Julian Period, 4771. Vulgar Æra, 58.

human Knowledge and Wisdom-He asserts that they Corinth.
knew God, but concealed the Knowledge of him, till their
own Hearts lost sight of the Truth, and they established
the Worship of the Creature, instead of the Creator-
By their knowledge of God they were convinced of the
Punishment which awaited their Crimes; yet they conti-
nued in them, and encouraged others to do so likewise.

19 Because that which may be known of God is mani-
fest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse :

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened:

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves :

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understandihg, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful :

32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Julian Period, 4771.

58.

§ 4. ROM. ii. 1-3.

Vulgar Era, The Apostle, well knowing the readiness of the Jews to join in the Condemnation of the Gentiles for their sins-now endeavours to convince the Jews of sin, by declaring that they also are guilty of the same crimes—and that God's judgment passed in their Law against such crimes, is known to be according to Truth, and that all those who commit them, whether Jew or Gentile, will not escape the final Judgment of God.

1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest, doest the same things.

2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

$ 5. ROM. ii. 4-11.

The Apostle admonishes the Jews that their privileges will
tend to their Condemnation, if they do not repent-He
denies all Distinctions between Jews and Gentiles in the
Judgment of God-and affirms that the same Punishments,
and the same Rewards, will be equally given both to the
Jew and Greek For with God there is no distinction of
Persons.

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and for-
bearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the good-
ness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds; 7 To them, who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

8 But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation, and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

$ 6. ROM. ii. 12-16.

St. Paul further declares that all Men shall be judged ac-
cording to the degree of Light and Knowledge they have
received-That not those Jews who profess the Law, and
are not doers of it; but the Gentiles, and all those who

Corinth.

Julian Period, 4771. Vulgar Era,

58.

act up to it, without having received the later knowledge of Corinth.
it, will find favour with God at the great Day, when all
Men shall be judged by the Law of Conscience, and of
Faith, according to the Gospel of God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law, shall also
perish without law and as many as have sinned in the
law, shall be judged by the law:

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves :

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another ;)

16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

§ 7. ROM. ii. 17-24.

St. Paul shews that the mere knowledge of Religion could
not justify the Jew-The inefficacy of the Mosaic Law
for Salvation proved by the flagrant violations of it in the
conduct of the Jewish Scribes and Rulers, who were the
appointed Instructors of the People-He proves the charge
by passages from their own Scriptures.

17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the
law, and makest thy boast of God.

18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness.

20 An insructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law:

21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest, A man should not steal, dost thou steal?

22 Thou that sayest, A man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God?

24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

§ 8.

ROM. ii. 25, to the end.
St. Paul proceeds to shew that Circumcision, in which the
Jews gloried, as the sign of their descent from Abraham,
and their peculiar privileges of God's chosen People,
would profit them nothing unless they kept the Law-By

Julian Period, 4771. Vulgar Era, 58.

transgressing the Law, the Jew forfeited his Privileges, Corinth,
and was in no better condition than the uncircumcised
Gentile The Gentiles, who perform the duties of the
Law, will be accepted of God, and admitted into the
number of his chosen People-The uncircumcised Gen-
tile, practising without Revelation the Faith and Obe-
dience enjoined by the Covenant of Abraham, will con-
demn those Jews who are circumcised only according to the
letter, transgressing the Law of Moses-He is not a Son
of Abraham who makes only an outward profession of
Religion; but he only is a true Son who is spiritually
pure-True Circumcision is that of the Heart, mortify-
ing all evil Affections according to the spirit of the Law,
and not according to its letter-Hoping only to be ap-
proved of God.

25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the
law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision
is made uncircumcision.

26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter: whose praise is not of men, but of God.

§ 9. ROM. iii. 1-8.

The Jews and Gentiles having been now equally convinced
of Sin by the Apostle-He proceeds to refute the pre-
judices of the Jews, by introducing one who inquires in
what then the Children of Abraham are favoured more
than the Gentiles-The Apostles replies, in having the
Oracles of God committed to them-The Jew then in-
quires, if, because some of their Nation did not believe in
these Oracles, their unbelief would annul the Promises of
God-The Apostle, in answer, maintains that the Truth
and Promises of God were confirmed by their unbelief;
the frailty of Man breaking the conditions on which they
rested-The Jew then asks, but if by their unbelief the
Righteousness of God is more abundantly displayed, would
not God be unjust to punish them?—The Apostle shews
that God cannot be unjust, if so, how could he judge the
World-The Jew repeats the argument-The Apostle
rejects it, by affirming that such conduct would be incul-
cating the practice of evil that good might ensue-The
just condemnation of those who hold such an opinion.

Julian Pe

I What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit Corinth. riod, 4771. is there of circumcision? Vulgar Æra,

58.

2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

3 For what, if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4 God forbid yea, let God be true, but every man a liar as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

5 But if our righteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man).

6 God forbid for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

8 And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil, that good may come; whose damnation is just.

§ 10. ROM. iii. 9-20.

The Jew now inquires if they have not better claims than
the Gentiles-To which question the Apostle again af-
firms what he has already stated, that both Jews and
Gentiles were equally under sin-The sin of the Jews
proved from their own Scriptures, which they allowed to
be of divine Inspiration—No Man can be justified by the
Law either of Aloses or of Nature, which could give only
the knowledge of Sin and its condemnation.

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise:
for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that
they are all under sin;

10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no,

not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know, that what things soever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become
guilty before God.