Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 3
VERSE 3. Let not him that eateth, deſpiſe him that eateth not: and let not him which eateth not, iudge him which eateth:—
THe cauſe of the diſſenſion betweene the beleeuers at Rome, was their difference in opinion, of which in the verſe next before: Now in this verſe is the remedy; For here Saint Paul interpoſeth himſelfe, and directeth both parts, how to carry themſelues each to other, in theſe things.
Here are two parts: 1. A Direction; 2. A Reaſon.
The Direction in the words ſet downe of the 3. verſe.
As the parties are twofold, ſo is the direction to the ſtrong, to the weake: both tending to the ſame purpoſe, namely to preſerue peace and charity betwixt them; and to preuent ſeparation.
The ſtrong Chriſtian contemned the weak for his abſtinence, as a phantaſticall fellow and ſuperſtitious: his direction is: not to deſpiſe the weake.
The weake Chriſtian, which yet vnderſtood not the Doctrine of Christian liberty, iudged and cenſured the ſtrong, as profane, becauſe he made no difference of meats: his direction is: not to iudge the ſtrong.
Both their directions are Negatiue, as ſecretly finding fault with both ſides, for their intemperate carriage one to another.
Deſpiſe. The Greeke word is full of ſenſe: foreign.to eſteeme a man to be nullius pretij, to hauehave no worth in him, to diſdaine, to vilifie, to nullifie a man, to ſet at naught, and baſely to eſteeme of.
The Septuagint doe vſe the word in the text, to render an Hebrew root, Maas, which ſignifies to reiect, to diſdaine, to caſt off, to contemne: as Pſal. 53.5. God hath deſpiſed the wicked: and Pſal. 58.7. Let them melt away as waters, or, let them come to nothing.
So alſo they render another roote: Bazah, Eſay, 53.3. Nibhzeh, He is deſpiſed, meaning Chriſt: and Luke 23.11. it is ſaid that Herod with his men of warre, ſet Chriſt at naught.
Iudge: that is, condemne: the ſimple verbe for the compound, which is not vnuſuall with Saint Paul.
By theſe two words, deſpiſe and iudge, it appeares, that they differed not onelyonly in opinion, but alſo in affection.
For difference of opinion and practice in things indifferent, Doctr. there ought to be no breach of charity, or ſeparation among Chriſtians: Phil. 3.15.16. Let vsus therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded, and if in any thing yee be otherwiſe minded, God ſhall reueale euen this vntounto you. Neuertheleſſe whereto we hauehave already attayned, let vsus walke by the ſame rule. Alſo all ſuch places which command vnity and charity.
But what are things indifferent? Queſt.
Things are called indifferent two waies, Anſw. either as they are oppoſed to perfection of goodneſſe, or to neceſſity.
For the firſt way; we ſay a thing is indifferent when it is in ſome degree good, but not ſo good but that it may be amended; ſo we ſay of health, that we are indifferently well, when wee are able to walke abroad, but not without ſome weakneſſe or paine.
This is not meant in this buſineſſe, but the other, where indifferent is oppoſed to neceſſity, or to a neceſſary duty, namely, A thing that may bee done, or left vndone without any ſinne.
Some things are commanded to be done, ſome things are forbidden: ſome things are neither commanded nor forbidden: Theſe are indifferent.
The ground of this is, that howſoeuer the Law commands the reaſonable creature to doe nothing but that which is good, and at all times, yet not to doe eueryevery good thing at all times.
A man hath two ſuits of apparell, hee may indifferently weare which hee pleaſeth. A man hath meat ſet before him, he may indifferently eate or abſtaine: theſe and the like are indifferent: neyther good nor bad in themſelues, nor commanded nor forbidden.
For although eueryevery action, conſidered as clothed with its circumſtances (as they ſay) proceeding from the reaſon of a reaſonable creature, be or good or euill, yet being conſidered naked, and in regard of the ſubſtance of the worke, is not preſently neceſſary to be done.
The things called indifferent, foreign.are alſo by the Antient called things in our power and liberty: and, things lying in the middeſt betweene commanded and forbidden.
In the time of S. Obſer. Paul the Iewiſh ceremonies were things indifferent, which might be vſed or not vſed, as they ſaw it tend to Gods glory and the good of the Church: otherwiſe Paul would hauehave written in another manner of ſtraine. And this is profitable to know for the vnderſtanding of the Hiſtory of the Acts, where we ſhall finde Paul vſing Circumciſion, making vowes, and purifying himſelfe, and yet writeth againſt ſuch things in his Epiſtles.
Before the death of Chriſt the vſe of ſuch Ceremonies was not indifferent but neceſſary, as being commanded of God.
