Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans

16 God forbid. Know ye not. It is not a bare rejection, as some have thought, as though he had rather detest such a question, then refute it. For straight after followeth a confutation taken from the nature of contraries, almost to this sense, between the yoke of Christ and sin, there is more contrariety, then that any can together bear them both. If we sin, we deliver our selves into the servitude of sin: but on the contrary, the faithful are redeemed from the tyranny of sin, that they might serve Christ: therefore it is impossible they should abide bound unto sin. But it shall be profitable more nearly to discuss the order of this argument as it is digested of Paul. To whom you obey. This relative hath the force of a Particle causal, as it doth often come to pass. Like as if one said, there is no kind of wickedness, a parricide will not do, who doubted not to commit the greatest mischief of all, & such a cruelty as in it self is almost abhorred of the very beasts. And the reason of Paul is taken partly from the effects, partly from the nature of Correlatives. For first, if they obey, he gathereth they are servants: because their obedience testifieth that he hath power to command, who bringeth them so into his obsequy. This reason is taken from the effect of servitude: out of the which ariseth that other, if ye be servants: Then again is the power of dominating ⟨image 91⟩in him. Or of obedience. He speaketh improperly. For if he would have made one part answer another, he should have said, or of righteousness unto life. But seeing the inversion of the words did hinder nothing the sense of the matter, he choose rather, by the name of obedience, to express what righteousness is. Wherein yet there is the figure Metonymia, because obedience is taken for the commandments of GOD which are to be obeyed.¹ And whereas he hath put down this word obedience, without any addition, thereby he declareth it is God only, unto whose authority consciences ought to be subject. And therefore obedience, yea though yt name of God be not expressed, nevertheless is referred unto God, for it cannot be manifold.

16 God forbidde. Knowe yee not. It is not a bare reiection, as some haue thought, as though he had rather detest such a question, then refute it. For straight after followeth a confutation taken from the nature of contraries, almost to this sence, betweene the yoke of Christ and sinne, there is more cōtrariety, then that any can together beare them both. If we sinn, we deliuer our selues into the seruitude of sinne: but on the cōtrary, the faithfull are redeemed from the tyranny of sinne, that they might serue Christ: therefore it is impossible they should abyde bound vnto sinne. But it shalbe profitable more neerely to discusse the order of this argument as it is digested of Paule. To whom you obey. This relatiue hath the force of a Particle causall, as it doth often come to passe. Like as if one sayd, there is no kynd of wickednes, a paricide wil not doe, who doubted not to commit the greatest mischiefe of al, & such a cruelty as in it selfe is almost abhorred of the very beastes. And the reason of Paule is taken partly from the effects, partly from the nature of Correlatiues. For first, if they obey, he gathereth they are seruants: because their obediēce testifieth that he hath power to command, who bringeth them so into his obsequie. This reason is taken from the effect of seruitude: out of the which aryseth that other, if yee be seruauntes: Then agayne is the power of dominating