A plaine exposition vpon the whole thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes Wherein the text is diligently and methodically resolued, the sense giuen, and many doctrines thence gathered, are by liuely vses applied for the benefit of Gods children. Performed with much varietie, and conuenient breuitie, by Elnathan Parr Bachelor in Diuinity, and preacher of Gods word. To which is prefixed an alphabeticall table, containing the chiefe points and doctrines handled in the booke.

VERSE. 3. — For God hath receiued him.

IN these words, and in the next verse, are two reasons to perswade to the direction.

There is some question to which part this reason should serue; and who should be meant by him.

Him: that is, the weake one, say some: others by him vn∣derstand the strong Christian.

Some make this argument to bee on the behalfe of the weake, and the other of the strong: some affirme contrarily: and some that both the reasons belong to both.

Doubtlesse both the reasons are brought to the same thing, and rather in the behalfe of the strong Christian, who is the Gentile, against the Iew, then otherwise.

1 For first, it is most naturall and orderly, that him should be preferred to the next before spoken of: Let not him which eateth not, iudge him which eates, for God hath receiued him.

2 The word receiued properly belongs to the Gentiles, as it is an attribute to God; for the Iewes were receiued be∣fore, and thought more contemptuously of the Gentiles, and highly of themselues.

3 In the next verse, Who art thou that iudgest? to iudge was the fault of the weake Christian.

Doth Paul then let the strong alone? No: but first he dea∣leth against the weake, because he is most guilty. They both sinned in practice; but the weake in opinion also, mantaining an intolerable error; and they tooke offence at that which the strong lawfully might doe, and therefore were the cause of all the broyles.

Afterwards he deales against them both, verse 10. and principally against the strong, verse 13. and so to the end of the Chapter.

The weake then may not iudge the strong for eating: The reason is taken from the dignity of the strong: God hath re∣ceiued

him. Those whom God hath receiued, men may not censure as profane:

But God hath receiued the Gentile, called strong by rea∣son of his knowledge of Christian liberty. Therefore, &c.

In this argument are two things: The thing, to receiue; and the persons receiuing, God receiued the strong.

God hath receiued him: we had the word before, verse 1. but as Gods loue is greater then ours, so the sense of this word here is accordingly ex••ended.

Receiued; that is, louingly, to the good of the receiued, vt su∣us esset, that hee might bee his owne: vt membrum Christi esset, that hee might bee a member of Christ: ad gratiam, to grace: ad gratiam Euangelij, to the grace of the Gospell. He suffered them not to remaine in their sinner, but so receiued them as to adopt them, that they might bee partakers of the di∣uine nature, as S. Peter speaketh.

It may be noted, that whereas Dauid saith, Blessed is the man whom thou chusest, and causest to approach vnto thee, Psal. 65 4. The Septuagints translate, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to Pauls word here: which in Hebrew is vthekareb, of karab: from which roote comes Korbau, an offering: and Kereb, bowels or inward parts, that are nearest and dearest to vs: and so the meaning, that God doth so receiue vs Gentiles, as to esteeme vs as an acceptable oblation, euen as his owne heart, or bowels.

There is a double receiuing: to the visible Church; to in∣ward and inuisible grace: to the meanes of the promises, and to their possession: here Paul speaks generally presupposing both.

They are not rashly to be iudged and condemned, [Doctr.] whom God hath receiued to grace, Rom. 8.33.34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that iustifieth: who is he that con∣demneth? &c.

We are to be admonished, [Vse 1] to beware of censuring our bre∣thren for vsing their Christian liberty in apparell, dyet, &c. es∣pecially for their obedience to the Magistrates, & the Church, in such orders which in their conscience they know to bee lawfull: for a man for such things to be condemned, as a time∣seruer, a manpleaser, of no conscience, profane, &c. is most hor∣rible.

This is to reproach Gods fauourite; this is to condemne them whom God approueth, and hath receiued: yea this is to reproach God himselfe for receiuing such.

Nay: thou wilt say, I finde no fault with the Lord, and if I knew that God had receiued him, I would not iudge him. Dost thou know the contrary? till then thou must in chari∣ty iudge thy brother receiued of God: so doth Paul here, hee saith God hath receiued him that eateth. How did Paul know it? in charity hee so iudgeth: Bee thou in like manner chari∣table toward thy brethren, toward thy teachers, and giue them not profane, vnconscionable, damned, for euery fancy of thine owne braine.

When thou seest a man enlightened with the knowledge of God, satis testimonij habes, saith one, thou hast testimony sufficient that God hath receiued him.

Things censured, are either words and deedes, or opi∣nions.

