our selues in sin and to be so far past shame of sinne that wee defende vnrighteousnes against the iustice of God is the top of all mischiefe those thinges they knewe displeased GOD and by iust iudgement were condemned of him For this is the head of all mischief when as the sinner is so past all shame that hee both flattereth his owne sinnes neither will hee haue it disliked in him and also by his consent and cockering doth nourish them in others So is desperate wickednesse described in the Scripture they glory in it when they haue done euill Item shee hath spreade her feete abroade and gloried in her wickednesse Pro. 2.14 Ezech. 16.25 For hee whiche is yet ashamed is curable But when through the custome of sinning suche impudencie is contracted that vices please and are counted in steede of vertues there is no hope of amendemente And therefore I expoude it thus for that I see the Apostle in this place goeth aboute to reproue some thinge was more grieuous and abhominable theÌ„ the committing of the vices Ier. 11.15 What that shoulde bee I knowe not vnlesse wee referre it to that summe of wickednesse when miserable men hauing cast off the shame of sinne take vpon them to defende their vnrighteousnsse against the iustice of God CHAP. 2. 1 THerefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou arte that iudgest for in that thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that iudgest doest the same thinges 2 But wee know that the iudgement of GOD is according to truethe againste them whiche committe suche thinges THis reprehension concerneth hypocrites who whiles they bleare the eyes of men with the shewes of externall holinesse thinke themselues also to be safe before God Hypocrites if they can satisfie the eyes of men they thinke all is wel as though they had sufficiently discharged all their duetie towardes him Paule therefore after hee hadde shewed the grosser faultes leaste hee shoulde leaue any for iust before God inuadeth this kinde of Saints which could not bee comprehended in the first Catalogue Nowe the conueiance is plainer and easier then that any ought to maruaile whence the Apostle gathereth this reason Hee therefore maketh them inexcuseable because they themselues knew the iudgement of God yet neuerthelesse transgressed the lawe as though hee shoulde say albeit thou dost not consent to the vices of others yea doest seeme purposely to bee an enemie and reuenger of vices yet because if thou doest truely examine thy selfe thou art not free from them thou canst not pretende any defence For in that thou iudgest another Besides the notable resemblance or mutuall respect of the Greeke woordes Crinein cai catacrinein The exaggeration which hee vseth against them is to bee noted For the phrase or manner of speeche auaileth as much as if hee shoulde say thou art twise damnable They are twice damnable that are giltie of the same faults they reproue in others who art giltie of the same vices which thou reprouest and accusest in others For it is a knowen sentence that they whiche aske an account of another of his life doe denounce the lawe of vprightnesse continencie and all other vertues to themselues neither are they worthie of any forgiuenesse if they commit the same which they tooke vppon them to correct in another For thou iudging doest euen the same So it is worde for worde which you may turne thus For thou that iudgest another doest the same thinges Moreouer the meaning is notwithstanding thou iudgest them yet thou doest them And hee saieth they did them because they were not of a right minde seeing sinne properly is of the minde therefore in this they condemne themselues because whiles they reprooue a theefe or adulterer or an euill speaker they pronounce not iudgement against the persons but againste the vices whiche sticke euen in their owne bones 2 Wee knowe that the iudgemente of God c. The purpose of Paul is to shake hypocrites out of their flatterings least they shoulde thinke they had gotten some great thing Hypocrites shal not be tryed by their owne iudgement if either they were praised of the woorlde or els were cleare in their owne sight because there abideth for them a farre other iudgement in heauen Furthermore because hee accuseth theÌ„ of internall impuritie whiche in as muche as it is hidden from the eyes of men and cannot bee reproued nor conuicted by humane testimonies hee prouoketh them to the iudgement of God to whome the darkenesse it selfe is not secrete and with the sense whereof sinners ill they â—uill they must needes be touched Finally the truth of this iudgement consisteth in two thinges firste The truth of god iudgemeÌ„ts consisteth in two things that without respecte of persons hee will punishe sinne in what man soeuer hee findeth it Secondly that hee standeth not vppon the outwarde appearaunce neither careth he for the worke it selfe vnlesse it proceede from a true and sincere minde Whereuppon it followeth that the visarde of counterfeit holinesse letteth not but by his iudgement hee may take vengeance euen vppon the secrete wickednesse And it is an Hebrewe phrase for veritie is oftentimes as muche with the Hebrewes as the inwarde integritie of the hearte and so it is opposed not onely againste grosse liuing but also againste the externall shewe of good workes For then at the laste are hypocrites roused when it is saide That GOD shall not onely