18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinefs, and unrighteoufners of men, who hold the truth in unrighte oufnefs. 19 Becaufe that which may be known of God, is manifeft in them ; for God hath fhewed it unto them. 18 Αποκαλυπτεται γαρ ορ Θες απ' Y ar gave, ni macar 8ρανε, επι πασαν ασέβειαν και αδικιαν ανθρωπων, των την αλήθειαν εν αδι κια κατεχοντων 19 Διότι το γνωστον το Θεό φανερον εστιν εν αυτοις ὁ γαρ Θεος αυτοις εφανερωσε. which the quotation is made, Habakkuk defcribes the different difpofitions of the Jews, about the time they were threatened by the Chaldeans. Some of their fouls were lifted up: they prefumptuously trufted in their own wisdom and power, and, contrary to God's command, refused to submit to the Chaldeans, and were deftroyed. But, the juft by faith, they who believed God and obeyed his command, lived. However, as the reward of faith is not confined to the prefent life, perfons who are juft, or good, by believing and obeying God, fhall certainly live eternally. See another interpretation of Habakkuk's words, as they stand in our prefent Hebrew copies, Heb. x. 38. note. Ver. 18.-1. Befides, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness. As the righteousness of God by faith is revealed in the gospel, fo the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against, Sc. It is revealed by the works of creation and providence, and by their own confciences, clearly teaching that God will feverely punish all ungodlinefs, efpecially idolatry. It is revealed alfo in the law of Mofes, where it is written, Deut. xxvii. 26. Curfed, &c. 2. And unrighteousness of men. Unrighteousness fignifies those injuries which men do, either to themselves, or to their neighbours. 3. Who confine the truth by unrighteousness. KaTeXOTWY. This is a ftrong figurative word, which it is not eafy to tranflate into our language. But its meaning is, that the knowledge of the one true God, the Maker and Governor of the univerfe, which the perfons here fpoken of, had attained by contemplating the works of creation, they did not discover to the rest of mankind; but confined it in their own breast, as in a prison, by the most flagrant unrighteoufness. For they prefented, as objects of worship, beings which are not by their nature God; nay, beings of the moft immoral characters: and by fo doing, as well as by the infamous rites with which they appointed these falfe Gods to be worshipped, they led mankind into the groffeft errors concerning the nature and attributes of the objects of their worship. This corrupt form of religion, though extremely acceptable to the common people, was not contrived and established by them. In all countries they were grofsly ignorant of God, and of the worship which he required. They therefore could not be charged with the crime of concealing the truth concerning God. The perfons guilty of that crime, were the legiflators who first formed mankind into cities, and states, and who, as the apoftle obferves, ver. 21. though they knew God, did not 18 Next, The gospel alone is the power of God for falvation, because it alone grants pardon to finners on repentance: whereas in the law of nature, ver. 32. and in the law of Mofes, the wrath of God is plainly revealed against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, who conceal the truth concerning God from the vulgar, by their unrighteous inftitutions. 19 Of this crime, all the Greek legiflators, ftatefmen, and philofophers have been guilty. Because that which may be known of God, is known among them; for God hath manifefted it to them, by his works of creation. glorify him as God, by making him the object of the people's worship, but unrighteoufly eftablished polytheifm and idolatry as the public religion. Of the fame crime, the magiftrates and philofophers were likewife guilty, who, in after times, by their precepts and example, upheld the established religion. Of this number, were Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato, whom, therefore, we may fuppofe the apoftle had here in his eye. For, although thefe men had attained the knowledge of the true God, none of them worshipped him publicly, neither did they declare him to the people, that they might worship him. Con cerning Socrates, fee ver. 21. note 2; and with respect to Plato, he held, that the knowledge of the one God was not to be divulged. See Eufeb. Præpar. Evang. lib. xi. c. 9. And in his Timæus, he fays exprefsly, "It is neither eafy to find the Parent of the Universe, nor "fafe to discover him to the vulgar, when found." The fame conduct was obferved by Seneca, as Auguftine hath