Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 2 · Section 3 · Subsection 15 – Subsection 22
Quest. 15. What glorie, honour, and immortalitie, the Apostle speaketh of, v. 7,
1. Some doe vnderstand them, pro vitae piae & sanctae studio, for the studie and desire of a godly and holy life, Faius: and hereby Tolet would hauehave signified, honorum operum qualitat, the qualitie of good workes, for true honour commeth of vertue: but it is euident by the word following, immortalitie, that the Apostle here hath relation, vntounto the eternall glorie of the next life, Pareus.
2. Glorie, by glorie is vnderstood, that glorious state of the Saints both in their bodies and soules: when, as the Scripture saith the iust shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of the father, Matth. 13. and honour is that dignitie, which the Lord shall giuegive vntounto the Saints, placing them at his right hand, honouring them in the sight of the world which before condemned them, Faius. These two Adam was funished with in his creation: as it is said, Psal. 8.5. Thou hast crowned him with glorie and honour, he was created glorious in the gifts of his bodie and minde, and honourable, because he had the dominion of all other creatures, and so was preferred before them: but this glorie and honour, which Ada… lost by his fall, as Origen to this purpose alleadgeth that place, Psal. 49.12. Man did not continue in honour, shall more abundantly be restored in the resurrection.
3. He addeth incorruption, to shewe that this glorie and honour, were not such as the Gentiles sought, who made terrene and earthly glorie the scope of their actions: but eternall and euerlasting in heauen, which should neuer fade: Origen seemeth here to vnderstand the spirituall incorruption of the soule in this life, contrarie to which is the corruption of the minde from the simplicitie of faith in Christ: per hanc observantia incorruptionem, &c. by this incorruption in the obseruance of faith, we attaine vntounto the incorruption of our bodies in the resurrection: Gryneus vnderstandeth the incorruptible state both of the bodie and soule in the next life: As the bodies shall be freed from corruption, so mentes non lab… rabunt vanitate, their minds shall be free from vanitie: But Chrysostome better … it to the incorruptible state of the bodie: aditum facit ad resurrectionem corporum, &c. the Apostle maketh a way to the resurrection of the bodie: and he ioyneth glorie and honour with incorruption, omnes resurgemus incorrupti, sed non omnes ad gloriam, &c. for we shal rise incorruptible, but not all vntounto glorie.
4. VntoUnto these the Apostle addeth a fourth, v. 10. namely peace, which is the verie complement and perfection of our happines: this peace is honorum omnium secura & tran…qui… possessio, a secure and peaceable possession of all good things: and as Prosper saith, as Beda here citeth him: pax Christi sinem non habet, the peace of Christ hath no ende: the Saints shall be at peace with God, they shall enioy the tranquilitie and peace of conscience to thē selues: and peace they shall hauehave without, from all enemies whatsoeuer, which shall be subdued vntounto them.
5. But it will be obiected, that glorie and honour are peculiar and essentiall vntounto God, which he will not giuegive to any other, Isay. 42.8. And thine is the glorie, Matth. 6.13. Answer. That essentiall and infinite honour and glorie which is in God, is not communicated vntounto any other: but yet there are certaine influences and bright beames of that glorie, which in Christ are imparted to his members, as S. Peter saith, that by these precious promises (which are made vntounto vsus in Christ) we are made partakers of the diuine nature, 2. Pet. 1.4.
Quest. 16. How it standeth with Gods iustice to punish eternally sinne temporally committed.
Obiect. As God giueth eternall life vntounto his faithfull seruants, so he punisheth the wicked and impenitent with euerlasting damnation: but sinne is a temporall transgression: and for one to be punished eternally for a momentanie delight, may seeme to exceede the rule of iustice.
Answ. Three wayes doth it appeare to be most iust, that God should punish eternally sinne but temporally committed: both in respect of the minde and intention of the sinner, of the matter wherein he sinneth, and of the person against whom he is an offender.
1. First though the act of sinne be but temporall, yet the mind of the sinner is infinite: if he could euer liue, he would euer sinne: and therefore as Gregorie saith, quia mens in hac vita nunquam voluit carere peccato, iustum est vt nunquam careat supplicio, &c. because the mind in this life would neuer be without sinne, it is iust, that it should neuer be without punishment.
2. If the matter and subiect of sinne be considered, it is of, and in the soule: like as then the wounding of the bodie, bringeth the death of the bodie, after the which there is no returning into this life againe: so sinne beeing the death of the soule, it followeth, that it should be perpetuall and for euer, Hugo: like as then Magistrates doe punish some offences, as murther, theft, with death, which doth vtterly exclude them from the societie of the liuing, and cut them off for euer: so is it iust with God to punish the sinnes committed against him with euerlasting paine, Perer.