If it be doubtfull whether a thing were spoken or done, or no: or being certaine to be done, whether well or ill: in cha∣rity take things at the fayrest, and iudge the best. There is a notable instance hereof in Deuteronomy; If a man lye with a maide betroathed to a husband, in the towne, she also shall dye, because she cryed not out when violence was offered to her: but if it bee in the fields, then the man onely shall dye, for the da∣mosell cryed, and there was none to saue her. How did they know she cryed? In charity it is so to be supposed, and the best to be iudged in a thing doubtfull.

If the thing be certainly spoken or done, and good, com∣mend it. If euill, iudge the fact but not the person. Be not faith Bernard, eyther a busie and curious examiner, or a rash Iudge of another mans conuersation. If any thing be ill done, excuse the intention seeing thou canst not the fact. Puta ig∣norantiam, thinke it might bee ignorance, chance, or some grieuous tentation.

In matter of opinion, if it be controuerted, and vncer∣taine whether an error or no, suspend thy iudgement till thou know more certainty, and leaue thy brother to his Conscience and Christian liberty: and so much the more,

if he be more learned then thy selfe; why shouldest thou not thinke that hee may see as much as thy selfe into that which is in question.

If it be certaine that the opinion bee erroneous; yet thy bro∣ther is not presently to be cast away: wilt thou be more iust then God? We are men, and therefore may, yea must erre, as said a witty man .

And hence the Lutheranes are to be reproued, who con∣demne vs for our opinions about the Sacrament, thinking we erre; when a man may be a Christian without the Sacra∣ment, but not without Charity: So the Brownists and other among vs who iudge vs, though vniustly, in matters of di∣scipline, when a true Church may be without the same which they deuise.

We all erre; if thy brother bee otherwise faithfull, and conscionable ••••••s cruell vncharitablenesse to condemne him for his ••pinion of things indifferent, as the lawfulnesse of a garment, or gesture, though he should erre.

Saint Augustine is a sweet example of Charity this way: when the Donatists obiected for themselues the opinion of Cyprian concerning rebaptization; Saint Austen answeres for him; that either he did not in euery respect hold it as the Donatists alledged him; or if he did, that afterward hee re∣tracted it; or that hunc quasi naenum candidissimi pectoris coope∣ruit vbere Charitatis, hee couered this blemish of his most faire brest, with the brest of charity; while he did maintaine the vnity of the Church, and firmely retaine the bond of peace.

Gods receiuing should be a Protection against vniust tax∣ing and censuring: [Vse 2] But yet men will censure such, what then is ••o be done? Comfort thy selfe that God hath recei∣ued thee. If nor God, nor thy conscience condemne thee, esteeme the peruerse censures of captious controllers no more then the barking of dogges against the Moone. What if men praise if God dispraise? and contrarily: Feare not, saith the Lord, the reproach of men, neither be afraid of their reuilings.

Yet this is our great fault, to esteeme the praise or dis∣praise of men, yea of the multitude, more then of the Ma∣gistrate

or of God himselfe; which hath depriued the Church of England of many an able Yeacher.

Let vs put a case. The Magistrate and the Church com∣mand certaine orders for comelinesse in the seruice of God: the Minister knowes that he may lawfully vse them. If he re∣fuse to vse them, the people will praise him; if hee vse them, they will dispraise him.

What shall he doe? In any case let him obey, but if he doe not obey, the people will commend him. But what is that to the cause, or to his conscience? Can they discharge a man before the Iudgement seat of God, for not obeying the Church and Magistrate?

Regard not the praises of the multitude, though there were ten thousand of them, no more then thou wouldest the chattering of Pyes, saith an ancient Father : nay the com∣mendation of Angels is too infirme to rest vpon; but if God, the Church, and thine owne conscience approue thee, reioyce.

Great is the dignity of a beleeuer, hee is receiued of God: [Ʋse 3] Gods people, are a people, Rerobo, neare vnto him, euen neare vnto his heart.

Woe be then to the wicked, for they are reiected: If thou beest a drunkard, a blasphemer, &c. and repentest not, God will neuer receiue thee: and not being receiued, thou art left to thy selfe, to the Diuell; barred from Paradise, and from the entrance into glory.

Notes

• Chrys. Theod. Mart. & alij.
• Anselmus. Aretius. Ambrosius. Toletus. Caluinus. 2 Pet. 1.4.
• Caluin. in loc.
• Deut. 22.23.24.25.26.27.
• Bern. ser. 40. in Cant.
• Ego me labi & errare non posse solum fatcor, sed debere: Lips. mo∣nit. ad Lect. in lib. politic.
• Aug. Vincentio contra Donat. & Ragat. de vi or∣rig. Haeret. epist. 48.
• Esay 51.7.
• Sint innumeri qui te applau∣dant, nihil tamē illi omnes à gra∣culis desuper gar∣rientibus diffe∣rent. Immo si An∣gelorum theatrū, &c. Chrysost. hom. 17. in Rom. in Moral.
• Psal. 128.14.