Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 8 · Dialogue 20
DIAL. XX.
Verse 21. Because the creature also shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God.
Tim.
VVHat doth this Text containe?
Silas.
A promise to the creature of deliuerance from misery, vnderunder which it lyeth by the appointment of God for mans sinne.
Tim.
What is meant by the creature, and what is it to be deliuered?
Silas.
By creature is meant the whole frame of the… worlde, the insensible creature, and whatsoeuer GOD made, which is voyde of reason or sence. And to bee deliuered, is to bee set free or at liberty, quit, and exempted.
Tim.
From what shall the creature be deliuered?
Silas.
From bondage and corruption. These words to bee bond or subiect to corruption, expound the worde Vanity; and signifieth corruption, or a corruptible estate, whereunto for mans sinne the creature is bounde and subiect.
Tim.
Wherein dooth this corruption of the Creature appeare?
Silas.
In these things: First, it is wearied with continuall labour for our sake. Secondly, manie creatures loose their liues for our vse, and at our pleasure. Thirdly, all of them are forced to doe seruice vntounto the diuels, which range in the aire, or to the lustes of wicked men. Fourthly, their beauty, force, and glory, is by reason of mans sinne often impaired. Lastly, they are subiect to a dissolution in the end, in such sort as they bee now, they shall be no longer.
Tim.
What is meant by the Sonnes of God, and vvhat is their liberty?
Silas.
By Sonnes of God, is meant all the Children of GOD, whether his Sonnes or Daughters (by a …) as man signifieth often both man and woman, Psal. 1, 1. and by their glorious liberty, is signified such a libertie, as shall not onelyonly free all beleeuers, from all manner of euils either of crime or paine, but be accompanied with vncomparable glory and honour.
Tim.
What is meant by [into?]
Silas.
So to be deliuered, as to be partakers of the liberty and glory of the godly. Chrysostom reades, dia, for the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God; as if the end or finall cause of their deliuerance wer pointed at, namely, that as God made the worlde for man, and for man subdued it to vanity: so he would deliuer and restore it for men, euen to illustrate & enlarge the glorie of Gods Children.
Tim.
What is the Doctrine to bee Learned out of thisDoctrine. Verse?
Silas.
This: the world with the creatures therein, shal be set free from their seruile & corrupt condition, euen at that day when God shall perfectly glorifie his Children in soule and body.
Tim.
What manner of freedome and deliuerance shall this bee?
Silas.
Of the manner of deliuerance of the creatures there be two opinions. The first opinion is, that it shall bee by abolition or annihilation, making the creature cease to be at all; which is a kind of deliuerance, because if the creature be not at all, then it can no longer be vnderunder vanity, bondage, and corruption. The second opinion is, that this deliuerance shall bee by a chaunge of qualities, the creature being altered into a better estate; as a man is changed in his regeneration, his substance remaines the same, a newe quality of holinesse is … brought in: or as Golde is altered in the furnace, the drosse beeing remooued, it becomes more pure: so the world shall be but purified and restored to his first perfection,Reasons. but not wasted to nothing. And this last opinion do I hold to be the truest, and that for these reasons following. The first is, by the … of Scripture, teaching that the world shalbee but changed and renued. Psa. 102-26. 27. Esay 66, 22. and 65. 17. And in this last place as in our text also, there is promise made not of annihilation, but of a restitution of the worlde, that it shall not vtterly be extinct, but renued; as Peter expounds it 2 Pet. 3. 13. Secondly, as the world was but changed and cleansed at the first by water, so it shall bee no otherwise at the last by fire; that was only changed, and not quite destroyed, so shall this be.
Thirdly, our Text doth not barely say the creature shal be deliuered, but addeth, (into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God) which plainely shewes that their deliuerance is another thing then beeing brought to nothing, euen a communicating with the sonnes of God, in one part of their glory, (to wit;) in incorruption and immortality, which the creature had by Creation and by naturall instinct still desires to recouer it, as verse, 22. Fourthly, eueryevery creature desireth it owne preseruation naturally and abhorreth destruction; therefore it is not a bringing to nothing, (this deliuerance;) for the creature woulde neuer desire that, that is against nature. Fistly, Peter in Acts third verse 22. speaketh of restoring, not of men onelyonly but of all other things. Lastly, the same Apostle Peter, exhorts vsus to liue without blame, because there should be new heauens and new earth: all this doth argue and strongly prooue, that this deliuerance of the creature, shall not be by a reduction into nothing, but by an alteration into a better estate. The restitution of the creature shall be like the resurrection from the dead: but what shal be the particular properties, workes, and vses of all and eueryevery creature after the last iudgement; let no man enquire, because it is not reuealed in the worde … heere is place for that which Tertullian calleth a learned ignorance.
Tim.
What profit is to be made of this trueth?
Silas.
First, it serues to strengthen our faith, concerningVses. the certainty of heauenly glory, because the naturall appetite of the creature after heauenly glory is not in vain Secondly, it warneth the godly not to be troubled with the confusions and disorders of the world, because one day God will bring all these thinges into better frame. Thirdly, it must call our hearts from the imoderate louelove of money and other riches, because these being no part of the world, must be consumed & burnt vp by the fire: & therefore it is a folly to louelove them too much. Fourthly, it should stirre all men to endeuour earnestly newnes of life; because if the creature cannot enioy glory vntil it be first cleansed and changed, then much lesse we, before we be purged and purified from our spots of sinne, by continuall repentance.
Tim.
What other Doctrine is to bee raised out of this 21. verse?Doctrine.
Silas.
This: that the creature is vnderunder great misery, vntil the time of restoring commeth. Their misery standeth in two things: the first is bondage, in that they are driuen to serue wicked men & diuels. The second is, corruption, in that many liuing creatures perish for vsus dayly; and such as are without life, shall bee dissolued and changed. The reason heereof is; first Gods decree, appointingReasons. it to be so, as the euent hath declared; for nothing fals out in time, which was not decreed before all times. The second reason heereof is, Mans sin, for whose sake and vse, as God created the world at first in perfection, so when he being Lord of the creature transgressed, the world was impaired and subdued to corruption, through his disobedience. As the primum mobile, like a wheele, dooth carry about in his motion all the other Spheares, so the good & euil condition of the creature dependeth vponupon men.
Tim.
But was this righteous in God to curse the Creature which sinned not?
Sil.
Yea verily: First, because the onelyonly will of GodSuprema regula iustitiae … Dci …. is the Soueraigne cause of all righteousnesse. Secondly, if ciuill Iustice of earthly Princes, may without wrong punish traitors themselues, and their children also: much more rightfully may diuine Iustice for the treason of Adam, curse the Creatures which were made for his sake.
Tim.
What vse are we to make of this point?
Silas.
First, it teacheth patience in afflictions, for the godly shoulde not faint in their calamities, seeing the creature quietly suffereth misery for their sake. Secondly, this should moue vsus to abhor sin, which is such a venomous thing, in that it hath infected all creatures aboue vsus, about vsus, and beneath vsus. Thirdly, it must mooue vsus to pitty the creature, being liable and subiect vntounto labour, wearinesse yea and death for our sakes. Lastly, it reproueth the cruelty of such, as sport themselues in the mutuall murdering of the creature; the death and destruction whereof, being a part of the curse for our sins, wee may not make it our recreation; Gods curse may not be sported with. I mean it not of the lawfull sport, by hawking, hunting, &c. where the vse of the creature for sustentation of out life is sought after. For all creatures giuen to man to vse, may for his vse be killed, yet with the least cruelty.