Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 13
VERSE 13. — But iudge this rather, that no man put a ſtumbling blocke, or an occaſion to fall, in his brothers way.
IN this part of the Verſe is a Dehortation to the ſtrong, vntounto which the former part of the Verſe was an Introduction, ſhewing thereby that as this is to be performed, ſo the other is not to be forgotten.
The ſumme of all to the end of the Chapter, is, that as the weake may not iudge the ſtrong for the vſe of Chriſtian liberty, ſo the ſtrong muſt not in ſuch vſe contemne the weak, but moderate his liberty for their good.
The method is this: Chryſoſt. Gryneus.Firſt, hee ſetteth downe a generall Precept, which is in theſe words: I ſay generall, becauſe it belongs to both parts, not to giuegive offence: all are bound to this.
There are diuers reaſons brought, all which principally are applyed to the ſtrong, as in the other part they were to the weake.
In theſe words are two parts: Firſt, the ſumme of the Precept, We may not giuegive offence.
An offence is, non bonae ſed malae rei exemplum, aedificans…ad delictum; Tertul. de velandis virginibus.an example of a thing not good but euill, edifying (or emboldning) vntounto ſinne, 1 Cor. 8.10.as ſpeaketh Tertullian, vſing Pauls phraſe.
Or rather an offence is, dictum aut factum minus rectum, occaſionem praebens ruinae, Aquin. 2.2. q. 43. & in loc.a word or deed, not well performed, yeelding occaſion of falling, as ſaith Aquinas, and the Schoolemen generally from S. Hieron. in ca. 15. Matth.Ierome.
A word or deed; for thoughts though they offend God, yet not men vnleſſe they be manifeſted in word or deed.
Not ſo well performed; not onelyonly implying things vnlawfull in themſelues, but things lawfull to be done, as things indifferent, but done indiſcreetly.
Yeelding occaſion of falling: For though by that which a man doth no man falleth, yet it is a ſcandall if it be apt to giuegive occaſion thereof. As when Peter gaue counſell to our Sauiour Chriſt, proceeding from great affection, but from as great indiſcretion, our Sauiour told him that hee was an offence to him, Mat. 16.23.though it was impoſſible that hee ſhould fall thereby.
The ſecond part is the Amplification or ſetting forth of this ſumme which is threefold.
1 From the care eueryevery one ſhould vſe not to giuegive ſcandall, in theſe words, But iudge this rather. Where there is an elegant Antanaclaſis or reuerberation of the ſame word in a diuerſe ſenſe. In the firſt part of the Verſe, to iudge ſignified to condemne or cenſure: here accurately to examine, and ſingularly to aduiſe and conſider. Before it was vſed of perſons, here of workes: as if hee ſhould hauehave ſaid, Caiet. in locum.Non exerceamus iudicia perſonarum, ſed tranſite ad iudicium operis, Let vsus not iudge the perſons of others, but vſe iudgement in your owne workes.
2 From two Metaphors, in the words rendred A ſtumbling blocke, or an occaſion to fall.
The firſt, ſignifies a ſtone, or impediment in the way, foreign.againſt which a man daſheth or may daſh his foot, eſpecially the heedleſſe, the blinde, the aged, or the weake: and then the meaning is, that we ſhould hauehave a care of the weakneſſe of our brethren, that they may not be hurt or hindered in the way of godlineſſe: for, Eccles. 12.5.as the old man is afraid of that which is high, ſo they eaſily ſtumble in regard of their weakneſſe.
The ſecond word ſignifies to halt, foreign.and this ſeemes to follow vponupon the former: for when a man daſheth his foot againſt a thing, he halteth or falleth.
The word is almoſt proper to the New Teſtament, and to the Church, vſed for an occaſion of ſpirituall falling, whereby a man is any manner of way made worſe, and backewarder in goodneſſe. Grammarians ſay that Scandalum is the bridge in a trappe, which when the mouſe puts downe ſhe is taken: as if to giuegive ſcandall were as the laying a trap in our brothers way to deſtroy him.
Some make the firſt to be the leſſer, and the ſecond the greater, but ſo in things denyed it followeth not ſo well, rather in apt ſpeaking the firſt ſhould be the greateſt, though for my part I thinke with them, who take them both to bee of equall latitude, expreſſing the ſame thing, one word expounding another.
Offence or ſcandall is eyther actiue and giuen, or paſſiue and taken.
That which is giuen is that which hath actiuity in it ſelfe to ſcandalize, as things meerely euill and vnlawfull: or that which being good and lawfull in it ſelfe (as a thing indifferent) yet hath ſuch actiuity by accident, namely by the vnſeaſonable doing thereof. That which is taken is either of the little ones ſo called from Mat. 18.6. or of the Phariſies, from Mat. 15.14.
That wherein the little ones ſuffer, is either iuſtly giuen, & ſo taken, as when things are meerely euill: or not iuſtly giuen, nor iuſtly taken, as when things indifferent are lawfully vſed.
