Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 11 · Dialogue 22
DIAL. XXII.
Verses 28, 29. As concerning the Gospell, they are enemies for your sake, but as touching the election, they are beloued for the Fathers sake. For the gifts and callings of God are without Repentance.
Tim.
VVHat doth this Text containe?
Silas.
Two Arguments to prooue the former secret about the vniuersall restoring of the Iewes. The first is taken from the dignity of the Iewes being his ancient people, set forth by the efficient cause Gods election, and his Couenant with the Fathers. The second is from the nature of GOD, who is euermore firme and vnchaungeable, and will not frustrate his owne election and calling. Therefore it is most certaine, that one day the Iewes must bee conuerted vntounto the Fayth, because God cannot for euer leaue and forsake a people so deare vntounto him, beeing his chosen people, partakers of his promises and election.
Tim.
How doth Paul passe on, and come vntounto these two arguments?
Silas.
By a preoccupation, wherein there is a secret obiection answered. The obiection is this; The Iewes are enemies to the Gospell, they hate and hinder the preaching and spreading of it, God hateth them; and howe then may we thinke hee will saue them, as you auouch? VntoUnto this the Apostle answereth by a distinction, thus: They are hated indeede for the Gospel sake, vntounto which they are enemies, and for your sake whome they louelove so little, as they thinke the worse of the Gospell, because you professe it. But in other respects they are beloued of God, because of the promises made to their Fathers and because of Gods election, which cannot be made voyde by their present vnbeleefe and resistance of the Gospell, because the gifts and calling of God neuer changeth.
Tim
But how is it possible, that the selfe same persons shold be both enemies, and bee beloued: to hate and to louelove, are contraries, and cannot at one time bee in a Man, much lesse in GOD?
Silas.
Sundry answeres may be fitted to this question and doubt, to satisfie it. First, the selfesame Iewes may be hated & loued of God at sundry times; hated, whiles they continue in vnbeleefe; beloued, when they be conuerted to the faith, as in verse 23. Secondly, it may bee meant of diuers sortes of Iewes, such as spurne against Christ, are enemies and hated; but the remnant beloued, which belong to Gods election, and do beleeue. Thirdly, it is true in diuers considerations: in regarde of their present minde to the Gospel, hated; bur in regarde of their elect Fathers, beloued and precious: but the fittest answere heereunto is, to vnderstand this not of particular men and women among the Iewes, but of the whole Nation which was reiected and hated for infidelity, yet not vtterly cast out, because of the Couenant made with their Fathers: as the Riuer is still the same, although the water which runneth by, bee not the same: so it is the same Nation of the Iewes, because of lineall descent, though consisting of diuers generations, and of vnlike conditions.
Thus then the answer of Paul may summarily be collected: that if God looke vponupon the Iewes, according to their present estate; as they doe not admit, but kicke against the Gospell, he hateth them, and worthily abandoneth them: but as he considereth his people, not after their euill deseruinges, but according to his owne free election, and that promise which God hath made to Abraham and his seede, God so loueth them, and in his time will vouchsafe his grace vntounto them; because howsoeuer all men be lyers, yet God remaineth constant, and altereth not his wil and counsell, verse 29.
Tim.
But is not God changeable, seeing hee sometimes loueth, and sometimes hateth?
Silas.
No verily, God still remaineth one & the same, euer like himselfe, howsoeuer things and persons are often changed, such as he will hauehave to change, and at such time as he appointed their change. What God hath decreed to be perpetually, shall be so; and what hee hath ordained to bee mutable, shall bee altered; but himselfe varieth not, with him is no shaddowe by turning, Iames 1, 17.
Tim.
Come now to the words, and tell vsus to whom the Iewes are enemies?
Silas.
First, to God, whose enemies they are, hating him, and hatefull to him. Secondly, vntounto all godly persons, Paul and others; for Gods enemies are our enimies, and his friends must be our friends, Gen. 12, 3. Psal. 139 21, 22 And this Paul doth proue by two Reasons. First, because they beleeue not the Gospell, but striue & fight against it. Secondly, for the Gentiles sake, which may hauehave a double sence, either that the Iewes for their vnbeleefe being cast out, the Gentiles might bee called in, and enter into their voide roome: or else for your sake, that is, because they see you embrace the Gospell, euen therefore they resist the Doctrine of Christ, and abhorre you for making profession of it: & thus I iudge it should be taken.
