Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 12
The Epistle. ROM. 12.6.
Seeing that we hauehave diuers gifts according to the grace that is giuen vntounto vsus, &c.
aPostil. maior. dom. 2. ab Epip…an.LVther is of opinion, that this Epistle should be capite breuior, & sine prolixior; shorter in the beginning, longer at the end. For the beginning appertaines vntounto the conclusion of the Epistle for Sunday before; and the end to be the beginning of the Epistle for Sunday following: yet so, that it may be both read and expounded, as a text absolute in it selfe. The summe whereof is, that wee must imploy and improue the manifold gifts of God vntounto the glory of his name, and good of his people.
This exhortation is inferred vponupon a familiar comparison vsed in the words immediatly before: for as we hauehave many members in one body, and all members hauehave not one office; so we being many, are one body in Christ, and eueryevery man among our selues, one anothers members. In which, obserue foure instructions.
First, as the members are not made by their owne vertue, but created by Gods almighty power, before they could execute any function in the body; not members because working, but on the contrary, working because members: In like sort, Christians are not members of Christ through their owne good works, but they doe good works because they be members, and inserted into Christ: as the tree brings forth the fruit, and not the fruit the tree. The Papists then in their works of congruitie, run too much vponupon the figure called foreign; setting the cart before the horse; merit before mercy. Potes à te de ficere (saith bIn Psal. 94.Augustine) sed teipsum reficere non potes; ille reficit, qui te fecit.
Secondly, the members are well cZancbius in Ephes. 4.16.content with their seuerall offices and place; the foote is not grieued at the heads supremacie, neither doth the nose maligne the eye, nor eye couet to be tongue, but eueryevery one performes his function without any faction: euen so we which are members of Christs mysticall body, must be content with our vocation and calling, d1. Cor. 7.20.neither enuying such as are aboue, nor despising such are vnderunder vsus. e1. Cor. 12.4.Although there be diuersities of gifts, yet but one spirit: diuersities of administrations, yet but one Lord: diuersities of operations, yet but one God, who worketh all in all.
Are all Apostles? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? hauehave all the gift of healing? doe all speake with tongues? doe all interpret? It is God who worketh all in all; communicating indifferently spirituall life to all his members; insomuch as the least is a member of his bodie so well as the greatest. In this respect all parts are peeres.
Albeit (I say) there be diuers gifts, and diuers measures of gifts, and so by consequence for fashion, and function an imparity; yet because they be fSarcerius in loc.donatiues, grants, and graces, as it is said here, the mighty may not scorne the meane, nor the meane enuie the mighty: no part must be p…rt. g1. …or. 4.7.For …hat hast thou that thou hast not receiued? He that appointed thee mouth or eye, might hauehave made thee foote or hand. Againe, no member ought to mutter against head or fellow; for the mysticall body of Christ is all fa…re: hCant. 4.7.Tota pulchra es amica mea: now beauty consists in variety of colours, and in a concinne disposition of sundry different parts. i1. Cor. 12.17.If all the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But God hath in a most sweete order, disposed the members eueryevery one of them in the body: first, Apostles; secondly, Prophets; thirdly, Teachers; then, workers of miracles; after that, the gifts of healing; helpers, gouernours, diuersities of tongues.
Hee then that affects in the Church an hotchpotch paritie, martyrs and marres Christs body, which is, foreign, &c. a body fitly knit together by eueryevery ioynt: Ephesians 4.16.
Thirdly, there is a sympathie betweene the members of the naturall bodie; k1. Cor. 12.26.for if one suffer, all suffer with it; if one member be had in honour, all the members reioyce with it. So Paul in this scripture: Be merie with them that be merie; weepe with them that weepe. Paine is often lessened by pitie; passion is relieued in one by compassion of many. lAugustin. epist. 133.Minus fit quod patitur vnum membrum, si compatiantur alia membra: nec ipsa mali releuatio fit per communionem cladis, sed per solatium charitatis, vt quamuis alij ferendo patiuntur, alij cognoscendo compatiuntur: Communis fit tamen tribulatio, quibus probatio, spes, dilectio, spiritus que communis est. He that hath not this fellow feeling, may suspect worthily that hee is not a liuely member of Christ; for his bodie is coupled, and knit together throughout eueryevery ioynt, wherewith one ministreth to another. If then we doe not mGalat. 6.2beare one anothers burthen, and feele one another miserie, wee are not knit together by the sinewes of louelove; and if not knit to the bodie, no part of the bodie.
Fourthly, there is no dead or idle member in the body, but eueryevery one helpes another, and is seruiceable for the good of the whole: the eye doth direct the head, and the hand guard the eye; the nose smels for all, tongue speaks for all, hand workes for all. n1. Cor. 12.21.25.The eye cannot say to the hand, I hauehave no need of thee; nor the hand againe to the feet, I hauehave no need of you: but eueryevery part seekes anothers and not his owne good.
In like sort, the wise Counseller must see for all; the tall Souldiers fight for all; the iudicious Clerke write for all: as oTritten…em. de Scriptor. in vitam Ockam.Occam said vntounto the Emperour Lewis; If you will defend me with your sword, I will defend you with my pen. Seeing wee hauehave diuers gifts, according to the grace giuen vntounto vsus; if a man hauehave the gift of prophecie, let him hauehave it, &c.
The duties here mentioned are, pLuther. in loc.partly
Publike; If a man hauehave the gift of prophecie, &c.
Priuate; If a man shew merciemercy, let him do it with cheerfulnes.
The publike cōcerne things
Spiritual, for
Doctrine
Theoricall; as prophecying and teaching.
Practicall; as exhortation.
Discipline; let h…m that ruleth doe it with diligence.
