Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 3 · Subsection 32 – Subsection 38
Quest. 28. Of these words, v. 22. The righteousnesse of Go by the faith of Iesus Christ, vntounto all and vppon all.
1. Here the Apostle toucheth first the efficient and principall cause of this righteousnes, which is God, then the materiall cause Christ with his obedience both actiue and passiue, in performing the lawe, and bearing the punishment thereof for vsus: then the instrumentall cause, which is faith: and the subiect, wherein this faith is seene, and vntounto whom it belongeth, euen vntounto all and vponupon all.
2. The faith of Christ is not here taken actiuely, for the faith which Christ had, but passiuely for the faith, whereby Christ is had and possessed: And by faith here is not vnderstood a generall assent onelyonly, or naked knowledge, but a firme perswasion of the heart, ioyned with a sure and certaine knowledge of things hoped for: as the Apostle ioyneth both together, Hebr. 11.1. defining faith, to be the ground of things hoped for, there is the assurance and confidence: and the euidence of things which are not seene, there is the knowledge.
3. This faith doth not iustifie, effective, as working an habituall iustice in vsus, nor materialiter, materially, as though faith in it selfe were that, whereby we are iustified: but it iustifieth obiective, as it apprehendeth Christ: and organice, iustrumentally, as it applyeth the righteousnesse of Christ, to them which beleeue, Pareus.
4. Further concerning faith, it differeth much from opinion, suspition, science, or knowledge: opinion, though it incline vntounto the truth, yet it is vncertaine and doubtfull, so is not faith: suspition giueth but a weake assent, but faith is a firme and sure perswasion: as opinion is an vncertaintie of the iudgement, so is suspition in the will and assent, neither are in faith: knowledge bringeth a firme assent, but it is by demonstration of reason: now faith beleeueth beyond reason: And of faith there are two kinds: one is a vaine and temporarie faith, which is fruitlesse and without charitie, as in the parable of the sower, some seede fell in stonie and thornie ground; such faith iustifieth not; there is a liuely and effectuall faith, which is onelyonly in the Saints; and this is the true iustifying faith; which yet admitteth diuerse degrees, in some it bringeth forth thirtie, in some sixtie, in some an hundred fold: there are two impediments of faith, the one is curiositie, to seeke fully to comprehend the things which we beleeue, the other is doubtfulnesse to be vncertaine of them: Both these Basil toucheth writing of faith, ne contendas videre ca, qua precul reposita sunt, ne que eae quae sperentur, ambigua statuas, striue not to gaze vponupon those things, which are set farre off, neither hold vncertaine the things hoped for, Mart.
5. Here it shall not be amisse to note the diuersitie of phrases which the Apostle vseth, when he speaketh of faith: it is called the righteousnesse of God, c. 1.17. and of or from God, Philip. 3.10. righteousnesse by faith, c. 3.22. and of faith, c. 5.1. righteousnesse without works, c. 3.28. the righteousnesse of faith, c. 4.11.13. righteousnesse in the blood of Christ, c. 5.9. righteousnesse by the obedience of Christ, c. 5.19. righteousnesse not our owne: Philip. 3.9. righteousnesse imputed of God, c. 4. v. 6.10.
6. And whereas it is added, toward all, and vponupon all. 1. Some doe thus distinguish, that the first (all) noteth the Iewes, the second the Gentiles, Oecumen. some by the first vnderstand the Apostles, by the second those which were afterward called: Anselme, super omnes, vponupon or aboue all, interpreteth, supra captum omnium, aboue the teach or capacitie of all: But this is rather doubled to shew, neminem excludi, that none of the faithfull are excluded, Pareus: and in that he saith aboue or vponupon all, Gods ouerflowing iustice is signified, which ouerfloweth as waters, Faius. 2. But this vniuersall particle (all) must be restrained onelyonly vntounto those which beleeue: for as Ambrose saith, habet populus Dei plenitudinem suam, &c. the people of God hauehave a certaine fulnesse, & specialis quaedam censetur vniuersitas, &c. and there is a speciall kind of vniuersalitie, when the whole world (of the elect) seemeth to be deliuered out of the whole world, &c. de vocat. gent. lib. 1. c. 3.
Quest. 29. What it is to be depriued of the glorie of God, v. 23.