3. Sinne because it is a transgression of the lawe of God, is so much the more hainous: as he that smiteth the Prince doth more grieuously offend, then he which striketh a priuate person: so that sinne is of an infinite nature, because of the infinite dignitie of the diuine maiestie, against whom it is committed: and therefore it deserueth an infinite punishment: which because it cannot be infinite, secundum intensionem, in the intention and greatnesse of it, it remaineth that it should be infinite, secundum àurationem, in respect of the continuance, and enduring thereof. Perer.
4. Further, the equitie of Gods iudgement in punishing the temporall act of sinne eternally, Hugo doth thus very well illustrate by these comparisons: Like as when mariage is contracted, per verba de praesenti, by words vttered in the present tense: though the contract be sone done, yet the mariage remaineth all the life long: so when the soule and sinne are contracted together, it is no maruell if this contract holding during the life of the soule, deserue euerlasting punishment: And like as where the fuell and matter of the fire continueth, the flame burneth still; so sinne leauing a blot in the soule beeing the matter of hell fire, is eternally punished, because there is still matter for that euerlasting fire to worke vponupon. Thus then it is euident, how the Lord euen in punishing sinne eternally, doth reward men according to their workes: for though the action of sinne be temporall, voluntas tamen pe…candi, qua per poenitentiam non mutatur, est perpetua, yet the will to sinne, which is not changed by repentance, is perpetuall. Gorrhan.
17. Quest. How eternall life is to be sought.
v. 7. To them, which in well doing seeke glorie, honour, &c. In seeking of God who is eternall life, three things must be considered, locus, tempus, modus, the place, the time, the manner.
1. The place must be mundus, quietus, securus, cleane, quiet, secure: then first God is not to be sought vponupon the bed of idlenes, or carnall delight: and therefore it is said, Cantic. 3. 1. In my bed I sought him, but found him not: that is no cleane place to seeke God in: But yet the bed vndefiled is honourable. Heb. 13.4. and the faithfull doe seeke God euen in their beds; as Dauid saith, Psal. 6.6. That he watered his couch with his teares. Neither is God to be sought in the courts and streetes, and tumultuous assemblies: as Cantic. 3.2. I sought him in the streetes, but found him not: and Hos. 5.6. They shall goe with their bullocks and s…eepe to seeke the Lord, but shall not finde him: such are no quiet places: but God must be praied vntounto in secret, and sought in the quiet hauen of the conscience. Neither is God to be sought in pompa, where there is ostentation of pompe and vanitie, as Christs parents found him not among their kinted, but in the Temple disputing with the Doctors: God is to be sought, not in pompous shewes, but in the assemblies of the Saints.
2. Concerning the time, God must be sought, dum dies est, dum prope est, dum nobis predest, while it is day, while he is neare, and at hand, and when it may auaile vsus. 1. First God is not to be sought in the night, Cantic. 3.1. I sought him in my bed by night, &c. but found him not: so the Apostle saith, The night is past, the day is come, let vsus cast away the works of darknes: God then is to be sought, not in the time of ignorance and darknes, but in the time of light and knowledge. 2. The Lord must be sought when he may be found, and is at hand: Isa. 55.6. Seeke ye the Lord, while he may be found, call vponupon him while he is neare: while the Lord offereth grace vntounto vsus, and standeth knocking at the doore of our hearts, we must open vntounto him. 3. And in this life must we seeke God, while merciemercy is shewed: while the bridegroome crieth in the streetes, Matth. 25.6. but when the doores are shut, and this life is ended, it is then too late to seeke for merciemercy.
3. Touching the manner: God must be sought in the heart, in desiring him: Isa. 26.8. The desire of my soule is to thy name: our eyes must be toward him: Psal. 121.1. I will lift vp mine eyes to the mountaines from whence my helpe commeth: our talke must be of him: Psal. 119.13. With my lippes hauehave I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth: our hands must be lift vp vntounto him in our prayer: We must lift vp pure hand… 1. Tim. 2.8. our feete must be readie to goe to serue him: Psalm. 18.33. He maketh my feete like hindes feete: Gorrhan.
18. Quest. Whome the Apostle meaneth by contentious, and such as disobey the truth.
v. 8. But vntounto them that are contentious. 1. Some doe vnderstand those, that did wilfully maintaine and defend their errors: whence was beginning of sects and schismes, Origen, Anselme. 2. Chrysostome, Theodoret, applie it vntounto those, which sinned of malice, and of an obstinate and set purpose. 2. But Ambrose specially referreth it vntounto those, who despised the iudgement of God, and abused his long suffering and patience, thinking that they should not be called to account for their sinnes: and this seemeth to be most agreeable to the Apostles meaning: for he spake before of such, v. 4. as despised the bountifulnes of God, which did lead and cal them to repentance: by the contentious then are vnderstood such as were refractorie, and rebellious against God.