Temporall; if any man giuegive, let him doe it with singlenes.
If any man hauehave the gift of prophecie, let him hauehave it agreeing to the faith] A Prophet in old time foretold things to come: but vnderunder the Gospell a qAquin. in loc.Prophet is hee that interprets the Prophets; he that shewes Christ is come, spoken of by ye mouth of al his holy Prophets euer since the world began. A Preacher is a Prophet, as the word is vsed: 1. Cor. 14.1. and 1. Cor. 13. we know in part, we prophecie in part. A Preacher then must teach agreeing to the faith; rLuther. & Caluin. in loc.that is, according to the Scripture, which is a rule of faith: or according to the sD. Fulke in loc.Creede, which is an abridgement of that rule; for t1. Cor. 3.11.other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laide, Christ Iesus.
He that will edifie Gods house must build vponupon Christ, and square al his doctrines according to the rule of truth. u1. Pet. 4.11.If any man speake, let him talke as the words of God. It is not said here that a Prophet ought to vse no booke but the Bible; no Commentarie but the Creede; for that is too spirituall (as xPraefa…. in exposit. N. Testament.M…rlorate notes.) He that will preach agreeing to the Scripture, must reade the best expositors of the Scripture: for, as yDe domo interior. cap. ….Bernard said, all bookes are written for the bettering of the conscience, which is the booke of the soule: so wee must examine all bookes, especially treatises of Diuinitie, for the better vnderstanding of this one booke, which is foreign the Booke.
Neither is it said here, that the Prophet in the pulpit must speake nothing beside plaine text, but only that hee must exercise his gift according to faiths analogie, foreign teaching the wholesome words of Christ; and z1. Tim. 6.3.consenting to the doctrine which is agreeable to godlinesse: for whatsoeuer is deduced out of Gods booke by necessarie consequence, must be receiued as his word; let him that hath the gift of prophecie, hauehave it agreeing to the faith.
Or as aAquinas in loc.other interpret; to beget and confirme faith in vsus euermore. For, if a Prophet rise among you, saying, Let vsus goe after other gods and serue them, &c. thou shalt not hearken vntounto the words of the Prophet, Deut. 13.1. The true Prophet is he, Cuius in ore v…rbum vitae, cui…s in more vita verbi.
Or, as bIn loc.Melanct. and cD. Fulk. in loc.most of the most ancient fathers, according to the proportion of faith and grace giuen. As if hee should say, Whosoeuer is called by the Church lawfully, to preach the Word, let him abide therein according to the measure of his gift: for God hath giuen to some more, to some lesse, and often blesseth him that hath lesse, more then him that hath more. Let eueryevery man therfore exercise his talent with faith and diligence, to the best edification of Gods people comitted to his charge: so likewise, let him that hath an office …aite on his office; let him that teacheth, take heed to his doctrine; let him that exhorteth, giuegive attendance to his exhortation, according to the proportion of grace. Let not any suffer his dMatth. 25.18.talents to rust, but imploy them and so multiplie them vntounto the Donors glorie; eEphes. 4.11.who gaue some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Euangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints, for the worke of the ministerie, and for the edificatiō of the bodie of Christ.
If any gi…, l…t him doe it with singlenes] With an fGorran. in loc.vpright intention, not to bee seene of men, gAquin. in loc.or to gaine much by giuing a little; for that is not simplicitie, but duplicitie.
Or because Paul speakes of Deacons, publike guardians of the poore, such as wee call Almoners and ouerseers; hMartyr in loc.he would not hauehave them deale subtilly for their own benefit, but simply for the common good, distributing the Churches beneuolence committed vntounto their charge, without respect of perso…s, according to the seuerall necessities of the Saints.
Let him that ruleth, doe it wi… diligence] The slothfull and idle person is the diuels shop▪ there he workes, euer busie when men are lasie. Wheref…re iEccles. 9.10.doe that which is in thine hand with all thy power; especially, take heed that thou doe not the worke of the kIerem. 48.10.Lord negligently. That which Christ said of our redemption, eueryevery Christian must say of his particular vocation: It is meate and drinke for me to doe my fathers will. VntoUnto diligence there are two maine motiues.
1. In regard of God, who bestowes his gifts for this end, that they may be well imployed in his holy seruice.
2. In respect of our selues: for lMatth. 25.29.vntounto eueryevery one that hath, it shall be giuen, and hee shall hauehave abundance; and from him that hath not, euen that hee hath, shall be taken away.
The priuate duties are
Generall: Hate that which is euill, cleane to that which is good.
Particular, concerning our
Faith: Be feruent in spirit: continue in prayer.
Hope: Reioyce in hope, be patient in tribulation.
Charitie, in
Giuing due respect to
Superiours; In giuing honor go one before another.
Equals: Be kind one to another with brotherly louelove.
Inferiours: Distributing to the necessity of ye saints: harboring the distressed: equalling our selue… to thē of the lower sort.
Forgiuing: Blesse them that persecute you, &c.
All which offices are to be performed
Freely.
Fully.
Fitly.
Freely, with cheerefulnes and compassion: Be merie with the merie; weepe with such as weepe.
Fully, without sloth or dissimulation; Let louelove be without dissimulation.
Fitly: Applie your selues to the time: for there is a time for all things: and foreign, doth mAmbros. in loc.fit the place better, then foreign. See Luther. postil. Erasm. Martyr. in loc.
His meaning is not, that we should alter our manners and religion according to the time; like the Polypus and Camelion: for in the beginning of this chapter hee doth aduise the contrarie: Fashion not your selues according to to the world. But that we should apprehend the best hint to doe good in the Church, euermore redeeming the time: Ephes. 5.16. so shall we be sure to serue God in obseruing the time.