proved from his writings : De Civit. Dei. lib. vi. c. 10. His quotations from Seneca, Auguftine concludes in the following manner : "Sed ifte qui illuftris Romani populi fenator erat, colebat quod reprehendebat; agebat quod "arguebat; quod culpabat, adorabat, idque propter leges civium, "morefque hominum: videlicet, eo damnabilius, quod illa quæ menda"citer agebat, fic ageret, ut eum populus veraciter agere exiftimaret." The fame Auguftine, as Eftius informs us, in his book, De Vera Relig. c. 5. blames the philofophers in general, because they practifed the most abominable idolatries with the vulgar, although in their fchools they delivered doctrines concerning the nature of the gods, inconfiftent with the established worship. Ver. 19.-1. That which may be known of God, is his existence, his unity, his power, his wifdom, his goodnefs, and his righteous government of the world, called his invifible things, ver. 20. 2. Is manifeft among them. The apoftle's affertion is confirmed by the writings of the philofophers ftill remaining. See ver. 21. note 1. O 2 Ver. 20 For the invifible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being underhood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe: 21 Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but bel came vain in their imagina. tions, and their foolith heart was darkened. 20 Τα γαρ αορατα αυτά απο κλίσεως κόσμε, τοις ποιημασι νοεμενα καθοραται, ήτε αίδιος αυτε δύναμις και θεμα oτης" εις το είναι αυτές αναπο λογητές. η ευ 21 Διότι γνοντες τον Θεον, sov εdožασαv, ʼn εUχαρίσησαν αλλ', εματαιωθη σαν εν τοις διαλογισμοις αυτ των, και εσκοτίσθη ἡ ασυνέζος αύλων καρδια. Ver. 20.-1. For his invifible things. The being and perfections of God are called his invifible things, in oppofition to the heathen deities, who being all corporeal, their being and attributes were things vifible. F 2. Even his eternal power and Godhead. The true God being eternal, is thereby diftinguished from the fictitious gods of the heathens, who all had a beginning; the most ancient of them having come out of chaos, and their birth being fung by the heathen poets. Of the particular attributes of God, the apoftle mentions only his power, because the effects of the divine power are what first strike the fenfes of men, and lead them moft directly to the acknowledgment of a Deity. 3. And Godhead. Orns. This denotes every thing comprehended in the idea of God; namely his unity, incorporeity, immutability, knowledge, wisdom, juftice, &c. all which, together with God's eternal power, the apoftle affirms, every intelligent person may understand by the things that are made. 4. Since the creation of the world are clearly feen. Kadopara. The present tenfe, are feen, denotes the continued manifeftation of the being and perfections of God, by the works of creation from the beginning; agreeably to Pf. xix. i. The heavens declare the glory of the Lord. Accordingly, the apoftle does not use the prepofition ex, by, but awo, from, or ever fince the creation. 5. Being underflood by the things that are made. In this mundane fyftem, every thing is fo formed, that to the pious among the vulgar, God himself appears to be the author of all the operations of nature. But they who have attained a partial knowledge of what is called na tural philofophy, have, from the difcovery of fome second caufes, been led to fancy, that the whole fyftem may be accounted for, without the intervention of a Deity. This is what the apoftle calls, ver. 2. be coming fools by their own reasonings. Thofe, however, who have made the greatest advances in true philofophy, know, that fecond causes, properly 20 For his invifible attributes, even his eternal power and Godhead, though not difcernible by the eye of the body, ever fince the creation of the world, are clearly feen by the eye of men's mind, being underfood by the things which he hath made, fo that they are inexcufable. The apoftle means, that the Greek legiflators and philofophers were inexcufable: 21 Because though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, by teaching the people what they knew concerning him; neither did they give him thanks, by making him the object of their worship, but became foolish by their own reasonings, concerning the worship fit for the vulgar; and their imprudent heart was darkened, fo as to relifh idolatry equally with the vulgar. properly speaking, are no caufes, because they have no efficiency in themselves, but are set in motion by God. And thus the most perfect philofophy always ends, where the natural fenfe of mankind begins. Ver 21.