1. Origen vnderstandeth these words, effective, by way of the effect: quomodo auderes peccator gloriam Deodare, how should the sinner presume to giuegive glorie vntounto God: the praise of God is not seemely in a sinners mouth. 2. Oecumenius taketh the word foreign, literally, thus interpreting, they are left behind, post tergum est gloria & beneficentia Dei, the glorie and beneficence of God, is behind thy backe: that is, Gods grace doth preuent thee: because a man is iustified freely without his own works. 3. Some by the glorie of God vnderstand iustification, whereby Gods glorie appeareth, Lyran. per quam gloriosus apparet, by the which the Lord appeareth glorious: so also gloss. ordinar. Hugo, Gorrhan. 4. Faius by this glorie vnderstandeth that image of God in righteousnesse and holinesse, after the which man was created: which man hath blotted out by his fall: so also Martyr applyeth it to the corruption of mans nature. 5. Theodoret taketh this glorie for the presence of the grace of God: in which sense the arke of the couenant was called the glorie of God, because there he shewed himselfe visibly present: as when the Philistians had takes the Arke, it is saide, the glorie is departed from Israel, 1. Sam. 4.22. 6. Melancthon by glorie would hauehave vnderstood, that grace, acceptance, and approbation, which men hauehave with God, beeing iustified by faith: so also Osiander, Tolet, Caietan, vnderstand glori… hominis apud Deum, the glorie of man, that is his acceptance with God: and there is here a secret opposition betweene glorie with men, which we may attaine vntounto by workes, as the Apostle sheweth, c. 4.2. and glorie with God: to this purpose also Calvin and Piscatur.
7. Wherefore with Chrysostome we here vnderstand rather the glorie of eternall life: he that offendeth God, non ad eos pertinet, quibus ascribenda est gloria, doth not appertaine vntounto those, to whom eternall glorie shall be ascribed: and so Beza also well giueth the sense of the word foreign, which is vsed of those which came short in the race, and cannot attaine vntounto the marke or price, that is set before them: so also Gryneus, they cannot attaine ad metam vitae illius gloriosae, to the marke of that glorious life, which is set before vsus in heauen: of this glorie the Apostle spake before, c. 2.10. to euerie one that doth good, shall be glorie, and honour: the meaning then is, that all men by their sinne, are strangers, and as banished men from God, and his kingdom, which is not recouerable by mans workes, neither is there any way to come vntounto God, and euerlasting saluation, but onelyonly by faith in Christ: So that all religions whatsoeuer are condemned beside the Christian faith, as not beeing able to bring vsus vntounto God, Pareus.
Quest. 30. Of iustification freely by grace, v. 24.
1. Here the Apostle expresseth all the causes of our iustification. 1. the efficient, which is the grace of God, that is, not the doctrine of the Gospel freely reuealed, as the Pelagians vnsterstand it, nor the graces of the spirit infused, as the Romanists: but by the grace of God we vnderstand, the free merciemercy and goodnesse of God toward mankind. 2. the formall cause and manner, is in that we are freely iustified without any merit of our owne: the word foreign, freely, is sometime taken in an other sense, as Galat. 2.22. if righteousnesse were by the law, then Christ died foreign, without cause: but here it signifieth firely. 3. the meritorious and working cause is Christ Iesus, who hath redeemed vsus, and the instrumentall cause, is faith. 4. the ende in respect of vsus, is our saluation and iustification: in respect of God, the manifestation of his righteousnes to his glorie.
2. Thorough the redemption. 1. This word is taken improperly for any deliuerance out of daunger, as God is said to hauehave redeemed his people out of the thraldome and captiuitie of Egypt: but properly it signifieth such deliuerance, as when any thing beeing in an others occupying, is freed and exempted, by paying the price: and such redemption is either corporall, as when men are deliuered from externall and corporall bondage; or spirituall: such is our redemption by Christ: whose death, the price of our redemption, was in respect of the deede corporall, beeing historically done, but in regard of the effect and fruit it was spirituall, in redeeming vsus from the spirituall bondage of sinne, the deuill, and hell. 2. This redemption is taken two waies, either properly for the very worke of our redemption purchased by the death of Christ: or for the effect thereof, the consummation of that worke of our redemption in euerlasting life: as it is taken, Rom. 8.22. Pareus.
3. But it will be obiected, that we are not freely iustified, seeing that Christ hath paied the ransome for vsus: how then is that said to be freely done, where a price is paied? Answ. It is free ex parte hominū, on mans behalfe, because no price for their redemption is exacted of them: but ex parte Christi, on Christs part it was not free, because he paied a most sufficient, and exact price for our redemption: So the Prophet saith, Come buie without money, Isa. 55.1. they are saide to buie saluation, because it is bought for them by Christ, and yet without money; because Christ paied the debt for them: Tolet. So in the worke of our redemption are seene both the iustice, and free merciemercy of God: the first, in that Gods wrath was so testified by the death of Christ: the other toward vsus, in that God hath giuen his sinne freely to die for vsus.
