John Trapp on Romans 14

CHAP XIV. Verſe 1. Him that is weak, &c.]

THat is not thorowly perſwaded of all things pertaining to Chriſtian liberty about things indifferent.

Receive] Aſſectu charitatis, put him into your boſoms,Haymo. bear with his weakneſſes, &c, Bucer rejected none, though different in ſome opinions, in whom he found, Aliquid Chriſti, any thing of Chriſt, whoſe weaklings are to be handled with all tenderneſſe.

But not to doubtfull] Make him not Queſtion-ſick, 1 Tim. 6.4. Wring not mens conſciences, you may hap to break the wards, if you do.

Verſe 2. Eateth herbs] Rather then meats forbidden by the Law. The ancient Latines were as well apaid of herbs to eat,Dan. 1, 11. as if they had had all manner of dainties.Holus [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Green herbs were both food and phyſick to them.

Verſe 3. For God hath received him] viz. For his houſhold ſervant, which David counted a greater dignity then to be King of Iſrael. And Iuſtinian the Emperour ſtiled himſelf, Ʋltimum ſervorum Dei, the meaneſt of Gods ſervants.

Verſe 4. Who art thou, &c.] The wiſdome from above is without cenſuring, without hypocriſie, ſaith S. Iames, Chap. 3.17. Intimating, that the greateſt cenſurers are moſtly the greateſt hypocrites: And as any one is more wiſe, he is more ſparing of his cenſures.

Verſe 5. Let every man be fully perſwaded] It is a ſafe rule,Plin. Epiſt: Quod dubites, ne feceris: In doubtfull caſes be ſure to take the ſuter ſide.

Verſe 6. For he giveth God thanks] A cuſtome uſed by the very Heathens to their gods, Sir Ed Sands, Spec. Europae. as is to be read in Homer and Virgil: but grown clean out of uſe among the Catholikes in France and Italy. But if they that give thanks at meat do eat to God, to whom do they eat that give none?

Verſe 7. For none of us liveth to himſelf] S. Paul ſtood, as it were on tiptoes, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Phil. 1.20 to ſee which way he might beſt glorifie God, by life or by death.

Verſe 8. We are the Lords] Death divides us not from Chriſt, but brings us home to him, 2 Cor. 5.6. It is but winking (as that Martyr ſaid) and thou ſhalt be in heaven preſently.

Verſe 9. That he might be Lord] He wonne his crown before he wore it: he fought for it, and having vanquiſhed all enemies, he accompliſhed and proclaimed the victory in his glorious reſurrection, triumphed in his wonderfull aſcenſion leading captivity captive, &c. Eph. 4.7.

Verſe 10. But why doſt thou, &c.] Three things are not ſubject to our judgement. 1. The counſels of God. 2. The holy Scriptures. 3. The perſons of men. Be not therefore raſh in rejecting, or ſowr in cenſuring your fellow-ſervant; but let your moderation herein be known to all men; and the rather, becauſe the Lord is at hand, Phil. 4.5.

Verſe 11. As I live, ſaith the Lord] As true as I live is an oath, as appears here, and Numb. 14 21. with Pſ. 95.11. Forbear it therefore.

Verſe 12. So then every one, &c.] It was excellent counſell that the Oratour gave his hearers, Cic. 4. in Verr. I [illegible: 1 letter]a vivamus ut ration[illegible: 1 letter]m nobis reddendans arbitremur. Let us ſo live as thoſe that muſt give an account of all at laſt.

Verſe 13. A ſtumbling block, or an, &c.] A lighter or greater offence, to make him go halting to heaven.

Verſe 14. By the Lord Ieſus] Who hath pulled down the partition-wall, and purchaſed our Chriſtian liberty.

Verſe 15. But if thy brother be grieved] It is his weakneſſe to be grieved thereat, but gratifie him howſoever. What one ſpeaks of a plain place of Scripture, this verſe (ſaith he) had been eaſie, had not Commentatours made it knotty: the like, ſaith another of a Chriſtians condition, it is gracious, happy, clear, ſure, ſweet, did not erroneous judgements vex and unſettle them.

Verſe 16. Let not then your good] That is, Your Chriſtian liberty purchaſed by Chriſt.

Be evil spoken of] Gr. Be blaſphemed. Contumely caſt upon the people of God is blaſphemy in the ſecond Table. God, for the honour that he beareth to his people, counts and calls it ſo.

Verſe 17. For the kingdome of God, &c.] That was a ſwiniſh ſaying of Epicurus, That eternall life ſhould be nothing elſe but a continuall eating of the fat, and drinking of the ſweet, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. even unto an unceſſant ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe. The Turks at this day promiſe Paradiſe to ſuch as die in warre for the Mahometan faith, Blou[illegible: 1 letter]ts voiage, p 37 [illegible: 1 letter]. where they ſhall have delicious fare, pleaſant gardens, all ſenſuall delights, eternally to be enjoyed not withſtanding any former ſins. Fit lettice for ſuch lips.

Verſe 18. Is acceptable to God] And he is an happy man that can be acquitted by himſelf in private, in publike by others, in both by God.

Verſe 19. Wherewith one may edifie another] Diſcords among good people, do edificare in gehennam, as Tertullian phraſeth it, build backwards. One of the main ſcandals the Jews take from Proteſtants, is their diſſention.

Verſe 20. The work of God] That work of faith, 1 Theſſ. 1.3. wrought by the mighty power of God, Epheſ. 1.19. who puts not forth great power, but for great purpoſes.

Verſe 21. It is good neither to eat, &c.] It will be no grief of heart (as ſhe once told David in another caſe) to have forborn in caſe of ſcandall. A great grief it would be if by ſome raſh word we ſhould betray a brother, or ſmite out the eie of our deareſt childe.1 Sam. 25. Should we then deſtroy the life of grace in another by our unadviſed walking?

Verſe 22. Haſt thou faith?] Poſſe, & nolle, nobile eſt. Forbear for fear of effence, unleſſe it be in point of neceſſary duty: For then we may not doe evil that good may come, Rom. 3 8.

Verſe 23. Is damned] Both of his doubting conſcience, which ſoundeth heavily, as a ſhau[illegible: 1 letter]m, and of God, who is greater then his conſcience.