Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 3
VERSE. 3. — For God hath receiued him.
IN theſe words, and in the next verſe, are two reaſons to perſwade to the direction.
There is ſome queſtion to which part this reaſon ſhould ſerue; and who ſhould be meant by him.
Him: that is, the weake one, ſay ſome: others by him vnderſtand the ſtrong Chriſtian.
Some make this argument to bee on the behalfe of the weake, and the other of the ſtrong: ſome affirme contrarily: and ſome that both the reaſons belong to both.
Doubtleſſe both the reaſons are brought to the ſame thing, Chryſ. Theod. Mart. & alij.and rather in the behalfe of the ſtrong Chriſtian, who is the Gentile, againſt the Iew, then otherwiſe.
1 For firſt, it is moſt naturall and orderly, that him ſhould be preferred to the next before ſpoken of: Let not him which eateth not, iudge him which eates, for God hath receiued him.
2 The word receiued properly belongs to the Gentiles, as it is an attribute to God; for the Iewes were receiued before, and thought more contemptuouſly of the Gentiles, and highly of themſelues.
3 In the next verſe, Who art thou that iudgeſt? to iudge was the fault of the weake Chriſtian.
Doth Paul then let the ſtrong alone? No: but firſt he dealeth againſt the weake, becauſe he is moſt guilty. They both ſinned in practice; but the weake in opinion alſo, mantaining an intolerable error; and they tooke offence at that which the ſtrong lawfully might doe, and therefore were the cauſe of all the broyles.
Afterwards he deales againſt them both, verſe 10. and principally againſt the ſtrong, verſe 13. and ſo to the end of the Chapter.
The weake then may not iudge the ſtrong for eating: The reaſon is taken from the dignity of the ſtrong: God hath receiued him. Thoſe whom God hath receiued, men may not cenſure as profane:
But God hath receiued the Gentile, called ſtrong by reaſon of his knowledge of Chriſtian liberty. Therefore, &c.
In this argument are two things: The thing, to receiue; and the perſons receiuing, God receiued the ſtrong.
God hath receiued him: we had the word before, verſe 1. but as Gods louelove is greater then ours, ſo the ſenſe of this word here is accordingly ex…ended.
Receiued; that is, louingly, to the good of the receiued, vt ſuus eſſet, Anſelmus. Aretius. Ambroſius. Toletus. Caluinus. 2 Pet. 1.4.that hee might bee his owne: vt membrum Chriſti eſſet, that hee might bee a member of Chriſt: ad gratiam, to grace: ad gratiam Euangelij, to the grace of the Goſpell. He ſuffered them not to remaine in their ſinner, but ſo receiued them as to adopt them, that they might bee partakers of the diuine nature, as S. Peter ſpeaketh.
It may be noted, that whereas Dauid ſaith, Bleſſed is the man whom thou chuſeſt, and cauſeſt to approach vntounto thee, Pſal. 65 4. The Septuagints tranſlate, foreign, according to Pauls word here: which in Hebrew is vthekareb, of karab: from which roote comes Korbau, an offering: and Kereb, bowels or inward parts, that are neareſt and deareſt to vsus: and ſo the meaning, that God doth ſo receiue vsus Gentiles, as to eſteeme vsus as an acceptable oblation, euen as his owne heart, or bowels.
There is a double receiuing: to the viſible Church; to inward and inuiſible grace: to the meanes of the promiſes, and to their poſſeſſion: here Paul ſpeaks generally preſuppoſing both.
They are not raſhly to be iudged and condemned, Doctr. whom God hath receiued to grace, Rom. 8.33.34. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that iuſtifieth: who is he that condemneth? &c.
We are to be admoniſhed, Vſe 1 to beware of cenſuring our brethren for vſing their Chriſtian liberty in apparell, dyet, &c. eſpecially for their obedience to the Magiſtrates, & the Church, in ſuch orders which in their conſcience they know to bee lawfull: for a man for ſuch things to be condemned, as a timeſeruer, a manpleaſer, of no conſcience, profane, &c. is moſt horrible.
This is to reproach Gods fauourite; this is to condemne them whom God approueth, and hath receiued: yea this is to reproach God himſelfe for receiuing ſuch.
Nay: thou wilt ſay, I finde no fault with the Lord, and if I knew that God had receiued him, I would not iudge him. Doſt thou know the contrary? till then thou muſt in charity iudge thy brother receiued of God: ſo doth Paul here, hee ſaith God hath receiued him that eateth. How did Paul know it? in charity hee ſo iudgeth: Bee thou in like manner charitable toward thy brethren, toward thy teachers, and giuegive them not profane, vnconſcionable, damned, for eueryevery fancy of thine owne braine.
When thou ſeeſt a man enlightened with the knowledge of God, ſatis teſtimonij habes, ſaith one, Caluin. in loc.thou haſt teſtimony ſufficient that God hath receiued him.
Things cenſured, are either words and deedes, or opinions.
