. 7. Exordio regni Claudij, &c. in the beginning of the raigne of Claudius, Peter came to Rome, at que exinde Christiani Roma esse coeperunt, and that from that time Christians beganne to be in Rome, &c. But it shall be shewed afterward, that there were Christians in Rome before Claudius raigne: and the same Orosius maketh mention of a decree made by the Senate in Tiberius raigne, exterminandos esse ex vrbe Christianos, that the Christians should be expelled out of Rome. 5. Leo writeth thus, serm. 1. de natal. Apostolor. Cum Apostli imbuendum Euangelio mundum, &c. when the Apostles had vndertaken, parting the earth among them, to season the world with the Gospell, beatissimus Petrus, &c. ad arcem Romani destinatur imperij, blessed Peter was appointed to the chiefe place of the Romane Empire, &c. But this is contrarie to that which S. Paul writeth, Galat. 2.7. that the Gospel ouer the vncircumcision was committed to Paul, as the Gospel ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter: Then is it euident that S. Peters lot fell out among those of the circumcision.
3. Now it shall be shewed that S. Peter could not be the first founder of the Romane Church. 1. S. Paul in his salutation, Rom. 16.7. maketh mention of Andronicus and Iunia, which were in Christ before him: they were conuerted to the faith before S. Paul: but he was conuerted the 2. yeare after Christs passion, about the 20. yeare of Tiberius: from which time to the second yeare of Claudius, when Peter is held first to hauehave come to Rome were about 9. yeares, there remained 3. of Tiberius raigne, 4. of Caligula, and 2. of Claudius. It is euident then that 9. yeares, before Peter came to Rome, Paul was conuerted, and before Pauls conuersion, there were some at Rome which had receiued the Christian faith. 2. Vellenus whom Bellarmine confuteth, alleadgeth out of Orosius lib. 7. that there were Christians in Rome in the raigne of Tiberius: when there was a decree made by the Senate, that the Christians should be banished from Rome: Bellarmine answeareth, that the meaning of the decree was, vt non reciperetur vllo modo Christiana religio, that the Christian religion should not by any meanes be receiued into the city: But the words are exterminandos esse ex vrbe Christianos, that the Christians should be exterminate or expelled out of Rome: they could not hauehave beene expelled, if they had not beene there before. 3. Clemens in his recognitions, and Dorotheus in Synops. doe affirme, that Barnabas was the first, that preached at Rome, and conuerted them to the saith: which report Bellarmine and Pererius hold to be but a fable: neither will we contend for the truth thereof: for S. Paul is as like to hauehave beene the first planter of the saith there, as Barnabas: But by this is appeareth euen out of these writers, which the Romanists make account of, when they may serue their turne, that it was not held of any certaintie that S. Peter first preached the faith at Rome. 4. Further, seeing the Gospel of the vncircumcision was committed to Paul, of the circumcision to Peter, it is not like that Peter would intrude himselfe within S. Pauls diuision: who if he had so soone come to Rome, and planted a Church there, whose example the rest of the Gentiles, depending vponupon the Romanes, would hauehave followed, he rather should hauehave beene the Apostle of the vncircumcision then S. Paul. 5. Wherefore it is not probable, that the Romane Church was first planted by S. Peters preaching: neither yet was Paul the first that there preached: for as yet he had not beene at Rome when he wrote this epistle: Therefore it is most like, that some other of the disciples, and beleeuers first laid the foundation of faith, at Rome, which afterward was builded further by the Apostles, Faius. And herein I mislike not the opinion of Hugo Card. andierant à quibusdam fidelibus qui Roman… venerant Hierosolynsis, they had heard of certaine faithfull, which came to Rome from Hierusalem: to the same purpose Gorrbam: quidem acceperant fideru à Petra & hierant bene edocti, quidam à Indais disciputis, & bi non pleur, some had receiued these faith of Peter, and they were well taught, some of the Iewes beeing disciples, and they were not fully instructed, &c. They are of opinion, that the Romanes first receiued their faith by certaine disciples, that came vntounto them: though afterward they were more fully instructed by Peter.
Quest. 27. The place, Act. 28.21. reconciled.
