John Trapp on Romans 1

CHAP. I. Verſe 1. A ſervant of Ieſus Christ.

THis is an higher title th[illegible: 1 letter]n Monarch of the world, as Numa, ſecond King of Rome could ſay. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Pult.

Verſe 2. Promiſed] Fore-ſhewed and foreſhadowed.

Verſe 3. Concerning his Son] Here's a lofty and lively deſcription of Chriſts ſacred perſon. The whole Epiſtle being the Confeſſion of our Churches, as Melancthon calleth it,Scultet. Annal. who therefore went over it ten ſeverall times in his ordinary Lectures: The Epiſtle being ſuch, as never can any man poſſibly think, ſpeak or write ſufficiently of it's worth and excellency.

Verſe 4. Declared to be, &c.] Gr. Defined; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. for definitions explain obſcurities.

With power] For, Superas evadere ad auras; Hic labor, hoc opus eſt—a work befitting a God, See Epheſ. 1.20. with the Note there.

The Spirit of holineſſe] The divine eſſence of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 13 4. which ſanctifieth the humane nature aſſumed by him.

Verſe 5. For obedience to the faith] That is, to the Goſpel (that doctrine of faith) or to Chriſt, who is oft put for faith (whereof he is the proper object) in this Epiſtle. Kiſſe the Son, &c.Pſal. 2 12. Math. 17.5. Hear him.

Verſe 6. Ye are the called] With an high and heavenly calling, Heb. 3.1. See the Note there.

Verſe 7. Called to be Saints] Thoſe then that are called, are Saints, whileſt alive, and not only thoſe that are canonized by the Pope after they are dead, Bemb in Liſt. Venet. In numerum Deorum ab Eccleſia Romana relati, as Bembus profanely ſpeaketh of their Saint Francis, a ſorry man, Dan hiſt of Engl. fol. 99. of whom (as once of Becket 48 years after his death) it may well be diſputed, Whether he were damned or ſaved. Pope Callistus 3. ſainted ſome ſuch in his time, as of whom Cardinall Beſſ[illegible: 1 letter]rion, Iac. Revius. biſt. Pontiſ. knowing them for naught, ſaid, Theſe new Saints make me doubt much of the old.

Grace he to you, and peace] See the Note on 1 Cor. 1.2.

Verſe 8. Your faith is spoken of] See chap. 16. and Juvenal, Tacitus, and other profane writers, who bitterly exagitate the doctrines and practices of thoſe Roman Chriſtians.

Verſe 9. Whom I ſerve in my spirit] That is, with all the faculties of my ſoul concentred and co-united.

Verſe 10 I might have a prosperous journey] This he praied, and this he had by ſuch a way as he little dreamt of. Little thought Paul, that when he was bound at Ieruſalem, and poſted from one priſon to another, that God was now ſending him to Rome: yet he ſent him, and very ſafe, with a great Convoy. God goes oft another way to work, for our good, then we could imagine.

Verſe 11. That I may impart] There is no envy in ſpirituall things, becauſe they may be divided in ſolidum; one may have as much as another,Theat Naturae. and all alike. Scientiarum (ſic & gratiarum) ca vis est & natura, ut quò plus doceas, & alteride tuo largiare, cò ditior ac doctior fias, ſaith Bodine. Such is the nature and property of ſciences and graces, that the more you communicate them, the more you encreaſe them.

Verſe 12. That I may be comforted] Or exhorted, Ad communem exhortationem percipiendam, ſaith Beza out of Bucer, and others. The meaneſt of Chriſts members may contribute ſomewhat to the edifying even of an Apoſtle.

Verſe 13. But was let hitherto] Either by Satan, 1 Theſſ. 2.18. or by the holy Spirit, otherwiſe diſpoſing of him, as Act. 19.6, 7. or by ſome intervenient, but important occaſion: as Chap. 15.20, 21.

Verſe 14. I am debter] Becauſe entruſted with talents for that purpoſe, 1 Cor. 9.16. See the Note there.

Verſe 15. So as much] Quicquid in me ſitum eſt, promptum eſt. A notable expreſſion.

Verſe 16. For I am not aſhamed] As men are apt to be; whence that fatherly charge, 2 Tim. 1.8. Doe ye thinke (ſaid Iohn Frith, Martyr, to the Archbiſhops men that would have let him go) that I am afraid to declare mine opinion unto the Biſhops of England in a manifeſt truth?Act. and Mon. 1917. If you ſhould both leave me here, and go tell the Biſhops that you had loſt Frith, I would ſurely follow as faſt after, as I might, and bring them news that I had found and brought Frith again.

For it is the power, &c.] Eternall life is potentially in the Word preached, as the harveſt is potentially in the ſeed.

Verſe 17. The just ſhall live by faith] Hab. 2.4. that is, they ſhall enjoy themſelves by their faith, in greateſt diſaſters, or dangers, when others are at their wits ends, that's the Prophets ſenſe; and the Apoſtle not unfitly applieth it to prove juſtification by faith alone: for if a man live by faith, he is juſt by faith.

