Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 1 · Verse 10
VERSE 10. LoueLove worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore is louelove the fulfilling of the law.
THis verſe may be referred both to the 8. and alſo to the 9. verſe, as a probation of either.
If to the latter end of the 8. then it containes a Syllogiſme, onelyonly there is a Crypſis of the Maior. Thus,
That which doth no hurt or worketh no ill to his neighbour fulfilleth the Law.
But louelove doth no hurt to his neighbour.
Therefore is louelove the fulfilling of the Law.
The argument is taken from the proper effect of louelove.
If you referre it to the 9. verſe, then it proueth by the ſame argument, that all the law is comprehended in the louelove of our neighbour. Thus,
To doe no ill to our neighbour, is the ſumme of the whole Law.
But louelove doth no ill to our neighbour.
Therefore louelove is the ſumme of the Law, or the whole Law is comprehended briefly in louelove.
And then out of this is inferred according to the 8. verſe, that LoueLove is the fulfilling of the Law.
So, in this verſe are two propoſitions; the ſecond inferred out of the firſt, and the firſt the ground of the ſecond.
The firſt propoſition, LoueLove worketh no ill to his neighbour.
The arguments diſpoſed in this propoſition are the cauſe, louelove: and the effect denyed, doth no ill; amplified by the Patient, to his neighbour.
The affirmatiue effect, doth any good; but the negatiue is ſet downe that it may hauehave the better correſpondence with the 9. verſe, where onelyonly negatiues are repeated; but the affirmatiue is included; and ſo by a figure, leſſe is ſaid, and more is ſignified. LoueLove not onelyonly doth no hurt, but alſo doth good: foreign.but becauſe this is not alwaies in the power of him that loueth, he ſaith not, doth good; but, not euill; and in this, the other neceſſarily to be vnderſtood; for, as one ſaith well, ſubtrahere debitum bonum eſt malum, Caietan.to ſubtract or not to doe the due good, is euill.
LoueLove; the holy louelove of my neighbour, proceeding from the louelove of God.
No ill: miſchiefe, damage, hurt, or ſinne; for in the ſecond table eueryevery ſinne is to the hurt of our neighbour.
Ill, is either of omiſſion, or commiſſion: and either are three-fold: 1. in fact; 2. in word; 3. in deſire.
1. In fact, three waies: 1. either about his ſingle perſon, in the ſixth commandement: 2. or his perſon conioyned in the ſeuenth commandement: 3. or his goods, in the eight commandement.
2. In word, in the ninth commandement.
3. In deſire, in the tenth commandement.
He that loueth will breake none of theſe either in committing or omitting.
The illation: Therefore louelove is the fulfilling of the Law.
What louelove? and what law? The louelove of our neighbour; and the whole law or decalogue: for though in proper ſpeaking, the louelove of our neighbour is but the fulfilling of the ſecond table; yet the louelove of God is neceſſarily ſuppoſed, becauſe that flowes from this; and ſo ſometime the louelove of God is named alone, where both are vnderſtood, for the neceſſary connection of the tables. Alſo the Apoſtles brings forth the commandements of the ſecond table, rather then of the firſt, becauſe it is more eaſie for vsus to diſcerne true obſeruers of the law, by the ſecond then by the firſt.
Charity toward our neighbour is the fulfilling of the law; Therefore Charity ſimply: Therefore our louelove to God is to bee demonſtrated by our louelove to our neighbour.
The doctrines are two according to the propoſitions, in their very words. The ſecond, that louelove is the fulfilling of the Law, is proued before verſe 8.
The firſt, that louelove doth no ill to his neighbour, 1 Cor. 13.5, 6. Charity thinketh no euill, it reioyceth not in iniquity.
Alſo, it is proued from the rule Ephe, 5.29. No man hateth his owne fleſh, but cheriſheth himſelfe: and true louelove is to our neighbour as to our ſelues.
Alſo from the contrary. To doe ill, is to breake the law. But louelove is the fulfilling of it. Non poteſt peccari per illam, qua legis eſt perfectio: Amb. in loc.We cannot doe ill by that which is the perfection and fulfilling of the law, ſaid Ambroſe.