-1. Because though they knew God. For this translation, fee Eff. IV. 16. The writings of Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, Cicero and other philofophers, which ftill remain, together with the quotaticns made by Juft. Martyr and Clem. Alexandrinus, from thofe which are loft, prove that the learned heathens, though ignorant of the way of falvation, were acquainted with the unity and fpirituality of God, and had juft notions of his perfections, of the creation and vernment of the world, and of the duties which men owe to God, and to one another. Their fin, therefore, in worshipping idols, and in concealing the true God from the vulgar, did not proceed from ignorance, but from corruption of heart. go 2. They did not glorify him as God. To glorify one, is to think of him frequently with efteem, and to pay him that outward respect, both in fpeech and action, which is due to the worthinefs of his character. Toglorify God, therefore, is to think highly of him, to speak of him with reverence, and to worship him publicly, as the Maker and Governor of the univerfe; of which, worship, a principal part is to give him thanks, as the Author of all the good things mankind enjoy. The apostle having blamed the Greek legiflators, ver. 18.20. for concealing from the people the knowledge which they had attained of the true God, he here condemned them, because though they knew the abiurdity of polytheism, they established it by their 0 3 laws, 22 Profeffing themselves to be wife, they became fools: 23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God, 22 Φασκοντες είναι σοφοι, εμωράνθησαν. 23 Και ήλλαξαν την δόξαν τε αφθαρτε θες εν ὁμοιωμα laws, as the religion moft proper for the vulgar, and joined them in all the impious and obfcene rites of worship which they practised. He condemned the philofophers alfo, because they followed the fame courfe. Of this, Socrates, the greatest of them all, is a remarkable example, who, it is well known, both by precept and practice, countenanced the falfe religion of his country. For he taught his difciples, in matters of worship, to govern themselves, vouw woλews, by the custom of their country; and himself facrificed at the public altars, and sent to confult the oracle at Delphi. And, at his trial, as Xenophon informs us from Hermogenes, pleaded these facts as known to his accufers, to prove that he had not denied the gods of his country. Moreover, if, at any time, he fpake against the established religion, it was only in fecret, and feebly; as we learn from Plato in Euthyph. where Socrates, difcourfing with Euthyphro, who was bringing an action for murder against his own father, asked him, If he thought it juft and pious to do fo? Yes, fays the other, it is right and pious to bring an offender to juftice, though he be my father. For Jo Jove bound his father Saturn in chains for devouring his children; and Saturn before, caftrated his father for fome other crime. I confefs, replied Socrates, when I hear fuch things faid of the gods, (duoxiews was a wodexoμar) I affent with fome difficulty.-Farther, this celebrated philofopher, after his condemnation, when he had nothing farther to fear, inftead of bearing witness to the truth concerning God, by fpeaking plainly against the popular religion, rather confirmed it, if he was ferious in the hymn to Apollo and Diana, which he compofed in prifon, and in ordering his friends to facrifice a cock to Efculapius. But be thefe things as they may, the above well known facts fhew, that Socrates, as a teacher of religion, deferves no praise; and that the honourable appellation of a martyr for truth was never worse applied than to him. With refpect to Plato, the utmoft length he ventured to go in oppofing the popular theology, was to banish the poets, the great fupporters of that theology, from his Republic. Yet, not to fhock the prejudices of the vulgar too much, in his treatise of laws, (lib. viii) and in his books De Republ. he orders worship and rites to be performed to the gods, and to demons, and to Efculapius.-In like manner, Varro, as Auguftine informs us, (De Civit. Dei, iv. 31.) fpeaking of the established religions, fays, Many things are true, which are not only not fit for the vulgar to know, but if they should be falfe, it is fit the vulgar fhould think otherwife, and therefore the Greeks kept, (teletas et myfteria,) their initiations and myfteries in fecrecy, and within private walls.-In fhort, the famed diftinction of Exoteric and Efoteric doctrine, invented by the philofophers in excufe for their teaching the common people the groffeft falsehoods, while they refèrved truth for the ear of the |