And disobey the truth. 1. Some vnderstand the truth of the Gospel, Anselme, Aretius. 2. some generally the truth of doctrine by preaching, Lyran. Osiand. But the Apostle speaketh principally of the Gentiles, which had neither heard of the Gospel, and wanted the light of true doctrine. 3. Ambrose doth restraine it to those, that beleeue not the iudgement to come by Christ, but that is too peculiar. 4. some doe vnderstand onelyonly the light of nature, Beza, Gryneus, Pareus: of which truth the Apostle spake before, c. 1.18. which withheld the truth in vnrighteousnes. 5. But seeing the Apostle comprehendeth the Iewes as well as the Gentiles, the truth is more generally to be taken, for any direction vntounto that which was right, whether by the law of nature, which the Gentiles had, or the written law, which the Iewes had: so Chrysostome taketh it in this generall sense, qui lucem fugit, tenebras eligens, which doth flee the truth, choosing darknes &c.
19. Quest. Of the punishment due vntounto the wicked, Indignation, wrath, tribulation, anguish, &c. v. 8.
1. Some doe ioyne all these together, as depending vponupon one sentence: so Ambrose, Theodoret, Origen: but they are distinguished into two periods, one endeth at wrath, the other beginneth at tribulation: the first sheweth the qualitie of the works which are punished, the other the persons that shall be iudged, indifferently both Iewes and Gentiles: Tolet. or the first containeth the thesis, or generall preposition: the other an hypothesis, with particular application to the Iewes and Gentiles.
2. foreign, indignation, some take for the more vehement motion of anger, and foreign, anger, for the lesse, Origen, Martyr. but the first rather signifieth the lighter commotion and stirring of the minde, the other the inflammation of the minde, with a purpose of reuenge, Tolet. Pareus: and this anger and indignation are not to be referred vntounto the men themselues, as Origen, but vntounto God, who is not subiect vntounto any such perturbations: but here figuratiuely, anger the cause is taken for the effects, the iudgement of God vponupon the wicked, the effects of his anger. Pareus.
3. foreign, tribulation, and anguish. 1. some applie vntounto the inward vexation and anguish of the minde, which the wicked feele in this life: these are before iudgement, and the other two, indignation, wrath, after: gloss. ordinar. Aret. and hereupon Origen maketh a difference betweene the tribulation of the wicked, quam subsequitur angustia, which anguish and vexation of the minde followeth, and the affliction of the righteous, wherein they are not straightened, but enlarged in their inward man. 2. But this tribulation and anguish is better referred to the infernall punishment, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Pareus: which some thus well distinguish referring tribulation, to the externall punishment of hell fire, and anguish to the worme of conscience, that neuer di…th, O…and, Gorrhan. But yet so there eternall punishment is here described: as that the horror of conscience euen in this life, the forerunner of that euerlasting horror in hell, may very well be included also.
4. VponUpon the soule of eueryevery man: which is not onelyonly an Hebraisme, that is, vponupon eueryevery man, Tolet. for according to the Hebrew phrase it had beene sufficient, to say, vponupon eueryevery soule: therefore hereby is also signified the horrible punishment of their soules specially, yet together with their bodies, Pareus: for à parte totum intelligit, he vnderstandeth the whole by a part. Haymo.
20. Quest. Why the Iew is set before the Grecian.
v. 9. Of the Iew first, and of the Grecian. 1. Tolet thinketh that the word foreign, first, here signifieth, ordinem & praeminentiam statuum, the order and preheminence or prerogatiue of states betweene the Iewes and Gentiles: for the Iewes were preferred before the Gentiles, because they were the people of God: But although this reason may be yeelded in the next verse, where mention is made of glorie and honour, vponupon eueryevery one that doth good, the Iew first, and then the Gentile: yet it can be no prerogatiue for the Iew to be first in punishment. 2. Therefore I preferre their iudgement, which thinke that the Iew in the order of punishment is placed first, because they knew Gods will, and had better helpes, and therefore they were worthie of greater punishment, if they did not their masters will: so Ambrose, Iudaeus credens propter Abraham honorificentior, diffidens peius tractandus the beleeuing Iew was more honoured for Abrahams sake, but the vnbeleeuing Iew was worthie of greater blame: so also Athanas. ad Antioch. qu. 144. so primum significat grauitatem poena, this word first, doth in this place signifie the greatnesse of punishment: in the other, prarogativam pramij, the prerogatiue of reward, Faius.