take iudgement vppon their counterfeit righteousnesse but also vppon their secrete affections 3 And thinkest thou O thou man that iudgest theÌ„ which doe suche thinges and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferaunce not knowing that the bountifulnesse of GOD leadeth thee vnto repentaunce 5 But thou after thy hardnesse and hearte that cannot repente heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgemente of God 6 Who will rewarde euerye man according to his workes 7 To them whiche by continuance in well doing seeke glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life 8 But vnto them whiche are contentious and disobey the trueth and obey vnrighteousnesse indignation and wrath 9 Tribulation and anguishe vppon the soule of euerye man that doeth euill of the Iewe first and also of the Grecian 10 But to euery man that doeth good glorie and honour and peace to the Iewe first and also to the Grecian 3 And thinkest thou O thou man c. Because the Rhetoritians doe charge that a man shoulde not descende vnto more vehement reprehension before the cryme bee manifestly prooued Paule may bee thought of some foolishely to ryse vp against them here who as yet not hauing fully accomplished that accusation whiche hee intended is carried so fiercely agaynst them But the matter is otherwise For by sufficient proofe they were conuicted to bee guiltie of sinne seeing hee accused them not
separated from the goates and 〈◊〉 â—ll the corne bee purged from the tares 6 Who shal giue to euery man c. Because he hath to doe with blynd saints who thinke the wickednes of the heart to be well couered so that it be spread ouer with certayne I know not what shewes of vayne workes he setteth downe true righteousnesse of woorkes which shall haue place before God least they shoulde thinke it were sufficient to please him if they brought words trifles only or leaues God in coÌ„demning the reprobate payeth them that they haue deserued Moreouer there is no such difficultie in this sentence as commonly there is thought to be For if God by iust reuengement shall punishe the wickednesse of the reprobate he shall recompence them that they haue deserued Agayne because he sanctifieth them whom in time to come he purposeth to glorifie in them also he will crowne good workes but not according to merite Good woorkes crowned but not according to merite For merite is not proued by the reward For that cannot be prooued by this sentence which sentence although it shew what rewarde good workes shall haue yet notwithstanding it sheweth not what they merite are woorth or deserue nor yet what rewarde is due vnto them It is a foolishe sequele to prooue merite by the rewarde 7 To them truely whiche according to perseueraunce worde for word it is patience by whiche worde there is somewhat more expressed For perseuerance is when one constantly abydeth in well doyng without wearinesse pacience also is required in the Sayntes whereby although they are oppressed with diuers tentations yet they faynt not SataÌ„ interrupteth the course of godlinesse For Sathan suffereth them not with free passage to come vnto the Lorde but laboureth by innumerable offences to hynder them and turne them out of the right way And whereas hee sayeth that the faithfull by persisting in good woorkes doe seeke glory and honour his meaning is not that they aspire any whither then vnto the Lorde or to seeke any thing aboue him or more excellent then he but they can not seeke him but also they must contende to come vnto the blessednesse of his kingdome The Lord giueth eternall life vnto them who by well doing meditate vppon immortalitie a description whereof is conteyned vnder the circumlocution of these woordes The meaning therefore is that the Lorde will giue vnto those eternall life who studying to doe good workes meditate vpon immortalitie 8 But to those are contentious The speech is somewhat confused First because the tenor forme or fashion of the talke is broken For the course of speeche required that the second part of comparison shoulde cleaue vnto the first after this sort the Lorde will giue eternall life to those which by perseuerance in good workes seeke glory honour and immortalitie but to the contentious and disobedient eternall death Then should bee added the illation or conclusion namely that there is prepared for those glory honour and incorruption but for these there is laide vppe wrath and affliction Secondly because these woordes indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe are applied vnto two diuers members In the scriptures we must seeke for spirituall wisedome and not for eloqueÌ„ce yet this troubleth not the sense of the speache which ought to suffise vs in the writinges of the Apostles For out of others wee must seeke for eloquence heere is spirituall wisedome to be sought for vnder a base and simple stile of wordes Contention heere is put for rebellion and stiffeneckednesse because Paul hath to doe with hypocrites who through grosse and rechlesse cockering make a mockerie of God Vnder the name of trueth is simply vnderstoode the rule of Gods will which is the onely lanterne of trueth For this is a common thing to al the wicked that they had rather subiect theÌ„ selues in seruice to iniquitie then take vpon theÌ„ the yoke of God And what obedieÌ„ce so euer they pretende yet they cease not stubburnely to murmure and striue