Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 1 · Section 3 · Subsection 53 – Subsection 55
53. Quest. How other Scriptures, that denie all knowledge of God vntounto the wicked, agree with this place of Saint Paul.
1. Obiect. The Apostle saith here, that the things which might be knowne of God, were manifest vntounto them: how then is it saide in the Psal. 53.1. The foole hath said in his heart, there is no God: and, Isa. 1.3. The oxe knoweth his owner, &c. but Israel hath not knowne me: and it is said of all in generall, Ioh. 1.18. No man hath seene God: and yet more euidently the Apostle thus writeth, 1. Cor. 1.21. Seeing the world by wisdome knew not God in the wisedome of God, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue.
Answ. 1. Caietane giueth this solution, that the Apostle saith not, none of the world knew not God, sed mundus (communiter) non cognovit, the world generally knew him not: though the wiser sort among them, as the Philosophers knew him: yet they in respect of the rest of the world, were as none: But the Apostle doth exclude euen the wise from the true knowledge of God, as he saith in the same place, 1. Cor. 1.20. Where is the wise, &c. hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolishnes?
2. Pareus thus answereth, Impijs negatur cognitio Dei efficax & salutaris, quae ex verbo discitur, the effectuall and sauing knowledge of God is denied vntounto the wicked, which is learned out of the word: but an vnfruitfull and idle knowledge they may hauehave: Tit. 1.16. They professe that they know God, but by workes they denie him. But the Apostle speaketh not here of the knowledge of God by his word: the world by wisdome knew not God in the wisdome of God: but of the naturall knowledge, which the heathen might hauehave had of God: for as Theodoret wel noteth, the Apostle sheweth three kinds of wisdome, two are naturall, the wisdome of man by the light of reason, the other the wisdome of God shining in the creatures: these two the Apostle speaketh of here: the third kind is the wisdome of God in his Sonne Christ, which afterward the Apostle also expresseth, v. 24. We preach Christ the power of God, and the wisdome of God.
3. P. Martyr maketh this answer, that there were some among the heathen, which by nature were perswaded there was a God, but afterward, they did not yeeld vntounto him, that which was proper vntounto God: as the Epicures denied vntounto God the gouernment of the world, but made him as an idle beholder of the actions of men, beeing no agent himselfe: And some likewise grew to that impudencie, that they sought by subtill reasons to prooue, that there was no God. But though this be true, which P. Martyr affirmeth, yet it is too particular to include the whole meaning of the Apostle: for he saith generally of the heathen, that the world knew not God, not onelyonly certaine sects of Philosophers among them, but all the Gentiles generally.
4. Pareus hath an other answer, that this naturall light could not bring them to the knowledge of God, because it was obscured and darkned by sinne, and so imperfect thorough the naturall corruption of man. But this doth not fully satisfie neither: for though by mans fall this naturall knowledge is decaied, yet there was sufficient remaining, if the Gentiles had not abused it: at the least, as the Apostle saith, that they might hauehave groped after God, in some sort to hauehave knowne him.
5. This solution then remaineth, that there is a twofold naturall knowledge, one is onelyonly speculatiue, consisting in a bare and naked contemplation of God, bringing forth no fruit: the other is practicall, when men according to that light which they hauehave of God, doe feare him, and worship him: the first kind of knowledge of God the heathen onelyonly had, as the Apostle sheweth, Rom. 1.21. When they knew God, they did not glorifie him as God, neither were thankefull, but became vaine in their imaginations: for the heathen, notwithstanding this naturall direction which they had, generally did fall vntounto idolatrie, and so dishonoured that God, whome they knew by his creatures, Mart. Perer.
54. Quest. Of the meaning of these words, That they should be inexcusable, v. 20.
1. Some thus translate the Greeke words, foreign, ad hac vt sint, to this ende, that they may be unexcusable: Beza: Pareus: to the intent, that they be inexcusable, Genevens. And Beza thinketh that God for this cause would hauehave the light to shine in darknes, vt homines nihil possent praetexere, that man should vse no pretext or excuse. But it is hard, to say that God for this ende gaue the light of nature vntounto men, to take away all defense and excuse from them: whereas Gods intent was, that man should thereby come vntounto the knowledge of the Creator.
