Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 11 · Dialogue 13
DIAL. XIII.
Verse 16. For if the first fruites be holy, so is the whole lumpe; and if the roate be holy; so are the branches.
Tim.
VVHat do these words performe?
Silas.
A proofe of the former reason touching the vniuersall restoring of the Iewes vntounto grace, before the end of the worlde, where Paul meant both to comfort the Iewes, and to warne the Gentiles that they do not proudly contenme the Iewes. This proofe is taken from force of the league, and promises made to Abraham, and to other antecessors of the Iewes, who be beere compared vntounto the first fruites and roote; and the Iewes which came of these antecessors, vntounto the lumpe and branches. The proofe stan deth thus; The Iewes are an holy nation by the promises made to their Fathers, therefore God will not cast them away … but as the first fruites and roote being holy, doe make the lumpe and branches holy, so Abraham and the fore-fathers of the Iewes, being holy by vertue of Gods couenant to bee their God, will cause holinesse in Gods good time to be deriued to their posterity; for there is like condition of causes and effects, of roote and branches.
Tim.
VponUpon what parts doth this Text consist?
Silas.
VponUpon two comparisons: the first whereof, is taken from the obseruation of the Mosaicall Law, touching first fruites: the other, from naturall experience of the root and the branches. It is the nature of the root to draw good sap out of the ground, and to disperse it into the stocke and braunches to make them fruitfull. Therefore what the roote is, such will be the branches; if the roote be sappy, and full of good iuice, it wil cause good nourishment to the tree, and plentifulnes of good fruites.
Tim.
What was the Law to be obserued by the Iew touching first fruites?
Silas.
This: of al the encrease of the earth, God commanded the first fruites to be giuen him, as Num. 15, 20. Leuit. 23, 10, 11. Also, when they made a masse of dowe, there was a part for God, whereof were sweete cakes or Shew-bread made to set before the Arke: & this done, the rest of their fruite and their bread was sanctified vntounto them, (that is) the vse and eating of their fruite and bread became holy and wholsome.
Tim.
For what causes did God ordaine this Lawe of first fruites?
Silas.
For sundry good purposes and causes. First, that by such a ceremony, the Iewes might know and acknowledge that it is God to whom they owe thanks for all their fruites, as being his free guift; as worldly Princes will hauehave their seruants to pay some peny a yeare for some great Lordship bestowed on them, onelyonly to testify their dependance vponupon their Soueraigne, and not to enrich themselues; so it it heere. Secondly, by such Oblations the holy Ministery of Priests and Leuits with their families were maintained: and there is such great, manifolde, and necessary vse of the Ministery of the word, as men are to vphold that, though vntounto their great cost, Gal. 6, 6. 1 Corin. 9, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Thirdly, in all their first fruites were represented Christ, the first borne of euerie creature, and the first fruites of them which tise againe from the dead, whereby all the faithfull are sanctified to an happy resurrection, 1 Cor. 15, 20. Lastly, the first fruits were a type & figure of the estate of the Iewish Church: wherein the Patriarkes, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, and other godly Fathers, were like vntounto the first fruites, to conuay the holinesse of the couenant made with them, to the remainder of the Iewes which came of them. And also in this respect they are resembled by a roote, which imparteth all the sap it hath, to branches; so the godly Patriarks impart the grace of Gods couenant vntounto their of spring; where upon it is not to be doubted, but the Iewes which ly now as men dead, abiect, and without hope to see too, yet shall bee receiued to bee Gods people, and reuiued; albeit they are as it may seeme desperate, as men laid in the graue and buried.
Tim.
Now that we hauehave seene to what purpose Paul vsed these two metaphors and similitudes, passe forwardes to the dectrines, and tell vsus what they be?
Silas.
First, wee learne that whensoeuer wee reape the fruites of the earth, wee ought to shewe thankfulnesse to God, by giuing the first to him; that is, to our teachers, & to the poore in his name: for the equity of this law is perpetuall, although the ceremony be ceased. Secondly, from hence we learn that the couenāt-graces of the parents, belong to such children as are borne of them.
Tim.
But how may this bee, since the Patrierkes were holy, but many of the Iewes were rebellious; and experience teacheth, that of the best Parents come the woorse childeren? In one people some be called onelyonly, some be elect and beleeuers also?
