Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 8 · Dialogue 30
DIAL. XXX.
Verse 33, 34. Who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God who iustifieth, who shal condemne? It is Christ which is dead, yea or rather which is risen againe, who is also at the right hand of God, & maketh request also for vsus.
Tim.
VVHat are we to thinke of the reading of this Text?
Silas.
Some reade it all by interrogation or question thus: who shall accuse? shall God who iustifieth? whoe shall condemne? shall Christ who is dead? &c. containing a reason. Some reade it by question and answere, thus. Who shall accuse? it is God who iustifieth; that is,The question hath heere the force of a negotiation, and stronger deniall. no body shall accuse, for it is God who iustifieth: & who shall condemne? it is Christ which is dead; that is, no body shall condemne, for it is Christ who is dead, risen, sitteth at the right hande of God, and maketh request. This latter reading is the best, because it is more plaine and casie then the former, which doth obscure the sence, and is against the credite of the greeke Copies, which rcade it not by a continued interogation.
Tim.
What doth this Text containe?
Silas.
Two things: First, a double assault, implied and folded in the Question, Who shall? &c. Secondly, it shewes the remedy in the answere, It is God &c.
Tim.
Where is the first assault or temptation?
Sil.
In these words: who shal lay ought to the charge of Gods chosen? to lay to ones charge, is a word taken from ciuill Courts, & signifies to accuse, to cal one into law, to enter suite or action against him, charging him with some crime or guilt; and (by Gods chosen) is meant such as be elected of God, vntounto life eternall, and doe beleeue the Gospell.
Tim.
What doe ye learne from these words?
Sil.
That all the merites of Christ, are appropriate vntounto elect faithfull ones, for these he dyed, rose againe, sitteth at the right hand of God, and maketh request for them: those God iustifieth, sanctifieth, and glorifieth. Where is then that vniuersall grace by which all and eueryevery are said to be redeemed by Christ effectually? For of his suffiency is not the question.
Tim.
Now ye hauehave expounded the words of the question, tell me what temptation against our faith is infolded and wrapt in them?
Silas.
This: there be sundry aduersaries that will rise vp and accuse vsus as guilty of sinne and death, how shall we doe? And indeed so it is: First, Sathan will charge vsus Reuel 12, 10. Secondly, the lawe of Moses which wee hauehave transgressed, Iohn, 5, 45. Thirdly, our owne conscience will accuse vsus, Rom. 2, 15. Lastly, the worlde will accuse vsus, as it accused Christ, Iohn Buptist, the Apostles and others. Now it is heauy to hauehave so many and subtle accusers in such a Court as before Gods tribunall, where the case concernes our saluation or damnation. Now the remedy which Paul doth giuegive vsus against this temptation, is a very fit and excellent remedy, euen this: It is God who iustifieth. And note heere that iustification by absoluing, is opposed both vntounto accusation, and condemnation; from both an elect sinner is freed at his iustification.
Tim.
What is meant by iustifying?
Silas.
To iustifie, signifies to absolue or acquit from guilt of sinne, and to account or pronounce one iust. That this is the meaning of the worde, may appeare first by comparing this place with Acts 13, 39. Where the worde iustified, can signifie no other thing then absolution from sinne. Secondly, because it is set against accusing & condemning, which are two actions of iudgment, the one charging a man with guilt and crime, the ther pronouncing punishment vponupon him, beeing founde guilty and conuicted. Therefore iustification which is the contrary to both these, must needs signifie the absoluing and acquitting one from guilt and punishment, and the pronouncing of him iust; and this comes vntounto vsus by the obedience and death of Christ, being laid holde of by a liuely faith.
Tim.
Now the word is expounded, let vsus heare what is the force of the Apostles answere, and the effect of the remedy affoarded vsus?
Silas.
Thus much: that it is in vaine for any to accuse the faithfull, because they hauehave God, who himselfe is the iudge to acquit them.
Tim.
What is our doctrine from hence?
Silas.
They (whose sinnes God pardons and accepts forA Maxime logicall. iust men) neede not feare the accusation of all their enemies; the reasons hereof, be these. First, when contraries bee immediate, the putting or granting of the one, is the remouing of the other, as thus. The number is euen, therefore it is not odde: Abraham is in heauen, therefore not in any part of hell. So here, God absolues, therefore it bootesWho shall dis allow whome God allow eth: Gods iudgement seat is highest saith, …. none to accuse, for if they do, it is to no purpose. Second reason, God is the highest iudge, and his tribunall seate is the supreme iudgement seat; therefore from thence there is no appealing. As amongst men, persons accused or condemned, may appeale till they come to the highest Courtꝭ so being absolued before Gods tribunall seate, there is no further accusation to be feared; all appeales from thence, be void and of no force.
Tim.
What vse is to be made of this doctrine?
Sil.