Verſe 18. Who hold the truth] Hold the light of their conſciences (which is as a Prophet from God) priſoner. The naturall man, that he may ſin the more ſecurely, impriſons the truth, which he acknowledgeth, and laies hold on all the principles in his head, that might any way diſturb his courſe in ſin, locking them up in reſtraint. Hence it appears that no man is righteous in himſelf, or by his own righteouſnes, which was the [non-Latin text not transcribed]

Verſe 19. Becauſe that which may] Heathens might know God the Creatour, per species creaturarum (as they ſpeak) either in way of negation, or cauſality, or eminence; not ſo God the Redeemer.

Verſe 20. Are clearly ſeen] As in a mirrour,Pervidentur. or as on a theatre. Ʋt ſolem in aquis, ſic Deum in operibus contemplamur.

Verſe 21. Neither were thankefull] How then ſhall we anſwer to God our hatefull unthankfulneſſe, which is (ſaith one) a monſter in nature, a ſoleciſme in manners, a paradox in divinity, a parching winde to damme up the fountain of divine favours.

But became vain in their imaginations] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. In their reaſonings, diſputations, diſcourſes upon ſerious deliberation. They ſtood not to their own principles (as, That there is one God only, That this God is to be worſhipped, &c.) but were Atheiſts by night that worſhipped the Sun, and Atheiſts by day that worſhipped the Moon, as Cyril ſaith wittily.

Verſe 22. Profeſſing themſelves to be wiſe] Aristotle, Natures chief Secretary, writeth many things moſt abſurdly concerning God: As,Metaphyſ. l. 12. that he is a living creature, That he worketh not freely,Ib. lib 1. Bodin. Theat. Nat p 29. but by a kinde of ſervile neceſſity; and that therefore he deſerveth no praiſe or thanks from men for his many benefits, ſith he doth but what he muſt needs do. Theſe are Aristotles abſurd aſſertions. And yet at Stuckard in Germany, was found a Doctour of Divinity that preached to the people, That the Church might be ſufficiently well taught and governed by Ariſtotles Ethicks, though we had no Bible: And the Collen Divines ſet forth a book, concerning Aristotles ſalvation.

Verſe 23. Made like to corruptible man] God made man in his own image: And (to be even with him, as it were) will needs make God, after his image.

And fourfooted beasts] God therefore juſtly gave them up to Sodomy, whith did abaſe them below the beaſts: that there might be an analogy between the ſin and the puniſhment. This is called a meet recompence, ver. 27. They diſhonoured God, they diſhonoured therefore themſelves. They would not know nor honour him, they ſhall not therefore know, nor ſpare one another, &c. ſo ſeverely will God puniſh the contempt of rebellion againſt the light.

And creeping things] In Lapland the people worſhip that all day for a god, Abbots his Geog. whatſoever they ſee firſt in the morning, be it a bird or worme.

Verſe 24. Ariſt. Etb.l 7. c. 3, 4. Gave them up to uncleanneſſe] Ariſtotle confeſſeth the diſability of morall knowledge to rectifie the intemperance of nature; and made it good in his practice: for he uſed a common ſtrumpet to ſatisfie his luſt. Socrates is ſaid to have had his Catamite,Iavenal. Inter Socratices, &c.

Verſe 25. Who changed] They tare out their naturall principles and turned Atheiſts.

Verſe 26. Into that which is againſt nature] So againſt nature, that children (natures end) and poſterity is utterly loſt by it.

Verſe 27. Leaving the naturall] As at this day in the Levant, Sodomy is held no ſinne.B[illegible: 1 letter]unts voyage. The Turkiſh Baſha's have many wives, but more Catamites, which are their ſerious loves.

Burned in their lust] Gr. Were ſcalded. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Some men put off all manhood, become dogs, worſe then dogs. Hence Deut. 23.18. The price of a dog, that is of a buggerer, as Iunius and Deodatus expound it.

Verſe 28. To a reprobate minde] Or, an injudicious minde: Or, a minde rejected, diſallowed, abhorred of God: Or a minde that none hath cauſe to glory in, but rather to be much aſhamed of.

Verſe 29. With all unrighteouſneſſe] The mother of all the enſuing miſrule.

Wickedneſſe] The Syrian ſaith, Bitterneſſe. See Ier. 2.19.

Envy, murther] Three ſuch Agnominations are found in this black bedroll. The Apoſtle ſeems delighted with them, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as was likewiſe the Prophet Iſaiah. Of which noble two, I may well ſay, as one doth of Demoſthenes and Cicero, Demosthenes Ciceroni praecipust ne eſſet primus Orator, Cicero Demostheni, ne ſolus.

Malignity] Or, Moroſity, croſſeneſſe.

Verſe 30. Haters of God] And ſo God-murtherers, 1 Joh. 3.15. See the Note there.

Verſe 31. Implacable] That will not hear of a truce, much leſſe of a peace.

Verſe 32. Have pleaſure] Or, they patronize, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Theoph. applaud and approve: This is ſet laſt, as worſt of all: it comprehends all kindes of conſent. To hold the bagge is as bad as to fill it.