Tim.
What Doctrines are wee to learne from these wordes thus declared?
Silas.
First, that God is an enemy, and hateth such asDoctrine. be aduersaries to the Gospell of his Sonne. The reasonReasons. heereof is good, because the Gospell proceedes from God himselfe, as author; also, it entreateth of his grace and mans saluation, and is the worde of his Wisedome, wherein hee hath vttered his counsell for mans eternall happinesse, being a word of trueth and reconcilement. Therefore such as oppose and oppugne this word, cannot be but odious to God.
Tim.
What is the vse that wee are to make of this first instruction?Vse.
Silas.
First, it sheweth the most miserable estate and condition of all Heretickes, Papists, Iewes, Atheystes, scoffers, prophane worldlings; of which Paul saith, Phil. 3, 18, 19. they be enemies to the crosse of Christ, that is, to the doctrine of Christ crucified; and therefore God abhorres them, and their end must be damnation, without hearty repentance. If God wil take vengeance in flaming fire of them which be ignorant of his will, and do not know the Gospell, 2 Tim. 1, 8. how will hee torment such as by word, false opinions, writing, or sworde and persecution, be enemies to the Gospel? Secondly, this admonisheth vsus whom we must account our enemies, & how farre foorth, namely, not for our priuate profit or pleasure, but for the Gospel & mens saluation sake: with such as hurt these, wee must hauehave irreconciliable difference, so long as they set themselues against the Gospel, and do not repent. Which reprooues men-pleasers and time seruers, who for lucre and worldly case and dignity, are ready and forward to hauehave vnity with Gods enemies, to compound light and darknesse, to set agreement between Popish Idolatry and Christian religion, between Christ and Antichrist, as if they would endeuour to accord fire and water, a … matron & an arrant strumpet, heauen and hell: see Deut. 13. 5, 6, 7. 2, Cor. 6. 14. 15.
Tim.
What is meant by [beloued,] and of whome is it meant?
Sil.
Beloued signifieth deare vntounto God, not to the faithfull onelyonly; of which louelove there bee two causes rendered. First, the election of God; Secondly, their Fathers and the couenant with them.
Tim.
What is meant by [electing?]
Silas.
The externall grace of the couenant, wherebyInterpret. God choose this people from amongst all other nations of the earth to be his people, Deut. 32, 8, 9: Secondly, eternall election whereby he chose many of them in Christ to be heires of eternall life; this couenant and election are perpetuall and not temporary.
Tim.
What Fathers are these he speakes off?
Silas.
Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and the other Patriarchs, to whome God made a solemne promise to be their God, and the God of their seede. The summe is, Seeing the election of God hath such force and vigour in this peo ple of the Iewes, and God did louelove their Fathers, and gaue them a promise to saue them and their posterity: therefore God loueth their children, and will in his due time conuert them, because hee hath set his louelove vponupon them; for his nature is such, that he repents not nor changeth his holy purpose, and heauenly calling.
Tim.
But what will it helpe the Iewes, being themselues vnbeleeuersDoubs. and vnholy, to descend of holy and faithfull Fathers, more hereafter, then heretofore it hath done?
Silas.
First, the couenant which was giuen to the Fathers,Solution. makes all such as come of them to bee holy, though not with personall holinesse, yet with federall, so farre as to be counted Gods people, and to hauehave right and title to the word and Sacraments, as before. Secondly, he speaks now of such as are not onelyonly vnderunder the couenant, but vnderunder Gods free election, and therefore such as must be called in time, and made to walke in the steppes of their Fathers saith, who shall bee loued and receiued, not so much for their Fathers, as because of Christ in whome they beleeue, as their Fathers did before them.
Tim.
What is our doctrine from hence?
Silas.
