Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Dialogue 13
DIALOGVE XIII.
Verse 22, 23, 24.
When they professed themselues to be wise, they became fooles: for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God, into the similitude of the Image of a corruptible man, and of Birds, and of foure-footed beastes, and of creeping thinges: wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lust, vntounto vncleannesse, to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues.
Tim.
HOw is this Text tyed and linked in with the last? by what orderly steps doth Paul go forward,
Sil.
Heere is a newe Anticipation, or fore-stalling of a priuy obiection: the obiection not expressed, but vnderstood is this. O Paul why doe you accuse the Heathenish people of foolishnes and darknesse of mind; doe you not knowe that they tooke themselues to bee wise, and had a same among men for great wisedome, yea & had the name (their teachers I meane) of Philosophers, that is persons studious, and louers of wisedome? The Romaynes had their Cato, and diuers others renowned for great wisedome:Act. 7, 22. and Greece had her seauen wisemen. In Egipt were men learned in al wisedome; and do we not reade of wise men which came out of the East from amongst Heathens, to enquire where the king of the Iewes should be borne? To this obiection the Apostle answereth, first granting indeed that in their owne opinion, and by profession to the world, they were esteemed for wonderfull wise men; yet indeed and very trueth they were fooles: because by leauing and leaping out of the boundes of that knowledge which God had imprinted in their mind, and manifested in his woorkes; and following their owne witty inuentions and sharpe conceits, they fell from that worship of GOD whereunto their engrauen light, and the sight of the Creature called them, vntounto most grosse & abhominable Idolatry; not only making such their Gods as were but Creatures, yea the basest Creatures, euen creeping things had diuine honour giuen them: but changing (what lay in them) the true Immortall and Spirituall God, and his glorious Maiesty into earthly corruptible and contemptible shewes and similitudes, which they adored religiously, forsaking the right spiritual worshippe of the onelyonly true God, and so became fooles or rather mad in their folly, because they would maintaine it by pretext of reason.
Tim.
VponUpon what pretences and apparance of reason did the wisest of the Heathens maintaine their heathenish Idolatry, in making Creatures Gods, and woorshipping God by Images, also making pictures and shapes of God: what had they to say? what did they professe to bee the ground and motiue of such superstition?
Sil.
Their pretexts and excuses deuised out of humane witte (wandering from light of nature) were sundry; not much vnlike (and some the very same) with these which our Papists stragling from the light of the worde, now doe vse in the very like case for defence of their abhominable Idolles; and which sometime the Israelites did pleade forFxod. 32. themselues, when they declined from Gods louelove and seruice,Ezek 8. 10. to such their owne inuentions. As first, that God being a Spirit separate from sense, therefore the people whose vnderstandings were grosse, must hauehave God visible by some shape. Againe, that they were not so foolish as to thinke the Images to be God, but only tokens and remembrances, and helps whereby to come to God: that as men come to Emperours by vnderunder-officers, so accesse to God must be by Saints, and inserior Gods; which excuses and such like, are answered by Athanasius, Ambrose, and Augustine.
Tim.
Now let mee know of you, in what respect the true God is called incorruptible; seeing mens Soules and Angels be so too, and how his glory can be said to bee changed, seeing it is immutable as himselfe is? For me thinks it doth wel follow, that God being incorruptible cannot change; and as himselfe is, so is his glory exempted from change, why then doth Paul say, they changed it?
Sil.
The Angels and mens Soules be incorruptible, that is, free from corruption, alteration and change; not originally by themselues, but by the will of God, who himselfe is such of himselfe, most necessarily and euerlastingly exempt from chaunge and mutation: yea and his glory also absolutely considered, is such as shall abide the same for euer, though heauen and earth passe away, it shall not alter: but his glory being relatiuely considered in respect of men as it is to be honoured and worshipped of his reasonable Creatures, it may bee and is often changed by the lewd impiety of wicked Idolaters, who corrupt his glorie two wayes; both by making vntounto them Gods, which by nature are not so, giuing diuine honour and seruice to things Created: and secondly by representation of God in visible shapes and Images, adoring him in and by such pictures and shewes as men fancy of him; and after both these sortes did the Gentiles dishonour God, worshipping for Gods such as had not diuinity in them, also by framing similitudes of God to which they attributed diuine honor by erecting vntounto them Temples and Altars, also offering sacrifices and prayers vntounto the figures of men, beasts, and creeping creatures, so foolish they were and without vnderstanding.
