Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 1
VERSE 1. Him that is weake in the faith, receiue you, but not to doubtfull disputations.
HEre beginne Pauls Hieraticks; or hauing before written of things commanded and forbidden; here he writeth of things of a middle nature: or before of charitie to our friends, our brethren, our enemies, the Magiſtrate, our neighbours, our ſelues; here of charitie toward the weake. The particular and immediate coherence, Chryſoſt. in loc.is with the laſt verſe of the thirteenth Chapter; for hauing there forbidden ſatisfaction to be giuen to the fleſh, leſt eyther the weake ſhould thinke themſelues neglected, Matth. 26.41. Rom. 6.19.or the ſtrong take occaſion to contemne them, becauſe weakneſſe is attributed to the fleſh; therefore he falleth here to direct both the one and the other, how they ſhould louingly and charitably conuerſe together.
Pauls Method is this: firſt he ſetteth downe a generall Precept, in this verſe; then an Explication of it in all the verſes following to the fourteenth verſe of the fifteenth Chapter.
In this generall Precept, are the Dutie: to receiue him that is weake in the faith; and the Amplification, from the perſons who are to performe the Dutie; implied in the Greeke, vnfolded in the Engliſh, You; and from the end, Negatiuely ſet downe by way of correction, but not to doubtfull Disputations.
Receiue you: You, that is, you that are ſtrong, foreign Chap. 15. verſ. 1. which hauehave more able knowledge.
Receiue, that is, ioyne vntounto you, take and entertaine vntounto your company, as a friend, as a brother. When a friend commeth to our houſes, we vſe not to chide him away, but receiue him with all courteſie; ſo would Paul hauehave the ſtrong to receiue the weake in all louelove, cheriſhing them, and bearing with their weakneſſe, Chap. 15.1.
The ſame word is vſed by S. Paul, foreign. Philemon. 12.when he intreats Philemon to receiue Oneſimus, as his owne bowels: ſo the ſtrong muſt receiue the weake as their own bowels. Him that is weak in the faith, not weake in bodie: yet ſuch are to be receiued; but in the faith, not iuſtifying faith, though ſuch are eſpecially to be tendred: but in the doctrine of faith: not weake in regard of the power of faith to apply the promiſe of mercy in Chriſt to the conſcience; but here weake to apprehend the doctrine of Chriſtian liberty in things indifferent.
Weake: that is, ſicke and queaſie ſtomacks, which cannot brooke ſtrong meate; ſuch as Paul calles babes in Chriſt: 1 Cor. 3 1.oppoſed to them which are ſtrong and of full age, Heb. 5.13.14.who by reaſon of vſe, hauehave their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcerne good and euill.
But not to doubtfull diſputations: foreignſignifies many things; here ambiguity & doubting, as the verbe is vſed before in this Epiſtle; foreign Rom. 4.20.Hee ſtaggered not at the promiſe through vnbeliefe. Receiue the weake, but not quarrell and contend with him in his opinions, as the vulgor reading is expounded: nor to iudge him for his opinions, knowing not his heart, as Auguſtine; nor to fill his head full of curious and intricate queſtions, and doubtfull diſputations.
The Affirmatiue end: to receiu… him to edification, Chap. 15.2.
Thoſe which are weake are not to bee troubled with doubtfull diſputations, but friendly to bee inſtructed, Rom. 15.1.2. Doctr. The ſtrong are to bear the infirmities of the weak, & to pleaſe them for their good to eaification. Gal. 6.1. If any be ouer taken with a fault in regard of manners, or (by proportion) of opinion, reſtore him in the ſpirit of meekneſſe, 1 Theſſ. 5 14. Support the weake.
Miniſters ought to preach to the capacity of their hearers; Vſe 1 if they bee of the weaker ſort, not to trouble them with profound matters which they are not able to vnderſtand, much leſſe with conceits and ſubtilties which profit not; but rather to teach ſuch things which may bee vnderſtood, and may breed godly edifying. Our Sauiour is an example, who would not trouble his Diſciples heads with that which they could not then beare, Ioh. 16.12. Alſo Paul in his preaching had regard to his hearers, whether milke or ſtronger meate were to be giuen them, 1 Cor. 3.1.2.
The ſtrong muſt ſweetly, Ʋſe 2 friendly, and brotherly conuerſe with the weake, they muſt ioyne him to them, that by their wiſe and gentle courſes, they may winne him to the truth: they muſt not ſeparate from them either in affection, or conuerſation.
