Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 11 · Dialogue 21
DIAL. XXI.
Verses 26, 27. As it is written, there shall come a deliuerer out of Sion, and shall turne away vngodlinesse from Iacob; for this is my couenant with them, when I shall take away their sinnes.
Tim.
VVHat doth Paul performe in these words?
Silas.
After his owne testimony or prophesie touching the vocation of the fulnesse of the Iewes towards the end of the world; hee now proueth it by a double testimony of the Prophet Esay; whence ariseth a second argumēt, to confirme that secret of the Iewes conuersion, euen by Prophetical authority, which is a most sure worde that cannot faile nor deceiue. The Prophets hauehave fore-told the Iewes conuerfion, before the restoring of all things, therefore certainly it must be so.
Tim.
Here are two knots to be loosed, first shew vsus how Paul calleth that a secret, verse 25, which beere in these verses hee sayeth was written before by the Prophet? if it were written and reuealed then it is no secret.
Silas.
Doctrines of the worde are secrets to some when they are not to others which know them; also they bee secrets in part, when in the whole they be not secrets. So it fareth with this particular doctrine, touching the future and full restauration of the vnbeleeuing Iewes: though it was written in the Scripture of the Prophets, yet it remayned as to others, so to Paul himselfe a secrete and hidden thing, till it was taught him, yea and after he had learned it yet stil to others which knew it not, it did abide a mystery, yea & to himselfe in some sort, as in what manner, at what particular time, and by what meanes this vocation should be fulfilled. Thus what is not absolutely a secret, may yet be called a mystery in some respects.
Tim.
But was it not sufficient for the credit of this mystery, that Paul had affirmed it from the inspiration of the Holy Ghost? what needeth hee to bring Scripture to confirme it, his owne assertion being an Apostle was aboundantly enough?
Silas.
It is true, Paul his owne assertion might hauehave sufficiently authorised this doctrine, but for two or three especiallReasons why the Apostles doe proue their doctrine by Scripture of the old Te stament. reasons, hee doeth nowe (as aften heretofore) appeale vntounto Scriptures, repeating his wonted words (as it is written.) His reasons bee these; First, to manifest and make good that which in his defence before King Agrippa hee had spoken, that hee did witnesse no other thinges then those which the Prophets did say should come, Acts 26, 22. Secondly, to preuent and put by the offence of the Iewes, that they might not be scandalized and grieued with the doctrine of the Gospell, wherein they should apparantly behold a great and full agreement between it and the Gospell. Thirdly, to commend the vse of the Scriptures, that it alone is a perfect rule of faith and manners & all-sufficient alone to demonstrate and proue all doctrines touching saluation; so as we neede not for this purpose authority humane, or traditions of the Church and vnwritten word.
Tim.
What are we then to learne from this constant customs of Paul, still prouoking to the authority of the old Testament, for proofe of poynts and articles of religion?
Silas.
First, the great proportion and harmony or consent which is betweene the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings. Nothing in the new Testament is taught to be beleeued vntounto saluation, which is not fore-told and foreshewed in the olde; nothing promised in the old, which hath not the acomplishment in the new, so as the bookes of Euangelists and Apostles, bee as it were commentaries of the Prophets, as the Prophets be interpreters of Moses. The new Testament is the illustration of the old, as the old is the shadowing of the new: both bee but one word, and one Scripture, as there is but one faith, one Church; whatsoeuer, fanaticall and fantasticall men, as Marcionites, Manichees and others do dreame. Secondly, we learne that neither preachers publikely, for doctrine & matter of faith do teach ought which they cannot auouch and make good by authority of Scripture; nor the people embrace as truth of God vntounto their saluation, ought, which cannot bee shewed them to be contained in the written worde, eyther for words expresly, or for matter and meaning. If anyWe must otherwise iudge of the canonicall Scripture, then Catholike authors. thing in the matter of Faith and saluation be saide or alledged without authority of Scripture, it may be reiected with the same facility as it was alledged, saith an ancient Father. Whatsoeuer is necessary, is manifest (sayth Augustine.) Againe, If I reade it not in the Canonicall Scripture, I will not beleeue it.
Tim.
From what Chapters of Esay, are these two authorities drawne and fetched, and how are they fitted vntounto Paule his purpose?
Silas.
