1It is true, the Gospel holdeth forth Abraham for a Father, and so for a root both to Jews and Gentiles that believe, Rom. 4.11, 12. But in Rom. 11.16. the Apostle holdeth forth Abraham as the root of the Jews who were his natural branches, not by faith, as you would have it, but by natural generation through grace borne under his Covenant, in opposition to the Gentiles, yea, to the believing Gentiles. For he maketh the rejection of the Jews, a means of the conversion of the Gentiles: and the conversion of the Gentiles a means of the conversion of the Jews at last: and the conversion of the Jews a means of awakening and reviving of the Gentiles, verse 15. And this he proveth from the holiness of their root Abraham: and thereupon inferreth the calling on of the Jews unto holiness, verse 16. And though for the present the Jews be as branches broken off through their infidelity; and the Gentiles by faith received into their place, verse 17. yet he exhorteth them not to boast against the Jews, verse 18. nor to be high minded in themselves, verse 20. For if the Gentiles, which had been branches of the olive tree wild by nature, were contrary to nature grafted into the good olive tree; then much more shall the Jews, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own Olive tree, verse 24. which argueth evidently, that he speaketh of the Jews as the natural branches of Abraham; and that not by faith (for then why were they broken off? as it is said. God spared not the natural branches, verse 21.) but by natural generation borne (through grace) both of the Joins and Covenant of Abraham; and so their conversion is inferred to proceed more kindly and naturally, then did the conversion of the Romans and other Gentiles. For they were not cut off from the wild olive, as the Gentiles were: but only broken off from the good olive for a season, that they might much more readily and freely be grafted into their own olive again; to wit, with much more liberty and free passage of grace, in the channel of the Covenant.
1It is true, the Gospel holdeth forth Abraham for a Father, and so for a root both to Jews and Gentiles that believe, Rom. 4.11, 12. But in Rom. 11.16. the Apostle holdeth forth Abraham as the root of the Jews who were his naturall branches, not by faith, as you would have it, but by naturall generation through grace borne under his Covenant, in opposition to the Gentiles, yea, to the believing Gentiles. For he maketh the rejection of the Jews, a meanes of the conversion of the Gentiles: and the conversion of the Gentiles a meanes of the conversion of the Jewes at last: and the conversion of the Jewes a meanes of awakening and reviving of the Gentiles, verse 15. And this he proveth from the holinesse of their root Abraham: and thereupon inferreth the calling on of the Jews unto holinesse, verse 16. And though for the present the Jews be as branches broken off through their infidelity; and the Gentiles by faith received into their place, verse 17. yet he exhorteth them not to boast against the Jews, verse 18. nor to be high minded in themselves, verse 20. For if the Gentiles, which had been branches of the olive tree wilde by nature, were contrary to nature graffed into the good olive tree; then much more shall the Jewes, which are the naturall branches, be graffed into their owne Olive tree, verse 24. which argueth evidently, that he speaketh of the Jewes as the naturall branches of Abraham; and that not by faith (for then why were they broken off? as it is said. God spared not the naturall branches, verse 21.) but by naturall generation borne (through grace) both of the Ioynes and Covenant of Abraham; and so their conversion is inferred to proceed more kindly and naturally, then did the conversion of the Romans and other Gentiles. For they were not cut off from the wilde olive, as the Gentiles were: but onely broken off from the good olive for a season, that they might much more readily and freely bee graffed into their owne olive againe; to wit, with much more liberty and free passage of grace, in the channell of the Covenant.
- 1Silvanus.