against the woorde of God For as they which are openly wicked Betweene the seruice of God and sinne there is no meane so that if we serue not God then do we serue sinne scoffe at this trueth so the hypocrites doubt not to oppose their counterfeite seruinges and worshippinges against it Moreouer the Apostle heereby putteth in minde that such stubburne people doe serue iniquitie For there is no meane whereby they shoulde not presently fall into the seruitude of sinne who will not be ruled by the lawe of the Lorde And this also is a iust rewarde of franticke licenciousnesse that they are made the bondslaues of sinne who thought it much to obey God Indignation and wrath The property of the wordes hath caused mee to turne it thus For Thumos with the Grecians signifieth that which Cicero teacheth Excandescentiam to note with the latines â—usc 4. namely a sudden inflammation of wrath In the others I followe Erasmus And note that of the foure which are reconed the two latter are as it were effectes of the former For they which perceiue or feele God to bee against them and angrie with them forthwith are confounded Neuerthelesse when hee might briefly in two woordes haue shewed as well the blessednesse of the godly as the destruction of the reprobate he amplyfieth them both in many woordes To the ende hee might better and more effectually mooue men with the feare of Gods wrath and stirre vp the desire of obtayning grace by Christ For we neuer feare the iudgement of God sufficiently vnlesse it bee by a liuely description as it were set before our eyes Neyther do wee seriously burne with the desire of the life to come except wee be stirred vp by manie prouokements 9 To the Iewe first I doubt not but he simplie opposeth the Gentile to the Iewe. For whom he nowe calleth Grecians straight wayes hee calleth the same Gentiles And the Iewes are first in the action of this cause for that they specially had the promises and threatnings of the lawe as if hee shoulde say this is the vniuersall lawe of Gods iudgement which shall begin at the Iewes and comprehend the whole worlde 11 For there is no respect of persons with God 12 Whosoeuer haue sinned without lawe shall also perishe without lawe and who so haue sinned in the lawe shall be iudged by the lawe 13 For not the hearers of the lawe are righteous before God but the doers of the lawe shal be iustified 11 For there is no respect of persons Hitherto hee hath drawen all men generally giltie vnto iudgement nowe he beginneth here to reproue the Iewes by themselues and the Gentiles by themselues And withall he teacheth that that diuersitie or difference which separateth the one from the other letteth not but both of them without difference may bee subiect to eternall death The Gentiles pretended excuse by ignoraunce the Iewes gloried in the title of the Lawe from the Gentiles hee
blessing Gen. 48.18 that his name myght bee called vppon ouer them To whom perteineth the adoption The whole speech of Paule is directed vnto this marke Howesoeuer the Iewes by their fallyng away haue made a wicked diuorcement with God yet is not the light of the grace of God vtterly extinguished in them as hee also sayde in the thirde Chapter although they were vnbeleeuers and truice breakers Rom. 3.3 yet is not the faith of God made voyde by their vnbeliefe Not onely because hee hath reserued out of the whole multitude a remnant vnto himselfe but because by the right of inheritance the name of the Churche did yet abide with them And albeit they had nowe depriued them selues of all these ornamentes so that it profited them nothing to be called the sonnes of Abraham yet because it was dangerous least through their fault the maiesty of the gospell shoulde become vile amongst the Gentiles Paule considereth not what they deserued but with many vailes hee couereth their filthines and shame vntil the Gentiles were perswaded the Gospel came vnto them from the celestiall fountayne out of the priuie chappell of God out of an elect nation For the Lorde all other nations being let passe had selected them for a peculiar people to himselfe and had adopted them for sonnes as he often testifieth by Moses and the Prophetes And not contente simplie to call them sonnes sometime hee calleth them his first begotten Exod. 4.22 sometime his darlings In Exod. The Lorde sayth thus Israell is my first begotten sonne let my sonne goe that hee may serue me I am become a father to Israell and Ephraim is my first born Ier. 31.9 Also in the same place Is not Ephraim my deare sonne Is he not my pleasant childe Therefore my bowels are troubled ouer him yet I wil haue compassion on him By which wordes hee doeth not onely set foorth his fauour towardes Israel but rather sheweth the force of adoption vnder the which the promise of the celestiall inheritance is conteined Glory signifieth that excellencie whereunto the Lord had aduanced that people aboue al other nations and that both by many diuers other meanes and also because he dwelt in the middest of them For besides many signes of his presence he gaue a singuler testimonie therof in the arke whence he both gaue answeres and also did heare his people 1. Sam. 4.22 that he might shew forth his power in helping them For which cause it was called the glory of God Because here he hath distinguished couenants from promises let vs not this difference that wee count that a