That God extends his louelove to the godly parentsDoctrine. and to their issue, which imitate their faith and goodnesle; euen as amongst men, the friendship and kindnesse of parents, we often see is conuayed to their children; as Dauid loued Ionathan the Father, and Mephiboseth his Sonne. So God deriueth his louelove to the children, which be like vntounto their good and righteous parents, Psal. 112, 2. and we read that God remembred Isaac for Abrahams sake, and did good to Salomon for Dauid his fathers sake: see the 2. commandement, Exod. 20.
Tim.
What should this teach vsus?
Silas.
First, it warneth vsus all herein to imitate God, toVse. continue our louelove in a constant tenour from Father to the childe, there being no iust cause to the contrary; as Dauid loued and honoured Chimham, when he could not doe his Father Barzilai any good, by reason of his old age, 2. Sam. 19, 38, Secondly, not to hate the wicked longer then they abide in their refusall of the Gospell, but as God and Angels receiue, louelove and ioy at sinners when they conuert, so ought we men, Luke 15. Thirdly, that Children which hauehave had godly parents, shall bee inheritours of the same grace and louelove, so as they be followers of the piety of their parents. If they degenerate, God will hate them as he did the Iewes which grew out of kinde, but if they bee like to their beleuing progenitors, they shal taste of the same louelove. Lastly, seeing God loueth many of the Iewes, let not Christians hate them, neglect or despise, or bee vncourteous or hurtfull to them; but dayly and earnestly pray for the conuersion of such amongst them, as pertaine to Gods election and couenant, prouoking them by our Christian and godly conuersation to come vntounto, and to like of the Gospell and not driue them more backwards from Christ, by superstitious vsages and corrupt manners, for which the Idolatrous Papists and carnall professors hauehave much to answere to God, who will be a seuere reuenger of such scandals.
Tim.
Go forward to verse 2. which hath a new reason from the nature of God, to proue his vnchangeable louelove to the Nation of the Iewes, because God himselfe cannot change his owne counsell. Tell vsus what is meant by [guifts and calling,] and by [without repentance,] & what is our instruction from this whole verse?
Silas.
By [guifts] he meaneth not either corporall good things, as health, strength, beauty; nor yet naturall gifts of the minde, as wit, memory, &c. nor worldly goods, as riches, honors; nor all spirituall good things, as knowledge, gift of preaching, prayer, &c. for these may be, and are lost, and taken away from many. Whereas Paul speaks of gifts which be irreuocable, & once had, are no more lost; as election and the speciall fruites thereof, viz. remission of sins, iustification, faith, repentance, sanctification, hope, louelove, perseuerance in grace, & glorification; these peculiar gifts which flow out of Gods eternall predestination and louelove: Also that calling which is according to Gods purpose, which is euer effectuall to the change and renewing os the heart; and of these it is written, they bee without (repenrance,) that is, immutable without any alteration. Repentance the cause of change, being by a metonymie, put for mutation which is the effect: for therefore men change because they repent; not but that these guists and others, failing in thēselues, as things created be subiect to change, (God alone being absolutely without change, being simply and infinitly eternall,) but seeing God who besto weth them, will neuer call them back, hence it is they are not altered, and free from change. For that which causeth repentance and change, is either want of counsell and foresight to vnderstand things thoroughly; or of power, not beeing able well to effect what was well considered. Now in God there lackes no wisedome nor power, for he knew al his workes, and none can resist his power; therefore such Iews as he knew before, and whom he gaue to his Sonne to bee redeemed and deliuered, cannot fall from these guifts and calling of God. This word then (without repentance) must not with Erasmus bee referred to the guifts and things themselues, nor with Stapleton and other popish Sophisters be so taken as if God had no cause to repent of his reiecting the Iewes, for that therof came such a good, as the conuersion of Gentiles; it being Pauls purpose by this assertion, to prooue the calling of the Iewes: but this must bee referred to the fixed and most good and wise counsell of God towards his elect, such as he had spoken of, Rom. 8, 30. Whom hee predestinated, them hee called, and iustifieth, and glorifieth. In these the guifts and calling of God bee without alteration, insomuch as neyther Diuels with all their malice and might, nor the Saints with all their weakenesse and inconstancy, can bereaue them of their guifts, and inward calling, because God the author and worker is constant, and so prescrueth what he bestoweth, as neyther he takes them away, nor suffereth his children to cast them away. Of which matter reade the Dialogue on Rom. 5. 2.