The Papiſts from hence inferre two things: that wee can keepe the law, and that we are iuſtified by charity.
To the firſt.
He that loueth, keepeth the law: but how? euen as hee loueth: if he louelove perfectly, hee perfectly keepes the law: if imperfectly, then he keepeth it imperfectly.
But we cannot keepe it perfectly in this life, which is neceſſary to iuſtification, as they meane keeping; Deut. 27.26. Jam. 3.2.for Curſed is eueryevery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law, and, in many things we offend all. We know in part onelyonly, and according to our knowledge is our louelove. Though in the regenerate there be a perfection of parts, yet not of degrees in this life. Aug. tom. 7. l. de Natura et gratia contra Pola. c. 70.Saint Auguſtine alſo ſaith thus, Charitas inchoata, incheata iuſtitia eſt: prouecta, prouecta iuſtitia eſt: Charitas magna, magna iuſtitia eſt: Charitas perfecta, perfecta iuſtitia eſt. Our righteouſneſſe is according to our charity, which is not perfect in this life.
To the ſecond.
Perfect fulfilling of the law may iuſtifie: But louelove in the concrete is not ſuch fulfilling, but in the abſtract.
The Apoſtle here propounds that which ought to be in the concrete, but not that which is. Perfect fulfilling is propounded to vsus as a patterne, to the which we ought to conforme, not as a thing to be attained in this life.
True charity is not to do hurt, but good to our neighbour, Ʋſe 1 to doe good rather then to receiue: elſe it is ſelfe louelove, not the louelove of our neighbour: I muſt louelove my neighbour for his owne ſake.
A man loues his horſe, his meat, &c. for the good hee receiues by them; but we muſt louelove our neighbour for himſelfe, otherwiſe wee put no difference betweene a neighbour, and a horſe: now the beſt good wee can doe for our neighbour, is to bring him to God, and ſaue his ſoule.
All the Law is comprehended in louelove, and louelove doth no ill, Ʋſe 2 but keepes all the commandements; as a good mother tends all her children, and carefully nouriſheth them.
LoueLove is a Mother: the ten commandements, are her ten children, ſhe forgets none, is vnkinde to none, neglects none, fulfileth all.
Dauid had an inſtrument of ten ſtrings: louelove is that inſtrument, the tenne ſtrings are the tenne commandements, if one ſtring bee out of tune the harmony is marred; ſo the breaking of one commandement deſtroyes louelove, and corrupts it, as one dead flye the pretious ointment of the Apothecary.
The law is copulatiue, founded and comprehended in charity; Iames 2.11.vertues are coherent: He that ſaid, Doe not commit adultery, ſaid alſo, Doe not kill. Endeuour then to keepe eueryevery commandement if thou wouldeſt auoyd the curſe of the law. For, then ſhall I not bee aſhamed, ſaith Dauid, when I hauehave reſpect to all thy commandements. Pſal. 119.6.Charity is a good Catholike.
Charity fulſils the law. Ʋſe 3 Out louelove is diſcerned by our obedience to the law.
If you ſay Charity, ſuppoſe doing good: for it is as poſſible to ſeparate heate from the fire, and light from the Sunne, as good workes from Charity.
Many ſpeake of charity, and deepely proteſt it; but words will not carry it. It is the ſhame of Chriſtians, that charity is ſo much in our tongues, and ſo little in our hands.
There are many which without any wit can turne houſe and land into ſmoake, as our idle Tobacconiſts; but to turne the fume and breath of louelove into workes, requires wit and grace too.
Shew me thy faith by thy charity, and thy charity by thy workes; Let vsus not louelove in tongue onelyonly, but in deed and truth, ſaith Saint Iohn. 1 Ioh. 3.18.Ama vt videam, let mee ſee thy louelove as well as heare it, for a verball louelove is like a painted fire, for ſhew, not for vſe.
LoueLove is a ſubſtantiue, it muſt bee ſeene, felt, and vnderſtood.