conuenant which is conceiued by plaine and solemne wordes and hath a mutual promise namely the couenant made with Abraham but promises they be which soeuer occurre here there in the scriptures For when God had once made his couenant with the old people hee ceased not now and then to offer his grace by newe promises Whereby it followeth that the promises are referred vnto the couenant as vnto their onely head euen as the speciall helpes of God whereby hee testifieth his fauour towardes the faithfull doe flowe out of the onely fountaine of election And because the law was nothing els but a renuing of that couenant which renuing might the better establish the remembrance thereof it seemeth that law giuing here in this place ought peculiarly to be restrained vnto iudgements For that also is a singuler ornament of the people of the Iewes that they had God for their lawgiuer Deut. 4.32 For if some glory in Solon and some in Lycurgus howe much more iustly may they glory in the Lorde of whom you may reade Deut. 4. By worship hee vnderstandeth that part of the lawe wherein the lawfull maner of worshipping God is prescribed as are the rites and ceremonies For they ought to bee esteemed lawfull by the rule of God Without the which whatsoeuer mē deuise is but meere prophaning of religion 5 of whom are the fathers For this also is of some value to descend from the saints and men beloued of God seeing God hath promised to the holy fathers mercy towardes their children euen vnto a thousand generations and chiefly in the wordes made to Abraham Isaac and Iacob Gen. 17.4 And in another place Neither skilleth it that this by it selfe is vaine and vnprofitable if it bee separated from the feare of God holines of life For the same we see also in worship glory both euery where in the Prophetes and specially in Esay Esai 1 11. 60.1 Howebeit because God vouchsafeth these being ioyned with the studie of pietie with som degree of honour he hath worthily reckoned them amongest the prerogatiues of the Iewes For therefore are they called the heires of the promises because they descended of the fathers of whom Christe is c. They which referre this vnto the fathers Acts. 3. as though Paules minde were onely to say that Christe descended of the fathers they haue no reason for it For his meaning is by this commēdacion namely that Christ came of them to knit vp the excellencie of the people of the Iewes For it is not a thing lightly to bee esteemed namely to be ioyned in carnall kinred with the Redemer of the worlde For if hee honoured all mankinde when he coupleth himselfe to vs by communicating our nature much more did he honour them with whom hee woulde haue a neerer bond of coniunction Although it is alway so to bee taken that if this blessing of kinred bee separated from pietie it is so farre from profiting that rather it turneth to their greater condemnation Furthermore here we haue a notable place that the two natures are so distinguished in Christe Two distinct natures in Christe that they are vnited together into the person of Christ For whereas hee saith Christe came of the Iewes thereby he declareth his true humanitie The parcel according to the fleshe whiche is added doeth note that hee had some what more excellente then fleshe where is a plaine distinction betweene his humanitie and diuinitie And hee ioyneth both together when he saith the same Christe which was borne of the Iewes according to the fleshe is God blessed for euer Wee muste also note that this speech doth not agree vnto any other then the onely and eternall God 1. Tim. 1.17 For in another place hee preacheth one onely God to whome all honour and glory is due They who deuide this member from the other texte that they might take from Christe so manifest a testimonie of his Dietie doe too impudently goe about to make darkenesse at none day For the wordes are cleare enough Christe of the Iewes according to the flesh who is God blessed for euer And I doubt not but Paul who had a hard fight an vrgēt offence did purposely erect his minde vnto the eternall glory of Christ yea and that not so much for his owne priuate cause as that
well our death as life is to be resigned to his wil. Heereunto hee addeth a notable reason because whither wee liue or die wee are his For thereuppon it followeth that hee hath power ouer life and death The vse of this doctrine is very large For so the Lordshippe of life and death is ascribed vnto GOD that euery man might the better beare his estate as the yoke imposed by him for it is meete hee shoulde assigne to euerye one his standing and course And so wee are not onelye forbidven rashely to take in hande this or that without the commaundement of God but also wee are commaunded to be patient in all griefes and losses If therefore at anye time the fleshe starte aside in aduersitie let vs remember that hee who is not free neither hath power ouer himselfe doeth peruerte right and order if hee depende not vppon the becke of his Lorde By this meanes also is deliuered vnto vs a rule to liue and dye so that if hee prolonge our life by continuall miseries and sorowes yet we couet not to departe before our time And againe if sodainely in the middest and flower of our age hee call vs away wee bee alway readie to departe 9 For Christ therefore died This is a confirmation of the reason went before For to the ende hee might prooue that wee are