Tim.
What be the instructions of this Text which we are to consider of?
Silas.
First, such as in appointing Gods seruice doe lcanc to their owne reason and wit, they proue ridiculous and foolish, because in the ordering of Gods worship, Gods word only must be the rule; when men leaue the word, they leaue wisedome and chuse folly. Secondly, that all wicked men are fooles, because in the ordering of their liues they leaue the word and follow their owne lusts. Thirdly, that euen the godly are so farre forth fooles, as they depart from the word of God which now to Christians is the square of Gods seruice, as the Law of Nature was vntounto the Insidels.
Tim.
What other sinnes doth the Apostle charge the Gentiles withall?
Silas.
With the sinne of Idolatry, which appeareth in these two things. First, they made similitudes & likenesses of God. Secondly, they worshipped those Images.
Tim.
But they wil say, they worship God, & not the Images?
Silas
But the Apostle saith, they worship the Creatures and not the Creator.
Tim.
They will say they wrong not God, because still they minde to worship him?
Sil.
That is not so, for they turned his glory into a base similitude, as of creeping things, which is a great dishonour to him. Secondly, they changed the truth into a lye, as if the incorruptible and inuisible God were like a mortall and corruptible Creature, which is a lye. Thirdly, they forsake the Creator, as verse 25.
Tim.
You thinks then that God is not worshipped at all if any other be worshipped with him?
Sil.
It is true, or if he be worshipped any otherwise then himselfe hath commanded; for as there is none to be religiously serued saue God alone, Math. 4. 10. so this God will be worshipped after his owne appointment.
Tim.
Doe not they also forsake God which are spirituall Idolaters, setting their harts vponupon the Creature, as Riches, pleasures, &c?
Sil.
They do so, for God alone will be feared and loued aboue all, and trusted in alone, as the first commandement enioyneth vsus.
Tim.
What was the punishment of this their Idolatry?
Sil.
The giuing of them vp to vncleane and vnnaturall lusts.
Tim.
What is meant by giuing vp men?
Sil.
Not an idle and bare permission, seuered from Gods will, or a putting of sinne into men, but a withdrawing of his grace, or for saking the Creatures and deliuering them vp (as a iust Iudge) to be ruled by Sathan and their owne lusts; this is the greatest and most grieuous punishment that can befall a man in this life, because it is the encreasing of sinne, and hath new prouocations of Gods anger.
Tim.
How many kinds be there of giuing vp?
Silas.
Two; One in part onelyonly, and for a time, into which the children of God may fall, as appeareth in Manasses, Dauid, Salomon, and Peter: the other, wholly and for euer, which the Reprobates fall into, as appeareth in Cam, Esau, and Iudas.
Tim.
What was our instruction heere?
Silas.
To feare God greatly, seeing he can thus horribly and dreadfully punnish offenders, which disobcy his will: and if this be well thought vponupon, it will make sinne far more hatefull to vsus.
Tim.
What were they giuen vp vntounto?
Silas.
VntoUnto all kinde of sinne: but namely, vntounto vnchast and vncleane lusts, touching generation: they were assaulted with an whole army of burning and vnconquerable desires, which were both effectes and punishments of their Idolatry: from whence as Riuers they did flow.
Tim.
What did we learne from this?
Silas
To abhorre and abandon such filthy lustes, not only because they defile our bodies, which are the members of Christ, the Temples of the Holyghost, bought with a great price; and are also sinnes against the bodie, 1 Cor. 6, 18. but because they are the punishment of Idolatry. This is the Cockatrice which hatcheth such a pestiferous brood, as the punishment of vncleane lusts.