John Trapp on Romans 16

CHAP. XVI. Verſe 1. Servant of the Church]

A Diaconiſſe to miniſter to the ſick, as 1 Tim. 5.9. not a praedicantiſſe, to preach or have Peters keys at her girdle.D. Baſtwick againſt Independ.

Verſe 2. As becometh Saints] Who are great Princes, States, in all lands, Pſal 4; and to be obſerved accordingly, even worthy of God, 3 Ioh. 6.

Verſe 3. Salute Priſcilla] She is firſt mentioned, haply as more forward then her husband in the beſt things. So was Manoahs wife, and Nazianzens mother.

Verſe 4. Who have for my life] A rare example.Dan. hiſt. 231. Faſt friends are in this age for the moſt part gone on pilgrimage (ſaid one once) and their return is uncertain.

Verſe 5. The Church that is in their houſe] The houſe of George Prince of Anhalt, for the good orders therein obſerved, is ſaid to have been, Eccleſia, Academia, Curia.

The first fruits of Achaia] The firſt that received the Goſpel there. A ſingular commendation, a ſweet happineſſe. Gods ſoul hath deſired ſuch firſt ripe fruits, Mic, 7.1. ſuch primroſes.

Verſe 6. Greet Mary, &c.] It is profitable that men of great parts and place ſhould preſerve their memory with others, though it be but in a ſalutation: for it may be a means to fire up affection to godlineſſe in ſuch whom they ſo remember.

Verſe 7. Who are of note] Noble, notable Chriſtians, old experienced gray-headed Diſciples. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Chriſtianity findes or makes us honourable.

Verſe 8. Greet Amplias] Piety is no enemy to courteſie: It doth not remove, but rectifie it.

Verſe 9. Our helper in Christ] A ſweet ſign to him, that his name was written in the book of life, Phil. 4.3.

Verſe 10. Approved in Chriſt] An high ſtile, far beyond that of the great Turk, with all his big-ſwoln-titles.

Verſe 11. My kinſman] In the fleſh, but more in the faith, that ſureſt tie.

Verſe 12. Who labour in the Lord] Though not ſo much as Perſis did,Cic. deorator. yet doth he not defraud them of their due commendation, Prima ſequentem honestum eſt in ſecundis tertiiſ que conſiſlere. Every man muſt not look to excell: let him be doing, as he is able.

Verſe 13. His mother and mine] His by nature, mine by affection. The Apoſtles parted with parents and friends at home, found them abroad.

Verſe 14. Salute Aſyncritus, &c.] Nothing is ſaid of theſe; for haſte perhaps, or elſe becauſe they were (as one ſaith of Ieſſe the father of David) Viri, probi & honeſti, minùs [illegible: 1 letter]amen clari, Good honeſt men, but not much noted. Or laſtly, for that the Apoſtle had no very good opinion of them, as he ſeems not to have had of Demas, Coloſ. 4.14. who yet would needs be one in the Apoſtles regiſter there: a place he will have, though it be the laſt place. Hermas here mentioned, was reputed by ſome of the Ancients to be the Authour of that Apocryphall book called Paſtor; wherein he dealt not ſo fairly and faithfully in relating what he had received from the Apoſtles, being ſubleſtae fidci author.

Verſe 15. And Olympas] Viri nomen non mulicris. The name not of a woman, but of a man, ſaith Beza.

Verſe 16. With an holy kiſſe] The Independents at Arnheim in Holland, M. Edwards his Antapol. p 36, 60. propounded this kiſſe of love to be practiſed amongſt them. So for anointing the ſick with oil, ſinging of hymns by one man, all the reſt being ſilent, &c.

Verſe 17. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Mark them which] Set a watchfull and a jealous eye upon them, as upon peſts and enemies. And here, let not our Epiſcopi (whoſe office it is chiefly) be Apoſcopi, Bernard. over-ſeers be by-ſeers, but look well to the ſlock, leſt theſe wolves worry them.Act. 20, 29.

And avoid them] Gr. Decline them ſtudiouſly, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as ye would do a ſerpent in your way, or poiſon in your meats.

Verſe 18 But their own bellies] They pretend the ſervice of Chriſt to their worldly and wicked reſpects, by a diſſembled ſanctity, which is double iniquity. The Duke of Bavaria is even eaten up with thoſe Popiſh fleſh-ſhes, Friers and Jeſuites.

And by good words, &c.] Thoſe locuſts in the Revelation have faces like women, inſinuative and flattering.Tertullian. The Valentinian heretikes had an art to perſwade before they taught, whereas the truth perſwadeth by teaching, it doth not teach by perſwading.

They deceive] As cheaters do, by the cogging of a dye, Eph. 4.14. Fallax artiſicium, vel potiùs artiſex fallacia, [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſaith Eraſmus on that text, a cunning kinde of cez[illegible: 1 letter]nage.

Verſe 19 For your obedience, &c.] Whereas the Romans might object, Are we alſo of thoſe ſimple ones? Your obedience, ſaith he, is famous all the world over. Howbeit I would have you wiſe to that which is good, but ſimple concerning evil. This ſimplicity is no diſparagement, to be unskilled in the devils depths, Revel. 2.24.

Verſe 20. Shall bruiſe Satan] Sincerity of a little grace ſhall be rewarded with abundance of greater graces. Chriſt our Champion hath already wonne the field, and will ſhortly ſet our feet upon the necks of our ſpirituall enemies. The broken horns of Satan ſhall be the Trumpets of our triumph, and the Cornets of our joy.

Verſe 21. Timotheus my work fellow] Of Timothy, reade Act, 16.1, 2. Of Lucius, Act. 13.1. Of Iaſon, Act. 17.5. Of Sopater, Act. 20 4.

Verſe 22. I Tertius who wrote, &c.] Either from the Apoſtles mouths, or rather out of his foul papers.

Verſe 23. Gaius mine hoſt] Baptized by Paul, for whom therefore, 1 Cor. 1.14. Muli[illegible: 1 letter] bo[illegible: 1 letter]piti[illegible: 1 letter] praebuit. Steph. and for other good men he thought he could never doe enough. Such another was Phebe, verſe 2. who had been a ſuccourer, or an hoſteſſe to many, and to my ſelf, ſaith Paul.

Verſe 24. The grace of our Lord] This is the ſeal of all S. Pauls Epiſtles. 2 Theſſ. 3.17.

Verſe 25. Which was kept ſecret] Even from the very Angels, 1 Pet. 1.12. who do daily profit in the knowledge of this ſecret, Eph. 3.10.

Verſe 26. According to the Commandment] The writings of the Prophets concerning the myſtery of Chriſt were not made known to the world by hap-hazard, but by a ſpeciall command of God.

Verſe 27. To God only wiſe, &c.] So ſay I for theſe few Notes thus finiſhed.