Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 12 · Section 3 · Subsection 35
31. Quest. Of these words, v. 21. Be not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnes.
1. The Apostle concludeth this place concerning patience in not reuenging our selues of our enemies, with this excellent sentence: which containeth a dehortation from impatience, be not ouercome of euill: and an exhortation to patience, but ouercome euill with goodnes: and so as Origen obserueth, contraria contrarijs perimuntur, one contrarie destroieth an other, as eueryevery thing is increased by the like: as fire waxeth greater, if fire be added to it, and the darknes of the night is increased by a cloudie skie: so euill is augmented, when euill is added to it; as if euill be recompenced with euill: he is ouercome of euill, qui malis provocatus reddit malum, which beeing prouoked by euill, rendreth euill againe: but he ouercommeth euill with goodnes, that hauing receiued euill, restituit bona, doth restore good things, Origen.
2. Erasmus noteth, that here good and euil, are not referred vntounto the good or euill man; but thereby are vnderstood, wrong, and beneficence, or patience: this is true: but yet he that is impatient, and is ouercome of euill, thereby also becommeth euill; as Haymo noteth, similis efficeris, thou art made like vntounto him that did the wrong, by not suffering of wrong: as it is said, Prov. 26.4. Answer not a foole in his foolishnes, least thou also be like him.
3. So this is an excellent perswasion to recompence euill with good, because thereby we obtaine the victorie; as Chrysostome here noteth, inimicum tuum interroga, &c. aske thine enemie, when he is most grieued, when thou railest beeing railed vponupon, or when thou laughest the rayler to scorne, he will answer thee the last, &c. and so Ambrose saith, lib. 1. de offic. c. 36. vindicare se non esse actum fortitudinis, sed abiectionis & timiditatis, that for a man to reuenge himselfe, is no act of fortitude, but of cowardlines and timiditie: it is a noble thing to ouercome, but more noble to ouercome euill, but most noble of all to ouercome euill with good, Gorrhan.
4. And as he ouercommeth, that rendreth good for euill, so he is ouercome, which recompenceth euill for euill: he onelyonly doth not bring euill vponupon himselfe, but a greater euill, then his enemie offered him: for that was but malum poena, the euill of punishment, as it is called: but he by his impatience and reuenge, sibi infert malum culpa, doth bring on him euill, that is sinne, Tolet: and so he is ouercome of a threefold euill, of the euill which his enemie put vponupon him, of the euill of his owne passion and corrupt affection; and Haymo addeth the third, à diabolo, he is ouercome of the deuill.
5. Lyranus here obserueth, that alwaies it is not good to sustaine wrongs, as when thereby datur andacia malefici malis, the euill take greater encouragement, and boldnes to doe euill: and to this purpose he alleadgeth Gregorie in his moralls, Quidam cum temporalia inobis bona subtrahant, sunt tolerandi, &c. some are to be tolerated, when they take from vsus our temporalls, some are to be staied in charitie, not so much, that they robbe vsus not of ours, quam ne non sita rapientes, seipsos pendant, &c. as, lest in taking that which is not theirs, they destroy themselues, &c. But then we are to shew our patience, when by defending our selues, some great euill is like against the honour of God.
6. P. Martyr also here mooueth this doubt; whereas we are here bid to ouercome euill with goodnes; that is, to giuegive our enemie meat and drinke in his need: what shall become of excommunicate persons, with whom we are charged not to eat, 1. Cor. 5.11. and such as are enemies to the truth, whome we are not to bid, God speede, 2. epist. Iam. The answer is, that we must not doe any of these things, comitatis aut familiaritatis causa, for familiaritie or acquaintance sake, but onelyonly to minister to their necessitie; ne desimus officio charitatis, that we be not behind in the dutie of charitie.