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commandments , not some , but all , as God's chosen , holy , and peculiar people . But were they elected absolutely and infallibly \ o enter the promised land , and to triumph over their enemies , and to live in security , wealth , and enjoyment ? Manifestly not . They were elected to the privilege of having these blessings placed within their reach on the condition of their obeying the law that God had given them , but those who failed in the
condition lost the offered blessings and suffered grievous punishment . To apply these observations to the Gospel dispensation : —The Christian church stands in the place of the Jewish , enjoying corresponding advantages with those of God ' s ancient people . But the Christian religion is not , like the Jewish , confined to one nation , but is open to all men of every age and country . Hence the invitations of the gospel are general—all mercibers of the Christian church are called and elected by God , and are as truly his people and under his special government as the Israelites were . But Christians are not
elected to eternal salvation absolutely , but conditionally ; they are elected to the knowledge and privileges of the gospel , and to the pfomise of final salvation , on condition of proving faithful followers of Christ . This view of the subject is abundantly confirmed by an examination of particular passages of the apostle ' s writings . It is not , however , contended that the word elect has no other meaning than that now assigned to it . Dr . Whately , with great propriety , reprobates the too common practice of attaching one uniform meaning to a word in whatever instances in scripture it may occur .
* ' There is , indeed , no more fruitful source of error in this and in many other points , than the practice of interpreting scripture on the principles of a scientific system , and endeavouring to make out , as in mathematics , a complete technical vocabulary , with precise definitions of all the terms employed , such as may be applied in every case where they occur . Nothing manifestly was further from the design of the sacred writers than to frame any such system ; their writings were popular , not scientific ; they expressed their meaning on each occasion in the terms which on each occasion suggested themselves as best fitted to convey it ; and lie who would interpret rightly each of these terms , must interpret it in each passage according to the context of the place where it is found , "
The Bible , therefore , must be studied by each individual for himself ; thus only , it is obvious , can its meaning be learnt ; and nothing can be" more futile than the ordinary mode of proving doctrines by an array of selected passages . Possibly , and it is often the case , the passage adduced may wear a totally different aspect in its connexion from what it has when insulated . And thus it has happened that seemingly good evidence has been adduced for conflicting tenets , and the superficial thinker has hence been led to infer that any thing and every thing might be proved from the pages of the Bible .
We would submit to Dr . W . that the principle of interpretation which he has so well laid down , and so successfull y applied to the doctrine of Election , is applicable in other cases also , and especially to the doctrine of the Atonement . What Dr . W . 's views exactly are on this subject his present work does not inform us ; but , discarding much , as we shall presently see , of the popular errors on this subject ,-he holds views which have the appearance at least of being different from the simple teachings of the Scriptures . And , we imagine , the application of his own principles would lead him to see , that as the children of Israel were redeemed and saved from the evils under which they suffered , so , or rather in a similar way , are Christians benefited by the life , death , and resurrection of Christ . The terms used in ^ the New Testa-
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612 Whateiy ' s 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), Sept. 2, 1829, page 612, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2576/page/12/
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