Commentary on Romans, Title page – To the reader
A COMMENTARIE vponupon the most Diuine Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes. CONTAINING For Matter, the degeneration of our Nature by Adams Fall; and the restauration thereof, by the Grace of CHRIST. Together with the perfection of Faith, and the imbecillity of Workes, in the cause of Iustification of elect sinners before GOD.
For forme and maner of handling, it hath The COHERENCE and METHOD, The SVMME and SCOPE, The INTERPRETATIONS & DOCTRINES, The REASONS and VSES, of most Texts.
All which, are set downe very Familiarly and Compendiously, in forme of a Dialogue, betweene TLMOTHEVS and SILAS, By Thomas Wilson, one of the six Preachers in the Cathedrall Church of Canterbury.
¶ Our beloued Brother Paul according to the Wisedome giuen him of God, hath written vntounto you, which the vnlearned and vnstable peruert to their owne destruction.
2. Pet. 3, 15.
¶ What Epistle of Paul is not more sweete then Honie?
AVGVST.
¶ The sublimity of Pauls minde went beyond the Heauens.
Chrysost.
¶ This Epistle, is a Catechisme for Christians, and a perfect body of Apostolicall Doctrine.
Paraeus.
LONDON Printed by W. Iaggard, dwelling in Barbican, 1614.
The Authors Epistle, to the Christian and Courteous Reader.
THe counsell of the Heathen Poet, for the maturity of publique writings, (Nonum prematur in annum) hath not beene of me altogether neglected: for I begun the exposition of this pairelesse Epistle some seuen yeares sithence at least, (after I had serued three whole Apprentiships in the Ministerie of the glorious Gospell of God.) According to the Greeke Prouerbe, foreign, Our latter thoughts bee wiser then our first, I went ouer it againe by Catechizing Questions and Answeres in my Charge, when I had once finished it by Lectures or Sermons. All this while, I had not a peece of a purpose to publish it (being resolued it shold serue as Seede, for that portion of the Lordes fielde, and Husbandry committed to my care and trust,) partly because diuers learned Commentaries of Moderne Writers, both forreigne and domesticall, and some of them in our Mother-tongue were already extant vponupon this Epistle, but especia'ly, for that Iiudged my selfe farre vnsufficient for such an enterprise.
As there was small reason after such burning lampes, to erect my obscure light, so I saw great reason to esteem my worke very vnworthy the publike view of this lettered and iudicious Age. Yea, though sundry of my fellowhelpers in the Lord (who by occasion of their businesse in our Citty, were partakers of part of these Labours) both by word and writing, out of other Diocesses, solicited me both earnestly and often: For all this, I suffered it to lye by mee, rudely drawne out in Papers, for mine owne priuate vse. At last (being much mooued thereunto by three seuerall Letters, I was willing to part from my Coppie, with expresse charge to him who receyued it, (a Friend in London) vponupon good Reasons rendred, that it should onelyonly bee surueyed by some skilfull Ministers, to hauehave their opinion and aduice about the fitnesse of the publication, cre it came vntounto the authorized Licenser: for two eyes see more then one. And in matters of this kinde (it is wel knowne to some) I hauehave not trusted my selfe: Euerie man in his ownc cause is party, and therefore partial. Lookers on, often see more then the Actors doe. But being preuented, it was put into the Examiners hand, before I had set too my last hand. Afterward, it was by my friend, sent downe to me to be polished and perfected. Perceiuing how heauens prouidence had brought it thus vppon the stage, that it might both see and giuegive light, what was I that I should resist it? Where it may be marked, that where God leadeth the way, there it is safe following and comming after. I yeelded the more willingly, considering the motion and opinion of many Iudicious friends (touching the fruitfulnesse of it) did cal it out; also, for that my other weake endeuours in this kinde, namely my Dictionary of the Scriptures, found gracious acceptation & entertainment, of this present worke I hauehave the more reason to hope well, not onelyonly because of the excellency and variety of the matters handled, and namely, in the manie and maine differences betweene the ancient faith of the Romanes to whom Paul wrote, and the newe vpstart opinions of our seduced Romanists, against whom wee preach and write: but also for the vnusuall and not vnprofitable manner of teaching by Interpretations, Doctrines, Reasons, and Vses: a forme wherein neuer any Comment on this Epistle was set foorth before. As Iacob when his Sonnes were to trauaile into Egypt for Corne, prayed for them, saying, The God almighty giuegive you merciemercy before the man; so to this Treatise being to trauaile into many places, I wish that it may finde fauour in their eyes that shall reade it. To which purpose (gentle Reader whosoeuer thou be) suffer me to aduertise thee of some fevv things, whereof I thinke it requisite thou shouldst take notice, somwhat to excuse such faults, as in such a worlde of matter I could not but run into, beeing a man, and more subiect to erre, then inumerable other men.