31. Quest. How God is said to hauehave proposed or set forth Christ to be our reconciliation.
1. Whome God hath set forth or proposed: Ambrose readeth, disposed, and some vnderstand it of the publike exhibiting and proposing of Christ in the preaching of the Gospel, Tolet. but this word rather sheweth the euerlasting purpose and decree of God from the beginning of the world, to giuegive his sonne for our redemption: so is the word foreign taken Rom. 8.28. euen to them, that are called of his purpose. Faius. And hence may two obiections be answered: 1. how it might stand with the iustice of God, that his most innocent Sonne should die for others. Answ. This was Gods purpose from the beginning of the world: it was the decree of the whole Trinitie, that the Sonne of God should be the Redeemer of the world: yea and Christ also offered himselfe, 1. Tim. 2.8. Faius. 2. Some obiect, how the death of Christ, and whence it should hauehave vertue to reconcile vsus vntounto God: what proportion is there betweene the infinite sea of mens sinnes, and the short death of Christ, that was not extended beyond three daies. Answ. The vertue of Christs death dependeth of the purpose of God: he so appointed, decreed, and purposed, that by this meanes the world should be redeemed: the Lord in his infinite power, could hauehave appointed other meanes: but he thought none fitter for the recouering of our decaied estate: Pareus.
2. Christ is called foreign, the reconciliation: which some thinke may be taken in the masculine gender, that he is our reconciliator: Tolet. annot. 21. where there is a manifest allusion vntounto the propitiation of the Arke, which was called cappareth, the propitiatorie: Christ was then signified by that golden propitiatorie, which couered the Arke, from whence the Lord deliuered his oracles. Origen is here somewhat curious in his typicall applications: by the gold vnderstanding the puritie of Christ, by the length & breadth, his diuinitie and humanitie: but I omit them as too curious obseruations: Beza thinketh, that the Apostle in saying whome God foreign, hath proposed, alludeth vntounto the propitiatorie, which was then kept within the vaile, but now is publikely proposed, and exhibited, that vaile beeing remooued: but the Apostle, in this word proposed, hath reference rather to the purpose and counsell of God, as is before shewed.
3. Through faith in his blood: 1. by blood is vnderstood by a synecdoche, the whole sacrifice of Christ, which was the consummation of his obedience: And he saith in his blood, that is, by his blood, as the instrument of our redemption: for there are two instruments of our redemption; one on Christs part, his death and shedding of his blood; the other on ours, which is our faith, Mart. these words, in his blood, some doe referre vntounto the word reconciliation, Theodoret, Anselme, Tolet: some vntounto the next words before, (through faith) as the Syrian interpreter: But it may very well be ioyned with both, that our reconciliation was purchased by Christs blood, and Christs blood can not profit vsus, vnlesse we beleeue it to hauehave beene shedde for vsus. Pareus.
32. Quest. How we are said to be iustified freely, seeing faith is required, which is an act in the beleeuer.
1. This obiection may further be vrged thus: that is freely bestowed, which is conferred without any helpe or worke in the receiuer: seeing then a man must bring faith, which is a worke of the will, how is he said to be iustified freely?
Ans. 1. Tolet first hath this answer, that we are said to be iustified freely through faith; because faith is the free gift of God: and it is giuen vsus freely to merit our saluation by faith: But he himselfe misliketh this answer: for to be iustified freely, and by the merit of faith in any other gift, it can not stand together: for where merit and worke is, the wages is not counted by fauour, and so freely, but by debt, Rom. 4.4.
2. The better answer then is, that we are iustified freely, although the condition of faith be required, because faith doth not iustifie, vt actus quidem noster est, as it is an act of ours: but all the vertue thereof proceedeth from the obiect: as the Israelites beeing healed by looking vponupon the brasen serpent, obtained not their health, by the very act of opening their eyes, but by the obiect, which they beheld, which was the serpent: And like as when a rich man giueth his almes vntounto the poore, though he stretch out his hand to receiue it, yet is it said notwithstanding to be a free gift. Tolet. annot. 20. 3. But adde here further, that as when a blind man putteth forth his hand, but he that giueth is faine to direct it, to receiue the almes: or if a man hauehave a weake and withered hand, which he is not able to stretch out, vnlesse the other that giueth doe lift it vp: in this case eueryevery way the gift is free: So our will is not of it selfe apt to beleeue, or will any thing aright, vnlesse the Lord direct it: faith then beeing both the worke of God in straining our will, and faith receiuing all the vertue from the obiect which it apprehendeth, namely Christ: it remaineth, that faith notwithstanding, we are iustified freely. Faius.
