Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 14 · Section 3 · Subsection 19 – Subsection 22
Quest. 13. Of the tribunall seate of Christ, what it is, and of other circumstances of the day of iudgement.
Here Origen hath a wittie discourse of the day of iudgement, and the manner thereof: wherein some things he saith well, and he misseth as his manner is in other: the summe is this, which shall be reduced to these three heads, which are confusedly there handled, and shuffled together. 1. who shall iudge. 2. in what manner. 3. who shall be iudged.
1. Christ shall be the Iudge, as here it is called the tribunall seat of God: and whereas to the Corinth. 2. ep. 5.10. it is named the throne or tribunall seat of Christ, thence is it gathered, that there is the same tribunall of Christ, and God, as Christ saith in the Gospell, all which the father hath, is mine: but if any thinke there is any difference to be made between these two, it may be this: the name of Christ properly, est indicium verbi in carne positi, signifieth the word placed in our flesh: that then is the tribunall seat of Christ, wherein he sitteth, till he hauehave put downe all his enemies vnderunder his feete, and perfectly reconciled the world, and gathered together all that shall be conuerted, then shall he deliuer vp the kingdome to his father, and then shall it be the tribunall seate of God, &c. But here Origen somewhat misseth: for beside that in both places it is called, the tribunall of Christ, this tribunall of Christ, is the seat of iudgement, wherein Christ shall sit and iudge in the last day, not as God onelyonly, but as God, and man: and after this iudgement finished, though Christ shall not raigne in that manner, as nowe he doth, because all his enemies shall be subdued, yet he shall hauehave a celestiall kingdome still, and the same to continue for euer, though not to be administred in that manner, as it is now in his Church.
2. Touching the manner: here an allusion is made vntounto the tribunall seates of terrene iudges, who sit aloft in their throne, ne lateant conspectui, &c. that nothing be hid from their sight, either touching the punishment of the guiltie, and clearing of the innocent: so nothing shall be hid vntounto that supreame Iudge in that day: but all things shall be manifested vntounto him, euen the secrets of the conscience, not onelyonly vntounto God, but vniuersae creatura rationabili, to eueryevery reasonable creature: the Angels shall read the booke of conscience, which then shall be vnfolded: at que ita criminum nostrorum in quibus nunc vnum saltem testem pati confundimur, &c. and so of our sinnes, whereof we are now ashamed to hauehave our witnes, we shall then hauehave the innumerable companies of Angels witnesses, &c. This is true, that there is nothing now so hid and secret, euen the thoughts of our hearts, which shall not then be made manifest, for God shall discouer mens secret thoughts, and acts: but the Angels shall not then reade the bookes of the conscience of themselues, as knowers of the heart, but first discouered and vnfolded by Christ.
3. Origen also in the same place touching those which shall be iudged, mooueth this doubt, how euerie one is said to be iudged according to their workes, 2. Cor. 5.10. seeing there is no man but hath both good workes and bad: to this doubt he supposeth two answears. 1. that some may be imagined to be so good, that no euill be found in them, some so euill that no good hath place in them: but this he refuseth, for neither is any so perfectly good, nor yet so absolutely euill, no not Iudas, that is void of all goodnes. 2. and to say, that one and the same man shall goe to paradise for his good workes, and to hell for his euill, is more vnreasonable. 3. so then he concludeth and insisteth vponupon this answear, that there is no good accounted in them, vbi praeponderant mala, in whom the euill things doe weigh downe in number, nor yet any euill in them, in quibus praeponderant bona; in whom the good things are more in weight and number: but this is no sufficient answear neither: for euen in the Saints, their sinnes are more in number then their good workes: as Iob saith, If God should call him to account, he was not able to answear him one thing of a thousand, Iob. 9.2. 4. wherefore, God shall iudge men according to their workes, not the quantitie and number of them, but the qualitie, whether the good things which they doe, proceede from aliuely faith: and the euill which they commit, be done rather of infirmitie and weaknes, then of wilfulnes and obstinacie: and wherein they fayle, if they are restored by repentance, which is the most speciall worke of faith.
Quest. 20. Whether the saying of the Prophet alleadged, v. 11. be rightly cited by the Apostle.
There appeareth a twofold difference betweene the Prophets words as they doe stand in the prophecie, and as they are here cited by the Apostle, both as touching the words & sense.
1. Isay saith, 45.23. I hauehave sworne by my selfe: but here the Apostle, I liue saith the Lord: but this in effect is all one, for whereas the Prophet saith, God hath sworne, the Apostle setteth downe the forme of Gods oath, who because he hath not a greater to sweare by, sweareth by himselfe, and whereas the Apostle saith, euerie tongue shall sweare by me, the Apostle following the Septuagint saith, euerie tongue shall confesse, which is a consequent of the other, for he that sweareth confesseth God, and calleth him to witnesse, and to be a iudge against him that sweareth falsely.
