Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 23
VERSE. 23. And hee that doubteth, is damned if hee eate, becauſe he eateth not of faith: For whatſoeuer is not of faith, is ſinne.
IN this Verſe is the other Aphoriſme for the direction of the weake: to take heed how they vſe or refuſe things indifferent to the hurt of their ſoules.
Here are to be conſidered the Aphoriſme, and the Confirmation of it.
The Aphoriſme is this, He that doubteth is damned if he eate.
The Confirmation is from the procreant cauſe of our actions, which is faith: becauſe hee eateth not of faith. And this further confirmed by a generall Rule, Whatſoeuer is not of faith is ſinne.
In the Aphoriſme propounded, are the Subiect and the Predicate to be noted.
The Subiect, He that doubteth, if he eate; The Predicate, is damned.
In the Subiect are the Action, attributed to the weake, and the Manner.
The Action, eating; the Manner, with doubting. Both which are to be ioyned together, that the Predicate may follow affirmatiuely: For of it ſelfe it is neyther damnable to eate, nor to doubt: but ſometimes to make queſtion or put a doubt deſerues praiſe.
But he that eateth doubting: and therefore doubting is here reſtrained with a condition, if be cate.
Is damned, of his owne conſcience, which he violateth, and of God alſo, if he repent not.
The Reaſon from the procreant cauſe, is faith. For though all actions, as they are actions proceed from the vnderſtanding and the will: yet as they are referred to God, they muſt ſpring from faith, which ſuppoſeth an vnderſtanding well informed as a beginning imperant, and a will pliant as a beginning obſequent and exequent.
The Reaſon may be thus formed.
He that eateth not of faith is damned.
But he that eates doubting eates not of faith.
Therefore, &c.
The Minor is in the Text; the reaſon whereof is, becauſe contraries expell one another: for as it is betweene light and darkneſſe, ſo it is betweene faith and doubting; they mutually expell one another.
The Propoſition Maior is proued from the cauſe of damnation, which is ſinne. Thus:
Sinne is the cauſe of damnation: or, Whoſoeuer ſinneth is damned.
But he that eateth not of faith, ſinneth.
Therefore, &c.
The Maior is manifeſt; Rom. 6.23.The wages of ſinne is death.
The Minor is in the Text.
All the tearmes are eaſie are familiar, ſauing doubting and Faith.
Doubteth. The word ſignifyeth to diſcerne ſometime, and to put a difference, as a weake Chriſtian holding this meate lawfull, and that vnlawfull: this is more then to doubt, and ſo is à minore here included.
But here it is better rendred, doubteth; as alſo it is vſed, Acts 10.20. Iames 1.6. foreign, nothing doubting. And it is expounded by a learned man, alternantibus ſententiis ſecum diſceptare, Budaeus Comm. ling. Graec.when a man is at no certainty with himſelfe, but at variance; ſometime being of one minde and ſometime of another.
Mr. Caluin and Aretius, with others, render it dijudicat, which is when the iudgement is carried into diuers parts.
So dubius ſignifies ſuch doubting, as when a man of two wayes knowes not which to take: this is Iames his foreign, double minded man, who is now of the mind that hee may kneele, now that hee ought to ſit; Iames 1.8.halting betweene two opinions.
Faith: this many take for a iuſtifying faith, whereby our perſons are accepted before God: and ſurely what is not done out of this faith, it ſhall bee accounted as a ſinne to the doer.
But I refuſe this, becauſe Paul ſpeakes not of a prophane man, but of ſuch a one who hath confidence in Chriſt; but erreth in ſome particular action.
Therefore it is to be taken for that knowledge and conſtant perſwaſion, of which we hauehave ſpoken before; whereby, by the word of God, or good reaſon from the ſame, a man is perſwaded of the lawfulneſſe of indifferent things.
To doe any thing without this perſwaſion, is a ſinne.
In this perſwaſion we ſpeake of; that which faith vnderſtandeth, Conſcience applieth to the worke: If therefore when faith vnderſtandeth a thing to be vnlawfull, or doubteth of the lawfulneſſe, we doe the ſame; we ſin, and are in danger of damnation, becauſe we doe that which we beleeue may be contrary to the word of God.
Theſe two faiths therefore are to be diſtinguiſhed, neither doe they alwayes concurre in one perſon; but the one may be without the other.
Iuſtifying faith is applied to the perſon; the faith of indifferent things, onelyonly to the worke.
By the first we obtaine remiſſion of ſinnes, and acceptation of our imperfect obedience.
By the ſecond onelyonly we vnderſtand that this particular is not a ſinne, whether wee doe it, or abſtaine from doing thereof.
The faith and knowledge of Chriſtian liberty in things indifferent, is neceſſary to preſerue vsus from ſinne and condemnation: Doctr. proued before by verſ. 5.14.22.