2. Origen, Chrysostome, doe vnderstand this consecutivo, by way of consequent: that this followed as a consequent vponupon their abusing of that naturall knowledge, which was giuen them: And Theophylact maketh it like vntounto that saying in the Psalme. 51.4. Against thee hauehave I sinned, &c. that thou maist be iust when thou speakest: it was not the ende, but a consequent: so also Erasmus: and Faius, est consequens cognitionis illius, it was a consequent of that knowledge: But the Apostle seemeth to signifie more then so, Tolet.
3. Aretius, because he can not thinke that to this ende were these helps giuen them, to make them inexcusable, taketh this to be a new argument, against iustification by works: that whereby the Gentiles were made inexcusable, can not iustifie them: but by their workes they were made inexcusable: Ergo. But the Apostle speaketh here of the light of nature, which the Gentiles vsed, not of their works, which follow in the next verse.
4. Wherefore, the meaning of the Apostle is this, that this was not the proper end & vse of this naturall knowledge, to make them inexcusable: but it is vsus accidentarius, an accidentall vse; which happeneth thorough mens ingratitude, that abusing this naturall knowledge, which yet remaineth in man after his fall, they thereby are depriued of all excuse or pretext of ignorance, Pareus: so also Gualter, quod gentium vitio factum est, Deo per accidens tribuitur. that which came to passe by the fault of the heathen, is attributed vntounto God accidentally: this sense is well expressed in the vulgar Latine, it a vt sint, &c. so that they are inexcusable: as our common English translation also readeth.
55. Quest. Whether there is any naturall knowledge of God in man.
1. Pererius here reporteth the opinion of some Schoolemen, whome he calleth Nominals, Deum non posse naturali ratione, &c. that God can not demonstratiuely be prooued by naturall reason: disput. 16. And Pareus maketh mention, dub. 16. of one Osterodius, who directly affirmeth, that man hath no knowledge of God by nature, or by the contemplation of the creatures, but onelyonly by outward fame and heare-say: his reasons are these:
1. Because many in India and Brasile, are found vtterly ignorant of God, because they hauehave not heard, that there is a God.
2. If there were any such naturall knowledge, all should hauehave it, but euen among the Philosophers some were found, which denied that there was any God.
3. The Apostle speaketh of the workes of the new creation, namely of his miraculous works, v. 20. whereby God is knowne.
Contra. 1. The very Indians are not without knowledge of God, though they abuse it: for some of them worship the Deuill for their god. 2. Those Philosophers of malice, not of ignorance, denied that there was a God. 3. The Apostle speaketh euidently of such workes, as were manifest and made knowne to all men: so were not Christs miraculous workes, they came not to the knowledge of all the world.
2. Now, that there is some knowledge of God euen by nature, is euident by the Apostle in this place. 1. he saith, that God hath manifested vntounto them, that which naturally may be knowne of him: and that the inuisible things of God are seene and vnderstood by his works, v. 20. Pareus. 2. For how els should all men be inexcusable, if they had not by nature some knowledge of God: whereas many hauehave not otherwise heard of God? Perer. 3. Cicero an heathen man confesseth, lib. 2. de natura Deorum, quid potest esse tam apertum, &c. quàm esse aliquod numen praestant…ssimae mentis, qua haec regántur, what is so manifest, when we looke vp to the heauens, &c. as that there is some diuine nature most excellent, whereby all those things are gouerned? 4. This was the end, wherefore God erected the world, that thereby man might learne to know his Creator. 5. And if man naturally had not knowledge of God, then naturally he were not bound to louelove God aboue ll: for how naturally can be louelove and honour him, whome he acknowledgeth not? Perer.