1. Whereas the Iewes say there vntounto Paul, We neither receiued letters out of Iudaea concerning thee, neither came any of the brethren, &c. the question here mooued is, how these dwelling at Rome could thus say vntounto Paul whereas this epistle had beene written long before. 2. Hereunto the answer is, that those Iewes, were not Christians or beleeuers, and so not of the number of the brethren to whom S. Paul had written this Epistle, namely to such as were Saints by calling: but such as had not yet receiued the Gospel: for they say, concerning this sect we knowe, that eueryevery where it is spoken against, Parens. and beside, whereas S. Paul had declared vntounto them, how the Iewes had resisted him, and constrained him to appeale vntounto Caesar, they make answer, that they had receiued no letters concerning such things as had happened vntounto him.
Quest. 28. Whether this be an oath, God is my witnesse, v. 9.
Although the vsuall forme of an oath be not here kept: as when men sweare by the name of God, of Iesus, vsing the preposition, per, by, yet it is euident the Apostle here doth take a solemne oath: as it may appeare by these reasons. 1. first by the definition of an oath, which is a calling of God to witnesse, of that which we say: as the Apostle here doth, so that to say, God is my witnesse, is as much as if he should say, I sweare by God, Tolet. 2. Augustine giueth instance of other places where the Apostle vseth the like oath, as Galat. 1.20. The things which I write vntounto you, I witnesse before God, that I lie not: and 2. Cor. 11.31. The God, euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is blessed for euermore knoweth that I lie not: like vntounto these oathes is this which the Apostle taketh here: Augustin. lib. 1. de sermon. Dora. and Beda vponupon this place.
29. Quest. Whether it be lawfull to sweare, and vponupon what occasion.
1. That it is lawfull to sweare, thus it appeareth. 1. Christ came not to dissolue the lawe, Matth. 5.17. now the lawe not onelyonly permitteth, but commandeth to sweare, where cause is, Deut. 6.13. and 10.20. 2. the Lord himselfe sweareth, Psal. 110.4. Heb. 6.17. therefore it is not sinne to sweare. 3. the holy Fathers and Patriarkes vsed to take an oath, where it was lawfully required: as Abraham, Gen. 21.24. Iacob, Genes. 31.53. Dauid, 1… Sam. 24.23.
2. But it will be thus on the contrarie obiected. 1. Christ saith, Sweare not at all, neither by heauen for it is the throne of God, &c. Answear. Christ forbiddeth not to sweare by God, but not by creatures, as by the heauen, the earth, by the Temple, by the head. 2. where he saith, let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay. Christ forbiddeth not the lawfull vse of an oath, when there is iust cause: but the often and vnnecessarie vsing of it in common talke: where then, it concerneth the saluation, or edification of our brethren, it is lawfull to take an oath: as it was requisite that the Romanes should be well perswaded of S. Pauls affection toward them, who had yet neuer seene them, as Chrysostome saith, quouiam neminem hominum animi sui testem sistere poterat, &c. because he could not set forth any man to be a witnesse of his minde, he calleth vponupon God, who searcheth the heart.
3. It will be againe obiected, that in the Newe Testament an oath is not lawfull, as it was in the olde, Basil. in Psalm. 14. Answear. The abuse of an oath was vnlawfull both in the Old Testament and in the Newe: But to take an oath lawfully is as well permitted to the Church of Christ nowe, as it was to the Church of the Iewes: As the Prophet Isaiah prophesieth of the Newe Church, that they shall sweare by Iehovah, Isay. 19.18. and c. 43.23. Ierem. 4.3.
Quest. 30. How Paul is said, to serue in the spirit.