Heere be two Oracles of Esay the Prophet contractedInterpretation. into one, as was done before in verse 8. The former Text or sentence, taken out of the Prophet Esay, ch. 59. v. 20, there is a little alteration in the words, for in Esay it is, [The deliuerer shall come to Syon:] in Paul (following the translation of the Septuagint) it is, [Shall come out of Syon.] This difference may thus be reconciled, eyther … is by the Notaries and Coppiers fault, crept into the Text for heneca, as the Septuagint rendred it [For Syons sake,] or if we read [out of Sion,] then it hath relation vntounto the progresse of the Gospell, as if Paul (doing the office of an Interpreter) should say, that out of Sion (that is, the Church of God, signified by Sion, where the Tribes assembled to worship) should come the Gospell, which should conuert the Iewes to Christ: whereas Esay respecting the very time and instant of the first comming of the Messias, said (VntoUnto Sion.)
There is another alteration in the wordes, though no change in the sence; for whereas Esay saith (vntounto them which turne from iniquity) which implyeth repentance, Paul rising higher, nameth the very cause of their repentance, namely remission of sinnes by faith in Christ. For none can turne away from sinne by repentance, exGod turne sinne from them by free remission: Or else, with Maister Iunius wee may say, that for his comming (whereof Esay makes mention) Paul setteth downe a beneficiall consequent of his comming, which is remission of sinnes.
The second authority is fetched, the one part of it, [This shall be my couenaut] out of Esay 59, 21. and the other part out of Esay, Chap. 27. verse 9. This is al the fruite, the taking away of sinne. Some thinke it an allusion to the words of the couenant, Ier. 31, 34. The Apostle applieth this place to his purpose after this sort. Seeing God meaneth by free couenant to bee reconciled to the Iewes, (forgiuing them their sinnes) and hath foretolde it by his Prophet, therefore there is no doubt of it, but it should be: in which regard, the Gentiles hauehave no cause proudly to despise and insult ouer the Iewes, but in feare and humility to preserue themselues in the estate of grace. If we will heare the application of these Scriptures more at large, thus it is: What God hath promised by couenant, the same must bee fulfilled, because God is faithfull, and cannot lye or deny himselfe, 1 Tim. 1, 2. Shall he promise, and not doe? But by promise hee couenanted to giuegive a deliuerance, not temporall from Babylonish captiuity, but spirituall vntounto remission of sinnes, and eternall life: which couenant, he hath made not with Gentiles onelyonly, but with Iewes; not with one or with a fewe, but with the whole people signified by [Iacob] opposed against [In part] verse 25. This Couenant of sending Christ, who is the deliuerer here spoken of, to conuert the whole Nation of the Iewes, and to saue them by forgiuenesse of sinne, is not yet accomplished. Therefore in time to come, euen before the Conclusion of the world, it must be fulfilled: for one title or iot of Gods word, may not fall to the ground. This is like the prophesies of Math. 1, 21. Mich. 4, 7. Luke 1, 33. which are not yet done, therefore must be. For the Iewes being the chiefe part of the people, are but in smal number yet called to the kingdome of Christ.
Tim.
What is now the generall Doctrine of these two Verses? What is taught out of them?
Sil.
That there shall be a generall calling of the Iewes to the faith of the Gospell, before the second comming of Christ, as the Prophets hauehave fore-tolde it. It is not meant that eueryevery one shall be saued, so as there shal notExplanation of the doctrine. be any one beleeuer in the whole nation, but as the fulnesse of the Gentiles are saide to come into the Church because the most and greatest number shall imbrace Christ; so all Israel must be saued, and whole Iacob shall hauehave sinne forgiuen them, because this shall be done to the cheefest part, whereof the whole vseth to take denomination.
