Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 14 · Dialogue 2
DIAL. II.
Verses 3, 4, 5. For God hath receiued him, who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant? he standeth or falleth to his owne Maister, yea hee shall bee established, for God is able to make him stand. This man esteemeth, &c.
Tim.
WHat do the third and fourth Verses contain?
Silas.
The three Reasons before spoken of. The first whereof is in these words (For God hath receiued him.)
Tim.
What is meant by Receiuing, and by Him?
Silas.
Receiuing, signifies the taking and adopting some to be his people, which were not his people. By [Him] is meant the Gentiles, who beeing enemies and strangers from God, and Infidels and seruers of idolles: by the louelove and fauour of God, were taken into the Family of the Church, to be members of Christ thorough faith. Albeit these wordes do belong also vntounto the Iew, weake in faith, for euen Him also hath God graciously adopted in Christ; yet the word (iudging) which immediately goes before, and followes after, shewes it dooth more fitly belong to the beleeuing Gentile, by the Gospell brought neere, and receyued to bee a people; for it was the Iewes fault to iudge the Gentile, as they despised the Iews. The sum of the Apostles reason is this: Seeing God hath so dearely loued the Gentiles, as to make them his people, therefore the weake Iewes were too blame to condemne them, for vsing their Christian liberty in meates and dayes.
Tim.
What doctrine are we to gather from these words?
Silas.
That all beleeuing people (bee they Iewes or Gentiles) are deare vntounto God. The reason heereof is, because they are his children by grace, and the members of his Sonne, hauing their sins forgiuen them, and his image imprinted in them, being heyrs of God, & fellow-heyres with Christ; also beleeuers are the spouse of Christ, & his flock the husbandry & vineyard of God. This must cause vsus to receiue and make much of those whome God hath taken into his louelove. In Kings Courts, they are loued of all, which are loued of the King. When the King would honor Mordechai, euen Hamon must do him honor: so it is our part kindly to affect and entreate all them whome the King of Heauen is kinde vntounto. There are no earthly Parents, but account themselues contemned or loued, by the contempt or louelove of their children: so God holds himselfe respected or despised, when we respect or despise his children; for they be as deare to him as the Apple of his eye, as the Signet vponupon his right hand. As God will blesse them which blesse his people, so he will curse such as curse them. This may strike a terror into all such as hate the righteous, and exercise tyrany towards such as be Gods friends: and must serue to keepe all Christians from rash vncharitable censuring, and iudging one of another, least we be found among those who doe iniury vntounto such as GOD hath accepted of for his owne. Lastly, it dooth instruct and informe vsus all, what reckoning we are to make of such as bee their euen brethren, (namely) that wee are to account of them as persons receiued of God into his speciall fauour. For, howsoeuer we cannot infallibly be assured, yet we are to be charitably perswaded of other Christians, that they are adopted of God, and receiued into his speciall fauour, if wee see but the least argument of their effectual calling. VponUpon which grounds we must speake and thinke louinglie of them and of their actions, as far as we may do it with truth and reason, tendering all that we hauehave to do withall, as men partakers of one nature, but much more as Christians partakers of the same grace.
Tim.
Come to verse fourth [Who art thou] and tel vsus what it containes and meanes?
Silas.
It hath in it the second reason drawn from common equity, thus: Beleeuers are seruants of God, but we may not condemne anothers seruant; therefore wee may not iudge one another in thinges indifferent. The assumption is set downe by way of interrogation, which hath the force of an affirmation. It is the Law of Nations, that they which be equally seruants to one Lorde, may not iudge one another (but by their Lords appointment) without iniury to their Lord. No Prince wil take vponupon him to punish the seruants of another Prince: and that made Dauid to be angry, when hee heard how Hanun King of Ammon had abused his Seruants, 2. Sa. 10, 1, 2, 3. &c. Wee our selues would take it as a great preiudice vntounto vsus, if any should censure or chastise our Seruants. Common Law of the land punisheth such as strike other mens seruants: there lyeth an action of bartery in that case. The knowledge of this equity kept Paul from retaining with him Onesimus, because hee was another mans seruant, without whose knowledge and leaue bee would not keepe him. From this naturall and Nationall Law, the Apostle heere perswades peace, inasmuch as it behooued the seruants of one and the same Lorde, with kindnesse and louelove to embrace one another.