Tim.
But howsoeuer there bee no repentance and changingMal. 3, 6. of purpose with God, and therefore seeing according to his euerlastingNumb. 13, 19. purpose hee promised that the seed of the Fathers, as ofEsay 46, 11. Abraham, &c. shall be holy, hee will stand to his promises, and1 Sam. 15, 29. out of the Iewes will gather all his elect, (for this is his properPsal. 110, 4. nature, not to repent him; his guifts and calling are withoutIam. 1, 17. changing) yet God remaining constant, men through their default may shake off their calling, and cast off their …, and so fall away from God, and from beleefe in him.
Silas.
For answere heereunto, first, this doth imply a contradiction, that the Saints should loose their guifts and their calling prooue temporall, and yet God abide constant. For he hath by promise bound himselfe to the elect, that he will holde his hand vnderunder when they fall, that they fall not from him, Psal. 37. 24. and that none shall plucke his Sheepe (the faithfull) out of his handes, Iohn 10. 28. They shall neuer perish but hauehave life euerlasting, Ioh. 3, 16. That he will not tempt aboue strength 1 Cor. 10, 13. Of which promises it followeth, that God beeing faithfull and constant, the beleeuers cannot by their owne folly and vnheedfulnesse quite loose (no not for a moment) their election & faith; for then the temptation should exceed their strength, & they were pluckt out of the Shepheards hand, and they cease to liue vntounto God (Faith which is soules life, being extinct) & so not euerlasting.
Secondly, albeit our corrupt nature is so made, as it would goe backe, and easily of it selfe would fall away, yet the elect being vpheld by the power of God, the beleeuers cannot hauehave a will to reiect their calling, nay their will is confirmed to perseuerance: also faith bringeth with it a perswasion, that God being our Father in very deed, will be our God and Sauiour to the death, & for euer. And therefore, though of weakenesse we often take sore fals, yet he will not suffer vsus to fall away from him. Lastly, sithence without perseuerance in Fayth to the end, Gods calling cannot truly be saide to be without repentance (for calling and faith bee so knit, as they stand together, or fall together) therefore liuely Faith cannot be lost, no not by our owne default. For none wholly can forsake God, saue such as bee wholly forsaken of God, who hath promised the righteous neuer to faile and forsake them. Iosh. 1. Heb. 13, 5. And to shut vp (because this point hath beene elsewhere largely spoken of,) it is not in vaine that the elect being weake, are commaunded to watch and pray, and be sober, to preserue themselues; to feare with humblenesse of minde, Math. 26. 1 Peter. 4. 1 Iohn 5. Rom. 11. For by these and such exhortations as instruments of grace, they are of the holy Spirit stirred vp to great and continuall fear, to keepe their faith and other graces, and by the mightie blessing of God vponupon the ministery of the word and Sacraments, they are stablished and made strong to abide in the Faith. Of the fals which they take by ouersight or force of spirituall assaults, they hauehave a sight, sence, and sorrow giuen them, & so rise againe by true repentance to walk on more steadily and heedily; for afterward being conuerted, confirme thy Brethren. This Doctrine, that our election, calling, and faith cannot faile, is verie comfortable to all such as bee well assured of their owne election and calling by the worthy fruites of faith, and testimony of Gods Spirit, it makes them ioyfull in Tribulations, and to glory in God, euen when Satan, sinne, and the world do most rage against them; because they know, that these spirituall and spightfull aduersaries do imagine but a vaine thing; they shal be no more able by all their wrestling and fighting, to breake off from saluation any whom God hath chosen to his kingdome of heauen, then could Saul with his Courtiers, hinder Dauid from attaining the promised kingdome of Israel; and therefore with his wordes in their chiefest conflictes of conscience may say, O ye gates of hell, how long will yee louelove vanity and seeke after leasing? Assure ye, the Lorde hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe, he will heare mee when I Psal. 4, 2, 3.call vponupon him.