SECT. 3. A published Gospel proves lack of knowledge in the natural man, as well as lack of power.
This passage of Paul’s (Rom 1.18) therefore stands boldly, and insists that Freewill, or the most excellent thing in men — even in those who are most eminent, even in those who are endowed with the law, justice, wisdom and all virtues — is ungodly and unjust, and deserves the wrath of God. Otherwise, Paul’s argument falls to the ground. But if it stands, then his division by which he distributes salvation to those who believe the Gospel, and wrath to all the rest, leaves no man midway between them. He represents believers as righteous; and unbelievers as ungodly, unrighteous, and subject to wrath. For all he means to say is this: ‘the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel, that it is by faith.’ Therefore, all men are ungodly and unrighteous, seeing that it would be foolish in God to reveal righteousness to men, which they either knew, or possessed its seeds already. But seeing that God is no fool, and yet He reveals a righteousness of salvation, it is manifest that Freewill, even in the greatest of men, not only has nothing and can do nothing, but it does not even know what is just in the sight of God. Not unless you choose to say that the righteousness of God is not revealed to those best of men, but only to the baser sort. That would be in opposition to Paul’s boast that he is a debtor to the Jew and to the Greek, to the wise and to the unwise, to the barbarian and to the Greek. 687 So then, comprehending that all men without exception are in one mass here, Paul concludes that all of them are ungodly, unjust, and ignorant of righteousness and faith. This is how far they are from being able to will or to do any good thing.
This is a firm conclusion from the premise that God reveals a righteousness of salvation to them, as they are ignorant and sitting in darkness — why then, of themselves, they are ignorant. Now, those who do not know a righteousness of salvation, are assuredly under wrath and damnation. They cannot extricate themselves from it because of their ignorance; nor can they even endeavour to be extricated. For what endeavour can you make if you do not know what, where from, where to, or how far you are to endeavour.
SECT. 4. Experience confirms Paul’s argument. Freewill neither conceives the truth, nor can endure it.
Fact and experience agree with this conclusion. Show me a single individual out of the whole race of mortals — even if he is the holiest and most righteous of all men — who ever conceived that this is the way to righteousness and salvation: truly to believe in Him who is at the same time God and man; who has died for the sins of men, and who has risen again, and is seated at the right hand of the Father? Or, who ever dreamed of this wrath of God, which Paul declares here to be revealed from heaven? Look at the Jews, continually taught, as they have been, by so many miracles, and by so many Prophets. What, do they think of this way? Not only have they declined accepting it, but they even hate it to such a degree that there is not a nation under heaven which has persecuted Christ more atrociously to this very day. And yet, who would dare to say that there has not been a single individual in such a multitude of people, who has cultivated his free will, and endeavoured to effect something by its power? How is it, then, that all men try after something different from this? How is it that the most excellent of men have not only neglected to cultivate this method of righteousness, and indeed been ignorant of it, but now that it has been published and revealed, they have repelled it with the most consummate hatred, and have been eager to destroy it?
So that, in 1Cor 1.23, Paul declares that this way of salvation is a stumbling-block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Gentiles.
Now, since he mentions Gentiles and Jews indiscriminately, and since it is certain that the Jews and the Gentiles are the chief people under heaven; it is at the same time certain that Freewill is nothing but the greatest enemy of righteousness and of man’s salvation. This is because it cannot be, but that some among these Jews and Gentiles have acted and endeavoured with the uttermost power of Freewill. And yet, with this very Freewill they have done nothing but wage war against grace. Go now, and say that Freewill endeavours after good, when goodness and righteousness itself is a stumbling-block and foolishness to her! Nor can you say that this verse pertains to some, but not to all. Paul speaks indiscriminately of all when he says, “to the Gentiles foolishness, and to the Jews a stumbling-block.” He excepts none but those that believe. “To us,” he says — that is, to the called and sanctified — “he is the power and wisdom of God.” He does not say, ‘to some Gentiles,’ or ‘to some Jews;’ but simply ‘to the Gentiles and to the Jews who are not of us.’ Thus he makes a division which is very plain, between the believing and the unbelieving, leaving not a single individual midway between the two. Now, we are talking about Gentiles who do not have the grace of God. Paul says that the righteousness of God is foolishness to them, and they abhor it! So much for this amiable endeavour of Freewill after good. 688
SECT. 5. Paul expressly names the greatest of the Greeks, and afterwards condemns the Jews indiscriminately.
Again; see whether he does not himself adduce the very greatest of the Greeks as examples of his assertion, when he says that the wiser of them were made foolish, and their heart was darkened. Rom 1.20-21 Also, that that they were made vain by their reasonings; that is, by their wily disputations. 689
What, does he not here lay his hands upon what is highest and most excellent among the Greeks, when he lays hold of their reasonings? These are their highest and best thoughts and opinions, which they considered solid wisdom. But this wisdom, which elsewhere he calls foolish in them, 690 here he calls vain. And he says that, with much endeavouring, it went from bad to worse: so that at length their heart was darkened, and they worshipped idols, and performed the monstrous acts which he records in the following verses. 691
If the best endeavours and performance, then, in the best of the Gentiles, is evil and wicked, what do you think of the remaining multitude — being, as they were, even a worse sort of heathens? For again. neither does he differentiate here between the better sort; without any respect of persons, he condemns their search after wisdom. Now, when the very act or endeavour is condemned, the endeavourers, whoever they are, are condemned also, even though they may have done what they did with the uttermost might of Freewill. Their very best effort, I say, is declared to be faulty — how much more, then, are the persons employed in it!
Presently, in like manner, he also rejects the Jews without any distinction, as being Jews in the letter and not in the spirit. Rom 2.27: “You, by the letter and circumcision, dishonour God,” he says. And again; “For he is not a Jew who is a Jew openly, but who is a Jew secretly.” Rom 2.29 What can be plainer than this division? The outside Jew is a transgressor of the law. But how many Jews were there, do you think, who had no faith — men of the greatest wisdom, devotion and honesty, who strove after justice and truth with the greatest earnestness of endeavour? So too, he often bears this record of them: that they have a zeal for God, that they follow after the righteousness of the law, that they labour day and night to obtain salvation, and that they live blameless! 692
And yet they are transgressors of the law, because they are not Jews in spirit, but are even obstinate in their resistance to the righteousness of faith. What remains, then, if not that Freewill is the worst when it is best; and the more it endeavours, the worse it is made. The words are clear; the division is one which allows for no doubt; there is nothing which can be controverted.
SECT.6. Paul’s epilogue establishes his meaning.
But let us hear Paul himself as his own interpreter. Making a sort of epilogue 693 to his argument, he says in Rom 3.9, “What then? Do we excel them? By no means. For we have charged 694 both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.”
What has become of Freewill now? All Jews and Greeks, he says, are under sin. Are there any tropes or knots here? What can a qualified interpretation, in which the whole world might join, avail against this sentence which is so plain? He says ‘all,’ which excepts none. He who lays it down that they are under sin — that is, that they are servants of sin — leaves nothing good in them. But where has he preferred this charge, that all the Jews and the Gentiles