33. Quest. v. 25. To declare his iustice or righteousnes, what iustice the Apostle vnderstandeth here.
1. Chrysostome vnderstandeth the declaration of Gods iustice by the effects thereof: like as God declareth his riches, not that he is rich in himselfe, but in making others rich: and his power, not in that he euer liueth himselfe, but in raising others to life: so his iustice is declared, not in beeing iust in himselfe, but in making others iust. But this iustifying of sinners is a worke of Gods merciemercy, not of his iustice.
2. Theodoret herein will hauehave Gods iustice to be manifested, because he did sustaine the sinnes of the world with patience, forbearing to punish them: but this likewise was an effect of his goodnes and merciemercy, not of his iustice.
3. Ambrose vnderstandeth this iustice of God in keeping, and performing his promise: but the iustice of God is not here to be taken in a diuers sense, then before v. 22. the righteousnes of God by the faith of Iesus Christ.
4. Some doe take the iustice of God here, for his goodnes, merciemercy, and clemencie: as the Prophet Dauid vseth to pray, Iudge me according to thy righteousnes, that is, thy goodnes, Pareus: but this seemeth not to be so proper here.
5. Some vnderstand the iustice of God, in not leauing sinne vnpunished, Lyran. it was the iustice of God, that the price of our redemption should not be paid otherwise, then by the blood of Christ: but this is not the iustice of faith, which the Apostle spake of before.
6. Therefore this iustice, which the Lord manifested and declared, is none other but the righteousnes of faith, before touched: and as the words here following doe shew, by the forgiuenes of sinnes: God reuealed and manifested this to be the true iustice, whereby men are iustified before him, euen the righteousnes of faith: so August. lib. de spir. & lit. cap. 13. Anselme, Tolet, Osiander.
34. Quest. What is meant by sinnes that are past, v. 25.
1. Some think that this is vnderstood of the fathers in the law, which were kept in Limbus, who though thorough remission of their sinnes, they were freed from punishment, yet they were not receiued vntounto glorie: gloss. ordin. Gorrhan. But Tolet confuteth this interpretation, (though he allow the opinion) as not agreeable to the Apostles minde: for the words are not to be so limited and restrained: but generally the Apostle vnderstandeth such sinnes as he spake of before, v. 23. All hauehave sinned, and are depriued of the glorie of God. And if the sinnes were not yet remitted vntill Christs comming vntounto the Patriarks, they could not be freed, no not from the punishment. 2. The Novatians vnderstand those former sinnes, which were passed, of sinnes going before vocation and iustification, denying all remedie vntounto sinnes committed afterward: But this were to make the death of Christ of small force, if there were no place for forgiuenes, euen after one is iustified: Dauid fell into those two grieuous sinnes of murther and adulterie after he was called, and yet was restored againe. 3. Catharinus with other Romanists, vnderstand likewise sinnes going before iustification and baptisme: the rest that follow after, they say must be purged by other meanes, as by repentance and satisfaction: But the Apostle speaketh generally of all sinnes, If any man sinne, we hauehave an advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the iust, 1. Ioh. 2.2. Christ is our aduocate as well for sinnes before baptisme, as after: but see more for the confutation of thir error among the Controversies. 4. The Apostle then compareth not the persons, but the sinnes and the times, and sheweth, that euen the sinnes committed vnderunder the law, and from the beginning of the world, were redeemed by no other way, then by faith in Christ: God by his patience did forbeare to punish those sinnes, as not imputing them, because of the Redeemer which was to come. Agreeable hereunto is that place, Heb. 9.15. For this cause is he the Mediatour of the new Testament, that thorough death, which was for the transgression in the former Testament, they which were called might receiue the promise of euerlasting inheritance: By conference of these places together, it is euident, that by sinnes that are past are meant not the sinnes going before baptisme, or iustification, but the sinnes committed vnderunder the old Testament, to shew that there was no remission of sinnes from the beginning of the world, but by faith in Christ. And this further appeareth, because the Apostle faith, v. 26. to shew at this time his righteousnes, &c. he setteth the present time of the Gospel, and the reuelation of grace against the former times.