Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 13
VERSE 13. Let vsus not therefore iudge one another any more: but iudge this rather, that no man put a ſtumbling block, or an occaſion to fall in his brothers way.
HEre beginneth the ſecond part of the Explication ſpoken of in the ſecond verſe.
The firſt was a Direction for the compounding of the Controuerſies among the Romanes about meates and dayes.
This ſecond is a Dehortation from Scandall, with diuers Reaſons following, to the end of the Chapter.
This Dehortation is ſet downe by an Antitheſis, where two things are oppoſed; the one is denied, the other affirmed.
The firſt hath a Prohibition, ſhewing what we muſt not do: We muſt not iudge one another any more: The ſecond hath a precept ſhewing what we muſt do, We muſt iudge this rather, that we put not a ſtumbling blocke, or an occaſion to fall in our brothers way.
The firſt is vſed as an Introduction to vſher in the ſecond.
And it hath two parts: Firſt, The Prohibition, not to iudge one another.
By Iudging, he meaneth cenſuring, condemning; not all Iudging forbidden, not publike by the Magiſtrate; but priuate and raſh; ſuch principally, which hath with a diuerſitie of opinion, an alienation of affections, as hath beene ſhewed before.
There are foure things we may not iudge:
1 Secret things; Deut. 29.29.of God, ſo ſaith Moſes, The ſecret things belong to the Lord our God, but things reuealed to vsus, &c. If thou ſeeſt a wicked man, ſay not a reprobate, for the decree of God is ſecret; and he which hath ſhewed mercy to thee, may ſhew mercy to thy neighbour alſo.
Of Man: as the heart, for no man knoweth his neighbours heart, 1. Cor. 2.11. When thou ſeeſt a man in prayer lift vp his eyes, take heed of raſh iudgement, to ſay an Hypocrite, for thou knoweſt not his heart.
Duo ſunt in quibus temerarium iudicium cauere debemus; Aug. ſer. 202. de Tempore.cum incertum eſt quo animo quicquam factum fit: vel cum incertum eſt qualis futurus ſit, qui nunc vel bonus vel malus apparet: There are two things (ſaith Anſelme here, out of Saint Auguſtine) in which we muſt beware of raſh iudgement; when it is vncertaine, with what minde a thing is done; and when it is vncertaine, what he may be, who now appeareth to bee good or bad.
2 Things doubtfull: when things may hauehave a double interpretation, take the fairest; this is charitie.
3 Things to come: Prou. 27.1.Thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth.
4 Things indifferent: of the which Saint Paul intreateth in this Chapter.
Things openly and certainly euill, we may and muſt iudge, and it were to bee wiſhed, that Drunkards, vncleane perſons, &c. were more cenſured; Aug. loco ſupra citato.but yet with Saint Auguſtines prouiſo, that we hate and deteſt, non hominem, ſed peccatum, non vitioſum ſed vitium, morbum potius quam aegrotum: not the man, but his fault, the diſeaſe rather, then the patient.
The Amplification is three-fold:
1 From the Illation, Therefore: In as much as our brother ſtandeth or falleth, to his owne Maſter, and whether he liue or die, is the Lords; and that wee muſt all ſtand before the Iudgement-ſeat of Chriſt, to giuegive an account for himſelfe, let vsus chamber our tongues, and not iudge and cenſure one another.
2 From the perſons who may not iudge, implied in the verbe, and expreſſed in the Engliſh, VsUs, Let vsus not, hee annumbreth himſelfe, eyther becauſe hee is a fellow-member with them, of the ſame body, and ſo in ſome ſort it pertaineth to him, as one who is ſenſible of his brothers failings, Muſculus.or, vt hoc tolerabilior ſit admonitio, quo minus habet pudoris, that the Admonition might bee the more tolerable, the leſſe it ſhameth them: or from the remembrance of his owne proneneſſe, and forwardneſſe to raſh cenſuring in former times, for he was a Phariſie, whoſe ſect was intemperately cenſorious. In many things we ſinne all: James 3.1.—Optimus ille eſt, qui minimis vrgetur— Happie is he that hath leaſt and feweſt faults.
3 From the conſideration of ſomething ſpoken or done before, in this word foreign, any more: wherein there is a ſecret accuſation of ſome thing paſt, and a warning of ſomething to come; as if hee ſhould ſay, Indeed it hath beene your fault heretofore, to be too buſy and forward in cenſuring your brethren, but now being admoniſhed and taught the contrary, you ought to leaue ſuch raſh iudging.
