Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 14-15
VERSE 14. I know and am perſwaded by the Lord Ieſus, that there is nothing vncleane of it ſelfe: but to him that eſteemeth any thing to be vncleane, to him it is vncleane. 15. But if thy brother be grieued with thy meat, now walkeſt not thou charitably.—
IN theſe words is the firſt reaſon of the Dehortation; Aretius.though ſome make the 14. verſe to containe a reaſon by it ſelfe, and that he thereby perſwadeth to peace, thus:
All meats are cleane, and therefore the weake hauehave no cauſe to be offended, in as much as they defile not the ſtrong: and the ſtrong hauehave no reaſon to ſtand ſo ſtrictly vponupon their liberty, but that they might abſtaine, becauſe they are not the purer for eating; and therefore that they ſhould not contend about meats.
But indeed the ſubſtance of the Reaſon lies in the 15. verſe, and is drawne from Charity, and brought in by a Prolepſis: and this and all the reſt vrged vponupon the ſtrong Chriſtian principally, to this end, that he ſhould moderate his liberty for his weake brothers ſake.
Now the inſtance in all the arguments is onelyonly of meats; but to be applyed vntounto all indifferent things.
In the ſetting downe of this firſt argument, are to be conſidered; The obiection of the ſtrong, and the anſwer of Paul.
The obiection is gathered out of the 14. verſe, and was thus:
There is nothing, ſaid the ſtrong, vncleane of it ſelfe, though it be vncleane to him that thinkes it ſo.
Therfore ſeeing I know and am perſwaded of the cleannes of the creatures, I may and will vſe my liberty in eating of them.
VntoUnto this Paul anſwers; of which are two parts, the firſt, is a conceſſion, verſe 14. The ſecond, a correction, where lies the argument, verſe 15.
In the conceſſion, we may conſider the thing granted, and the amplification.
The thing is twofold: Firſt, that there is nothing vncleane of it ſelfe: Second, that to him that thinketh a thing to bee vncleane, it is ſo.
The amplification from Pauls aſſurance of theſe things: He knowes and is perſwaded, ſet forth by the author, the Lord Ieſus.
I know and am perſwaded: theſe two are neceſſary to faith, and it is as much as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, I ſtedfaſtly beleeue.
By the Lord Ieſus: this to bee referred, not to that which followes, but to Pauls knowledge, and perſwaſion; Ieſus taught Paul theſe things; though the ſenſe were good if they ſhould be read with that which followeth, viz. that through Chriſt no indifferent thing is now vncleane of it ſelfe.
Ʋncleane. The word properly ſignifieth common, and (onelyonly by the language of the Scriptures) taken for impure, or vncleane, ſo common hands, that is vncleane. Marke 7.2. So Peter ſaith that he neuer ate that which is common and vncleane, Act. 10.14.
That which was common to other people, Leui. 11. Deut, 14.and interdicted to the Iewes was called vncleane.
Diuers meats were forbidden the Iewes, and before Chriſt were vncleane to them, as appeares in the law, which law had diuers reaſons of it,
1 It was for their health; that they might auoid certaine diſeaſes vntounto the which the temperament of that people, De his omnibus penè conſul. Th. Aqu. prim. ſecund. q. 102. Art. c. ad primum.by eating ſuch things might encline, and ſo be hindred from the contemplation of heauenly things, and from the ſeruice of God, and (by diſtemper cauſed through ill iuice in the body) be made ſluggiſh vntounto good workes; all alike as if you put a bright ſhining candle into a duskiſh lanthorne; thus ſay the Rabbines.
2 To diſtinguiſh them from other nations, and that they ſhould auoid their company, with whom they might not feed on the ſame meats.
3 For a myſticall ſignification of manners: theſe meats not being by Nature vncleane, but onelyonly in ſignification: which was the reaſon that Saint Auguſtine called the Iewes a Propheticall people: Their very meate was an inſtruction, they might not eate the ſwine to teach them to auoid ſluttiſhnes, nor the Hauk, to teach them to abhor rapacity, &c. So their garments; they might not weare Linſey woolſey, to teach them ſincerity.
4 To reſtraine their deſire of dainty fare.Chryſoſt.
5 To inure them to obedience, Ambr.and to take downe their pride and ſtubbornneſſe, by this yoke.
By it ſelfe: By nature ſaith Chryſostome; for to the Iewes they were not vncleane by nature, but by a poſitiue law: Hee denieth not, but that ſerpents, and dogges, &c. are vnwholſome; but nothing was forbidden for morall vncleanneſſe in it ſelfe: Gen. 9.3.for all creatures were giuen to Noah without exception, as the greene hearbs.
Here wee hauehave a diſtinction: That a thing may bee vncleane per ſe, aut per accidens, by it ſelfe, or by accident.