Tim.
What instructions are we to take from hence?
Silas.
First, hence we learne what is the condition ofDoctrine. all Christians, (namely) to be the seruants of Iesus Christ who hath bought and purchased them with a price, 1. Cor. 6, 20. Howsoeuer they are set free from Sathan and sinne, yet they still hauehave a Lord to whom they owe homage and …. Christ hath in such wise set the elect free, as they still … the seruants of him that deliuered them from the hand of their enemies, Luke 1. As in warre such as were taken prisonners were ransomed, became seruants to them that redeemed them, 2. Kings 5, 1. So it fareth with ….
Tim.
What is the vse of this instruction?
Silas.
As it is the part of … seruants to study how to please their Lord, as the seruants of the Centurion, Luke 8. and to please one another, eueryevery one being ready to helpe and comfort his follow, so it is the duty of Christian seruants to labour in all things to please Christ, & for his sake to please one another in that which is good for peace and edifying. For as it is … thing & must needs offend the Maister to see his seruants mutually to contomne and condemne one another. So it cannot but much … Christ, & discredite Christians, when they do not in charity kindely and louingly respect one another, but … iudge and despise for light matters. But we are not so to take it, as if all iudging were forbidden to Christians, to whome God hath giuen the vse both of publike and priuate iudgements, of things and persons; so our iudgement be guided by truth, charity, and equity, 1. Cor. 6, 1, 2. Deut. 1, 16. Psal. 82, 1. But that itching desire in things of a middle nature to thinke and speake hardly and headily one of another, is heere prohibited, not onelyonly vponupon this, that eueryevery seruant stands or … to their owne Lord, but because God is able to make him strong which is weakest.
Tim.
What may standing or falling signifie?
Silas.
To stand or fall, is to doe a thing rightly, or otherwise, strongly or weakly: to stand or fall to his owne maister is to be approued or disalowed of God for things dōe, rightly or otherwise.
Tim.
What doctrine from hence?
Silas.
That about actions indifferent it belongs to God onelyonly to giuegive ascertaine sentence of them, that is, eyther to allow or disallow. The reason is, because in middle things, it is the intent of the doer, that makes that good or naught which is done. For the things in their own nature be neither good nor euill: and of the inward intention, God alone is the discerner, for hee is the searcher of the heart, so that in these he alone is to bee the Iudge. Therefore abstaine thou from iudging, least thou bee found to vsurpe Gods office.
Tim.
But my Brother being weake, hauing no firme footing,Doubt. being ready to fall and perish, may not I recouer him?
Silas.
Yea, there is no charitable office, but vncharitableSolution. iudging forbidden heere. Thou mayest not take thy Brother for a forlorne desperate man, because in euerie thing he doth not as thou wouldst hauehave him, or he shold do. And if he be weake (as thou sayest) he shall be set vp & supported, but not by thee, but by another (namely) by God his Maister, he can make him stand: which is as a curbe to the strong, and a comfort to the weake.
Tim.
But how doth the Argument follow (a potentia Dei) from the power of God (ad esse & effectum) vntounto the effect? God can do manie things which he neuer doth, as creating more worlds, sauing all men, &c. and then the Papists shal reason wel in saying, the Bread is turned into the Lordes bodie, because God can do it.
Silas.
It is a rule in Diuinity, that in all promises and comforts, the will of God is neuer to be separated from the power of God, and when his will is once knowne, there is no question of his power. Now Paul had sayde, verse 3. God hath receiued him, to shew his will to vphold his weake children: heereupon he might conclude strongly from the omnipotency of God.
Tim.
What may be the contents of this fift verse?
Silat.