If it be doubtfull whether a thing were ſpoken or done, or no: or being certaine to be done, whether well or ill: in charity take things at the fayreſt, and iudge the beſt. There is a notable inſtance hereof in Deuteronomy; Deut. 22.23.24.25.26.27.If a man lye with a maide betroathed to a husband, in the towne, ſhe alſo ſhall dye, becauſe ſhe cryed not out when violence was offered to her: but if it bee in the fields, then the man onelyonly ſhall dye, for the damoſell cryed, and there was none to ſaue her. How did they know ſhe cryed? In charity it is ſo to be ſuppoſed, and the beſt to be iudged in a thing doubtfull.
If the thing be certainly ſpoken or done, and good, commend it. If euill, iudge the fact but not the perſon. Be not faith Bernard, eyther a buſie and curious examiner, Bern. ſer. 40. in Cant.or a raſh Iudge of another mans conuerſation. If any thing be ill done, excuſe the intention ſeeing thou canſt not the fact. Puta ignorantiam, thinke it might bee ignorance, chance, or ſome grieuous tentation.
In matter of opinion, if it be controuerted, and vncertaine whether an error or no, ſuſpend thy iudgement till thou know more certainty, and leaue thy brother to his Conſcience and Chriſtian liberty: and ſo much the more, if he be more learned then thy ſelfe; why ſhouldeſt thou not thinke that hee may ſee as much as thy ſelfe into that which is in queſtion.
If it be certaine that the opinion bee erroneous; yet thy brother is not preſently to be caſt away: wilt thou be more iuſt then God? We are men, and therefore may, yea muſt erre, as ſaid a witty man *Ego me labi & errare non poſſe ſolum fatcor, ſed debere: Lipſ. monit. ad Lect. in lib. politic..
And hence the Lutheranes are to be reproued, who condemne vsus for our opinions about the Sacrament, thinking we erre; when a man may be a Chriſtian without the Sacrament, but not without Charity: So the Browniſts and other among vsus who iudge vsus, though vniuſtly, in matters of diſcipline, when a true Church may be without the ſame which they deuiſe.
We all erre; if thy brother bee otherwiſe faithfull, and conſcionable …s cruell vncharitableneſſe to condemne him for his …pinion of things indifferent, as the lawfulneſſe of a garment, or geſture, though he ſhould erre.
Saint Auguſtine is a ſweet example of Charity this way: when the Donatiſts obiected for themſelues the opinion of Cyprian concerning rebaptization; Aug. Vincentio contra Donat. & Ragat. de vi orrig. Haeret. epiſt. 48.Saint Auſten anſweres for him; that either he did not in eueryevery reſpect hold it as the Donatiſts alledged him; or if he did, that afterward hee retracted it; or that hunc quaſi naenum candidiſſimi pectoris cooperuit vbere Charitatis, hee couered this blemiſh of his moſt faire breſt, with the breſt of charity; while he did maintaine the vnity of the Church, and firmely retaine the bond of peace.
Gods receiuing ſhould be a Protection againſt vniust taxing and cenſuring: Vſe 2 But yet men will cenſure ſuch, what then is …o be done? Comfort thy ſelfe that God hath receiued thee. If nor God, nor thy conſcience condemne thee, eſteeme the peruerſe cenſures of captious controllers no more then the barking of dogges againſt the Moone. What if men praiſe if God diſpraiſe? and contrarily: Feare not, ſaith the Lord, the reproach of men, Eſay 51.7.neither be afraid of their reuilings.
Yet this is our great fault, to eſteeme the praiſe or diſpraiſe of men, yea of the multitude, more then of the Magiſtrate or of God himſelfe; which hath depriued the Church of England of many an able Yeacher.
Let vsus put a caſe. The Magiſtrate and the Church command certaine orders for comelineſſe in the ſeruice of God: the Miniſter knowes that he may lawfully vſe them. If he refuſe to vſe them, the people will praiſe him; if hee vſe them, they will diſpraiſe him.
What ſhall he doe? In any caſe let him obey, but if he doe not obey, the people will commend him. But what is that to the cauſe, or to his conſcience? Can they diſcharge a man before the Iudgement ſeat of God, for not obeying the Church and Magiſtrate?
Regard not the praiſes of the multitude, though there were ten thouſand of them, no more then thou wouldeſt the chattering of Pyes, ſaith an ancient Father *Sint innumeri qui te applaudant, nihil tamē illi omnes à graculis deſuper garrientibus different. Immo ſi Angelorum theatrū, &c. Chryſoſt. hom. 17. in Rom. in Moral.: nay the commendation of Angels is too infirme to reſt vponupon; but if God, the Church, and thine owne conſcience approue thee, reioyce.
Great is the dignity of a beleeuer, hee is receiued of God: Ʋſe 3 Gods people, are a people, Rerobo, neare vntounto him, Pſal. 128.14.euen neare vntounto his heart.
Woe be then to the wicked, for they are reiected: If thou beeſt a drunkard, a blaſphemer, &c. and repenteſt not, God will neuer receiue thee: and not being receiued, thou art left to thy ſelfe, to the Diuell; barred from Paradiſe, and from the entrance into glory.