Hence it may appeare, that the practice of our Browniſts it cleane contrary to the precept of Paul. They ſuppoſe themſelues to be ſtrong, and vsus to be weake; and becauſe wee preſently receiue not their conceits, they ſeparate from vsus, as from Heathens and Publicans: for which we may iuſtly ſuſpect their charity; for if we bee weake, here is Pauls direction how we are to be dealt withall before a ſeparation; they muſt take vsus to them, beare with our infirmities, and teach vsus ſoundly from the Word.
But alas, they are weake themſelues, I would they were not wayward. For euen as a froward or ſullen childe, if it may not hauehave the will, refuſeth the meate, and ſtrikes the ſpoone out of the Nurſes hand; ſo theſe becauſe they may not hauehave their will and their new deuiſed and groundleſſe diſcipline, they will hauehave nothing; no preaching, no Sacraments, no ſpirituall communion with vsus.
If the ſtrong muſt gently take the weake vntounto them, Ʋſe 3 then the weake muſt be admoniſhed not to bee wilfull, but aocible and tractable.
What if thou haſt ſpoken the word? ſtubbornly perſiſt not therefore in thy opinion, againſt Gods word. Many doubtleſſe would hauehave long agoe ſubmitted themſelues in the Church of England to orders inioyned, had they not held the contrary: and now the Church muſt bee troubled, leſt they ſhould be thought to hauehave erred.
O Germany! famous for the reformation of religion, how haſt thou beene torne with diſſentions, waſted with miſeries, plowed with the ſword, and watered with blood, through the weakenes of euen Luther himſelfe, who hauing once affirmed it to Caroloſtadius, for his credit may not publikely recant, and reuerſe his word.
Be not ſtubborne in thy weakenes, Chryſoſt. in loc.and becauſe Paul commands that thou muſt be gently vſed, account not thy weakneſſe a vertue; for here is a ſecret reproofe of thee, as one obſerues, when thou art called weake.
Charitie muſt bee vſed toward thee, that thou mayſt not forſake the faith; but diſcretion alſo, that thou mayſt growe vntounto ſtrength. We would wonder to ſee a childe hang fiue or ſix, or ten yeeres at the breaſt. If thou wert weake foure or ten yeares agoe, and yet art weake, ſurely ther eis ſome defect; either thou prayeſt not, or thou art ſtubborne, or proud, or there is ſome ſecret ſin that keeps thee from growing.
Diſputations: not fit for weake Chriſtians: Ʋſe 4 Disputations are not to be diſallowed; for as the whetting of a knife forward and backward ſcoures it bright and begets an edge: ſo truth is cleared and fortified by disputations: but it is not for the weake and vnlearned to dispute.
The liberty that all ſorts of men (and women alſo) take to dispute of curious points, and to queſtion eueryevery thing, is a great hinderance to the peace of the Church. In Turkie it is deadly to queſtion the generall receiued religion, whereby in a libertie of all religions, they enioy pace inuidenda, I. Lipſ. lib. aduerſus diologiſtū.& nobis pudenda, ſuch a peace which we may enuy, and hauehave iuſt cauſe to be aſhamed of, as a learned man ſpeakes.
Our Sauiour oft disputed with the Scribes and Phariſies, but hee would not turne his Diſciples to them: and Saint Paul a great learned Apoſtle diſputed daily in the ſchoole of Tyrannus.Act. 19.9.
It is not for ſimple men and ignorant women to dispute of points of religion, nor to enter combate with the cunning Browniſts. It is not for eueryevery Proteſtant, no not for eueryevery Miniſter or Preacher to dispute with learned Ieſuits, that hauehave Schoole diſtinctions at their fingers ends, and trauell in nothing elſe but controuerſies.
What if thou haſt a good wit, and a great and ſtrong apprehenſion, praiſe God for it, and ſo vſe it that the Church may be the better, not the worſe for thee.
I reade of a Philoſopher among the Lacedemonians, who boaſted that hee could holde argument and diſpute of any poſition true or falſe a whole day: but the Magiſtrates conſidering that ſuch a fellow might bee dangerous among the common people, to diſturb the peace of the ſtate, baniſht him for it.
Children delight in kniues, which will hurt them; and for the moſt part, the weakeſt are buſieſt in queſtioning the laudable cuſtomes and orders of the Church.
Study rather to liue well then to dispute: and when thou meeteſt with thy neighbour, ſpend thy time in conferring, not of controuerſies, or of things which concerne thee not, or be aboue thy capacity, but of obedience, repentance, mortification, preparation for death, and ſuch like.