John Trapp on Romans 2

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. Therefore thou art inexcuſable.

THough thou have no pleaſure in them that do evil, as Chap. 1. 32. but doſt ſuperciliouſly cenſure them, being thy ſelf otherwiſe as bad. Cato is ſaid to have exerciſed uſury, to have proſtituted his wife, to have ſlain himſelf. God oft ſets a Noverint univerſi upon the worlds wizards, for the fouleſt fools.

Verſe 2. Which commit ſuch] As Cato, ver. 1. whom yet Velleius affirmeth to have been, hominem virtuti ſimillimum. But God judgeth not as man.

Verſe 3. Thinkeſt thou] This is preaching to the conſcience, to the quick.

Verſe 4. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. The goodneſſe of God] Gr. His native goodneſſe, ready to be imploied to the behoof and benefit of the creature, Tit. 3.4. Now as the beam of the Sunne ſhining on fire, doth diſcourage the burning of that; ſo the ſhining of Gods mercies on us ſhould diſhearten and extinguiſh luſt in us. This is ſo equall, and needfull a duty, that Peter picks this flower out of Pauls garden, as one of the choiſeſt, and urgeth it upon thoſe to whom he writes, 2 Pet, 3.15.

Verſe 5. Treaſurest up unto thy ſelf] Sicut mittentes pecuniam in gazophyla[illegible: 1 letter]ium, quod, ubi jam impletur, confringitu[illegible: 1 letter], ſaith Stella upon Luke. In treaſuring, there is, 1. Laying in. 2. Lying hid. 3. Bringing out again, as there is occaſion. Wicked perſons, whiles by following their luſts, they thinke they do ſomewhat to their happineſſe, ſhall in the end finde, Pro the ſauro carhones, thoſe burning coals, Pſal. 140.10.

Verſe 6. Who] See the Note on Mat. 16.27.

Verſe 7. Who by patient continuance] Or, By ſuffering perſecution for righteouſneſſe ſake. Gordius the Martyr ſaid, It is to my loſſe,Tertal. Ep. ad Polycarp. if you bate me any thing in my ſufferings. Majora certamina, majora ſequuntur pramia, [non-Latin text not transcribed], ſaith Ignatius. Much pains hath much gains.

Verſe 8. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. But unto them that are contentious] That wrangle and thwartle againſt cleareſt truths, ſearching the devils skull for carnall arguments, as thoſe Athenians, Act. 17. being refractary as Pharaoh, who would not ſit down under the miracle, but ſent for the Magicians. And though the word doth eat up all they can ſay, as Moſes his rod did, yet harden they their hearts as Pharaoh, and reſolve to curſe, as Balaam, what ever come of it. Theſe are thoſe contentious ones.

Verſe 9. Of the Iew firſt] Qui ideò deteriores ſunt, quia meliores eſſe deberent. Who are therefore worſe,Salvian. becauſe they ſhould be better.

Verſe 10. Peace] Safety here, and ſalvation hereafter.

Verſe 11. For] See the Note on Act. 10.34.

Verſe 12. Periſh without law] Or, Though they hall no written law, as that of Moſes.

Verſe 13. But the doers of the law] The Scriptures are verba vivenda non l[illegible: 1 letter]genda, Aug. as Egidius Abbot of Norimberg ſaid of the 119. Pſalm. Boni Catholici ſunt qui & ſidem integram ſequuntur, & bonos mores. Leſſons of muſick muſt be practiſed, and a copy not read only, but acted. Divinity muſt be done as well as known.

Verſe 14. Doe by nature, &c.] Velleius ſaith that Cato was,Vell, lib, 2. Homo virtuti ſimillimus, cui id ſolum viſum eſt rationem habere, quod Haberet juſtitiam, omnibus humanis vitiis immunis, &c.

Are a law to themſelves] The Thracians glorie[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 letter]hat they were [non-Latin text not transcribed], living laws, walking ſtatutes.

Verſe 15. Their thoughts mean while] Or, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Betwixt whiles: Or in every interim of this life. Other faculties may reſt; an obſcene dream by night ſhall not ſcape conſciences record, it is index, judex, vindex. Gods ſay, and mans over-ſeer; and it is better to have it ſore, then ſeared.

Verſe 16. According to my Gospel] Which promiſeth heaven to beleevers. This is comfort to thoſe that are faithfull in weakneſſe, though but weak in faith. The ſentence of the laſt day ſhall be but a more manifeſt declaration of that judgement that the Lord in this life, moſt an end, hath paſſed upon men. Heathens ſhall be judged by the law of Nature: Proſtigate Profeſſours by the law written, and the Word preached: Beleevers by the Goſpel, which ſaith, If there be a willing minde, God accepteth, &c.