It must serue to strengthen & comfort vsus, in the terrour of conscience, being frighted with the guilt of sinne, the sentence of the law, the cruelty of Sathan: in as much as these either dare not appeare before God, to accuse and charge vsus, or if they doe it, it is but lost labour, since GOD the iudge hath discharged vsus. Secondly, as it shewes the happines of iustified persons, so it bewrayes the great misery of such as doe not beleeue; because they bee subiect to the accusation of sin and Sathan themselues, and of the world, and to the condemnation of God and his law.
Tim.
So doe the beleeuers, because they hauehave sinne still in them, and Gods iustice must needs condemne sinne: how doth the Apostle answere this assault?
Sil.
Thus, that Christ being dead, he hath in his death made satisfaction; and where satisfaction is made to diuine iustice, there is no cause to feare condemnation, which doth neuer proceede but against persons who cannot satisfie, neither by others nor themselues.
Tim.
Tea, but what can a dead man profit vsus?
Silas.
Nothing at all, had death swallowed him vp and subdued him; but Christ once dead is risen againe, and now sitteth at the right hand of God.
Tim.
Hath God a right band, or doth Christ sit in heauen?
Sil.
No not so, for in heauen be no seates, and God isA speech borrowed from Kings, who set at their right hand their chiefe and greatest Officers and fauourites, as Salomon vsed Bath sheba, 1. Kings, 2, 19. a Spirit, and therefore is no bodily substance hauing fleshly members; but the meaning of this phrase is, that Christ liueth in heauen blessedly, and raigneth in exceeding glory and power, not onelyonly as he is God, but also as he is man, being exalted in his kingdome and Priest-hood, and declared king and head of his Church, before God and the Angels, hauing all things subiect to him. Of which singular dignity and honour giuen to him by his Father, reade Mat. 28, 18. Ephe. 1, 20, 21, 22. Phil. 2, 9. Col. 2, 15. 10. 13. 3.
Tim.
What is meant by this, that he makes request for vsus in Heauen?
Silas.
That as he once merited our saluation in earth by dying, so he now continually preserues it for vsus in heauen by his intercession for vsus; which is not now in humiliation by kneeling vponupon his knees, as in the dayes of his flesh, nor as the Spirite doth by stirring vp requests for vsus: but hee now maketh request by the vertue and merite of his death, appeasing his Fathers wrath, and turning his fauour towards vsus, so often as wee sinne of infirmity, and seeke for pardon in his name.
Tim.
Tell vsus distinctly in what things doth this intercession of Christ consist?
Sil.
In foure things: First, in his appearing for vsus before God, Heb. 9, 24. Secondly, in his satisfaction once performed to Gods iustice for vsus, Heb. 10, 12. 14. Thirdly, in that his will is, that this satisfaction should euer stead all his members before God, Heb. 10, 10. Lastly, the consent of God his Father, resting in this satisfaction and will of his Sonne, Iohn, 11, 42.
Tim.
What is the benefit that beleeuers hauehave by this intercession of Christ, to whom alone this honour is peculiar?
Silas.
Exceeding great: for it quits them from all feare of condemnation by Gods Iustice, in respect of theyr sinnes; because where Christ becomes Patrone for to defend against the sentence of damnation, it is in vaine for sinne, Law, or Sathan, to attempt any thing against beleeuers. Euen as an innocent person is safe, so long as he hath his learned aduocate to answere things obiected, and to pleade his innocency: and as one accused vntounto a Prince, is well as long as he hath a friend in the Court to speake for him; so is it with all beleeuers, who hauehave the Iudge himselfe both iudge and aduocate, 1 Iohn 2, 2.
Tim.
What other thing is to be learned from hence?
Silas.
Two thinges: First, that the sinnes of the elect shall neuer come into examination or inquiry, being all for giuen and couered. Secondly, that Christ Iesus is a sufficient remedy against all things that may trouble or feare the conscience, and that these four maner of waies. First by his death, freeing vsus from sinne and damnation. Secondly, by his rising againe, getting righteousnesse & victory ouer all his enemies. Thirdly, by being at the right hand of God, he sheddeth downe the holy Ghost vponupon vsus with his sauing graces. Fourthly, by his intercession, he effectually applies vntounto vsus all his merites, andFor Christ to make intercession, and to pray, is not to bee taken properly, but to shewe the good will of the Sonne to vsus, as Chrysostome noteth. continually preserues vsus in the state of grace and saluation. Therefore all that seeke for any soul comfort, from any thing in heauen or in earth, in themselues or others, they are most miserably seduced; for Christ is alone sufficient both to merit and preserue our saluation vntounto vsus. Away then, & with abhomination cast away those blasphemous prayers and professions of Papistes, touching the blessed Virgin Marie, calling her Queen of Heauen, our hope, our onelyonly hope, our health, our saluation, our comfort, refreshing, and our ioy, our deliuerer from danger, our refuge; and calling vponupon her in life to defend, in the houre of death to protect, to entreate God the Father not as intercessor, but with authority to command the Son Christ as a Mother, with such like horrible impieties vntounto her and to the Crosse, and to Thomas Becket, and to Saint Francis, as their owne rotten Bookes do witnesse.