Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 12 · Section 3 · Subsection 10
Quest. 10. What it is to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand. v. 3.
1. This word foreign, to sauour or vnderstand, is sometime taken in the worst part, as Matth. 16.23. to sauour the things which are of men, not the things which are of God: sometime it is vsed in the better sense, as in this place, to vnderstand according to sobrietie.
2. Here diuerse interpretations are brought of this word foreign, to vnderstand aboue or beyond that which is meete to be vnderstood: and what it is to vnderstand according to sobrietie. 1. Origen vnderstandeth here the generall vertue of temperance, that a measure is to be kept in euerie vertue, as if a man exceede in iustice, he becommeth cruell; if in fortitude, he is audacious and rash: and thus a temper and measure must be kept in euerie action: but the words following, as God hath dealt to euerie one the measure of faith, &c. doe not fauour this interpretation. 2. and Hierome likewise is more deceiued, who lib. 1. contra Iovinian. doth apply this place to the commendation of virginitie: and so he readeth here, sapere ad pudicitiam, to be wise vntounto chastitie: but the words following do ouerthrow this sense also.
3. Ireneus lib. 5. c. 20. doth vnderstand this place of the curious enquirie and search after the mysteries of religion: so also Hilarie de Trinitat. l. 10. Erasmus misliketh this sense, because he thinketh the Apostle here speaketh not of the knowledge, but of that opinion which a man hath of himselfe: but this may verie well be here comprehended, as a part of the Apostles meaning to condemne curiositie: so Martyr, Pareus: this fault is committed, when men doe vponupon confidence of their owne wit, seeke out those things, quae investigari sequeant, which cannot be sought out.
4. Tolet most approoueth Basils sense, regul. brev. respons. 264. then a man doth vnderstand more then it meete, when he doth leaue his owne calling, & se ingerit rebus alienis, and doth intermeddle with things belonging to other callings: as Vzzia the king of Iudah, that would hauehave vsurped the Preists office: so that here the fault, called foreign, which is to be a busie-bodie in other mens matters, should be touched by the Apostle.
5. Chrysostome vnderstandeth the Apostle to speake against the elation and arrogancie of the minde, when men doe arrogate all to themselues and detract from others: this best liketh Erasmus, Beza, Osiander: and this arrogancie is of two sorts, when men doe either arrogate to themselues that they hauehave not, or are proude of that which they hauehave, Beza: this pride and selfe louelove hath beene the mother of all heresies, when men not content with the simplicitie of truth, nor to keepe in the beaten tract, hauehave invented new doctrines, Haymo, Faius.
6. All these then may well be receiued: that exceedeth the bounds of sobrietie, who either diueth curiously into Gods secrets, or is drunken with an ouerweening conceit of himselfe: or intrudeth into other mens gifts and office: which last seemeth to be most agreeable to that which followeth: because euerie man hath receiued a certaine measure of faith, a portion of gifts, wherewith he must rest contented: by sobrietie then as Chrysostome saith, the Apostle vnderstandeth modestie, and he thus deriueth the word foreign, sobrietie, foreign, because such hauehave their minds sound, and in a good temper: so he meaneth the soundnes of the minde, not of the bodie: for he that is arrogant, and hath no modestie, ne que mente valere queat, hath a distempered minde: and this as Chrysostome sheweth, is worse, then for one to be naturally a foole, naturae stulium fieri, nihil habet criminis, for one to be a foole by nature, is without his fault, but for one through an ouerweening wit to exceed the bounds of modestie and sobrietie, venia priuat, it deserueth no pardō.