But to him that esteemeth any thing to bee vncleane. Meat may be conſidered, in it ſelfe; or in relation, to the Law, or to the conſcience: to him which was vnderunder the Leuiticall law ſome meat was vncleane, ſo is it to him who eſteemeth it ſo in his conſcience.
Not that cleane and vncleane is determined by mans opinion, as affirme the Libertines; Man is not the meaſure of things, as Ariſtotle hath taught long ago; but my conſcience may make a thing vncleane to me, becauſe to doe againſt conſcience is ſinne.
Things indifferent are cleane of themſelues, Doctr. but vncleane to him that ſo eſteemeth them. The firſt branch is proued: Act. 10.5. What God hath cleanſed, call not thou common. 1. Tim. 4.4. EueryEvery creature of God is good, and nothing to be refuſed, if it bee receiued with thankeſgiuing.
The ſecond is proued by the fifth verſe before, and the two and twentieth and three and twentieth following.
The reaſon hereof is this: An erroneous conſcience maketh a thing vnlawfull: For Actions receiue their qualification, according to the will of the Agents; and the will is moued by the thing apprehended: If Reaſon iudge that thing to to be ſinne, and yet the will be carried vntounto it; it is manifeſt that ſuch a one hath a will to ſinne; and ſo the outward action which is informed by the will, whether it be lawfull or vnlawfull in it ſelfe, is a ſinne.
We are to praiſe God for his bountie, Vſe 1 in giuing vsus free libertie to eate of all creatures: and the more, if we conſider that we are ſinners, not deſeruing to liue, for whom the creatures daily ſuffer death: we may ſay with Dauid, Loe, wee hauehave ſinned, but theſe ſheepe what hauehave they done?2. Sam. 24.17.
We may eate, but with theſe prouiſoes.
1 That we eate not in idleneſſe, but in the ſweat of our browes.
2 That wee labour in that which is good, hauing an honeſt vocation, not to liue by theeuing, gaming, &c.
3 That we eate with thankeſgiuing.
4 That wee giuegive part to the poore, and ſend portions to them for whom nothing is prepared; to giuegive at leaſt ſome crummes to Lazarus.
5 That we feed moderately, and ſoberly, as thoſe who remember they muſt die. When Socrates was asked how he differed from others, anſwered: Others liue to eate, I eate to liue.
6 That we giuegive no offence, of which this part of the Chapter ſpeaketh.
I know and am perſwaded: Ʋſe 2 not firſt to be perſwaded, and then to ſeeke to know: knowledge muſt goe before perſwaſion, as a candle to direct it.
It is the fault of our ignorant Papiſts, of our Browniſts, and of much people among vsus, who are great fault finders; aske them why they diſlike ſuch and ſuch things; this is their reaſon, they are perſwaded, being notwithſtanding deſtitute of knowledge of thoſe things which they reproue.
Firſt know by good ground from the Word, then reſolue and be perſwaded: Auguſtinus.Praiudicium non eſt iudicium ſed vitium; Preiudice, or iudgement before knowledge, is not true iudgement, but preſumptuous opinion and vice.
It is a miſerable thing to doubt in things commanded; Ʋſe 3 for inſtance, in the commanded rites of our Church. Not to obey is ſinne, becauſe the Magiſtrate is reſiſted; and to obey, is ſin alſo, becauſe the conſcience doubteth.
O perplexitie! but yet no man is perplexed ſimply: ſuch then muſt put away their erroneous and doubting conſcience, by learning, and being perſwaded. But here is a great corruption; many among vsus deſire rather to heare that which may confirme them in their doubting, then take it away, and conforme them to the peace of the Church.
Rightly labour to be enformed, for as an vnskilfull Pilot, ſo an erring conſcience bringeth into danger.
Terrible is the ſtate of wicked men, Ʋſe 4 they know and are perſwaded of the euilneſſe of things, and yet they do them.
Theſe ſinne againſt the light of Nature; Cicero. Offic. l. 1.for, Nihil faciendum de quo dubites, ſit necne rectè factum; Nothing is to bee done, which thou doubteſt whether it may lawfully be done or no, ſaid a Heathen man.
Tell mee, thou Drunkard, thou Whore-maſter, &c. doeſt not thou know that whoredome and drunkenneſſe are ſinnes? And yet dareſt thou doe them, and wound thy conſcience? What peace canſt thou hauehave, when thy heart accuſeth thee? 1. John 3.20.and GOD is greater then thy heart.
Saint Auguſtine compareth Conſcience to a wife which continually ſcoldeth.
It is better to dwell in the wilderneſſe, then with a contentious and angry woman: and a man were as good to be in hell, as hauehave a wounded and accuſing conſcience.