Charity is a beautifull Lady, which deſires to be ſeene; ſhe is no Nun; ſhe is not of that religion: ſhe is conuerſant abroad, doing good to her neighbours.
Faith alwayes keepes within to defend the conſcience; but charity is alwayes without feeding the poore, viſiting the ſicke, &c. The proper act of faith, is to receiue; of louelove, to giuegive and diſtribute; of faith, to doe our ſelues good; of louelove to doe good to our neighbour; and this is the fulfilling of the law.
As the Moone among the leſſer ſtars, Vſe 4 ſo is charity among the graces, called a more excellent way, 1. Cor. 12.31.then things greatly excelling. I would we were ſicke of louelove, as the Church in the Canticles: and yet louelove is not a ſickneſſe, Cant. 2.5.but the ſanitie of the ſoule.
What is louelove more then other vertues?
LoueLove is the comfort of life. If a poore man liue in a towne where louelove is, he cannot want; for louelove will vndoe all locks; and if a rich man want louelove towards his poore neighbour, he is as if he had loſt the key of his money cupboard.
If a wicked man dwell where louelove is, hee ſhall hauehave good counſell, good admonition, good examples, good prayers, &c.
If a man be rich, and not beloued, his life is miſerable, &c.
LoueLove is the ſpirit of pietie and good life: Non faciunt bonos aut malos mores, niſi boni vel mali amores; as our louelove is, Aug. Macedoni. epiſt. 52.ſo are our manners, ſaid Auguſtine.
LoueLove is the life of faith, Iames 2.17. Bern. ſer. 2. de Reſur. & 24. ſup. cant.He that doth any hurt to his neighbour, though he be not a fratricide, yet is fideicida, a killer of faith, ſaid Saint Bernard.
LoueLove is the ſtrength of the Common-wealth: A Citie diuided cannot ſtand, Matth. 12. as ſtones without morter in a building, ſo are men without louelove in a Common-wealth.
LoueLove is the Nurſe of the Church, Epheſ. 4.16. So Tertullian, Corpus Eccleſiae, fibula charitatis connexum creſcit in deum. The body of the Church being buttoned and knit together in louelove, groweth vp in God.
LoueLove is the ſoule of the law. Where there is louelove, Ariſtot. Ethis. l. 8. c. 1. Cic. l. de Amici.there needs no law, but where there is law, there needs louelove, as Heathen wiſe men hauehave obſerued.
Nay louelove can doe more then all lawes. There are good lawes againſt theft, murder, drunkenneſſe, whoredome, &c. and yet there are many offenders: but if there were louelove, none of theſe euils would be done to our neighbours: Will a man take away his life, whom he loues? and for the ſauing of whoſe life, hee will venture his owne? it cannot bee; and ſo of the reſt.
Thus, and much more excellent is louelove: as the tongue of Angels is nothing without louelove, ſo it is not ſufficient to commend louelove: The law therefore, non dispendium ſed compendium conſecuta eſt, hath not loſt but gotten, by being reduced into one precept of louelove.
Let vsus labour for louelove: The Corinthians had abundance of knowledge, but they wanted louelove, and were rent into Schiſmes: we are ſicke of the Corinthian diſeaſe; I wiſh wee were truely humbled for it, that we might be healed.
If thou wiſheſt well to the Church of England, liue in louelove.
If thou wiſheſt well to thine owne ſoule, and deſireſt to keepe the law, Chryſoſt. hom. 33. in 1. Cor.louelove thy neighbour: Magnus Doctor charitas, ſaid Saint Chryſoſtome, LoueLove is a great Doctor. It will teach vsus to obey the Magiſtrate, to reuerence the Miniſter, to reliue the poore, to doe good to all, and hurt to none: and to doe theſe things, Iames 2.8.12. Galath. 5.13.willingly and freely: Therefore called a royall law, and of libertie, by Saint Iames: yea it makes vsus very ſeruants to our neighbours, as Saint Paul affirmes: The Lord giuegive vsus this louelove.