to die and liuâ— to the Lorde hee sayde wee are in the power of Christe whither wee liue or dye Nowe hee sheweth howe woorthily Christe challengeth vnto himselfe this power ouer vs seeyng hee hath purchased the same by so greate a price For by suffering death for our saluation he hath gotten vnto himselfe a dominion or Lordship ouer vs which cannot be destroyed by death by rising againe he hath receiued our whole life into his iurisdiction and garde therefore by his death and resurrection hee hath deserued that as well in death as in life we should serue to the glorie of his name Wheras it is said here he rose againe reuiued it is as much of value as if it were sayde that by his resurrection a newe state of life was obteyned to him And because that life wherein hee now liueth is not subiect to any mutation his kingdome also ouer vs is eternall 10 But why doest thou iudge thy brother Or also thou why doest thou despise thy brother For we shal al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ 11 For it is written I liue saith the Lorde and euerie knee shall bowe to mee and euerie tongue shal confesse vnto God 12 So then euerie one of vs shall giue account for himselfe vnto God 13 Let vs not therefore iudge one another any more but rather iudge this that no occasion of falling of offence be giuen to your brother 10 But why doest thou iudge Because hee had addicted the life and death of vs all vnto Christ thence he passeth to make mention of that iudgement whiche the father hath giuen to him together with the dominion of heauen and earth Whence hee gathereth that it is malapert boldnes if any manne vsurpe vnto him selfe iudgement ouer his brother seeyng by such licenciousnes that authoritie is pulled away from Christ whiche hee onely hath receiued of the father But first by the name of brother he brideleth this lust of iudging For if the Lorde haue ordeyned amongest vs the law or â—â—â—t of brotherly societie an equalitie must needes be obserued therefore euery one taking to himselfe the person of a iudge shal doe naughtily Secondly he reuoketh or calleth vs vnto that onelye iudge from whom no man cannot onely not take away his authoritie but also cannot escape his iudgement As it were therefore an absurd thinge amongest men if a guiltie person whiche were not woorthie to lie vppon the footestoole shoulde rushe vnto the seate of iudgement so absurde is it that a Christian manne shoulde take vnto him selfe libertie to iudge his brothers conscience Suche in effect is the argument of Iames saying Iames 4.10 he that iudgeth his brother iudgeth the lawe and hee that iudgeth the lawe is not a keeper of the lawe but a iudge And on the coÌ„trary quoth he there is one law giuer who caÌ„ saue destroy Tribunal is attributed vnto Christ for the faculty of iudging as the voyce of the Archangel wherby we shal be cited is called in another place a trumpe because as it were with his sound 1. Thes 4.16 he shal pearce the mindes and eares of all 11 For it is written I doe liue He seemeth vnto me to haue cited this testimony of the Prophet Esay Esay 45.23 not so much for the proofe of that sentence of the iudgement of Christ which was vndoubtedly beleeued of all Christians as to shew that that iudgement is to bee looked for of all with great humilitie and submission which the wordes themselues importe Th comming of Christ to iudgement ought huÌ„bly to be looked for of all men In his wordes going before he testified that Christ onely was iudge ouer all men now by the words of the Prophet he declareth that all fleshe ought to be humbled with the expectation of that iudgement whiche is noted by the bowing of knees Howbeit notwithstanding in that place of the prophet the Lord doth generally foreshew that it should come to passe that his glorie should he made manifest amongest all nations and his maiesty which then was amongest a fewe as it were lurked in a corner of the world shoulde shyne euerye where yet if wee looke into it more neerely it is apparaunt that the full accomplishment thereof is not nowe extaunt nor euer was in this worlde neither yet is to bee looked for in the ages to come God raigneth nowe no otherwise their by the Gospell neyther is his maiestie otherwise honoured aright then whiles the same beeyng knowen by his worde is reuerenced But the word of God hath alway had his enimies whiche haue frowardly resisted and his contemners which haue scoffed at it as a trifling and fabulous thing At this day there are many such and euermore withe Hereby appeareth that this prophecie is indeede begun in this life but is not perfected till that day of the last resurrection shall come wherein all the enimies of Christ shal be throwen downe that they may become the footestoole of his feete Furthermore euen that also coulde not be except the Lord sate in iudgement therefore hath he well applied this testimony vnto the tribunall of Christ It is also a notable place to establishe our faith concerning the eternall dietie of Christe For it is God that speaketh there and that God which hath once sayde Esay 42.8 that hee will not giue his honour to another Nowe then if that bee fulfilled in Christ which hee there challengeth to him selfe onelye without doubte hee doeth manifest him selfe in Christ And surely the veritie of that prophecie appeared then cleerely when Christe gathered vnto him selfe a people out of all