That wherein the Phariſies ſuffer, is when by the malice of their owne mindes, they are offended at things lawfull and good.
Here the Apoſtle forbids giuing ſcandall to the little and weake ones by an vndiſcreet and vnſeaſonable vſe of things indifferent; whoſe vſe is ſo, when God hath no glory, nor our brother edification, but hurt by it.
3 From the Perſon who is not to be offended: A brother, whether ſtrong or weake: Sometimes the ſtrong to the weake, and ſometimes the weake to the ſtrong, in a ſelfe perſwaſion of ſtrength, giueth offence.
His brother: not determinately, but rather comparatiuely; not in any mans way, much leſſe in our brothers.
We muſt not giuegive offence one to another. Doctr. 1. Cor. 8.9. Take heed leſt by any meanes this liberty of yours become a ſtumbling to them which are weake: and verſe 13. If meat make my brother offend, I will eate no fleſh while the world ſtandeth, leſt I make my brother to offend. 1 Cor. 10.32. GiueGive none offence neither to the Iewes, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. Of this Paul had a care that his Miniſtery might not be blamed.2 Cor. 6.3.
M. Ʋſe 1 Caluin here obſerueth that Paul taxeth malignos iſtos cenſores, theſe hard cenſurers of others, who ſpend all their Acumen in prying into other mens doings, neglecting their owne: Buſie thy ſelfe at home, in thine owne boſome.
Iudgement is neceſſary to a Chriſtian in his walking: Ʋſe 2 hee muſt picke his way, and be aduiſed of his doings, whether lawfull by the word; if lawfull, whether conuenient and expedient; whether any hurt may come to our brother thereby: 1 Cor. 9.12.of this Paul is an example, who will not vſe his liberty, where the Goſpell may be hindred by it.
Thoſe are to bee reproued which giuegive offence, Ʋſe 3 and put a ſtumbling blocke in their brothers way: Theſe are of 3. ſorts:
1 Contemners of their brethren, See more hereof at the 20, & 21. verſes.which will not bate an ace of their liberty in their dyet, apparell, recreation, for their weake brothers ſake, making a bad vſe of their liberty, which is giuen vsus to doe good withall.
2 Curious perſons, who broach new opinions, and bring vp new orders in the publike Holy Seruice, without authory, canilling at rites ancient, approued, and commanded.
It is the cauſe of great ſtirs in the Church when priuate men eſpecially vnlearned, will cenſure their Miniſters and Magiſtrates in matters of their office: This is an occaſion giuen of wrath and indignation; and that many accuſe our whole profeſſion of Nouelty.
3 Perſons openly profane, who licentiouſly ruſh into all lewdneſſe; of whom if a man ſhould begin to ſpeake, hee ſhould neuer make an end: there are cartloads of offences giuen in this kinde: O the abominable vncleanneſſe, drunkenneſſe, pride, &c. which fill all places!
Let vsus vſe all our iudgement herein, that wee no way giuegive offence, or put a ſtumbling blocke in our brothers way. Thou ſhalt not put a ſt…mbling blocke before the blind, but thou ſhalt feare thy God, Leuit. 19.14. It were better that a mill-ſtone were hangd about a mans neeke, and he ſo caſt into the depth of the ſea, Mat. 18.6.then that hee ſhould offend one of the little ones. When at the day of Iudgement it ſhall bee laid to our charge that wee hauehave giuen ſcandall, we will wiſh rather to hauehave bin drowned.
A greiuouſer puniſhment remaines for them which cauſe others to offend, then for them which doe ſuch things themſelues. So the Serpent was puniſhed more then Eue, and Eue more then Adam, So Ieſabel, had a more grieuous iudgement then Ahab.
Peccare non tantum in ſe perditionis habet, Chryſ▪ Hom. 25. in Epl. ad Rom. in Morali. ad locum.quantum quod reliqui ad peccandum inducuntur: To ſinne hath not ſo much perdition in it, as to induce others to ſinne, ſaith Saint Chryſostome.
Vſe iudgement alſo that thou take not offence; Vſe 4 It is grieuous to giuegive, ſo to take ſcandall, if there be not iuſt cauſe.
Bleſſed is he that is not offended at me, ſaith our Sauiour: and againe, Theſe things hauehave I ſpoken vntounto you that you ſhould not be offended: and in another place, Woe vntounto the world becauſe of offences. There is ſinne on both ſides, but ſpecially on the ſide of the party offended in indifferent things; and therefore woe.
Tertullian ſaith, Tertul. lib. de. velan. virgin.Bonae res neminem ſcandalizant niſi malam mentem; Good things and lawfull offend none but them which hauehave euill and corrupt mindes. Where we are therefore ſo ready to take offence at the liberty of our brethren in things indifferent, it is a ſigne of vnmortified reaſon, and affections, Mat. 18.8, 9.If thine eye cauſe thee to offend, plucke it out, &c. it is the counſell of our bleſſed Sauiour.
Let this be thy iudgement and wiſedome, in nothing to giuegive, and in things indifferent not to take offence.