2. Concerning the sense: that which is there generally spoken of God, is here particularly applied vntounto Christ: for beside that the glorie which is due vntounto the Godhead, belongeth vntounto the person of Christ, as beeing one God with his father: these reasons may be giuen of the particular application of this place vntounto Christ. 1. because the Apostle maketh speciall mention of his person, and vponupon this occasion, that which is common to him with the father and the holy Ghost, is specially applied to Christ. 2. because that Christ seemed by his death to be abased, this is inserted, to shew, that there was no imminution or decrease by that his humiliation, and abasing in his humane nature of his diuine glorie at all. 3. because mention is here made of iudgement, which is committed to Christ, this place is specially applied to him, who is appointed to be iudge of the world: see Iunius further, parallel. 25. lib. 2.
21. Quest. When this prophesie shall be fulfilled, that eueryevery tongue shall confesse vntounto God, v. 11.
1. Haymo vnderstandeth it onelyonly of the elect, not of the wicked, for the praise of God becommeth not their mouth: but the Apostle by this Scripture prooueth that which he said before, we shall all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ: this then is spoken generally of all.
2. Gorrhan, following the interlin. glosse, referreth it to the inward conscience, which is one and the same in eueryevery one: and so he obserueth three things here in this great Iudge; his eternitie, (I liue,) his generall power, eueryevery knee shall bow, and his infallibilitie for knowledge, the very conscience shall confesse him: but it is euident that the Apostle speaketh not onelyonly of the internall, but of the externall confession; because the Prophet saith, whence this sentence is taken, eueryevery tongue shall sweare.
3. Some thinke this is a prophesie of the calling of the Gentiles, that then eueryevery tongue should confesse, Bullin. but the Apostle speaketh not of all sorts & kinds of men in generall, but of eueryevery one in particular: as it followeth in the next verse, EueryEvery one of vsus shall giuegive account for himselfe.
4. Wherefore, although this prophesie is in part fulfilled in this life, for both the faithfull doe publikely professe the name of Christ in the world now, and euen the wicked are many times forced to acknowledge Gods iustice; yet it shall not fully be accomplished vntill Christ come in the clouds, when all flesh shall appeare before Christ, and euen the wicked in that day, will they, nill they, shall be forced to acknowledge Christ to be their Iudge, when they shall wish the hills to fall and couer them from his presence, Revel. 6. so then although we see not all things now subdued to Christ, Hebr. 2.8. yet when the last enemie is destroied, which is death, then all things shall be subdued vntounto him, when he shall hauehave deliuered vp the kingdome to his father, 1. Cor. 15.27, 28.
22. Quest. Whether eueryevery one shall giuegive account for himselfe, and appeare before Christs iudgement seat, v. 12.
1. Obiect. Pastors which are set ouer mens soules, shall giuegive account for them, Heb. 13.17. therefore not eueryevery one for himselfe. Ans. It followeth not, for some shall giuegive account both for themselues, and others, as Pastors, some for themselues onelyonly, as eueryevery particular person: and the Pastor shall not answer for others, as in their place, and as they are their owne proper faults, for so they shall answer for them, eueryevery one for himselfe; but for their negligence, and want of care, whereby they suffered their sheepe and flocke to miscarrie.
2. Obiect. The faithfull shall not be iudged at all: Ioh. 3.18. He that beleeueth in him, shall not be iudged. Ans. There is iudicium condemnationis, a iudgement of condemnation, and so onelyonly they which beleeue not shall be iudged, which either had no faith at all, or lost that which they had; and there is iudicium retributionis, a iudgement of retribution, and so all generally shall be iudged, the righteous vntounto life, and the wicked vntounto condemnation, Lyran. but in that place rather the meaning is, he that beleeueth, shall not be condemned.
3. Obiect. The Psalmist saith, The wicked shall not stand in iudgement, Psal. 1. then eueryevery one shall not giuegive account at that day. Hugo here answereth by this distinction, that there is iudicium condemnationis, a iudgement of condemnation, and iudicium disputationis, a iudgement of scanning and disceptation: the vnbeleeuers vnderstood there by the wicked, shall stand in the first iudgement, not in the second: there iniquitie is so notorious, that it neede no scanning or discussing: but those which were beleeuers, and yet were euill liuers, shall hauehave the other iudgement, they shall be sifted, and their sinnes examined. But this is no sufficient answer. 1. for in the day of iudgement, all those which shall be condemned, shall hauehave their sinnes obiected against them, their owne consciences accusing them, as is set forth in that forme of iudiciall proceeding described by our blessed Sauiour, Matth. 25. all the goats at the left hand, shall hauehave their sinnes laid vntounto their charge. 2. neither is the scanning and discussing of their sinnes properly a iudgement, but an euidence and preparing vntounto iudgement, when the definitive sentence is giuen. 3. in that place of the Psalme, by not standing vp in iudgement, is not meant, their not appearing, but the manner, that they shall not stand forth with boldnes, as the faithfull shall, but with heauie and cast-downe countenance, wishing that any thing might hide them from the presence of him which sitteth vponupon the throne, Revel. 6.16. whereas the righteous shall stand forth boldly, as the Prophet saith, Isa. 8.18. Behold, here am I, and the children which thou hast giuen me.