For further proofe heereof, see the 21. Chapter of the Reuelation, which is a prophesie of this last and greatEzek. 37. 1, 2. 3, 4. &c. vocation of the Iewes, as hath beene proued before. VntoUnto which wee may ioyne Ezekiels vision, touching the restoring (by certaine degrees) vntounto life, strength, beauty, and proportion, the dry bones which he saw scattered in the fielde; which howsoeuer some by allusion doe apply to the resurrectiō of the dead at the general iudgment, yet it is plaine by the text to be meant of Israelites being (in respect of spirituall life and grace, like drye bones and dead bodyes,) vnable throrough vnbeleefe to stirre toward God, but through the great and rich goodnesse of God to be raised againe by the Gospell, and made aliue to God through Christ, not all at once, but by some degrees, whereof their comming out of their desperate captiuity of Babylon might bee a type and figure. For it is Gods manner in types of temporall deliuerances, to teach spirituall and heauenly things, concerning eternall redemption by Christ. Beside these things the counsell of the most wise and almighty God in the wonderfull preseruation of the Iewes, ought diligently to be considered & waighed of the godly: wheras sundry very ancient people and famous, as Persians, Chaldeans, Assirians, Troians, Vandales, Lombards, Gothes, Saxons, Picts, Hunnes, &c. are eyther quite extinct and destroyed, or else being seuered and scattered, hauehave not so held their owne, as to keepe still their owne ordinances, and to be able to shew their originall and historye in sure record, and preserue themselues, for their ciuill life and religion, vnmixed with other people whither they came: (yet behold a strange thing and markeable) the Iewes onelyonly, notwithstanding their great and long dispersions, and manifold calamities, desolations, and death in sundry countries, where they hauehave beene butchered like sheepe, as in England heere at London and Yorke, (by hundreds and thousands,) and elsewhere in other Countries, knocked downe by heapes, and others cruelly spoyled, do for all this not onelyonly remaine in very innumerous multitudes, chiefely in Asia and Aphrica, (as M. Beza, and M. Grineus vponupon certaine knowledge do report,) but do keepe their Tribes distinct and vnconfounded, and their religion, all without commixtion as much as they may, reading and searching the Scriptures, but with very corrupt construction; yet with this fruite and commodity, that both their pedigree and descent from Abraham and the Patriarkes may appeare, & eke by their witnesse of our bookes, (out of which we deriue our holy Christian faith,) may be iustified and cleared from suspition of imposture and fraude, which the heathenish Philosophers and other prophane Atheist-like persons cannot now charge vsus with, seeing that people still remaines as preseruers of those oracles of God, which bee the fountaines of our religion. Of all which what other thing are we to deeme and iudge, but that they are reserued thus miraculously of God against the time of their conuersion and saluation to come heereafter, in Gods determinate season. Of this iudgement and opinion finally are many both moderne writers, M. Caluine, Beza, Peter Martyr, Iunius, Piscator, Pareus, and our learned industrious countryman M. Doctor Willet, who hath written an whole tract of this argument: and diuers of the ancient Fathers and Schoolemen, as namely Hilary, and Chrysostome, and Thomas Aquinas, whose words are these: Vniuersi Iudaei, &c. all the Iewes shall come to the Faith, not particularlie some, but vniuersally all; as many beleeued in the beginning when the Gospell first was published, so verie many shall beleeue heereafter. The Meditation whereof, should warne vsus 1. of courtesie and charity towardes the Iewes. 2. of humility in our selues, that wee despise not them whome God will honour. 3. of sound amendment of our liues, that we be no longer any occasion of their stumbling and auersion from Christianity, and that with daily and most feruent supplication we doe helpe their conuersion, that God may bee glorified in the free and mighty saluation of that forlorne people, and the kingdome of his Sonne enlarged: a deare thing vntounto all which louelove Christ.
Tim.
Yee hauehave now finished this generall instruction: Tell mee what particular Lessons ye hauehave to commend out of these two Verses?
Silas.
Both what be the benefites of Gods Couenant of grace, and in what order: Christ himselfe the deliuerer or Redeemer, whom except we receiue and embrace (being made one with him by Faith) wee can hauehave no part in his merits; as an house cannot bee borne vp and supported by a foundation, except first it bee close laide vponupon it, nor a member takes motion from the body, if it be not knit to the body. The next benefit is remission, or taking away sinne, both guilt and punishment, by the death of Christ, whereunto is annexed imputation of Christ his actiue obedience, in keeping the whole Lawe for our righteousnes. For it is not enough to bee freed from condemnation and curse of sin, but there must bee title and interest giuen vsus vntounto glorification and life eternal, that we may be fully blessed, & Christ may be to vsus no halfe, but an absolute redeemer. Lastly, repentance or turning from sin vntounto holinesse, which is sanctification, and is an vnseparable companion of iustification, a necessarie fruite of faith, and a spirituall benefit of Gods free Couenant, so as they doe in vaine boast of hauing Christ and remission of sinnes by him, which hauehave not forsaken their iniquities, and begun to leade a new life. Obstinate sinners which still abide in their wicked lusts, without amendment, hauehave nothing to do with Christ as a deliuerer and Sauiour, but as with a fierce Iudge. Secondly, we are taught that we hauehave pardon of sinne and sanctification by the vertue of Gods couenant and free promise, whereupon all good benefits depend, but this is effectuall onelyonly by faith. For as no Christ, no reconciliation with God without the promise concerning Christ, the promise is vaine to vsus, till we beleeue. Therefore the Papists teach corruptly, which say, that the parties baptized, are purged and sanctified by the worke done, whether they doe beleeue or not. Moreouer, if remission of sinnes bee by free Couenant, what becommeth of merite of Workes? For, if our Saluation stands in remission, then not in perfection of Vertues: if in the prerogatiue of Christ the Redeemer, and of Gods free Couenant, then not in the glorie of our Merites.