Weake Chriſtians that are docible, and not obſtinate, Vſe 1 are not ſeuerely but gently to bee dealt withall, becauſe that which they are vrged to doe, may be to their damnation, if they repent not.
Labour for this Faith and perſwaſion, Ʋſe 2 of the which there is a continuall and neceſſary vſe through our whole liues.
Without it, not onelyonly things middle, but things commanded and good become euill to vsus and damnable if we do them: for it argues a contempt of God and a profane minde, when we dare doe a thing (whatſoeuer it be in it ſelfe) which wee are perſwaded tends to the contumely and diſhonour of God.
That we may hauehave and keep this faith.
Firſt, 2 Pet. 1.19. foreign.ſtudy the Scriptures, and ſearch them, for they beare true witneſſe of all things: the Word of God is a more ſure word, on which a man may ſafely rely.
When our Sauiour bade Peter and his fellowes, to launch forth, and let downe their nets for a draught, after a whole nights labour loſt; Neuertheleſſe, ſaith Peter, at thy word I will let downe the Net. So if thou hauehave the word for thy warrant be confident: thou mayeſt do it. Yet it is not neceſſary that we ſhould hauehave an expreſſe word, it is enough if we hauehave it by Collection.
So baptizing of children is warranted, not by an expreſſe word but by collection: ſo the publike ſolemnization of matrimony by the Miniſter in the Church, &c. So Rahab receiued the ſpies by faith, not of an expreſſe word, but by collection, as appeares. Ioſh. 2.9, 10.11.12.
Correſpondence to the generall rules of things, is ſufficient vntounto faith in the particular actions of things of thoſe kinds. Yea in matters hidden and not expreſſed which are commanded to be done, a probable certainty ſufficeth, if nothing of moment be brought to the contrary, and that we neglect not to be informed, and are ready to yeeld vponupon better information.
Saint Auguſtines rule is, Quod ne que contra ſidem nec contra boros mores iniungitur, &c Aug. Ia…uarto. cp. 118 c. 2.that whatſoeuer is not contrary to faith and good manners, is indifferent, and to be obſerued, for their ſociety among whom we liue.
Secondly; timely reſiſt doubting, and giuegive not place to the Diuell: he will iniect and throw doubts apace into thy heart, doe thou throw them out as faſt.
Thirdly, truſt not too much to thine owne wit and knowledge; neither be thou partiall: Bring not affections without iudgement; but let iudgement rule affections.
Fourthly, be carefull not to trouble thy owne peace, with eueryevery doubt that may bee put in. Many deſire to bee reſolued, and yet neuer leaue ſeeking obiections, and refuſe all reſolution, till they vnderſtand an anſwer to all arguments: which is the way not to be ſetled in any article of the Faith, againſt which obiections may be framed, which (eſpecially vnlearned men) cannot anſwer.
Fiftly, pray to be illightned, and ſo to be ſetled, and of ſuch ſtayed iudgement that thou mayſt not bee carried about with eueryevery winde of doctrine.
Here are diuers to be reproued. Ʋſe 3
1 Thoſe who refuſe to kneele at the Sacrament, and will ſit, or elſe they will renounce the Sacrament: this cannot be of faith; for this is to reſiſt authority: and the word preſcribes not any particular geſture. And whereas ſome hauehave alledged that Chriſt ſate; it is friuolous: for ſuppoſe it ſhould be granted, which I verily thinke hee did not at that time; how weakly doth it follow: Chriſt ſate when hee deliuered the Bread, therefore wee muſt ſit when we receiue it: But many hauehave thought that Chriſt did receiue the Supper with his Apoſtles, which is abſurd to imagine.
2 The Papiſts, who teach doubting.
3 All our profane people among vsus: for what faith can there be in committing drunkenneſſe, &c. Nay ſuch things are contrary to faith and good manners.
They doubt not but they know that theſe things are vnlawfull, and yet they doe them.
To doe a thing indifferent doubting, is damnable; but not to doubt of euill and yet to doe it; is a thouſand times more damnable.
Let vsus beleeue, and liue according to the Word.
The three laſt verſes of the ſixteenth Chapter are here placed in ſome copies, and here added and expounded by Chryſoſtome, but we leaue them to their more due place.
A PLAINE EXPOSITION VPONUPON THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE OF Saint PAVL to the Romanes.
IN the thirteene firſt verſes of this Chapter, is the third part of the Explication of the Admonition deliuered in the firſt verſe of the fourteenth Chapter.
This third part is a Repetition of the ſaid Admonition, whetted on with new Arguments, and ſo tempered with Apoſtolicall ſweetneſſe accuſtomed, that it might be the more effectuall, as no doubt it was, to reconcile the minds of the ſtrong and weake among them, and to reduce them to concord and vnity, which is the ſumme.
The Method is this: In the firſt verſe there is a generall Admonition; in the reſt a Confirmation by diuers reaſons.