1. Chrysostome by the spirit vnderstandeth the holy Ghost, omnia spiritus sancti imputat virtuti, he ascribeth all to the vertue of the holy spirit, nothing to his owne diligence: But in that he saith (in my spirit) this interpretation is auoided: Paul would not so call the holy Ghost, my spirit. 2. Theodoret by spirit thinketh to be meant the gift and grace giuen vntounto Paul, whereby he was furnished for his Apostleship: whereof he spake before, v. 5. by whom we hauehave receiued grace and Apostleship: so also Oecumenius, he is said to serue him in tradito sibi dono, in the gift giuen vntounto him: but so much is expressed in the words following, In the Gospell of his sonne: that sheweth his ministerie and employment in the Gospell. 3. some giuegive this sense, whom I serue in the spirit, that is not in the flesh, non in carnalibus observantijs, not in carnall obseruations, such as were the ceremonies of the lawe, gloss. interlin. so also Aretius, I serue God, non vt hypocritae ceremonijs, not as hipocrites with ceremonies: but the mentioning of the Gospel following, excludeth all legall ceremonies. 4. Origen here maketh a distinction betweene the soule and the spirit, which he taketh for the superior and higher part of the soule, wherein he serued God: Ambrose also by the spirit vnderstandeth the minde: which is true, that inwardly he serued Christ in his spirit and mind, but the faine not considered in the naturall condition thereof, as Origen seemeth to hauehave relation thereunto, but renewed and regenerate by grace., 5. S. Paul then by his spirit, vnderstandeth his ardent and earnest affection, wherein he serued God, most earnestly and zealously in the ministerie of the Gospel, Beza. The like saying the Apostle hath, 2. Tim. 1.3. I thanke God, whome I serue from mine Elders with a pure conscience: he serued God with an vpright and innocent heart, not in shew and oftentation: and in this sense our Sauiour saith, Ioh. 4.24. They that worship God, must worship him in spirit and in truth. Martyr.
31. Quest. v. 10. What prosperous iourney the Apostle meaneth.
v. 10. That I might hauehave a prosperous iourney by the will of God. 1. Paul simply praieth not for a prosperous iourney, but according to the will of God: there is a prosperitie, not according to the will of God, as the wise man saith, Prov. 1.32. The prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them, Gorrham. But, the Apostle esteemeth not of such prosperous things, quae sine voluntate dei eveniunt, which come to passe without the will of God. Haymo. 2. The word foreign, which signifieth, that I may hauehave a iourney giuen me according to my minde, Erasm. in which desire, the Apostle non deprecatur omnia pericula, doth not pray against all perills and daungers: for he suffered shipwracke, and endured other casualties in his iourney to Rome: but he counted it a prosperous iourney, which howsoeuer might bring him vntounto them, to bestow some spirituall gift vponupon them. Aretius. Such a prosperous iourney was that, which S. Paul tooke into Macedonia, where though he suffered imprisonment, and were beaten with roddes, yet his iourney prospered, in respect of the good successe, which he had in preaching of the Gospel. Martyr. 3. And this desire of Paul to see the Romanes might be one cause, of his appeale, which he made to Rome, Act. 25. Lyranus.
32. Quest. Whether S. Paul needed to be mutually strengthened by the faith of the Romanes.
v. 12. That I might be comforted through our mutuall faith, both yours and mine. 1. Chrysostome thinketh, that Paul spake not this, quod ipse illorum opus habeat auxilio, as though he had neede of their helpe, seeing he was a pillar of the Church: but that he so saith to qualifie his former speach, v. 11. because he had saide, that I might bestow vponupon you some spirituall gift to strengthen you. 2. But although the Apostles modestie appeare herein, that ioyneth himselfe with them, as hauing neede of their mutuall comfort, yet in truth he professeth himselfe not to be so perfect, as though he needed no helps: non ponit se in supremo gradu, he doth not place himselfe in the highest degree: for he other where doth acknowledge his imperfection both in knowledge, 1. Cor. 13. and in the gifts of regeneration, Rom. 7. Pareus: like as a minister comming to visit one that is sicke to comfort him, may be comforted againe by him: Olevian. to this purpose P. Martyr. 3. This mutuall consolation, Theophytact vnderstandeth of the alleviating of their afflictions by their mutuall comforts: Tolet with others, of the mutuall ioy, which they should hauehave one in an others mutuall faith, Lyranus: that they should be comforted by faith, which was common to him and them, for there is but one faith. But, as Chrysostome saith, here this consolation may be taken pro fider incremento, for the encrease of faith: for the faithfull mutuis exhortationibus in fide proficiunt, by mutuall exhortations doe profit in faith. Pareus. 4. And although S. Paul had giuen such excellent commendation before of their faith, yet they might notwithstanding hauehave neede to be strengthened: as Peter, when he beganne to sinke in the waters, had faith, when he cried to Christ, Saue me, or els I perish: yet Christ saith vntounto him, Why didst thou doubt, O thou of little faith? his faith had neede to be encreased. 5. So here are three reasons of the Apostles desire to see them: 1. that he might bestow vponupon them some spirituall gift: 2. to confirme and strengthen them: 3. to be mutually comforted with them. Aretius.