Verſe 17. Resteſt in the law] So ſpending thy time in a ſtill dream, but thou ſhalt have ſick waking, then when God ſhall ſend out ſummons for ſuch ſleepers.Judg. 7. Men dream their Midianitiſh dreams, and then tell them for law or Goſpel to their neighbours.

Verſe 18. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Being inſtructed out of the law] Gr. Being well catechized and principled, thou art able to diſcern of doctrines, and chooſe the beſt.

Verſe 19. Of the blinde] The Chinois ſay, That all other Nations ſee but with one eye, they with two.

Verſe. 20. Which haſt the form of knowledge] A platform of wholſome words, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. a ſyſteme, a method artificially moulded, ſuch as Tutours and Profeſſours of Arts and Sciences have, and do read over again and again to their Auditours.

Verſe 21. Teachest thou not thy ſelf!] He that knows well, and does worſe, is but as a whiffler which carrieth a torch in his hand to ſhew others his own deformities. I have read of a woman, who living in profeſſed doubt of the Godhead, after better illumination and repentance,M Wards, Hap of p[illegible: 1 letter]act. did often proteſt, That the vitious life of a great ſcholar in that town did conjure up thoſe damnable doubts in her ſoul, Neronis illud (quantus artifex pereo?) quadrabit in te peritum & periturum. That's the beſt Sermon that's dig'd out of a mans own breſt. Origens teaching and living were ſaid to be both one.

Verſe 22. Speeds Chron. Doſt thou commit ſacriledge] The Chronicler noteth of Q. Mary, that ſhe reſtored again all Eccleſiaſticall livings aſſumed to the Crown, ſaying, that ſhe ſet more by the ſalvation of her own ſoul, then ſhe did by ten Kingdoms. Shall not ſhe that abhorred not idols, riſe up and condemn thoſe that do, and yet commit ſacriledge?

Verſe 23. Thorow breaking] By ſhooting ſhort, or beyond, or wide of the mark, by omiſſion, commiſſion, or failing in the manner.

Verſe 24. For the Name of God, &c.] Heretikes and hypocrites doe ſtill with Iudas deliver up the Lord Chriſt to the ſcoffes and buffetings of his enemies. Auguſtine complains of the ancient heretikes.Aug. deciv. Dei, l. 1 c. 51. that in them many evil-minded men found matter of blaſpheming the Name of Chriſt, becauſe they alſo pretended to the Chriſtian religion. Epiphanius addeth, That for the looſeneſſe of ſuch mens lives, and the baſeneſſe of their tenets, many of the Heathens ſhunned the company of Chriſtians, and would not be drawn to hear their Sermons.T[illegible: 1 letter]e opific. Dei, proaem. Origen before them both cries out, Nunc malè audiunt caſtigantur que vulgò Christiani, quòd alitèr quàm ſapientibus convenit, vivant, & vitia ſub obtentu nominis celent, &c. There is an ill report goes of Chriſtians for their unchriſtian converſation, &c. Ammianus Marcellinus a Heathen Hiſtorian deeply taxeth the pride, luxury, contentions, covetouſneſſe of the Biſhops in his time, and the deadly hatreds of common Chriſtians.Am. Marc l. 2[illegible: 1 letter] cap. 2, Nullae infeſtae hominibus bestiae, ut ſunt ſibi ſerales pleri que Chriſtiani, ſaith he. A ſad thing that a Heathen ſhould ſee and deteſt ſuch helliſh miſcarriages among Chriſtians.

Verſe 25. If thou keep the law] Which thou art thereby bound to do, either by thy ſelf, or by thy Surety Chriſt Jeſus.

Verſe 26. If the uncircumciſion] Which it can never do. But admit it could, &c.

Verſe 27. Iudge thee] Mens guilt is encreaſed by their obligations, as was Solomons in departing from God, who had appeared unto him twice, 1 King. 11 9.

Verſe 28. Neither is that circumciſion] See Coloſ. 2.11. with the Note there. Inward circumciſion is (as Origen deſcribeth it) Purgatio animae & abjc ctio vitiorum, or (as St Paul in the place above named) the putting oſt old Adam with his actions, by the circumciſion of Chriſt, by his merit and Spirit.

Verſe 29. Which is one inwardly] An Iſraelite indeed, Ioh. 1. that hath put away the foreskin of his heart, Ier. 4.4.