ANALYSIS

OF

ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

TWO great errors, fo far as I am able to judge of fcripture, have taken their rife from St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans: the doctrine of juftification by faith alone; and the Calvinistic doctrine of predeftination. Both of them appear to me entirely loft, in a clofe attention to the fcope of the Epiftle.

I have therefore drawn up the following concife analysis of it, which is intended to bring within a narrow compafs the principal intention of the whole, and the connection of its feveral parts.

It is one of the peculiarities of St. Paul's writing, to branch out frequently from his immediate fubject, and, after difcuffing fome point which

thus

thus occafionally falls in his way, to return abruptly to his firft argument. In this analysis I mean not to follow the Apostle through these digreffions, but to attend chiefly to what appears to be the main purpose of the Epistle.

The Apostle feems to have had two grand points in view. The first was, to convince the Jews of the excellence of Christianity, and of its fuperiority to the law of Mofes; and the second, to reconcile them to the idea of God's giving the Gentiles a participation with them of its benefits. On both these heads the Jews were very tenacious of their feveral prejudices. Of their attachment to the law of Mofes, and blending its ritual with the doctrines of Christianity, we have various inftances in the historical parts of the New Testament; as we have also of their believing themselves the fole inheritors, through Abraham, of the promises of religion; though the Baptist had early told them, that God was able of the very stones to raise up children to Abraham. But let us go through the feveral chapters regularly.

CHAP. I.-The Apostle begins his Epistle, by fhewing the neceffity of redemption. He first takes a general view of man in a state of nature,

in which human depravity appears in its greatest

exceffes.

CHAP. II. He then turns to the Jew, who has no right, he fays, to arraign the Gentile, as his own practice, notwithstanding the holy law he profeffed, was little better. He is not a Jew, fays the Apostle, who is one outwardly; for circumcifion confifteth not in the letter, but in the heart and Spirit.

CHAP. III.-The Apoftle then opens the grand mode of redemption from fin, through the gofpel, which was to include (v. 29) both Jews and Gentiles. Here, with a view to reconcile the Jews to the gofpel, he fhews how very fuperior it was to the law. -(CHAP. IV.)-In fact, he obferves, that reconciliation through the gofpel was promised long before the law was eftablished. So that Abraham's faith, which was imputed to him for righteousness, was faith, in a future redemption by Chrift; and is handed down as an example to his pofterity. If they receive that falvation through Chrift, which Abraham received only through faith, the fame righteousness will be imputed to them.

CHAP. V. The Apoftle having mentioned the cafe of Abraham, carries his view ftill higher

to

to the cafe of Adanı; from which he infers the univerfality of the gofpel. As Adam's tranfgreffion brought death on all mankind, the reftoration by Chrift was meant to be equally uni verfal. So that, as all was loft by Adam, all was restored by Christ.

CHAP. VI.-The Apostle then anfwers an objection, which might be made to his doctrine. As fin is forgiven through grace, the greater the finner (the objector may fay) the more excellent is the grace that forgives him. To this the Apostle answers, that the grand idea of the gofpel is to produce a new life.

Its grace was

never intended to fhelter those who continued in fin, but to fave thofe who renounced it. The Christian therefore, fhould always confider himfelf as dead in fin, but alive through Christ.

CHAP. VII.-The Apoftle then comes nearer the point he had in view; and proceeds to fhew, that, as God Almighty had fuperfeded the law by the gofpel, the law, of course, should be efteemed as dead; and the Jew was now as much at liberty to embrace the gofpel, as a man, after the death of his first wife was at liberty to marry a fecond. — The Apostle adds, that the law indeed taught them what fin was,