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fnation of the event . Xenophbrj and Plato liave givetf us an account of the teachings of Socrates , and little would be thought of his judgment in those mutters who should maintain that they had omitted the fundamental features of their master ' s teaching * The great error into which our author has fallen appears to he this—he has formed in his mind some system which he deems Christianity ; he looks
info the Gospels and finds the chief features of his system absent—into the Epistles of Paul and imagines that they are there in abundance , and hence infers that Paul is an authority to be preferred to every other . The Gospels he tries to stretch out to what he conceives the expansion of Paul's creed ; but finding them unyielding , he sets himself to undervalue their authority . Nor is the question at issue to be solved by lapsing into the opposite error , viz ., that of making the Gospels the standard , and , by the Procrustes' bed of
Iiypercriticism , bringing Paul within their dimensions * The proper way to set about the inquiry seems to us to learn from the writers of our Lord's history what they proposed to themselves in writing . If they undertake to detail all that is essential for a Christian to believe and practise , the question is decided . Then we are to consult the writings of Paul ; and for ourselves we declare that there prevails between the two authorities the most perfect accordance . That there is a difference of phraseology we do not denythere may be other differences—but they are such as can be fully accounted
for by the peculiar circumstances of the apostle , and the peculiar objects which he had in view . In the time in which he wrote , the Christian church had assumed an aspect entirely different from that which it wore when Jesus preached , and in consequence , the writings of Paul being accommodated to the change , present in some minor respects novelty of feature . Still , in fundamentals , there is the greatest agreement . The doctrines are the same , the mariner in which they are set forth varies . But , to bring the question to a
decisive test , does Paul make any pretension to teach a new doctrine — to enlarge upon what Jesus ^ et forth—to add one fundamental truth to the system as preached by his Master ? No such pretension does our memory supply us with . On the contrary , it was " in the gospel of his Son" that he served God . * His gospel was identical with the preaching of Christ , and wa ^ sufficient for salvation — " Now to Hiin that is of power to stablish you
according to iny gospel arid the pfeacJiing of Jesus Christ . " f Jesus gave every essential blessing to Christians—* Mn every thing ye are enriched by Mm ( Jesus Christ ) , in all utterance and in all knowledge . " J Moreover , " Other foundation can no mail lay than that is laid , which is Jesus Christ . " § Accordingly , Paul declares himself , not an improver or a finisher of the Christian scheme , but " an apostlei" " a minister" of Christ , " steward
of the mysteries of God . " This consideration , then , we press upon the attention of Dr . W . The apostle furnishes no declaration that he was to cbnaplete the system ; his language implies that he was merely the expounder of the teachings of Christ And , let it be noticed , had Che apostle had any new doctrine of a fundamental nature to propound , there is little doubt that
the occasion of its first being brought forward , and the effects of its announcement on the minds of Christians , would have been clearly visible in his writings . As a case in point , advert to the declaration that the Gentiles were id be received equally with the Jews into the favour of God . Can it be pretended that the same importance is attached to any other new doctrine—( though this was only more fully declared after the resurrection )—that
simi-* Rom . i . 9 . f Rom . xvi . 25 . t 1 Cor . i . 5 . § I Cor . ill . 11 .
Untitled Article
534 Whateltfs Essays on the Writings of St . Paul ,
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1829, page 534, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2575/page/14/
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