After the death of Chriſt their vſe was indifferent for a time, Aug. Hieronimo, Epiſt. 19.I ſay for a time, which S. Auſten elegantly expreſſeth by a ſimilitude: A mans friend dyes, hee doth not ſo ſoone as the breath is out of his body take him by the heeles and drag him out of the dores, and caſt him vponupon the dunghill; but he keepes him a certaine time, wraps him in faire cloaths, and ſo with honour accompanies him to the graue: So theſe ceremonies were aliue till Chriſt; when hee dyed they alſo gaue vp the ghoſt, and the vaile of the Temple rent in twaine: and becauſe they had beene euen by diuine ordinance of great vſe in Gods worſhip, they remained for a time indifferent, that ſo they might be laid downe in an honourable manner.
This time was till the doctrine of Chriſtian liberty might be fully made knowne to the world, which could not be done on a ſudden: euen as Acts of Parliament hauehave a day ſet downe when they ſhall be in force, that ſo all the ſubiects of the Land may hauehave time conuenient to take knowledge of them.
But now they are not neceſſary, nor indifferent to Iew or Gentile, but abſolutely forbidden. After the paſſion of Chriſt, the Iewiſh Ceremonies were mortuae, ſaith a learned man, that is, Aquinas in loc.dead: but after the diuulgation of the Goſpell, they became mortiferae, that is, deadly.
Paul found fault with Peter, and with the Galathians, for the vſe of legall Ceremonies: not ſimply becauſe they vſed them, but becauſe they taught and conceiued a neceſſity of vſing them for iuſtification and ſaluation.
From ſmall beginnings great ſchiſmes and miſchiefes hauehave growne. For a little meate, and for dayes, Ʋſe 1 the Church of Rome was grieuouſly diſtracted. Great contentions hauehave beene formerly betweene the East and Weſt Churches for trifles: ſo in Germany, ſo in England. So of a little ſparke many times ariſeth a great fire, and of the pricke of a thorne a deadly ſore.
O how it grieues my ſoule to reade our diuiſions about black and white, ſitting and kneeling, and ſuch like, to be caſt in our teeth by the Papiſts; as an argument that wee hauehave not the truth on our ſide: and alſo that among Proteſtant writers, when occaſion is giuen them to ſpeak of ſchiſmes and diſſenſion for diſcipline and order, then that the Church of England ſhould be brought vponupon the ſtage for an example.
If there be any louelove in vsus to the Church wherein wee hauehave beene brought forth vntounto Chriſt, and nouriſhed vp in the faith, let vsus agree, imbracing vnity, let vsus all be of one opinion: but howſoeuer our opinions differ, yet let not our affections. Hierome and Auguſtine differed in opinion in ſome things, but neither did they trouble Church, nor breake charity betweene themſelues; but thought reuerently one of another.
Here is our fault; wee hate, deſpiſe, and condemne them who will not condeſcend to vsus in our ſingular opinions.
But Paul commands the ſtrong not to deſpiſe the weake: This is indeed the fault of the ſtrong, but they ought to inſtruct them rather.
He commands the weake alſo, not to cenſure the ſtrong: this is the proper fault of the weake; to be forward in cenſuring, is not ſtrength but weakeneſſe, not a gratious and wiſe, but an intemperate zeale: which cenſuring and ouer forward zeale, if it bee taken from many who glory to be accounted Profeſſours, there would nothing remaine to ſhew them religious.
It is a diſgrace to our Church, that the plough and rockſtaffe dare (and that without puniſhment) cenſure Magiſtrates, Miniſters, this thing as ſuperfluous, that as Antichriſtian, &c. profaning religion by their ignorant and ſottiſh diſcourſes.
Thus was it in Greece: Lipſ. refert, lib. aduerſ. Dialogiſtam: ex Niceph. hiſt. lib. 6. & 11.but when? euen a little before it came to ruine.
If we wiſh the Churches ſafety, let vsus amend this, if we hauehave beene faulty: and alſo let vsus be carefull ſo to doe, as wee louelove our owne ſafety; for many times God ſuffers ſuch raſh cenſurers of orders eſtabliſhed, to runne into diuers pernicious errours, as a puniſhment of their raſh iudgement, as wee hauehave experience in our Browniſts, who firſt cenſured, and then ſeparated, wilfully cutting themſelues from the Church of God: who if they had obeyed Pauls precept, forbidding to iudge any for things indifferent, they had neuer ſeparated.
We muſt not iudge or cenſure our brethren: Ʋſe 2 but for what? for things indifferent: for theſe things, as for meate, for daies, for apparell in regard of the colour, or faſhion (if modeſt;) the conſcience of thy brother is to be left free, and not to be troubled. But for drunkenneſſe, blaſphemy, whoredome, &c. we hauehave warrant to cenſure men and women, and to trouble their conſciences, Ioh. 16.8.for the Spirit reprooues the world of ſinne.
A conſcience ſnorting in ſinne, is to be rowſed and troubled that it may come to repentance; for ſo long as it ſleeps in ſinne, it lies in death.
For peaceable liuing in a Church, Ʋſe 3 the doctrine of Christian liberty is to be made knowne; of the which afterwards, verſes 20.21.