21. Quest. What Iewes and Gentiles the Apostle here meaneth.
1. Origen will hauehave neither the vnbeleeuing Iew here to be matched with the beleeuing Gentile: for then the Iewe should not hauehave the preheminence: nor yet the beleeuing Iewe with the vnbeleeuing Gentile: for then they were not fit to be ioyned together: but he vnderstandeth, as well the vnbeleeuing Iewes as Gentiles: and hath these strong positions: 1. that euen they which beleeued not among the Gentiles, yet doing well might be rewarded, though they had not faith in Christ: for as they were condemned for their euill works, so if they did well, they should be counted worthie of reward: and whereas that place will be obiected, He that beleeueth not, is condemned alreadie, Ioh. 3.18. he giueth this interpretation, secundum hoc quod non credidit, iudicatus est, &c. he is iudged in this, that he beleeued not, though for other things which he doth he shall not be iudged: as it is said, he that beleeueth shall not be iudged or condemned, that is, he shall not be iudged, secundum hoc, quod credit, in that that he beleeueth, yet in other things he shall be iudged: 2. Such an one not beleeuing in Christ, yet doing well, though he hauehave not eternall life, yet gloria operum poterit non perire, by the glorie of his workes he may be kept from perishing: to this purpose Origen lib. 2. in c. 2. ad Roman.
2. Contra. 1. The first position of Origen that any thing done without faith can be acceptable to God, is contrarie to the Scripture, Heb. 11.6. Without faith it is impossible to please God, neither doth that argument followe from the contrarie: for one euill worke is sufficient to condemne a man, but one good worke is not sufficient to obtaine reward: for he that doth one good worke may hauehave many euill workes beside, for the which he deserueth to be punished: that other glosse of his, of the iudging of beleeuers, and the not iudging of vnbeleeuers is cōfuted by the words of our Sauiour, Ioh. 5.24. he that beleeueth, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: he is not freed then from iudgement onelyonly in part, because he beleeueth, but simplie he shall neuer enter into condemnation: for he which hath a liuely faith, which is effectuall working by louelove, hath not onelyonly a naked faith, but is full of good workes: and where he is wanting, his imperfect obedience is supplied by the perfect obedience of Christ apprehended by faith. 2. Neither doth the Scripture allowe any third place beside heauen and hell after this life: that any not hauing eternall life, should be preserued from perishing: for they which are not counted among the sheepe at the right hand of Christ; for whom the kingdome is prepared: they belong vntounto the goates at the left hand, and shall goe into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his Angels. 3. This straight and inconuenience Origen is driuen vntounto, because he taketh these Iewes and Grecians to be vnbeleeuers: whereas the Apostle vnderstandeth such among the Gentiles, as beleeued in God, and liued thereafter: such were they which liued with Melchisedek, Iob, the Niniuites, Cornelius, as Chrysostome vponupon this place sheweth, whom Faius followeth.
22. Quest. Of the diuerse acceptions of the word person, v. 11.
This word foreign, is either giuen vntounto God, or to creatures, and the same either without life, or to such as hauehave life, as to man.
1. It is attributed to God three wayes. 1. the face of God signifieth his iudgement against sinners, 1. Pet. 3.12. the face of God is against those which doe euill. 2. it is taken for the spirituall presence of Christ, 2. Cor. 2.10. I forgaue it for your sakes in the sight or face foreign, of Christ. 3. it is taken for the diuine hypostasis in the Trinitie: as Christ is said to be the engraued forme of the person of his father, Heb. 1.3.
2. Things without life are said to hauehave a certaine face, as Luke 12.56. the face of heauen.
3. Properly this word face is giuen vntounto man: and it 1. either signifieth his countenance, as Iesus is said to hauehave fallen vponupon his face, Matth. 26.39. 2. or the bodilie presence: as the Apostle saith he was kept from the Thessalonians, concerning his face, but not in heart, 1. Thessal. 2.17.3. or it is taken for some respect of the gifts of bodie, minde, or some externall condition, as of honour, riches, or such like: in this sense it is said of Christ, Mark. 12.14. thou carest not for the person of any: and S. Iude saith of certaine false teachers, that they hauehave mens persons in admiration for aduantage sake, Iud. v. 16, and in this sense it is taken here, Gryneus. 4. The person then of man betokeneth some qualitie or condition in him, for the which he is respected: either naturall, as the gifts of the minde, sharpnes of wit, memorie, vnderstanding, or of the bodie, as strength, come lines, beutie: or such as are attained vntounto by labour and industrie, as learning, knowledge of arts, wisdome: or externall in worldly respects, as if he be rich, honourable, of authoritie, or such like. 5. Further, some respect of persons is necessarily ioyned with the cause, as a fault in an aged man, or minister, or one that hath knowledge, is greater, then a slippe of a young man, or one that is ignorant: some respect of persons is diuided from the cause, as whether he be rich or poore, honourable or base: and in this sense persons are not to be respected: Martyr.