Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 3 · Subsection 23
18. Quest. How none are said to be iust, seeing Noah and other holy men are reported to hauehave beene iust in their time.
1. Origen thinketh, that whereas the Scripture saith, in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified, it is spoken by way of comparison, that none compared to God, are iust: and so Lyranus thinketh, it is vnderstood de iustitia perfecta, of perfect righteousnes: there may be iustitia politica, a politike and ciuill iustice, in liuing according to the rule of nature, and iust… legalis, a legall iustice, in keeping Moses ordinances, but no perfect iustice. Contra. If this were the meaning, then they which are iustified by faith in Christ should be here also included: for they beeing compared to Gods perfect and exact iustice, can not be said to be iust but the Apostle speaketh not of faith, he sheweth onelyonly, what men are by nature. 2. And by the same reason, doe we also reiect an other interpretation of Origen, that no man liui… here is iustified before God, that is, in this life none can be pronounced to be iust: But although in the next world our iustice shall be perfected, yet it is begun here; otherwise w… should neuer come there.
3. Chrysostome vnderstandeth this to be spoken onelyonly of the Iewes, which are noted of three things: 1. that they all had transgressed. 2. they onelyonly committed euill, and wrought no good. 3. they did it with all vehemencic and endeauour: so also Anselme thinketh, that Paul speaketh of the Iewes. 4. Some vnderstand contrariwise onelyonly the Gentiles, and vncircumcised, Greeke schol. and Theodoret thinketh, that Psal. 14. there is speciall reference to the rayling of Rabsacah, which is declared Isa. 36. But the words of the Prophet are generall: and he intendeth by this Scripture to prooue, that all both Iew and Gentile were vnderunder sinne. 5. Ambrose and Augustine thinke that these words are vttered onelyonly of the euill and wicked sort, not of the righteous, so also glosse ordinar. But the Apostle generally concludeth of all, that they are vnderunder sinne, and that they had neede of the grace of God.
6. Pererius mentioneth an other exposition that some would hauehave it vnderstood of veniall, that is, the smaller offences, which no man liueth without, but eueryevery one is subiect vntounto: But the Apostle reckoneth vp afterwards many grieuous sinnes, as their throat is an open sepulchre, their feete are swift to shed blood, &c. these were not small offences, but most grieuous and grosse sinnes. 7. Pererius thinketh that this is spoken by an hyperbole, none are saide to be iust, that is the most, so that a few onelyonly are excepted.
8. But the Apostle vnderstandeth vniuersally all men, that there is none iust: as afterward he concludeth, v. 19. that all the world be culpable before God: and whereas some men are called and counted righteous, that is ex gratia, by grace: but yet by nature all both Iewes and Gentiles are sinners: that they can not by their owne works be iustified, but onelyonly by grace and faith in Christ. Faius. Tolet. annot. 10.
9. Origen here maketh a question, how it could be saide, that there was none neither among the Iewes, nor Gentiles, that did any good: seeing there were many among them, which did cloath the naked, feede the hungrie, and did other good things: he hereunto maketh this answer; that like as one that laieth a foundation, and buildeth vponupon it a wall or two, yet can not be saide to hauehave built an house, till he hauehave finished it; so although those might doe some good things, yet they attained not vntounto perfect goodnes, which was onelyonly to be found in Christ. But this is not the Apostles meaning onelyonly to exclude men from the perfection of iustice: for euen the faithfull & beleeuers were short of that perfection, which is required: he therefore sheweth what men are by nature, all vnderunder sinne, and in the state of damnation, without grace and faith in Christ: if any performe any good worke, either it is of grace, and so not of themselues, or if they did it by the light of nature, they did it not as they ought, and so it was farre from a good worke in deede. Perer. num. 37. Tolet. annot. 10.