Silas.
It is true, that the personall and inherent holines of the Parents (to wit,) the godly habit of their mindes, as faith & hope, doe not passe from the parents into the children, as if vertuous and beleeuing parents should alwayes bring forth such children; for these qualities come not by generation, but by regeneration. … many outward priuiledges and qualities do descend from Fathers to childrē, as free-men be get free-men, Iewes beget Iewes, Christians Christians, by the blessing of the couenant which is made both to parents and their Children.
Tim.
But if we bee all conceiued in sin, howe doeth the holy roote make the branches holy?
Sil.
The Iewes are spoken of as they come from Abraham, and not as they come from God: howsoeuer naturall corruption be contradictory to the grace of regeneration, which doth qualifie and take it away, yet it may well agree and stand with the grace of the couenant. For as one may be borne leprous, and yet be a free man, when the Parents be such: so one may bee borne a sinner by Adam, and yet bee borne a Christian and a member of the visible Church too, because hee and his parents bee within the couenant of grace; which couenant though it bring with it, forgiuenesse of that sinne which we draw from our first father Adam, yet when it shall hauehave force, wee are ignorant. And Scripture doth not teach vsus, whether original sinne is forgiuen to the Infant in the wombe, or at birth, or presently after, or at baptisme, or afterward; for it is not giuen to all men at one time, as they teach which tye grace and forgiuenesse vntounto the Sacraments. But for that Infants belong to the couenant of mercy and forgiuenesse, wee doe verily beleeue that they are holy, and shall be pardoned, so many as are elected, howsoeuer they come sinners from Adam.
Tim.
If onelyonly such branches be holy as come from an holy roote, what is this vntounto vsus Gentiles, which are no branches of this roote?
Silas.
The Gentiles be branches grafted in, though not naturall; therefore the blessing and vertue of the couenant reacheth vntounto vsus, though not by hereditary right, yet by free insition and planting in; which made the Apostle say of the Corinthians, that their children were holy, because themselues were holy: holy by a couenāt-holines, so as to be reckoned Gods people, and to hauehave the seale.
Tim.
What profite are wee to make of this doctrine to our selues?
Silas.
First, it teacheth vsus what a great worthinesse it is to descend from Christian parents, because to such, all the prerogatiues of the couenant, all the immunities and priuiledges of the Church belong vntounto them: euen as the Children of the Iewes had right by Gods couenant vntounto circumcision and other sacraments, to the sacrifices and promises. Likewise now such as bee borne of Christian parents, hauehave title to baptisme, the Lords supper, to the word of law and Gospell, and all other priuiledges of the Church; which is a fauour wherein in no wise doe partake eyther Turkes, Pagans, or Iewes, as they stand at this present. And in this confidence it is that we offer our Children to be baptized, being branches of an holy roote, by blessing of the Couenant. Secondly, this serues to confute the Anabaptists which deny vntounto Christian children the benefite of baptisme, as if our condition were worse vnderunder the new Testament, then the Iewes vnderunder the old, or as though the signe must be holden from them, to whom the couenant it selfe appertaines. Thirdly, it affoords matter of great comfort vntounto all such Christians as at any time shall be afflicted in minde for theirsinnes, to remember that they are vnderunder that couenant which promiseth remission of sinnes to parents and their children. With this very argument did Peter cheare the hearts of the Iewes when they were pricked with sorrow, for the killing of the Lord of glory. Acts 2, 38, 39.
Fourthly, it confirmeth our faith and perswasion touching this maine mystery and truth of the restoring of the Iewes, in as much as they springing from Abraham and Iacob, as from an holy roote, and from the other Patriarches, as first fruites sanctified to God; it is therefore without all doubt, and a thing of certainety, that the blessing and prerogatiues of the Couenant made with the parents, shall flow and breake forth at last to the making of very many of them true members of the inuisible Church, as now it causeth all our children to become members of the outward visible Church; for whō is God to be prayed, that they may not onelyonly assent firmely vntounto and lay hold vponupon the promises of eternall life by faith, but bring forth also the fruites of good workes by louelove, without the which the parents piety will but little profit the children.