Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 2 · Section 3 · Subsection 29
Quest. 29. What precepts the lawe of nature containeth and prescribeth.
This may be shewed, both generally in the diuerse kinds of those things whereof these precepts consist, and in particular, by a seuerall induction and instance in the precepts of the morall lawe.
1. Man is bound to carrie himselfe vpright, both toward God that is aboue him, toward other men like himselfe, and toward such things as are inferiour vntounto him, and vnderunder his rule and command: as within him his bodie, sense, affections, without him, honour, riches, pleasure, and such like. In all these, man receiueth some direction from the lawe of nature: for the first he is taught to louelove God and feare him aboue all, as beeing the maker of all things: for the second, there are two naturall precepts: one affirmatiue, whatsoeuer you would that men should doe vntounto you, doe vntounto them: Matth. 7.12. the other negatiue, quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri ne feceris, that which you would not hauehave done to you, offer not to another: for the third, euen Cicero by the light of nature could say, animus imperat corpori vt Rex ciuibus, ratio libidimi, vt seruis dominus, the minde ruleth the bodie as the king his citizens, reason the lust, as the master gouerneth the seruants, lib. 3. de repub. which words are cited by Augustine lib. 4. cont. Iulian. c. 12. euen by naturall reason man hath some direction to guide himselfe in the desiring and coueting of the temporall things of this life.
2. Another generall demonstration there is of these naturall precepts: for man hath some naturall inclinations common to all other things, some incident onelyonly to things that hauehave life, and some peculiar to humane nature: of the first kind, is the desire which euerie thing hath for it owne preseruation: and hence it is that a man naturally declineth all things which are hurtfull to his life, and is inclined by nature to preserue his bodie and life: as Tullie saith, generi animantium omni est à natura tributum, &c. it is giuen by nature vntounto euerie liuing thing, to defend it owne bodie and life: of the second sort, is the procreation and education of children, which is by nature giuen vntounto vnreasonable creatures: of the third kind are those things which specially belong vntounto the nature of man, as a desire to knowe the truth, and to acknowledge God, and liue sociably with other men: so Tullie also saith, eadem natura virationis hominem conciliat homini, & adorationis & vitae societatem, &c. the same nature by the force of reason doth ioyne man to man, both in the societie of speach, and life, lib. 1. de officijs.
3. But more euidently shall it appeare what nature prescribeth, by particular induction in the seuerall commandements of the morall lawe.
1. Concerning the worship of the onelyonly God: the heathen by nature had some knowledge thereof, as Cyrellus lib. 1 cont. Iulian. citeth Pythagoras: Deus vnus est, &c. God is one, not without the gouernment of the world, as some thinke, sed in ipso est tot …s en toto orbe, but he is in it, wholly in the whole, he considereth all generations, the beginning of all things, the father of all, &c. the same father sheweth how Orpheus recanted his error of the multitude of Gods, and in the end ackowledged one onelyonly God.
2. And as touching the adoration of images: Strabo writeth, that the Persians had neither altars, nor images: and when they warred against the Greecians they ouerthrewe and burned their temples with their images: the like Cornelius Tacit. writeth of the Germanes: quod coelesti maiestati parum convenire putauerunt, &c. that they thought it not agreeable to the celestiall maiestie, to include the gods within walls, or to resemble them to any humane shape; Numa Pompilius thought it vnlawfull, to ascribe any forme either of man or beast vntounto God that was invisible.
3. Touching the abusing and profaning of the name of God: Tullus Hostilius was killed with lightening, and his house burned, because he attempted by certaine irreligious excorcismes to call vp Iupiter Elicius: Theophrastus, as Plutarke writeth, noted Pericles, that beeing sicke shewed vntounto his friend, certaine enchanted toyes hanging about his necke.
4. And the Gentiles also obserued their Sabboths and dayes of rest: wherein it was of their blind and corrupt nature, that they added many superstitious obseruations of their owne: yet nature taught them, that some time was to be set apart for the worship of their gods.
5. The Gentiles also commended the honouring of parents, and condemned disobedience vntounto them: therefore Solon beeing asked why he appointed no punishment for such as killed their parents, answered, because he thought that none would be so wicked to attempt any such thing.
6. Such was the hatred of the detestable sinne of murther among the Romanes, that for the space of 620. yeares from the first building of Rome none was found to hauehave beene killed within the citie walles by any priuate mans hand, as Dion, Holicarnass. obserueth.
7. Adulterie was odious by the light of nature among the Gentiles: as appeareth by the iudgement of Pharaoh, and Abimelech concerning Sara Abrahams wife, Gen. 22. & 20.
8. Theft by Draco his lawe was punished with death: Solon thought that too grieuous a punishment, and enioyned double restitution for theft: the Indians and Scythians because they had not houses to keepe their goods in, counted theft among the most grieuous offences: the like opinion they had of fraud and impostures: Cato beeing asked, quod faenerari, what it was to be an vsurer, answeared, quid hominem occidere? what is it to kill a man?
9. The Indians most seuerely punished those, which were taken in a lie: and generally among the heathen, they so detested falshood, and were iealous and suspicious of false testimonies: that, as Cicero saith, it was generally receiued, vt vel amplissimi homines, ne in miximis rebus, &c. that no not the most excellent men, euen in the smallest matters should giuegive testimonie in their owne cause: and for the same reason, they would not suffer any to be a witnesse against his enemie: for it was supposed he would make a lie to endanger him whom he hated.
10. The Gentiles also were not ignorant, that it was vnlawfull to couer the things of another: as when Xerxes dealt with Leonides to hauehave revoulted, and promised to make him Monarch of Greece: he receiued this answer from him, If you had knowne, saith Leonides, what things are honest in mans life, abstinuisses à concupiscendis alienis, you would hauehave abstained from coueting other mens things. And thus by this particular induction, it is euident, how the effect of the morall law, is naturally written in the heart of man, and that the lawe of nature, if it be not blinded, commandeth the same things which the written lawe of God, ex Gualtero.