1. First, thou hast here but an Epitome & abridgement of longer discourses; for the points of doctrine were largely followed & furnished in my Sermons, which in this Dialogue are contracted. Wherein if you meet with some tautologies and super fluities, or with dislocations, som things not set in the right place, or claudications and defects; impute it I pray thee to the multitude of businesses, being 3. times at least eueryevery weeke in the publike vse of my Ministry, whilst I did peruse & prepare this to the Presse.
2 Whereas some Doctrines are but lightly touched & left bare without any amplification, it is eyther because they were more obvious and casie; or else are enlarged in some part of the Booke, or because the volume would hauehave swolne too much, if I had dilated all alike. Looke for these tearmes, Coherence, Scope, Sum, Parts, Interpretation, Doctrines, &c. but sometime pointed in the Margent, yet mostly noted in the body of the Booke, as will be of any heedfull Reader, easily obserued.
3. Howsoeuer this whole Booke seeme, and indeede is bigger then at first was thought of, (the Epistle beeing exceeding rich in Doctrines, whereof thou hast scarse the gleanings,) yet the particular Dialogues, will be deemed rather too compendious; Matters being rather pointed at with the finger, then explicated to the ful; not so much the truth spoken out, as an hint giuen what might be spoken, leauing good grounds of Meditation, to such as hauehave the gift and Art of Meditating.
4. These things were preached in a popular Auditory (for the most part,) where care was had to vtter high things, in homely plaine words; therefore the learned are to beare with it, if they alwayes finde not the sublimity of the stile, to answere the Maiesty of the matter. I had rather speake fiue words to edification, then a thousand to vaine ostentation. And because I did not enioy the constitution of body in equall tenour, during the handling of this Epistle, the Reader therefore may not looke for equal exactnesse of stile and stuffe, in eueryevery part of this Booke.
5. I had a care to accommodate my selfe, as for manner, so for matter to my Auditory, & in that regard hauehave pressed some points further then some other, and passed by or lightly passed ouer more pertinent to the text, to driue home some others more fitting to the times and persons, where and with whom I do liue. Howbeit this thou shalt finde vniuer sally thorow the whole Booke, that both the naturall sence of words and phrases, and the Analysis or artificiall disposition of the Text, with Summe, Scope, and Coherence of eueryevery Sentence, is constantly and faithfully (I trust) deliuered. But for as much as there was an Ocean of hard and dark some, both things to be entreated, and Texts to be interpreted, wherein I mette with great diuersity of Opinions among Expositors, so as it was difficult (if not imposible) for such an one as I am, to hit the marke in eueryevery passage of this Epistle; therefore in my best humblenesse and reuerence, I submit my Spirit vntounto the Prophets, being not onelyonly desirous, but beseeching the Learned Teachers and guides of our English, Church in louelove to shew me my faylings, whereof I feare they shal find not a few, not slight ones. Concluding with the Poet:
Si quid nouisti rectius istis,
Candidus imperti, si non, his vtere mecum.
What righter things thou knowst, impart;
Or what I bring thee, take in good part.
Thine in the Lord, Tho. Wilson.