Chapter 19 [XII]—The Knowledge of God Through the Creation.

And then the apostle very properly turns from this point to describe with detestation those men who, light-minded and puffed up by the sin which I have mentioned in the preceding chapter, have been carried away of their own conceit, as it were, through empty space where they could find no resting-place, only to fall shattered to pieces against the vain figments of their idols, as against stones. For, after he had commended the piety of that faith, whereby, being justified, we must needs be pleasing to God, he proceeds to call our attention to what we ought to abominate as the opposite. “For the wrath of God,” says he, “is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood through the things that are made, even His eternal power and divinity; so that they are without excuse: because, knowing God, they yet glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; and they changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to four footed beasts, and to creeping things.”73    Rom. i. 18–23. Observe, he does not say that they were ignorant of the truth, but that they held down the truth in unrighteousness. For it occurred to him, that he would inquire whence the knowledge of the truth could be obtained by those to whom God had not given the law; and he was not silent on the source whence they could have obtained it: for he declares that it was through the visible works of creation that they arrived at the knowledge of the invisible attributes of the Creator. And, in very deed, as they continued to possess great faculties for searching, so they were able to find. Wherein then lay their impiety? Because “when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, nor gave Him thanks, but became vain in their imaginations.” Vanity is a disease especially of those who mislead themselves, and “think themselves to be something, when they are nothing.”74    Gal. vi. 3. Such men, indeed, darken themselves in that swelling pride, the foot of which the holy singer prays that it may not come against him,75    Ps. xxxvi. 11. after saying, “In Thy light shall we see light;”76    Ps. xxxvi. 9. from which very light of unchanging truth they turn aside, and “their foolish heart is darkened.”77    Rom. i. 21. For theirs was not a wise heart, even though they knew God; but it was foolish rather, because they did not glorify Him as God, or give Him thanks; for “He said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.”78    Job xxviii. 28. So by this conduct, while “professing themselves to be wise” (which can only be understood to mean that they attributed this to themselves), “they became fools.”79    Rom. i. 22.

Chapter 20.—The Law Without Grace.

Now why need I speak of what follows? For why it was that by this their impiety those men—I mean those who could have known the Creator through the creature—fell (since “God resisteth the proud”80    Jas. iv. 6.) and whither they plunged, is better shown in the sequel of this epistle than we can here mention. For in this letter of mine we have not undertaken to expound this epistle, but only mainly on its authority, to demonstrate, so far as we are able, that we are assisted by divine aid towards the achievement of righteousness,—not merely because God has given us a law full of good and holy precepts, but because our very will without which we cannot do any good thing, is assisted and elevated by the importation of the Spirit of grace, without which help mere teaching is “the letter that killeth,”81    2 Cor. iii. 6. forasmuch as it rather holds them guilty of transgression, than justifies the ungodly. Now just as those who come to know the Creator through the creature received no benefit towards salvation, from their knowledge,—because “though they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, nor gave Him thanks, although professing themselves to be wise;”82    Rom. i. 21.—so also they who know from the law how man ought to live, are not made righteous by their knowledge, because, “going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”83    Rom. x. 3.

CAPUT XII.

19. Cognitio Dei per creaturas. Lex sine gratia. Nec immerito se Apostolus ex hoc articulo convertit ad eos cum detestatione commemorandos, qui vitio illo, quod superius memoravi, leves et inflati, ac per se ipsos velut per inane sublati, ubi non requiescerent, sed fracti dissilirent, in figmenta idolorum tanquam in lapides deciderunt. Quia enim commendaverat pietatem fidei, qua Deo justificati grati esse debemus, velut contrarium quod detestaremur subinferens: Revelatur enim, inquit, ira Dei de coelo super omnem impietatem et injustitiam hominum 0212 eorum qui veritatem in injustitia detinent: quia quod notum est Dei, manifestum est in illis; Deus enim illis manifestavit. Invisibilia enim ejus, a creatura mundi, per ea quae facta sunt, intellecta conspiciuntur; sempiterna quoque virtus ejus ac divinitas, ut sint inexcusabiles: quia cognoscentes Deum, non ut Deum glorificaverunt, aut gratias egerunt, sed evanuerunt in cogitationibus suis, et obscuratum est insipiens cor eorum: dicentes se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt, et mutaverunt gloriam incorruptibilis Dei in similitudinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis, et volucrum, et quadrupedum, et serpentium (Rom. I, 14-23). Vide quemadmodum non eos dixerit veritatis ignaros, sed quod veritatem in iniquitate detinuerint. Quia vero occurrebat animo, ut quaereretur unde illis esse potuerit cognitio veritatis, quibus Deus legem non dederat; neque hoc tacuit unde habere potuerint: per visibilia namque creaturae pervenisse eos dixit ad intelligentiam invisibilium Creatoris . Quoniam revera, sicut magna ingenia quaerere perstiterunt, sic invenire potuerunt. Ubi ergo impietas? Quia videlicet cum cognovissent Deum, non sicut Deum glorificaverunt, aut gratias egerunt, sed evanuerunt in cogitationibus suis. Eorum proprie vanitas morbus est, qui se ipsos seducunt, dum videntur sibi aliquid esse cum nihil sint (Galat. VI, 3). Denique hoc tumore superbiae sese obumbrantes, cujus pedem sibi non venire deprecatur sanctus ille cantor , qui dixit, In lumine tuo videbimus lumen (Psal. XXXV, 12, 10); ab ipso lumine incommutabilis veritatis aversi sunt, et obscuratum est insipiens cor eorum. Non enim sapiens cor, quamvis cognovissent Deum; sed insipiens potius, quia non sicut Deum glorificaverunt, aut gratias. egerunt. Dixit enim homini, Ecce pietas est sapientia: ac per hoc dicentes se esse sapientes, quod non aliter intelligendum est, nisi, hoc ipsum sibi tribuentes, stulti facti sunt.

20. Jam quae sequuntur quid opus est dicere? Per hanc quippe impietatem illi homines, illi, inquam, homines qui per creaturam Creatorem cognoscere potuerunt, quo prolapsi, cum Deus superbis resistit (Jacobi IV, 6), atque ubi demersi sint , melius ipsius Epistolae consequentia docent, quam hic commemoratur a nobis. Neque enim isto opere hanc Epistolam exponendam suscepimus, sed ejus maxime testimonio demonstrare quantum possumus nitimur, non in eo nos divinitus adjuvari ad operandam justitiam, quod legem Deus dedit plenam bonis sanctisque praeceptis; sed quod ipsa voluntas nostra, sine qua operari bonum non possumus, adjuvetur et erigatur impartito spiritu gratiae, sine quo adjutorio doctrina illa littera est occidens, quia reos potius praevaricationis 0213 tenet, quam justificat impios. Nam sicut illis per creaturam cognitoribus Creatoris ea ipsa cognitio nihil profuit ad salutem, quia cognoscentes Deum, non sicut Deum glorificaverunt, aut gratias egerunt, dicentes se esse sapientes: ita eos qui per legem cognoscunt quemadmodum sit homini vivendum, non justificat ipsa cognitio, quia volentes suam justitiam constituere, justitiae Dei non sunt subjecti (Rom. X, 3).