From this part of the Amplification wee hauehave this Doctrine. After admonition and inſtruction, Doctr. wee must bee carefull to amend our wayes, Matth. 3.10. Now is the …xe layd to the roote of the trees, &c. Now though heretofore you hauehave beene fruitleſſe, yet now ſeeing I hauehave admoniſhed you, and God hath ſent his owne Sonne to teach you, ſee you bring forth good fruit, and repent: So Iohn 5.14. Act. 17.30.31. 1. Pet. 4 1, 2, 3.
When a Miniſter hath inſtructed and admoniſhed his people, Ʋſe 1 hee may looke that they ſhould leaue their ſinnes, and be conformable to good orders.
The Husbandman reioyceth in his good croppe, and the Phyſitian in the health of his patient, to whom hee hath adminiſtred: So wee reioyce if our admonitions preuaile, and hauehave good ſucceſſe to your amendment; if otherwiſe, it is a great griefe to vsus, and not profitable to you.
Admonition is neceſſary, Vſe 2 as may appeare by this Admonition repeated. This neceſſitie appeareth,
1 Becauſe wee are hardly drawne from our errours, conceited opinions and ſinnes: therefore our Sauiour requireth three Admonitions, Matth. 18.and an Hereticke to be twice admoniſhed, before auoided.
2 Becauſe when we are recouered by Admonition into the right way, we eaſily ſteppe aſide, as waxe melteth with the heate, and loſeth the former impreſſion.
He is miſerable which wanteth a faithfull Admonitour, but he is more, who hauing one, will not heare him and bee reformed.
The Ʋſe of all Admonition is that we ſhould ceaſe to doe euill, Ʋſe 3 and beginne to doe well, that we may be perfect in the way of righteouſneſſe, 2. Tim. 3.16.17.
Here are to bee reproued ſuch, who will not obey Admonition, but notwithſtanding, ſtill continue the ſame: which is to make voyd the end why God hath commanded Admonition, and to wrappe our ſelues in grieuous guiltineſſe: for an euill man not admoniſhed, ſhall bee damned, much more admoniſhed, if hee amend not, Iohn 15.22.
Not to be bettered by Admonitions, Deut. 21.20.is a ſigne of a very wretch, as in the vncorrigible ſonne; and in the ſonnes of Ely may appeare: 1. Sam. 2.25. Eccleſiaſtas 4.13and Salomon ſaith, Better is a poore and wiſe childe, then an old and a fooliſh King, that will no more be admoniſhed.
It is the way by the iuſt iudgement of God, to runne into farther, and more dangerous errours and ſinnes. It is a rule, Minus peccatum cum arguitur, Remigius, citatus à Chemnitio, Har. c. 31.& non corrigitur, cauſa fit maioris peccati: A leſſe ſinne reprooued and not amended, is made the cauſe of a greater ſinne: as Herod not reforming his inceſt vponupon admonition, fell into the ſinne of murder, cutting off the head of Iohn Baptist. So the Browniſts wee ſee by experience, hauehave by the iudgement of God runne farther and farther into abſurd errours: as many alſo among vsus, finding fault with the gouernment of the Church, and not being reclaymed by admonition hauehave turned Browniſts.
Let eueryevery man therefore looke to it, how he behaue himſelfe after admonition: This ſhall one day torment thee thou drunkard, becauſe thou haſt beene often admoniſhed and repenteſt not.
To bee bettered by admonition is the token of a wiſe man: but to harden the necke, Pro. 9.9. and 17.10. Pro. 29.1.is the fore-runner of deſtruction.
I am blacke, but comely, ſaith the Church, Canticles 1.5. Blacke, ſaith one, for her defects: Comely, Origen.for amending vponupon admonition. Hee that continueth in ſinne is doubly blacke, for his ſinne, and for perſeuering in ſinne being admoniſhed: Peter and Paul, &c. had neuer beene ſo famous and beautifull in the Church, if they had not yeelded to admonitions.
Cain was admoniſhed; if he had obeyed it he had beene happy; for whoſoeuer being reproued, repenteth and amendeth his life, ſhall hauehave mercy and be pardoned.