First, a new instance of the difference amongst those Romanes (to wit) about Iewish daies and seasts. Secondly, the counsel and iudgement of Paul touching the same [Let eueryevery man.] For the former, to vnderstand it of fasting; as if some in the primitiue Church, did eate eueryevery day of all meates, and others fasted certain daies. This is cleane besides the Texte, which speakes of legall seasts vnderunder Moses, & not of superstitious popish fasts; all things beeing free to eate, or not to eate, many hundred yeares after Christ. As appeares by the Epistle of Ireneus to Victor Bishop of Rome in Eusebius, and by Isocrates and Augustine affirming that Lent was diuersly kept, some three daies before Easter, some seauen, some more, some fewer, but al was free among Christians, there beeing no commandement of Christ or his Apostles to tye any to a prescript time of abstinence.
Tim.
What may we learne from the first words of this fifth verse?
Silas.
The same thing as we did from the first and second verses, namely that there be degrees of knowledge among Christians, some more perfect which know the legall difference of dayes to be taken away vnderunder the Gospell. Some be lesse perfect, which were ignorant for a time of that liberty brought by the grace of Christ. And secondly, thatGreat … betweene … and West Churches, about obseruation of East. r. betweene Luther & protestants about breaking the bread. controuersies will arise among beleeuing Christians, vponupon very slender matters, as dayes and meates, round & square, leauened and vnleauened, broken and vnbroken. Which must make vsus mistrust our weakenesse, and watch ouer it, that wee bee not rent apieces about chippes; And more earnestly to pray for the peace of Gods Church, that Sathan may not hauehave power to disturbe it neyther for great matters nor small.
Tim.
But what may bee Pauls counsell in these cases of differences?
Silas.
Let eueryevery one be perswaded in his minde, which some ill translate, Let eueryevery one bee satisfied in his minde, or let eueryevery one abound in his owne fence, whence they raise a doctrine sutable to the interpretatiō, (both naught) that it is free for eueryevery man to chuse his owne religion, and to doe what he list, as the Libertines grossely fancy; whereas the word in the greeke, signifies to be fully assured, like as it doth Rom. 4, 21. Col. 2, 1.
Tim,
What doctrine followes of this interpretation?
Silas.
That a Christian ought not to beleeue or do (in case of Religion) any thing doubtfully or waueringly, but vponupon certaine knowledge, that hee pleaseth God in that which he doth and beleeueth. The reason is, because as no person, so nothing which is not of Faith can please God, Heb. 11, 6. And it is sinne, whatsoeuer is done out of a doubtfull minde, Rom. 14, 23.
Tim.
What is the Vse to be made of this Doctrine?
Silas.
First, it serues to reproue such as teach, that we ought to be doubtfull, and can hauehave no certainty whether we or our workes please God, but ought euer to be in suspence, hoping well as they speake. Secondly, such as boldly aduenture to speak and do such things as they be not resolued of, that they are good and true. This is a sinne contrarying this aduise of Paul: but they especially do crosse it, which dare teach others for trueth, that which themselues be not well perswaded of: and such as content themselues to beleeue as Church-beleeuers, and know not what.
Finally, this therefore exhorts vsus all to labour for more knowledge of the word, without which, no Christian can hauehave assurance, except together with vnderstanding of the word, he do attaine iudgement to be able to discerne. And if a Christian ought to hauehave an assurance euen in things indifferent, much rather in things necessary, which be commanded or prohibited, and most of all in matters of Faith and Religion, wherein euerie one ought to be so well grounded, and so certainly perswaded, not by anothers Faith, but by his owne, as hee will be ready rather to dye, then to deny the knowne truth, as Paul, and the other Apostles and Martyrs of Christ were.
VntoUnto which constant resolution there is required no generall and confused, but a distinct particular knowledge of the reuealed will of God, and that in a great degree, hauing ready som sentēce or place of holy Scripture, well and clearly knowne and perceiued of vsus, both for words and matter, whereon to ground our Faith and practise. Otherwise we proceede like blinde men whichThis kinde of Carbonarie faith, Cardinall Hosius requireth in all which dy wel, and holds it sufficient for their saluatiō. know not where they be, and whither they go: & hauehave no better faith then the Colliars faith, who gloried that he beleeued as the Church beleeued, and the Church beleeued as he did, being vtterly ignorant of the Churches Faith: this is not to be perswaded in his owne minde.